View Art By Olympians In London During This Year’s Games

by Jessica Festa on

While we all know Olympians are excellent at sports, there are many that are apparently also skilled artists. Art of the Olympians Museum and Gallery, a gallery based in Fort Myers, Florida, features art created by former Olympic superstars. Luckily for those attending this year’s Games, Art of the Olympians will travel to London from July 25 to August 13 for the 2012 Summer Games to present a free public exhibition.

Art of the Olympians is a nonprofit organization that seeks to inspire visitors “through the power of art, sport and the Olympic ideals.” Started by four-time consecutive Olympic gold medalist in discus, Al Oerter, the initiative is now driven by more than 70 international Olympic artistic athletes. Today, the organization is run by gold medalist track and field legend Bob Beamon.

The exhibition will feature Olympic memorabilia, artwork by Olympians and opportunities to learn about an athlete’s personal journey.

To see some of these sport-inspired pieces done by Olympic athletes, check out the gallery below.

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[Image via Art of the Olympians]

Snow Globes To Be Allowed In Carry-On Luggage Soon, TSA Says

by McLean Robbins on

Later this summer, the TSA will permit snow globes inside carry-on luggage, the Los Angeles Times reports. Currently, those tiny globes of holiday fun are in the same category as nunchucks, handguns and billy clubs – not welcome in carry-on baggage.

Current law prohibits “snow globes and like decorations regardless of size or amount of liquid inside, even with documentation” in carry-on baggage.

There’s a catch, however. The globes must still fill the 3-1-1 rule.

“Snow globes that appear to contain less than 3.4 ounces (approximately tennis-ball size) will be permitted if the entire snow globe, including the base, is able to fit in the same one clear, plastic, quart-sized, resealable bag as the passenger’s other liquids, such as shampoo, toothpaste and cosmetics,” the TSA told the Times.

Sadly, gel candles are still not allowed – and be sure to leave the nunchucks at home.

[Flickr via GaryKnight]

Beatles Fans Can Now Sleep In A Real Yellow Submarine Hotel

by Jessica Festa on

Have you ever listened to the hit Beatles song and dreamed of spending the night in an actual “yellow submarine”? Now you can, with the newest quirky accommodation in Liverpool.

Aptly situated in the home of the Fab Four, the floating submarine hotel is painted to resemble the vessel from the cover of the “Yellow Submarine” record. According to the Daily Mail, the hotel floats on a mooring in Albert Dock and comes complete with 3D televisions, Wi-Fi, computers, a trippy lounge and a skateboard from the film set of “Quadrophenia.”

The man behind the ingenious idea is Mr. Alfie Bubbles, whose last project was designing a Batman-themed moat hotel. When it became successful, Mr. Bubbles realized the potential of floating accommodations. After deciding on the theme for the submarine hotel, he spent nine months searching for ’60s-inspired accents for the rooms. Additionally, he was able to acquire the same boat used in Sean Connery’s “The Hunt For Red October.”

Mr. Bubbles hopes his next floating ventures will include hotels with “Titanic” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” themes.

So, how much does it cost to sleep in the yellow submarine hotel? Monday through Thursday, expect to pay about $232 per night. From Friday through Sunday, the price goes up to about $466 to $545 per night.

Would you pay to sleep in a floating submarine hotel?

[Image via Beatlesfan2]

Artist Campaigns To Convert Abandoned Detroit Neighborhood Into A Zombie Theme Park

by Jessica Festa on



While Detroit, Michigan, doesn’t exactly have the best reputation when it comes to safety and quality of life, Mark Siwak wants to help change that. The artist has made a request on Indiegogo, asking for help with a new idea to turn an abandoned Detroit neighborhood into a usable zombie theme park.

The project, called “Z World Detroit,” will make constructive use of homes and buildings that have been left behind. Because of the rundown atmosphere of these neglected urban areas, the idea wouldn’t even be difficult to pull off. The only other thing really necessary would be some zombie actors. Additionally, it will bring a quirky, new attraction to a city that is often looked down upon by visitors.

“The Z World Detroit initiative is a radical rethinking of urban redevelopment and Detroit’s well-documented blight and de-population,” reads the Indiegogo page. “It turns perceived liabilities into assets that will bring a renewed vitality to a struggling neighborhood.”According to Digital Trends, the way the theme park would work would be like a giant game. Players would run and hide from zombies, try to find food and supplies and try to find other survivors. Each player would wear a certain number of patches, which would get torn off one by one during each zombie encounter. Once all the patches were gone, the player would join the zombie team. Zombies could also be eliminated once their patches were ripped off, and there would be opportunities to collect extra patches during the game.

At this point, Siwak is just trying to collect initial funding for the concept. The goal is to raise $145,000 by August 25, 2012, at 11:59 p.m. Currently, the project has raised $8,106. To donate click here. To learn more about the project, check out the video above.

19-Year-Old Is First To Cross Lake Michigan … By Windsurfing

by Kyle Ellison on

Sure, this happened almost two months ago, but the video footage for it just came out, which makes the overall experience that much more exciting.

In case you aren’t:

1. A Lake Michigan local surfer

or

2. An avid Kai Lenny fan,

there’s a good chance you never heard about the fact that earlier this year, 19-year-old Maui phenom Kai Lenny became the first person to ever successfully windsurf across Lake Michigan.

Before you ho-hum this accomplishment by passing it off as a casual lake crossing, let me drop some statistics on you that might make you reconsider how ridiculously difficult of an accomplishment this was.

On his crossing, Lenny traveled a distance of 56 miles at speeds of up to 25 knots, which for those of you who aren’t nautically inclined is 30 mph. The crossing took him 2 hours and 50 minutes in water temperatures that only hovered in the low 50s. Do you have any idea the stamina required to windsurf for nearly three straight hours over choppy seas while being pelted with frigid sprays of water on your hands, feet and head?

It’s more than you or I have, I can assure you.

Just to put things in perspective one more time, out of curiosity I wanted to see how long it takes the ferries to zip across the waters of Lake Michigan. The result?

SS Badger: 4 hours
Lake Express High Speed Catamaran: 2.5-3 hours
Kai Lenny: 2.8 hours

Despite a failed attempt two years ago to accomplish the same feat, Lenny has, once again, firmly planted his name in the record books where few have dared to venture.