Documentary
Hot Chocolate for Bedouins
Filmmaker Sebastian Lindstrom aims to raise awareness about issues around the world using documentary, but appears to do so with a rare wit and sense of the absurd. His documentary Hot Chocolate for Bedouins promotes camel milk as a healthy alternative to cow’s milk. The documentary is part of his work his nonprofit foundation What [...]
India Outsources Call Centres to the USA
The Washington Post reports that rising wages in India have led Indian outsourcing companies to staff their call centres with workers in America. The workers, largely uneducated African Americans earn around $12-14 an hour plus bonuses, which is four times the wage for a similar worker in India. They get dress-down privileges and free lunch [...]
Is Your Library Under Threat? Here’s a Solution
James Econs is a phone box vandal with a ‘Big Society’ conscience. Spotting a disused phone box in Horsely, Surrey he had an idea. A few hours later he’d installed shelves and books and turned it over to the community as a free book exchange. He’s now known as the ‘Banksy of carpentry’. Read more [...]
How the Earth Got its Shape
Measure of the Earth by Larrie Ferreiro tells how an early eighteenth century band of European explorer set out to measure a degree of latitude at the equator in South America using the very latest astronomical and surveying equipment in order to settle a scientific dispute. Descartes said that the Earth was egg-shaped, whilst Isaac [...]
Borrow a Dog From the Library
Yale Law Library‘s handsome terrier Monty has new responsibilities. He is being loaned out to law students for periods of 30mins to help reduce their stress levels. Read more in the Yale Daily News.
Butterflies by Post
Spanish firm Mariposeando supplies live Monarch butterflies for celebrations and events. (They are sustainably raised by mentally and physically handicapped workers.) All you have to do is open the special shipment box and the butterflies will flutter free, up into the sky. It costs from 20 Euros for two butterflies to 935 Euros for a [...]
The Most Debt Ridden US Cities
CNN have revealed the US cities that have the greatest credit card debt. Columbus, Ohio tops the list with an average credit card debt of $4,631, with Spokane, Washington and Shreveport, Louisiana not far behind. Read more on CNN.
Open Stories – iReporters
CNN has launched an online new reporting platform, Open Stories that crowdsources reporting from both professional and citizen reporters. The project aims to tell important stories from a range of viewpoints, using video, photos and comments. Public contributions are vetted and displayed on a timeline alongside reports from professional journalists. Read more on Springwise.
Bootleg Toys Gone Wrong
You’ve got to admire the cheek of some bootleggers, but not all are as clever as they think they are. Cracked has found some corkers, such as: RobertCop SpaderMan Polystation See more here.
Cat Cafes and Dog Yoga
Japanese pets are some of the most pampered on earth (second only to the USA), with yoga, tap-dancing and aromatherapy for dogs and acupuncture and cafes for cats. The Japanese pet industry rakes in more than a trillion yen a year. Read more on PSFK
