Game of Clones: a new twist on Westeros

Photographers revel in recreating the Game of Thrones look and feel with their own interpretations.

For more images, see http://500px.com/blog/678/game-of-thrones

Lexus driver Kenshiro "Ken" Gushi is targeting class victory the world famous Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

The celebrated drift champion and racing driver will pilot the Lexus IS F CCS-R contender that he drove to second in class and 32nd overall last year in a time of 11 minutes and 35.17 seconds.

Gushi said he felt confident he could go faster this year, boosted by his experience of driving the IS F CCS-R in the 2012 event and upgrades to the car over the past 12 months.

"I have had a lot more seat time in the IS F CCS-R now, which is really important in a unique event like Pikes Peak," said Gushi, who drove a Lexus LFA up Pikes Peak this week to familiarise himself with the course ahead of the practice sessions and the official run on Sunday.

"Upgrades have given the engine more power and we've got more grip thanks to Yokohama's development of their Advan tyres for Pikes Peak.

"I am feeling really good about competing strongly and hopefully taking out the class on Sunday."

The Lexus IS F CCS-R features a host of modifications from the road car to make it suitable for the demands of the 19.9-kilometre, 156-turn hill climb that finishes at the 4,300 metre summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs, USA.

These include carbon-fibre bodywork, stripped out interior and polycarbonate windows, which combine to trim 314 kilograms of weight from the standard IS F road car.

It is also fitted with a racing roll cage bolted to a reinforced monocoque for additional stiffness, as well as racing brakes, suspension and exhaust system.

The IS F CCS-R is powered by the 2UR-GSE 5.0-litre V8 engine from the IS F, which develops 311kW of power.

The engine drives through an eight-speed Sport Direct Shift transmission with paddle shift, also from the IS F.

It runs on Yokohama ADVAN NEOVA A050 tyres fitted to 18-inch wheels.

The IS CCS-R will also carry a unique decal that features 14,000 fan names gathered via social media.

The decal is part of a collaboration between Lexus and the Tony Hawk Foundation, which helps create high quality skate parks in low-income communities across the USA.

The decal will be on display at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Fan Fest on Friday.

Lexus will follow this up by donating a new generation IS sedan to help raise additional funds for the foundation.

Extreme Holidays: Not everyone's cup of tea

 

Cliff camping Sky walking in the Alps Portal edge camping at Yosemite Climbing Redwoods Sitting on the Trolltunga rock in Norway Jumping on the Trolltunga rock in Norway British climber John Roberts in South Africa Ice climbing a frozen waterfall Extreme picnicking Extreme skiing at Grand Targhee, Wyoming Sky walking on Mount Nimbus in Canada Tree camping in Germany Vintage climbing photo taken from Gaston Rébuffat's book Extreme kayaking at Victoria Falls Blake Aldridge dives 29 meters from the rock monolith during the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Portugal Climbing Mt. Wellington On the Edgewalk in Toronto A death-defying act by Eskil Rønningsbakken in Norway Alex Honnold at Yosemite Now imagine if you dropped your phone down there. Glacier boarding Bike trail on the Cliffs of Moher

 

 

Cockroach and caterpillar sushi to save the world

Insect Sushi (Tony McNicol)

A selection of insect sushi. From front left to back right: sakura moth caterpillar; joro spider; privet-hawk moth larva; Madagascar cockroach; Asian hornet larvae; dobson fly larva; Japanese cicada; green tree ant larvae.

Tokyo resident Shoichi Uchiyama is the author of "Fun Insect Cooking".

His blog on the topic gets 400 hits a day. He believes insects could one day be the solution to food shortages and that rearing bugs at home could dispel food safety worries. [more]

Fun fact: It is estimated that there are 40 tonnes of insects on Earth for every human.

Image Copyright: Tony McNicol

Classic sculptures in hip fashion

Photographer Léo Caillard and photo editor Alexis Persani have created an Internet hit by 'dressing' classic Roman and Greek sculptures in hip 21st century street wear. The results are startling and clear that models over 1000 years ago were just as alluring and sexy as they are today.


See more

Spectacular 'flash-dance' wows shoppers at Harrods Sale launch

Harrods launched its world-famous Summer Sale with twirls, leaps and chasses as 100 dancers surprised huge crowds with a thrilling 'Green Man' flash-dance performance.
 
While 50 performers donned replica outfits of those worn by Harrods' iconic Green Men, the remaining dancers blended in with the public - dressed as customers, journalists and security guards - before bursting into the immersive routine. The show ended with a confetti-exploding countdown as the doors were officially declared open at 9am.
 
With a sunny start to the day, London's shoppers were eager to grab their summer bargains as Fashion Accessories saw huge queues gather for brands including Gucci, Jimmy Choo, Givenchy and DKNY, not to mention Alexander McQueen scarves.
 
This year's Summer Sale highlights include:
Salvatore Ferragamo Blue Snakeskin Flat Shoes Was £365 Now £259; McQ, Alexander McQueen Razor Blade Scarf Was £135 Now £79.95; Victoria, Victoria Beckham Printed Organza Layered Dress Was £975 Now £499; Balmain Leather Biker Jacket-Exclusive to Harrods- Was £3575 Now £1750 ; Sony 42" Smart 3D LED TV Was £1249 Now £949, Bollinger 1999 Magnum bottle of Champagne Was £340 Now £ 255.
 
Harrods Summer Sale Opening Dates & Times:

Sale runs from Saturday 15th June- Sunday 7th July
Sale opening day- Saturday 15th June 2013 9am-9pm

Conservation in the old days: "We didn't have that green thing"

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days." The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment f or future generations."

She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were truly recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household garbage bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property, (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribbling's. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags. But too bad we didn't do the green thing back then.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?

Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smart-ass young person.

-  stolen from the Internet. Source unknown.

Australia's best-selling car - Toyota Corolla

The next-generation sedan version of the world's and Australia's best-selling car - Toyota Corolla - has been revealed today in two distinct guises on two continents.

A Corolla sedan exhibiting European style was unveiled in Istanbul, Turkey, while another sedan, with a markedly different frontal design, debuted more than 10,000km away in Santa Monica, California.

Baileys new bottle

Baileys new bottle

Do you like our new look? It's the same beautiful Baileys inside an elegant new bottle. With a stylish silhouette, it's the little black dress of bottles - perfect for a night with the girls. It will be in stores in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out.  

Baileys at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia

Baileys rubbed shoulders with Sydney's fashion elite at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week this year, partnering with Bless'ed Are the Meek for their amazing show and after-party. Congratulations to Jenni from South Australia, who joined us with her daughter for some fashion-filled fun.

A stylish cocktail for a stylish new bottle

We'll be celebrating our elegant new bottle with a cocktail – and we have something perfect in mind. After-dinner treat, anyone?

Baileys Espressotini

Drop several ice cubes into a shaker and pour over 75ml of Baileys Original Irish Cream, 25ml/small espresso shot, 25ml of Smirnoff No. 21 Vodka and a twist of chocolate syrup. Shake together and strain drink into a chilled, stylish cocktail or martini glass. Garnish with 3 coffee beans.

Women strip, men judge, viewers outraged in new reality TV show

Thomas Blachman, award-winning jazz musician and judge on the local edition of The X Factor, has a new show on Denmark's public service TV station that's a lot like his other show. Except instead of passing judgement on aspiring pop singers, Blachman and a co-host critique the naked bodies of random women.

source: time.com

A woman stands naked in a room under a harsh spotlight. She’s not allowed to speak, but must stand quietly while two men sit on the couch and assess her physical attributes as a camera zooms in and out on the body parts they are discussing. Sounds like a nightmare, but it’s actually a show on Danish television.

The show, Blachman, was named after its creator, Thomas Blachman, who is the Danish version of Simon Cowell, according to the Telegraph, as well as an award-winning jazz musician and judge on the local edition of The X Factor. Blachman purportedly created the show to get “men discussing the aesthetics of a female body without allowing the conversation to become pornographic or politically correct.” To foster such conversation, a series of women are invited on air to strip and be judged by Blachman and a male guest. The women featured on the program are of all shapes, ages and sizes, ranging from a 40-something teacher to an 85-year-old.

Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/05/09/women-strip-men-judge-their-bodies-on-danish-tv-show/#ixzz2VER2pjTf

World War Z world tour starts. Premiere pictures.

'World War Z' follows Brad Pitt as a former United Nations employee who is tasked with finding the origin of a deadly virus which has plagued the world's population and turned humans into zombies.