unique and interesting: December 2011

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Happy New Year

Thanks to all Presurfer readers for making it another amazing year. I also like to thank those of you who help me out every now and then by sending links. You know who you are. May the New Year bring you and your loved ones love, happiness, serenity,...

Downhill Extreme

Extreme sports at its best. 'Rollerman' Jean Yves Blondeau blasting high speed on mountain roads. It looks fun but also very dangerous.YouTube l...

The Best And Worst Of Everything In 2011

To keep you busy for a while, Fast Company hacked through dozens of year-end lists to bring you the best and worst of 2011. It's the mother of all roundups that you will find online, offline, and everywhere el...

Cosmo New Year

A lonely cosmonaut finds himself without the wherewithal to celebrate the new year. Fret not, comrade. Mission control is on it. Directed and animated by Anton Korolyuk and Artem Bizyaev.YouTube link(thanks Co...

image creditTerrance Nevin says the Great Pyramid is a rational structure (in the mathematical sense), designed and built by normal people.This is a radical statement about the Pyramid, especially on the internet because all web pages that I have been...

image creditThis is what happens when Christmas is over.Some heartbreaking photos of Christmas trees discarded on the sidewa...

Crocodile Attacks Lawnmower

At the Australian Reptile Park in Gosford, New South Wales, a crocodile known as Elvis has attacked a lawnmower. The 50-year-old croc lost two teeth in the attack, which occurred after a zookeeper tried to cut the lawn in his enclosure.YouTube l...

It was an age-old question. How deep is a bottomless pit?Now we know. The answer is 65 feet.(via Nothing To Do With Arbroa...

Mosquitoes Pick Out Human Meals With Help From Microbes

Mosquitoes like some people better than others, and differences in the microbes living on our skin may help explain the bloodsuckers' dining preferences. It turns out men with a large variety of microbes living on their skin make for less attractive meals for the African malaria-carrying mosquito. The...

In 1968, the hillside town of Gibellina was devastated by a 6.1-scale earthquake. Somewhat like the residents of Noto, who befell a similar fate, the town decided to abandon the ruins and start from scratch in a location which was close by, and hopefully...

Penguin Fetches Newspaper

A penguin fetches the newspaper. The end for dogs?YouTube link(thanks Co...

Wow, the whole can?The Saddest Thing I've Ever Heard on an Airplane.(via Nag on the La...

image creditThe beginning of December each year sees the transformation of Rynek Glówny (Main Market Square) in the Polish city of Krakow, into a beautiful Christmas market. Arts and crafts, ceramics, sweets and more are put up for sale. The szopka,...

Peking Circus - Juggling On A Unicycle

The Peking Acrobats - based in Beijing, China - are a group of entertainers that tour the world to show their stunning physical and artistic feats accompanied by live traditional Chinese music.YouTube link(thanks Co...

image creditCheetah the chimpanzee, who acted in classic Tarzan movies in the early 1930s, died of kidney failure last Saturday at Suncoast Primate Sanctuary in Palm Harbor, Florida, USA. He had acted alongside Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan...

image creditPenguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds living almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere, especially in Antarctica. Although all penguin species are native to the southern hemisphere, they are not found only in cold climates,...

On the northern end of the Parco della Favorita is one of Palermo's strangest buildings: a large and fully decorated Chinese palace. Built in 1799 for King Ferdinand III, during the height of the European craze for all things Oriental, the palace is...

Viberg Boot: Down To The Brass Tacks

Nestled in the heart of downtown Victoria, B.C. is Viberg Boot. Home to three generations of master craftsmen, the Viberg tradition involves making the best quality leather boots available. What makes Viberg such a special company in todays mass produced world is the hand-made quality right down to...

image creditMaybe it's the exciting 'who done it novels,' Hollywood's thrilling portrayal of harrowing adventures, perhaps it's James Bond's iconic style and swagger, or simply all the cool gadgets; but everyone loves a good spy. We all love the dashing...

image creditPigeons may not be so bird-brained after all, as scientists have found the birds' ability to understand numbers is on par with that of primates. Previous studies have shown that various animals, from honeybees to chimpanzees, can learn to...

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? - First Letter of the English Alphabet.YouTube link(thanks Co...

They're not the most beautiful songs, or the most musically important. In fact, a few could literally drive you nuts. But these tunes - some as old as Mozart, others as current as Beyoncé - have fundamentally altered the world we live in at some point...

image creditA single strand of burnt-out Christmas lights weighs almost nothing in the hand. But a bale of burnt-out Christmas tree lights weighs around 2200 pounds, according to Raymond Li, the general manager of Yong Chang Processing, a scrap metal...

Kevin Vs The Tomato

Kevin the baby sulcata tortoise has terrible depth perception.YouTube l...

image creditAs we approach the New Year, the countdown to the End of Times has already begun. But first, let's take a short survey of various apocalyptic visions in art history and today's contemporary art and illustration.Whether grounded in biblical...

image creditThe eyes of anthropomorphized cars are the headlights, not the windshield.And there's no exceptions here. Having a cartoon car with the eyes in the windshield is wrong, just wrong. And that includes you, too, Pixar.You've ruined the concept...

The Waxitaxi

How do you get that tealight in the holder without it falling sideways, or without burning your fingers? Dutch designer Jos Groeneveld designed the Waxitaxi Tealight tong.YouTube l...

image creditSometimes it seems that the uglier and more confusing the artwork, the more expensive it gets. Can you believe the painting above - No 5, 1948 by Jackson Pollock - is worth $140 milli...

Stephen Fry Says Good Evening

Good Evening. Good Evening. Good Evening.YouTube l...

Try to recognize the rich and famous after their beautiful faces get rearranged in a Tumblr photoset. I'll give you the one pictured above. It's Iggy Pop. Can you guess the other ones?See if your guesses match up he...

Wikipeetia

Zve Scoolir wass en Amirican actor adn radio comentator. He wass born iin teh twon of Kamienets-Podilskii, Ukrane. He is probablly best known fo his roles iin 'Fiddlir on teh Rof,' palying teh ennkeeper iin teh Broadwai plai adn teh rabbi iin teh film verison.He wass known as teh Grammeistir on WEVD,...

image creditIt's good to know that at least someone has had a White Christmas. However, if you wanted to enjoy the snow with these Emperor penguins you would have to travel 400 miles from civilisation.Photographed in the freezing South Atlantic waters...

Playing with Pigs: Pig Chase

Pig Chase is a game for pigs and humans, developed in the Netherlands by the Utrecht School of the Arts and Wageningen University. Their primary aim is to transform the way we relate to domesticated pigs, through play.The Playing with Pigs project is researching the complex relationship we have with...

image creditPlatycerium - even the name sounds odd. Mostly referred to as Staghorn or Elkhorn ferns, this genus of fern is, to say the very least, unusual looking. Yet they are fascinating to look at because their fronds are something else, quite unique....

(via Nothing To Do With Arbroa...

image creditThe Dead Sea's salinity of 33.7 percent makes it 8.6 times saltier than the ocean. Bordering Israel, the West Bank and Jordan, it is also the lowest place on land on Earth. A tourist hotspot for millennia, more than 1 million visitors a year...

Don't Do It!

It's a well-known fact that octop-uses (-pi) don't like to be flashed.So, whatever you do, please don't flash the octop...

Lavatory Lovestory

A single middle aged lady working as receptionist and cleaner in a public lavatory for men spends her time between chores reading 'Happy Woman' and daydreaming about a loving partner. When an unknown man starts leaving flowers at her desk, she gets excited but also increasingly stressed out trying to...

Made of synthetic hair, these pieces will transform your headphones or ear muffs into Princess Leia's famed cinnamon bun hair. Each purchase comes with two 6-inch in diameter buns with mesh backing, ready to glue permanently or attach temporarily to...

image creditNext time you're in a meeting, try this little experiment: Take a big yawn, cover your mouth out of courtesy and watch to see how many people follow suit. There's a good chance you'll set off a chain reaction of deep breaths and wide-open...

Wrap Your Mini is a new 3D Mapping Billboard project created by ACCESS to launch a brand new Mini model in early 2012. ACCESS is a global creative agency committed to designing extraordinary creative experiences that inspire consumers through compelling...

Merry Christmas

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Russia's Famed Folk Dance Ensemble Berezka

Berezka, which means birch tree in Russian, was founded back in 1948. Since then, the dance troupe has dazzled audiences around the world with its world-renowned appearances. Upon joining the ensemble, dancers are told to keep the famous 'floating step' technique a secret, and not to share it even with...

image creditHow does Santa deliver so many presents in a single night? How does he do it all without being seen? How does he know if I've been good or bad? How does he know what I want? Is Santa really immortal? How does he read so many wish lists? Questions,...

Splice Holiday Video 2011

Santa delivers gifts to surprised space station workers. Creative Director: Shannon Pettini, producer by Steve Fait and directed by Eric Howell.Vimeo l...

image creditIt seems as if the animal kingdom is getting into the Christmas spirit as much as we are! From merry meerkats to festive felines, this gallery of cute creatures has them all.(thanks Velj...

If a child of 1910 could glance at today’s toys, he or she would likely be confused by the endless games consoles, gadgets and TV-inspired toys. Back in the early twentieth century, the teddy bear was the most popular toy, followed by train sets and...

A Brief History Of Santa

Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, Kris Kringle, and simply 'Santa,' is a figure with legendary, mythical, historical and folkloric origins who, in many western cultures, is said to bring gifts to the homes of the good children during the late evening and overnight hours of...

The Gift Box is a box full of hearts. Place photos or a message on two special hearts that fly together.(thanks Pa...

image creditTraditional Chinese Medicine has roots that extend back thousands of years, with seeds in folk cures that were already old when ancient Chinese scholars first began writing them down. It's no wonder, then, that one of China's oldest official...

The Oddbins Christmas Odd-Bin

These lucky people were caught by surprise in Central London as they were handed a full bottle of Oddbins Errazuriz Cabernet Sauvignon as they dropped in their empties. The high street off license plans to place the bins around the country later in the year to encourage people to recycle their unwanted...

When you go to Google Search, there will be six blinking lights below the Google name. Click them to dim the background lights and turn on the Christmas lights. Once all the images are lit up, they will begin to dance to 'Jingle Bell...

Unless you're one of the increasingly daring few, chances are you've bought all the Christmas gifts and food you're going to need by now. You might have found your current accounts, savings accounts or credit cards have taken a beating over the past...

The Slow Mo Guys

A guy smashes mugs in slow motion.YouTube l...

image creditSpace shuttle Atlantis, which only five months ago flew the final mission of NASA's 30-year shuttle program, is now being prepared for its public display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. That means, sadly, that Atlantis...

See How It's Done: Candied Bacon Fudge

Have you ever watched cooking shows and - at the end - still not known how they did it? Let's turn the tables (or, the camera) in order to give you a better learning experience. Add to your food knowledge and truly see what is going on in the kitchen.Vimeo link(thanks Co...

image creditVogue picture records are phonograph records on the Vogue label which have a picture embedded in the transparent vinyl of the record. The illustrations on each side of the record are usually related to the title of the song on that side....

Let's explore the best movies of 2011. 2011's top movies haven't enjoyed the sort of buzz that surrounds next year's big titles, but there's still plenty to get excited about. Movie Moron runs down what their favourites are, then mention a few that almost...

Fête Des Lumiere 2011: Urban Flipper

The Urban Flipper is a giant interactive pinball created by 3D projection mapping, projected onto the facade of the Célestins theater in Lyon, France. Created by French lighting design company CT Light Concept, the projection was displayed during the Lyon Festival of Lights.YouTube link(thanks Co...

image creditWe've all been there - had a terrible itch that needed immediate attention. Yet while humans and apes are blessed with deft fingers that are useful for reaching and scratching, imagine having four legs and just paws, hooves or teeth to help...

Incredible Footage Of Japanese Earthquake And Tsunami

Yu Muroga works for a Japanese delivery service. He was doing his tour when the HD camera mounted on the dashboard of his car not only captured the shock but also the moments that followed, where many drivers were suddenly engulfed by the waters of the tsunami. He escaped from the vehicle seconds before...

image creditIs It Christmas Yet? Check it out!(thanks Co...

Monowi is a village in Boyd County, Nebraska, United States. The village is notable because according to the 2010 census, it has a population of just one person. The only remaining resident of the village is Elsie Eiler. With 250 registered pairs of...

Yesterday I posted about the 'Lord of the Rings' easter egg in Google Maps. Presurfer reader Jimmy told me about two other things you can do with Google. If you search for 'hanukkah', the results page has Star of David decorations, and it you search...

I was wondering where all the extra visitors came from but it's because The Presurfer was Google's 'Blog of Note' yesterd...

The Artists

The Artists is a short film by Sean Mullen about two rival painters who fail to see the bigger picture.Vimeo link(thanks Co...

If you're going to look at the same thing every day for an entire year, you should make it something attractive, meaningful, or worth a laugh. This applies to roommates, significant others, or calendars. Here are a few strange and interesting calendars...

image creditWhere you have lava tubes or limestone passage ways below the ground, occasionally a rare form of cave evolves - the ice cave. Strange, mysterious and often dangerous they are difficult to get to and so not seen by huge amounts of people.Take...

Usually when people watch items on eBay around this time of year, it's because they have a special gift in mind for a certain someone. But there are a surprising number of auctions with scores of watchers that don't end until Christmas day.Will a lot...

Grandad Drives 'Lady Penelope' Around In His Rolls Royce Scooter

A grandad who is obsessed with Thunderbirds has built his own version of Lady Penelope's Rolls Royce, complete with a homemade doll in the back seat. Brian Vann spent three months converting his 10mph scooter using wood and tin foil to make it look exactly like the pink roller from the hit 60s show.He...

image creditIn the North East of Ethiopia lies the Danokil Desert. At its heart is a volcanic crater, Dallol, little known and seldom visited but quite extraordinary. Surrounding the volcano are acidic hot springs, mountains of sulphur, pillars of salt,...

Go to Google Maps. Click on 'Get directions.' Click on the pedestrian. Type 'the shire' in box A and 'mordor' in box B. Click on the blue 'get directions' butt...

RandomAppVideos.com is anew site by Philipp Lenssen with 1000s of random game and app videos, for discovery or just fun. There are iPhone and iPad games and apps, Android games and apps, PC and console games, and retro gam...

Stuart The Salsa Dancing Dog

The owner of the dog wants you to know that Stuart is on a leash which he uses for balance and to keep him from running out into the street. He also says the dog learned to do this on his own and is never forced to do anything because he runs the show in his house.YouTube link(via Neatora...

image creditMen spend more time getting ready to go out than women, according to research carried out for Travelodge. On average men spend 81 minutes a day on personal grooming, including cleansing, toning and moisturising, shaving, styling hair and...

Kim Jong-il dropping the bass with famous DJ's like David Guetta, Tiësto, and Mo...

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Saturday, December 31, 2011

Friday, December 30, 2011

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Monday, December 26, 2011

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Friday, December 23, 2011

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Tuesday, December 20, 2011