Video Of The Day: Muralists Change The Face Of Baltimore Neighborhood

by Libby Zay on

Over the past two months a group of 20 muralists from around the world have been coming together to revamp vacant walls in a Baltimore neighborhood. Although not currently well trodden by visitors, the neighborhood is full of theaters and art galleries and was recently dubbed the Station North Arts & Entertainment District in hopes that it would become the new cultural heart of Baltimore. The ambitious mural project, Open Walls Baltimore, is already sparking national dialogue and will hopefully enliven public spaces enough that visitors are attracted to the area. Artists leaving their mark on the neighborhood have come from faraway places such as Buenos Aires, Montreal, Capetown, and Kiev, as well as several homegrown muralists from Baltimore and nearby New York City. The video above gives an idea of the spirit of the project, which is being curated by street artist Gaia. All of the murals should be completed by this Friday, May 25, when a celebration will take place throughout the district.

Baltimore has a long history of promoting public art. Outside of Open Walls Baltimore, there are two- and three-story murals painted on more than 100 buildings throughout the city. Of course, Baltimore isn’t the only city known for its murals – to view a sampling of a wide range of public art check out the Mural Locator, a self-funded website working to chart amazing murals throughout the world. So far, more than 500 murals have been mapped since the website began in 2010.

Air Canada Passengers Get A Free Concert On Their Delayed Flight

by Jessica Festa on



Sometimes, having a delayed flight isn’t such a bad thing, at least not for passengers aboard a recent Air Canada flight from Toronto to Frankfurt. Luckily for them, the Canada-based Lemon Bucket Orkestra were on the flight, and able to provide some free, impromptu musical entertainment.

According to USA Today, the group is a self-proclaimed “Balkan-Klezmer-Gypsy-Party-Punk Super-Band.”

“Our plane got delayed 20 minutes so we got out the instruments,” the band explains on their YouTube page.

You can check out the live performance above. What do you think?

Photo Of The Day: Drama Over Cowboy Land

by Chris Owen on

This Photo of the Day was taken in Monument Valley, Utah, and comes from Gadling Flickr pool member oilfighter. It is titled “Drama Over Cowboy Land.”

“I’ve been to Monument Valley a few times, but the sky was usually cloudless,” says oilfighter. “Boy, what a sunset. The clouds broke, and the wind sent them flying. The last light of the day gave the sky a pastel pink hue.”

Upload your best shots to the Gadling Group Pool on Flickr. Several times a week we choose our favorite images from the pool as Photos of the Day.

Tips for getting featured: in your Flickr account check “Privacy and Permissions,” and check “yes” on “Allow others to share your stuff.” Adding information about your image does not hurt your chances either.

Along with “Drama Over Cowboy Land,” oilfighter tells us, “I used a 2 stop graduated ND filter to balance the exposure, and thus bring out the colors in the clouds. What a beauty!”

Video Of The Day: Scary Russian Amusement Park Ride

by Libby Zay on

Something about this ride at the Divo Ostrov (Wonder Island) amusement park in St. Petersburg, Russia, seems a little bit off. Things start off pretty normal on the “Wind Shear,” but as you’ll notice about a minute into the video the ride throws all of the riders for a loop – or rather an upside-down nonsensical twist. Just watching the video is enough to make stomachs turn, especially when coupled with some knowledge on the park’s not-so-great track record. In 2010, ten riders on a rocket-shaped attraction at the same park were left dangling 229 feet above ground from a single thread when a cable snapped. Luckily, rescuers were able to safely unload passengers without any injuries being reported. Two years prior, however, a 12-year-old girl was not so lucky. She was seriously injured on a trampoline ride in an accident also involving a broken cable. Knowing the park’s disconcerting safety record, would you be likely to try a whirl on the Wind Shear? Perhaps a news report on the rocket ride incident (after the jump) will make you think again.

Museum Month: Mütter Museum In Philadelphia

by Libby Zay on

The Mütter Museum is not for the squeamish. Brimming with medical oddities, pathological specimens and antique medical equipment, it’s where you’ll find a book bound in human flesh, dried severed hands, a two-headed baby in formaldehyde, Albert Einstein’s brain and a collection of objects that have been swallowed and removed. There’s also a nine-foot-long human colon that contained 40 pounds of fecal matter (it was once part of a sideshow act called “the Human Balloon”) and the body of “the Soap Lady,” whose corpse turned itself into a soapy substance because of the chemical properties of the soil she was buried in. Visitors can “ooh” and “ahh” at a collection of 139 human skulls in neat rows, or check out the tallest human skeleton on display in North America, which stands tall at 7.5 feet right next to the skeleton of a dwarf.

Dr. Thomas Dent Mütter originally began collecting these strange items, which were donated to The College of Physicians of Philadelphia in 1858 for the purpose of medical research and education. To this day, the museum exists with that goal in mind – as well as for the shear purpose of shocking and amazing the general public. As the collection has grown, there are now over 20,000 items on display in jars and cases around the museum. Check out the museum’s YouTube station to be introduced to some of the curiosities of the exhibits.