Sheep Hacks Vending Machine

Apparently, this is a vending machine at a petting zoo from which people can buy treats to feed the animals. But this clever girl has figured out how to “tap” into it herself! Despite the name of the video, this is actually a female sheep (according to an employee who works there).

Dutch Superbus Becomes A Reality

Almost five years ago, Autoblog Green reported on a "Stretch Batmobile" concept being developed by the Dutch that was intended to one day be used for public transportation. Now, that concept has been realized.

The Superbus is completely electric, seats 23 people and rides in a dedicated lane to get its passengers where they need to go. Oh, and it goes 155 MPH. Designed by Dutchman Wubbo Ockels, a former astronaut and professor of aerospace sustainable engineering and technology, the realized Superbus was presented to a group of Dutch teenagers. Check it out in action in this video.

One question: Where is the American version of this?

Saudi Arabia Plans to Build Mile-High Building

Saudi Arabia’s proposed Kingdom Tower will rise to 5,280 feet. That’s a full mile. If completed, this building in Jeddah will cost $30 billion to build and will contain apartments, hotel rooms, and offices in its 12 million cubic feet of space. The graphic compares the structure to the Petronis Tower (center) in Malaysia and the Empire State Building (left) in the US. Currently, the tallest building in the world is Dubai's Burj Khalifa, which is 2,700 feet tall.

Baby Hummingbirds in a Nest

Alek Komarnitsky learned that hummingbirds had nested at a local golf course and took several high-resolution photographs. Here are the two babies, almost ready to leave the nest. The housefly on the branch gives you a sense of the scale.

Epic Tilt-Shift Ski Video

This mountain is like nothing you have skied before! Spend a day riding the tiny tram and shredding miniature backcountry lines in Jackson Hole.

You may want to let it load completely before watching - trust me, it's worth the wait!

Statue of Liberty Stamp Actually Shows Las Vegas Version

A new stamp intended to commemorate the Statue of Liberty actually featured the Las Vegas replica instead.

The post office, which had thought the Lady Liberty “forever” stamp featured the real thing, found out otherwise when a clever stamp collector who is also what one might call a superfan of the Statue of Liberty got suspicious and contacted Linn’s Stamp News, the essential read among philatelists.

It takes a real student of Lady Liberty to notice the contrasts in a stamp-size photo of her head. The hair is different. The replica’s eyes are much more sharply defined. A rectangular patch — a plaque, maybe? — is on the replica’s center spike.

But the post office is going with it.

“We still love the stamp design and would have selected this photograph anyway,” said Roy Betts, a spokesman. Mr. Betts did say, however, that the post office regrets the error and is “re-examining our processes to prevent this situation from happening in the future.”

Gluttony Isn't Just for Americans

Japanese Burger Kings are about to “double down” a new burger that wants to make veganism passé.

The burger consists of two hamburgers, a chicken breast, two slices of cheese and three slices of bacon – with just a few veggies, of course, to balance it out. It also comes with lettuce, tomatoes and onion. Want some personalization? You can douse the thing down in teriyaki sauce, add an egg, or give it extra-human strength with a fish patty.

To match, this monster will pummel your stomach with a whopping 1,160 calories without all the fixings. A normal Whopper, in comparison, has only about half the calories.
The Meat Monster might be a Japan-only creation, like McDonald's Ebi Filet-O. And if you're wondering what that is, imagine a fish filet, but stuffed with shrimp.

Thankfully out of reach, we'll be safer from further increasing the rate of heart attacks in the States. You don't need to super-size the fries and drink with this doozy of a burger.

Four Concentric Circles

It's hard to believe that the image below is not a spiral, but four concentric circles. Trace it with your finger. Freaky!

Golden Ray Migration

In 2008, Sandra Critelli shot this excellent photo of Golden Rays off the Mexican coast. 

She said, “It was an unreal image, very difficult to describe. The surface of the water was covered by warm and different shades of gold and looked like a bed of autumn leaves gently moved by the wind. It’s hard to say exactly how many there were but in the range of a few thousand. We were surrounded by them without seeing the edge of the school and we could see many under the water surface too."

Golden Rays grow up to seven feet across and migrate within the Caribbean.

Cat Found

Bay County Running Event Route Maps

When preparing for a race, I like to familiarize myself with the route so there are no surprises on race day. I also like to know where the divisions are so I can make sure I'm on pace. Unfortunately, I've really had to dig to find the info, sometimes using the county's website to examine 'approved parade routes' for the events. I'm publishing them here for my own benefit, and for other runners who may be interested in one of these events in the future. I've competed in all of these events, so I can vouch for their accuracy.

You can click on any of the maps to see them in larger scale.

Gulf Coast Sun Run 5K - Out-and-back route.

Holy Nativity Episcopal School 5K - Circular route.

Trot for Tots 5K - Out-and-back route.

Trot for Tots 10K - Out-and-back route.