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Invisible Art: The idea is to trick your eyes into not seeing something

FROM THE DAILY MAIL REPORTER TODAY....

"It's a familiar feeling - you park your car, head to the shops and on your return you forget where you left it.

But art student Sara Watson could be forgiven for such a lapse - because she has created an invisible car.

The University of Central Lancashire artist made the incredible optical illusion by spray painting a battered Skoda Fabia to match the car park and entrance to her art studio."

Read the whole story here.

Today's As It Stands: Wolves on Wall Street, tell all book, movies, financial predators profiled

  In 1929, before Variety's historic headline “Wall Street Laid An Egg,” things were really booming in America. Early in the year, financial commentators gave glowing reviews about entertainment stocks.      “The Wolf of Wall Street” starring George Bancroft was released to packed houses on Feb. 9. Director Roland V. Lee had a hit on his hands, as theater-goers set a record for attendance.

Read the whole column here.

For all of you political types: This is the link you've been waiting for!

A map of the states shows where each party, Democratic and Republican, is strong or weak. There's updated political news along with other features that help you evaluate what's coming up in the 2010 senatorial election. It's non-partisan, which says a lot right there! I hope you find it scratches your political itch and is another resource in the search for truth in American politics. Go to Vote From Abroad to view.

Banned Books in America: Brave New World shook people up!

There have been many controversial books in American history, and Brave New World is among the most controversial. From Dir Journal Info Blog archives....

"Published in 1932, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is his most popular novel; although, it may not have been his most important.

It was frequently challenged with several banning attempts, and is still considered controversial. The reader is swept into Huxley’s vision of a future based on science and technology.

The novel depicts drugs, sexuality and suicide, and reveals Huxley’s disdain for the culture of the United States.

An attempt to get the book banned was made by a group of parents as they felt it centered on negativity. (more…)"

For more bizarre, Interesting and Unusual, Discoveries, Photos, Cover Ups go to Dir Journal Info Blog.

image via Dir Journal Info Blog

Vintage Poison Labels: Art is often in the eye of the beholder!

 

 

To see more labels go here.

I'd like to introduce you to the Zombie Preparedness Initiative!

 Here it is Friday and you're wondering if you can get through the day.

You think, "I've heard it all," as you wait for the weekend. Then you find out about a community of loons who are ready for an invasion from Zombies 365 days a year!

The members have a finely detailed plan on what to do when Zombies finally make their move and try to rule the earth.

  Say what? This can't be on up-and-up. No one believes in Zombies right?

   I quote:

"The Zombie Preparedness Initiative is a knowledge base provided by a community of citizens concerned about the impending zombie invasion and the imminent disaster that is sure to follow.

We are not claiming to be experts on anything, we are merely doing what we can to gather knowledge and share the acquired information with the public. By doing this, we hope to help people prepare for the very real threat that we shall face when zombies show up and governments have not taken the time to prepare.

We are working to do what we can to help people find others in their area that are interested in fighting against the zombies so that when the time comes there can be safe locations all around the world. We have recently moved to a new content management system, so if there are any problems with anything, please report it to the site administrator." Check out the whole site here.

Image via durtbagz.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/dawn-zom...

Underground Living: What do you think about Alice City?

 

Clear domes (left) to subterranean concrete living spaces (right) offer a new lifestyle.

For an idea of the future direction of architecture look down at your feet. One day you may unsuspectingly be walking on top of housing, offices and even cities.

by Simon Jones for Future Facing web site

     Country living offers the ideals of a relaxed, gentler way of life that many of us have bought into. Yet our desire to be cocooned by nature has involved bulldozing it into oblivion. So how can we regain a more harmonious relationship between the often opposing sides of large-scale development and rural ecology? By developing a green utopia - underground.
    The Taisei Company's ambitious plan for subterranean living imaginatively titled Alice City from Alice in Wonderland offers a utopia that is almost as fantastical as the book.  Read the rest of the story here.

images via future facing

Prohibition of Marijuana is often compared to prohibition of alcohol

This cartoon by Dr. Seuss in 1942, echoed what most Americans of the day thought about banning booze. It was an unpopular law. Dr Suess's political cartoons are all nicely displayed at this Catalog of Political Cartoons You may be in for a surprise at just how political Dr. Seuss was. His children books are still read in schools across the country, but most people aren't aware of his other body of works in war and domestic issues. Enjoy!

Image via http://orpeus.ucsd.edu

How worried should we be about the Swine Flu outbreak? Some say it's a great way for Big Pharma to make a profit!

From The Lay Scientist today...

Swine Flu - The Conspiracy

By Martin

It's close to becoming a truism now that every unusual event is immediately greeted with a chorus of conspiracy theories, and Swine Flu is no exception. If you want to see some extremely impressive analysis of the situation, then you should head on over to the guys at Effect Measure, who are putting the mainstream media to shame. But the people I'm about to present to you have a rather different take.

As an example of just how different this take is, the title of the piece I'm about to quote is "It is Time to Shoot Back."

Read the rest of the story here.

From Mother Jones this morning...

Swine Flu Deja Vu--and SNAFU

By James Ridgeway

The more we learn about the current swine flu outbreak, the more it all begins to sound like what happened in 2005, when the world faced a possible pandemic of avian flu. But with the exception of stocking up on Tamiflu, most governments seem to have taken little meaningful action in response to the bird flu scare, and learned few lessons.

Read the rest of the story here.

Also from from Mother Jones (April 2009)...

Swine Flu: Bringing Home the Bacon

By James Ridgeway |

As the world gears up once again for a flu pandemic that may or may not arrive (it actually seems possible this time), we might want to remember some of the lessons of the last flu scare. One of these is that there are winners as well as losers in every high-profile outbreak of infectious disease. First and foremost among them, of course, is Big Pharma, which can always be counted on to have its hand out wherever human misery presents an opportunity to rake in some cash.

Read the rest of the story here.

Pig image via stockphoto.com