Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Just For Fun....

This is one of my all time favorite movies!!

After years of setbacks and renewed efforts to start production and a quarter of a century after the first book was published, the big-screen adaptation of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was finally shot. Pre-production began in 2003, filming began on 19 April 2004 and post-production began in early September of 2004. After a London premiere on 20 April 2005, it was released on 28 April in the UK and Australia, 29 April in the United States and Canada, and 29 July in South Africa. (A full list of release dates is available at the IMDb.) The movie stars Martin Freeman as Arthur, Mos Def as Ford, Sam Rockwell as President of the Galaxy Zaphod Beeblebrox and Zooey Deschanel as Trillian, with Alan Rickman providing the voice of Marvin the Paranoid Android (and Warwick Davis acting in Marvin's costume), and Stephen Fry as the voice of the Guide/Narrator. The plot of the film adaptation of Hitchhiker's Guide differs widely from that of the radio show, book and television series. The romantic triangle between Arthur, Zaphod, and Trillian is more prominent in the plot; and visits to Vogsphere, the homeworld of the Vogons (in the books it was already abandoned), and Viltvodle VI are inserted. The film covers roughly events in the first four radio episodes, and ends with the characters en route to the Restaurant at the End of the Universe, leaving the opportunity for a sequel open. Reactions to the film were mixed, both within and outside fandom. Some fans felt essential elements of the humour and philosophy had been lost in the adaptation, and the introduction of a romantic subplot was an unnecessary Hollywoodism, whereas criticism from some reviewers held that the film had good intentions but the pacing was problematic. It is therefore considered by many that the humour and philosophy elements were purposefully slanted more towards the American market and to work within the confines of a roughly two hour film, and hence, the story was reworked by Adams as such. Commercially the film was a modest success, taking $21 million in its opening weekend in the United States, and nearly £3.3 million in its opening weekend in the United Kingdom. The film was released on DVD (Region 2, PAL) in the UK on 5 September 2005. Both a standard double disc edition and a UK-exclusive numbered limited edition "Giftpack" were released on this date. The "Giftpack" edition includes a copy of the novel with a "movie tie-in" cover, and collectible prints from the film, packaged in a replica of the film's version of the Hitchhiker's Guide prop. A single disc widescreen or full-screen edition were made available in the USA and Canada on 13 September 2005.

From:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hitchhiker's_Guide_to_the_Galaxy

Posted by at No comments:

Curiosities II...

The New 7 Wonders of the World
  • New Seven Wonders of the World is a project that attempts to revive the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World concept with a list of modern wonders. A popularity poll was organized by the private New 7 Wonders Foundation, with winners announced on July 7, 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal.

  • And here are the winners in alphabetical order:

  • Chichen Itza from Yucatec Maya: "At the mouth of the well of the Itza" is a large pre-Columbian archaeological site built by the Maya civilization located in the northern center of the Yucatán Peninsula, in the Yucatán state, present-day Mexico. Chichen Itza was a major regional center in the northern Maya lowlands from the Late Classic through the Terminal Classic and into the early portion of the Early Postclassic period. The site exhibits a multitude of architectural styles, from what is called “Mexicanized” and reminiscent of styles seen in central Mexico to the Puuc style found among the Puuc Maya of the northern lowlands. The presence of central Mexican styles was once thought to have been representative of direct migration or even conquest from central Mexico, but most contemporary interpretations view the presence of these non-Maya styles more as the result of cultural diffusion. Archaeological data, such as evidence of burning at a number of important structures and architectural complexes, suggest that Chichen Itza's collapse was violent. Following the decline of Chichen Itza's hegemony, regional power in the Yucatán shifted to a new center at Mayapan. The ruins of Chichen Itza are federal property, and the site’s stewardship is maintained by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia, INAH). The land under the monuments, however, is privately-owned by the Barbachano family.
  • Christ the Redeemer (Portuguese: O Cristo Redentor), is a statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The statue stands 39.6 metres (130 ft) tall, weighs 700 tons, and is located at the peak of the 700 m (2,296 ft) Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park overlooking the city. A symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an icon of Rio and Brazil.
  • The idea for erecting a large statue atop Corcovado had been around since mid 1850s, when Catholic priest Pedro Maria Boss requested financing from Princess Isabel to build a large religious monument. Princess Isabel did not think much of the idea, which was completely dismissed in 1889, when Brazil became a Republic, with laws mandating the separation of church and state. The second proposal for a large landmark statue on the mountain was made in 1921 by the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro. The archdiocese organized an event called Semana do Monumento ("Monument Week") to attract donations. The donations came mostly from Brazilian Catholics. The designs considered for the "Statue of the Christ" included a representation of the Christian cross, a statue of Jesus with a globe in his hands, and a pedestal symbolizing the world. The statue of Christ the Redeemer with open arms was chosen.
  • Christ the Redeemer with Corcovado in background. Local engineer Heitor da Silva Costa designed the statue; it was sculpted by Paul Landowski, a French monument sculptor of Polish origin. A group of engineers and technicians studied Landowski's submissions and the decision was made to build the structure out of reinforced concrete (designed by Albert Caquot) instead of steel, more suitable for the cross-shaped statue. The outer layers are soapstone, chosen for its enduring qualities and ease of use. Construction took nine years — from 1922 to 1931 and the monument was opened on October 12, 1931. The cost of the monument was $250,000, and the statue was lit by a battery of floodlights triggered remotely by shortwave radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi, stationed 5,700 miles (9,200 km) away in Rome.
  • The Colosseum or Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre (Latin: Amphitheatrum Flavium, Italian Anfiteatro Flavio or Colosseo), is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of Roman architecture and engineering.
  • Occupying a site just east of the Roman Forum, its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor Vespasian and was completed in 80 AD under Titus, with further modifications being made during Domitian's reign (81–96). The name "Amphitheatrum Flavium" derives from both Vespasian's and Titus's family name (Flavius, from the gens Flavia).
  • Originally capable of seating around 50,000 spectators, the Colosseum was used for gladiatorial contests and public spectacles. It remained in use for nearly 500 years with the last recorded games being held there as late as the 6th century. As well as the traditional gladiatorial games, many other public spectacles were held there, such as mock sea battles, animal hunts, executions, re-enactments of famous battles, and dramas based on Classical mythology. The building eventually ceased to be used for entertainment in the early medieval era. It was later reused for such varied purposes as housing, workshops, quarters for a religious order, a fortress, a quarry and a Christian shrine.
  • Although it is now in a ruined condition due to damage caused by earthquakes and stone-robbers, the Colosseum has long been seen as an iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. Today it is one of modern Rome's most popular tourist attractions and still has close connections with the Roman Catholic Church, as each Good Friday the Pope leads a torchlit "Way of the Cross" procession to the amphitheatre.
  • The Colosseum is also depicted on the Italian version of the five-cent euro coin.
  • The Great Wall of China (literally "Long wall") is a series of stone and earthen fortifications in China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the Chinese Empire during the rule of successive dynasties. Several walls, referred to as the Great Wall of China, were built since the 5th century BC. The most famous is the wall built between 200 BC - 220 BC by the first Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang; little of it remains; it was much farther north than the current wall, which was built during the Ming Dynasty. The Great Wall stretches over approximately 6,400 km (4,000 miles) from Shanhaiguan in the east to Lop Nur in the west, along an arc that roughly delineates the southern edge of Inner Mongolia, but stretches to over 6,700 km (4,160 miles) in total. At its peak, the Ming Wall was guarded by more than one million men. It has been estimated that somewhere in the range of 2 to 3 million Chinese died as part of the centuries-long project of building the wall.
  • Machu Picchu (Quechua: Machu Picchu, "Old Peak") is a pre-Columbian Inca site located 2,400 meters (7,875 ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is 80 km (50 mi) northwest of Cuzco. Often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas", Machu Picchu is probably the most familiar symbol of the Inca Empire. It was built around the year 1450, but abandoned a hundred years later, at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Forgotten for centuries, the site was brought to worldwide attention in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, an American historian. Since then, Machu Picchu has become an important tourist attraction. It was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished dry-stone walls. Its primary buildings are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows. These are located in what is known by archaeologists as the Sacred District of Machu Picchu. In September of 2007, Peru and Yale University reached an agreement regarding the return of artifacts which Hiram Bingham had removed from Machu Picchu in the early 20th century. Currently, there are concerns about the impact of tourism on the site as it reached 400,000 visitors in 2003.

Posted by at No comments:

Good to Know! I

Over 70 Uses for Vinegar - Health, Cleaning & More

Using Vinegar for BEAUTY, HAIR & BATH:

  1. In your bathwater.Add ½ cup of vinegar or so to warm bath water when bathing and get double benefits – softer skin and a cleaner bathtub with less work!
  2. Hair Conditioner: vinegar makes a simple, inexpensive conditioner for your hair and helps remove the sticky stuff shampoo can leave behind. About a tablespoon will do it.
  3. Dandruff Treatment: Simply pour a few Tablespoons of vinegar on your hair and massage into your scalp. Wait a few minutes, then rinse and wash hair like normal. Try this for a few days until you see results.
  4. Weight Loss: Vinegar naturally helps to remove fat from the body - apple cider vinegar is especially good for this. Drink some in a glass of water a few times a day, and add a little lemon or honey for a nicer flavor. This will also help reduce your appetite.
  5. Cracked, dry skin: Smooth a little vinegar on dried skin to help it heal.
  6. Clean dentures: Soak dentures overnight in Heinz White Vinegar, then brush away tartar with a toothbrush.
  7. Facial spritzer: mix 1/2 apple cider vinegar and 1/2 water into a spray bottle. Refreshing!
  8. Hair Cleanser: Take 1 cup of vinegar and warm water into a large glass and use to rinse your hair after you shampoo. Vinegar adds highlights to brunette hair, restores the acid mantel, and removes soap film and sebum oil.
  9. Longer lasting pantyhose: Add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the rinse water when washing and your pantyhose will last longer!
  10. Toenail Fungus: Treatment: Another use for vinegar.......Soak your feet in a strong solution of vinegar and water at least daily to get rid of toenail fungus.

Using Vinegar for CLEANING

  1. Cleans Glass: Mixed with water or simply sprayed full-strength on glass and mirrors, vinegar does a great job quickly and easily. Simply wipe windows dry with crumpled-up newspapers and watch your windows sparkle.
  2. Clean your car: Use it full-strength to polish car chrome with a cloth and see it shine! Use it on your car’s windshield and windows, too.
  3. Cleans drinking glasses: Soak cloudy drinking glasses in warmed white vinegar for a few hours to remove the film, simply wipe clean, rinse, and dry.
  4. Clean your washing machine: Periodically run a gallon of distilled vinegar through your washing machine to clean it thoroughly, get rid of soap scum, and clear out the hoses. Run the machine through the warm water wash cycle empty and then add the vinegar during the rinse cycle.
  5. Furniture Polish: Make your own furniture polish with one part vinegar and three parts lemon oil or olive oil.
  6. Remove price tags or stickers: Paint them with several coats of vinegar and let it soak in. Depending what you are removing them off of is whether they'll slide off easily or require a little heavier rubbing.
  7. Clean your IRON: Put vinegar in the water holder and let it steam itself clean. Remember to flush it with water when you are done.
  8. Clean paintbrushes: Simmer paintbrushes in pure vinegar, then wash in hot soapy water.
  9. Wash walls: Wipe down your walls with a vinegar-water mixture and it will help absorb odors and clean the surfaces.
  10. Remove spots from glass: Use a vinegar-soaked cloth to remove spots from any glassware or crystal.
  11. Unclog drains: Pour boiling white vinegar down clogged drains to remove the clog!
  12. Clean jars: Remove odors and stains from jars by cleaning them out with vinegar.
  13. Clean an old lunchbox: Soak a piece of bread in vinegar and let it sit in the lunchbox over night.
  14. Clean and deodorize a garbage disposal: Make vinegar ice cubes and feed them down the disposal. After grinding, run cold water through
  15. Teapot cleaning: Boil a mixture of water and vinegar in the teapot. Wipe away the grime.
  16. Dishwasher cleaning: Run a cup of vinegar through the whole cycle once a month to reduce soap build up on the inner mechanisms and on glassware.
  17. Microwaves: Boil a solution of 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of water in the microwave. Will loosen splattered on food and deodorize.
  18. Remove smoke smells from clothing: Add a cup of vinegar to a bath tub of hot water. Hang clothes above the steam.
  19. Clean eyeglasses: Wipe each lens with a drop of vinegar.
  20. Remove stains from furniture and upholstery: Remove stubborn stains from furniture upholstery and clothes. Apply Heinz White Vinegar directly to the stain, then wash as directed by the manufacturer's instructions.
  21. Natural air deodorizer: Heinz Vinegar is a natural air freshener when sprayed in a room.
  22. Remove rust: Soak the rusted tool, bolt, or spigot in undiluted Heinz White Vinegar overnight.
  23. Toilet bowl: Pour in one cup of Heinz White Vinegar, let it stand for five minutes, and flush.
  24. Brighten fabrics: Add a 1/2 cup vinegar to the rinse cycle.
  25. Natural cleaning wipes: A cloth soaked with vinegar for sanitizing kitchen counters, stove, and bathroom surfaces. This is just as effective as the anti-bacterial products and does not promote resistant strains like the commercial products can, this is also a cheaper and greener way to protect your loved ones.
  26. Remove lint from laundry: Add 1/2 cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle.
  27. Remove grease from suede: Dip a toothbrush in vinegar and gently brush over grease spot.
  28. Remove perspiration stains from clothing: Apply one part vinegar to four parts water, then rinse.
  29. Clean coffee or tea stains from china: A mixture of salt and vinegar will clean coffee and tea stains from chinaware.
  30. Clean coffeepots and coffee makers: Vinegar can help to dissolve mineral deposits that collect in automatic drip coffee makers. Fill the reservoir with vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. Rinse thoroughly with water when the cycle is finished.
  31. Fabric Softener Replacement: Use vinegar in place of fabric softener in the laundry. Use the same amount as fabric softener plus twice the amount of water (so 2 parts water, 1 part vinegar) and put it in the fabric softener dispenser. Clothes come out soft and scent free. It also helps reduce static!
  32. General Household Cleaner: Keep some vinegar diluted in a spray bottle. Use this for wiping down counter tops (at night only so smell goes away) and cleaning up carpet stains in combo with Oxygen Cleaner (generic OxyClean).
  33. Removes smoke stains from walls: To remove nicotine from walls before painting, always use vinegar in hot water. Will remove stains and the nicotine will not bleed through the paint. It is especially good in bathrooms, where there is a lot of steam from showers. Be very careful to use rubber gloves because the nicotine will absorb into the skin and you will get the same effect as smoking.

Using Vinegar for FOOD & COOKING

  1. Cheese Storage: Cheese will last longer if you store it in a vinegar-soaked cloth.
  2. Whiter Cauliflower: Add a teaspoon or so of white vinegar to your cooking water while cooking cauliflower - it will retain a whiter color.
  3. Ketchup: Only have a little ketchup left in the bottle? Add a bit of vinegar and give it a good shake and you'll have a bit more!
  4. Boiling Eggs: Add a bit of white vinegar to the water you're boiling your eggs in, and the shells won't crack.
  5. Cooking Cabbage: Add a bit of vinegar to the water you're cooking your cabbage in to remove that stinky cabbage smell.
  6. Fluffier Meringues: Add 1 teaspoon vinegar for every three egg whites and you'll have fluffier meringues.
  7. Tenderize Meat: Soak in vinegar over night.
  8. Unsticky Rice: To cook rice without sticking add a spoon full of vinegar in it.
  9. Remove onion odors from skin: Eliminate onion odor by rubbing vinegar on your fingers before and after slicing.
  10. Disinfect/clean cutting boards: Clean and disinfect wood cutting boards by wiping with full strength vinegar.
  11. Make buttermilk: Add a tablespoon of vinegar to a cup of milk and let it stand 5 minutes to thicken.
  12. Potato Cooking Water: Add 1 teaspoon to the water when you are boiling potatoes to avoid them going black. Note this does not apply to potatoes that are freshly dug or new. This works on potatoes that have been in storage over the winter.

Using Vinegar for GARDENING & YARD

  1. Clay Pot Cleaning: Remove white salt buildup on old clay pots by soaking them in full strength vinegar.
  2. Kills grass: Undiluted vinegar will kill grass between bricks and sidewalk cracks.
  3. Kills weeds: Spray full strength on weeds - be careful not to spray it on the surrounding grass as it will kill that too.
  4. Deter Ants: Spray vinegar around doors, appliances, and along other areas where ants are known to gather.
  5. Keep Cats Away: Sprinkle vinegar on areas you don't want the cat walking, sleeping, or scratching on.
  6. Freshen Cut Flowers: Add 2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar for each quart of water.

Using Vinegar for HEALTH

  1. Suffering from a sore throat? Mix a teaspoon vinegar with a glass of water. Gargle with the mixture and then swallow.
  2. Remove calluses: Try soaking your feet in a combination of white vinegar and warm water nightly and watch your feet soften noticeably.
  3. Sunburned Skin: Soak a washcloth in vinegar and gently apply it to sunburned skin for cool relief. Reapply as needed as it evaporates. Besides sunburn, vinegar also soothes the itch and irritation of bee stings!
  4. Arthritis Tonic: Two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water, several times a day.
  5. Jellyfish Stings: Dot the irritation with vinegar and relieve itching.
  6. Sinus Infections and Head Colds: Add 1/4 cup or more vinegar to the vaporizer.
  7. Wart Removal: Mix one part Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar to one part glycerin into a lotion and apply daily to warts until they dissolve.
  8. Soothe an upset stomach: Drink two teaspoons Heinz Apple Cider Vinegar in one cup water to soothe an upset stomach.
  9. Mosquito bites: Use a cotton ball to dab mosquito and other bug bites with Heinz Vinegar straight from the bottle.

Using Vinegar for PETS & ANIMALS

  1. Pet's drinking water: Add a teaspoon of vinegar to your pet's drinking water to encourage a shinier coat, and reduce odor.
  2. Remove skunk odor: Use vinegar straight to remove skunk odor from your pet's fur.
  3. Stop your cat's scratching furniture: Sprinkle or spray vinegar on areas you don't want the cat scratching on.
  4. Fish bowl cleaner: Eliminate that ugly deposit in the gold fish tank by rubbing it with a cloth dipped in vinegar and rinsing well.
  5. Remove pet stains from carpets: Blot up urine with a soft cloth, flush several times with lukewarm water, then apply a mixture of equal parts vinegar and cool water. Blot up, rinse, and let dry.
  6. Clean pets cages: Use a mixture of 50% White Vinegar and 50% Water in a spray bottle to clean pet cages. It disinfects and deodorizes it and is much cheaper than the commercial products.
  7. Stops dogs scratching: The cat scratch tip works for dogs as well.

From: http://www.kitchencraftsnmore.net/vinegar.html

Posted by at No comments:

Monday, March 24, 2008

Food for thought III

Top Diet Myths Exposed
  • Myth 1: Potatoes and bread are fattening.
  • Actually: It's just the opposite. Starchy vegetables and bread (whole-grain bread, that is) are quality carbs needed to fuel every part of you, from your brain to your muscles. Where you can get into trouble is how you eat them: Smear butter on a slice of whole wheat bread or deep-fry potatoes and you can double, triple, or quadruple their calories.
  • Myth 2: Drinking a glass of water before a meal curbs appetite.
  • Actually: Yes and no. Water tames appetite if it's incorporated into food, such as soup or a thick drink (think V8 juice). Apparently, when water is bound to food, digestion is slower, explains Elizabeth Somer, RD, author of 10 Habits That Mess Up a Woman's Diet. That's why in one study women found chicken-rice soup more satisfying than chicken-rice casserole and a glass of water--even though the soup had 27% fewer calories! One exception to this rule: Because it's easy to confuse hunger and thirst, if you find yourself craving something--but what?--drink a big glass of water and wait a few minutes. You may find that's what you really wanted.
  • Myth 3: Shellfish is high in cholesterol.
  • Actually: On one hand it's true, just three ounces of shrimp deliver more than a third of your daily cholesterol, but there's a surprising flip side to this story: Shrimp are low in saturated fat--the kind that becomes artery-clogging bad cholesterol--and they have a smidgeon of heart-healthy omega-3s. In fact, University of Southern California researchers discovered eating shellfish, such as shrimp, every week reduced heart attack risk by 59%!
  • Myth 4: The occasional burger and fries won't kill you.
  • Actually: If "occasional" means every Friday night, then no. But if it means every few months, and you're fit, and you've got good "numbers" (weight, waist size, cholesterol, blood pressure) AND you're chowing down on vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and other nutritious fare most other days, hey, you'll live. But few of us are that perfect. If you do occasionally indulge? Offset the effects of a fat fiesta with a brisk, 90-minute walk afterward.
  • Myth 5: Women naturally gain weight after menopause.
  • Actually: While you can blame a lot of things on hormones (from acne to PMS), in this case slowing down physically is far more likely at fault. Study after study has found that older women who exercise regularly and vigorously maintain their girlish figures. What about those charts that say as you get older, you need to eat fewer calories to simply maintain your weight? Same story. The research doesn't show that age (instead of inactivity) accounts for the drop.
  • Myth 6: Diet soda is worse than the real thing.
  • Actually: Soft drinks now outrank coffee as America's favorite beverage, but we all would be better off switching to water, diluted juice, and green tea than drinking either diet or regular soda. Both increase kidney and heart disease risk, plus they contain acids that erode tooth enamel, inviting cavities.
  • Final fact (this one's no myth): Maintaining your weight and body mass index at a desirable level can make your RealAge as much as 6 years younger.

From:http://food.yahoo.com/blog/beautyeats/27317/top-diet-myths-exposed

Posted by at No comments:

Friday, March 7, 2008

Food for thought II...

Study: Daylight Saving Time actually raises utility bills

It's official: Daylight Saving Time is a bust. Designed (and recently extended) as a measure to save energy in a period of inflated electricity prices, an in-depth University of California study has now shown that DST doesn't save anyone any money at all. In fact, it's costing consumers extra, to the tune of $3.19 in extra utility bills per year. The study was made possible because of the peculiarities of the state of Indiana, which was only partially on DST until 2006. When the whole state finally went DST (to sync with the national business day), some comparisons vs. the prior method were made apparent. The study calculated that the shift costs Indiana residents an extra $8.6 million in electricity bills in total. Why? Shouldn't they be, well, saving daylight -- and burning fewer light bulbs? They are, said the study. But while lighting bills were reduced, air-conditioning units had to run more often, because people were home on hot afternoons when they'd otherwise be still at the office. Heaters had to be run on cool mornings, too, when people got up and it was still dark outside. Professor Matthew Kotchen, who pioneered the study, noted, "I've never had a paper with such a clear and unambiguous finding as this." This isn't the first time the energy-saving rationale of Daylight Saving Time has been attacked. The first was in 1976, when the National Bureau of Standards found that there was no significant energy savings after the switch. The recent expansion of DST to a few extra weeks was also revealed to have saved no energy during its run. And yet here we are... In related news, it was also revealed that Daylight Saving Time actually creates no additional daylight.

Posted by at No comments:

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

A National Geographic Moment

Since I was a little girl, I've been fascinated by The National Geographic Society... My parents signed for the magazine, and I would spend hours going through the pages, traveling to all those wondrous places, seeing all the beautiful and interesting people and falling in love with every animal... Many of those images were proudly cut with my little scissors and pasted on school projects, and in my mind, the beauty of the pictures would be enough to get me the grade! So now I decided to share a little bit of my fascination with this magazine with all of you, by posting some of their beautiful images here... I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
...
This image is my all time favorite...

... the intensity in her eyes!

A Volcano is beautiful, but it can have devastating consequences...

But even in devastating moments...

... Nature is beautiful!

And it has the power to come back from the ashes ...

... and restore itself to life!

Cute and Innocent, or...

... Feared and Powerful...

... it's all part of Nature!

Where sometimes even the most intimidating...

    ... can make us smile!

    And no matter how much beauty Man creates, Nature has it's simple way of making it even more beautiful!

    Because everything in Nature is magnificently beautiful!

    ...

  • NOTE: These pictures were all taken from the Internet, and they are all property of © 2008 National Geographic Society. All rights reserved. My intentions in posting them here are only to share with others their beauty! http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm
Posted by at 1 comment:

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Are You Kidding Me?

True luxury addicts need look no further than Bling My Thing's new "Golden Age" creation. Unveiled at CeBIT 2008, "Golden Age" is a Macbook Air decked in 12,000 Swarovski crystals. The crystals are even more shiny than usual thanks to a coating of 24k gold applied under each crystal. The translucence of the crystals allows for true layered luxury. Each "Golden Age" takes a week to construct since each and every crystal is hand-applied, so only 20 of these beauties exist, one of which will be for sale at Selfridges, Oxford Street, on March 18th. That is if you can muster up the £20,000 ($39,750) price tag for the mega-bling.
Posted by at No comments:

Destination...

COSTA RICA
  • Officially the Republic of Costa Rica (Spanish: Costa Rica or República de Costa Rica), is a republic in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the east-southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Costa Rica was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army. Costa Rica is among the safest countries in Latin America and is currently the least impoverished Spanish speaking country in the world, with poverty percentages lower than that of Spain and other developed countries and levels of urbanization that nears those of countries such as Finland and Norway. In 2007 the government of Costa Rica said it wants to be the first developing country to become carbon neutral by 2021.
  • Costa Rica is located on the Central American isthmus, 10° North of the equator and 84° West of the Prime Meridian. It borders both the Caribbean Sea (to the east) and the North Pacific Ocean (to the west), with a total of 1,290 kilometers (802 mi) of coastline (212 km / 132 mi on the Caribbean coast and 1,016 km / 631 mi on the Pacific). It is about the size of West Virginia and shares that state's reputation for excellent whitewater kayaking/rafting opportunities.
  • Two of the country's most renowned rivers in that regard are the Rio Pacuare and the Rio Reventazon located near the city of Turrialba about two hours east of San Jose. Other notable whitewater areas are the Sarapiqui Valley area, several Pacific coast rivers near Quepos, and the southern Pacific drainage area around San Isidro de General. Costa Rica also borders Nicaragua to the north (309 km / 192 mi of border) and Panama to the south-southeast (639 km / 397 mi of border). In total, Costa Rica comprises 51,100 square kilometers (19,730 sq. mi) plus 589.000 square kilometers of territorial waters. The highest point in the country is Cerro Chirripó, at 3,810 metres (12,500 ft), and is the fifth highest peak in Central America. The highest volcano in the country is the Irazú Volcano (3,431 m / 11,257 ft). The largest lake in Costa Rica is Lake Arenal. Costa Rica also comprises several islands. Cocos Island stands out because of its distance from continental landmass (24 km² / 9.25 sq mi, 500 km or 300 mi from Puntarenas coast), but Calero Island is the largest island of the country (151.6 km² / 58.5 sq mi). Costa Rica protects 23% of its national territory within the Protected Areas system. It also possesses the greatest density of species in the world.
  • With a $1.9-billion-a-year tourism industry, Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in the Central American region, with 1.9 million foreign visitors in 2007,[14], which translates into a relatively high expenditure per tourist of $1000 per trip, and a rate of foreign tourists per capita of 0.46, one of the highest in the Caribbean Basin. Most of the tourists come from the U.S. (54%) and the E.U. (14%). In 2005, tourism contributed with 8,1% of the country's GNP and represented 13,3% of direct and indirect employment. Ecotourism is extremely popular with the many tourists visiting the extensive national parks and protected areas around the country. Costa Rica was a pioneer in this type of tourism and the country is recognized as one of the few with real ecotourism. In terms of Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index, in 2007 Costa Rica reached the 41st place in the world ranking, being the first among Latin American countries. Just considering the subindex measuring human, cultural, and natural resources, Costa Rica ranks in the 20th place at a worldwide level. Costa Rica is home to a rich variety of plants and animals. While the country has only about 0.1% of the world's landmass, it contains 5% of the world's biodiversity. About 23% of Costa Rica is composed of protected forests and reserves. One national park that is internationally-renowned among ecologists for its biodiversity (including big cats and tapirs) and where visitors can expect to see an abundance of wildlife is the Corcovado National Park.
  • Tortuguero National Park – the name Tortuguero can be translated as "Full of Turtles" – is home to spider, howler and white-throated Capuchin monkeys, the three-toed sloth, 320 species of birds (including eight species of parrots), a variety of reptiles, but is mostly recognized for the annual nesting of the endangered green turtle and is considered the most important nesting site for this species. Giant leatherback, hawksbill, and loggerhead turtles also nest here.
  • The Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve is home to about 2,000 plant species, including numerous orchids. Over four hundred types of birds can be found here, and over one hundred species of mammals. As a whole, around eight hundred species of birds have been identified in Costa Rica. The Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBIO) is allowed to collect royalties on any biological discoveries of medical importance.
  • The only official language is Spanish. There are two main accents native to Costa Rica, the standard Costa Rican and the Nicoyan. The Nicoyan accent is very similar to the standard Nicaraguan accent due, in part, to its vicinity. A notable Costa Rican pronunciation difference includes a soft initial and double [r] phoneme that is not trilled as is normal in the Spanish speaking world. Jamaican immigrants in the 19th Century brought with them a dialect of English that has evolved into the Mekatelyu creole dialect.
  • Costa Ricans often refer to themselves as tico (masculine) or tica (feminine). "Tico" comes from the popular local usage of "tico" and "tica" as diminutive suffixes (e.g., "momentico" instead of "momentito"). The phrase "Pura Vida" (literally "Pure Life") is a ubiquitous motto in Costa Rica. Some youth use mae, a contraction of "maje" (mae means "guy/dude"), to refer to each other, although this might be perceived as insulting to those of an older generation; maje was a synonym for "tonto" (stupid).
  • Costa Rica boasts a varied history. Costa Rica was the point where the Mesoamerican and South American native cultures met. The northwest of the country, the Nicoya peninsula, was the southernmost point of Nahuatl cultural influence when the Spanish conquerors (conquistadores) came in the sixteenth century. The center and southern portions of the country had Chibcha influences. The Atlantic coast, meanwhile, was populated with African workers during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Most afro Costa Ricans, however, derive from nineteenth-century Jamaican workers, brought in to work on the construction of railroads between the urban populations of the Central Plateau and the port of Limon on the Caribbean coast. Italian and Chinese immigrants also arrived at this time to work on railroad construction.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)