(Video Link)

There is nothing fun about waiting for your plane at an airport. It’s boring and stressful. But if you’re lucky, then Maan Hamadeh is waiting for the same flight. He’s a pianist from Lebanon. While he was waiting for his plane in Prague, he entertained himself and his fellow passengers by showing with a master musician can do. Watch him play Beethoven’s “Für Elise” in multiple styles. Hamadeh is a great showman who starts out slow, then rises in vibrancy and passion.

Later, he also played theme music from one of the Twilight movies.

-via Twisted Sifter

Maude White is an artist in Buffalo, New York. She's explored many different careers and artistic media, but has found a niche in cut paper. She uses an X-Acto knife to cut amazingly detailed and precise images of people and animals. Many of her pieces appear to swirl in movements of wind, water, and spirit.

It looks like a tiny cafe from the front door, but open up and you'll see an immense spread of artful Whovian decor at the Pandorica, a restaurant in Beacon, New York. It's named after a prison in the Doctor Who universe. Redditor jacquelinesarah describes the day she discovered it:

I spent the day in the quiet little artist town of Beacon, NY and passed a restaurant called "Pandorica" as I walked down the main street. I smiled to myself but didn't think much of it. On the way back, I looked inside and saw the giant mural of the exploding TARDIS. Of course, I then ran in and started talking to the owner (dressed head to toe in TARDIS blue). She took me around the entire restaurant pointing out every tiny detail, from the sunflowers on the tables to the "fish fingers" (aka french toast sticks) and custard on the dessert menu. I told her that I'll be moving to London this autumn (the mecca, really) and she replied that she's actually from there. It made a lot of sense seeing how much British influence is in the food--they do an afternoon tea that looks lovely.

As you can see, the menu is appropriate. It includes Whovian favorites, such as fish sticks with custard and K-9 corn dogs.

(Photos: jacquelinesarah and the Pandorica)

-via The Mary Sue

These are no ordinary light bulbs. They're sculptures that provide light as well as beauty. Artisans at Only 1, a Japanese lighting retailer, made them. The Biei series consists of hand-blown bulbs with unusual designs that immediately attract the eye whether they're on or off. You can see more of them here.

-via Spoon & Tamago

Silvia Ferreira is the owner of SkyPirate Creations, a producer of custom steampunk clothing and accessories. Perhaps you aren't into that scene. But your guinea pig is and Ferreira has just the rig for it.

Now a question for all of you: who would prevail in a battle between this winged guinea pig and this one protected by full-body metal armor? It's almost a Viper vs. the Mountain scenario. The steampunk guinea pig would have the advantage of speed and maneuverability, whereas the steel-encased guinea pig would have weight and protection.

-via io9

Mat Brown is an industrial designer and jewelry maker in Norwich, UK. He wanted to do something productive with a long piece of chestnut wood that he owned. It was heavily cracked and had knotholes, so some woodworkers might choose to avoid it. 

But Brown had a plan. He mixed resin with glow-in-the-dark powder and poured it into the cracks and holes. He then varnished it with 8 or 9 coats of a linseed oil solution. Brown made the now elegant board into a lovely set of shelves that glow under black light. You can see more pictures of this beautiful project here.

-via Colossal

(Photo: Alma)

Hypothetical: We breed a species of cow smart enough to consent to a contract. It agrees to give us milk. Is this milk now vegan?

— Zach Weinersmith (@ZachWeiner) August 13, 2014

Zach Weinersmith, the webcomic artist responsible for Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, offers this original ethical question. Vegetarians eschew meat for various reasons, often to avoid harming animals. Vegans often take this perspective even further by using nothing which exploits an animal. So a vegan may choose to not drink milk or use sheep wool because those are products extracted from animals, even though the animals are not killed.

How would you answer Zach's question?

Ariel from The Little Mermaid

Cinderella from Cinderella

Rapunzel from Tangled

Tinker Bell from Peter Pan

Gaston from Beauty and the Beast

Blaine Gibson is a content producer with Rooster Teeth, a video production studio in Austin. He’s also a man on a mission: to get married. And not just to anyone. He wants a Disney princess. So he got an engagement ring and went to Disney World. Then Blaine dropped to one knee and proposed. Again and again.

As far as I can tell, each and every one of them rejected him. Better luck next time, Blaine. Maybe you should try Pocahontas. I heard that she’s single now.

-via Fashionably Geek

Akihiro Mizuuchi is an illustrator and web developer in Shizuoka, Japan. He’s also a genius, as you can plainly see. He developed a means to create chocolate LEGO pieces that are hard enough that you can use them to build things. You’ll also get an entirely different experience when you accidentally step on a block while barefoot.

I suggest that Mizuuchi mass-produce his design so that we can replicate this 105-foot LEGO tower or this 1:1 scale X-wing fighter.

-via Colossal

(Chris Hallbeck/Maximumble)

This is why you should never purchase anything from a wizard without a written warranty. It costs extra, but is always worth it. A handshake deal is not enough.

(Video Link)

The A431 road is essential for people who live near Kelston, Somerset, UK. But a big section of it has been shut down for 10 months for repairs. Getting around it requires a 14-mile detour--at least until last week.

Like many residents, Mike Watts was sick of waiting for the government to repair the road. While at a pub, he overheard a man talking about this problem. The man owned land next to the closed portion. Some drivers were cutting across his field to get around the construction (or lack thereof).

Watts saw an opportunity. Would drivers pay for a detour? The Guardian describes how Watts responded:

That was when Watts suggested a toll road. Actually, it was his wife, Wendy, with whom he runs an espresso bar and two Funtastic party shops in Bath's Guildhall market, who said: "You should put in a toll road and charge people." But Watts is "the mouthpiece" (Watts says), and so he told Dinham: "If you want, we'll do a deal. I'll pull it all together, I'll fund it."

That was in May. Last month, the road builders began. Ten days later, the road was ready. "Maybe two weeks," says the site foreman for RM Penney, who wishes to remain anonymous. The process was fast because there are no kerbs, no tarmac, just the sub-base normally found beneath tarmac. The stones came from a local quarry at Wick. The weather was kind. The road opened last Friday.

For £2 ($3.36 USD), drivers can use the 340-yard toll road. About 500 to 600 cars have been using it daily since then. Watts thinks that he needs about 1,000 per day to break even with his expenses.

-via 22 Words

(Photos: Model Railroader, Bruce Tuten) 

On the right, you can see rock star Rod Stewart.

What do you see on the left? Is it a city? No. It's a scene from the model railroad diorama that Rod Stewart built.

With his own hands.

You may know Stewart for his music, but one of his greatest passions is model railroading. For many years, off and on, he worked on a massive 124-foot long, incredibly detailed cityscape. He holds the title of a Master Model Railroader from the National Model Railroad Association.

Rod Stewart is one of eight celebrities with perhaps surprising skills. You can read about others at Cracked, including the hidden backgrounds of Jon Stewart, Sean Connery, and Jason Lee.

The Kansas City (Missouri) Police Department would like to apologize for this appalling demonstration of its officers' dancing skills. It notes that "Maybe we'll start including dancing as a course at the Academy, because it sure looks like we could use it."

(Video Link)

Definitely.

-via Twitchy

Have you ever eaten a Cuban sandwich? A good Cuban is a delight! The typical ingredients are roast pork, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard. Put them in a bun and mash it under a hot sandwich press. Remove it from the press before attempting to eat.

The gastronomically adventurous staff at Thrillist made this corn dog with a Cuban flair. They deep fried it because, well, everything is better deep fried.

In 1971, John Cleese--the actor and comedian from the Monty Python troupe--stayed at the Gleneagles Hotel in Torquay, Devon, UK. He noticed that the owner and manager of the hotel was foul-tempered and rude. In fact, he possessed such an extraordinarily foul personality that he would be a great television character.

This is how Cleese's sitcom Fawlty Towers was born. The show aired for two seasons in 1975 and 1979. It was about a seaside hotel and its dysfunctional staff: the temperamental owner, Basil Fawlty, his wife, Sybil Fawlty, and the Spanish waiter, Manuel.

Cleese played Basil Fawlty, a man capable of remarkable rudeness to his guests.

Would you like to be verbally abused by Basil Fawlty? You can get your chance. Messy Nessy Chic tells us about Fawlty Towers: The Dining Experience--an interactive dinner theater experience in which actors serve you food while in character as Basil, Sybil, and Manuel.

If you attend a performance in your city, come prepared for good food but questionable service.

(Photos: Fawlty Towers: The Dining Experience)