Here's What Cuba's Car Scene Looks Like In 2017

image credit

Cuba feels more in flux now than it has in decades. Fidel Castro's death, the repeal of the 'wet foot, dry foot' policy and eased restrictions on capitalism mean rapid changes for a country distinctly shaped by a Cold War that ended decades ago.

At the same time airplanes full of tourists are landing in Cuba on direct flights from the U.S. for the first time in decades, opening up a floodgate of incoming dollars. So where does that leave Cuba's eclectic assortment of cars?

10 Of Europe's Best Alternative Carnivals

image credit

It's carnival season in Europe in the lead up to Mardi Gras. Here are some of the best, beyond the most famous, from festivals dating back centuries to epic parties in Cádiz, Basel and Sicily.

11 Unusual Footraces

image credit

11 offbeat races, which go the extra mile to stand out.

The Unlikely Origins Of '60s Disposable Dresses

In 1966, the Scott Paper Company tried a novel promotion for its new line of household paper goods - in return for two proofs-of-purchase along with $1.25, customers could receive a disposable dress. Scott’s 'Paper Caper' dresses wildly exceeded expectations, and by the year's end, the company had received nearly half a million orders.

Within months, many other manufacturers wanted a piece of the paper-dress market. But by 1969, the trend was dead. Collectores Weekly spoke with writer and curator Jonathan Walford about the paper dress phenomenon and the reasons for its quick demise.

(thanks Hunter)

The Fascinating Evolution Of Bridal Hair

image credit YouTube

Hair is a big part of a bride's special day - and, as it turns out, it's pretty much always been that way. Some bridal hair styles reflect a specific hardship in history, while others reveal just how influential the women wearing them truly were. Witness how bridal hair evolved throughout the 20th century all the way up until 2016.

A Flower For Every Occasion

Flowers have been given as gifts for centuries and can span cultures, generations and language barriers. However, with the strong symbolic associations with different flowers, how do you know you are giving the correct bunch?

Luckily, The Greenhouse People have your back! They have found some of the best flowers to offer at any occasion based on their traditional symbolic meanings.

Liquor Laws Around Tthe World

image credit

Alcohol works the same way in every country (it gets you drunk), but it's sold a different way in almost every place on earth.

How To Appease Household Spirits Across The World

image credit

If you're lucky, you can live in a home where a hairy little household imp will help keep your kitchen clean, or a domestic god will grant you everlasting good fortune. So long as you keep them happy.

From ancient Greece's goddess of the hearth, Hestia, to the hobs of Northern England, household spirits have been around for centuries. As you prepare your home for the holidays this year, here are some tips on how to keep particular household spirits in good standing.

The Sponge Divers Of Greece

image credit

Most sponge that we use today are synthetic, but in the old days sponge was collected from the sea bed. Some of the finest-quality sea sponge, a jelly-like marine creature with a body full of pores, can be found in the warm waters of southeastern Mediterranean.

The ancient Greeks knew about these animals and their usefulness in scrubbing and cleaning purposes, and for maintaining personal hygiene. Sponge was also used for padding helmets and for filtering water.

The Strange Custom Of Setting Pianos On Fire

image credit YouTube

When an old piano is out of tune and completely out of commission, some say there's only one thing left to do: Burn it. Burning an old piano has become something of a tradition for musicians and Air Force members alike - although no one's exactly sure how it got started.

Most stories attribute the birth of the custom to the British Royal Air Force, with the ritual eventually spreading to the U.S. Air Force.

17 Science Fiction Books That Forever Changed The Genre

image credit

Speculative fiction is the literature of change and discovery. But every now and then, a book comes along that changes the rules of science fiction for everybody. Certain great books inspire scores of authors to create something new. Here are 17 of the most influential science fiction and fantasy books.

The Japanese Museum Of Rocks That Look Like Faces

Two hours northwest of Tokyo in Chichibu, there is a museum of rocks called Chinsekikan where you won't learn a thing about geology. However, you'll spend a few delightful hours marveling at strange exhibits such as the Elvis Presley rock, the Boris Yeltsin rock, the Jesus rock, the Nemo rock and the Donkey Kong rock.

Chinsekikan features over 1700 specimens. About 900 of them resemble human faces. These unaltered rocks naturally resemble celebrities, religious figures, movie characters, and more.

Onbashira Matsuri, Nagano

The Onbashira Festival (Honored Pillars Festival) is a festival held every six years in the Lake Suwa area of Nagano, Japan. The purpose of the festival is to symbolically renew the four shrine buildings at the Suwa Grand Shrine by felling sixteen fir trees, preparing them as honored pillars and transporting them down a mountain to the shrine, where they are erected at the four corners of each building.

Festival participants ride the onbashira as they are slid down the mountain, dragged to the shrine, and raised, and the festival has the reputation of being the most dangerous in Japan due to the number of people regularly injured or killed while riding the logs.



Vimeo link

(thanks Cora)

Fairy Doors Of Ann Arbor

image credit

Fairies have invaded the city of Ann Arbor, Michigan. That's what long-time resident Jonathan B. Wright, a graphic designer, wants you to believe. It all started in 1993 when Jonathan Wright was renovating their 100-year-old family home, and on a whim, decided to install a tiny door in the house to entertain his kids.

The door opened into a tiny room with an equally tiny staircase and railing leading up to a second door. The children's delighted response prompted him to build more.

The Real-Life Diseases That Spread The Vampire Myth

image credit

Diseases were frightening things before the age of medical science. Plagues and epidemics could appear without warning and cause death and misery. Other diseases - perhaps passed on by animals or from genes lying dormant in their own bodies - could cause ailments that defied explanation.

People turned instead to the supernatural. Some of these diseases helped spawn one of the most enduring and widespread monster myths in civilisation - the vampire.

The Scariest Urban Legend From Every US State

image credit

Wherever you live in the United States, every state has its own urban legend.

(via Neatorama)

The Manliest Man In Every US State

What makes a man manly? The answer is far from simple. With Hollywood's influence, 'tall, dark and handsome' has been deep-rooted in our culture, but the physical appearance is only a minor aspect of what constitutes as a manly man.

Sunglass Warehouse has pulled the manliest man from every state, some of which may surprise you. The manly man is intelligent. The manly man is caring. The manly man made his mark.
The Manliest Man In Every US State.

King Bansah: Part-Time Monarch, Full-Time Auto Mechanic

image credit: Jens_T

King Bansah, or Togbe Ngoryifia Céphas Kosi Bansah, rules the Gbi Traditional Area of Hohoe, Ghana. His kingdom consists of roughly 200,000 subjects, but as superior and spiritual chief of the Ewe people, he also feels responsible for 2 million in Togo.

He doesn't live in Ghana or Togo, however. His home is in Ludwigshafen, Germany, where he works as a car mechanic. When Bansah finished his studies, he decided to stay. He opened his shop and lived a quiet and happy life until, one day in 1987, a fax from Ghana changed things forever.

8 World Famous Historical Hats

image credit

Hats have been used throughout history to convey meaning - whether as a status symbol, a political statement, or simply for sartorial style.

Certain styles have become intrinsically linked with just one famous individual, and inevitably become the first item you reach for when trying to portray that character at a costume party. Here are 8 world famous historical hats and the people who wore them.

11 Collectible Facts About Hot Wheels

image credit

An estimated 41 million people have played with them. They vary in price from $1 to more than $100,000. They can zip along orange trackways at speeds of almost 600 scale miles per hour.

And they're about to get a big-screen adaptation courtesy of Fast & Furious director Justin Lin. Here are 11 other things you might not know about those iconic racing toys called Hot Wheels.