Pretty Cool Things

This 110-year-old pair of Levi’s was recently put up for sale on Ebay, and sold for an astounding $36,099.  They were found in a old mine in the Rand Mining District, in the Mojave Desert, California.  They were found in excellent condition, aside from being covered in some of the candlewax from the candles the miner was using to light the tunnel he was working in.  Funny enough… they’re exactly my size.

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Just days before the first kickoff of UEFA EURO 2008, Adidas launched an oversize campaign of its own. In co-host Switzerland, fans passing through the Zurich train station were welcomed by a 55-foot tall huddle of players. Eleven colossal doubles of football stars from nine different countries make up the circle. The players stand arm in arm and cheer for each other at the top of their voices and in their own language twice a day during rush hour. The huddle is made up of Ballack and Lahm (both Germany), Van Persie (Netherlands), Cech (Czech Republic), Charisteas (Greece), Villa (Spain), Benzema and Vieira (both France), Chivu (Romania), Ivanschitz (Austria) and Barnetta (Switzerland). It took more than 50 people working daily for a year to create this exhibit.

In Vienna, Austria, Adidas installed a 130-foot-high likeness of the Czech national team goalkeeper Petr Cech, one of the best goalies in the world. The Chelsea FC superstar is presented with an octopus-like eight arms mounted onto a giant ferris wheel that rotate around him. The entire area covered is about the size of a football pitch. “Being chosen for this fascinating project by adidas is a great honor for me,” said Petr Cech.

Apart from the giant goalie, Vienna also exhibits the third Adidas spectacular. Within the F50 TUNiT 16 range, Adidas designed an individual UEFA EURO 2008 football boot for each of the 16 participating nations featuring the national colors, details and facts of the respective country. These 16 different shoes are now on display as oversized models in front of the MuseumsQuartier in Vienna, each shoe as big as a mid-sized car.

The award for “man with too much free time on his hands” goes to… Gerard Brion. The 29-year old Frenchman with a bad combover spent 15 years creating a miniature Paris in his yard. The landmarks include the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Sacré Coeur, made out of old concrete blocks, baby food jars and soup tins. In fact his backyard has become a tourist attraction. Tourists can now visit his version of Paris and not worry about overpriced cafes, snotty Parisians, and dog poop everywhere. I particularly like his little Spiderman doll dangling from the top of the Eiffel Tower in the photo.