On the Road to Beautiful

Homeless mom prepares her daughter for school

This photo by Gautam Basu is an entrant for the CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year award. Several dozen additional entrants are posted in a gallery at the Telegraph.

(via TYWKIWDBI)

Cool photo taken in Taber, Canada, last month by Pat Kavanagh. Created by stitching several photos vertically.

A storm cloud threatens to develop into a full blown tornado behind a cluster of family homes. Pat Kavanagh took this shot of an explosive storm from the roof of his house in Taber, Canada, last month. Expecting the sunny weather to take a turn for the worse he watched intently as the billows started spinning into a furious funnel.

(via TYWKIWDBI)

A labyrinth made with salt

The artist is Motoi Yamamato; the installation appears to have been in Cologne, Germany last year.  

More photos here.

(via TYWKIWDBI)

Undemocratic Pins

Truth be told, there was a lot of creativity behind this sad invention. Using pins or needles placed on the shirt collar was a pretty creative technique found to ensure that the pompous Chinese military parades were flawless. After all, who would (literally) want to risk their neck during the Olympic Games’ year? All for those perfect, syncronized movements. 

Another ally of pins in military training is the wooden cross. It ensures that the back will , without a doubt, remain straight and elegant. When we realise that these soldiers obviously have to march, imagine a worse resistance test: neck pinned, crucified backs, and feet strongly and firmly pounding the floor.

More at Obvious Mag (via TYWKIWDBI)

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A Branded Hand

This Daguerreotype was taken by Southworth Aug. 1845 it is a copy of Captain Jonathan Walker’s hand as branded by the U.S. Marshall of the Dist. of Florida for having helped 7 men to obtain ‘Life Liberty, and Happiness.’…

The brand is “S.S.” for “Slave Stealer”.

(Via TYWKIWDBI)