Cordwood construction is a method of natural building that originated roughly one thousand years ago in Greece and Siberia. This method involves using pieces of wood that slightly protrude from the mortar, giving the walls an attractive appearance. Usually, the walls are made 12 to 24 inches thick. However, in some parts of Canada, the walls can be as thick as 36 inches. This method appeals to many people due to its ease of construction economy of resources. Cordwood Construction can be separated into two main types: mortar-insulation-mortar (M-I-M) and Throughwall. M-I-M is a more preferable and widely used choice as it allows for better insulating properties.

Here’s a closer look at the official The Simpsons LEGO set that we previewed earlier here. In celebration of the animated sitcom series’ 25th anniversary, LEGO has paired up with Matt Groening‘s cartoon creation for a two-part collaboration that features arguably two of the largest entities in popular culture. The limited-edition LEGO set depicts the Simpson family’s home, alongside mini-figures of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie and Ned Flanders. The painstakingly recreated LEGO brick house can be reconfigured and opened up to reveal the inside of the four-bedroom residence. The release of the scaled set will be accompanied by a LEGO-themed episode of The Simpsons, which is set to air on FOX in May. Longtime Simpsons fans can purchase the set for $200 USD at select LEGO stores early next month.

Owner Nicole Graham works with volunteers from CFA and SES tries to dig out her horse “Astro” who became stuck up to his neck in mud at Avalon Beach on February 26, 2012 in Geelong, Australia. The tide was fast-rising, but the rescuers managed to get him out in time. (Photo by Peter Ristevski/Newspix)

“Ben Heine (born 12 June 1983 Abidjan, Ivory coast) is a Belgian multidisciplinary artist. Starting as a painter and political cartoonist, he became more widely known in 2011 for his “Pencil vs Camera” and “Digital Circlism” projects”. – Wikipedia (Photo by Ben Heine; Source: Flickr)

Artist Paolo Curcio craves tiny bas-relief sculptures into coins – a traditional art form known as the hobo nickel. Curcio’s coins feature intricately detailed hobos, skulls and a variety of pop culture characters. Plastic castings of his works are available online.

South Korea-based graphic designer and illustrator Sunga Park has created these incredible watercolor studies of architectural landscapes.

Skoda is promoting the Fabia vRS with “Mean Green”, a television commercial filmed at the factory in the Czech Republic, showing a meaner side to the 180hp 1.4L TSI turbo and supercharged Fabia hatchback. The commercial begins with the brutal destruction of the Fabia cake commercial from 2007, with the Sound of Music “Favourite Things” track providing an ongoing sense of irony. The online campaign in the UK invites visitors to decide between lovely and mean, choosing between gingerbread and venom.