Around The Interwebs

Focara of Novoli – A Bonfire Of Epic Proportions

Jan 262012

Every year between the 7th and 18th of January, the people of Novoli, in south-eastern Italy, embark on a festival of fire, known as the Focara. The Focara is held in memory of St. Anthony, who was the Patron Saint and protector of Novoli.

Preparations for the festival starts almost a month in advance. The locals build a massive bonfire structure, consisting of almost 100 000 bundles of vines, send in by local farmers.

The entire structure is set alight on the 16th, and it burns throughout the night.

Photo © DanPer

Photo © masozzo

Photo via Quotidiano di Puglia

Photo via Vini e Sapori

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Shadow Art – Talented Artists creating masterpieces using shadows

People, Products No Responses »

Jan 182012

We never really stop to look at our shadows – It’s such an everyday thing that nobody really
notices them.

Some extremely talented artists are creating artistic shadows out of seemingly randomly placed
objects. Anything from wedding rings to trash are carefully placed in just the right spot to
create realistic shadows of everyday objects.

Shadow Art - Ring forming a heart Flickr

Kumi Yamashita

Henrietta Swift

Tim Noble and Sue Webster

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Alang – Where Ships Go To Die

Places No Responses »

Jan 172012

It’s known as the graveyard of ships, a place where unskilled workers break down ships & vessels for scrap metal, with mostly nothing more than your average DIY hand tools.

Maintaining an empty vessel or ship is extremely costly, and a lot of the times it’s cheaper to simply strip the ship for scrap. Ship owners worldwide send their ships to Alang to be broken down, because of the cheaper labor and lack of local laws preventing such a thing.

One of the major concerns with the shipyard is that the nearest full service hospital is 50 kilometers away, and sometimes workers who gained serious injuries have to wait a full day to get medical attention.

Because the workers are not trained in breaking down large ships, they often cause dangerous chemicals like mercury to spill onto the beach and into the ocean.

Alang is located at 21°24 43N 72°12 10E, on the Indian coast.

Photo by www.rodedwards.ca

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Man with incredibly weird name arrested in Wisconsin

Humour & Funny, People No Responses »

Jan 112012

An average day arrest turned into great laughter for the Wisconsin Police Department when they discovered that the man they were arresting is named Beezow Doo-Doo Zopittybop-Bop-Bop.

Police received a complaint of excessive drinking and drug use in the area, after which they arrested Beezow. He was later charged with carrying a concealed weapon, possession of drug paraphernalia, and the possession of marijuana.

Zopittybob-Bob-Bop was previously named Jeffrey Drew Wilschike, and it’s unclear why he decided to change his name. The full police report can be found here

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Agnes “old person suit” makes you feel 75 years old

Products No Responses »

Jan 042012

If you ever wondered what it actually feels like being old, then the AGNES suit is just for you.

Developed by MIT, the AGNES suit allows the wearer to move and feel as though they are 75 years old.

Earplugs and special glasses impair your vision and hearing, while special shoes constantly throw you off balance. The suit also has rubber bands causing the wearer to experience stiffness and difficulty to move, making it virtually impossible to take large steps or raise your arms above your head.

The suit was created so that people who design products for old people can better understand their difficulties and needs.