The folks at Not Martha have provided you with a step-by-step recipe to create a memorable Halloween menu item – the Meat Hand. As the blogger there says, “Since August, I’ve had a post-it over my desk that simply said ‘meat hand’.” I’m sure co-workers were a bit concerned to see the phrase “meat hand” hovering over your desk.
From the onion fingernails to the wrist-bone, and melted cheese and ketchup, I have to say that a meat hand lying in a mashed potato bed would likely be an attention-getter for your holiday gatherings.
Another set of celebrity pictures from back then and now. Some of them were really hard for me to recognize. See for yourself.
Pamela Anderson
Alyssa Milano
Victoria Beckham
Little Rascal/Wal-Mart clerk
Tobey Maguire
Steve Urkel
Scarlett Johansson
Punky Brewster
Jeremy Piven/Michael Barth
Brad Pitt
Jerry O’Connell
Nicole Eggert
Mike Rowe
Mark Hamill
Marilyn Manson
Lindsay Lohan
Lil’ John
Leo DiCaprio
Stephanie from Full House
Karen from The Office
John Travolta
John Stewart
Michael Jackson
Ice Man
Hulk Hogan
Hayden Panettiere
Ricky Gervais
Edward Furlong
Fat Ginger from various 90’s era kid’s movies
Eric Bana
Elijah Wood
Dick Cheney
Elisha Cuthbert
Plays the ‘Creepy Dude’ in every movie he’s in
Creed from The Office
Nikki Cox
Stephen Colbert
Clint Eastwood
Charlie from Willy Wonka
Macaulay Culkin
Roided Carrots
Bret McKenzie
Christian Bale
Angelina Jolie
Anakin Skywalker (just landed a role as ‘clerk’ in the upcoming LA based Wal-Mart)
Amy Winehouse
Carlton from Fresh Prince
Barry Balco Bonds
Tara Reid
Railroad cars are big, heavy, and cumbersome. They’re notoriously hard to move into new locations off of their tracks, and because of their odd shape most people wouldn’t think of using them for anything else anyway. But in the spirit of recycling, green construction and shipping container homes, some enterprising people are recycling old train cars into homes, offices and even hotels.
(images via: Jag9889, The Manimal, The Greenest Dollar, and Ramon)
With the mortgage industry in trouble and more people making the shift toward green housing, reusing train cars as homes is a logical step. Like shipping containers, it’s relatively easy to do the conversion yourself, provided you have the resources to get the car to its new location. Cabooses seem to be the most popular choice for train car homes, but there are plenty of dining and sleeping cars being converted as well. If you’re able to shell out between $8000 and $45,000 for an old car, another several thousand to transport the car and put it into place on your property, and whatever it takes in material and labor to transform it, you can have a home for much less than a conventional house would cost. And best of all, it will be completely unique and as green as you want it to be.
(images via: kgw.com)
This converted rail car home in Portland, Oregon, is a great example of how beautiful a home a converted railroad car can make. The outside may look plain, but on the inside it’s surprisingly luxurious. The home encompasses an impressive 807 square feet and features 10-foot-high ceilings, DSL, thoroughly new everything, a full electric kitchen, and an incinerator toilet. The siding it’s currently situation on is rented to the current owner for $150 a month, and since it’s not technically real estate there are no property taxes. The home is currently for sale, so if you want the train car home experience without renovating one yourself, now’s your chance.
(images via: HGTV and Roadside UK)
If you’ve ever passed by the northern edge of Richardson Bay in Sausalito, California, chances are you’ve seen some pretty unusual houseboats moored there. One of the most unique is this one, made from an old railroad car. The car was once known as #41 on the San Francisco and Northern Pacific Railway in 1889. After it was retired in 1936, it was made into a land-based duplex and stayed put until 1979. At that time it was purchased to be made into this amazing houseboat. The home contains many of the original rail car bits, including the dining seats and some of the interior wood.
(images via: London Underground and Village Underground)
High above the London streets in Shoreditch, a few disused Tube carriages sit proudly, adorned with beautiful graffiti and shining with new life. They’re part of Village Underground, a collection of office and studio spaces that encompass the carriages above as well as a massive Victorian warehouse below. A wide variety of occupants take up the spaces, making a truly diverse and unique urban community encompassing some very distinctive recycled building elements.
(image via: Anne Vauclare)
Not all repurposed train cars are used as dwellings or offices. Sometimes, it’s simply a matter of using the available material to solve the problem at hand. Though it’s not clear exactly where this train car bridge is or even how it got there – miles away from a highway or railroad network – it’s an amusing sight.
(images via: The Deptford Project)
In mid-2008, a remarkable project came together in Deptford, South London: a 1960s rail car was transported to the high street to become part of an urban reclamation arts project. The car was stripped and repurposed by designer Morag Myerscough, then turned into a café. The Deptford Project Café is now decorated with beautiful graffiti advertising its existence, and inside you can get a cup of sustainably-harvested coffee or a plate of locally produced treats.
(images via: Redcaboose Getaway B&B)
Some enterprising individuals put the homey feel of converted rail cars to good use as bed and breakfast rooms. The Redcaboose Getaway on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula manages to look both charming and exciting. If you ever wanted to be a train conductor as a kid, this is the place to live out that dream…sort of. The B&B features several cabooses, each of which is a separate guest chamber. There’s also a restored art deco dining car where the staff chef prepares breakfast each morning. The Olympic Peninsula is one of the must-see areas of the US, and this seems like an amazing place to call a temporary home while exploring the area.
(images via: Controversy B&B)
The Controversy B&B in Hoogwoud, Netherlands takes full advantage of the offbeat nature of the discarded train on its grounds. The compartment is 21 meters long and contains some truly wacky features: the sink basin in the bathroom is an old tire, the bed is a boat, and the jacuzzi tub is in the shape of a colorful sombrero. And if trains aren’t your thing, the transportation-themed property also features trams and a UFO.
(images via: Aurora Express B&B)
Fairbanks, Alaska boasts its own quirky railroad car bed and breakfast. The Aurora Express B&B features four historic railroad cars as sleeping chambers and one dining car. The cars were purchased from the Denali State Park Hotel for $1 each, with the agreement that the Wilson family would pay to transport them to their property. Today, the cars sit on 700 feet of private railroad track overlooking Fairbanks and the Tanana Valley.
(images via: English Russia)
Perhaps the most bizarre train reuse is the Russian trend of converting old train cars into Orthodox Christian churches. They range from the simple repurposing to the elaborate redesign, complete with adding an entirely new facade. The end result is an unusual but inspirational presentation, showing us that these industrial giants don’t need to be discarded when their working lives are over; they simply need someone who cares enough to give them new life.
Cargo & Shipping Container Home & Office Designs
Cargo containers are of increasing interest to architects who plan to make them into homes, offices and other buildings through simple modifications and conversions.
Have you ever heard an odd sound in the dark, a weird whisper of the wind, shiver with unexplained goosebumps, or have the feeling of being watched? Scoff if you like but most people have at some point in their lives. In every culture from ancients to present, there have been documented beliefs in ghostly spirits. Some people are fascinated by claims of ghosts, spirits, and even demons. There are unnerving places on this planet in which paranormal phenomenon is reported almost identically throughout history, such as castles that are centuries old. Some castles are seeped through with myths and legends, scary stories of spooks, and are believed to be haunted places where restless souls linger in the night. Some castles have been investigated by paranormal teams who record and offer “proof” of the hauntings.
These are not the most beautiful castles on the outside, some even in sad disrepair, but on the inside there is supposedly paranormal activity and the darkness bumps back at night. Whether you wish to support your obsession with ghosts and ghouls or just for thrills and chills, here is a tour of 10 of the creepiest, most ghost-infested and haunted castles in the world as well as a video after each for you to draw your own conclusion about the proof of the haunted castles.
Castle Bran – Dracula’s Castle
(images credits:msn,Chodaboy,travelblog,About Romania,Ioja)
Dracula’s Playground can be found in a creepy and remote corner of the Carpathian Mountains in Romania. Bran Castle sits high upon craggy peaks within Transylvania, bringing vampires to mind. But there is no historic proof that Vlad the Impaler resided in Dracula’s Castle during his reign of terror. Dracula impaled thousands at a time, sometimes making their agonizing torture go on for months until death would claim his victims. Castle Bran is renowned for its infamous claim to haunted fame. Tourists are welcomed to find out. The little chapel, or grotto, in the bottom right adds an extra creepy element. As requested in Queen Marie’s will, after her death, her heart was placed in a gold casket and buried in Balcic, later moved to this grotto by Bran Castle.
Scariest Places on Earth visits Dracula’s Castle.
Leap Castle – Ireland’s Most Haunted
(images credits:PBase,Travel Webshots,Weird Places To Visit,Paranormal Videos,Travel Webshots)
Perhaps the most haunted castle in Ireland is Leap Castle. More than 400 years ago, in 1532, brother turned against brother to shed blood. One was a warrior who rushed into the chapel and used his sword to slay the priest who was his brother. The priest fell across the altar and died. The chapel is known as Bloody Chapel since that time. The dungeon in the castle is called an oubliette. Prisoners pushed into the oubliette fell eight feet onto spikes coming up from the floor. Leap Castle is also haunted by an Elemental, a dark evil creature about the size of a sheep and has a human face and black pools for eyes. It smells of rotting flesh. It’s a great place to go for a ghost hunt. See if you agree with the paranormal “proof.”
TAPS, the Ghost Hunters, investigated and here is their reveal.
Newcastle Castle Keep & The Black Gate
(images credits:BBC,Lachlan Main,Newcastle Photos,Newcastle Photos)
About AD 12, the Romans constructed a fort in this location which later became a cemetery. Hundreds of the dead in the graveyard were supposedly moved when in around 1172, this stone castle was built upon that very same land. It’s now Newcastle upon Tyne, England. There is about 75 feet separating the Castle Keep and the Blackgate gatehouse. Many teams of paranormal experts have led investigations here where tragedy is seeped into the ancient ground. Many of those experts claim Castle Keep is very haunted.
Most Haunted roams Castle Keep, searching for paranormal proof of a haunting.
Belcourt Castle
(images credits:hotpads)
Construction began on Belcourt Castle located in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1891. The entire first floor was an extravagant stable as was requested by the owner. But in 1956, the Tinney Family bought Belcourt Castle. Harold Tinney adored his castle. He is said to roam the grounds and haunt his castle even in his afterlife. If haunted castles are your type of place, you can do more than travel there to visit. The castle is currently for sale and you can make it your own for a cool $ 7.2 million.
After an investigation at Belmont Castle, Ghost Hunters analyzes the evidence.
Witches Castle
(images credits:Marius Muresan,Luca Baradello)
Moosham Castle in Unternberg, Austria, has a terrible and accursed past. It was in this castle where Austria’s bloodiest witch trials took place. Untold thousands of young women who were accused of being witches were tormented and killed in torture chambers in the dungeon. Moosham Castle is now better known as Witches Castle.
Ghost Hunters International conducts a ghost hunt at Witches Castle.
Predjama Castle
(images credits:Travel Webshots,oxycoccos,Travel Webshots,Franz St.,rolypoly girl)
A castle built within a cave, now that is brilliant in terms of defense and offense. In Slovenia, Predjama Castle is known to date back to at least 1274. In the 15th century, a renowned robber baron fled the revenge of the Holy Roman Emperor and settled his family in this castle fortress. There ensued a long siege in which the castle was destroyed. It was rebuilt in 1511 before being destroyed by an earthquake. The castle was once again rebuilt in 1567 and has a secret natural shaft that leads out of the castle for supplies as well as when the robber baron needed a quick in and out for his robberies. With at least 700 years of violent history, Pedjama Castle is said to be extremely haunted.
Ghost Hunters International reveals their evidence at Predjama Castle.
Dragsholm Castle
(images credits:private,,Panoramio,Meet in Copenhagen,hebborn,Thorninger)
Dragsholm Castle in Denmark was built in the late 12th century. Today it is a renowned hotel, but Dragsholm Castle’s biggest claim to fame is its alleged haunting of over a hundred ghosts. Legend has it that three of these spirits continue to demand attention: Grey Lady, White Lady and the Earl of Bothwell. Perhaps the most tragic of all, the White Lady, was a young girl who fell in love with a commoner who worked in the castle. The girl’s father found out about the lovers and ordered his daughter imprisoned in her room, never to be seen alive again. During the early part of the 20th century, workers were tearing down some old walls. To their horror, they came across a small recess in one of the walls which contained a small skeleton wearing a white dress.
Ghost Hunters International leads an investigation at Dragholm Castle.
Edinburgh Castle
(images credits:Study Abroad Foundation,backpack tours,Travel Knitter,Hotel Hotline)
The Scottish fortress built high upon a plug of an extinct volcano dates back to the 9th century. Edinburgh Castle has been there since the 12th century. Although it appears impregnable, in 800 years, the castle has taken part in numerous historic conflicts and wars, having been besieged both successfully and unsuccessfully many times. Deep in the bowels of Edinburgh Castle, dark and damp dungeons lie hidden away that had been used for imprisonment and torture over the centuries. Additionally there was construction of the vaults in the fifteenth century, but now that underground labyrinth of tunnels with 120 rooms are in an area known as Crown Square. At one point in history, the vaults were used to quarantine and eventually entomb victims of the plague. Archaeological evidence points back to the Iron Age, so Castle Rock and Edinburgh may very well be the longest continually occupied site in Scotland. With so much conflict and so much history, is it any wonder that many people swear Edinburgh Castle is haunted?
Screaming Vaults
The vaults that run underground are said to perhaps be even more haunted than Edinburgh Castle. You be the judge as people scream.
Rational
Edinburgh Castle and the vaults are like any so-called haunted place. There are believers in ghosts and things that bump back in the night as well as rational explanations as to what might be causing the “paranormal” events.
Dalhousie Castle, Bonnyrigg, Edinburgh, Scotland
(images credits:Scottish Travel,hotels-world,asyoulikeitweddings,car rental India)
More than 800 years old, teenage Lady Catherine of Dalhousie was once deeply in love. Her parents however forbid her to see her young man. She then locked herself in the top room of the castle and starved herself to death. Legend has it that her lovelorn ghost roams the castle still to this day. Dalhousie Castle is now a renowned hotel, ironically a hotspot for lovers and newlyweds.
An investigative reporter, a non-believer in ghosts, quickly has her mind changed.
Chillingham Castle
(images credits:Historic Houses Association,tripadvisor,Chillingham Castle)
Chillingham Castle in England is most famous for its ghosts and is marketed as the most haunted castle in Britian. The “star” ghost of castle is the “blue boy” who is sometimes also called the radiant boy. Legend has it that he haunts the Pink Room. Guests of the Pink Room have reported seeing blue flashes of light or a blue halo of light above their bed after a long loud wailing. The hauntings decreased or perhaps ceased after renovation work revealed two bodies, a man and a young boy who were both bricked inside a 10-foot thick wall. The owners however claim the hauntings continue, so ghost hunters and paranormal investigators still come to investigate the mysteries of Chillingham Castle.
Most Haunted visits Chillingham Castle to investigate the paranormal.
8 Supposedly Scary Haunted Houses and Hotels
Not all well-known houses are famous because of their stunning architecture. Some houses receive attention because of the alleged paranormal activity that goes on there.
I didn’t even know people had ‘divorce’ parties, let alone make special cakes to signify the demise of your relationship with your unsignificant other…..(I also love how the cake designers put a lil bit of graff on the sides too!)
[VIA]
In an effort to establish new platforms for public art and performance, the
multimedia duo SWEATSHOPPE has developed a new interactive technology that enables them to explore the relationship between video, mark making and architecture. Dubbed “video painting”, this technology allows them to essentially “paint” video onto any surface. Shooting in Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan, the duo spent weeks documenting their work in urban settings to create “The Landing” the first in a series of episodes that showcases their work as artist, technologist and performers.
[VIA]
Conor Harrington
Featuring Conor Harrington
30th October 2009 – 26th November 2009
Lazarides Gallery hosts ‘Headless Heroes’ by Conor Harrington. Conor’s last solo show in 2008 was a bold and beautiful visual feast and ‘Headless Heroes’ promises much more.
Continuing his exploration into masculinity and power, Conor’s new paintings and drawings combine historical re-enactment, F1 pit-stops, text and glamour models. Conor’s aim is to have the visual aesthetic of his paintings reflect the visual culture we live in.
Since he was a teenager painting on the streets of Cork, Conor has always tread a fine line between ‘street art’ and ‘fine art’, never aligning himself with a particular movement or aesthetic but instead pushing forward with his own unique representations of the world around him, creating works that are striking yet accessible.
The show is open Monday-Friday 11-7pm and Saturday 12-5pm.
11 Rathbone Place, London W1T 1HR
REMI/ROUGH – LOST COLOURS AND ALIBIS
On Thursday 29th October
From 6 – 9PM
At The Urban Angel Gallery
41/43 Redchurch Street
London, E2 7DJ
What would happen if the infamous Pendle Witches – hung in 1612 for crimes of witchcraft – came back?
UK-based illustrator Sarah Coleman (aka Inkymole) teams up with New York photographer
Anthony Saint James, willow artist Tom Hare and writer Ed Garland to present an intriguing and deliciously dark take on the witchhunts of the 1600s.
Unsettling photography, twisted shadowy figures and expressive type-led illustration
combine in response to the wicked and uneasy ‘confessions’ of the modern-day witches.
Thursday October 29th, 6.30pm
Numbers at the venue are limited,
please ‘RSVP’ to
[email protected]
EASTGALLERY
214 Brick Lane,
London E1 6SA
NATURAL SELECTION
31 October – 12 December 2009
Monday – Saturday 9.30am – 5.00pm
Elms Lesters has been invited to curate an exhibition at the acclaimed Atkinson Gallery at Millfield School, Street, Somerset.
‘NATURAL SELECTION’ will be a non selling exhibition including works by Adam Neate, Jose Parla, Phil Frost, Boris Tellegen (DELTA), Anthony Lister, James Marshall (DALEK), Futura, Mark Dean Veca, Ron English, Stash, WK Interact, Snug and Andrew McAttee.
The exhibition opens on Saturday 31st October, but there will be a private reception between 7 – 9pm on Monday 2nd November.
Exhibition continues until 12th December 2009
Atkinson Gallery
Millfield,
Street,
Somerset
BA16 0YD
For those of you in London and into street art you are sure to have seen Un-plugged’s plug socket stickers and paste ups across the city in the most unlikely of locations.
Tomorrow the 27th October sees the opening of a solo exhibition from un-plugged entitled “SHOCKIN’ BEHAVIOUR” the loss of power that humanity may one day face.
The exhibition runs from the 27th October until the 8th November.
The Foundry | 86 Great Eastern Street | London | EC2A 3JL
Old Street tube (exit3)
[VIA]
Moving around children on a stroller, especially at designated locations like the airport, is always a hectic issue. The Stow Away concept stroller has been designed to simplify such an event by converting itself to the appropriate dimensions of a carry-on luggage. As a result, you can say goodbye to the tiring hours that you used to spend carrying your child around after storing the stroller under the plane. On the back of the stroller, you can find mesh pockets where baby bottles, diapers and blankets can be stored and accessed easily. Moreover, the mesh screen will block harmful lights and yet let you keep an eye on your child.
Designer : Michael Rall
OpenMe is a concept ring that can be personalized for individual users by decorating with a carved glass piece and distinct geometry. Aside from showcasing stunning luxury aesthetics, this crystal ring features another handy function which is, it can open safety locks. The crystal facet has a 3D scanner installed in, which will let you to unlock a security door, just as you see in the action movies. In a nutshell, the OpenMe concept provides an added value to the crystal in handiness and our urban security. The ring has been designed considering both the gents and ladies, therefore anyone can opt for one without compromising the style issue.
Designer : Marcial Ahsayane
The La Clef du Temps watch actually allows the user to control the pace of time by modulating the speed of every passing hour through the crown at 9 o’clock. Aside from featuring technical triumph, it returns luxury timekeeping more importantly to all range of users. These 24 watches of different time zones of the world surely stand a chance to be a great collector’s choice. The weird symbols of the watches can be revealed by close examination and no matter how long you misrepresent time on your watch, you can return to the standard time anytime by simply moving the crown at 9 o’clock. These watches would be quite expensive, only a prototype of such a watch fetched the 2nd highest price in a recent watch auction at £410,000.
From the website:
LIMITED EDITION OF 24 PIECES
An exceptional mechanism created by Mathias Buttet – founder of Confrérie Horlogère – for the Only Watch 09 auction: an event that takes place every two years and is aimed at raising funds to help children affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Touched by the devastating effects of this disease, Mathias Buttet has developed a Vertical tourbillon watch which features a hand-wound mechanical movement able to make the time last longer for those who don’t have much of it. Moreover, the prototype developed has been enriched with a further function allowing users to shorten the time if they so wish.
Designer : Confrerie Horlogere
