straw. these photos show the amazing works on display. like sand castle festivals, these are notable for their artistry and creativity, not to mention their national pride. and while there are some cuddly straw monsters, there are others that prove japan s straw dominance over the united states. be honest. would you rather have this as a scare crow or this? i thought so. you win this round, japan. and the third awesomest thing, taking ted by storm. you probably heard of ted talk, lectures by a likes of cheryl sandburg and oothers to promote ways to see the world. here s sam hyde infiltrating a ted event where he passed himself off as a globe trotting adventure and delivered a speech called 2270 paradigm ship. give me like 25 seconds here.