On June 9th, even the most rushed traveler at Hong Kong's International airport paused to admire the mesmerizing sight of 1,600 pandas, each the size of a human baby, some sitting, others standing - all eager to be whisked away to the city's numerous landmarks. As you may have already guessed, they were not live animals but replicas made from recycled materials by French sculptor, Paulo Grangeon....
Read news articleThe fact that New Caledonian crows are smart is no secret. After all these birds that are endemic to the remote South Pacific Island of New Caledonia have been lauded for years, for their sophisticated tool use that not only rivals most birds, but also some of the most intelligent primates. But now it seems that they even possess psychic powers - For how else can you explain their accurate prediction of the semifinal results of the 2014 FIFA World Cup?...
Read news articleOn June 28th, some lucky attendees of the annual Strawberry Festival in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, were able to kick off their celebration of National Ice Cream Month early, with scoops of free strawberry ice cream. While that in itself was a treat, what made it even more special is that the ice cream was being served from a massive 'sculpture' that had just been declared the 'World's Largest Ice Cream Scoop', by the authorities from Guinness World Records....
Read news articleWhen one thinks of 4th of July celebrations the things that come to mind are an afternoon feast of watermelon, chips and . . . lots and lots of hot dogs. The best place to eat these tasty franks? The one and only 'Nathan's Famous Fourth Of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest', where participants are handsomely rewarded for devouring as many hot dogs (buns and all) as they can, in the given time....
Read news articleThough July 4th, the day our incredible country was 'born' is always celebrated with great abandon at the White House, this year's celebration is even more special. That's because in addition to the nation's 238th birthday, today also happens to be first daughter Malia Obama's, sweet sixteen....
Read news articleWhile humans tend to shy away from people that don't quite fit their perception of 'normal,' animals are different. Time and again we hear about alliances being formed between the most unusual species. The most recent heartwarming tale comes the zoo in Tbilisi, Georgia where a female rhino named Manuela has bonded with the resident donkeys....
Read news articleWhile most of us don't need an excuse to devour one or even a few scoops of ice cream, it is always nice to have one. And what better reason than helping fulfill one's civic duty, which is what United States residents will be doing when they eat the creamy treat this month. That's because July happens to be National Ice Cream Month!...
Read news articleShanghai-based Hong Yi or 'Red' as she likes to call herself is known for her unusual and imaginative portraits. Her previous masterpieces include a sketch of Chinese film director Yimou Zhang created with 790 pairs of black, white and grey socks and one of basketball superstar Yao Ming painted with - you guessed it - a basketball! Popular Hollywood actor Jackie Chen was portrayed with chopsticks, while British singer/songwriter Adele's portrait was created with melted candles....
Read news articleOn Friday, June 20th, 29 dogs along with their doting owners came to Petaluma, California to participate in a rather unusual competition - one that seeks out and honors the World's Ugliest Dog'. Now in its 26th year, the contest is one of the biggest attractions at the annual Sonoma-Marin Fair....
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