Friendship Between a Bear, Lion, and Tiger Who All Live Peacefully Together

Lions and tigers and bears (oh my!) are not known for being the closest of friends, but the trio known as the BLT is the exception to that rule, being the only bear, lion, and tiger in the world who live in the same enclosure. Baloo the American Black Bear, Leo the African Lion, and Shere Khan the Bengal Tiger have formed an inseparable bond since they were little cubs. In 2001, the three were found by police officers in an Atlanta home's basement during a drug raid. At only a few months old, the animals were frightened, malnourished, and infected with parasites when the Georgia Department of Natural Resources brought them to Noah's Ark, a non-profit animal sanctuary located in Locust Grove, Georgia.

Each animal was afflicted with his own set of injuries due to the abuse and neglect of the drug dealers they had belonged to. Shere Khan the tiger was underweight and malnourished. Leo the lion had an open, infected wound on his nose from being cruelly confined to a small crate. Baloo the bear was in the worst state—he had a severely ingrown harness digging into his flesh because it was never loosened as he grew in size. The harness was so ingrown that his flesh had begun to grow over and around it, and surgical intervention was required to remove the harness and clean his deep, infected wounds. Baloo's surgery was the only time that BLT has ever been separated; during that period, both Leo and Shere Khan were agitated as they waited for the missing member of their family to return.

Although the three animals have become healthy and happy living at Noah's Ark, they have never forgotten the terror of first few months together, which resulted in a tight bond and everlasting friendship. Baloo, Leo, and Shere Khan have formed a special family of their own, with the three sleeping, eating, and playing together in the same enclosure. They even seek out grooming and affection from one another, lovingly rubbing heads and licking each other. The story of their unusual friendship is truly touching, as it shows that even the unlikeliest of creatures can become the closest of pals despite obvious differences.

Tiny Kiosks Sell Mini Coca-Cola Cans

To promote the launch of Coca-Cola Mini, advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather Berlin cleverly installed miniature kiosks in five major cities in Germany. Selling a variety of pint-sized goods like newspapers, candy bars, and snacks, and even tiny cans of Coke from mini vending machines, the small-scale kiosks playfully embodied the campaign motto: "It's the little things in life that make us happy."

The adorably small kiosks were a big hit, selling an average of 380 mini Coke cans per day—278 percent more than a typical Coca-Cola vending machine, according to Ogilvy. Many passersby stopped in their paths to check out the funny sight of these charming little kiosks, with some taking pictures or buying miniature products for fun. The creative campaign proved successful both on the streets and online as a viral hit, bringing smiles to fans of Coca-Cola everywhere.

 

Beautifully I'llustrated!

Life is like a journey on a train...
with its stations...
with changes of routes...
and with accidents !

We board this train when we are born and our parents are the ones who get our ticket.

We believe they will always travel on this train with us.

However, at some station our parents will get off the train, leaving us alone on this journey.

As time goes by, other passengers will board the train, many of whom will be significant - our siblings, friends, children, and even the love of our life.

Many will get off during the journey and leave a permanent vacuum in our lives.

Many will go so unnoticed that we won't even know when they vacated their seats and got off the train !

This train ride will be full of joy, sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos, good-byes, and farewells.

A good journey is helping, loving, having a good relationship with all co passengers...
and making sure that we give our best to make their journey comfortable.

The mystery of this fabulous journey is ;
We do not know at which station we ourselves are going to get off.

So, we must live in the best way - adjust, forget, forgive, and offer the best of what we have.

It is important to do this because when the time comes for us to leave our seat... we should leave behind beautiful memories for those who will continue to travel on the train of life.

Thank you for being one of the passengers on my train !

Have a very pleasant journey of life.........!

Amazing Maps of Countries Made Out of Real Food

Can you spot your country? In this striking new series, New Zealand-based artist Henry Hargreaves worked with New York-based stylist Caitlin Levin to create gorgeous maps all made out of food. Make that real food. Originally inspired by a passion for travel, the two decided to take the food each country is most known for - spices for India, tomatoes for Italy, kiwi for New Zealand - and arrange them in a way that's beautifully pleasant to the eye (and perhaps stomach).

As Henry tells us, "These maps show how food has traveled the globe - transforming and becoming a part of the cultural identity of that place. Who doesn't know the saying 'throw some shrimp on the barbie' and not think of Australia? Who goes to France without eating bread and cheese? And who makes a Brazilian caipirinha without a fistful of limes?

"These maps are a playful representation of our interpretation of food from around the world, painstakingly created with real unadulterated food. This project speaks to the universality of how food unites people, brings us together and starts conversation - just as we hope these beautiful maps will do too."

Did you notice that South America is all made out of citrus (see above)? If you look closely, you'll find that each country is predominantly made up of just one type of food. While they used variations within that food, the fact that they stuck to just one type makes each map all the more intriguing.

The typography, done by graphic designer Sarit Melmed, gives the maps a classic, vintage look. Watch how this stunning project all came together in the video, below.

Africa - Bananas and Plantains

Australia - Shrimp

China - Noodles

France - Cheese and Bread

India - Spices

Italy - Tomatoes

Japan - Seaweed

New Zealand - Kiwi Fruit

UK - Biscuits

USA - Corn

Incredible Sculpted Wooden Bicycle 2014

This beautifully hand-crafted wooden design concept is a unique, modern bicycle developed by artist Yojiro Oshima, a design student in the Craft & Industrial Design Department at Musashino Art University in Tokyo.

Oshima created the structure, entitled Fusion, as an exploration of an everyday object redesigned with unexpected materials. He sculpted sections of hollowed-out hard maple wood into the major elements of the bicycle, including the wooden frame, handlebars, and a comfortable seat. Even the wheels—called baton wheels—are constructed out of wood and feature an arc between the spokes and the rim to reduce large impacts and to soften the ride.

Although a bicycle made out of wood is extremely unconventional, the artist was actually more focused on producing a flawless structural design. He says the proposal "is about the shape of the frame and the handle mainly, which doesn’t concern what material it’s made out of."

Surreal Turkey in a Hot Air Balloon

Could there be anything more dreamy than this? I spent a good part of this morning looking through surreal photos of hot air balloons soaring over Cappadocia. A historical region in Central Anatolia in Turkey, Cappadocia is known for its unusual, moon-like landscape. It's a mixture of naturally formed hills, deep canyons, valleys, and conical rock formations called "fairy chimneys" that makes this region so unique.

Every day, beginning at sunrise, hundreds of balloons are fired up across the land, each taking dozens of tourists for an hour or so above the surrealistic site. It should come as no surprise that this hot air balloon experience is often listed as one of the best in the world. In CNN's list of 7 breathtaking ballooning adventures, Cappadocia is right up there will Albuquerque, New Mexico and Luberon, France. As they state, "Book a private balloon flight in Cappadocia, Turkey, and you'll get to see lava deposits at Turkey's Mount Erciyes twisted by two millennia of erosion into hundreds of pillars and minarets known as fairy chimneys, making the landscape in the country's central Anatolian region look like a set from Lost in Space."

Photographer Afonso Salcedo describes it like this, "When the sky fills up with hot air balloons rising slowly in unison with the Sun. What a treat. The silence of the air, the chimneys, rocks and caves under you." Bucket list!

Photo: Istvan Kadar

Photo: Reynaldi Herdinanto

Photo: Anuparb Papapan

Photo: Stanley Chen Xi

Photo: Tze Ru Pang

Photo: Ratta Pak

Photo: Natapong Paopijit

Photo: Ratta Pak

Photo: Carlo Murenu

Photo: Sean Bagshaw

Photo: Afonso Salcedo

Photo: Kursat Barin

Photo: Afonso Salcedo

Photo: Afonso Salcedo

Summer Olympic Stadium for Japan 2020

The 2020 Summer Olympics are scheduled to be held in Tokyo, Japan and ever since the city won the bid to host the Games, it has been looking for venues to hold the historic games in. One confirmed arena is The National Stadium of Japan by world-renowned architect Zaha Hadid. The stadium, which has been chosen for the 2019 Rugby World Cup, is also the possible home to the 2020 opening ceremony.

Hadid's firm won a competition back in 2012 to redesign the dated Kasumigaoka National Stadium that was the venue of the 1964 Olympics. After the renovations are complete, it will be able to accommodate 80,000 people and it will feature adjustable seating sections to allow for spectators to get even closer to the action. The building's roof is designed to allow for retractability for added air ventilation and it would play a big part in the events' opening and closing ceremonies.

Chairman of the competitions selection panel Tadao Ando says, "'The entry's dynamic and futuristic design embodies the messages Japan would like to convey to the rest of he world. I believe this stadium will become a shrine for world sport for the next 100 years." As of now the building is set to open in 2018, or just in time for the Rugby World Cup.

Watch the video, below, to get a full view of the stadium, both inside and out.