A masked Bulgarian dancer takes part in the second competition day of the 24th International Festival of Masquerade Games “Surva” in the town of Pernik, Bulgaria Saturday, January 31, 2015. Some 5,000 people are expected to take part in the three-day festival devoted to an ancient Bulgarian pagan rite. Surva is performed by costumed men, some in sheepskin, or other colorful garments, bells and masks, who walk around and dance to scare away the evil spirits, in hope to provide a good harvest, health, fertility, and happiness. (Photo by Valentina Petrova/AP Photo)

“Michael Jackson, the performer, consistently transcended racial and gender perceptions; Michael Jackson tribute artists, impersonators and lookalikes reflect this in that they embody a wide span of inspiration and intention. The current crop of impersonators are people who take great care in their appearance – some spend a lot of money and time on their make up and clothing, while others are more concerned with the physical gestures associated with his dances while expressing very little concern in the creation of an illusion”. – Lorena Turner. (Photo and caption by Lorena Turner)

When you first see the art works created by a Thai metalworker Ban Hun Lek, you are completely stunned by the level of detail of the metal sculptures that he creates. One of his most prominent creations is a full sized sculpture of a Hulk. The fact that this sculpture was created practically solely out of steel nuts adds to the rugged feeling of force that emanates from this creation. And if you think that this creation is amazing, you should look at his other works such as the Ganesha – the god of wisdom, knowledge and new beginnings, or the Predator. For that matter, almost every sculpture that he creates blows your mind away, making you wonder just how many hours has he put into making these amazing pieces of art. (Photo by BanHunLek)

There are many ways to interpret the creations of Yoshitoshi Kanemaki, whose works usually involve sculptures of people where two or more characters have merged into a single being. Possibly, Yoshitoshi Kanemaki is trying to express through his sculptures that everyone’s soul is multifaceted. Good emotions are mixed with the bad, love is mixed with hate, contempt with admiration. How often do you hear that a person loves someone deeply, while doing completely horrendous things, unable to see that he or she is destroying their object of love? Nevertheless, we should be thankful to the nature for all the different emotions that we are able to feel. Unlike animals, who only show simple forms of emotions, such as anger, happiness, and a few others, human soul is much deeper, allowing us to feel a full plethora of emotions. (Photo by Yoshitoshi Kanemaki)

Each day as we look in the mirror, we think that we know ourselves. We are used to the image that we see before us, but the mirror can show us much more than we ever hoped to see. Sometimes it only shows basic emotions, while at other times it can highlight the deepest crevices of our soul. If you wish, in the reflection of the mirror you can see your deepest thoughts, masks that you wear every day, your desires, and of course the people that you think about. But are you brave enough to look deep within your soul? Will you dive headlong or shy away from your true image? Those that will muster up the courage necessary will realize it was well worth the effort. (Photo by Devin Mitchell)

A woman poses on the flooded St. Mark's square during an acqua-alta (high-water) alert in Venice, on November 19, 2013. (Photo by Andrea Pattaro/AFP Photo)

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Thoughts. They fly through the broad expenses of our mind, floating gracefully in midair, going into the clouds, and then reemerging once again. Some are quick and furtive, others are grand and majestic. We reflect upon them as they enter our minds, and once they leave, they are usually gone for good. However, some thoughts are different. These thoughts resemble a flock of angry birds or a swarm of hungry moths that invade your mind, slowly eating away at your sanity, strength, and desire to live. Such thoughts often plague that minds of people with Obsessive Compulsive disorder. They completely occupy their time; constantly there; ever-present. With his book sculpture, Thomas Wightman was able to accurately convey the way these thoughts consume the mind, slowly building a nest within it, resisting all attempts to drive them away.

How sure are you of your geographical knowledge? Buzzfeed recently put Americans’ geographical knowledge to the test with a survey in which participants had to write in countries’ names on a blank European political map. Unfortunately, they didn’t fare too well, but some of their responses are hilarious (or hilariously mis-informed). But don’t be so quick to judge Americans – when Buzzfeed posted a similar survey testing Brits’ knowledge of the 50 United States, they also came up short. On the one hand, knowing a country’s states is different from knowing independent countries, but on the other, some U.S. states are larger than some European nations, and some U.S. states have larger economies than some European nations.