Back in my high school pottery class, I was lucky enough to create a crappy, half-assed bowl with my mediocre skills. This man, on the other hand, transforms the wet clay on a pottery wheel into beautiful, ever-changing works of art. Like someone who used a pen or pencil to doodle on paper, Russian artist Mikhail Sadovnikov uses his bare hands to create mesmerizing, intricate patterns on the spinning surface that morph with his movements. Watch and enjoy as Sadovnikov’s art changes seamlessly in front of your eyes. It’s as oddly calming as it is trippy! Feeling super relaxed? Same here. I’m so going to watch this video whenever I need a few minutes to chill out. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/mikhail-sadovnikov-spinning-art/
I’ve watched this video of young German magician Moritz Mueller doing an amazing trick using silver dollar coins about 6 times already…and still I don’t know the answer to my question. HOW DOES HE DO IT?! For now I’ll just assume he’s a wizard and is casting some real magic spells. Watch his amazing trick in the video below, you’ll be blown away as much as I was. (Source: Moritz Mueller) I have never wanted to squeeze somebody’s cheeks so bad, kid was adorable. Fantastic trick and fantastic English too. Read more: http://viralnova.com/coin-magic/
Airtime — Sean Parker‘s new startup that lets users video chat with friends and strangers who share their interests — released a slick new video Tuesday that shows off the power of the service. Describing Airtime as “the Best Internet You’ve Ever Had,” the slickly produced ad shows off the service in a way that is both entertaining and easy to understand. Of course, it wouldn’t be Airtime without celebrities. The spot features cameos by Kurt Russell, MC Hammer, Gary Vaynerchuk and Ronnie Lott. I’ve had my own brush with celebrity using Airtime. The first time I tried the service, it connected me with none other than co-founder Sean Parker. The spot was produced by Portal A, the company behind the Ed Lee 2 Legit 2 Quit video. (Disclosure: Portal A also works with Mashable on original video content.) The star of the video — Ian Pfaff — is described as Portal A’s “creative jack-of-all-trades.” He works full-time at Portal acting, editing and producing music. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/07/17/mc-hammer-airtime/
Anyone old enough to buy their own Halloween candy knows that once you move past the age of trick-or-treating, the real fun comes from revisiting the things that might have terrified you as a child — specifically, horror movies. Films that once left you shaking under the covers become slightly less believable or traumatizing as your perception of reality and special effects technology changes. In fact, many horror comedy B-movies have become cult classics for basically being awful. Get the popcorn ready, because you’re about to LOL in horror. Cheesy Horror Movies 1. Killer Klowns from Outer Space Clowns are scary enough on their own. In this 1988 horror flick, we’re talking about aliens that look like clowns — that also have killer shadow-puppet magic skills. Who came up with this stuff, anyway? Video: YouTube, pocketsizedbeauty 2. Dead Alive Forget about the rib-ripping scene, in which we learn our insides look like a mudslide when pouring out of our body. The scariest part is at 1:25, when we discover that the living dead will dig for your gold. ‘Snot funny. Video: YouTube, movieclips 3. Chopping Mall How can you tell things are going to get weird in this 1986 film? The screaming, pants-less woman is not even the most questionable part of the clip. Who was that robo-mall cop thanking, anyway? Video: YouTube, bmoviereviews . 4. Troll 2 This 1990 horror-comedy B-movie is so hilariously bad, it has developed a cult following. This scene in particular is a classic, and needs no explanation as to why. Video: YouTube, Veovisjohn 5. The Gingerdead Man This is what happens when you bake the spirit of Gary Busey into a holiday treat. It’s also why we can’t have nice things. The 2005 movie is so bad, we couldn’t possibly pick one scene. Video: YouTube, GrackleBoxStudios 6. Nightmare on Elm Street We all have to start somewhere in our careers, and for Johnny Depp, it was in 1984, when he lost a battle with a bed. The old and clunky technology just makes this scene better/worse. Video: YouTube, TzTokFlame 7. Attack of the Killer Tomatoes The special effects in 1978 were just incredible. We’re at a loss for words over the giant, evil tomato in this film. Video: YouTube, lemonysnicket1234567 8. Santa’s Slay Skip to 1:50 if you don’t find enjoyment in obnoxiously rich people talking about their “humble” Christmas. Video: YouTube, itburnswhenithink 9. The Spookies This 1986 film features a group of travelers who (surprise) took a wrong turn. One of the more unlucky guests falls into a sticky situation with all kinds of “WTF?” going on. Video: YouTube, hinatasaix2 10. Birdemic: Shock and Terror There are so many things to say about this 2010 masterpiece, it’s hard to know where to start. Maybe it’s the acting. Maybe it’s the choice of weaponry. Or maybe it’s the unfathomable use of special effects. Regardless, this important piece of cinema is so mind-blowingly confounding, it would bring Hitchcock to tears … of some form, anyway. […]
What happens when high school theater kids grow up and get hooked on the addictive street drug known as the interwebz? Answer: YouTube videos like this one. “Tumblr: The Musical” turns the art of Tumbln’ into a catchy tune, complete Internet meme references, web culture jokes and a cameo from Hipster Ariel. Viral Photo Gallery 7 Fake Hurricane Sandy Photos You’re Sharing on Social Media Fake Hurricane Sandy photos flew around Twitter and Facebook on Monday, as users shared jaw-dropping images. Unfortunately, the race to post the most striking pics has most folks skipping the all-important fact check. We’ve gathered up five “Hurricane Sandy” photographs that have spread on the social web, but weren’t actually taken during the massive storm. Obama and Romney Are Your New Dress Up Dolls Still not sure who to vote for? Or maybe you’re dead-set on a candidate, and simply waiting for Election Day next week. Regardless of who you’re voting for on Nov. 6, both of these presidential candidates could use some change — of outfits, that is. The websites Change4Obama and Change4Romney will keep voters entertained until the election. Both sites, created by social discovery site SocialPlex, allow users to dress up Barack Obama or Mitt Romney as various characters. You can mix and match features like hair, eyes, nose and outfits. Your Favorite Logos Reimagined for the Zombie Apocalypse [PICS] There seems to be a craze for reimagining top logos and since this is Halloween, why not rethink them for a zombie apocalypse, right? Assuming that event were to come to pass, here’s what your neighborhood Starbucks and the gas station down the street might look like, as envisioned by artist Ben Fellowes. For more of these horrifying logos, check out his site. New York City Subway Needs a ‘System Restore’ [PIC] Yes, crashed Windows OS, we know the New York City subway system was unable to restart after Hurricane Sandy. And, yes, we would love to run a system restore. After Sandy ravaged the East Coast Monday evening, the subway system in New York City was left crippled. Not immune to inclement weather, the Windows-based display above the 77th Street subway stop seemed to have hit a snag as well. ‘The Walking Dead’ Gets ‘Dear Photograph’ Treatment [PICS] Dear Photograph, a popular nostalgia blog showcasing photos within photos, gave its visitors a terrifying surprise Wednesday: The Walking Dead-inspired posts. Dear Photograph creator Taylor Jones told Mashable he teamed up with FOX International Channels on the Halloween Day images, which folks at The Walking Dead created for their international ad campaign. Each of the two blog posts showcases a zombie and a post-zombie-apocalypse caption. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/07/27/tumblr-the-musical-video/
In 2011, Tim Pool didn’t hear about the Occupy Wall Street movement from the news — he discovered it through social networks like YouTube and Facebook. He ended up seeing a video of a police officer dragging a protester by his leg, and Pool noticed that the protester’s hands were bleeding. It was at that moment that Pool decided to see what was going on for himself. He hopped on a bus from Chicago to New York City, and soon he was in the thick of things. Pool started filming and documenting the protests, armed with only his smartphone. Before long, he became one of the foremost independent journalists broadcasting Occupy Wall Street and the events that followed online. “My stance has always sort of been to learn and experience to try and better understand,” he told Mashable‘s Zoe Fox at the 2012 Social Good Summit on Sunday. “I like to get all the facts before I make a decision about what the answer’s going to be.” Because he gathered so much information, he realized that it was safer and more efficient to broadcast everything live with the UStream mobile app. On Nov. 17, 2011, a notable day of protests, he reached an impressive 750,000 viewers. Pool explained that as the protests continued, he often had to get creative with his use of tech as he filmed for long periods of time — sometimes up to 21 hours straight. In addition to his smartphone, he had an external battery that could power a phone for approximately 15 hours. “With just a smartphone, you can send tweets, you can send messages [and] photos, and do a broadcast for a very long amount of time. However, that’s not to say that there aren’t pitfalls. They overheat, they shut down,” he said. Pool and his friend put together a makeshift cooling system using a computer fan plugged into an external battery. They have also used “drones” — remote-controlled quadrocopters — to film events from the air. However, due to the ban on the commercial use of drones, Pool says they are reluctant to use them. “There [are a] million things that need to be built that [are] going to change and further decentralize the ability to share information,” he said. “As time goes on, we’re going to see more and more people with the ability to share information with each other. Bringing more people into the conversation is really what is going to create what I consider social good.” What’s next? Pool says he would like to work on a documentary about Occupy Wall Street, but, surprisingly, he can’t find anyone who wants to go through “terabytes and terabytes” of footage. Read more of Mashable’s coverage of the 2012 Social Good Summit: Day One: Hillary Clinton Opens the Social Good Summit [VIDEO] How the U.S. Chief Technology Officer Is Making Data Awesome Can Mobile Phones Help Fight Pediatric AIDS? How Is Social Media Changing Diplomacy? Peter Gabriel Makes Case For Internet Freedom ITU […]
Just ask any firefighter and they’ll tell you that magnesium fires are no joke and they can lead to some serious injuries and destruction of property. Magnesium is a combustible metal that’s becoming more and more common in our everyday lives. Typically, there is not enough magnesium in our devices to pose a threat, but when you get enough of it in one spot, accidents can happen. That’s when magnesium fires start. Fighting these blazes is extremely difficult because you cannot use water to extinguish them. In fact, water just makes them worse. Magnesium fire burns so hot that it actually causes water molecules to break into their component elements, which can then combust. As a demonstration, I present to you the St. Louis Fire Department trying to extinguish a magnesium blaze. (source: Firefighter 911) Well, that is absolutely terrifying. Now I’m doubly uncomfortable with the fact that I live so close to an industrial park. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/magnesium-fire/
Last year, the heartwarming story of 11-year-old Bella Burton and her Great Dane service dog, George, took the world by storm. Because Burton suffers from a progressive disease known as Morquio Syndrome, doctors thought she’d spend the rest of her life clinging to crutches. Then she met her helpful, gentle giant at The Service Dog Project. Recently, the little sweetheart decided she wanted to say “thank you” to George. With the help of BarkBox, they gave him the best day a dog could imagine, complete with treats and pampering! What a wonderful friendship these two share. Everyone involved in making George’s day so special deserves a “thank you” day of their own. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/thanks-george/
Most people view flies as a problem, but this waste treatment plant sees their true potential. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/this-waste-processing-plant-uses-fly-larvae-to-process-organic-waste-and-provide-feed-for-animals/
