A to Z of the greatest journeys on Earth
One exciting way to see the world is to travel by way of alphabet! The Independent has compiled a great A to Z list of unforgettable adventures from Annapurna, Nepal to Zambezi whitewater rafting in Zambia!
See a few highlights below:
D—Drake Passage, Antarctica
Named after its discoverer, Sir Francis Drake, and renowned for its wild storms and choppy seas, the 800km strait connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It's also the shortest sea crossing between South America and Antarctica, where the visitor will find penguin rookeries, seals, whales and, of course, icebergs.
N—Nile Cruise, Egypt
The Nile, reckoned to be the world's longest river at 6,695km, passes through eight countries besides Egypt on its way to the Mediterranean. But it's Egypt—and particularly its ancient civilisation – that is most associated with the river. In the easily navigable section below Aswan are the spectacular Edfu Temple and the Valley of the Kings (with Tutankhamun's tomb) as well as the vibrant city of Luxor. Many tour operators offer cruises which take in these sights.
U—Ulster Way, North Ireland
Relaunched last year, the 1,000 km Ulster Way is a circular walking route around the best landscapes in Northern Ireland. The highlight is the 50km stretch along the Causeway Coast with sandy beaches, cliff-top paths and at its heart, the geological wonder of the Giant's Causeway.
See the full list at The Independent.
Planning a trip? Check out our travel coverage.
Photo credit: Fotolia
Top 10 biggest bodybuilders
For most of us, lifting weights and exercising are things that we do to lose weight, gain strength and tone our bodies. Bodybuilders take it to a whole new level, following rigorous diets and exercise routines to create and maintain muscle hypertrophy, a state in which the muscle cells increase in size and create bulk.
How does a 97-pound weakling become the World's Most Perfectly Developed Man, as Charles Atlas did? Through the sport known as bodybuilding. Here are 10 of the greatest, most well-known bodybuilders to grace the stage.
- Eugen Sandow: Many historians consider him to be the father of modern bodybuilding. Eugen discovered that crowds were more interested in the movements of his muscles than a basic strongman routine. He began moving in different poses and flexing his muscles for the audience, which his manager Florenz Ziegfeld called "muscular display performances."
- John Grimek: Grimek's body has been described as different from other bodybuilders of his era -- his muscles were tighter, he was more sinewy, and he had a "glow" about him. Because of his skin tone, Grimek became known as "The Glow" during his bodybuilding career. The "glow" must have worked, Grimek never lost a bodybuilding competition.
- Rachel McLish: Rachel McLish won the inaugural Ms. Olympia competition in 1980. She helped to grow the sport for women as she had a very feminine physique while also being muscular.
Full list at HowStuffWorks.com.
Total aggregation of HowStuffWorks.com.
Photo credit: Wikipedia
Final installment of amazing Olympics pictures from Boston.com
Check out Part II of Boston.com's photographs from the Winter Olympics. Someday I'd like to meet the photo editor of Boston.com. Look at picture #7. Wow!
See all the amazing pictures at Boston.com.
Tips to make you as good a photographer as Boston.com's.
Whatever you do, don't show this to a mohel
You never know: someday you may have to cut a cucumber with a knife stuck to the front-end of a car. Then this video will come in handy.
Embedded media -- click here to see it.
I sure hope that no mohels see this video.
Complete aggregation of YouTube videos.
The evolution of Olympic pictograms [video]
The Vancouver Olympics wrapped up Sunday night with a parade of dancing maple leaves and giant inflatable beavers, but that doesn't mean you can't keep brushing up on your Olympics knowledge in preparation for the 2012 games. New York Times designer Steven Heller examines the history of pictograms used at the Olympics over the years:
Embedded media -- click here to see it.
Full story at Laughing Squid.
Pick up a paintbrush and check out top art resources.
The latest in Canuck wear
We seldom use portrait (as opposed to landscape) photos at Holy Kaw, but we had to make an exception for this one. This is Catherine Faas, one of the Holykawists, modeling the latest in Canuck/Vancouver/Winter-Olympics wear.
More about our friends in Canada.
Photo credit: Gutsy Images.
Breathtaking photos of China
If you've never dreamed of visiting China, you will after seeing these incredibly beautiful images from one of the oldest civilizations in the world.
See all the jaw-droppers at Golberz.
Learn more about China and photography.
8 reasons you might not be getting any comments on your blog
If the only action the comments section on your blog has seen is a supportive message from your mom and the occasional tumbleweed—don't worry. It doesn't necessarily mean your writing sucks. Here are eight reasons you might not be getting any feedback. See a few felow:
- Your posts are too long. Readers are busy and have tiny attention spans. Try to shoot for 500 words (as opposed to 3,000) as a general rule.
- Your readers are chasing links on your blog. If you link to other sources and stories midway through your post, chances are users are darting around the web instead of reading the remainder of your post.
- You're posting at the wrong time. If you post at two in the morning, most people are sleeping. Try to post in high-traffic hours like when people get to work, lunch, and when they get home.
See all eight at Pro Blogger.
Learn how to blog like a champ.
Photo credit: Fotolia
Using a Blackberry adds 10 extra days of work each year
Superglued to your Blackberry 24/7? British researchers tracking the habits of Blackberry users found that employees who failed to turn off their smart phones in non-working hours added ten extra days of work per year. The study also found that 24 percent of workers felt stressed over always being on call.
Do you turn off work email on the weekends?
Full story at Telegraph.
Get your Blackberry news fix.
Photo credit: Fotolia
"Though veiled amid these misty showers of gray. Fuji is lovelier still - unseen today." - Basho
On the bullet train. Fuji is in the clouds. This famous line by Basho says so much about art and life and love, etc. Heading to Tokyo for meetings today. Next public preso April 13 in Ginza.
Sent from my iPhone10 creative and unusual knives
If you like or collect knives, then you should check out Toxel.com's round-up of unusual and creative knife designs.
The list showcases everything from simple kitchen knives to lipstick, belt and pen knives…
Full story at Toxel.
NASA scientist: Chilean Earthquake shifted Earth's axis
The powerful 8.8 magnitude earthquake that rattled Chile over the weekend likely shifted the Earth's axis and shortened the day, according to NASA geophysicist Richard Gross. The scientist explained that the huge shake altered the distribution of mass on the planet, causing Earth's axis to shift an estimated three inches and shorten the day by 1.26 microseconds.
Full story at Business Week.
A ton of interesting science news.
So you think you know Rupert Murdoch?
New York magazine takes a deep look at Rupert Murdoch in an eight-page expose, searching for the New Corps man's true legacy. At its best, the piece aspires to a prophetic version of "Frank Sinatra has a cold" and at the very least it offers one fascinating perspective of the news today through the eyes of one of a contemporary media mongols.
Read the full story at New York magazine.
More on journalism.
Improv Everywhere at it again
Embedded media -- click here to see it.
Here's the latest Improv Everywhere stunt, which was featured on This American Life. This time the organized pranksters get a bunch of people to throw a random person a birthday party. They all call him Ted andl pretend to know him from somewhere specific, such as university, work, and elementary school. See how the joke pans out.
Read the full story at Urban Prankster.
Get your laughs with some humor.
Tokyo in stunning time lapse
Embedded media -- click here to see it.
Every wonder what those little men in the crosswalk sign do when no one is around? Apparently they march around Tokyo in super-slow mo. Check out this beautiful video comprised of a guy in a totally sweet LED suit, time-lapsed footage of Tokyo, and hundreds of individual photographs.
Read the full story at Laughing Squid.
More on Tokyo.
Brooklyn's mysterious street signs
Check out these mysterious and subversive street signs posted all around Brooklyn by anonymous street artist, known only as TrustoCorp. For instace:
Read the full story at the Gothamist and see the full gallery of signs on Flickr.
More on design.
How to get more iPhone battery life
Assuming you're one of the 100% of iPhone users who think battery life sucks, you will find the tips from The Unofficial Apple Weblog very helpful. Here are two:
- Keep your iPhone out of direct sunlight
- Turn off the display immediately when you're not using the phone
Full story at The Unofficial Apple Weblog.
Total iPhone tips and tricks.
The Next Facebook: What will Replace Facebook
Sorry. But. Facebook really blows.
It only has ONE thing going for it. Critical Mass. I hope this FB fad gets replaced.... SOON. Yeah. I think what will replace Facebook will be something like a Facebook LITE... I envision something as simple as twitter... NO Applications. Only connections and a status wall for sharing.... But some way to make PHYSICALLY MEETING someone a requirement for them to "friend" each other. How could that be achieved technically? A physical token of some sort? Both people have to be logged on from the SAME device at the SAME time in order to become "friends"?? :)OOOoooooo... I just said a FANTASTIC billion dollar idea....
( Listen up, Startup Venture Capitalist Peeps! )
Imagine, like the iPhone "bump" app... The ONLY way to friend someone is to use two mobile devices... and to "bump" them together.... This way, no excuses... no exceptions... Only real life real world family, friends, and acquaintances could "friend" each other. This would make it MORE useful... for keeping in touch with people who matter... More of a conversation piece... and LESS useful for spammers aka "social media marketer self-promotion obnoxious time-wasters"...
Only Love, Bruce http://brucewagner.comOverweight 3-year-olds with signs of heart disease?
Obese children show signs of having elevated levels of an inflammation marker that in adults is considered an early warning for future heart disease.
"A lot more work needs to be done before we figure out the full implication of these findings. But this study tells us that very young, obese children already have more inflammation than children who are not obese, and that's very concerning," says Eliana Perrin, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and senior author of the study.
Full story at Futurity.
Get a daily dose of discovery: research news from leading universities.
Photo credit: Fotolia
Time-lapse of one year walking, growing a beard [video]
Christopher Rehage spent one year walking from Beijing to Urumqi, China and chronicled his epic foot journey (and simultaneous beard growth) in a cool little vignette. Rehage had originally wanted to strut his way all the way to Germany, but after 4646km, he opted to shave his beard and return to school to finish his degree.
Embedded media -- click here to see it.
Full story at SwissMiss.
Take a journey of your own with tons of travel resources.
LOST + The Simpsons = Awesome.
What happens when you Simpsonize the cast of LOST? Total yellow coolness. Springfield Punx gave the time-traveling, island-dwelling cast a new look perfectly suited for 742 Evergreen Terrace. Hmm, or, maybe the island time traveled to Springfield and that's the big answer everyone has been patiently waiting six seasons to figure out. Insert eerie music here.
Full image at Springfield Punx.
Get your LOST fix filled.
10 medieval torture devices
The Middle Ages lasted roughly 1,00 years, from the 5th century to the 15th, and stands out as one of the most violent eras in history. What really sets this time apart is the ghoulish inventiveness that gave rise to a plethora of torture methods. There were many grounds for torture during the Middle Ages -- religious fervor and criminal punishment come to mind -- and many sick minded people took the time to invent many different devices designed to maim.
In this article, HowStuffWorks.com explores a collection of the most heinous torture devices ever invented. They begin with:
- The Brazen Bull: This was a hollow brass statue crafted to resemble a real bull. Victims were placed inside, and the door was shut, sealing them in. Fires would then be lit around the bull. As the victim succumbed to the searing heat inside, he would thrash about and scream in agony. The movements and sounds, muted by the bull's mass, made the apparatus appear alive.
- The Rack: The rack was used throughout Europe for centuries. It came in many forms, but here's the basic idea: The victim is tied down while some mechanical device, usually a crank or turning wheel, tightens the ropes, stretching the victim's body until the joints are dislocated.
- The Iron Maiden: The Iron Maiden is a device so fiendish it was once thought to be fictional. It's an upright sarcophagus with spikes on the inner surfaces. Double doors open on the front, allowing entrance for the victim. Once the victim was inside, the doors were closed. There, the strategically placed spikes would pierce several vital organs.
Full list at HowStuffWorks.com.
Total aggregation of HowStuffWorks.com.
Photo credit: Wikipedia
Quiet Corner - Mike
Military officials OK social networking
Be all you can tweet? U.S. military officials have finally given the green light for personnel to use sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media outlets. Although, the poking and tweeting can only happen on non-classified government computers and can't include any activity that may compromise operational security.
Deputy assistant secretary of defense for information management and technology, David M. Wennegren, commented on the policy shift: "The world of Web 2.0 and the Internet provides these amazing opportunities to collaborate. It not only promotes information sharing across organizational boundaries and with mission partners, but also enables deployed troops to maintain contact with their loved ones at home."
Full story at CNN.
More on Twitter and the military.
How many insects are there on Earth?
Scientifically speaking, the term "insect" denotes a member of the class Insecta. For brevity's sake, if you have a head, a thorax, an abdomen, three sets of legs protruding from your body and often a pair or two of wings, perhaps for making a quick getaway, then you're most likely an insect.
Whether you're talking about a swarm of bees buzzing about, a cluster of butterflies sucking down nectar or a nest of cockroaches hidden in a corner of your house, insects are everywhere. How plentiful? Really plentiful.
Full story at HowStuffWorks.com.
Total aggregation of HowStuffWorks.com.
Photo credit: Fotolia
Top 10 videogames to play with your girlfriend(s)
Here's something that might improve your love life: TopTenz has compiled the top ten videogames to play with your girlfriend(s). They include:
- Pixeljunk
- LittleBigPlanet
- Diner Dash
Modern Warfare slipped in there too. Go figure.
Full story at TopTenz.
More on videogames.
Daily London: she holds the bottle now #supercute
Daily London: she holds the bottle now #supercute
9 reasons to drink more water (and how to form the healthy habit)
It's no secret that drinking plenty of water is beneficial to our health, but do any of us know why? Dumb Little Man has identified nine reasons we should drink more H2O, plus they list some great useful tips to help you get into the gulping habit. See some snippets below:
- Headache cure. Headaches are a symptom of dehydration. Drinking more water can help you toss out the Tylenol.
- Digestive problems. We need water to properly digest our food.
- Healthy heart. Drinking lots of water can lower your risk of heart attack by forty-one percent!
Some helpful habit-forming tips include:
- Carry a bottle. If you have it with you, you're more likely to drink it. Simple enough, right?
- Filter. Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water, do good for the environment and your bank account by investing in a filter for your home faucet.
- Set a reminder. Set your watch or computer to alert you every hour to drink a glass of water.
Read the full article at Dumb Little Man.
More refreshing water news.
Photo credit: Fotolia
5 myths about losing weight
Because of the sheer amount of seemingly helpful weight-loss information available, figuring out what's actually healthy can be harder than it seems. Each year, hoards of people jump on the weight-loss bandwagon, but many of them enlist in fad diets that are based on nutrition myths. How can some of these misguided tips do more harm than good?
In this article, you'll learn about five widespread weight-loss myths that can lead to diet pitfalls — and some tips on how you can avoid them. Read on to find out which foods aren't as bad for you as you may have been led to believe. Myth:
- Snacks and Desserts Will Ruin a Diet: Usually it's not the snacks or occasional dessert that does a diet in, so much as it is the type and quantity of said treat. The occasional snack is necessary to avoid dips in blood sugar, keep energy levels high and avoid binging at main meals.
- Never Eat in the Evening: Experts are now downplaying this rule because calorie consumption, rather than time of day, is the key determinant of diet success. The main point is that a pre-bedtime snack or dessert isn't detrimental to your diet, so long as it's not eaten on the heels of a high calorie day.
Full list at HowStuffWorks.com.
Total aggregation of HowStuffWorks.com.
Photo credit: Fotolia
