Urinals?

I'm just off to water the . . . Artist creates whimsical garden-themed urinals for clients flush with cash and a taste for bathroom humor

San Francisco-based artist Clark Sorensen has been drawing his inspiration from nature - and from nature's call.  

The sculptor and craftsman has attracted much international attention as one of the world's most creative manufactures of luxury urinals shaped like flowers and plants.

A graduate of the University of Utah with a bachelor’s degree in sculpture, Sorensen, 54, had spent years in costume design, illustration and computer animation. 

Most Inaccessible Monasteries!

Buddhist monasteries are usually located in remote places far from the hub-bub of cities and towns. It takes more than a mild determination to reach them, but some of these are decidedly inaccessible. The idea is to keep all but only the most dedicated followers from reaching these holy places, while they also make the monks feel like they were closer to God in a place of peace and solitude. Today, however, most of these monasteries are tourist attractions, and in favor of the tourists, several accessible methods like ropeways and stairs have been added. They still look formidable and requires hundreds of meters of vertical trekking.

 

Monasteries of Meteora, Greece

The Metéora (Greek for “suspended in the air" or "in the heavens above") is a group of six monasteries and one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Greece. The six monasteries, built on natural sandstone rock pillars, are one of the most powerful examples of the architectural transformation of a site into a place of retreat, meditation and prayer. 

 

Interesting Science Facts

We live in an amazing world drifting through an amazing universe and these are some amazing facts about you, life, the world, and that amazing universe.  This is the kind of stuff you don't need to know, but it is sure fun to know!

THE FREE SCHOOL UNDER THE BRIDGE

Next time you complain about going to school (or hear someone complain about going to school), take a look at this.

Seen here are Rajesh Kumar Sharma and Laxmi Chandra and together, they run a free school for children living in the slums of New Delhi, India under a metro bridge.  Around 30 underprivileged children attend the school... the only school they can attend. 

For two hours every weekday, Sharma leaves his day-job at a general store in Shakarpur -- his brother fills in for him -- so that he can teach the children.  Sharma was forced to drop out of college because of financial difficulties and did not wish to see an education denied to children just because they are poor.

Tree House

As a kid we dream of building an amazing tree house. The American couple Tereasa and David never forgot their childhood dreams. They built this tree house for adults in Elkhorn, Wisconsin.

Meet the Man Who Transforms Corpses into Diamonds

By Gian Volpicelli

People usually make for blue-colored diamonds. Images via Algordanza

How To Clean a Bathtub Naturally with a Grapefruit & Salt

APARTMENT THERAPY TUTORIALS

If you make your own green cleaners, why not change things up once in awhile?

Discovered After 70 Years: A Stunning, Untouched WWII Era Paris Apartment

It's every antique hunter's dream: an accidental Paris time-capsule, unoccupied since 1942.

Identical non-twins

These 13 People Are Not Twins. What’s Even More Unbelievable…They’ve Never Even Met Till Now.

Canadian photographer Francois Bruenelle accomplished something I never thought possible (or really thought about at all, honestly). The photog from Québec found the most amazing, real-life dopplegangers and photographed them together. (A doppleganger is the “apparition or double of a living person.”) These photographs are quite shocking when you realize that none of the people pictured below knew each other or were related.

While not completely identical by any means, what Francois pulled off is pretty awesome. Check them out.

10 Best Selling Books of All Time

 

Long before the human being learnt the art of reading and writing, all the knowledge used to passed on from person to person and from generation to generation by word of mouth. The most popular form of communication since ancient times has been story-telling. Initially, even the religious knowledge used to be passed on in the form of stories only. That is how religious books like The Bible, the Bhagavad Gita and so on were preserved from generation to generation. After the invention of paper and printing press, the trend of printing such stories came into existence. Due to the popularity of the religious scriptures, their circulation was so immense, it is literally impossible to keep a track of all the copies circulated worldwide. There are other books written by famous authors at different times which have attained tremendous popularity due to their content and style of presentation. Here are the Top 10 best-selling single-series books of all time.

Its a new year, Be Brave

“Be brave. Even if you’re not, pretend to be. No one can tell the difference. 

15 Extreme and Craziest Things in Nature You Won't Believe Existed

We list down 15 extreme and craziest things in nature you won’t believe actually exist.

Volcanic Lightning

Astounding Japanese Highways, Bridges & Interchanges

Japan saw most of its infrastructure bombed back to the stone age in the final years of World War II, which makes the country's post-war rejuvenation all the more astounding. Huge, complex public works projects saw a concrete & steel web of highways, bridges and interchanges blossom from the wreckage of war.

Today, shaped by the demands of restrictive space and economic boom & bust, Japan's hardened transportation arteries display artistic forms that go far beyond their functions.

 

Helpful Tips on Eye Care

With so many of us spending lots of time in front of the computer every day it comes to no surprise that research is showing a rise in visual problems. What can one do? First, it’s important to find out how you can protect your eyes through eye health exams and by making a few minor changes in your computer viewing habits. 

Here are some helpful Eye Care Tips - 

10 Life Lessons You Learn Too Late

Have you ever asked yourself the question “How did it get so late so soon?”, while you got caught up in everyday hustle and bustle you completely forgot to live. Take time to realize what you want and need. Take time to take risks. Take time to love, laugh, cry, learn, and forgive. Life is shorter than it often seems.

Here are ten things you need to know, before it’s too late:

Business Cards for Delivering Your Message the Creative Way

40 Architects’ Business Cards for Delivering Your Message the Creative Way

Dear architects, if you ever felt like you needed a head start with a client or are simply on the lookout for a creative way to get to get your message across, today’s post is for you. After some serious research, we gathered a series of architects’ business cards that defy patterns and stand out in any wallet. As you can see in the photos below

10 No-Fail Decor Tricks & Tips for Small Spaces

Designers always have tricks up their sleeves to be pulled out in challenging situations. We've gathered some of the most helpful small space design tips and tricks to get all you can out of any size space. And these tips are not solely for the square-foot challenged — they can work in every home.

1. Hanging your drapery close to the ceiling will give the room a dramatic illusion of height.
2. Consider a raised bed frame for storage room underneath. 
3. Use a pot rack to give a homey feel and take advantage of unused vertical space. 
4. Store an ottoman underneath your coffee table for extra seating. It's an added bonus if you can also store things in your ottoman.
5. A standing open shelving unit in a room really helps separate two spaces in a studio, like the bedroom and living room, while letting light and air throughand providing storage.
6. Don't stray away from bulkier furniture just because your space is small. It can actually make the room feel larger than one with a collection of multiple smaller pieces.
7. Make full use of corners with corner tables, shelves and benches.
8. Consider open shelving in the kitchen or bathroom to help with storage problems. Just make sure you stock them in a visually thoughtful way.
9. Store a bench under your dining table for more seating that can be tucked out of the way when not in use.
10. Consider small nooks or closets for home office space. You can always close them off with a simple curtain.

Great space-saving beds

From a classic Murphy bed to a high tech loft bed. Here are ten great beds for the space-challenged

 

The loft bed “Pop and Roll” from the French company Espace Loggia can be pulled down at night without moving any furniture

House squeezed into a tiny plot

What do you do with a 398ft2/37m2 small plot squeezed in between two existing properties? Well the Japanese firm “Fujiwarramuro Architects” made a family house with a parking spot, a bright living room, two rooms for the children, a bed room and an underground storage space with a low ceiling.  The house is situated in a residential area in the heart of the city of Kobe, where property prices are high, so you really have to utilize every square foot

10 Commandments of Furniture Arranging

Get expert advice on the best way to position your furnishings

When it comes to arranging furniture, there’s definitely more than one way to do things, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make mistakes. Home decorating is a recognized art, requiring careful calculation of both the space’s needs and the host’s tastes. While experts agree the surest way to a flawless room is trial and error, there are a few rules to keep in mind as you design your setup. So read on to find out what three home design pros say are the tricks of their trade.