Month: March 2020

Artists are constantly trying to find new ways to make their creative processes a bit more innovative. Art is an ever-changing craft, and if you want to remain relevant, you need to step outside of the box and try new things.

True to form, this artist has created something totally unique. As you watch his creations take shape, you’ll be truly amazed by his strategy.

Basically, he pants something on his hand and then presses it onto a canvas. This is not, however, your average finger painting.

The end result is usually something stunning.

This artist’s name is Russell Powell, and he has been using this method for quite some time. Since he began sharing his technique online, it’s become an Internet sensation.

Powell has more than 45,000 followers on Instagram, and his popularity just keeps growing!

Let’s watch him again, shall we?

That’s unbelievable.

This proves that there’s really no limit to artistic innovation. This looks a little too messy for me to try, but I can’t wait to see what he comes out with next!

Be sure to follow Powell on Instagram for regular updates.

When it comes to looking younger, well that’s why we have such a huge makeup industry.

People everywhere use makeup to hide their perceived flaws and feel more confident about themselves. The true masters of the form are makeup artists, and they can pull off incredible looks, both conceptual and practical for others to enjoy.

One makeup artist in particular is known for his outstanding transformations, and it’s all done without Photoshop.

Anar Agakishiev is a makeup artist from Azerbaijan. His work focuses on transforming women of all ages.

The results are so smooth that they look practically Photoshopped, but it’s all skill.

His work with women who are middle aged or older and aren’t “typical” models is particularly impressive.

Everyone deserves to feel beautiful in a way that makes them happy, and Agakishiev brings that to his clients every day.

He has a particular talent for hiding wrinkles and folds using highlights and shading.

If you want to see more of these incredible before-and-after photos, check out his Instagram, where there are dozens more transformations.

(via BoredPanda)

Wow! If only I could get this level of amazing into my beauty routine. I’m definitely going to follow him for some tips!

Well, it’s wedding season. Because it’s wedding season, that means you’re going to be sitting through a ton of weddings (duh). You may be falling asleep, texting, doodling or getting annoyed by your ex who is flirting with your cousin (she is doing that on purpose). So, when YOU have your own wedding, use one of these 25 awesome wedding ideas. Make the day fun and quirky and don’t let your guests nod off.

1.) Make a hilarious save-the-date

2.) Find a way to make a movie-themed save-the-date

3.) Save the paper by writing on your face for the save-the-dates

4.) Put a beard to good use with a save-the-date

5.) Keep it simple, stupid

6.) Let the potential guests speak their mind

7.) Be honest about what’s going down

8.) Seriously, honesty is the best policy

9.) Be smart and use your smartphone

10.) Make it about the rings

11.) Don’t be afraid to be a little geeky

12.) Think of awesome photo opportunities

13.) Pick an unforgettable cake topper

14.) Even if it’s a hilarious cake topper

15.) Think of awesome goodie bags for guests

16.) Make sure the wedding party is dressed to the nines from top to bottom

17.) Puns make the best wedding favors

18.) Dessert should be a focus… the ceremony, too, we guess

19.) Make it about the people involved

20.) Give the guests a chance to have some fun, too

21.) Find ways to make the wedding fun, even during down time

22.) Jack Daniels – simple as that

23.) Include man’s best fiend in the ceremony

24.) Everyone loves pets

25.) They’re part of the family, too, you know

Source

This is the most heartbreaking story I’ve ever written about. It’s a story that shows the love of siblings for each other in spite of having the same abusive father. Their journey, what happened along the way, and the outcome are all unforgettable. This is worth the entire read – trust me.This is in her words.

9 years ago, I met my biological father, and I found out that I had little brothers. 3 days after meeting them, our father asked if they could come live with me, while he worked overseas. This was our first night together, they were 6 and 7 years old at the time. I was 19. Because of the fact that I only met them 3 days before I became responsible for them- the love I have for them is less like a sister, and more like a parent.This is Quinten. He was 7 when he came to live with me. Quinten was born with a very rare chromosomal abnormality (Ring 9 Chromosome) that rendered him unable to walk, talk, or care for himself.

He was the happiest little guy, though. He would laugh and giggle at anything. He loved music, and water, to be held and snuggled, and twirled around. He liked to be treated like a BOY, not like a fragile baby- and he WASN’T sick, or fragile- there were just some common sense things that we had to pay attention to. He never, EVER cried, unless he was faking it to get more snacks.

Anywhere Quinten went, Cameron went too. Despite being the younger brother, Cameron was Quinten’s bodyguard. He fought for him, he told him his secrets, he snuggled him when he wasn’t feeling well. When he was in first grade, I actually had to home school him, because he couldn’t function in public school- he was too worried about where Quinten was, and if he was ok.

This is Quinten on his birthday- I’d given him white cake, trying to avoid a mess- but he decided he wanted chocolate! So he reached across the table, pulled the cake to him, and dug in! That’s how Quinten was around food- you’d think it would be out of reach, but then he’d have it in his mouth as soon as you turned around.

After almost 4 years of caring for them, I reached a point where I could no longer, emotionally or financially do it anymore. Our father was sending money, but I still had to work. Finding affordable daycare for the two of them was next to impossible, and Cameron was reaching the age where he needed his Daddy. So I asked our father to return to the States and get them. This is me telling them goodbye at the airport. Sometimes I feel like this was the last day that I was alive

After 2 years overseas with the boys, our father returned back to the states to live. I was ecstatic. They were only 4 hours away, and I would visit as often as I could. They were 12 and 13. As time passed though, I started noticing that Quinten was looking very pale, very thin…and he wasn’t happy anymore.

I tried coming to town more often- every time I came there was no food in the fridge, the house was filthy, and everyone was so…sad. I would buy groceries, and spend my entire visit cleaning- and it would be right back the way it was before the next time I came down. The boys kept on getting sick- colds that never went away, but our father never took them to the doctor.

I realized that our father had stopped taking care of the kids- Cameron, who was 14 by then, was bearing the brunt of the burden- cooking, taking care of Quinten and himself- everything from bathing, to diapering. Our father was also physically and emotionally abusing Cameron. After coming to this realization, I did one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, up until that point-On December 17, 2012, I turned my father in for child abuse .

A worker came out to the boys’ schools, and interviewed Cameron. He told her he was being left alone to take care of Quinten all day long, that his father was abusing him and that there was hardly any food in the house. This worker promised them, and promised me she would be going to their home to do a home study. 3 weeks I waited. 3 weeks I called Cameron’s cell to find out if she’d been by. She never showed up. Cameron told me that every day, he’d hold Quinten and say “Just be patient Bubby- Sissy is sending someone to save us.” But no one ever came.

I struggled so hard with wanting to just drive down and get them- since this social worker had obviously decided that Christmas shopping or something was more important than getting my brothers out of this hell hole- but every time I called DHS, they told me to just be patient, that someone would be out soon, and if that I took the boys, I would be charged with kidnapping. Since I live out of state, it would be considered felony kidnapping, and I’d never see the kids again- they’d go right back to our father.

Quinten got sick again right around New Year’s Eve, and once again, was not taken to the doctor. All our father did was buy some Nyquil and Vick’s vapo rub, and told Cameron to give it to him. On Janurary 3rd, Cameron called me, freaking out saying “something is different- he’s not getting better. He won’t eat, he’s crying and I can’t get him to stop.” He put the phone up to Quinten’s ear, and I told him “Bubby, I love you. You’d better get better, I’m coming to town tomorrow and I’m going to hug you and squeeze you and take you home with me. Everything is going to be ok.” Cameron said he smiled, and stopped crying when he heard my voice. Cameron and I both begged our father to take Quinten to the hospital, and he said he would that evening- he didnt. So my husband and I made plans to leave town around noon the next day, drive down and phone the police from the house, and say “Either you guys take custody of the kids, or let us take them, but get them out of here.”

I told Cameron to hold Quinten, and rock him, run his hands through his hair, that even when medicine can’t make you feel better, hugs and snuggles sometimes do. So Cameron moved his mattress into the living room, and put it next to the couch where Quinten slept- because his mattress was too pee stained. If you zoom in on the cardboard in this picture, you can see feces dried on it. There was literally human and animal waste all over the house.

On the morning of January 4th, Cameron woke up, and Quinten was dead. Cameron was holding his hand in his sleep, and he woke up to it being cold. He ran for our father, who, as always, was in his bedroom on the computer. Our father tried to perform CPR on Quinten, to no avail. When the paramedics arrived, they said he had been dead for at least 3 hours. This couch is where he died. If you zoom in on the picture, you can see discoloration on the upholstery where he had peed through- this couch was literally so soaked in urine that if you sat on it, your clothes would smell like urine, even after washing them. We found out just recently, that while they were waiting on the paramedics, our father forced Cameron to change the diaper on Quinten’s dead body- in order to cover up the fact that he was covered in his own filth.

I’m working, pretty much around the clock, to try to see justice served. Our father needs to be in jail- there is just no other way around it. I don’t care how depressed you are, it takes a special kind of monster to look the other way while their child wastes away to death. Unfortunately because NO ONE did their jobs and documented the abuse, it looks like our father could very well get away with this.

This is my first thing I’ve ever posted, I wanted to put this out here to remind everyone that if you even THINK that a child is being mistreated- SPEAK UP. Especially if they are disabled- many people think that disabled=sick and it does NOT!!! You may be the only voice that they have. Don’t worry if their parent is your friend, or your family member, that you might start drama. You could be the only thing preventing a young boy having to stand over a coffin to tell his brother goodbye for the last time.

But also, I just want people to remember him. His name was Quinten Douglas Wood, and he was the best thing that ever happened to me. His smile made my world go round. So please share this with your friends, up vote this, whatever – I don’t care about the points or karma- I just want the world to remember a little boy that everyone else forgot.Rest in Peace my sweet little man, I love you

This tore my heart to pieces. It’s an injustice that no family should ever have to face. The abusive father deserves punished for this and Quinten deserves justice.Sign The Petition For An Investigation HereAnd please share this story with everyone you know.

The best things in life are free. Not only that, but the best things in life can be made so much better with these easy life hacks. Anyone can pull these tricks off and, when you do, you’ll feel like a total champ. Not only that, but you’ll look like a champ. Check them out and start winning at life.

1. Turn airplane mode on for much faster charging.

2. The arrows on your fuel gauge show you which side of the car the tank is on.

3. Using chopsticks gets rid of cheese fingers when eating Doritos or Cheetos

4. Pulling the bones out of a chicken wing makes it easier to eat.

Try it next time at wing night.

5. Pinching the end of a banana can help you open it easily.

6. You can make a laptop bag out of a hoodie. Great for coffee shop runs where you may get cold.

7. Fixing a broken zipper can be as easy as finding a key ring.

8. If your toilet is clogged and overflowing, turn this knob. It will stop water from going into the tank.

9. If you get brain freeze, put your tongue on the roof of your mouth. This will help warm up your soft palate.

10. Think of months as knuckles. The bumps are months with 31 days and the spaces are months with 30 (or 28, if it’s February).

11. Rubbing a walnut on scratched furniture can help minimize the dings.

12. If you find a right parking space, back into it. You have a sharper turning radius going backwards.

13. Cut the handle off of a jug for an easy, instant dustpan.

14. Glue a suction cup to a tennis ball and cut a strip in it. Now, that ball will hold anything for you.

15. A dustpan in the sink can help you fill up buckets that don’t fit.

16. Putting your car remote underneath your open mouth can help increase its range.

These life hacks are so easy, you gotta share them. Unless you want to keep the secrets to yourself, that is.

Every year, millions of people use Halloween as an excuse to be creative, funny, scary, or sometimes offensive. There were lots of great ones this year, but one stood above the rest. This guy and his girlfriend went as plastic army men… and nailed it. He said:”GF and I decided to be homemade army men for Halloween this year. Bazooka Girl and Telephone guy. Her bazooka was made out of simple sewer pipe, and my telephone was made from a recycled Clarisonic box I found in the trash. Here we are waiting on the train platform before we head into the city.”Here are the epic photos from this past weekend.

Before heading into the city…

And in the city.

And THAT’S how you do Halloween.Source

You’ll think you’re bring tricked, but these photos aren’t manipulated or faked… they are 100% real. Each of these jaw-dropping scenes were captured just as they exist. A mixture of perfect timing, optical illusions and just flat-out insane nature led to this gallery being created. All I can say is: woah.

1. This isn’t a teenager miraculously walking on water: actually, this is just a perfectly timed photo.

2. This isn’t a modern miracle of a man biking on water, either: actually, it’s just another person practicing the art of perfectly timed photos.

3. This isn’t a picture of a fox that got stretched out: actually, it’s a Maned Wolf and it seriously looks like that.

4. This isn’t a bad cut-and-paste job: actually, it’s a German magician who pulls public stunts like this.

5. This isn’t someone’s first attempt at using the Warp tool in Photoshop: actually, it’s a set of railroad tracks that were twisted after an earthquake in New Zealand.

6. This isn’t a super realistic, beautiful android: actually, it’s a real woman named the Human Barbie who had surgery to look this way.

7. This isn’t a joke photo of an airplane taking the highway: actually, it’s a photo of a plane landing at Liepzig airport as it crosses over the Autobahn.

8. This isn’t a man finding an interesting way to die: actually, it’s a stunt on a boat that’s meant to be on its side like that.

9. This isn’t someone’s lame attempt at faking a haunting: actually, when this lava emptied into the ocean it just happened to pop and steam in a spooky formation.

10. This isn’t a family photo of giants: actually, they were sitting on top of a mountain that blended in perfectly with the rock below.

11. This isn’t what an artist painted while on acid: actually, it’s an abstract tarp that was put on a building while it was under construction.

12. This picture of a forest wasn’t distorted: actually, there is a section of trees in Poland that grew like this because of extreme weather conditions.

13. This isn’t a picture of Cthulu awakening: actually, it’s just a massive wave at high tide with lots and lots of seaweed in it.

14. This isn’t a really bad Photoshop of a giant piece of pizza sitting on the Earth: actually, someone sent pizza into space. Seriously.

15. This isn’t an image of two cats squished together: actually, it’s Venus, a cat with rare chimera coloring. She is awesome.

17. No, the sky isn’t falling: actually, this is an art installation by Neil Dawson in New Zealand.

18. This isn’t a picture of a black hole: actually, it’s construction art that was created on a house that was scheduled to be knocked down.

19. This isn’t a giant Minecraft map: actually, it’s a section of cross waves, where waves of different directions meet each other.

20. This gymnast didn’t lose her head in a freak accident: actually, in mid-jump a picture was taken and her head was bent backwards.

21. This isn’t some weird photo editing of a billboard: actually, it exists just as you see it. Clever marketing win.

22. This isn’t what an artist thinks heaven looks like: actually, it’s a giant salt flat in Bolivia. The surface reflects and looks like a giant mirror.

23. This isn’t someone having fun with painting on existing photos: actually, it’s optical illusion art by Felice Varini.

24. This isn’t a Photoshopped version of a Mobius strip: actually, it’s a picture of normal Legos taken with a telecentric lens.

Sure, Photoshop is awesome, but it turns out that real life is even better.

You may think interior design is easy, but creating the PERFECT room isn’t. Each of these rooms are perfect in their own way and would be difficult for just anyone to pull off. They combine the perfect locations, views, design and furniture to create a space that’s so amazing, it seems like it’s straight out of a catalog.No matter what you like, you’ll fall in love with at least one of these rooms.

You could read a book… or you could look out over a valley.

Binge watching Netflix just got a whole lot better.

Who needs another wall when you have the ocean?

I hope you like wood.

This house makes a Crate & Barrel feel jealous.

Now you can own a rainbow and put it on your wall.

Go for a swim or take a nap – it’s your choice. (Although this one seems a little dangerous.)

The ultimate log cabin den.

Why hello, beautiful night sky.

We need more pillows, stat.

Every dinner party should be in a room that looks like this.

There’s cozy… and then there’s THIS room.

This is the ultimate nook, you can literally use it for everything.

If you love movies or television, THIS room is for you.

I love the smell of books… and I ADORE this room. A bookworm’s paradise!

If you don’t mind your bedroom getting a little messy, this convenient shower is for you.

This is the best hangout spot for you and your friends and family.

It would be impossible to have a bad evening in a comfy room like this.

Open floor plans are cool…

But outdoor floor plans are even cooler.

Just looking at this room makes me feel relaxed.

Spending a lazy Sunday afternoon would be a dream here.

Things could get a little wild in this living room…

Be at one with Mother Nature in this open room.

Wake up, use the WATERSLIDE in the closet. Your day would officially be awesome.

This is a nook to end all nooks. You could take the perfect nap here.

Cool summer nights would look so much better from a glass room like this one.

It would be impossible to pass through this room and not stop to read.

Entertaining would be a breeze in this enormous, open room.

Why not sip your coffee in the mountains of Colombia?

Small rooms can be cool, too. Wow.

If you’re anything like me, you’ll feel like your interior design just isn’t the same now.

There are so many things we’re missing in this coronavirus pandemic. First dates, family reunions, heck even the mundane routine of heading into the office. Times of crisis change the world and as we’re learning in real time, often reveal a lot about people’s true nature.

The sad and disappointing stories continue to dominate the headlines and that’s understandable when there’s so much bad news going around the world right now and right here at home. But there are stories of selfless and inspiring behavior happening every day. And sometimes they come from a delicious steakhouse chain.

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Texas Roadhouse CEO Kent Taylor announced on Thursday that he is forgoing the rest of his 2020 salary and bonus and instead directing the funds toward paying his employees during the coronavirus outbreak. The remaining salary and bonus both amount to $525,000 each for a total of $1,050,000.

“Kent Taylor has always said that Texas Roadhouse is a People-company that just happens to serve great steaks. His donation of his salary and bonus to help employees is the embodiment of that saying,” a Texas Roadhouse spokesperson told The Hill. “We are blessed to have his leadership.”

The spokesperson also told The Hill that Taylor has already donated $5 million of his personal funds to Andy’s Outreach, a non-profit run by Texas Roadhouse to help employees in times of need.

Taylor’s charitable move has been earning his all kinds of praise online. As one commenter on Reddit put it:

“I’ve always loved the Texas Roadhouse for steaks, now I love them for more than just that. Kent you’re a hero, thank you!”

Photo by Enrique Macias on
images.unsplash.com

Like so many of America’s restaurants, Texas Roadhouse is staying open during the coronavirus, trying to find a way to make things work while also providing a valuable service to people who need food, can’t get to grocery stores or simply need a break with some comfort food delivered to their front door. The 500 store chain is offering delivery and curbside service. However, as with most restaurants nationwide, there’s little doubt that the demand for delivery and takeout is keeping pace with the normal amount of business done when the restaurant is fully open for business. Still, whatever income that is coming in makes a world of difference for companies like Texas Roadhouse, and more importantly, for the people they are able to keep on their payrolls.

“We are open for business and still serving America even though many of our dining rooms are temporarily closed,” Taylor said in statement pinned to the top of his company’s website. “As the President and other officials have stated, restaurants play a vital role in our nation’s food supply, and we are going to help fill the gap where and how we can.”

Dyson revolutionized the vacuum, air purifier, and hand dryer worlds, and now it’s revolutionizing the global pandemic world we’re currently living in.

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The need for more ventilators to treat the respiratory illness COVID-19 is increasing quickly as the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the globe. We’ve seen stories of doctors in Italian hospitals who have to choose who gets a ventilator and who is left to die. We’re beginning to see hospitals in New York get overburdened, and we’re just at the beginning of the outbreak here.

The U.K. government approached Dyson to ask if they could help with medical equipment 10 days ago, and the innovative company has already come up with a new design for a ventilator specific to the current needs. Called “The CoVent,” the ventilator doesn’t take long to make, it attaches to a hospital bed, and it can be battery-operated. That’s especially important for use in field hospitals, such as the one the Army is building in Century Link field in Seattle.

Dyson plans to make the 10,000 ordered from the U.K., and also donate 5,000 additional ventilators—1,000 to the U.K. and the rest to other countries who need them.

James Dyson, the company’s founder, sent this letter to his employees, describing how the design came about and what the plans for it are:

“Hospitals are the frontline in the war against Covid-19, where heroic doctors, nurses, and care workers are battling to save lives and help people recover from this terrible virus. As with any battle, there are many challenges to overcome, not least the availability of essential equipment which in this case means ventilators. A ventilator supports a patient who is no longer able to maintain their own airways but sadly there is currently a significant shortage, both in the UK and other countries around the world.

Since I received a call from Boris Johnson ten days ago, we have refocused resources at Dyson, and worked with TTP, The Technology Partnership, to design and build an entirely new ventilator, The CoVent. This new device can be manufactured quickly, efficiently and at volume. It is designed to address the specific clinical needs of Covid-19 patients, and it is suited to a variety of clinical settings. The core challenge was how to design and deliver a new, sophisticated medical product in volume and in an extremely short space of time. The race is now on to get it into production.

The Dyson Digital motor sits at the heart of the new device and the motor’s design is optimised to have a very high level of intrinsic safety, making it particularly well-suited for industrial, high volume production. The device is designed to achieve a high quality air supply to ensure its safety and effectiveness, drawing on our air purifier expertise which delivers high-quality filtration in high-volume products.

Ventilators are a regulated product so Dyson and TTP will be working with the MHRA and the Government to ensure that the product and the manufacturing process is approved. We have received an initial order of 10,000 units from the UK Government which we will supply on an open-book basis. We are also looking at ways of making it available internationally.

I am proud of what Dyson engineers and our partners at TTP have achieved. I am eager to see this new device in production and in hospitals as soon as possible. This is clearly a time of grave international crisis, I will therefore donate 5,000 units to the international effort, 1,000 of which will go to the United Kingdom.

We will keep you updated with our progress.”

Well done, Dyson. Smart people solving big problems in real time is exactly what the world needs more of right now.

James Dyson designed a new ventilator in 10 days. He’s making 15,000 for the pandemic fight

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