Is it a car? Is it a cartoon? The good people at MotorCrave aren't too sure... but whatever it is this BMW X9 Design Study (or possible Transformers III star) looks like it would make a worthy addition to the BatCave.
Bats
Is it a car? Is it a cartoon? The good people at MotorCrave aren't too sure... but whatever it is this BMW X9 Design Study (or possible Transformers III star) looks like it would make a worthy addition to the BatCave.
Sunnies
They're hideously overpriced, and they look like the cheap plastic ones you (probably shouldn't) buy from those dodgy traders down at the station... but if - like me - you're a sucker for funky sunglasses, then the Electric Hoodlum Acetate Color Series is sure to get you thinkin'.
Glasto Again
Remember those awesome photos from last year's Glastonbury Festival? Well, The Big Picture is back with more mayhem from this year's Glasto. Enjoy...
Game Set Match
Presenting... The best summer/dance/tennis/Djokovic/Solveig/Bob Sinclair/Monfils/music-themed video you will ever see.
Instant Replay
There have been some crazy, crazy refereeing calls at this World Cup - as The Bleacher Report so wonderfully records in their list of the Top 10 Worst Referee's Calls So Far.
For something a little different (and because I kinda miss the writing I did for all those years at Sports Illustrated), allow me to present five of the biggest blown calls... with completely plausible alternate reality scenarios for each.
URUGUAY vs SOUTH AFRICA
Group A, Pretoria, 16 June
What happened:
With 10 minutes left and South Africa 1-0 down, Luis Suarez gets the ball in the South African penalty area and is tripped up by Bafana Bafana keeper Itumeleng Khune. Khune is sent off, star midfielder Steven Pienaar is taken off to make way for the substitute keeper, and Uruguay score from the penalty spot. Fifteen minutes later, 5 minutes into injury time, Uruguay get a third goal to leave South Africa facing an early exit from the tournament. SA now need to beat France 4-0 in their final game, and hope Mexico lose to Uruguay.
What might've happened:
The referee sees that Suarez was in fact offside when he received the ball, and calls play back. He stops short of booking Suarez for an obvious dive. No foul, no red card, no penalty, no goal, no substitution and no fifth minute of added time means South Africa grind out a brave 1-0 defeat. That result leave them needing to beat France 2-0 in their final game, and hope for either Uruguay or Mexico to lose in their final clash. With France in turmoil SA win 3-0, with Khune keeping a clean sheet and Mphela springing the offside trap to score SA's third*. Uruguay's 1-0 win over Mexico means Uruguay and South Africa both comfortably qualify for the second round.
* In our world, his 37th-minute goal was harshly ruled offside.
+++
UNITED STATES vs SLOVENIA
Group C, Johannesburg, 18 June
What happened:
It's the biggest comeback since platform shoes as the United States recover from 0-2 down to draw 2-2 against the Slovenes. It could've been even better, though, as Maurice Edu has his late goal disallowed for... who knows? It wasn't offside, there wasn't a foul. Baffling decision.
What might've happened:
Edu's goal completes a dream 3-2 victory for the US, who now top the group with four points. England must beat Slovenia to qualify for the second round (which they do), but the Americans now only need a draw against Algeria in their last match. Neither side puts in any effort, and a dull 0-0 draw means our alternate reality is robbed of what happened in the real world: Landon Donovan's dramatic last-minute winner. So maybe these blown calls aren't such a bad thing after all...
+++
BRAZIL vs IVORY COAST
Group G, Soccer City, 20 June
What happened:
With Brazil already 1-0 up, Luis Fabiano receives the ball on the edge of the penalty area and juggles it once, twice over the heads of the defenders before spanking in a goal. Brazil go on to win 3-1, despite having Kaka controversially sent off late in the game.
What might've happened:
The ref spots the deliberate handball during Fabiano's juggling act, and disallows the goal. The Brazilians go on to win 2-1, but the referee - feeling bad about his tough but correct call on Fabiano - does not show Kaka that red card. Apart from that, nothing much changes.
+++
GERMANY vs ENGLAND
Round of 16, Bloemfontein, 27 June
What happened:
A shambolic England claw their way back from 2-0 down to 2-1, and just before half-time Frank Lampard's long-range shot hits the bar and bounces down a full two metres over the goal-line. For reasons known only to himself, the ref rules no goal. Germany go on to win 4-1, and England are eliminated.
What might've happened:
Lampard's goal levels the scores, and the sides go into the break tied at 2-2. England - who, as always, play on guts and confidence as opposed to any demonstrable skill - try a series of speculative shots from distance in the second half, but fail to hit the target. The scores remain tied at the end of 90 minutes, and a goalless extra time means the match goes to a penalty shootout. Özl, Müller, and Podolski all score from the spot for Germany, but none of Rooney (who's had a terrible tournament), Lampard (who missed a penalty in May's FA Cup Final) or Terry (who slips at just the wrong moment while taking his kick) manage to hit the target. The Germans win, inevitably, on penalties.
+++
ARGENTINA vs MEXICO
Round of 16, Soccer City, 27 June
What happened:
Carlos Tevez is about three or four metres offside when he scores Argentina's opener, but the ref signals a goal. Argentina win at a canter, 3-1, and Mexico are not at all pleased.
What might've happened:
Tevez's goal is disallowed. Mexico, unrattled, keep their cool for the next 10 minutes and don't gift Higuaín a second goal (unlike in our world). It takes a thunderbolt strike from Tevez to finally settle the match, which Argentina win 1-0. The score changes, but - as in the England match - the result remains the same.
For something a little different (and because I kinda miss the writing I did for all those years at Sports Illustrated), allow me to present five of the biggest blown calls... with completely plausible alternate reality scenarios for each.
URUGUAY vs SOUTH AFRICA
Group A, Pretoria, 16 June
What happened:
With 10 minutes left and South Africa 1-0 down, Luis Suarez gets the ball in the South African penalty area and is tripped up by Bafana Bafana keeper Itumeleng Khune. Khune is sent off, star midfielder Steven Pienaar is taken off to make way for the substitute keeper, and Uruguay score from the penalty spot. Fifteen minutes later, 5 minutes into injury time, Uruguay get a third goal to leave South Africa facing an early exit from the tournament. SA now need to beat France 4-0 in their final game, and hope Mexico lose to Uruguay.
What might've happened:
The referee sees that Suarez was in fact offside when he received the ball, and calls play back. He stops short of booking Suarez for an obvious dive. No foul, no red card, no penalty, no goal, no substitution and no fifth minute of added time means South Africa grind out a brave 1-0 defeat. That result leave them needing to beat France 2-0 in their final game, and hope for either Uruguay or Mexico to lose in their final clash. With France in turmoil SA win 3-0, with Khune keeping a clean sheet and Mphela springing the offside trap to score SA's third*. Uruguay's 1-0 win over Mexico means Uruguay and South Africa both comfortably qualify for the second round.
* In our world, his 37th-minute goal was harshly ruled offside.
+++
UNITED STATES vs SLOVENIA
Group C, Johannesburg, 18 June
What happened:
It's the biggest comeback since platform shoes as the United States recover from 0-2 down to draw 2-2 against the Slovenes. It could've been even better, though, as Maurice Edu has his late goal disallowed for... who knows? It wasn't offside, there wasn't a foul. Baffling decision.
What might've happened:
Edu's goal completes a dream 3-2 victory for the US, who now top the group with four points. England must beat Slovenia to qualify for the second round (which they do), but the Americans now only need a draw against Algeria in their last match. Neither side puts in any effort, and a dull 0-0 draw means our alternate reality is robbed of what happened in the real world: Landon Donovan's dramatic last-minute winner. So maybe these blown calls aren't such a bad thing after all...
+++
BRAZIL vs IVORY COAST
Group G, Soccer City, 20 June
What happened:
With Brazil already 1-0 up, Luis Fabiano receives the ball on the edge of the penalty area and juggles it once, twice over the heads of the defenders before spanking in a goal. Brazil go on to win 3-1, despite having Kaka controversially sent off late in the game.
What might've happened:
The ref spots the deliberate handball during Fabiano's juggling act, and disallows the goal. The Brazilians go on to win 2-1, but the referee - feeling bad about his tough but correct call on Fabiano - does not show Kaka that red card. Apart from that, nothing much changes.
+++
GERMANY vs ENGLAND
Round of 16, Bloemfontein, 27 June
What happened:
A shambolic England claw their way back from 2-0 down to 2-1, and just before half-time Frank Lampard's long-range shot hits the bar and bounces down a full two metres over the goal-line. For reasons known only to himself, the ref rules no goal. Germany go on to win 4-1, and England are eliminated.
What might've happened:
Lampard's goal levels the scores, and the sides go into the break tied at 2-2. England - who, as always, play on guts and confidence as opposed to any demonstrable skill - try a series of speculative shots from distance in the second half, but fail to hit the target. The scores remain tied at the end of 90 minutes, and a goalless extra time means the match goes to a penalty shootout. Özl, Müller, and Podolski all score from the spot for Germany, but none of Rooney (who's had a terrible tournament), Lampard (who missed a penalty in May's FA Cup Final) or Terry (who slips at just the wrong moment while taking his kick) manage to hit the target. The Germans win, inevitably, on penalties.
+++
ARGENTINA vs MEXICO
Round of 16, Soccer City, 27 June
What happened:
Carlos Tevez is about three or four metres offside when he scores Argentina's opener, but the ref signals a goal. Argentina win at a canter, 3-1, and Mexico are not at all pleased.
What might've happened:
Tevez's goal is disallowed. Mexico, unrattled, keep their cool for the next 10 minutes and don't gift Higuaín a second goal (unlike in our world). It takes a thunderbolt strike from Tevez to finally settle the match, which Argentina win 1-0. The score changes, but - as in the England match - the result remains the same.
Moments
Time magazine is running a video slideshow of its Top 10 Moments Of The World Cup So Far. It's very nice... but it's not my top 10.
Here's my (by no means complete) list, with links to the games:
1. Game 1:
Siphiwe Tshabalala's goal to open the tournament.
2. Game 3:
Gabriel Heinze's flying header against Nigeria.
3. Game 5:
Robert Green's unintentionally hilarious - and now world famous - howler against the USA.
4. Game 9:
Denmark defender Simon Poulsen's outrageous goal-saving overhead kick to save a goal against the Netherlands.
5. Game 9:
Denmark defender Simon Poulsen's horribly misdirected header a few moments earlier, which bounced in off team-mate Dan Agger's back to give the Netherlands the lead.
6. Game 14:
Nobodies North Korea almost holding Brazil to a draw.
7. Game 28:
Nobodies Italy holding New Zealand to a draw.
8. Game 30:
Cristiano Ronaldo scoring a fluke goal against North Korea... which is only a fluke until you realise it was one of seven goals his team scored in the game.
9. Game 34:
Universally despised French coach Raymond Domenech refusing to shake hands with South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira after their final Group A game. Domenech was still offended by something Parreira had said a couple of months ago about France not deserving their place at the World Cup because of that Thierry Henry handball incident... Somebody's going to have to tell Crazy Ray that if he doesn't like people who think that, he ain't going to be shaking many hands.
10. Game 38:
Landon Donovan's last-minute goal against Algeria. Drama, drama.
11. Game 47:
Spain's David Villa scoring into an open net against Chile... from, like, 35 yards out.
(And if you're wondering why my 10 goes up to 11, you've obviously never seen This Is Spinal Tap.)
Ayoba!
I still can't believe it's happening in my own country. The 2010 FIFA World Cup is now halfway in, and The Big Picture - as you'd expect - has a gallery up to mark the magnificent occasion!
Day
Another great shot up at A Photo A Day, this one (which will of course be gone tomorrow) by the talented Ryan Young. The site's the home page on my laptop's browser - recommend you use it too!
Nothing But Flowers
The Sacramento Bee's The Frame blog has pictures from this year's Chelsea Flower Show in its recent archives. Georgia O'Keeffe, eat your heart out!
Middle
Y'know how politicians and pundits are always talking about "Middle America"? Talented photographer J Bennett Fitts went looking for it, and found – slap-bang in the centre of the contiguous United States – the small town of Lebanon, Kansas.
And what he found and photographed there is right in the middle of beautiful and sad. They've got a slideshow up at GOOD. Go take a look.
Stuck
I'm loving this ad campaign for Polar Bear sticking tape, thought up by the smart creative types at Bangkok's Ogilvy & Mather. Did take me a while, though, to work out that those are little mice (and not little sperms) terrorising the elephant...
Bridge
China is trying to figure out a way of linking road traffic in Hong Kong with road traffic on the mainland. No problem, right? You just build a bridge, link up some roads, and Mao's your uncle. Right?
Erm... not right. Thing is, see, in Hong Kong they drive on the left, and in China they drive on the right - so you'd have to figure out a way of getting the two lanes of traffic to cross over each other somewhere in between the island and the mainland. Somewhere like...
the middle of the sea?
That's the idea being floated by a team of lateral/literal-thinking architects. Their proposed twisty bridge has prompted Gizmodo to ask: Is This The Craziest Bridge Ever Designed?"
To which one of the commenters on the story replied: "No."
Because this beauty will take some beating if it's going to loosen its grip on the Crazy Bridge World Championship Title.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel originally combined (it says here on Wikipedia, which I've just copy/pasted) twelve miles (19.3 km) of trestle, two one mile long (1.6 km) tunnels, four artificial islands, two bridges, approximately two miles (3.2 km) of causeway and 5.5 miles (8.8 km) of approach roads — meaning that it crosses the Chesapeake Bay and still manages to preserve traffic on the Thimble Shoals and Chesapeake shipping channels.
Now that's a crazy bridge.
Erm... not right. Thing is, see, in Hong Kong they drive on the left, and in China they drive on the right - so you'd have to figure out a way of getting the two lanes of traffic to cross over each other somewhere in between the island and the mainland. Somewhere like...
the middle of the sea?
That's the idea being floated by a team of lateral/literal-thinking architects. Their proposed twisty bridge has prompted Gizmodo to ask: Is This The Craziest Bridge Ever Designed?"
To which one of the commenters on the story replied: "No."
Because this beauty will take some beating if it's going to loosen its grip on the Crazy Bridge World Championship Title.
The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel originally combined (it says here on Wikipedia, which I've just copy/pasted) twelve miles (19.3 km) of trestle, two one mile long (1.6 km) tunnels, four artificial islands, two bridges, approximately two miles (3.2 km) of causeway and 5.5 miles (8.8 km) of approach roads — meaning that it crosses the Chesapeake Bay and still manages to preserve traffic on the Thimble Shoals and Chesapeake shipping channels.
Now that's a crazy bridge.
Reality Check
Here's an interesting story from the Boston Globe archives. Opening pars:
"When people think of knowledge, they generally think of two sorts of facts: facts that don’t change, like the height of Mount Everest or the capital of the United States, and facts that fluctuate constantly, like the temperature or the stock market close.
But in between there is a third kind: facts that change slowly. These are facts which we tend to view as fixed, but which shift over the course of a lifetime. "
The story goes on to explain that what you think is true might have once been true, but might not be true any more... and it warns of the dangers of not keeping up with those slow changes that creep up on you and alter your reality.
"When people think of knowledge, they generally think of two sorts of facts: facts that don’t change, like the height of Mount Everest or the capital of the United States, and facts that fluctuate constantly, like the temperature or the stock market close.
But in between there is a third kind: facts that change slowly. These are facts which we tend to view as fixed, but which shift over the course of a lifetime. "
The story goes on to explain that what you think is true might have once been true, but might not be true any more... and it warns of the dangers of not keeping up with those slow changes that creep up on you and alter your reality.
News 24
What amuses me most about xkcd's latest is not so much the sentiment (which is very amusing), but more the fact that the phony made-up news organisation in the comic is the very real one that used to be the rival of the one I worked for, and is now (somehow) part of the massive media conglomerate that now owns my soul.
Schooled
Man, I could've done with this when I was at school. It's Cracked.com's no-BS guide to The 10 Most Important Things They Didn't Teach You In School, from Sex Ed to Pol Sci.
I guess some things you're just left to learn the hard way...
I guess some things you're just left to learn the hard way...
Weather
Looking for a place to rest your mind and exercise your imagination? Try National Geographic's Photo of the Day archives... and let your virtual feet carry you to the Nature & Weather section.
Tape
Best use of discarded cassette tapes: turn them into works of art.
Mixed-media artist Erika Iris Simmons is bringing those banged-up old tapes back to life... and her work is a trillion times smarter and more inspired than those daft LPs-as-clock-faces you see in junk stores.
Tube
Absurdity, advertising, creativity, reinvention... It's a list of what's missing from some floundering publications, but it's also a list – published here at Wired – of the secrets of YouTube's stellar success.
Read, learn, repeat. Or even better: read, learn, do it differently... and better.
Read, learn, repeat. Or even better: read, learn, do it differently... and better.
Top of the Heap
First London, now New York. Pictory takes on the world's most insane city in the latest of their amazing showcases.
If you can make it there, you'll make it anywhere...
Sarnie
And while we're on the subject of the Big Apple, take a look at this jaw-breaking selection of New York's 101 finest sandwiches.
Flame-grilled Cheese
I'm so astounded at the lack of irony, I think I'd better just let the marginally-less-gobsmacked crowd at MotorCrave do the talking:
"You know what could turn your brand new Mustang from red-hot p**sy magnet to laughable cheese factory in an instant? Giant, cartoonish flames flaring along the sides. So Ford has done the logical thing here and offered them as an option."
Focus
Check out the utterly magnificent South African photographer, Mikhael Subotzky. He's most famous for his "Die Vier Hoek" ("The Four Corners", i.e. the four corners of a prison cell) project, which took him into some of SA's overcrowded prisons...
... but his work on the Karoo town of Beaufort-West (which you'll always pass through on the long drive from Cape Town to Joburg) is particularly haunting.
... but his work on the Karoo town of Beaufort-West (which you'll always pass through on the long drive from Cape Town to Joburg) is particularly haunting.
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