Recession Costumes.

'In these hard times we'll all have to make our own clothes, according to the newspaper style sections. At least it's an opportunity to branch out and reintroduce some forgotten garments. For instance, the pelerine:'




Rudimentary Solresol, a Musical Language.

'Solresol is an artificial language devised by François Sudre, beginning in 1827. He published his major book on it, Langue musicale universelle, in 1866, though he had already been publicizing it for some years. Solresol enjoyed a brief spell of popularity, reaching its pinnacle with Boleslas Gajewski's 1902 posthumous publication of Grammaire du Solresol.'

More on Solresol: http://www.omniglot.com/writing/solresol.htm




Beijing's Underground City.

'... also known as Dixia Cheng, is a bomb shelter comprising a network of tunnels located beneath Beijing, China, which has since been transformed into a tourist attraction. It has been called the Underground Great Wall because it was built for the purpose of military defense. The complex was constructed during the 1970s in anticipation of a nuclear war with the Soviet Union, and was officially reopened in 2000.'

More : http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Beijing+Underground+City




Paris through a Pinhole.




World's Largest Cross.

'198 feet tall and 113 feet wide, forged out of over 180 tons of steel anchored in untold fathoms of cement, the cross can withstand winds hurled by evilest of forces at up to 145 mph. Its stark, slab-sided design conveys the corporate utility of a logo -- no distracting crucifixion blandishments, just the plainest symbol of Christianity. The structure also conjures aspects of the World Trade Center towers, which came crashing down in 2001 less than three months after the cross went up.'




Celia Cruz - Guantanamera.




The Strange Story of King Ludwig II.




The Forty-seven Ronin.

Japan's 'national myth'.




Margate Harbour in the 1920s.




Old Motels.

'Like the crossroads at Pruner's Cottages, multiple points of appeal intersect in these postcards. The quaintness is about equal in the cards themselves and the motels they picture -- both associated with memories of road trips long past, where the first thing you did after checking in was rush to the room to grab the stationery. Even the most humble places gave you at least a postcard. '




The Minassian Collection of Persian, Mughal and Indian Miniature Paintings.




In Our Own Backyard: Resisting Nazi Propaganda in Southern California 1933-1945.




The Renaissance Kitchen.

'Lasting fame accompanied the publication in 1570 of the 6-book series known as 'Opera' [The Work(s)]. It was more a culinary treatise than a mere cookbook. Scappi included more than a thousand recipes, demonstrating his familiarity with dishes from a range of European and North African countries as well as his expertise with regional Italian cooking.'




A Love of Monsters: Gargoyles in NYC.

The monsters of Wall Street.




Albrecht Durer Gallery.

'Dürer, Albrecht (b. May 21, 1471, Imperial Free City of Nürnberg [Germany]--d. April 6, 1528, Nürnberg), German painter, printmaker, draughtsman and art theorist, generally regarded as the greatest German Renaissance artist. His vast body of work includes altarpieces and religious works, numerous portraits and self-portraits, and copper engravings.'




Gandhi as India.

'This stamp was issued by India in the year 2000, showing Gandhi’s flowing cape taking on the shape of India. '




The Sprout!

Looks like a happy kid.




Etsy Wedding.

Offbeat finds for the eclectic bride.




Differences between the Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian Languages.

'A language is a dialect with an army and a navy.'


Mutually intelligible languages : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutually_intelligible_languages



Confucius sat outside of the gates of the city, watching visitors arrive. One visitor approached the old man and greeted him with a question:

"Old man, tell me something. What sort of people will I meet in this city?"

Confucius reflected on this for a moment, then asked the traveler, "What sort of people did you meet in the last city you visited?"

"God, that whole city was miserable. The people were rude, and they were mean to strangers, and nobody did anything to make me feel welcome. I'm telling you, people from that city are just plain rotten."

Confucius shook his head sadly at this tale, and with a heavy heart informed the visitor: "I'm sorry to say this, but that's the same kind of people you'll meet in this city, too."

Hours passed, and Confucius continued to sit outside of the city gates. Another visitor approached him.

"Pardon me, sir, I'm sorry to bother you, but can I ask you a question? Would you mind telling me what sort of people will I meet in this city?"

Confucius asked the second traveler, "What sort of people did you meet in the last city you visited?"

"Oh, that city was wonderful...I hated to leave. The people were so generous, and they were kind to everyone, even strangers, and everyone went out of their way to make me feel welcome. The people from that city were wonderful."

Confucius nodded happily as he heard these words, then told the visitor with a smile: "Then that's the same kind of people you'll meet in this city, too."

http://www.metafilter.com/76999/The-bartender-hates-you#2358801




Ringo Starr Japan TV Ad.



1938 Martian Landing Site, Princeton Junction, New Jersey.

"A humped shape is rising out of the pit. I can make out a small beam of light against a mirror. What's that? There's a jet of flame springing from the mirror, and it leaps right at the advancing men. It strikes them head on! Good Lord, they're turning into flame!"




Abandoned School.

'This school became abandoned after strange happening in the school, it was closed down after a large chalk board flew from the wall nearly hitting students. It used to be used as part of the church it is next to. I think it is now waiting to be demolished.'




Haitian Carnival Masks.




Someone's Photos of Laos.




Anatomical Plates 1522-1867.

'This collection features approximately 4500 full page plates and other significant illustrations of human anatomy selected from the Jason A. Hannah and Academy of Medicine collections in the history of medicine at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto. Each illustration has been fully indexed using medical subject headings (MeSH), and techniques of illustration, artists, and engravers have been identified whenever possible. There are ninety-five individual titles represented, ranging in date from 1522 to 1867.'




Bernd and Hilla Becher.

'For nearly 50 years, Bernd and Hilla Becher photographed the industrial architecture of western Europe.'