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Few creatures capture the imagination quite like dragons. Serpent-like and wise, these mythical creatures appear in many forms around the globe. Dragons, the original overachievers of the fantasy realm, have managed to dominate our collective nightmares with an efficiency that should make corporate marketing executives jealous. These mythical marvels have been giving errant knights and fire insurance agents sleepless nights for centuries. Sometimes, they’re terrible monsters, while others are friends to humankind. Not all are fire-breathing lizards; some dragons are furred, the bringers of rain and good fortune. So, what do the dragons of the world have in common, and what sets them apart? Do they have a common ancestor? And what if, in the quiet moments when we’re alone with our thoughts, we wonder whether dragons might be more than just a figment of our overactive imaginations? Spoiler alert: they’re not. But let’s dive headfirst into the world of dragons – a place where scales gleam, wings span, and the real question isn’t if they exist, but how we managed to turn reptiles into the original rock stars of folklore. Two major theories have attempted to explain the origin of dragons. The first, and perhaps most widely accepted, is the presence of dinosaur bones. People of the past had no way of knowing these bones belonged to ancient reptiles over 65 million years ago. Enormous bones and fearsome skulls may have inspired most dragon stories. And, let’s face it, what’s more awe-inspiring than the idea of a prehistoric, fire-breathing T-Rex? A separate theory posits that dragons are a construct of universal human fears and local wildlife. Ancient humans, this theory suggests, were naturally afraid of animals like snakes, leopards, and eagles, and so our collective subconscious combines them into a dragon-like form. Animals like crocodiles and large snakes may also have factored into local depictions of dragons. However, this theory doesn’t account for myths where dragons are benign and lucky beings, guardians of humanity rather than their predators. Joseph Campbell, perhaps the foremost authority on world mythology and author of many books including the classic “The Hero’s Journey”, will be assisting us in our journey today through the many varied worlds of dragons. Campbell’s concept of the monomyth (one myth) refers to the theory that sees all mythic narratives as variations of a single great story. This is based on the observation that a common pattern exists beneath the narrative elements of most great myths, regardless of their origin or time of creation. And dragons are possibly the most common magical creature to appear in myths throughout history and legends the world over, with each culture interpreting the dragon in their own unique ways and in accordance with their own societal preoccupations and anxieties. We find dragons everywhere. From the monstrous serpents of Mesopotamian antiquity, the wyrms of northern Europe, the many varied forms seen in Viking legends, the demonic dragons of Christian medieval western Europe, to the all-powerful dragons of China and Japan this mythical reptilian beast seems to have a special resonance with the human psyche. Mesopotamian Dragons Some of the earliest dragon myths come from the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia. Several different serpentine and lion-based dragons figure in Mesopotamian worship and mythology. Tiamat, for example, is a goddess representing the chaos of the seas and creation. She is sometimes depicted as a sea serpent. Her consort, Abzu, was a benevolent serpent of fresh waters. Together, they gave birth to a generation of younger deities. Then there is the Mushhushshu, a creature that combines the traits of a snake, lion, eagle, and scorpion. Egyptian Dragons Serpent monsters and deities also feature heavily in the mythology of Ancient Egypt. The most notable of these is Apep, another serpent deity associated with darkness and primordial waters. The great enemy of the sun god Ra, Apep is said to have been born of Ra’s umbilical cord. The snake lurked in the deep waters of the underworld, through which Ra passed each night to bring the rising sun. During the kingdom’s long history, one of the major duties of ancient Egyptian priests was to pray for the safe passage of Ra each night. Aboriginal Dragons In Aboriginal Australian cultures rainbow serpents, a dragon-like deity, feature prominently and are seen as the giver of life due to their association with rain and water, shaping the earth with their movements. There are many Dreaming stories about rainbow serpents, and not all agree about their nature and characteristics. They travel between watering holes, their paths marked by rainbows. According to regional beliefs, there may be a single rainbow serpent or many. The Dreaming stories featuring rainbow serpents take place in the past, present, and future all at once, making these entities an eternal presence in the lives of Aboriginal Australian people who practice traditional worship. “The dragons of the mountains have scales of a golden color, and in length excel those of the plain, and they have bushy beards, which also are of a golden hue. And their eye is sunk deep under the eyebrow, and emits a terrible and ruthless glance.” - Greek Scholar Philostratus (AD 170-245) Viking Dragons In Norse mythology, creatures referred to as “dragons” were called Ormr which meant snake, worm, serpent, as well as dragon. They didn’t breathe fire and were considered neither good nor bad. They were simply a part of the understood universe. Dragons were powerful and could bring about destruction, but they also played a part in constantly progressing cycles. Viking ships were decorated with large dragon heads on the front of their vessels. When these were spotted on the horizon, they immediately sparked fear and awe. Thanks in part, perhaps, to the Vikings, it was Christianity that changed views of dragons to beasts associated with evil and hell with Christian figures like Saint George tasked with slaying dragons. European Dragons Which brings us to the version of the dragon we’re most familiar with today which comes from medieval European lore as a wicked, dangerous, scaly, fire-breathing wyrm – the old English word for dragon. Campbell explains, “…European dragons represent greed, really. The dragon guards things in his cave, and what he guards are heaps of gold and virgins. And he can’t make use of either of them, but he just guards. There’s no vitality of experience, either of the value of the gold or of the female whom he’s guarding there.” These creatures are generally portrayed as large reptiles having a fiery, poisonous breath with four legs, bat-like wings, and a long neck and tail. They are likely descendants of the Mesopotamian dragons, Greco-Roman dragons, and Biblical monsters. These influences in highly Christian societies gave European dragons an evil reputation. They were seen as demonic creatures and it took a brave and virtuous warrior to defeat them and claim their treasures. Mesoamerican Dragons Ancient American civilizations ranging from the Mayans to the Aztecs and Incas all had their own dragon myths. One of the most famous is the Quetzalcoatl from Aztec culture. Quetzalcoatl was a god known as the Plumed Serpent: a mix between a bird and a snake. He was the creator of the world and mankind. He was also associated with the wind and was the bringer of rain clouds. In Incan mythology, the Amaru is a huge double-headed serpent that lives at the bottom of lakes and rivers. In paintings, it often has bird-like feet and wings. This mysterious dragon was able to cross between the boundaries of the spiritual and mortal realms. Campbell explains that the dragon figure represents our own greed. “Psychologically, the dragon is one’s own binding of oneself to one’s ego, and you’re captured in your own dragon cage. And the problem of the psychiatrist is to break that dragon, open him up, so that you can have a larger field of relationships. Do you see what I mean? This is killing the dragon. And you have fears and things, this is the dragon; that’s exactly what’s that all about. 'Killing the dragon' is getting rid of your own fears.” Chinese Dragons “None of the animals is so wise as the dragon. His blessing power is not a false one. He can be smaller than small, bigger than big, higher than high, and lower than low.” - Chinese scholar Lu Dian (AD 1042-1102) - Chinese dragons have an ancient literary tradition, going back 5,000+ years. Unlike in Western culture, Chinese dragons symbolize imperial authority and good fortune. They’re powerful beings connected to the innate magic of the earth, commanding power over water, rainfall, typhoons, and floods. The Chinese consider dragon years to be the most auspicious. Campbell says, “The Chinese dragon is different. It represents the vitality of the swamps, and the dragon comes out beating his belly and saying “Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.” You know, that’s another kind of dragon. And he’s the one that yields the bounty and the waters and all that kind of thing. He’s the great glorious thing.” In Chinese folklore, the Yellow Emperor, the first ruler of China, was immortalized as a dragon at the end of his reign. The Yan emperor, another legendary ruler, was said to have been born of this mother’s telepathy with a dragon. Because of this, Chinese people sometimes refer to themselves as the descendants of the dragon. Some myths claim that those born with a dragon shaped birthmark are destined to become future rulers. If you’ve ever attended a Chinese New Year celebration, you’ll surely have seen the famous dancing dragon puppet bringing good fortune to households. Vietnam According to Vietnamese legend, the rocky islands of Ha Long Bay were spat out by a dragon that guarded the country in ancient times. The name of the bay means “descending dragon”. Japan A dragon king was once said to live in a pond at Shinzen’en, the imperial garden of Kyoto. During times of drought, Buddhist monks held ceremonies there to persuade the dragon king to rise and bring rain. So, the dragon has been an enduring source of fascination for cultures around the world throughout history. It exercises a unique hold on the human imagination even up to today. But what does it all mean? “Ultimately,” says Joseph Campbell, “The real dragon is in you. That’s your ego, holding you in. What I want, what I believe, what I can do, what I think I love, and all that. What I regard as the aim of my life and so forth. It might be too small. It might be that which pins you down. And if it’s simply that of doing what the environment tells you to do, it certainly is pinning you down. And so, the environment is your dragon, as it reflects within yourself.” How do we slay our dragon? According to Campbell, “Follow your bliss, find where it is… and do not be afraid to follow it. If the work that you’re doing is the work you chose because you enjoy it, then you’ve found it. But if you think, “oh I couldn’t do that…” That’s your dragon locking you in.” As our flight through the vast realms of dragon lore comes to an end, one profound truth seems to have become evident: dragons aren’t just mythical creatures; they are reflections of the dragons within ourselves. Joseph Campbell, our guide through this mythical odyssey, whispering wisdom into the winds of time, reminds us that the real dragon is the ego that binds us. The power to slay our personal dragons, Campbell asserts, lies in following our bliss – the pursuit of what genuinely ignites our passion and purpose. We should take note of the dragons of legend and identify the dragons that lurk within ourselves, holding us captive in their fiery grip. The most extraordinary adventures often begin with the decision to confront our inner dragons by fearlessly following our bliss. Of course, the quest for self-discovery, much like the legendary tales of knights fighting dragons, is not for the faint of heart. But the rewards are as boundless as the skies these mythical beings call home. Tell us about dragon's you may have slain in the comments below. Bill Moyers & Joseph Campbell - “The Power of Myth” - Slaying the Dragon Akira the Don & Joseph Campbell Music Video – "Kill the Dragon Save the World": #dragons #mythology #myth #josephcampbell #lizards #history #legend #egypt #australia #vikings #europe #america #mesoamerica #inca #aztec #maya #china #japan #vietnam #music #musicvideo #billmoyers #powerofmyth #anyhigh

The universe is a vast and fascinating place so it’s not surprising just how much new information, scientific or otherwise, there is to discover. We’ve said it before, but we just love some of the crazy, mind-blowing, and just downright weird facts that we keep stumbling across. For example, did you know that there was once a chicken named Mike who lived without a head for 18 months? (More about him later.) Today we thought we’d venture into to the realm where reality outshines fiction, the mundane dances with the bizarre, and where the absurd meets the scientific in a waltz of wonder and awe. Prepare to be astounded as we share an amalgam of some of these little-known facts that made us say what???! Prepare to encounter a parade of eccentric truths that will make you question the very fabric of existence. From the mind-bending revelations of quantum mechanics to the downright bizarre behaviors of the animal kingdom, we shall roam recklessly across the landscape of the extraordinary. During our expedition, we will unveil the mysteries that lie just beyond the veil of normalcy, proving once again that truth is indeed stranger than fiction. Get ready to be amused, astonished, and perhaps even mildly disgusted, as we delve into the realm of the inexplicable and emerge with a newfound appreciation for the wonderfully weird world we call home. Which came first, the match or the lighter? Simple right? I mean, after all a match is just a piece of wood or pressed paper, while a lighter is a mechanical device. Simple assumption would tell us that the match came first. But of course, that would be wrong. In 1823, a German chemist named Johann Wolfgang Dobereiner created what was known as “Dobereiner’s Lamp”. The early lighter was a jar-like container. When you turned the valve on top, hydrogen was released and catalyzed by zinc metal in the jar, causing a flame. Workable but not exactly a ‘flick your bic’ of simplicity. Matches weren’t invented until three years later, in 1826. The first matches weren’t terribly successful, and it wasn’t until they started being coated in (toxic) white phosphorus that they really took off. And we do mean this literally as these matches would often ignite on their own. Redheads Feel Pain Too:  Natural redheads have a genetic resistance to anesthesia and an unusually high tolerance for pain. (Maybe the latter is there to compensate for the former?) Yes, strange though it may seem, redheads experience pain differently than the rest of the general population. Among other things, they frequently require more anesthesia in order to stay sedated – about 20% more in fact. They need more topical analgesics, and they seem to have less skin sensitivity, meaning it’s harder for them to detect things like shock and needle pricks. This is apparently because their skin’s pigment-producing cells lack the function of a certain receptor. The lack of which causes changes that tip the balance between pain sensitivity and pain tolerance. How do you Weigh a Cloud? Most of us think about clouds as lighter than air. They are floating across the sky after all. However, like pretty much everything else, a cloud too has substance. First off, air itself has weight, though it’s more commonly referred to as ‘pressure’. In fact, air weighs about 14.5 pounds per square inch. The other factor in determining a clouds weight is density. Oil floats on water because water is denser than oil. The same is true for clouds. They float in the sky because they’re less dense than air. But they’re not weightless. A cloud is just an accumulation of moisture, and every drop of that moisture weighs a fraction of a gram. Which means that 1 cubic kilometer of cloud weighs about 1.1 million pounds. So, the next time you’re standing under a cloud, just be happy that it can stay up there. Toilet Paper Splinters? People have been pooping for a very long time and our ancestors used many varied tools to handle their business. (This may be a good topic for a future blog post…) However, toilet paper in the form that we’re familiar with today didn’t come about until the latter half of the 19th century. Improvements in sanitation in the 20th century led to greater demand for, and competition in the manufacture of, said toilet paper. And in 1935, companies began advertising “splinter-free” toilet paper. Which implies that, before this, toilet paper came with splinters. All we can say is “YIKES”! What Exactly is Behind Blue Eyes? Did you know that, at one point, everyone on Earth had brown eyes? That’s because the melanin in a person’s iris is naturally brown. The only reason we have green, hazel, or blue eyes is because of genetic mutations that happened long ago. And for people with blue eyes, their genetic mutation can be traced to a single individual, most likely in Denmark, between 6,000 – 10,000 years ago. Since there is just this one origin for blue eyes, that means that all blue-eyed people today are related in some way. Six degrees? In the USA, approximately 27% of the population has blue eyes. And it drops to between 8-10% for the entire world. But in Denmark nearly 65% of the population has blue eyes. Waiter, There’s A Cockroach in my Coffee. Did you know that scientists who work with cockroaches often become allergic to pre-ground coffee? According to entomologist Douglas Emlen, cockroaches that infest large piles of coffee beans are often just ground up with the beans instead of removed, since it would be too difficult to eliminate them completely. In the USA, the Food & Drug Administration allows a certain amount of “insect filth” to be included in coffee and other foods, as long as it doesn’t exceed a pre-established percentage. Thus, since it’s actually pretty common for researchers to develop acute allergies to the specimens they study, entomologists who become allergic to cockroaches also become allergic to things like pre-ground coffee and chocolate. That’ll Cement the Issue: This factoid just blew us away. And you may be familiar with it as Bill Gates blogged about it after seeing it in the book “Making the Modern World: Materials and Dematerialization.” China used more cement in three years – between 2011 and 2013 – than the US did during the entire 20th century. According to estimates from the US Geological Survey, the US used 4.5 gigatons of cement between 1901 and 2000. And according to the International Cement Review, between just 2011 and 2013, China used 6.6 gigatons of cement. If You’re a Clownfish, It’s a Man’s World – Until It’s Not: Yes, all clownfish are born male. However, they also all carry reproductive organs. Any given group of clownfish are led by the dominant female, who is the largest, followed by the breeding male, and a clutch of other immature males. Whenever a dominant female dies, it’s replaced by a male when it changes its sex. This change, unsurprisingly, is irreversible. Scientists think that what causes this sex change has something to do with the clownfish’s habitat – the sea anemone. Beware of Killer Grass: Strangely, the smell of freshly cut grass is actually a distress signal from the plants themselves. Many plants emit a substance called green leaf volatiles, and some of these are emitted after a plant experiences some sort of trauma. In one study, the chemicals from the plant interacted with the saliva of grass-eating caterpillars to make them more attractive prey for their predators. So, the smell that grass emits after it’s getting cut is intended to mark whoever hurt the plant so that predators of the animal would eventually start to associate the smell with prey. Therefore, your lawn is literally trying to kill you once you start hurting it. Soup to Butterfly: Butterfly caterpillars don’t make silk cocoons; they morph into a chrysalis. And if you were to cut into a caterpillar chrysalis, you’d essentially be cutting into the caterpillar itself since their body actually forms the hard wall of the chrysalis. And again, if you did cut into the chrysalis, you’d be subjected to a load of goo seeping out that used to be said caterpillar. Because, when a caterpillar transforms into a beautiful butterfly, it breaks itself down to mush to complete the metamorphosis. The caterpillar does this by literally digesting itself. It releases enzymes that break down their body tissue. In this soup, there are a few body parts that don’t break down completely, called imaginal discs. These discs use high protein materials floating around them to start a kind of rapid cell division, which begins to create the basis of the butterfly. A Kiss is Just a Kiss – But Chocolate Really Packs a Punch: Maybe there’s a reason why chocolate has long been associated with date nights and romantic evenings. Scientifically speaking, Chocolate is more stimulating than kissing. It turns out that chocolate can affect our minds in pretty powerful ways. A study measured the level of relaxation-related brain activity (called alpha bands) that people experienced when kissing and when eating chocolate. They found that both kissing and letting chocolate melt on your tongue had spikes in this relaxed way of thinking in the brain. And it turned out that chocolate delivered a more significant spike, and its effects lasted longer than a kiss. Now, this is all well and good, and, while relaxing is a great thing, we don’t necessarily feel that relaxation is what most people are looking for when kissing. The relaxing part usually comes waaaay later. You’re a Lobster and you Look Marvelous: Lobsters don’t display senescence, which is the deterioration of the body as it ages. Lobster’s molt, shedding their exoskeleton as they grow. Their bodies are continuously growing, and their exoskeletons get heavier and heavier, thus when they molt into a new exoskeleton it takes more and more energy to take off the old one. Eventually they die because the exoskeleton just becomes too heavy to shed. This makes us wonder, if people could somehow assist the lobster with shedding the too heavy exoskeleton, does that mean you could have a lobster that would never die?? Monkey porn: Two neurobiologists conducted an experiment that explored the viewing habits of male rhesus monkeys seated in a laboratory. If a test monkey chose to look in one direction, it received a squirt of cherry juice. If it looked in another, it received a slightly larger or smaller squirt of juice, plus one of several images to look at: the face of a higher-status or lower-status monkey or the attractive back end of a female monkey. The results of the study, called “Monkey Pay Per View” wouldn’t surprise certain types of theater operators in Times Square. With remarkable consistency, the monkeys were willing to forgo a little juice – in essence, to pay extra – to look at some monkey booty. Entertainment moguls, take note. Paris Hilton Sex tape: And speaking of….well, strange as it may seem, did you know that the famous Paris Hilton sex tape of long ago starts with a memorial screen to those who died in 9/11? This is what the monkey’s told us anyway. Why Isn’t the US on the Metric System? Pirates are at least partly to blame. In 1793, Joseph Domby, a botanist and Paris aristocrat, set sail from France with two standards for the new metric system: a rod that measured exactly one meter, and a copper cylinder called a “grave” that weighed precisely one kilogram. He was journeying across the Atlantic to meet then US Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, who hoped to persuade the US Congress to ‘go metric’. However, Domby’s ship was raided by pirates who took him hostage, looted his equipment and auctioned it all off. By the time new ones were sent, Jefferson was no longer Secretary of State and no one else seemed very interested in taking up the new system. Had Your Corn Flakes This Morning? John Harvey Kellogg, who invented corn flakes in the 1890’s and started the Kellogg brand, was a health reformer and a proponent of what he called “biological living” which centered around nutrition. He believed that modern diets led people to carnal sins and that cereal was the dietary remedy and an excellent way to prevent masturbation. He felt that bland foods would lead to a reduced sex drive. While we may never be able to look at cornflakes the same way again, we can say from personal experience we are very happy that Kellogg was wrong on both counts. And we don’t even want to know what was on the mind of the inventor of Grape Nuts. Basketball Ooops: In 1891, James Naismith, a 31-year-old graduate student at what is now Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, created basketball. He approached the school janitor in his search for two square boxes to use for goals and the janitor came back with two peach baskets. Naismith nailed the baskets to the lower rim of the gymnasium balcony, one on either side. The students would play on teams to try to get the ball into their team’s basket. He had a person stationed at each end of the balcony to retrieve the ball from the basket and put it back into play. While the sport caught on, it took nearly 20 years before someone figured out that it might be a good idea to cut the bottom of the baskets out to make retrieving the ball a lot easier. The Goddess of Love Planet: Often called Earth’s evil twin, Venus spins backwards on its axis, has a surface temperature hot enough to melt lead, and has an atmosphere so thick that, from the surface, the Sun is just a smear of light. But what really blew our minds was that a day on Venus (one complete rotation around its axis) is longer that a year on Venus (a complete revolution around the sun). For some reason, that’s just a really hard concept to wrap our minds around. And Speaking of Mind Bending: In the time it takes you to read this sentence, you’ve traveled approximately 2,200 miles through space relative to the cosmic background radiation. Though humans don’t perceive it, the Earth is moving at a very high rate of speed on its rotation around the sun, approximately 66,667 mph (107,290 kph). At the same time, it’s also spinning on its axis at approximately 1,040 mph (1,675 kph). And most mind-blowing of all, the entire solar system is moving at roughly 228.6 miles per second (365 kps) relative to the cosmic background radiation. That means, in just 10 seconds, you will have traveled approximately 2,200 miles through space. Dude, Where’s My Bomb? Did you know that the US Air Force lost a nuclear bomb somewhere off the coast of Georgia? Yep. On February 5, 1958, a B-47 bomber carrying the nuclear bomb collided with an F-86 jet fighter off the coast of Georgia. The impact ripped the left wing off the F-86 and heavily damaged the fuel tanks of the B-47. The pilot of the B-47 was afraid the bomb would break loose when he landed, so he ditched the bomb in the ocean before landing the plane at Hunter Air Force Base outside Savannah, Georgia. The Navy searched for the bomb for months but never found it and today recommends it should remain in its resting place – wherever that may be. And that about wraps up our look at the wild, weird, and wonderful world of little-known facts. Amidst the laughter and astonishment, there’s a subtle reminder hidden within these crazy facts. They remind us of the infinite complexity and boundless wonder that surrounds us every day. If you listen carefully, you’ll hear the whispers of tales of resistance, adaptation, and the relentless pursuit of understanding in a world that often defies explanation. But wait! We promised to tell you the story about…. Mike the Headless Chicken: Lloyd and Clara Olsen were chicken farmers in Fruita, Colorado. On September 10, 1945, they were doing what they always did, killing chickens on their farm. Lloyd would decapitate the birds and Clara would clean them up to ready them for sale. But one of the 40 or 50 birds that went under Lloyd’s hatchet that day didn’t behave like the rest. One was still alive and walking around. And it didn’t stop. Lloyd placed the headless bird in an apple box on the farm’s screened porch for the night, and when the couple came out the next morning, the chicken was still walking around. Word spread around Fruita about the miraculous headless bird. The local newspaper picked up the story and, a couple weeks later, a sideshow promoter called Hope Wade traveled nearly 300 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah to see the bird. He had a simple proposition for the Olsen’s – take the chicken on the sideshow circuit and make some money. They said why not. First, they went to the University of Utah, where Mike was put through a series of tests. Then Lloyd, Clara, and Mike set off on a tour of the USA. Mike was fed with liquid food and water that the Olsen’s dropped directly into his esophagus. They fed him with a dropper and cleared his throat with a syringe. Then tragedy struck. The night Mike died the Olsen’s were awoken in their motel room by the sound of the bird choking. When they looked for the syringe, they realized they’d left it at the sideshow, and before they could find an alternative, Mike had suffocated. But don’t despair, by any measure Mike, bred as a fryer chicken, had had a good run. How did Mike manage to hang on for so long? For a human to lose his or her head would involve an almost total loss of the brain. For a chicken, it’s a bit different. Most of a chicken’s brain is concentrated at the back of the skull. It’s suggested that Mike survived because all or most of the brain stem remained attached to his body and that a timely blood clot prevented him from bleeding to death. Thanks to Mike and their cross-country tour, the Olsen’s earned enough to by a hay baler, two tractors, and a 1946 Chevy pickup truck. Mike is still remembered today with a statue honoring him in the Fruita, Colorado town square. Who knows what other wonders lie just beyond the horizon, waiting to be uncovered in the ever-enigmatic tapestry of existence. Tell us about something we missed in the comments below. Although it's not about a chicken, this Warren Zevon song was as close to a tribute to Mike as we could find. #facts #truth #chicken #toiletpaper #clouds #blueeyes #kevinbacon #butterfly #nemo #coffee #basketball #porn #monkey #parishilton #lobster #chocolate #venus #earth #warrenzevon #anyhigh

Sometimes known as “Corazon de Sudamerica”, which translates as “the Heart of South America”, Paraguay is one of the least visited countries in South America. This is a country so underrated that even Google Maps is struggling to find it. Which, naturally, put it at the top of our list for the first country in South America that we decided to visit in our monthly travel blog post. Forget about the overrated wonders of the world; here we’re talking about the hidden gems, the secret spots, and a land of surprises where even the chickens have a spring in their step and the hummingbirds perform salsa in mid-air. In Paraguay the national pastime isn’t soccer but “yerba mate” – a traditional tea sipped through a straw that the locals clutch with a dedication that would make a squirrel hoarding nuts blush. More about that later. It’s a place where time seems to slow down, but the enthusiasm for life speeds up. Where cows have the right of way on the roads, and where the phrase “hurry up” is met with an amused chuckle and a sip of yerba mate. American essayist and political satirist P.J. O’Rourke once said that Paraguay was “nowhere and famous for nothing.” He then took a business trip there, fell in love with the country and proceeded to move there. We think you too may be swept off your feet as we embark on a journey through the heart of South America’s best-kept secret. Paraguay is a symphony where its culture and natural environment combine harmoniously with the rhythm of that spicy Latin American flair. So, fasten your seatbelts and get ready for a wild ride through a land where laughter is the local currency, because in Paraguay, a fiesta awaits! With a population of 7.3 million, this landlocked nation is surrounded by Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina. Notwithstanding its lack of coastline, Paraguay is home to the world’s largest navy among landlocked countries. It also has a river defense corps, a coast guard, and naval aviation. There’s some debate about how Paraguay got its name. One theory states that the word means “River of the Paiaguas” after the native tribes. Another version is that the name may also mean parrot as it’s believed that the first Jesuit priests befriended a parrot named Frank. If the latter story is true, then the country could just as easily have been named “Frank” we guess. For reasons lost to history, apparently, at one point, these priests turned to Frank and made dinner out of him. Paraguay is one of the few countries that has two official languages with its native tongue – Guarani – coming first and Spanish second. 90% of the population speaks Guarani meaning the majority of the non-indigenous population still speak Guarani, which is very rare. Guarani is what’s known as an onomatopoeic language in which most of its words imitate natural sounds of animals and the surrounding environment, like music. Paraguayans often mix the two languages when speaking, a combination known as “jopara”. Sort of their version of “Spanglish” we guess. For those of you who would like to brush up on your Guarani, here’s a quick refresher for you. Paraguayans love their beer and wine, and while wine has been produced here for more than 400 years, it’s generally accepted that Paraguayan produce doesn’t match up to the prestige or flavor of the country’s Argentinian or Chilean neighbors. And although there are some great national breweries, most beer is imported from other Latin nations or the USA. The closest thing you can get to a genuinely local alcoholic beverage in Paraguay is Cana Rum. The brewing processes for this light and sweet liquor were first laid down by the Paraguayan Jesuits in the 16th century. Its formulation was perfected throughout the 20th century, and it’s now recognized as one of the nation’s iconic drinks. And if you’re looking for a never-ending supply of ice for your cocktails, look no further because Paraguay is home to the world’s largest water reserve. The Guarani Aquifer, located underneath Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina, has a volume of 40,000 cubic kilometers (9,600 cubic miles) and stretches 1.2 million sq. kilometers (464,000 sq. miles). It could supply fresh drinking water to the entire world for around 200 years. Paraguay is famous for its locally created cotton thread and a hand-woven technique women use to create beautiful designs called Ao Po’i. Ao Po’i in the Guarani language means “fine knitting” and is often used as formal wear. The cotton is cleaned and converted into thread, which is then placed on a loom, a process which can take up to a day. After weaving, it is placed in both hot and cold baths, along with yucca starch, then left to dry out in the sun. Each stitch and pattern has its own name in the Guarani language. For example, “ju’I rupi’a” means “frog’s eggs”, and is a stitch of several dots in on group Another stitch, “tatu pire”, means “armadillo shell”, and another “margarita poty”, means “daisy”. Paraguayan tablecloths crafted from Ao Po’i cloth are renowned around the world for their intricacy. Just one can take over a year to make. If you’re just pissed off at someone, Paraguay could be the place for the two of you to visit because pistol dueling is still legal here. You’ll both, however, need to be a registered blood donors to take part. And you’ll also need a professional medic on hand, for the inevitable….. Paraguay’s flag is unique among national flags as on one side it features the country’s coat of arms while on the back it has the country’s treasury seal. The red and white colors represent equality, patriotism, and courage whereas the blue represents freedom and justice. The national emblem consists of a coat of arms, an olive branch, and the nation’s motto “Paz y Justicia” which means Peace and Justice. Paraguay runs on hydro-powered electricity, in fact it makes up 100% of the country’s electricity requirements, proving that land-locked doesn’t have to mean energy-locked. The Itaipu Dam, built in 1984 at a cost of nearly USD $19.6 billion (USD $472 billion today!), was the largest dam in the world until the opening of the Three Gorges Dam in China in 2008. Built on the Parana River, the second largest river in South America after the Amazon River, and jointly run by Paraguay and Brazil, the dam is 196 meters (645 feet) in height and 8 kilometers (5 miles) long. Paraguay boasts brilliant biodiversity and bird lovers will, well, love it as the country is home to over 1,000 different types of birds. It’s also home to the America’s largest cat – the Jaguar. At the Jardín Zoológico in the capital, Asuncion, you can visit a jaguar refuge center. Ocelots and panthers prowl the country. There are hundreds of snake species, most of them harmless, except the eight species of coral snake. The piranha fish lives in Paraguay too, but – in contrast to what we’ve learnt from James Bond – they actually pose no threat to humans. The Lapacho tree, known as the Pink Trumpet Tree, is found in many South American Countries. It’s also Paraguay’s national tree. Famous for its beautiful pink leaves, it’s also known for its medicinal properties. It’s believed that the Inca’s used the Lapacho tree as an important medicine. Mate is the traditional drink for the Guarani indigenous people and, considering Paraguay is one of the few countries in South America to retain its Guarani native heritage, it’s no surprise that it’s also the national drink. Mate is an infused tea made with the yerba mate plant and boiling water. It’s usually served hot and sipped through a metal straw that’s used as a filter, but there’s a cold version of it – Terere – that is also popular in the summer. Yerba mate is a relative of common holly. Sharing a mate with friends is considered a social activity and an important part of the culture. Although frequently overlooked by travelers en-route to the rest of South America, Paraguay beckons you with its hidden wonders. And while it might be trickier to get to than most places on the continent, there’s good reason to visit. Outdoorsy types can take their pick from wildlife-rich wetlands, sand dune islands, record-breaking waterfalls and Instagrammable rock formations, while those who like the finer things will find a plethora of cocktail bars, museums, and excellent steak houses. It’s a country where time moves at its own pace and where sharing a mate is more than just a tradition – it’s an invitation to connect. So, as you contemplate your next travel destination, remember that Paraguay is more than just a place; it’s a symphony of nature, history, and laughter. Just open your mind to the unexpected and get ready for a journey through the heart of South America’s best-kept-secret. Because Paraguay isn’t just a destination; it’s an immersive experience waiting to captivate your senses, leaving you with memories as vibrant as the Lapacho tree’s pink leaves. Don’t just dream about it; let Paraguay turn your wanderlust into a fiesta of discovery. Vamos a Paraguay!! #paraguay #southamerica #yerbamate #wildlife # jaguar #paranariver #piranha #fish #latinamerica #guarani #spanish #rum #brazil #asuncion #inca #travel #explore #lonelyplanet

We’re big fans of the strange and sometimes seemingly deliberately obtuse “national days” that we keep coming across. It seems there is one for nearly everything under the sun. At some point there’ll probably be a “National Day for Penguins who Part Their Hair on the Left”, or an “International Hand Puppet Appreciation Day”. And no one country has a monopoly on the weird. For example, Japan has its National Bean Throwing day, also known as Setsubun. It takes place one day before the start of spring, usually around February 3rd. It’s a popular time in Japan, on a par even with lunar new year. On this day, and throughout the accompanying Setsubun Festival, the Japanese throw soybeans around their houses and in other places to scare off ogres and evil spirits. South Africa has its National Cleavage Day which falls (or rises…) sometime in March or April. Sponsored, unsurprisingly, by Wonderbra and a Johannesburg-based radio station, it’s all for a good cause. Events are held to raise money for the Sunflower Fund, which helps South Africans affected by blood diseases. Because nothing says ‘Let’s fight blood diseases’ like a well-supported cleavage! Then there’s Wikipedia Day. Yes, it has an official day. Each year on January 15th, Wikipedians (those folk who write and edit articles for said site) all around the world set aside their algorithm-generating keyboards for the day. Generally, they get together and eat cake or something of the sort, and revel in the 5 million+ English articles on the Wiki database. Every December 23rd, in Oaxaca, Mexico people gather to celebrate the “Night of the Radishes” (okay, so it’s a ‘night’ rather than a ‘day’, but it still counts). It’s been going on since 1897 and basically consists of everyone partaking in some hardcore radish carving. The grand prize winner takes home 15,000 pesos (about usd$900) and, presumably, more radishes than they’ll be able to eat before the next “Night” comes around. International Nose Picking Day. Uhhhh….well, ya. From what we could tell, it seems that no one really nose (sorry, couldn’t help it) when, why, or how this ‘day’ first appeared but it is observed every April 23rd. We thought, instead of a pic for this one, a hashtag might be more appropriate - #InternationalNosePickingDay And since it’s the first week of the new year, we thought we’d devote today’s blog post to a national day that happens every January 4th, National Trivia Day. This is a day that celebrates all those who accumulate and hoard tidbits of useless information. The collectors of the unconnected, the irrelevant data, factoids, history, quotes, etc. But remember, trivia isn’t necessarily trivial In ancient times, the term “trivia” meant something very new. Over time, it’s come to refer to obscure and arcane bits of dry knowledge along with nostalgic remembrances of pop culture. Things like, in 1984, over 20 million editions of the game “Trivial Pursuit” were sold in North America.  Or like, did you know that the world’s largest trivia contest is held each year in Stevens Point, Wisconsin? Spanning 54 hours with eight questions per hour, typically around 400 teams, ranging from 1 to 150 players each, participate. So, grab your knowledge caps, because we’re going to take a deep dive (well, it’s really going to be more like a quick dip) into some of the most interestingly useless information that we came across that you can use to impress, astonish, terrify, or just plain bore your friends and family with at the next gathering that you’d really rather not be at. Did you know (DYK) that the US Air Force almost nuked the moon? Yes indeed. In 1958 the US Air Force launched Project A119 involving some of America’s top scientists including a young graduate student from the University of Chicago by the name of Carl Sagan. It was the dark days of the Cold War and the Soviet Union had just shot Sputnik into space. The USA had to do something bigger and more visible, so the idea was to shoot the moon with a hydrogen bomb for the sheer visible spectacle of it. Fortunately, the plan disintegrated, mostly because the visual spectacle imagined wasn’t going to be as grand in reality. They did come up with a plan B and landed on it instead. DYK that the Matrix code is just a bunch of sushi recipes? Yep, it’s true. Among the many things that The Matrix launched into the pop-culture lexicon – like the idea that we’re all living in a vast simulation – one of the most eye-catching was its vision of digital rain. This stuff: The green lines of code that represented the technological underpinnings of reality became their iconic opening and were used at the climax of the first movie. It launched a thousand screensavers, becoming a permanent touchstone of cyberpunk iconography. Designed by Simon Whitely (who went uncredited in the films), he explained in an interview with CNet that he scanned the characters from his wife’s Japanese cookbooks. “Without that code,” Whitely said, “there is no Matrix.” (Do you suppose this means that the Matrix films are really all just a metaphor for one man’s mastery of Japanese cuisine? In which the agents are actually restaurant critics? And the attack of the Sentinels is actually just an E. Coli outbreak? That ultimately that brave sushi chef has to become a sushi Jesus in order to save the restaurant industry? It’s almost more powerful when you think of it that way.) DYK that OJ Simpson was considered for the Schwarzenegger role in The Terminator? He didn’t get it because the producers feared he was too nice to be a killer. Nuff said. DYK that your kitchen sink is dirtier than your toilet bowl? Disturbingly, it seems there’s more E. coli bacteria per square inch in your kitchen sink than in a toilet after you flush it. Bacteria feed on the food that people put down the drain and what’s left on dishes in the sink. It’s an ideal breeding ground since it’s wet and moist. That’s probably why dogs drink out of the toilet – because there’s less E. coli in it. DYK that the Eiffel Tower gets taller in the summer? When a substance is heated, its particles move more and it takes up a larger volume – this is known as thermal expansion. Conversely, a drop in temperature causes it to contract again. When the iron in the tower heats up in the summer, the tower can be up to 15 centimeters (6 inches) taller. DYK that Switzerland prohibits the ownership of just one guinea pig? Since guinea pigs are such social creatures, one guinea pig would get lonely so having one is considered animal abuse in Switzerland. DYK that a shrimp’s heart is in its head? Well, it is, along with other vital organs. Since the head is covered with an exoskeleton, it’s the most protected part of the body. It does make one wonder, if shrimp’s had arms, would they be wearing their heart on their sleeve? DYK that a flea can accelerate faster than the Space Shuttle? A jumping flea can reach dizzying heights of about eight centimeters (3 inches) in a millisecond. Acceleration, often measured in “g’s”, is the change in speed of an object over time, with one “g” equal to the acceleration caused by gravity on Earth (9.8 meters/32.2 feet per square second). Flea’s experience 100 g’s while the Space Shuttle peaked at around 5 g. DYK that sloths can hold their breath longer than dolphins? Dolphins need to come up for air every 10 minutes, but by slowing their heart rate, sloths can actually hold their breath for up to 40 minutes! And they’re really good swimmers to, just FYI. DYK that human remains are being deposited at Disney parks once a month on average? No, not an urban legend. For many people, the idea of being “interred” at the happiest place on Earth is an attractive proposition, so the parks have become popular places for people to scatter their loved ones’ remains. Disney, obviously, discourages the practice. But whenever one slips through the net, Disney staff call for a “HEPA cleanup”, which designates the specific type of vacuum cleaner necessary. The most popular place where people do scatterings? The Haunted Mansion of course. DYK the Roman Catholic Church classified beavers as fish? Yep. When Europeans came to North America and Canada, they brought the church along with them. The indigenous population slowly began converting to this religion, but one thing they couldn’t accept was the no-meat rule during Lent. The Catholic Church, in an unusual twist of nimbleness, simply decreed the beaver was a fish. DYK that Elvis Presley never did encores? That’s how the phrase “Elvis has left the building” came into being. Once his performance was over, Elvis left the building. It eventually became the sign-off for Elvis’s announcer, Al Dvorin, to signal to the hungry crowd that the evening was over. As Elvis exited the stage, Al would announce to the crowd, “Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building. Thank you and goodnight.” DYK where Three Musketeers bars got their name from? The original candy bar from the 1930’s had three different kinds of nougat: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry – hence the name. DYK that Jennifer Lopez inspired the creation of Google images? The popular tool was launched in July 2001 in response to demand for pictures of Lopez in her famous green Versace dress that she wore at the 2000 Grammy awards. One of the most distinctive red-carpet outfits in history. DYK that a Blue Whale’s heartbeat can be detected up to 2 miles away? Their hearts do weigh nearly 400 pounds after all. DYK that M&M’s are named after their creators? Yes, two businessmen, Forrest Mars (of Mars Bars fame) and Bruce Murrie (son of Hershey candy executive William Murrie), came up with the iconic candies. Granted a patent in 1941, the candies were exclusively sold to the military during World War II, enabling the heat-resistant and easy-to-transport chocolate to be included in the American soldiers’ rations. By the time the war was over, the GI’s were hooked. In 1950 the candies began to be imprinted with the “m” and customers were encouraged to “Look for the M on every piece”. The same qualities that made them durable wartime rations made them perfect for space travel and, at the request of the crew aboard NASA’s first space shuttle, Colombia, M&M’s become the first candy to rocket into space in 1981. DYK that you can’t hum while pinching your nose? Give it a shot. DYK that the longest walking distance in the world is 14,000 miles? You can actually walk from Cape Town, South Africa to Magadan, Russia without needing a vehicle. DYK that pigs can’t look up into the sky? That’s right. Because their bodies evolved in a way to prioritize finding food, their neck muscles and spine don’t bend enough to allow them to look up at the sky. They can, however, roll on their backs and look up. Difficult to take off from that position however so this may be one of the main reasons why pigs can’t fly – only in their dreams. DYK that each human tongue print is unique? Just like our fingerprints, humans have unique tongue prints as well. The color, shape, and surface features are characteristic of every individual, and this can serve as a tool for identification. The ongoing search for new secure personal identification methods has led to the use of the lingual impression or the tongue print as a method of biometric authentication. So, sometime in the not-too-far-off-future, you may have the option of unlocking your phone by licking it. In the meantime, best be careful where you put your tongue for fear of unwanted identification later. (Don’t say we didn’t warn you.) And speaking of tongues, DYK that it is impossible for most people to lick their own elbows? You’re already trying, aren’t you? While not meaning for this to turn into a study of the many uses of the tongue, DYK that a blue whale’s tongue can weigh as much as a young elephant? Indeed, the tongues of some whales are large enough that even an adult elephant could fit on it. There are so many places we could go with this that we’ll just move right along. DYK that that blob of toothpaste on your toothbrush has a name? It’s called a nurdle. DYK that John Quincy Adams had a pet alligator? Yes, the sixth President of the United States received an alligator as a gift from a French general. Granted, perhaps not the most diplomatic of gifts, we agree. The alligator was kept in one of the White House bathtubs. DYK that all dogs have dreams? And that young puppies and older dogs dream more often than adult dogs? We just want to know how the heck they know this??? DYK that more than half of our bodies are not human? That’s right, said Dr. Jekyll. Bacterial cells outnumber the human cells in our bodies. Research has found that the average human is around 56% bacteria. And there’s no place to Hyde from that! DYK that the universe’s average color is called “Cosmic Latte”? In a 2002 study, astronomers found that the light coming from galaxies averaged into a beige color that’s close to white. Barista’s take note. DYK what the fear of long words is called? This 36-letter word was first used by the Roman poet Horace in the first century BCE to criticize those writers with an unreasonable penchant for long words. It was an American poet, Aimee Nezheukumatathil, who coined the term how we know it today, possibly because she was afraid of her own surname. DYK that the dot over the “I” is called a ‘tittle’? Apparently not. And with that, we’ve come to the end of this first blogpost of 2024. We raise a toast (as always) to the peculiar, the absurd, and the utterly trivial. We hope it’s inspired some of you to embrace your inner trivia. In this vast sea of information, let’s all be sailors, navigating the waters of useless but utterly fascinating facts. We definitely feel that life is too short not to revel in the delight of the weird and wonderful. To embrace the quirkiness that is all around us. We salute the pursuit of knowledge, no matter how trivial. Tell us about some wonderfully useless facts you've come across in the comments section below. And feel free to post a pic of your nurdle or your tittle or a selfie licking your elbow, or your phone, or wherever! #trivia #information #news #barista #dog #dream #aligator #whale #elephant #tongue #pigs #sky #russia #southafrica #candy #m&m #threemuskateers #jenniferlopez #elvis #nasa #carlsagan #beaver #disney #dolphin #spaceshuttle #shrimp #switzerland #eiffeltower #sushi #matrix #moon #mexico #japan #InternationalNosePickingDay #anyhigh

We’re all pretty familiar with this Christmas carol in which the singer brags about all the cool stuff their “true love” gave to them over the course of 12 days of Christmas. Each verse builds on the previous one, serving as a really effective way of annoying family members on road trips. No one, it seems, is completely certain where the song originated. The earliest known version first appeared in a 1780 children’s book called Mirth With-out Mischief. Most historians agree that it was designed as a “memory and forfeits” game, where the singer would test their recall of the lyrics and had to award their opponents a “forfeit” – a kiss or favor of some kind – if they made a mistake. The song that we’re all familiar with today was written by an English composer named Frederic Austin in 1909. As a refresher: Day 1: On the first day of Christmas, My true love gave to me, A partridge in a pear tree. (at this point the song adds a gift for each day, building on the verse before it, until you’re reciting all 12 gifts together by the end) Day 2: Two turtle doves Day 3: Three French hens Day 4: Four calling birds Day 5: Five gold rings Day 6: Six geese a-laying Day 7: Seven swans a-swimming Day 8: Eight maids a-milking Day 9: Nine ladies dancing Day 10: Ten lords a-leaping Day 11: Eleven pipers piping Day 12: Twelve drummers drumming All the gifts seem to make sense, more or less. Assuming of course that the gift recipient is a true bird lover since they’ll have 23 of them by the end of it. And also assuming they had a very large house for, by the end of the 12 days, they would be caring for - and feeding - an additional 50 people. The one that always gave us pause, however, was the ten ‘lords a-leaping’. I mean, who were these guys? A dance troupe fallen on hard times? Some Brits who were expelled from the House of Lords for jumping around and disrupting meetings all the time? It’s always been the main one we’ve had a hard time wrapping our mind around. Dancing lords aside, we found a uniquely wonderful website that calculates the cost of each of the gifts in the song based on current market rates. It’s put out annually by PNC financial services group and is their Christmas Price Index. They’ve been putting it out since 1984 and the total for 2023 comes to $46,729! This is a 2.7% increase over 2022 (in 1984 the total came to just $12,623 which today wouldn’t even cover the cost of those damn lords a-leaping - $14,539). That assumes you gave just one of each gift. If you counted each mention of an item separately (that would be 364 gifts in all) then we’re talking an eye-watering $201,972!! There have been countless versions of this song throughout the years. Some traditional and some, not so much. Here’s a few that we thought you might want to gather the family around and give a watch & listen to: John Denver & The Muppets (This is about as traditional as we get) Alan Sherman’s 12 Days of the Ultimate Santa Non-Wish List (Classic 1960’s comedy) Daniel Ferguson’s 12 Days of Star Wars Christmas (May the force of the holidays be with you) Bob & Doug McKenzie’s 12 Days of Canadian Christmas (Canadians, eh?) Jeff Foxworthy’s 12 Days of Redneck Christmas (We reckon this one speaks for itself) Destiny’s Child 8 Days of Christmas (Ya, we realize this one's only got 8 days, but you get Beyonce, so…) Now, don’t get nervous because we here at AnyHigh.life are not going to sing for you in a video. But, after all this talk about the 12 Days of Christmas, it wouldn’t make much sense if we didn’t give you our own take on the song. With the holidays in full swing, festivities and get-togethers are kicking into high gear. And, in our humble opinion, no party is really complete without a few seasonal (or otherwise) drinks. Drinks meant to warm the body and soothe the soul. Which brings us to Anyhigh’s Consumable Twelve Days of Christmas. The art of the holiday drink takes many forms around the world. Our 12-step gift to you today is a list we’ve put together of what we think might be some of the planet’s tastiest holiday tipples complete with ingredients and recipes. We’re pretty sure that, if you drink enough of these, you’ll find yourself in a pretty festive mood pretty quickly. We suggest starting with one on day one, two on day two, and by the twelfth day you’ll have twelve cocktails to work your way through. That’s assuming you last past day eight! Day 1: On the first day of Christmas my bartender gave to me, A Pear Tree Martini Recipe here Day 2: On the second day of Christmas my bartender gave to me, Two Colada Morada’s Recipe here …and a Pear Tree Martini. Day 3: On the third day of Christmas my bartender gave to me, Three Dark Horses… Recipe here …two Colada Morada’s, and a Pear Tree Martini. Day 4: On the fourth day of Christmas my bartender gave to me, Four White Russians… Recipe here …three Dark Horses, two Colada Morada’s, and a Pear Tree Martini. Day 5: On the fifth day of Christmas my bartender gave to me, Five Hot Toddy’s… Recipe here …four White Russians, three Dark Horses, two Colada Morada’s, and a Pear Tree Martini. Day 6: On the sixth day of Christmas my bartender gave to me, Six Glogg’s from Sweden…. Recipe here …five Hot Toddy’s, four White Russians, three Dark Horses, two Colada Morada’s, and a Pear Tree Martini. Day 7: On the seventh day of Christmas, my bartender gave to me, Seven Irish Coffee’s… Recipe here …six Glogg’s from Sweden, five Hot Toddy’s, four White Russians, three Dark Horses, two Colada Morada’s, and a Pear Tree Martini. Day 8: On the eighth day of Christmas, my bartender gave to me, Eight Moscow Mules…. Recipe here …seven Irish Coffee’s, six Glogg’s from Sweden, five Hot Toddy’s, four White Russians, three Dark Horses, two Colada Morada’s, and a Pear Tree Martini. Day 9: On the ninth day of Christmas, my bartender gave to me, Nine Whiskey Sours…. Recipe here …eight Moscow Mules, seven Irish Coffee’s, six Glogg’s from Sweden, five Hot Toddy’s, four White Russians, three Dark Horses, two Colada Morada’s, and a Pear Tree Martini. Day 10: On the tenth day of Christmas, my bartender gave to me, Ten Cousin Eddie’s…. Recipe here …nine Whiskey Sours, eight Moscow Mules, seven Irish Coffee’s, six Glogg’s from Sweden, five Hot Toddy’s, four White Russians, three Dark Horses, two Colada Morada’s, and a Pear Tree Martini. Day 11: On the eleventh day of Christmas, my bartender gave to me, Eleven Bombardino’s…. Recipe here …ten Cousin Eddie’s, nine Whiskey Sours, eight Moscow Mules, seven Irish Coffee’s, six Glogg’s from Sweden, five Hot Toddy’s, four White Russians, three Dark Horses, two Colada Morada’s, and a Pear Tree Martini. Day 12: On the twelfth day of Christmas, my bartender gave to me, Twelve Tom & Jerry’s…. Recipe here …eleven Bombardino’s, ten Cousin Eddie’s, nine Whiskey Sours, eight Moscow Mules, seven Irish Coffee’s, six Glogg’s from Sweden, five Hot Toddy’s, four White Russians, three Dark Horses, two Colada Morada’s, and a Pear Tree Martini! As we wrap up this festive exploration into the 12 Days of Christmas, we can’t help but marvel at the absurdity and the charm of a song that’s been perplexing people for generations. Whether you’re pondering the questionable acrobatics of the ten lords a-leaping or calculating the modern-day price tag of the entire gift list, the song remains both a holiday staple and a delightful enigma. It’s a reminder that holiday traditions, much like those lords, can take unexpected leaps into the realm of the comically confusing. And speaking of leaps, we’ve taken a leap of our own this week into the realm of holiday spirits – literally. Our journey through twelve days of cocktails is not just a list: it’s a liquid celebration, a spirited symphony for your taste buds and a “salud” to the holiday season. From the Pear Tree Martini on the first day to the cozy embrace of Twelve Tom & Jerry’s on the twelfth, we hope some of them were new to you and that each drink rings a festive note in the grand carol of your holiday imbibing. If you manage to make it through all twelve concoctions, consider yourself a true holiday mixologist, not to mention someone truly worthy of our admiration! As we’ve raised our glasses, time and time again, we hope you appreciated the diverse interpretations of the classic song. Because these versions showcase that holiday cheer comes in many forms, each as unique as the individuals sharing their own version of it. So, whether you find yourself surrounded by dancing lords or holding on tight to your eighth Moscow Mule, here’s to a season filled with laughter, libations, and the chaos that makes the holidays so unforgettable. May your days be merry, your cocktails be plentiful, and your ice cubes always be shining bright. We’ll see you in the new year. Cheers! #12daysofchristmas #twelvedaysofchristmas #christmas #songs #holidaycheer #cocktails #johndenver #muppets #alansherman #comedy #danielferguson #starwars #canada #jefffoxworthy #redneck #destinyschild #beyonce #martini #colada #whiskey #whiskeysour #moscowmule #hottoddy #irishcoffee #whiterussian #holidays #merrychristmas #sinatra #bingcrosby #cheers #anyhigh

This month it seemed to make sense that our continuing virtual journey around the world should take us to where Santa Claus lives. Now we all know who Santa is despite never seeing him in person on the one night of the year he visits each of us. We all think we know what he looks like, who he employs in his workshop, that for 364 days a year he’s pretty much a homebody, and many of us have even sat on his pseudo-knee. But even though he’s one of the most famous people in the world, no-one knows where he really lives. There are rumors about his address of course. And the place usually pointed to most is the North Pole. But since the North Pole is really just a collection of ice caps in the sea it would be difficult for him to have a home there let alone a fully staffed toy-making factory, regardless of how small in stature said staff may actually be. Not to mention the fact that Rudolph and the other reindeer he uses to pull his sleigh wouldn’t have anything to eat except fish. Different countries lay claim to different locations as Santa’s place of residence. In Norway, they believe he lives in the town of Drobak, while the Danes believe he lives somewhere in Greenland. There’s a town in Sweden called Mora which has a theme park in Santa’s honor as they believe he’s originally from there. Some old legends even have Santa living in Turkey and the Canadians have tried to claim him as one of their own due to his supposed residence at the North Pole, of which they own parts. They also claim his iconic red and white outfit mirrors the Canadian flag, and the Canadian postal service receives more letters to the great man than any other. There’s even reports that satellite imagery every December 24th shows Santa’s journey starting in Canada. Another popular suggestion is Lapland (which actually encompasses sections of northern Sweden, Norway, and Finland), where people claim to have actually met the great man himself. Trips to visit Santa in Lapland are very popular and thousands of lucky children have done just that. They seem pretty convinced the Santa they met was the genuine article as his reindeer and elves were also there to vouch for him. While some of these places might seem to make more sense than others, for the purposes of this month’s travel blog post, we had to make a decision. And we’ve settled on Korvatunturi in the Lapland area of northern Finland as the likeliest candidate. But given that Korvatunturi is a bit small, we’re going to make the larger area of Finnish Lapland the focus of today’s travelblog. So, grab a warm jacket and fill your Saint Bernard’s water bottle with egg nog as we head out to the frozen northern reaches of Finland in search of all things Santa and more. Korvatunturi is a fell in Lapland, on the border between Finland and Russia in the municipality of Savukoski (a “fell”, from Old Norse “fjall” or mountain, is a high and barren landscape feature, such as a mountain range or moor-covered hills). In Finnish the name Korvatunturi means “Ear Fell”, or “Ear Mountain”. It’s said that the one-hundred-meter-tall ear shaped rock formation wasn’t formed by chance but was the result of an amazing engineering project. The ear mimics the structure of an elf’s ear including even a giant ear canal. When standing on the far end of the canal it’s said you can hear even the quietest whispers from the other side of the world. Talk about Big Brother, this may be the answer to how Santa keeps track of who’s been naughty or nice all year round. The distance to Korvatunturi from the nearest municipal center of Savukoski village is 135 km (85 miles). Savukoski is home to Finland’s second largest national park with stunning nature trails and, they claim, the world’s cleanest air. From the gate of the Urho Kekkonen National Park it’s another 18 km (11 miles) to the Ear Fell but, since there is no road from this point, you get there either by walking, skiing, or snowmobiling along a trail used by the border patrol and reindeer herders. If you are going to the Ear Fell you will need a border zone permit which can be gotten either by local guides or by going to www.rafa.fi or www.suomi.fi The most secret parts of the Ear Fell, the private residence of the Claus’s and their army of elves, are not open to visitors. The secrets of Christmas must be protected after all, and the elves require a peaceful working environment as they are easily distracted. You can, however, leave a message for Santa at the shelter hut of the border patrol. Now, while you might not find any elves, you will find plenty of reindeer (they outnumber people in this part of Finland 12 to 1!), forests, stony fells, and spectacular Arctic wilderness in this northernmost region of Finland. Finnish Lapland makes up nearly one third of the country and is located above the Artic Circle. The word itself is derived from "Lapp" - Scandinavians used this word to refer to the indigenous Sami people, who have been living in the region since ancient times. The Sami find the word "Lapland" offensive and prefer to use their own language and refer to this region as "Sápmi". With a population of 62,000, the main city, and capital of Lapland province is Rovaniemi, located on the Arctic Circle. It’s about a ten-hour drive from Helsinki, Finland’s capital, or an 8–10-hour train ride (click HERE to book your train in advance). Known as the culinary capital of Northern Finland, in Rovaniemi you can sample local delights such as grilled whitefish, sauteed reindeer seasoned with wild herbs, and sweet berries that have ripened under the Midnight Sun. Rovaniemi is also the official tourist home of Santa Claus. The winter months (“True Winter” = Dalvve in Finnish) from December to March are the coldest, with average temperatures ranging from -10C to -15C (15F to 5F). Because you’re above the Artic Circle, you can expect only about 3 hours/day of sunlight in January and around six hours/day in February. We guess this is just as well for, after that one wild night a year away from Mrs. Claus, Santa probably needs a couple of solid months to sleep it off. Now, while “True Winter” might seem an odd time to plan a trip to Finnish Lapland, it’s actually the best time. Because, while never a guarantee, this is the time of year when you have the best chance of seeing the Northern Lights. Rovaniemi is home to one of the largest ice hotels in the region. This hotel, the Arctic SnowHotel & Glass Igloos, is made entirely of snow and ice. You’ll actually be sleeping on a bed of ice, but there’s no need to worry about being cold with the extreme weather sleeping bags and reindeer fur they provide. (Due to the extreme cold however, the hotel does recommend a maximum stay of only one-night…..). They even have an alarm system that goes off when the Northern Lights come out, so you won’t have to worry about sleeping through them. Visit Santa Claus Village: Since the real residence and workshop are permanently off-limits to visitors, this is the next best thing to being there. The village has all sorts of festive activities on offer, including a visit to the actual post office where Santa’s mail gets sorted. There’s a reindeer park, husky sledding through the forest, or a relaxing ice spa available. You can check out what’s happening at Santa’s Village here at their live feed: Snowmobiling Safari: Looking for a little adventure? A snowmobiling safari through Finnish Lapland would be a good option. These tours can be tailored to fit your needs and are a great way to see some of the most remote and beautiful regions. Keep an eye out for reindeer and elk. Hot Chocolate in a Teepee: If you’re looking for a unique experience, this could be for you. The traditional tents are made from animal skins and are a popular way to spend an evening in Lapland. You will learn about the Finnish culture and the Sami people from the local guides. And for help in seeing the Northern Lights - regardless of whether they’re there or not - add some Minttu Peppermint, the local liqueur, to your hot chocolate. Dog Sledding: No matter where you are in Finnish Lapland, there will likely be a husky sled tour waiting to take you through some of the most beautiful landscapes on earth. And you’ll even get to drive the dog team yourself. Ice Fishing: Fishing is a popular pastime in Finnish Lapland, and ice fishing is one of the most challenging ways to do it. There are ice fishing tours available, but the locals know all the best spots and will be more than happy to show you how it’s done. If you’re successful, you’ll catch some super tasty fish. A Sauna? They got a million of ‘em! Actually, there are over 3 million saunas in Finland. That’s an average of one sauna for every two people who live there (or one sauna for every 24 reindeer). Saunas are a big part of Finnish culture and smoke saunas are popular (and not at all the same thing you might be expecting from a “smoke” sauna in Thailand or Los Angeles). These are heated with wood and the smoke from the wood gives the sauna its name. A rule to remember – the last person to throw water on the sauna should always be the last to leave. Since each time you throw water on it, the temperature gets hotter, beware of being the last person standing! I’ll Have Mine Inside & On the Rocks: After sweating yourself silly in a sauna, might we suggest a visit to an Ice Bar for a drink. These bars are very popular and made entirely of ice. Most have an igloo-like structure, with ice walls and ice furniture. They also have ice sculptures and drinks are served in – get this – ice cold glasses! If you order bottle service and your waiter turns out to be a bit slow in checking back, you can always just chip off a piece of the table or chair to refresh your drink. Ice Floating: You’ve heard of floating on air, but ice floating? Well, it really is a thing in Finnish Lapland. This is where you float in a hole carved out in the ice on a river or lake. You’ll be wearing an insulated wetsuit with no chance (so they say) of water getting through to your skin, so you don’t have to worry about hypothermia. Another way to ensure that you avoid hypothermia is to schedule a second visit to that sauna instead (see above). Cruising on an Icebreaker: How many places on the planet would you have the chance to do this? An icebreaker cruise will let you discover the frozen waters of the Bothnian Sea. You’ll get to experience the massive ice breaking power of the vessel, tour the engine rooms and visit the captain’s bridge. Santa Claus Golf: Yes, believe it or not you can play a round of golf year-round in Rovaniemi, often with reindeer cheering you on as they like to hang around the golf course. In June and July, you can actually golf around the clock since, here in the land of the midnight sun the sun doesn’t set at all during these two months. And during “true winter” the greens become “whites”, golf carts are swapped out for sleds, and white golf balls become bright orange ones. On the snowy fairways some of the ‘whites’ are situated on the frozen lakes of the course. As our virtual journey draws to a close, from golf to icebreaking to Santa Claus, you can see that Finnish Lapland has a lot to offer. It’s an active outdoor destination and often referred to as Europe’s last great wilderness. We’ve focused mainly on winter activities, but in the summer it’s the land of the Midnight Sun when you can go mountain bike riding, hike through the virgin wilderness, or simply take in the views from a hot tub pretty much 24/7. There’s so much to do year-round that the locals say that there are actually eight seasons in Lapland. So, beyond the tales of Santa Claus, the magic of this Arctic wonderland lingers in the crisp, snowy air. Finnish Lapland is a symphony of untouched nature, vibrant culture, and warm-hearted locals. It’s more than a destination; it’s a sanctuary for those seeking not just a vacation but an escape into the untamed beauty of Europe’s last great wilderness. Whether staring up in wonder at the Northern Lights, sipping hot chocolate in a traditional teepee, or racing through the snowy expanses on a husky sled, Finnish Lapland beckons with a promise – a promise of adventure, wonder, and a timeless connection with nature. So, we suggest you bundle up, embrace the chill, and let the spirit of Lapland awaken your sense of awe. For in this frozen realm, where Santa Claus might just be around the corner, every moment becomes a cherished memory, etched into the snow-covered landscapes of your heart. Have you been to Finland? Have you met Santa Claus? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below. #rovaniemi #savukoski #finland #korvatunturi #canada #turkey #santaclaus #santa #elves #reindeer #russia #scandanavia #norway #sweden #lapland #greenland #rudolph #northpole #arctic #northernlights #sami #winter #arcticcircle #snow #safari #dogs #fishing #sauna #cocktails #golf #anyhigh

Albert Einstein, a name synonymous with genius, forever altered our understanding of the universe and our place in it through his groundbreaking contributions to theoretical physics. Born on March 14, 1879, in Ulm, Germany, Einstein’s intellectual prowess led him to become one of the most renowned scientists in history. His work, including the formulation of the theory of relativity, catapulted him to international fame, earning him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921. Einstein’s importance extends beyond his scientific achievements; he was a symbol of intellectual curiosity, a champion of civil rights, and a tireless advocate for peace. His iconic equation, E=mc2, encapsulates his profound insights into the relationship between energy and mass, fundamentally reshaping our understanding of the physical world. Despite his towering intellect and amazing insights, Einstein had a playful sense of humor. He was known for his absent-mindedness, often losing track of everyday items like his keys or socks. His unruly hair, a signature feature, became a quirky symbol of his brilliance, a testament to a mind ceaselessly engaged in cosmic contemplation. Albert Einstein’s wife often suggested that he dress more professionally when he was heading off to work. “Why should I?” he would invariably argue. “Everyone knows me there.” When the time came for Einstein to attend his first major conference, his wife begged him to dress up a bit. “Why should I?” said Einstein. “No one knows me there.” There’s a famous story about Einstein and his driver. It took place early in his career, before he’d won the Nobel Prize and before his image became an iconic symbol of science. At the time the two were traveling around universities for Einstein to lecture on his newly introduced theory of relativity. One day on their way to a university, his driver jokingly said to him, "Mr. Einstein, I've heard this lecture of yours more than 30 times. I've learned it by heart, and I bet I could hold it myself". "Well, I'll give you the chance," Einstein replied. "They don't know me at the next university, so when we get there, I'll put your hat on my head and you introduce yourself as Einstein and you hold the lecture." At the lecture hall, the driver delivered Einstein's lecture flawlessly. When he finished and the two were getting ready to leave, one of the professors stopped the pseudo-Einstein (the real driver) and asked him a very difficult question. The purpose of the question was not to accumulate knowledge but to make Einstein feel uncomfortable. The driver thought quickly. "The answer to this problem is so simple..." he replied. "I'm surprised you have to ask me. In fact, to show you how simple it is, I'll get my driver to come over here and answer your question." The real Einstein then stood up and gave a flawless answer to the professor's question, while still pretending to be the driver. Once, when asked to explain his theory of relativity, Einstein responded with a smile, “When you are courting a nice girl, an hour seems like a second. When you sit on a red-hot cinder, a second seems like an hour. That’s relativity.” Albert Einstein’s intelligence test. Over a century ago, Albert Einstein devised a difficult puzzle that he referred to as his “intelligence test” - what we’re calling “The Einstein Mystery”. The famous scientist claimed that only 2% of people could solve it. Why? Because the clues to the riddle relied on orderly thinking, logic, and a heaping dose of patience. All of which, apparently, the average person has in very short supply. If you fail the test, it doesn't mean you're not intelligent. It just means you're more scattered in your thinking, or you lose your patience more easily than the ones who pass it. You are provided with a series of assumptions, clues, with simply one question to find the answer to at the end. Solving it shouldn't take more than 30 minutes or so. We recommend a quiet place, and be sure to follow the clues carefully. Assumptions: 1. There are five houses, each a different color. 2. In each house lives one person, each of a different nationality. 3. Each resident likes a certain drink, smokes a certain brand of cigarettes, and owns a certain pet. 4. None of the 5 people drink the same drink, smoke the same brand of cigarettes, nor own the same pet. Clues: a. The Brit lives in the red house; b. The Swede has a dog; c. The Dane enjoys drinking tea; d. The green house is to the left of the white house; e. The person who stays in the green house drinks coffee; f. The person who smokes Pall Mall has a bird; g. The person who stays in the middle house drinks milk; h. The person who stays in the yellow house smokes Dunhill; i. The Norwegian lives in the first house; j. The Marlboro smoker lives next to the one with a cat; k. The person who owns a horse lives next to the Dunhill smoker; l. The Camel smoker drinks beer; m. The Norwegian lives next to the blue house; n. The German smokes Rothmans; o. The Marlboro smoker has a neighbor who drinks water. Question: Who owns the fish tank? Give us your answers in the comments below. And you don’t need to cheat by searching online to solve this. Because “The Einstein Mystery” also comes with the correct answer – which we’ll be providing to you in our Forum’s - Way Out There section next week. That will give you time to figure it out for yourself first. Good luck! #einstein #relativity #science #test #intelligence #riddle #funny #fun #discover #questions #answers #anyhigh

Our topic for this week is beavers. Now it’s a fair enough question for you to be asking at this point - “why”? The answer is because beavers are fascinating creatures that have captured the imagination and curiosity of humans from time immemorial. These industrious animals (rodents to be exact) are known for their ability to construct elaborate dams and lodges, creating entire ecosystems in the process. With their distinctive flat tails, webbed hind feet, and sharp incisors, beavers have adapted to life in and around bodies of fresh water, making them excellent swimmers and engineers. Indeed, beavers are such unique creatures that Shakespeare devoted a whole subgenre of his writings to them. He referred to this collection as “Shakespeare’s Beaver Tales”. Their existence remains largely unknown as they were once regarded as highly controversial, resulting in only a limited number of individuals being aware of them. They challenged the societal norms of the day and ridiculed the establishment by putting beavers in the place of kings, queens, and all members of the elite. Due to their satirical nature, and as a tip of the hat to the plays’ protagonists, they were performed only in underground theaters to special invitation only audiences. Today, schools don’t teach or even acknowledge the existence of these long-lost plays that celebrated what might be called a “Rodent Renaissance”. The elitist viewpoint being, if it was widely known that Shakespeare devoted a considerable amount of his energy to writing plays about beavers it would somehow detract from his more well-known body of work. We have been fortunate enough to locate some of these little-known and long-hidden works and will be providing a selection of quotes from them, along with the plays name, interspersed with our look at that uniquely singular rodent, the beaver. So, here’s to you Will! Now, gentle reader, thou might be pondering the sheer audacity of suggesting that the great Shakespeare devoted quill to parchment for tales of beavers. Fear not, for thou art not alone in thy disbelief. As we delve into this clandestine world of rodent revelry, let us collectively suspend our disbelief and revel in the beaver-infused brilliance that hath long been hidden beneath the dust of time. Upon yon verdant stage, where the dappled sunlight doth waltz with the shadows of ancient trees, a troupe of creatures cometh forth, their industrious exploits a tale to rival the most storied dramas of Shakespearean lore. Hark, for we delve into the woodlands, where the beaver, a silent protagonist of the aqueous realm, assumes the mantle of an unwitting Shakespearean hero. With paws that wield the tools of creation, and a cunning that rivals the most astute characters of the Bard’s quill, the beaver tales unfold – narratives wrought with the poetry of nature and the toil of an architect unburdened by the limits of human endeavor. Indeed, a tale that Ayn Rand herself spoke enviously of in one of her lesser-known works entitled “The Beaver Shrugged”. Thus, fair reader, as the body of the blog post draws on apace, let the curtain rise on this woodland theater. Verily, we shall embark upon an exploration of the beaver’s saga, with pomp, with triumph and with reveling, where the currents of fate flow as surely as the streams they divert, where the industrious dam-builders taketh center stage, and the echoes of Shakespearean verse resonate in the ceaseless rustle of the leaves. Beavers used to be really big: Beavers are amphibious rodents and are native to North America, Europe, and Asia. They are thickset and heavy, about 1.2 m (4 ft) long, including a 30 cm (1 ft) paddle-shaped, scaly, flat tail; they weigh as much as 32 kg (70 lb). Their legs are short and their hind feet large and webbed. They use their forepaws like hands. During the last Ice Age beavers were giant. They grew up to 2.5 m (8 ft) long and weighed up to 160 kg (350 lb). “To be a beaver, or not to be a beaver: that is the question: Whether ‘tis nobler in the tail, to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous hunters, or to take arms against a pond of troubles.” Beaverlet, Act III, Scene I Beaver Dams can be enormous: Beavers build dams and lodges using tree branches, vegetation, rocks, and mud. Dams restrict water flow, and lodges serve as shelters. The dams are engineered according to the speed of the water; in slow water the dam is built straight, but in fast water the dam is built with a curve in it. This provides stability so that the dam won’t be washed away. The world’s largest known beaver dam stretches for 850 meters (2,800 ft) in the wilderness of northern Alberta, Canada. It was discovered after being spotted on a satellite image in 2007 (Great Wall of China, eat your heart out). Scientists believe multiple generations of beavers have been working on the dam since the 1970’s. In 2014, explorer Rob Mark became the first person to ever reach the dam. “All the world’s a dam, and all the beavers merely players; Their lodges have their exits and entrances, and one beaver in his time builds many parts.” As You Build It, Act II, Scene VII Tales of Beaver Tails: The beaver’s most notable feature is its large, flat tail. The tail can serve as a rudder when swimming and it also assists them when sitting or standing upright. When they sense danger, beavers strike their tail on the surface of the water which will serve as a warning to their fellow animals. Of course, sometimes they likely just do it for fun. Beavers don’t hibernate in winter so, in addition to hanging out with the food they’ve stored in their lodge, their tail serves as a fat storage area which helps them to survive. “To thine own tail be true.” Beaverlet, Act I, Scene III Better in Water than on Land: Beavers look pretty funny while on land, but when they’re in the water it’s a whole different story. They can swim up to five miles per hour in water. In addition, their fur is naturally oily and waterproof, which helps them keep dry and warm even when submerged for long periods. And beavers can hold their breath for up to 15 minutes underwater. They have transparent eyelids that serve as goggles and eye and nose valves that shut to keep water out when they swim. “Once more unto the water and into the dam, dear friends, once more; Or close the wall up with our beaver kin. In peace there’s nothing so becomes a beaver, as modest stillness and humility.” Beaver V, Act III, Scene I Beavers are helpless romantics: Well, at least they’re monogamous. Dams are usually started by a young male looking for love or by a mated-for-life new couple. A whole beaver family – mom, dad, young kids, and yearlings – will live together in a single dam. After their first year, the young help their parents with repairs to the dams and lodges, and older siblings may also help raise newly born offspring. “Sweet, so would I; Yet I should kill thee with much munching. Good lunch, good dinner! Chewing is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be breakfast time in the morrow.” Beavero and Beaverette, Act II, Scene II Iron Teeth: No, not a reference to a James Bond baddie. We’re talking about beaver teeth. They’re orange in color from an iron-rich protective coating of enamel that helps prevent tooth decay and strengthens them. This iron-rich enamel makes them incredibly strong, sharp, and orange. Their front teeth stick out of their lips, but don’t let the goofy look fool you. They can chew up an eight-foot tree within five minutes. Their teeth are so strong that they can cut through trees, shrubs, and branches that they then drag to add as a foundation to their lodges and dams. “If tree bark be the food of love, chew on; give me excess of it, that overfeeding.” Twelfth Dam, Act I, Scene I Beaver Paratroopers: In 1948, new human inhabitants began moving into the western portion of Idaho, which had been a wooded wilderness for centuries. And they began to clash with some of the original inhabitants – especially the local beaver population. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game wanted to put these threatened beavers in a nearby protected area, but they didn't know how to get them there. Elmo Heter, an employee of the Idaho Fish and Game Department, devised an ingenious solution: by using surplus parachutes from World War II, the department could drop boxes of beavers into the backcountry by plane. The specially-designed wooden boxes would open on impact. After some careful calibrations, and a beaver test-pilot named Geronimo, 76 beavers made the skydive into the reserve. And all but one survived the fall. “Friends, beavers, countrymen, lend me your tails; I come to bury food for the winter, not to consume it with praise.” Julius Beaver, Act III, Scene II Beavers don’t bite off their own testicles: While this one may sound pretty obvious, up until the 14th or 15th centuries, people thought that beavers actually did this. The myth originated with the ancient Egyptians, who had hieroglyph’s depicting a beaver chewing off his testicles. In the West, Aesop wrote about the myth in his famous fables: “When pursued, the beaver runs, but when he sees he cannot escape, he will bite off his own testicles and throw them to the hunter, and thus escape death.” The myth lived on in The Medieval Bestiary well into the Middle Ages. In 1188 Gerald of Wales, gave a more detailed account saying that the beaver will “ransom his body by the sacrifice of a part,” and adds that once castrated, “he has the sagacity to run to an elevated spot, and there lifting up his leg, shows the hunter that the object of his pursuit is gone.” It turns out what our ancients had confused for testicles were in fact small external bumps that connect to internal castor sacs, which produce an oily castoreum. By rubbing its bum all over logs and rocks and such, the beaver marks its territory with the oil’s musky, vanilla-esque scent. And this vanilla scent was much prized by hunters. Of course, the very word “castoreum” seems to have an obvious cousin: castration. The Latin word for beaver is “castor” but it doesn’t share the same root as castration. Castor comes from the Sanskrit for musk. This etymological confusion no doubt played a part in helping to perpetuate this strange and somewhat uncomfortable myth. “A beaver! A Beaver! My kingdom for a beaver!” Beaver III, Act V, Scene IV Putting the cart before the beaver: Gerald of Wales brought us even more detailed information about the beaver’s strange lifestyle in his 1188 book Journey Through Wales. He claimed that when constructing their dams, beavers “make use of the animals of their own species instead of carts.” A few individuals obey “the dictates of nature” and “receive on their bellies the logs of wood cut off by their associates.” Holding tight with their feet, and having “transverse pieces placed in their mouths,” the unfortunate workers are "drawn along backwards, with their cargo, by other beavers, who fasten themselves with their teeth to the raft.” They were, in essence, living skis. (We think-eth that Gerald may have stumbled-eth across some magical mushrooms during his journey across-eth Wales.) “We are such stuff as dams are made on, and our little lodges are rounded for our sleep.” The Beaverfest, Act IV, Scene I Beavers are geniuses: We’re guessing that by now you already know this. But, to drive the point home, beavers are often called ecological engineers. They are one of the few animals that can manipulate their surroundings to create a suitable habitat but that isn’t the only reason why they are considered ecological engineers —the dams they build create wetlands which are essential habitats for thousands of species. These wetlands sponge up floodwaters, alleviate drought, lessen erosion, and act as the earth’s kidneys that purify water. Wetlands also prevent wildfires from spreading, as well as serving as a reservoir for animals who need water to survive.Beavers are considered keystone species, in other words, they are critical for the health of the environment. Out, out swift timber! This beaver, a lumbering silhouette, this humble builder; that dams and labors in its span, and then is heard no more: it has been a tale, told by a rodent, full of industry and rustling, signifying nothing more than the shaping of a dam. Macbeaver, Act V, Scene V Thus, we’ve come to the end of this brief look into the life and times of the beaver. Not to mention exposing a side of Shakespeare that he kept mostly hidden, only sharing with his closest friends. But before thou judgest the legitimacy of Shakespeare’s Beaver Tales, ponder this: didst thou ever imagine the Bard taking a break from his tragic soliloquies and romantic sonnets to compose odes to beavers? Aye, ‘tis a whimsical thought indeed. But, gentle reader, we hope you were able to suspend thy skepticism and enjoyed this journey into the beaver-infested corners of Elizabethan drama. We trust that was the case and thought it most appropriate to let the Bard have the final word in today’s post. So, we’ll end with the final stanza from one of his most popular underground plays – A Midsummer Beaver’s Dream, Act V, Scene I Robin the Beaver If we beavers have caused dismay, Consider this, and all will be okay, You merely dozed in your cozy den, While these whimsical visions did then begin. This feeble tale, a mere reverie, No more substantial than a dam you see, Dear readers, do not take offense, If you forgive, we’ll make recompense. And, as I am an honest beaver true, If fortune unearned has come to you, To escape the serpent’s hiss so sly, Amends we’ll make, we won’t deny. Lest you call this beaver a fibber’s kin, Bid you goodnight, let amends begin. Extend your paws, if we’re in accord, And Robin the beaver will mend what’s stored. #beavers #rodents #shakespeare #drama #comedy #tragedy #rodent #verse #aynrand #anyhigh

Embarking on the daily odyssey of consciousness can be as daunting as deciphering hieroglyphs, but for the elixir that has woven itself into the tapestry of human existence – coffee. From the incense-laden coffeehouses of ancient Constantinople to the bustling cafes of modern metropolises, this caffeinated concoction has stood the test of time, transcending cultural epochs with a promise encapsulated in that first, tantalizing sip. Whether you prefer the unabashed boldness of a simple black brew or dance with hazelnut-tinged concoctions over ice, the symphony of coffee’s myriad preparations has become nothing short of a daily ritual, a steaming testament to the fluidity of our tastes and the rigidity of our schedules. But hold onto your coffee cups, for behind this aromatic veil lies a clandestine empire – over USD $85 billion in the United States alone. As we dive into the depths of coffee through the ages, we will harvest a trove of revelations that are as invigorating as that first morning espresso. Because today we are taking a musical look at coffee - from the trivial to the fascinating to the downright bizarre. With a dollop of musical salutes to coffee along the way. Like this one by Bob Marley – “One Cup of Coffee”… Whether you grind your own beans at home, indulge in the convenience of a pod, like yours instant and delicious, or wander each day over to the local coffee sanctuary for your cup of liquid gold, join us as we traverse the rich, piping hot goodness of coffee’s history and cultural significance. The coffee pot is percolating, and the time has come to embark on a journey through that intoxicating goodness that is our beloved brew. It’s a bean! It’s a seed! No, it’s coffee! Coffee beans are actually seeds from cherry-like fruits. When dried, roasted and ground they’re used to brew coffee. If the seeds aren’t processed, it can be planted and grow into a coffee tree. They are similar in appearance to legumes, and this is how they earned their title as coffee beans. Ella Mae Morse – “40 Cups of Coffee” 9th Century: Beginnings - Though no one knows exactly how or when coffee was discovered, coffee grown worldwide can trace its heritage back to the ninth century to the ancient coffee forests on the Ethiopian plateau. The legend is that a goat herder named Kaldi discovered coffee when he noticed that after eating the berries from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic that they appeared to “dance” and didn’t want to sleep at night. Kaldi reported his findings to the abbot of the local monastery, who made a drink with the berries and found that it kept him alert through the long hours of evening prayer. The abbot shared his discovery with the other monks at the monastery, and knowledge of the energizing berries began to spread. As word moved east and coffee reached the Arabian Peninsula, it began a journey which would bring these beans across the globe. Live long and drink coffee! While caffeine is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about coffee, research has connected moderate coffee consumption (about three to four cups per day) with a lower risk of heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, colon cancer, and type 2 diabetes, as well as a longer life span. Plus, your liver will thank you as both regular and decaf coffee seem to have a protective effect on your liver’s enzyme levels. Manhattan Transfer – “Java Jive” 15th Century: Coffee in the Arab world - Coffee cultivation and trade began on the Arabian Peninsula during the 15th century. By the 16th century coffee had spread to Persia, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey. Coffee was not only enjoyed in homes, but also in the many public coffee houses — known as qahveh khaneh — which began to appear in cities across the Near East. The coffee houses became popular social hubs where people gathered to discuss politics, literature, play chess, and keep current on the news. They became such an important center for the exchange of information that they were often referred to as “Schools of the Wise.” With thousands of pilgrims visiting the holy city of Mecca each year from all over the world, knowledge of this “wine of Arabia” began to spread. Divorce, coffee-style! In ancient Arab culture, women could allegedly find legal ‘grounds’ for divorce if her husband failed to bring her fresh coffee in the morning. Seth MacFarlane – “You’re the Cream in my Coffee” 17th Century: European blend - European travelers to the Near East brought back stories of an unusual dark black beverage. By the 17th century, coffee had made its way to Europe and was becoming popular across the continent. As with anything new, some people reacted to this beverage with suspicion or fear, calling it the “bitter invention of Satan.” The local clergy condemned coffee when it came to Venice in 1615. The controversy was so great that Pope Clement VIII was asked to intervene. He tasted the beverage for himself before making a decision and found the drink so satisfying that he gave it papal approval, declaring, “This devil’s drink is delicious; we should cheat the devil by baptizing it.” As in the Near East, coffee houses quickly became centers of social activity in the major cities of Austria, France, Germany, and Holland. In England “penny universities” sprang up, so called because for the price of a penny one could purchase a cup of coffee and engage in stimulating conversation. Coffee began to replace the common breakfast drink beverages of the time — beer and wine. Those who drank coffee instead of alcohol began the day alert and energized. By the mid-17th century, there were over 300 coffee houses in London alone. Many businesses grew out of these specialized coffee houses. Lloyd's of London, for example, came into existence at the Edward Lloyd's Coffee House. Musical Inspiration! The famous composer, Johann Sebastian Bach created a humorous and satirical work called “Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht” (Be still, stop chattering). Also known as the “Coffee Cantata”, it humorously tells the story of a young woman’s obsession with coffee. Johann Sebastian Bach – “Coffee Cantata” 17th Century: Global Expansion – As demand for the beverage continued to spread, there was fierce competition to cultivate coffee outside of Arabia. The Dutch finally were able to smuggle seedlings out in the latter half of the 17th century. Their attempts to plant them in India failed, but they were successful in getting them to take root in Batavia (current day Jakarta) on the island of Java in what is now Indonesia. The plants thrived and soon the Dutch had a productive and growing trade in coffee. They expanded the cultivation of coffee to other islands across Indonesia including Sumatra and Celebes (current day Sulawesi). Today the Indonesian coffee industry exports over USD $1.5 billion per year in addition to its domestic coffee market which, alone is estimated to be worth more than USD $3 billion. Smelly cat! No, not a segue into an episode of “Friends”, but a reference to the most expensive coffee in the world. “Kopi Luwak” comes from Indonesia and is made from beans digested by the Asian Palm Civet. In other words, it comes from cat poop. And it sells for USD $600 and up per pound! Garbage – “Cup of Coffee” 18th Century: Eve Comes to the Americas – In 1714, the Mayor of Amsterdam presented a gift of a young coffee plant to King Louis XIV of France. A seedling from this plant (we’ll call her “Eve”) was transported across the Atlantic and planted on the island of Martinique. Over the next 50 years, from this one plant sprung more than 18 million coffee trees across the island. And it was this seedling that was the parent of all coffee trees throughout the Caribbean, South, and Central America. The Tea Party’s Over! Though coffee houses had begun appearing in the new colony of America, tea continued to be the favored drink in the New World. That is until 1773 when the colonists revolted against a heavy tax on tea imposed by Great Britain. The revolt, known as the Boston Tea Party, would forever change the American drinking preference to coffee. Indeed, Thomas Jefferson said that “Coffee is the favorite drink of the civilized world.” Sinatra – “The Coffee Song” 20th Century: Change Breweth Over in Germany – The 20th century has seen many developments in coffee. Decaffeinated coffee was first invented in 1903 when a German coffee importer, Ludwig Roselius, turned a batch of ruined coffee beans over to researchers who perfected the process of removing caffeine from the beans without destroying any flavor. He marketed the coffee under the brand name “Sanka” (a contraction of “sans caffeine”). Coffee’s a Crime 1! In 1746 Sweden enacted a law to prohibit the sale of coffee. The government also banned “coffee paraphernalia” – with cops confiscating cups and dishes. King Gustav III even ordered convicted murderers to drink coffee while doctors monitored how long the cups of coffee took to kill them. Which, we’re pretty certain, was great for the convicts but really boring for the doctors. Johnny Cash – “Cup of Coffee” 20th Century: Change Breweth Over in Switzerland – In 1938, Nestle, after being asked by Brazil to help find a solution to their coffee surpluses, invented freeze-dried coffee. Nescafe was developed and first introduced into Switzerland. Instant coffee really took off after 1956 when commercial television was introduced. The commercial breaks were too short a time in which to brew a cup of tea, but time enough for an instant coffee. The entrepreneurs of the coffee world like Nestle and General Foods realized this was their big chance and advertised their instant coffee during the breaks. In retaliation, the tea companies introduced the tea bag in a desperate bid to compete. Coffee’s a Crime 2! Murad IV claimed the Ottoman throne as the Sultan in 1623. He quickly forbade coffee and set up a system of fairly reasonable penalties. The punishment for a first offence was a beating. Anyone caught with coffee a second time was sewn into a leather bag and thrown into the waters of the Bosporus. Don Sanders – “Coffee Song” 20th Century: Change Breweth Over in Italy - The modern-day espresso machine was perfected by Achilles Gaggia in Italy in 1946. He managed to use a higher pressure than steam by using a spring powered lever system. Gaggia brought his revolutionary espresso machine to London in the 1950s and opened a mocha bar in Frith Street in Soho - hence the modern-day coffee bar was born. The first pump driven espresso was produced in 1960 by Faema. Coffee’s a Crime: A compendium! Here’s a few laws relating to coffee that are still in effect today to be aware of… 1. In Alabama, it's illegal to serve coffee after 10:45 PM in a cafeteria. 2. In Bordeaux, France, coffee cups must have a minimum size in order to ensure that the coffee is strong and of high quality. 3. In Vermont, it is illegal to dye coffee. 4. In Louisiana, it is illegal to serve coffee in a drive-thru window after 10 PM. 5. In Greece, it is illegal to make coffee on a stove or hotplate in a public place. 6. In Switzerland, it is illegal to boil coffee in a kettle that has not been cleaned properly. 7. In California, it is illegal to serve coffee in a hospital waiting room between the hours of 6 PM and 6 AM. 8. In Mesquite, Texas, it is illegal to take more than three sips of coffee while standing. Otis Redding – “Cigarettes and Coffee” 20th Century: Change Breweth Over in Seattle - Seattle roastery Starbucks pretty much single-handedly created the gourmet coffee craze back in the 1970s. People at the time didn’t realize that they wanted more than a hot, black liquid to wake them up. They didn’t realize that they wanted higher quality beans. They didn’t realize that they wanted a fresher taste. They didn’t realize that they wanted more variety. But, after opening their first store in 1971, Starbucks’ brilliant marketing team educated the public to realize that they really did want all these things. We are still living in the era that Starbucks created. Many today are obsessed with taste and variety. If your grandpa were to walk into a coffee shop today the variety of options may seem ridiculous. Back in his day, there was only one option: coffee. But will it start your car’s engine? Coffee is consumed in such great quantities, it is the world’s 2nd largest traded commodity, surpassed only by crude oil. And it is the most drunk beverage after water. Abbey Lincoln – “A Lonesome Cup of Coffee” Which do you prefer? There are two main types of coffee – Arabica and Robusta. To impress your friends at the coffee shop, here’s a quick cheat-sheet on the difference between the two. Driftwood Tiger – “Sugar in My Coffee” As this caffeinated symphony comes to a close, we’ve seen that coffee is not just a drink. It’s a means of social interaction and has been for a very long time. In the past, people gathered to share a cup of coffee and exchange information. In North America and a lot of Western European countries, Starbucks and other major chains have dominated the market because they are providing the customers a complete experience around coffee: coffee and friends, coffee and work, coffee and snacks, coffee to go! In Italy the invention of espresso and the espresso machine made it the favorite whole-day beverage of Italians. And in some countries, like Colombia or Brazil, the whole economy is based on coffee. And we didn’t even get into that wonderful Irish brew called “Irish Coffee”. From the spirited dance of goats in ancient Ethiopia to the global empire worth over USD $85 billion in the USA alone, coffee has evolved from a humble discovery to a cultural cornerstone. In our daily pursuit of consciousness, it seems we’ve found a steadfast companion in the rich, aromatic embrace of this beloved brew. Coffee has become more than just a beverage; it’s a daily ritual. A liquid mantra we pour out each morning to welcome the day. I mean after all, what other food or beverage has had so many songs written about them?! What’s your favorite coffee? Do you prefer yours hot or iced? What’s your favorite coffee song? Tell us about it in the comments below. Beabadoobee – “Coffee” #coffee #hotcoffee #icedcoffee #beans #fruit #vegetable #brazil #italy #starbucks #music #bobmarley #johnnycash #arabia #ethiopia #manhattantransfer #java #indonesia #sethmacfarlane #beabadoobee #bach #friends #sanka #nescafe #espresso #seattle #arabica #robusta #anyhigh

Monday, November 13th, was World Kindness Day - better late than never. An international day of recognition created by the World Kindness Movement, a Swiss NGO, to promote kindness throughout the world. World Kindness Day presents the opportunity to reflect upon one of the most important and unifying human principles. It’s a day devoted to the positive potential of both large and small acts of kindness, and to promote and diffuse this crucial quality that brings people of every kind together. And in a world that is seeming to be spinning out of control, where headlines scream of chaos, conflict, and confusion, the concept of kindness often appears as a distant, forgotten virtue. Indeed, there are those who, sadly, would argue that instead of a virtue it’s actually become a vice. The relentless pace of modern life, coupled with the constant bombardment of information, can easily overshadow the simple yet profound act of being kind. In this tumultuous era, it’s easy to forget that kindness isn’t just a utopian ideal; it’s a universal language that transcends borders and cultures. In the midst of the craziness that surrounds us, it becomes increasingly important to shift our focus to the positive, to rediscover the power of compassion, and to explore the ways in which different societies around the globe express and embrace kindness in their own unique and sometimes peculiar ways. The purpose of World Kindness Day as outlined by the World Kindness Movement is “to highlight good deeds in the community focusing on the positive power and the common thread of kindness which binds us and to encourage kindness to prevail over hatred.” Since its creation more than two decades ago, the day has achieved truly global notice; events associated with the day have attracted participants from every inhabited continent. These have included activities such as concerts, dance mobs, and the distribution of “kindness cards.” Today we’re going to unravel some of the diverse traditions and rituals that celebrate kindness in a sampling of countries. From the elaborate ceremonies of Japan to the warmth of hospitality in the Middle East, kindness manifests itself in myriad forms, challenging the perception that it’s a mere afterthought in the hustle and bustle of daily life. Granted, some of the examples might leave you scratching your head. But, as we navigate through this journey, we’ll discover that, indeed, kindness isn’t a four-letter word – it’s a powerful force that has the capacity to reshape our world, one small act at a time. Indonesia - #1: The Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) is a UK based non-profit that annually publishes the World Giving Index which provides insight into the scope and nature of giving around the world. It judges generosity by focusing on three aspects of giving behavior asking, in the past month, have you: - Helped a stranger, or someone you didn’t know who needed help? - Donated money to a charity? - Volunteered your time to an organization? In 2022, for the fifth year in a row, Indonesia was ranked by the CAF as the most generous country in the world. It topped the World Giving Index with a score of 68%. It has the highest rates of donating and volunteering in the world, more than eight in ten people donated money (84%) and more than six in ten (63%) volunteered time. Kindness is the golden chain by which society is bound together. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe South Africa – Ubuntu: While definitions of ubuntu have varied through the years, the Nguni proverb “umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu”, often translated as “a person is a person through other persons”, is most commonly used to describe the concept. In practice, ubuntu is a belief that the common bonds of a group are more important than the divisions within it. Former South African archbishop Desmond Tutu harnessed the concept of ubuntu when leading the nation’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission in the mid-1990’s. In a comment that has particular poignancy today, Tutu said that “Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can’t exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality – ubuntu – you are known for your generosity.” Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. Franklin D. Roosevelt Japan – Omotenashi: Often described as the world’s most polite country, Japan’s tradition of selfless hospitality is the product of a tradition known as omotenashi. Literally translating to “spirit of service”, this cornerstone of Japanese culture is grounded in the centuries-old ritual of the sado (tea ceremony), which requires a high degree of attentiveness on the host’s behalf to ensure their guests’ every need is fulfilled, without expecting anything in return. The guests, conscious of the host’s efforts, respond by showing an almost reverential gratitude. Both parties thus create an environment of harmony and respect. Omotenashi is a way of life in Japan. Staff in shops and restaurants greet customers with a warm “irasshaimase” (welcome) as you step inside; shinkansen (bullet train) cleaners bow to boarding passengers; and taxi drivers open the doors for passengers automatically. An even greater level of politeness is shown to people outside one’s own group, with foreigners (gaijin – literally “outside people”) typically accorded lavish courtesies. What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness? Jean-Jacques Rousseau Italy – Caffe Sospeso: In Naples, the tradition of a suspended coffee - or caffe sospeso - began in working-class coffee shops over a hundred years ago: a coffee-drinker would pay for two coffees but only consume one. Someone who needed coffee but could not afford it could later inquire if there was a sospeso available and they would be served for free. The giver and receiver would never meet, but coffee - seen as a necessity for life in the city - would be enjoyed both by those who could afford it and those who need it. During the Eurozone crisis a few years back, the idea spread throughout Italy, as well as to other European countries. Kindness is the only service that will stand the storm of life and not wash out. It will wear well and will be remembered long after the prism of politeness or the complexion of courtesy has faded away. Abraham Lincoln Greece – Philoxenia: In Ancient Greece, the proper provision of hospitality was considered a commandment of the gods, specifically Zeus Xenios, the god of foreigners or strangers. Should a weary traveler arrive on one’s doorstep, the host was obliged to welcome them with food and shelter before asking any questions, whether they knew the guest or not. In return, the guest was obliged to show respect to the host via gestures such as staying only as long as necessary. For either party to fail in their obligation meant risking the wrath of the gods. And we all know how long they can hold a grudge for! Taken from the Greek words xenia (stranger) and philo (care for), the concept became known as philoxenia, or love of strangers (and later hospitum, or hospitality). Along with being particularly gracious in their hospitality, this tradition of kindness is kept alive today through small gestures such as offering a friendly smile to a stranger or escorting a lost traveler to their destination rather than simply providing directions. The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the greatest intention. Kahlil Gibran Philippines – Tulong: The Filipino word for helping those whose needs are immediate and temporary is tulong, and it can take many forms, from sharing food to money to a place to stay. While it began as a way for family members to help one another, it has expanded to include more types of giving over the years and gifts to those outside one’s family. Tulong-aral is help specifically for education, for example. Tulong was especially evident following a wave of natural disasters - typhoons, earthquakes and volcanoes - that left thousands in the island nation in need. When you callously ignore the suffering of others, you lose the capacity to share their happiness, too. Albert Schweitzer New Zealand – Kaitiakitanga: There’s kindness to self, kindness to others, and kindness to the world we live in. New Zealand is a prime example of a country with a culture that recognizes this. Kaitiakitanga, meaning guardianship and protection, is the practice of kaitiaki, the Maori concept of guarding the sky, sea, and land. It is a way of managing the environment, based on the Maori worldview. The local iwi (tribe) appoints a person or group to act as a guardian for a lake or forest. In 2017, the New Zealand government awarded the Whanganui River in the North Island the same rights as human beings, meaning that harming the body of water now has the same penalties as harming a person. Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. Mark Twain Iran – Taarof: Taarof is a Persian word with Arabic roots that defines the country’s complex art of etiquette, in which the true meaning of what is said is not in the words, but somewhere beyond them. It’s a subtle dance of communication, where participants step back and forth over and over, never taking over the stage. In December 2015, someone anonymously set up a “wall of kindness” in Mashhad, painting it in bright colors and installing pegs and hangers. Beside it, a painted message in Farsi read: “If you don’t need it, leave it. If you need it, take it.” The idea quickly spread throughout Iran. Bakeries began leaving out baskets of bread encouraging those who couldn’t pay to help themselves and street musicians put signs by their tip jars inviting passers-by to take the money if they needed it. This movement is rooted in Persian culture and the words of ancient poets such as Rumi, who championed the virtues of kindness. This spirit of kindness is also present in the Persian art of taarof, which puts politeness first in every social interaction. Never doubt that a small groups of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead India – Seva: In India, kindness is deeply rooted in cultural and spiritual traditions. The concept of kindness is often intertwined with the principles of dharma, a Sanskrit term encompassing duty, righteousness, and moral obligations. Acts of kindness, known as “seva” or selfless service, are considered a fundamental part of one’s duty to others and are often seen as a means of spiritual growth. Hospitality is a hallmark of Indian kindness, where guests are treated with utmost respect and warmth. There’s a famous Sanskrit saying “Atithi Devo Bhava,” meaning “The guest is God,” reflects the cultural emphasis on extending kindness to strangers. The interconnectedness of individuals is acknowledged through the concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,” which translates to “The world is one family.” This philosophy encourages people to extend kindness beyond familial and societal boundaries, fostering a sense of shared humanity. Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for a kindness. Seneca After looking into the rich tapestry of kindness across the globe, it becomes abundantly clear that kindness is not a four-letter world. It is a thread woven into the very fabric of humanity. In a time when headlines are dominated by chaos, hatred, and division, the stories from Indonesia to Greece and from Japan to Italy remind us that kindness isn’t only a remedy for the chaos but also a beacon of hope in our shared human experience. A universal language that transcends borders, cultures, and ideologies. Kindness is a force that binds us together, offering a counter-narrative to the discord that dominates our attention. The stories from these countries illuminate the resilience and power of kindness in the face of adversity. It shouldn’t be just an abstract concept but a lived reality. In the end, this brief journey around the world shows that kindness isn’t just a fleeting sentiment or a utopian ideal – it can be a transformative force capable of reshaping our world, one small act at a time. So even though we missed World Kindness Day by a few days, hopefully these stories and quotes will inspire us all to be kinder from time to time. After all, it’s really not that difficult to be kind. For some of us, just not being a dick would be a good start…. #worldkindnessday #happiness #joy #tinyactsbigimpact #spreadsmiles #randomactsofkindness #yestheory #reasonstobecheerful #italy #india #iran #greece #indonesia #southafrica #japan #newzealand #philippines #seneca #marktwain #desmondtutu #kahlilgibran #albertschweitzer #rousseau #abrahamlincoln #goethe #franklinroosevelt #anyhigh

Pack your virtual bags because it’s time to embark on another journey through the world of travel. When we spilled the spicy tea on Thailand a few weeks back we’d said that we were thinking about doing more of these from time to time. Well, the response was overwhelming and there was a request for the next one to be about Laos. So, this week we’re setting our sights on none other than the ‘Land of a Million Elephants’ - Laos. If you think Laos is just like Cambodia or Vietnam – think again! Indeed, Laos is kinda like that quirky cousin you never knew you had till you met them at the family reunion. This hidden gem likes to fly under the radar, but don’t let its modesty fool you. Beneath its humble exterior lies a hidden treasure trove. Unspoiled landscapes, cascading waterfalls, ancient relics, and meandering rivers are only the beginning of what there is to discover. Tucked away in the heart of Southeast Asia, Laos might not be the first destination that comes to mind when planning a holiday, but we definitely think it’s high time to give this landlocked wonderland the recognition it deserves. With its rich culture, breathtaking landscapes, and some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet, Laos is the ultimate “don’t judge a book by its cover” destination. From its diverse ethnic groups and ancient temples to its delicious cuisine and natural wonders, Laos has plenty to offer for both history buffs and adventure travelers. No trip to Laos is ordinary and we think you’ll agree as we uncover just a few of its secrets. So, join us as we embark on a journey through a country that, despite having one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, remains one of the poorest countries in Asia. In a nutshell: With a population of just over 7 million people, the official name of the country is The Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Located along the banks of the Mekong River, Vientiane, at nearly 1 million people, is both the capital and the largest city in the country. Its name means “city of sandalwood” and it’s perhaps one of the most relaxed capital cities in the world. The flag of Laos consists of three horizontal bands – red, blue, and red – with a large white disk in the center. The red bands represent the blood shed for liberation; the blue band represents the Mekong River and prosperity; the white disk symbolizes the full moon against the Mekong River but also represents the country’s bright future. Laos - the ‘Land of a Million Elephants’: About the size of the state of Kansas in the United States, Laos is a place where time seems to run, happily, a little slower than everywhere else. Its name comes from the original name of the Kingdom of Lan Xang, Lan = million and Xang = elephants. The Lan Xang Kingdom existed for more than 350 years, from 1353 to 1707, and was considered one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The elephant, sacred to the Lao people, symbolizes strength and abundance. In the Tham Xang Cave, near the town of Vang Vieng, you can even see a stalactite that resembles an elephant. Sadly, due to wars, deforestation, and human cultivation, today there are only about 2,500 wild and captive elephants remaining in the country. Ocean = Zero, Islands = 1,000’s: Although Laos is completely landlocked, in the south of the country, on the Cambodian border, lies one of its most incredible natural attractions, ‘Si Phan Don’, more commonly known as the “4,000 islands”. A laid back, sleepy, charming little gem of a place it, as the name suggests, consists of thousands of tiny, mostly uninhabited islands scattered in the vast Mekong Delta, with the majestic Khone Phapheng falls stretching for nearly 10 kilometers (6 miles) along the river. Most definitely worth the overnight bus trip from Vientiane to Don Det, the main traveler hangout in the area. A hammock, a beer, and a sunset. What else do you need? Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Laos is one of the world’s 5 remaining openly ‘communist’ countries (alongside North Korea, China, Vietnam, and Cuba). A French colony until 1953, the country got caught up in the Vietnam War. In 1975, the communist government overthrew the monarchy, heralding years of isolation, and have been ruling ever since. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Laos began opening up to the outside world. In 1994 the “Friendship bridge” over the Mekong linking Laos and Thailand was opened, in 1997 Laos became a member of ASEAN, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and in 2013 became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). In 2016 Barak Obama made history by becoming the first sitting US President to visit Laos. Short People: In a list of the countries with the shortest people in the world, Laotians rank second, with the average person standing just 155.89cm (5ft, 1.37inches) tall. Laos also has the youngest population in all of Asia, with nearly 70% of the population under 30 years old. Laotians don’t mind being short and making comments about people’s appearance is a common habit among Laotians. So don’t be offended if someone points out that you’re too tall, skinny, or fat. Forbidden but Allowed: Even though it was officially banned in the 1990s, cock fighting is still popular throughout Laos. The value of a prized rooster can reach USD $1,000, and that gives an indication of the amount of money a rooster owner can make when he owns a champion. Gambling is also prohibited, but the Lao people love gambling and will bet on anything. We’re told that if they happen to see two stray dogs fighting, they will start betting and will follow the animals and their fight for as long as it takes to pinpoint a winner. Laos is also home to one of the strangest competitive betting sports – rhinoceros beetle wrestling. Dok Champa – The National Flower: You’re probably more familiar with its other name, the frangipani. This evocative tropical flower, with its sweet romantic fragrance, can be seen everywhere in Laos, most especially decorating vats (temples) and monasteries. The Dok Champa is considered sacred and respected by Laotians and its meaning is “joy in life and sincerity”. A Most Unfortunate “Most”: Laos is the most heavily bombed place in history per capita. For nine years (1964-1973) during the Vietnam war, the United States dropped over 2 million tons of bombs across Laos including 262 million anti-personnel cluster bombs. That’s more than ALL the bombs dropped during World War II combined. And about 30% of them, around 80 million bombs, didn’t explode. This has resulted in a large portion of land still unusable for farming due to unexploded ordinance. And it’s estimated that 20,000+ people have been killed or maimed by the bombs left behind in the 50 years since the bombing stopped. Bomb Boats: Looking down from a bridge spanning the Namkading river, you might see something unusual – silver missile boats. Though the shape of the boats look like missiles, these were not bombs, they were fuel tanks carried by aircraft (Phantom F-4 for example) for refueling. Many of these would be jettisoned after use during the ‘secret war’ carried out by the US in Laos during the Vietnam war. Villagers saw potential in these high scrap metal casings and have been recycling them ever since. The ones that were intact get transformed into boats, and because of their shape are called bomb boats. It’s possible to take a ride in one of them. All you have to do is ask one of the boat owners. Eggs are a Delicacy: No, not those of the poultry kind. We’re talking about one’s a bit smaller in size. Ant eggs are a delicacy in Laos, with ant-egg soup being a favorite late summer dish. Ant eggs are high in protein, however, not all ant eggs are good to eat. The eggs that the Lao people enjoy are the ones from the weaver ants (recognizable as the red ants). They’re called weaver because they construct their nests by weaving the tree leaves together. We tried these as a topping on a couple dishes and found them similar to tiny fish roe in their “popping” when eaten, but with a more acidic tang. We’re told the acidity is caused by the ant’s preferred diet of mango. If you aren’t ready to dive right into the whole ant egg thing, you can always try the fried crickets or bamboo caterpillars. Home to Possibly the Cheapest Alcohol in the World: Lao-Lao is a potent rice-whiskey made in Laos that sells for less than a dollar per liter! Easily found in any corner store, mom-and-pop shop, or market across the country, the spirit is the cheapest in the world. Traditionally drunk neat and in a single gulp, it tastes akin to downing a shot of rubbing alcohol and is a sure-fire bet that you won’t remember the details of the night before. Flavor variations are made by macerating such additives as honey, snakes, and scorpions. Ummm, this is all hearsay of course. But consider yourself warned! A UNESCO World Heritage City: On the Mekong River, about 300 km (185 miles) north of Vientiane, with a population of about 100,000 lies a city unique in the world – Luang Prabang. With its unique and remarkably well preserved wooden colonial architecture, a lively night market, ornate temples, and pristine nature all around, this charming and historic city checks all the boxes for a perfect destination. This ancient, UNESCO-protected city was the royal capital of the Kingdom of Laos until 1975. A site not to be missed is the “morning alms” or “Sai Bat” ceremony. Each morning hundreds of monks living and studying in Luang Prabang walk the streets carrying their alms bowls to accept food offers. Locals and tourists make offerings of sticky rice and fruit. Speaking of Sticky Rice: This is national staple and more sticky rice is consumed in Laos that anywhere else on planet earth. Traditionally eaten with their hands, served sweet, fermented or sour, 155 kilograms (340 pounds) is consumed per Laotian per year. By contrast, the average European or American consumes only around 9 kilograms (19 pounds) of rice per annum. Laotians commonly refer to themselves as “luk khao niaow” which appropriately translates to “children or descendants of sticky rice”. Uncooked sticky rice grains are often thrown into the air after prayers. The Plain of Jars: The plain of jars is an area in Laos that holds one of the most important pre-historic archeological sites in Southeast Asia. Located in the Xiangkhoang Plateau are more than 2,500 stone jars scattered over hundreds of kilometers. They range from one to three metres (3 to 6 feet) in height and weigh up to fourteen tons. They cast an eerie and mystic feel to the place that can be compared to Stonehenge in the UK. Researchers concluded that the jars are dated to as early as 1240 to 660 BC but are still uncertain about their purpose. According to Lao legend, the jars were created by Khun Cheung, the King of giants, who commanded the jars to brew lao-lao rice whiskey after the victory of a very bloody battle. Coffee in a Plastic Bag: Lao coffee is delicious and not as internationally famous as it should be. It is what tea is to Sri Lanka and is actually Laos’ biggest agricultural export. Both Arabica and Robusta coffee varieties are grown, mostly on the Bolaven Plateau in the southwestern part of the country, which has cool temperatures and plenty of rain. The French colonists brought coffee to Laos and today, 15-20,000 tons a year are produced. A traditional Laotian iced coffee from street stalls is served with a large dash of condensed milk in a plastic bag with lots of ice and a straw. To Kip or not to Kip: The kip is the national currency of Laos. If you’re visiting Vientiane from Thailand, there’s no need to exchange your baht to kip, unless you want a keepsake of your travels. While kip are dispensed from ATMs, most shops will take Thai baht as well as US dollars. If you do withdraw kip, be aware that it’s virtually impossible to change it back to any other currency once you have left the country. Finally, we thought we’d offer up a few suggestions of some local Lao dishes that you might want to try when you’re there: · Larb – the national dish of Laos, it can best be described as a meat salad. Made of thinly sliced pork, buffalo, seafood, or chicken it’s seasoned with a combination of lemon juice and fish sauce mixed with local herbs. · Khao Soi – made with a clear broth and thin noodles on top, with minced pork mixed with tomatoes and local spices. · Jaew Bong – a typical Lao sauce in the form of fish paste mixed with dried chilies, garlic, shallots, ginger, and dried buffalo fat. A unique culinary experience, but maybe not for everyone. · Kai Paen – a snack made from freshwater green algae. Loved throughout the country but especially popular in Luang Prabang, where the algae can be easily harvested from local riverbeds. The process includes pounding, boiling, flattening, and drying. Kai Paen is eaten like potato chips and is best when accompanied by the delicious local Lao beer, “Beerlao”. · Sai Oua Kwai – buffalo sausage. Locally raised buffalo is ground and mixed with lemongrass, ginger, and local spices. This brings us to the end of our brief look at Laos, its people, traditions, history, and even its food. This little-known nation is truly a hidden gem of a place to visit. A place that has held onto its traditions in ways some other countries would envy. A place where time just seems to move at a different pace than nearly everywhere else on the planet. Laotians typically value a simple life rather than wealth and money. Eating, drinking, and leisure times are generally most important for Lao people. In fact, travelers often find them to be some of the most laid-back and friendly people they’ve encountered. It’s a common joke that the initials for Laos People’s Democratic Republic – LPDR – actually stand for “Laos People Don’t Rush”. But in today’s fast-paced world, where 60-second news bites have become the modern version of War and Peace, and where the only thing more interesting than the latest technology is the next one that’s on the drawing board, is that slower pace really such a bad thing? Bottom line, you won’t be disappointed by an incredible journey through a country where history is written in the smiles of the people, and where the future holds the promise of continued enchantment. Laos is a hidden treasure waiting to be uncovered, a destination that will leave an indelible mark on your heart. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience the magic of the “Land of a Million Elephants” for yourself. Just get used to taking life a lot slower when you’re there! Have you been to Laos? Tell us about it in the comments below. And where would you like to visit next? #laos #southeastasia #asia #travel #history #food #elephants #buffalo #vientiane #obama #landofamillionelephants #thailand #cambodia #vietnam #alcohol #wto #asean #unesco #rice #coffee #randynewman #anyhigh

In today’s business world, where technology generally takes precedence over humanity, human resource professionals have, to a great extent, outsourced the “human” part of their titles to computer programs. When applying for jobs, more often than not, before a person even gets the chance to speak with someone at length about their background, goals, skills, etc., they’re directed to take a test of some sort. These tests are created by personality “experts” to judge a person’s character, knowledge of duties related to a specific job, or, indirectly, to find out if you’re someone who might decide to “go postal” at some point. While the intention behind these pre-employment assessments may be to streamline the hiring process and ensure a good fit between a candidate and a company, the inherent absurdity and dehumanizing nature of these tests cannot be overlooked. At first glance, personality assessments may seem innocuous, merely an additional hoop to jump through on the road to employment. However, upon closer examination, the implications of such tests are far more insidious. They reduce a candidate’s complex personality, experiences, and abilities into a series of checked boxes, numerical scores, or categorized personality types. This oversimplification devalues the uniqueness of each individual and perpetuates the idea that people can be neatly categorized into a few limited archetypes. As a result, these tests often fail to capture the full scope of a person’s capabilities and potential, leading to the exclusion of highly qualified individuals who don’t fit neatly into the predefined molds. One of the main arguments in favor of personality tests is their potential to predict a candidate’s job performance. While they might provide some insights, it’s essential to recognize that a person’s character is a multifaceted and evolving entity. With questions like “Do you prefer sunsets or sunrises”, the “experts” say these tests can predict your job performance. (Because, after all, the future of your career surely hinges on your sunset vs. sunrise preference, right?) But job performance depends on a variety of factors, including motivation, team dynamics, and personal growth, which these tests cannot accurately forecast. We agree that self-discovery can be found in a lot of places: religion, meditation, a good book, a solo trek along the Inca Trail. However, we don’t necessarily think that a pre-job-interview personality assessment might be the most effective or appropriate self-discovery tool. Today, we’re not going to ask you to take any tests to determine if you’re the right person to be reading our weekly blog posts. We are, after all, purveyors of joy and we can think of nothing less joyful than being told this isn’t the right place for you! We did, however, find some interesting tests online that you can take to find out more about yourself and what you might want to consider doing. Indeed, we found that there are almost as many quizzes, tests, and questionnaires online devoted to deciphering the complex wonder that is YOU as there are kitten gifs and ads for Horny Housewives in Your Area. So, without further hyperbole, here’s a few that you might want to give a go. Links are in the pictures. Nationalcareers.service.gov.uk – Back in the summer of 2020 the UK government decided that what people in the arts and hospitality industries needed to bounce back from losing their jobs due to the pandemic wasn’t a safety net for freelancers, but a multiple-choice quiz. It’s actually still up, so if you want to find out what alternative career you should consider launching yourself into, here’s your chance. All you do is read a statement and pick one of five options from 'strongly agree' to 'strongly disagree'. Then the world's your oyster, and by 'your oyster' we mean 'a list of extremely specific jobs which take literally years to retrain for'. Horse groom! Football referee! Cake decorator! Microbrewery owner! You can do anything! Arealme.com - This one's based on the work of psychologist Daniel Goleman, whose 1995 book Emotional Intelligence was a bestseller and brought the term into the mainstream. The idea that how well you empathize with and understand other people, and how well you understand and express your own emotions, is at least as important as your raw brain power was a particularly prescient one. This test sets out hypothetical situations and gives you four ways of reacting to it and based on your answers gives you a score out of 200. There’s actually a whole selection of fun quizzes on the main site about everything from geography to IQ tests to Harry Potter quizzes. Check it out! Politicalcompass.org – "A man who is not a liberal at 16 has no heart. A man who is not a conservative at 60 has no head." So said Benjamin Disraeli / Winston Churchill / your grumpy Granddad (no one can quite decide who). The point is, for most people, political convictions are something that change over time. By testing how much you agree with various statements – some relatively straight forward (‘Possessing marijuana for personal use should not be a criminal offence’), some a little more challenging (‘People with serious inheritable disabilities should not be allowed to reproduce’) – the Political Compass plots where you on a scale of Stalin to Ghandi. Check back every few years to see if your own inevitable lurch to the right is on course. Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator – This is probably the most famous – and infamous – personality test in the world. It uses four indexes – Introverted or Extroverted (I/E), Intuitive or Sensing (N/S), Thinking or Feeling (T/F), and Perceiving or Judging (P/J) – to fit you into one of sixteen possible personalities. This is a well-designed version of the test. Anyhigh is apparently a “Mediator”. No complaints about that one. Openpsychometrics.org – The Rorschach Test is a projective psychological test developed in 1921 to measure thought disorder. Today those inscrutable ink blots are one of the many narrative tools that gets rolled out in detective shows when a writer wants a shortcut into the criminal’s mindset. This one’s a good diversion on a rainy afternoon. Iqtest.com – They claim that their IQ test is “the most scientifically valid free IQ test available online today”. You have 30 minutes to answer 40 questions that involve identifying the correct missing pattern in a sequence. At the end you not only get your score but a series of helpful charts explaining where you come on the line between “mentally deficient” and “gifted”. We love the “free” part. Psychopath.channel4.com – Just how nuts are you? Apparently psychopaths aren’t as 1 in a million as you might imagine they are. In fact, they’re everywhere. You might be one. Our place on the “psychopathic spectrum” was a relief. Lots of cool charts after the test. Greatergood.berkeley.edu – Just how emotionally intelligent are you? Can you tell a grimace from a grin? Reading facial expressions is, according to this test, an accurate measure of whether you’re emotionally in tune with others or utterly oblivious to anyone’s feelings but your own. Surprisingly difficult. Or maybe….. Psycho-tests.com – Do you really know what your sexuality is? This site has a plethora of test options for you to choose from. This sexual orientation test is based on The Storms Sexuality Axis, a model proposed in 1980 by Michael Storms. See where you land on this rich tapestry. We sadly concede that today it might be more apt to refer to “non-human resources”. The “humanity” in human resources having been reduced to a minimum. Perhaps these quirky tests might just add a touch of genuine self-discovery to your own human journey. Explore them, have fun with them, and remember that your complexity cannot be confined to mere checkboxes. In a world obsessed with simplifying the intricacies of human nature, celebrate your uniqueness and embrace the fascinating journey of understanding yourself. While these tests might offer some intriguing and humorous insights, they should never define your worth or potential. Your character, abilities, and aspirations are far too complex to be reduced to a mere score or personality type. We know that, for us at least, when all is said and done, we just want to make damn sure that we didn’t leave any boxes unchecked. #test #personality #quiz #careers #employment #emotions #sex #sexuality #politics #meyersbriggs #rorschach #IQ #psyche #humanresources #hr #human #anyhigh