Here's a great example of "beating swords into plowshares," or something close to it. Mexico City artist Pedro Reyes built a mechanized orchestra out of weapons! The project is titled Disarm.
The team acquired a variety of rifles, pistols, and shotguns seized from drug cartels by the Mexican army and used them to build the musical devices that are controlled by computers and can be pre-programmed to play music.
See more pictures, and a video of the orchestra in action, at Colossal. Link -via Digg
This is the kind of thing that keeps me checking out Neatorama; but for this blog I'd never have know about all number of not just interesting but worthy projects that ordinary people, in some very extraordinary and downright scary situations, are investing an incredible amount of talent, creativity and hard work in.
Can I get a free t-shirt now?