Houses Of The Hobbit Diaspora

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If you think that Hobbits are fictional, do not be fooled a second longer. Middle-earth once existed, as did all of its various species. Yet the hobbits found themselves obliged to leave their original home of The Shire.

Rescued by the ancestors of a mild-mannered English writer, they have spread across the world. A spell cast by Gandalf the White means that the sons of men cannot see them but if you look close enough, there is evidence to be found. A hobbit has to live somewhere, after all. Here are just some of the houses of the Hobbit diaspora.

My Goodness! Guinness Collectors Snap Up Secret Stash Of Unpublished Advertising Art

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John Gilroy was the illustrator of all those wonderful Guinness ads during the 1930s-1950s. Gilroy created an oil-on-canvas painting as a final proof for each ad. After the ad was approved or rejected or whatever, the canvas would be rolled up and stored away. This went on from the 1930s until 1962, when Gilroy stopped working for Guinness.

Sometime in the 1970s, a secretive collector bought the entire cache of Gilroy canvases. A few years ago, the Gilroy canvases started making their way onto the art market. Now, former Guinness brewer and Guinness authority David Hughes has written a book about the canvases called 'Gilroy Was Good For Guinness.'

(thanks Ben)

10 Years Of Weather History In 3 Minutes

Ten years of GOES-12 satellite imagery in three minutes. The most violent hurricanes, from Katrina to Sandy, become blips of white. The most frigid of polar storms are just momentary streaks. This animation shows one image from each day of the satellite's life - a total of 3,641 full disk visible images.



YouTube link

(thanks Cora)

Precious Therapy Llamas Bring Joy To Sick And Elderly

image credit Vimeo

There are approximately 10,000 therapy animals in the United States. Of those, 14 are llamas. In an article published last year for Colors Magazine, photographer Jen Osborne accompanied two certified llama therapists as they visited the Bellingham Health and Rehabilitation Center in Washington, USA.

Stalin's Rope Roads

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The mining town of Chiatura, Georgia, surrounded by steep cliffs, is criss-crossed by a network of aging Soviet-era aerial tramways that are still in use today. In the early 20th century, after the U.S.S.R. annexed Georgia, Soviet authorities were intent on extracting the vast manganese deposits beneath Chiatura.

In the 1950s, planners began work on what locals call the 'rope road,' that still connects almost every corner of the town. Today, while some of the cars have rusted away, 17 of the aging tramways remain in service.

(via Dark Roasted Blend)

Krzywy Las: The Crooked Forest Of Poland

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Mysteries surround a special grove of trees standing in the middle of a forest in the village of Nowe Czarnowo, south of Szcezecin, Poland. These 400 or so pine trees are bent at a 90 degree curve on the base with the open side uniformly facing north.

The trees are believed to have been planted in the 1930's and were somehow bent by an unknown force and for an unknown purpose for a considerable number of years.

Dia De Los Muertos

An animated short film about a little girl who visits the land of the dead, where she learns the true meaning of the Mexican holiday, Dia de los Muertos.



Vimeo link

(thanks Cora)

5 Animals That Regrow Body Parts

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When you were a kid you might have had the trauma-thrill of thinking you caught a lizard and opening your hand to find nothing but its squirming tail. Some lizards and other animals can lose their body parts, but are masterful at regenerating them - a feat we humans are sadly less capable of doing (except in the case of our liver).

But what we are great at is learning from those masters. Here's a roundup of some of nature's great regenerators and how they may help people down the road.

Life On Earth 'Began On Mars'

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Evidence is mounting that life on Earth may have started on Mars. A leading scientist has claimed that one particular element believed to be crucial to the origin of life would only have been available on the surface of the red planet.

Professor Steven Benner, a geochemist, has argued that the 'seeds' of life probably arrived on Earth in meteorites blasted off Mars by impacts or volcanic eruptions. As evidence, he points to the oxidised mineral form of the element molybdenum, thought to be a catalyst that helped organic molecules develop into the first living structures.

Geeking Out Over The Bloody Legacy Of VHS

image credit: Groink cc

Slowly but surely, underground film aficionados are returning to the golden age of home cinema, resurrecting an archaic device most have consigned to the trash heap. All these film fans want is a good old-fashioned VCR.

Recently Collectors Weekly spoke to Dan Kinem who, with Levi Peretic, has released a documentary called 'Adjust Your Tracking: The Untold Story of the VHS Collector.' For their film, the pair interviewed more than 100 VHS collectors, many of whom are unrepentant fans of the horror genre. What they learned is that often the poor quality of the tapes, versus the hi-def clarity of digital media, is a big part of the appeal.

(thanks Ben)

The Football Association: Respect The Technology

The English Football Association launched the Respect programme in 2008 in response to behavioural problems at all levels of the game. Since then they've campaigned on behalf of the beautiful game and have seen an improvement in all areas. Assaults on referees have fallen, 5,000 more match officials have been recruited and the environment of children's football has improved.



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(thanks Lee)

Friday Cartoon By Mark Anderson

Mark Anderson is a professional cartoonist from the Chicago area. His cartoons have been published in Reader's Digest, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Woman's World and the Saturday Evening Post, to mention just a few. Among his clients are GM, General Electric, FedEx, Microsoft, and IBM.

Life-Size Sculpture Gives A Map To The Buddhist Cosmos

Deities in paradise, souls suffering in hell, jealous demigods and flying spirits, mortals gathered for debate - all these and more are depicted on the 'Cosmic Buddha,' an extraordinary life-size sculpture on view in the Freer Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution.

The 'Cosmic Buddha' was probably made in northern China between 550 and 600 A.D. The painstakingly crafted scenes of the buddha reflect the growing sophistication of Buddhist art; their layered landscape elements, diagonals and vanishing points convey a sense of space receding into the distance.

National Flags Created From The Foods Each Country Is Associated With

Feeling hungry? You will be after looking through this creative collection of food photography by Australian advertising agency WHYBIN\TBWA. To promote the Sydney International Food Festival, the imaginative team re-created 17 national flags using foods common to each nation.

(thanks Michael)

Tombed

Tombed is a bachelor film project by Elian van der Heiden and Jeffrey Schreuders from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. It's about an expedition deep into the jungle where a treasure hunter gets in trouble by his sidekick.



Vimeo link

Aircraft Carrier Advanced Training

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In the early 1940s the US Navy trained their pilots on the Great Lakes. The US converted two sidewheel steamships - The USS Sable and the USS Wolverine - into aircraft carriers.

The USS Sable, originally built as the 'Greater Buffalo', a sidewheel excursion steamer, was converted in 1942 to a freshwater aircraft carrier. She was used for advanced training for naval aviators in carrier takeoffs and landings.

(via Neatorama)

Sea Of Rubbish Left Behind By Music Fans At Reading Festival

image credit: Steph cc

It looks like the aftermath of a campsite tornado, or perhaps the first stages of a landfill site. But this was the scene the morning after the night before at Reading Festival, shortly after everyone had gone home.

It's just that many festival-goers appear to have left a few things behind when they went. Result: a massive sea of beer cans, cigarette butts, half-eaten food, discarded packaging, lost or unwanted belongings, grubby clothes, wellies, sleeping bags and abandoned tents.

(thanks Miss Rare)

The Magic Of MFCs: Generating Electricity From Mucky Wastewater

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These days, renewable and alternative energy sources are in high demand, and when you think about 'green' electricity, solar power and wind farms probably spring to mind.

But have you heard about microbial fuel cells? MFCs contain bacteria that convert organic material, such as food and bodily waste, into electricity, leaving clean water behind. So in addition to being a potential source of renewable energy, MFCs can also provide people in rural areas with sanitary water.

Work Hard, Glow Hard: Dog-E-Glow

Dog-e-Glow is a company which makes LED collars and leashes for your pet. They made a hilarious video with dog actors in an office and then partying.



YouTube link

(thanks Brandon)

Ganon's Castle For Sale

Ever played 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'? Then you know about Ganon's Castle, the fortress of baddie Ganondorf. Movoto decided to find out how much the fortress would cost in the real world.

(thanks Travis)

The Rail Reach

Justin Choy of San Francisco designed The Rail Reach. With The Rail Reach you have that extra reach to grab rails on public transportation. Never touch another dirty rail by carrying your own portable handle. The rail reach is also a device designed to help shorter people reach public transit rails that are simply too high.

15 Totally Concerning Toys From Your Childhood

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Kids today are too jazzed about video games and Angry Birds to understand what fun they missed in the good old days. Back in our day, we played with collectible cardboard circles and punched each other in the face with inflatable hand muffs. Come to think of it, a lot of the childhood toys we desperately wanted now seem quite troubling.

Shamed By You English?

Wow! He's good!

In the past I've been linking to funny newspaper messages from Criggo. I'm going to continue to do that but Criggo is now known as Bad Newspaper. For a good laugh, Bad Newspaper is always worth a visit.

What Is Your Position?

In this video you'll see people struggling in unbelievable positions. It seems strange, but these are precisely the positions in which most people work behind their laptop. This is not only at the expense of their body, but also of their productivity.

Samsung started a campaign that wants to make people aware of the strange positions we take, when working behind a laptop, smartphone or tablet.



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(thanks Paul)

Where Have The Carousel Animals Gone?

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Just 100 years ago there were as many as 3,000 operational carousels in the United States. Today there are only 150 antique merry-go-rounds in service. That there are even this many is largely due to the work of people like Bette Largent, president of the National Carousel Association.

Collectors Weekly spoke to Bette Largent, restoration expert Pam Hessey, and several others about the golden age of carousels, the origins of brass rings, and a carousel animal's 'romance' side.

(thanks Ben)

The Great Boston Fire

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November 9, 1872, was a quiet Saturday night in Boston's downtown business district. Everything was closed, and only a handful of people were on the street. Then, at about 7PM, a fire broke out in the Klous Building, at the corner of Summer and Kingston streets. The fire started in the basement, when a spark from the coal-building steam boiler that powered the elevator ignited a box of hoopskirts.

Five minutes later, the entire building was a raging inferno. The Great Boston Fire was finally contained 12 hours later, after it had consumed about 65 acres of Boston's downtown, 776 buildings, and caused $73.5 million in damage. At least 30 people are known to have died in the fire.

Spitzer Space Telescope: Ten Years Of Amazing Views

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The Spitzer Space Telescope is an infrared space observatory launched on August 25, 2003. The telescope has studied comets and asteroids, it has helped to detect far-flung galaxies, and it even discovered soccer-ball-shaped carbon spheres called buckyballs.

It was the first to detect light coming from a planet outside our solar system, and discovered the largest of Saturn's many rings. Even though it ran out of the helium coolant needed to use its far-infrared detectors in 2009, two detectors have continued to provide striking images of the Universe.

Extreme Highlining - Insane Heights

Highlining or Slacklining is a practice in balance that typically uses nylon or polyester webbing tensioned between two anchor points. Highlining is distinct from tightrope walking in that the line is not held rigidly taut (although it is still under some tension); it is instead dynamic, stretching and bouncing like a long and narrow trampoline.

Devin Supertramp and these extreme highliners make it look so simple. Just watching these guys cross such high routes and long distances.



YouTube link

(thanks Bryce)

Drive A 1000-Pound Excavator At 'Dig This Las Vegas'

image credit: Phil King cc

Show dirt who's boss by getting behind the wheel of a Caterpillar D5G Track-Type Bulldozer or Caterpillar 3I5CL Hydraulic Excavator at the Dig This heavy equipment playground.

Located just outside the strip in Las Vegas, Nevada, Dig This let's you control a full-size bulldozer or excavator that you can use to build huge mounds, push gigantic tire, teeter-totter over mound of dirt, dig gigantic trenches, stack 2,000 pound tires, and more.

(thanks Pish)

SpongeBob SquarePants: How Much Does A Pineapple Under The Sea Cost?

You only have to watch one episode of 'SpongeBob Squarepants' to understand the greatness that is SpongeBob's pineapple house. Movoto delved deep into Bikini Bottom's real estate market to determine how much a pineapple under the sea is worth.

(thanks Travis)

The World's Most Precise Clock Could Prove Einstein Wrong

Andrew Ludlow, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, built the most precise atomic clock ever. Better atomic clocks will facilitate and faster telecommunication networks. And some physicists are excited about another application: testing Einstein's Theory of Relativity.

Einstein predicted that certain physical properties, like the strength of the interaction between photons and electrons, or the ratio of the mass of electrons and protons, should never change. But competing theories say that those 'fundamental constants' might actually fluctuate and such changes would slightly influence the ticking speed of atomic clocks.

(thanks Miss Rare)

Kia Soul Hamster Commercial

The formerly frumpy Kia Hamsters have totally transformed themselves into lean, mean, head-turning machines, much like the all-new Kia Soul. Watch as they hit the gym and shed their furry folds to the tune of the latest and greatest anthem from Lady Gaga, 'Applause.'



YouTube link

(via Everlasting Blort)

Why Do Dogs Bark?

Yep, that must be it.

(via Criggo)

Taiwan's Modern Toilet Restaurant

image credit: riNux cc

Imagine a roomful of people slurping mushy brown goop out of toilet bowls and drinking out of urinals. Not quite your usual dinner set-up, but in certain parts of the world it actually is. At Taiwan's Modern Toilet Restaurant, diners are served in miniature ceramic toilet bowls.

Drinks are contained in urinal-shaped cups, and dessert is elaborately served in squat toilets. Tables are made of sinks or bathtubs topped with a thick sheet of glass. Certainly not for the squeamish, Modern Toilet challenges common sense, convention, and the strength of our stomachs.

(thanks Pish)

Your Ancestors Didn't Sleep Like You

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Your grandparents probably slept like you. And your great, great-grandparents. But once you go back before the 1800s, sleep starts to look a lot different. Your ancestors slept in a way that modern sleepers would find bizarre - they slept twice.

We used to sleep in two shorter periods, over a longer range of night. This range was about 12 hours long, and began with a sleep of three to four hours, wakefulness of two to three hours, then sleep again until morning.

10 Million Bats Begin Nightly Flight To Eat 100 Tons Of Insects

Bracken Cave, near San Antonio, Texas, harbors one of the world's largest breeding colonies of bats - about 10 million Mexican free-tailed bats, to be precise. They consume an estimated 100 tons of insects each night, mainly agricultural pests.



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(thanks Cora)

The House In The Sky

image credit: gωen cc

Argentine artist Leandro Erlich is known for his captivating three-dimensional visual illusions. Pictured above is his installation entitled 'Monte-Meubles. The Ultimate Moving.'

20 School Uniforms From Around The World

image credit: kvitlauk cc

As summer comes to a close, kids are gearing up for fall. But more importantly, they're getting ready for the first day of school. For many students, this means fittings for new school uniforms or dusting off old ones that spent the summer in the closet.

But even though these fancy duds promote uniformity, they range in styles and colors across the globe. Some even allow for a little individual expression. Check out what children in 20 countries around the world will be wearing on their first day of school.

Grumpy Cat VS Karl Stefanovic

Grumpy Cat (real name Tardar Sauce) is a female cat and Internet celebrity known for her grumpy facial expression. Karl Stefanovic, presenter of Australian breakfast program 'Today' interviews Grumpy Cat.



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First Guinea Pig Portrait Discovered

A rare painting of three Elizabethan children and their pet could be the earliest portrait of a guinea pig, the National Portrait Gallery has said. The privately-owned portrait - which has not been seen in public before - is part of the gallery's upcoming exhibition, Elizabeth I And Her People. It was painted by an unknown Anglo-Dutch artist around 1580.

Monday Puzzle

The Presurfer, in cooperation with pzzlr.com, brings you a puzzle every Monday. Just to tickle your brain.

image credit: Bill Lile cc

Far off in the galaxy there is a star system with two planets. These two planets are unusual in that they have exactly the same orbit. They also both have the same rate of rotation. How can it be that one planet has a year that is 359 days long while the other has a year that is is 361 days long?

You can find the answer here.

Brain Divided

Animated short film by Josiah Haworth, Joon Shik Song and Joon Soo Song about a man on a blind date and how the left and right side of his brain fight to win her affection.



Vimeo link

(thanks Cora)

7 Most Extreme Laboratories On Earth

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Researchers will go to all kinds of extremes in the name of science. In fact, some study takes place well outside normal human comfort zones - sometimes even outside our planet altogether.

These seven laboratories around the world are examples of the more unusual environments in which experimentation takes place. And whether they're in the shadow of mountains or under the ocean, all of them help us make potentially valuable insights into the workings of our universe.

Attack Of The Giant Straw DaLICK

image credit: Bruce Stokes cc

To mark the 50th anniversary of the BBC science fiction show Doctor Who, his greatest adversary - a Dalek - has been lovingly recreated in straw and steel in the quiet English countryside of Cheshire. And it's 35 feet (10.6 meters) high!

Of course, it didn't take long for the Dalek to be rechristened the DaLICK because it was made by Snugbury's, a farm-based ice-cream store.

Moving Tail Kitty Car Decal

Get some animal action on your car with the Moving Tail Kitty Car Decal. Designed for cars with a rear window wiper, this whimsical kitty comes in two flavors: Happy and Grumpy.

Application is easy: clean off the surface, stick down the vinyl decal, and smooth any bubbles out with the side of a credit card. Then turn on your wiper and watch the kitty's tail swish swish swish!

(thanks Cora)

Louisiana Sinkhole Swallows Giant Trees

Officials have been watching for more than a year as a sinkhole in Louisiana's Assumption Parish expands and engulfs land, swamp, and threatens homes. The sinkhole, discovered August 3, 2012, resulted from a collapsed underground salt dome cavern about 40 miles south of Baton Rouge.

It took just seconds for the sinkhole to swallow several giant trees. The parish's emergency management department caught it on video.



YouTube link

(thanks Miss Rare)

Long Exposure Photos Of Ferris Wheels

image credit: Mike Foote cc

The original Ferris Wheel was designed and constructed by George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. as a landmark for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The term Ferris wheel later came to be used generically for all such structures, and Ferris wheels are now the most common type of carnival ride at state fairs in the United States.

Take a look at what Ferris wheels look like when captured using a longer exposure. The lights that adorn the Ferris Wheels blend and blur, creating brilliant patterns and beautiful photos.

Dr. Blankenstein, The Mad Scientist Of Analog Synthesizers And Atari Punks

image credit: James Allenspach cc

Drew Blanke, aka Dr. Blankenstein, is a circuit bender and music-effects guru who's devoted to analog electronics. As a kid in the 1980s, he made Heathkits; as an adult, he's built effects boxes and electronic instruments for musicians as diverse as techno wizard Squarepusher and Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio.

To learn more about Drew Blanke, Collectors Weekly spoke to him about his work.

(thanks Ben)

The Staves - Winter Trees

The Staves are a British acoustic folk rock trio of sisters. Winter Trees' is taken from The Staves' debut album, Dead & Born & Grown. Wintern features a woodland filled with hybrid creatures part-rabbit, part-owl and part-squirrel and a guitar-playing tree.



Vimeo link

(thanks Cora)

50 Things A Geek Should Know

In days of yore, it was easy to spot a geek. They were the ones inside on a sunny day indulging their unfashionable obsessions to the detriment to our social standing. Now, thanks to the arrival of 'geek-chic', what once would result in ridicule is now considered 'really cool.'

So check this infographic and discover how many geek facts you know for real.

Death Defying Walks In China's Yellow Mountains

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Huangshan is a mountain range in eastern China and one of the most iconic locations in the country. The most special location is the area's aptly named Bridge of Immortals. The frighteningly high bridge's ornately carved path leads from a cave in a sheer rock wall to another on a nearby wall, traversing the narrow gorge below.

If that isn't enough of a thrill however, there are a number of footpaths anchored right into the cliff walls. In some instances the only thing keeping you from a sudden drop off the side of the very questionable walkway, is a steel chain to hold onto in utter terror.

Violentissimo

The job of the conductor is not easy, keeping the musicians on time can be rough. But sometimes things get a little too rough. Will they finish the composition or will this orchestra finally fall to pieces?



Vimeo link

(thanks Cora)

How To Make Perfect Coffee

image credit: Julius Schorzman cc

You're making coffee. Great coffee. The kind that reminds you first thing in the morning of everything else you appreciate in life. And yet, no one ever taught you how to make coffee properly. When you stop in at your local coffee shop, everything is hidden away behind the counter, too far removed for you to understand.

It's a shame to waste these moments on bad coffee, and if you're going to drink it every day, or if you're going to serve it to other people, it may as well be good, right? Actually, it should be better than good. It should be perfect.

Top 10 Warning Signs That State The Obvious

The whole point behind warning signs is to alert us about doing things that could be hazardous towards us, and if you value your life it's usually best to read them and act accordingly. However, there is a fine line between hazardous warning signs and warning signs that state the obvious.

Here are 10 Warning Signs That State The Obvious.

Utah - From the Air

Utah is known for its natural diversity and is home to features ranging from arid deserts with sand dunes to thriving pine forests in mountain valleys.



Vimeo link

(thanks Cora)

10 Amazingly Modern University Libraries

image credit: Ben Lunsford cc

Libraries have been described as 'the heart of the university,' and, perhaps in view of this, higher education institutions worldwide have realized the need to contemporize these vital spaces, investing in new technologies and welcoming modern design elements.

Leading architects and designers have been brought in to create university libraries that rightly stand as shining beacons of progressive learning, far more than just a collection of books. Here are 10 amazingly modern university library buildings from around the world.

The United States Of Burgers

Most US states, if not all, have their burgers. Think onion burgers in Oklahoma, Northern Jersey sliders, or the moose burgers in Alaska. If you want to know more about regional burgers around the USA, this map is for you.

(thanks Cora)

Running With Cats

Advertisement for MoneySuperMarket. When Bill saved money on his car insurance he felt so good he thought he could run with wolves. But there are no wolves in Croydon. So, Bill takes to the streets of Croydon with his cat Malcolm in tow.

Through the early morning streets they run, collecting more and more feline friends as they go until Bill is surrounded by an enormous pack of cats.



YouTube link

(thanks Cora)

10 Fascinating Skybridges

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A skybridge is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. However, with the development of architecture and construction in the past few decades, the look and purpose of the skybridges are to some extent changed.

So today we can see that in addition to the basic functions it performs, these unusual constructions serve, also, as observation platforms, luxury hospitality facilities, and works of art.

(thanks Bosko)

The Best Of Twisted Law

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There are a lot of strange things going on in the legal world. For example, did you know that in Swaziland, a country in southern Africa, witches are banned from riding above 150 meters (492 feet) on their broomsticks. Or that a man from China sued his wife because she had plastic surgery before they married, 'tricking him into marrying her.'

The Best of Twisted Law.

Murder And Mayhem In Miniature: The Lurid Side Of Staffordshire Figurines

image credit: Jim, the Photographer cc

For most of us, ceramic figurines conjure sentimental images straight out of children's books, tame kitsch at its worst. But once upon a time, these little sculptures had an edge.

The subjects that graced Staffordshire pottery more than 200 years ago weren't for the fainthearted: Imagine giving grandma a figurine that mocked discriminatory marriage laws or portrayed a gruesome series of animal attacks.

(thanks Hunter)

Haiti 2013

A positive depiction of Haiti, a nice change from all the doom and gloom from there.



YouTube link

(thanks Phil)

Friday Cartoon By Mark Anderson

Mark Anderson is a professional cartoonist from the Chicago area. His cartoons have been published in Reader's Digest, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Woman's World and the Saturday Evening Post, to mention just a few. Among his clients are GM, General Electric, FedEx, Microsoft, and IBM.

15 Incredible Outdoor Office Pods

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Doing business in the family home can, however, bring its own distractions. So it's fortunate that a host of office pods offer aesthetically pleasing, eco-friendly and cost-efficient solutions.

Separated from the main house, these pods create a quiet, secluded work environment that spares valuable space in the home whilst providing all the technological comforts you need.
Here are 15 amazing office pods.

Jurassic Park: The Truth About Dinosaurs

image credit: Shenghung Lin cc

What did Jurassic Park get right? What did science get wrong? And will we ever see dinosaurs on Earth again? As Steven Spielberg's film is re-released in 3D, palaeontologist Dr David Hone explains all.

Magic Beard

'Magic Beard' is a stop-motion video by Ben Garvin.



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(thanks Cora)

Towering Spider Sculpture Reflects A Mother's Strength

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Maman is an incredible, intimidating sculpture resembling a giant spider by the late French-American sculptor Louise Bourgeois. The towering structure, whose title translates as Mother in French, is an homage to the artist's own mother who passed away when she was 21 years old.

While the image of a spider is often associated with unsettling creepiness, the idea behind this figure is, alternatively, to reflect the powerful impact the artist's mother has left on her. Reaching over 30 feet high and 33 feet wide, the arachnid is the epitome of strength and protection.

Google Celebrates Claude Debussy's 151st Birthday With A Doodle

Achille-Claude Debussy (1862-1918) was a French composer. His music is noted for its sensory component and frequent eschewing of tonality. Today, August 22nd, 2013 Google is celebrating Claude Debussy's 151st birthday with an animated musical clip. You need to click on the big red play button to get it started.

Expecto Valueo: The Burrow From Harry Potter For Sale

The Burrow, which is home to the quirky Harry Potter Muggle Ron Weasley, is up for grabs, but you may want to sharpen your wizardry skills to live there. See an analysis of the charming 10-room home and discovere at what it is valued.

(thanks Sally)