Onion ring volcano

I love an open kitchen, but it gets more exciting when danger is involved. A Japanese chef creates a volcano from onion rings, and oil plus some neat lava:

What! - they don’t even eat this.

World War Animation Video

World War - 3D Animation @ University Of Hertfordshire 2008 from Digital Animation Herts Uni UK on Vimeo.

It seems like short films were becoming a dying art - but thanks to the interweb you can see some truly world-class films that otherwise would never reach your local theatre. Vincent Chai made this awesome animated video for his final project at the University Of Hertfordshire - amazing graphics, cute story and an ending that takes you by surprise.

man stacks bricks on his head

This guy should enter ‘India’s got talent’ - I’m sure he’s going to get more money on that show compared to what he gets doing the following day in day out:

Stay in Luxury

Enter a new trend in boutique accomodation - luxury houses set up solely for exclusive use getaways. We’re talking places right out of the pages of a vogue magazine - and get this - can work out to be cheaper than staying in a hotel, especially if there’s a group of you thinking about holidaying together.

Here are the links to the three houses we recommend - each offers a different experience and a visit to their websites will show you exactly what I’m talking about:

• The Angkasa - Coolum
• Freestyle Escale - Dulong
• The Plantation - Cooroy (annoying music alert)

Like I said - these places are luxury houses and you rent them on a per property basis, but if there’s 8 or more of you looking for a unique holiday experience here on the coast, then I think you’ll be hard pressed to find a hotel that offers the facilities and amenities of these properties for the price.

Fly Fishing for Tuna

Learn the quiet art of fly-fishing with Tie ‘N’ Fly. Did I say quiet? … the folks at Tie ‘N’ Fly became a bit of an internet sensation as they fly-fish for tuna. When the tuna schools come close to the shore you can join Tie ‘N’ Fly and fly fish for tuna just a few hundred meters from the beach.

Tie N fly arrange fly fishing excursions for fresh water species as well as salt water fish. They teach all aspects of fly fishing which can become quite addictive.

Sky Diving on the Sunshine Coast

The coast offers some great adventures that don’t necessarily involve you jumping out of an airplane, though having said that, a tandem skydive with Ramblers does give you a unique view of the coast with the bonus experiences of terror and exhilaration.

This wine is crap and flies out the door

A French restrateur and a winemaker in the Languedoc region were fed up with their particular slice of French heaven being overlooked as a serious wine producing area. So they introduced a new label: “Le Vin de Merde,” or “Crap Wine.” At 7 euros a bottle it’s actually quite a serious wine and the new PR stunt has really focussed attention on the area and bottles of the wine are flying off the shelves. You can read more at National Geographic.

Sun melts steel

Remember Mythbusters tried to work out if Archimedes really did defeat an invading navy by setting fire to their boats with a parabolic mirror. Behold the power of the sun …

Our toilets - one of the top 10 best gadgets for 2008

We get a lot of comments about our new toilets - those that ‘get’ the concept applaud the innovative water saving design. Those that don’t understand what’s happening complain that the tap won’t stop running. I noticed that at popular mechanics, the caroma smart flush is one of the top 10 best gadgets for 2008 - a huge accolade for an Australian invention.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s a video that explains what all the fuss is about:

Cool effect: Phonographantasmascope

What happens when you have an old record player, some cardboard, pins and a pair of scissors? You create these amazing effects: