At some point, we’ve all had that fantasy of abandoning society and living off the grid. I’ve always dreamed of having my own personal island, but I’ve never entertained the idea that it could actually be done. I couldn’t be more wrong, though. Not only is it possible, but there are two people who are living their best lives on one right now. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCBP_ATF’); }); Artists Wayne Adams and Catherine King were tired of city life, so in the 1990s, they decided to go back into nature. They began building their own sustainable home off the coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. And after 24 years of hard work and dedication, they have an incredible floating home that’s aptly called Freedom Cove. Although they’re not totally off the grid, their lifestyle is different than what we’re used to. In this picture, it looks like they live on the side of a mountain, which would already be enviable. Facebook / Catherine King googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCBM_BTF’); }); But here you can see that their home is floating. Facebook / Catherine King They even have their own greenhouses and gardens to grow food. Facebook / Catherine King googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCI1_BTF’); }); And needless to say, they have a gorgeous view. Facebook / Catherine King Would you build something like this if you had the chance? (via MindBodyGreen) I have never seen a home as amazing as this one. I wonder if they would consider letting me stay there on vacation. I could even bring one of these. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/floating-island-home/
Is foreign money infiltrating American politics through insecure online donations to Barack Obama? That’s one question pondered in a report published Monday but quickly denied by the Obama campaign. The study was conducted by the Government Accountability Institute, a research group run by conservative author, strategist and researcher Peter Schweizer. An 109-page examination of “fraudulent and foreign online campaign contributions,” it points out three ways in which the Obama campaign may be receiving foreign funds, which is illegal. First, the report, titled “America the Vulnerable,” claims the Obama campaign “lacks the industry-standard level of credit card security for donations,” but “uses it for merchandise purchases” on the campaign store. Donors on the official Obama site don’t need to include their credit card security number, the three- or four-digit code found on every card. The Obama campaign previously claimed it doesn’t need that code — called the CVV — because “they are able to vet contributions on the back end using sophisticated techniques that it doesn’t disclose,” claims the report (the Obama campaign since said it uses an Address Verification System to verify credit cards). Second, the report highlights Obama.com, a domain that’s not owned by the Obama campaign but points to a campaign donation page. According to the GAI, a majority of traffic to that site has come from abroad: “In 2008, Obama.com was purchased by an Obama fundraiser living in Shanghai, China, whose business is heavily dependent on relationships with Chinese state-run television and other state-owned entities. According to industry leading web analytics site Markosweb, an anonymously registered redirect site (Obama.com) features 68% foreign traffic. Starting in December 2011, the site was linked to a specific donation page on the official BarackObama.com campaign website for ten months. The page loaded a tracking number, 634930, into a space on the website labeled “who encouraged you to make this donation.” That tracking number is embedded in the source code for Obama.com and is associated with the Obama Victory Fund. In early September 2012, the page began redirecting to the standard Obama Victory Fund donation page.” The GAI report also noted several occasions where foreigners have received Obama donation pitches, but doesn’t confirm those foreigners were actually able to donate. GAI’s report also examines the Romney campaign, stating the following: “About 11.9% of the Romney campaign’s Internet traffic comes from foreign sources. Examining over 100,000 backlinks on the Internet that link to the Romney campaign’s webpage, approximately 12.8% of those are from foreign sources, including foreign language news sites and blogs.” However, the report isn’t as accusatory toward the Romney campaign as it is of the Obama campaign. The Obama campaign’s response? A Monday afternoon blog post explaining that the campaign screens for foreign IP addresses and requires a copy of a valid passport from a contributor identified as valid but donating from abroad. It also dismisses the GAI as having a right-wing agenda and claims the campaign “does not accept donations from foreign nationals or any other ineligible individual.” “OFA has […]
Trying to catch a bird of prey is hard enough as it is, let alone when they are all panicked due to being stuck in a very large warehouse. Simon and Sean from the Wildlife Aid Foundation spent a couple of hours chasing a Sparrowhawk around a warehouse. Having dealt with similar situations before, Simon knew what he had to do. He attempted to corner the frightened bird so that Sean, who was waiting in a very precarious position, could capture it. Eventually the pair managed to capture the small bird of prey and set it free, but it was no easy task. (Source: Wildlife Aid) Forget about “needle in a haystack”, the new term should be “Sparrowhawk in a warehouse.” Read more: http://viralnova.com/sparrowhawk-rescue/
Because this penguin was born blind, Blindy has had a tough life. At only 12 weeks old, the poor thing lost its family. Without help, Blindy surely would’ve died in the wild. Fittingly enough, however, a woman named Shireen Helps decided to lend a helping hand. Now living at the woman’s penguin sanctuary in Flea Bay, New Zealand, Blindy is learning more every day. Next up? Learning how to swim! Even though Blindy will never be able to return to the wild, Helps hopes that the penguin will find a forever home at a zoo one day. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/blind-penguin/
When Daniel Woods asked those closest and dearest to him and his wife to sit down for a quick interview, his friends and family had no idea why…or what he wanted to ask them. In truth, Daniel wasn’t planning on asking them anything. He just wanted to capture their reactions on his slow-motion video camera when he shared a surprise announcement with them all! Their happy facial expressions slowed down like that made this the cutest pregnancy reveal video I’ve seen in a long time. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/cute-baby-announcement/
On July 20, 1969, astronaut Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot of the first lunar landing mission, poses for a photograph beside the deployed United States flag during Apollo 11 extravehicular activity on the lunar surface.Image: NASA General Electric is taking a “small step” into sneaker design to commemorate the role — or rather, sole — it had in mankind’s first “giant leap” on the moon. Forty-five years to the day, hour and minute after Apollo 11 moonwalkers Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin made the first manned lunar landing at 4:18 p.m. EDT on Sunday, July 20, GE will release for sale its new moon boot-inspired, limited edition sneakers, “The Missions.” The company, which is perhaps publicly better known for its consumer appliances and lighting products, provided in 1969 the silicone rubber that was used to create the now-iconic tread that lined the bottom of the Apollo moon boot. GE also produced the Lexan polycarbonate plastic used in forming the astronauts’ bubble helmets. “To celebrate the 45th anniversary of the original lunar landing and the sci-fi super materials that made it happen, GE and JackThreads decided to partner up to take that moon boot and create an updated, street-ready version so damn impressive, people will think whoever is wearing it might be from outer space,” men’s clothier JackThreads described on its website. The sneakers, which are strictly limited to just 100 pairs, are set to go on sale Sunday exclusively on JackThreads for $196.90 commemorating the year of the moon landing. The shoes will be sold on a first come, first served basis, with delivery expected in September. GE debuted “The Missions” on July 16, on the anniversary of Apollo 11’s launch atop a Saturn V rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, using the social network Snapchat. The company also invited Buzz Aldrin to use the photo messaging service to share stories of his voyage to the moon and showed him wearing a pair of the sneakers. The unisex “Missions,” which were designed with the help of luxury shoemaker Android Homme, feature an off-white and gray color scheme with a translucent, thermoplastic sole. The redesigned moon boots have components made from the same lightweight carbon fiber used for jet engine components, and they sport a hydrophobic coating similar to the materials that are used to prevent ice from forming on wind turbine blades. “We re-imagined our lunar kicks with next-gen materials pulled from the belly of bad ass jet engines … to not only commemorate GE’s contribution to space flight but also our shared excitement for future awesome things,” stated JackThreads. GE intends “The Missions” sneakers to draw attention to the advanced materials being developed in its labs today, Linda Boff, executive director of global brand marketing at GE, told Ad Age magazine. “By highlighting super materials like stabilized carbon fiber and hydrophobic coating in our limited-edition sneakers, it helps people relate to the power of these technologies,” she said. The Mission sneakers. Image: General Electric Aldrin […]
Ever wonder why your socks go missing? According to the video, above, covert sock-stealing soldiers rifle through your drawers during midnight raids. But if your room is equipped with Elite Feline Forces, there’s no need for alarm, as the killer kitties will safeguard your hosiery. Watch the action go down, complete with slow-mo shots and mechanical meows courtesy of a dubstep soundtrack. BONUS VIDEO: Kitties Droppin’ Beats Screenshot image courtesy of YouTube, CorridorDigital Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/02/18/dubstep-kitties/
When you think about orchestral instruments, you probably think about the symphony, the opera, or classical music. And while that’s primarily where you’ll see instruments like the cello, musicians over the years have adapted the form to create something new. The duo 2CELLOS, for instance, has been playing covers of popular music combined with old-school fare, for years now. In that spirit, two teenage boys taught to play the cello by their grandfather appeared on America’s Got Talent, and no one was expecting what they were about to play. The judges look genuinely shocked as the Jimi Hendrix song starts to play, and it’s hard to believe all that sound is coming out of just their dueling cellos. Youtube / Anthony Ying Amazing job, boys! They’ve definitely got a long career ahead of them, and they even linked up with 2CELLOS after the show in an awesome live performance you can watch here. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/hendrix-cellos/
It’s okay dog, sometimes we get freaked out when we see ourselves in the mirror too. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/labradoodle-sees-herself-in-the-mirror-and-just-cannot-deal/
