Spoon & Tamago describes several ways in which public parks in Tokyo have been carefully prepared to convert into emergency shelters in the event of a natural disaster, such as an earthquake. Among the features are pagoda shelters that are sized for tent covers, manholes that give access to the sewer system for portable toilets, and solar powered lights that direct people to shelters during power outages.
I'm especially impressed with the simple but clever addition of wood burning cook stoves to park benches. You can see two such designs above.
This is Roll Bottom, a desk design by Ian Stell. The metal secretary desk cover slides down and forms the seat. I'm not sure if it's practical, but it's pretty. You could give it to a coworker that you dislike.
If you had the hands of a LEGO minifig, what would they look like? Comic book artist James McKelvie directs us to this image. These flesh claws would actually be useful for precision tool work. We'll have to change the way keyboards are designed, though.
YouTube user TrainDozer imagines a different type of Star Trek show: a sitcom. Adapting the theme song for Family Matters, one of the iconic sitcoms of 90s, he introduces Data, the titular character of a comedic and wholesome story of an android trying to become a human. Data lives on a ship with a family of good-natured humans and a Klingon.
For now, we're going to ignore the fact that Romeo and Juliet is about two idiotic teenagers who got themselves and four other people killed in four days. And we're going to hope that this couple has a happier life.
But, like the lovers in Shakespeare's tale, they did meet in Verona and woo from balconies. Quarantined in apartments across a street from each other, they felt an immediate attraction. The Washington Post describes their love story:
Michele D’Alpaos, 38, first laid eyes on Paola Agnelli, 40, in mid-March when she walked out on her balcony. Agnelli spotted D’Alpaos that night on his terrace, and said it was love at first sight.
“I was immediately struck by the beauty of this girl, by her smile,” D’Alpaos said. “I had to know her.”
Agnelli stood directly across from him on her sixth-floor balcony while her sister performed a violin rendition of “We Are The Champions” as part of a nightly 6 p.m. musical performance, intended to uplift the quarantined neighborhood.
“It was a magical moment,” said Agnelli, who has lived in the same apartment complex since she was 5 years old. She had never met D’Alpaos, even though he has lived opposite her, on the seventh floor, for most of his life.
“I immediately thought, ‘What a beautiful boy,’ ” she continued.
They met online and dated that way, eager for the next ten weeks to meet in person.
Barred from stepping closer than 200 meters away (about 220 yards), a smitten D’Alpaos was desperate to show his affection to Agnelli. He started by sending multiple bouquets of flowers, but then decided that wasn’t enough.
In an effort to put his love on full display, D’Alpaos hung an old bedsheet with “Paola” emblazoned in big, bold bubble letters from his apartment complex in late March.
They finally met in person in May and are now engaged.
They're made with glow-in-the-dark resin to add to the ghostly effect. All they need now are sound effects that can be activated at the right moment. They're perfect for any young child's bedroom.
When Queen Elizabeth II participates in a public event, everything is carefully planned, choreographed, and stage-managed. People working with the Queen need to rehearse, so they call in Ella Slack. She's the Queen's stand-in.
Although she doesn't look much like the Queen, Slack is about the same height (just two inches shorter). She's close enough that event managers can rehearse as though Slack is the Queen. In this video by Great Big Story, Slack describes her work.
Never mind Vogon poetry. If you want to read some really awful lines, I can dig out the insipid, self-absorbed free verse that I wrote in college. But using it like this, as cartoonist Madeline Horwarth suggests, would probably be a crime.
Ava Roth, a paint and embroidery artist in Toronto, collaborates with bees in her recent projects. She weaves into her embroidery hoops fabrics that are bee-friendly and then inserts them into beehives so that her co-workers can contribute. Colossal reports:
She receives help from master beekeeper Mylee Nordin, and together, they vertically stack hive boxes, which are known as supers, and insert large, custom-made structures. The artist also has developed a more detailed practice in recent months. “Because this project has required so much trial and error, I was still experimenting with materials last season, trying to find substances that the bees would consistently respond to positively,” she writes. “I was trying to find organic substances that would not harm the bees but also that the bees would not eat or otherwise destroy.”
You can see more examples of embroidery by Roth and her apiarian collaborators on her Instagram page.
I recently told my husband I thought diceiversaries should be a thing; those anniversaries or birthdays that coincide with a key die. So, for our wedding anniversary today, he mounted a golden D12 on a pedestal. It's our D12 day! ♥️💘💑🥂🎲 pic.twitter.com/7fiPL1mFgO
When a couple reaches their d4, d6, d8, d12, d20 anniversary, it's time to celebrate it! Live long enough and you may need to mount percentile dice or one of those cumbersome 100-sided dice. Emma Vieceli's husband has the right idea.
This custom 1985 GMC Van will make your head turn if you see it apparently levitating down the street. It appears to be gliding across the ground upside-down and backwards, even while its wheels spin forward. A look inside through the gullwing door shows the rear (or forward, depending on your point of view) mounted engine and two seats.
Matt Wright and his friend, Tommy, are trying to clear some logs out of a stream in the Northern Territory in Australia. A nosy crocodile named Bonecruncher gets into their business and won't leave them alone, despite Wright's commands to "sit" and "stay."
This is nothing new for Wright, who is the star of a reality TV show called Outback Wrangler. And Bonecruncher is and old friend. The Guardian quotes him:
Wright explained why he felt so comfortable around Bonecruncher.
“He’s a croc with poor self-esteem and he hangs out where the big crocs don’t,” Wright told NT News.
Poor croc. I hope he gains some confidence in himself.
Oh, did you think that jelly beans were made in factories? No, sir, they are grown--a completely natural product.
At least, that's what it looks like when you're examining a fine example of glass gem corn. NPR describes the creation of this colorful plant by Carl Schoen:
Schoen moved to New Mexico a few years later, planted the corn, and crossed it with Pueblo popcorn. Ears appeared with not only brilliant colors but a shiny, glasslike hue. Schoen felt it was more than a pretty plant. It was a piece of the past that had nearly been lost. He says corn is woven with human culture, but diverse traits bred by generations of farmers began to vanish when agriculture became big business. For Schoen, saving that heritage wasn't just about genetic variety: "it also has cultural memory, and that's a powerful force."
Which wine goes best with a Taco Bell chalupa? Taco Bell's food scientists have taken the guesswork out of that decision by creating an optimal wine for your economy taco cravings. It's called Jalapeño Noir. CNN reports:
Taco Bell Canada said in a release the duo is "irresistible," adding that "the rich taste and crunchy texture of the beloved Toasted Cheesy Chalupa complements notes of wild strawberry, cherry and beetroot in this silky limited-edition red wine." The wine is made at an Ontario, Canada vineyard.
The wine, which is being called a collector's item because it has three unique bottle labels, costs $25 Canadian or about $19 US. Fans can buy it on Taco Bell's Canada website or in some locations in Ontario.
