Atypical Events

Venice Gallery to Exhibit Paintings Made by Horse

Posted by jessie under News

An art gallery in Venice is planning to exhibit paintings that were created by a very unique artist—a horse!

The gallery will be exhibiting paintings by Cholla, a 23-year-old mustang cross from Nevada who loves to paint abstract art. Cholla began painting about four years ago and some of his works have already been sold to collectors in Las Vegas and New York.

Even Martha Stewart liked his work so much that she bought one of his paintings.

In fact, an art gallery in Venice, Italy, likes Cholla’s paintings so much that they are planning to have an exhibition of his works next spring.

Cholla began painting four years ago when his owner, Renee Chambers, was painting the fence of his paddock.

Cholla seemed very interested in what she was doing so she began giving him canvas and paint.

He would paint by holding the brush in between his teeth, with Chambers assisting only to put paint on the brush and give it to him, and to pick up the canvas if fell on the ground.

Cholla paints his works on canvas mounted on an easel in his paddock.

You can see some of his works here: http://www.horseartcollection.com/artist.php

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Town Plans to Build Obama Hotel

Posted by jessie under Hotels, News

A town in Ireland is planning to construct the “Barack Obama Hotel.”

A local businessman in the Offaly village of Moneygall plans to apply for permission to build a 150-bedroom Barack Obama Hotel.

The town hopes to draw visitors interested in the new president’s ancestral history. Barack Obama’s third great grandfather on his mother’s side came from Moneygall, according to research.

The town hopes that one day, Barack Obama himself will show up to “his” hotel when he comes to visit Ireland.

Liam Carroll, a local developer, plans for the hotel to include a “presidential suite” and a “White House Bar.”

Moneygall has a population of just 298 and is located about 120km from Dublin.

The construction of the hotel will create a lot of jobs and hopefully give tourism a boost as well.

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Solar Powered Airport Hangar Helps Aviation Go Green

Posted by jessie under News, Travel

A new hangar at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, CA is helping the aviation industry go green.

Bob Hope Airport is now home to the world’s first and only (reported) solar-powered airport hangar, which made its debut last Tuesday, December 9th.

The 60,000 square-foot Hanger 25 is operated by charter flight operator Avjet. Photovoltaic solar panels on the roof provide enough electricity to power forklifts, tow vehicles and lights.

The building also provides the electricity needed to power a Boeing 757 while it is on the ground for maintenance.

Constructed from nontoxic materials, Hangar 25 feature lots of glass to allow natural sunlight into the building. It also features landscaping that is tolerant to droughts, and plumbing that helps conserve water.

The hangar, which came with a price tag of $17 million, is a joint-venture between Avjet Corp., Shangri-La Construction and the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority.

It has received U.S. Green Building Council’s highest environmentally friendly rating of LEED Platinum status, marking an important step toward a reduced carbon footprint for the aviation industry.

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World’s Longest “Green” Flight to Take Place December 15th

Posted by jessie under News, Travel

On December 15th, an Emirates Airlines plane will make the “world’s longest green flight.”

A Boeing 777-200 will be taking off from Dubai and flying to San Francisco for a 16-hour non-stop flight, as part of Emirates new effort to provide more eco-friendly service.

The flight will use several techniques to help conserve fuel and reduce the amount of energy needed to make the trip.

Before taking off from Dubai, the plane will use electrical power instead of an auxiliary power unit while on the ground.

The aircraft will receive a special pre-flight washing to help minimize drag and receive priority clearance from clearance from Dubai Air Traffic Control, allowing it to reach cruising altitude with maximum efficiency.

When the plane lands in San Francisco, it will have used a continuous descent approach to burn less fuel, and will use as little thrust as possible when landing, taxiing with a single engine on the way to the gate.

It is hoped that following these steps will save about 2,000 gallons of fuel and 30,000lb of carbon emissions. Additionally, all glass, paper and aluminum products used on board will be recycled.

The flight will be the world’s first cross-polar green flight, creating what Emirates says is a “critical connection” between Dubai and San Francisco.
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