Lucas Dié takes on a magical journey to five Christmas Islands and places to vacation during the holidays. Whether you stay close to home, or travel to the far reaches of the world to experience a new culture, Christmas is the time to do it.

The Australian territory is the one we normally think of when hearing Christmas Island. Geographically, the volcanic Island in the Indian Ocean lies much nearer to the Indonesian island of Java than to Australia. Together with the Cocos (Keeling) Islands it constitutes the Australian Indian Ocean Territories. William Mynors named the island when he arrived there on Christmas Day 1643, but he and his men were too craven to disembark. In 1688, the pirates of the Cygnet under William Dampier were the first to go on land and find it uninhabited.

Read more about the Christmas Islands

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• Lugano, The Largest Italian Speaking Town in Switzerland
• Arlesheim: A Village with a Cathedral
• Fribourg: City on The Language Divide of Switzerland

I was reminiscing today about my high school years when I was a hockey cheerleader, formerly known as the "Hockey Honeys". That's me on the far right, sorry it's an old picture. I guess the memories all started when I started sifting through all of my old photo's from school and I found some from a game I saw with the team when we all purchased Chicago Blackhawks Tickets. I loved the experience, the smell of the ice, and let's not forget the sound of the players getting checked into the glass. Man I love this sport!

I think it's been in my blood my entire life. You know, extreme sports that actually require an edge and a significant amount of ruggedness. I've seen so many teams play over the years, however I don't think I would have ever been interested in the sport had I not had to take tests about the rules and regulations when I was cheering.

When I was in Pennsylvania, many moons ago, I got to attend a game with a girlfriend after her father got us Mellon Arena Tickets to see the Pittsburgh Penguins play. The arena itself has so much history, and we all know how much I love that aspect of the trip. In fact, Mellon Arena was built in 1961 and has been home to the Pittsburgh Hornets , Pittsburgh Pipers and Pittsburgh Condors, among so many others.

My last, but certainly not least hockey trip, was to Canada with some old hockey players from my high school days that had all acquired Calgary Flames tickets, and they had 3 tickets left so I snatched them up. The Flames have had quite an interesting and challenging history. Hitting that 100 point marker was like reaching Mount Everest and getting pushed right back down after reaching a few feet from the top. However, they had their first 100-point season in 1987-88, earning the President's Trophy for having the league's best record, however they lost to the Oilers in the second round.

I'm proud to say, though, that in 2004 they defeated all three Western Conference division champions to become the first Canadian team in a decade to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals. Go Flames!

If you've never been to a hockey game, you have to experience one in person to really appreciate the sport and how dedicated the players are.

Just recently, I published an article on the art of making a bit of extra pocket change using paid review programs and sponsored posts. Of course, all of us have many different ways to approach making money online blogging. Some of us use unique content and depend on adsense revenue to make some extra cash.

Personally, it has taken me over a year to get more comfortable about the direction of Friends Revolution, and accepting the fact that is more of a mixed back of content and review posts. I have three websites, so I need at least one to play around with, and maybe, just make a few dollars while I'm doing it.

No matter what the motivation for you, I wanted to share many of the sites that use. Included in the article published on Webupon, I have also included tips and tricks to drive traffic. If you'd like to read more about how to utilize your content to make more money blogging, take a moment to read my information. I hope that it gives you a bit of insight into what has worked for me.

Tips, Advice, and Truth About How to Make Money Online with Blogger and Increase Traffic

I have never been one to spend a lot of money on clothing or extravagant gowns, so I when I started thinking about Wedding Dresses today, I had no idea where to start. I knew I wanted something different and unique, a wedding gown that was reasonably priced, and I wanted a splash of color to represent my style and personality.

I don't believe you should break the bank for one day, although I know many brides feel differently than I do. I just want to feel and look special on my day and I don't think I need to spend thousands of dollars to do this.

I had this vision, and I know I mentioned this before, about getting married at an archaeological site. I have a few in mind, however now that may living situation might change and I'm applying to Oxford for my Masters, I think I may need to rearrange my plans a bit.

I have shopped as much as I can, which hasn't been that often considering my hectic schedule with school and writing. I decided to look online for some wedding sites that offer wholesale dresses that are still made with the highest quality material, and you don't have to break the bank to purchase one. Let me tell you how surprised I was.

I found a dress with a Chapel train, embellishes ruffles, and taffeta material for only $199.99 at a wholesale online shop. That's insane! They even have a custom tailoring page that allows you to follow the entire dressmaking processing from designing and materializing to embroidering and quality control.

The Wedding Dresses usually take 15-17 working days to tailor and then about 3-5 working days for you to receive the package. The shipping time is based upon the shipping company (UPS, DHL, TNT ,etc) standard.

It sounds so easy and flawless, and I don't know why I didn't think think about this before. I have a friend that deals with wholesale clothing companies from around the globe and she assured me that this company was highly professional and their product was exceptional.

You have to check this site out if you're planning your wedding. You will be so impressed, as I was the first time I saw all of the choices and the prices.

(image source)

The thestickman shares some interesting manhole covers from around the globe and why they came to be.

Weighing in at over 100lbs. each on average, cast-iron manhole covers come in many assorted designs and patterns meant solely to decorate the street above. While collecting manhole covers as a hobby is impractical due to their weight and size, people can and do as a hobby collect images of them from around the world.Read more and see more about artistic manhole covers

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Jones Soda. All opinions are 100% mine.

As a child, I grew up drinking club soda with my grandpa and watching the horse races live and on television. He exposed me to so many interesting, yet bizarre experiences so I've never been afraid of trying anything new and innovative. That's why I decided to try the newest seasonal flavor Tofurky and Gravy Jones Soda from Jones Soda Company.

I had savored the flavor of the Liver and Onions before, as well as the Cranberry and I found them to be quite unique. In fact, I don't even like Liver and Onions but I liked that soda. Strange, but it's true.



I was quite prepared to dive into my soda and funky turkey hat that I got in the mail from Jones Soda Company, however first I had to pry them away from my puppies, and that's never easy when they find something tasty.

The Tofurky and Gravy soda was oddly flavorful and distinctive in taste. Of course, the label specifically said that it would taste better with mashed potatoes and vegetables, so I made some tonight. It went down smooth like a spoonful of warm gravy. I was pleasantly surprised, and I'm sure you will be too.

It's often difficult for people to think outside the box and try to new things, however Jones Co. gives their customers so many options to try and that's what makes them innovators.

Now considering I have several friends and family members that are vegans and vegetarians, I though this would make a great gift this year for their holiday feast.

Of course, I made sure to include some of their favorite flavors of Jones soda and a few of mine including Crushed Melon, Black Cherry....Oh so yummy, and my sisters favorite Orange and Cream.


It's always fun to try something new, and when you get to experience it with your family, it's a priceless moment. Happy Holidays!

At first glance, the bizarre topiaries at Levens Hall paint a picture of Edward Scissorhands specially manicured garden. It's an interesting and intriguing site that only Patrick Bernauw can describe in his vivid and haunting tales of haunts and ghosts around the world.

Levens Hall, in South Cumbria, is a Tudor style sixteenth century residence, built on the site of a twelfth century Pele Tower. The house is open to the public from April to October. A Lakeland guide once described the park as ‘the sweetest spot that fancy can imagine’. The picturesque manor house has become world famous because of its topiary garden , with the yew trees that have been cut to amazing shapes for the past three centuries.

Read More about Levens Hall in South Cumbria and some of the haunting tales on Socyberty

Who knew there was such strange and bizarre creatures in the depths of the ocean! I've seen some interesting specimens, but I have yet to have seen the Echinoderm that Jackie118 shares with us.

For those of you who are as uninformed as I was an echinoderm is a sea creature. Amongst it’s many talents it can attach itself to surfaces via tubes on its arms which enables it to protect itself from predators by hanging on for dear life and it also helps it to grasp food. And most echinoderms have the ability to regenerate lost limbs.

Read more about the Echinoderm on Scienceray

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Sponsored Tweets. All opinions are 100% mine.

For the past year, I have been sharing information, networking, and making friends using twitter. However, when someone told me I could make money with my tweets I had no idea where to start. Furthermore, I didn't think it was legit to tell you the truth. I thought to myself, what do I have to lose, so I made the choice to sign up for sponsored tweets.

Sponsored tweets is a parent company to Izea, so I felt that much more confident and secure that the personal information I was providing would be protected. They have established a strict code of ethics that includes mandatory disclosure, freedom of authenticity, freedom of choice, and transparency of Identity. Rest assured, your protection is extremely important and valued.

The most important aspect of this program is that as the account holder, you maintain complete control over the offers. Accepting an offer means that you will receive credit for it within your 24 hours. Just remember that once your account reaches $50.00 you can cash out all of that fun money and buy something nice to celebrate.

Everyone's getting into Sponsored Tweets including celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Bob Vila, Sister Hazel and Leann Rimes! If they can do it, so can you. I am signing up right now!

R J Evans once again presents us with an intriguing and inciteful tour of unique and bizarre timepieces and clocks around the globe.

The term astronomical clock is one that is used fairly loosely. Effectively any clock that shows astronomical information – as well as the time – can be so classified. They can show the location of the sun in the sky, for example. In addition to that they can show the position of the moon – and further information such as its phase and its age. Others go further and show the current sign of the zodiac or even go as far as showing a rotating map of the stars. We will begin with perhaps the most famous example, the Orloj of Prague. Read more about astronomical clocks

I can always remember going to my Dad's friends house and his wife would be copying VHS movies for her video library. She had hundreds upon thousands of video in her collection, close enough for me to reach out while I was sitting on the couch. Although now, she has decided to convert all of her VHS and DVD movies using dvd-ranger which was something I had never been exposed to before.

I am quite familiar with burning music Cd's directly from the computer, but I was unsure of the method used for transferring DVD information to Blueray or visa versa.

Software that was once available to corporate software companies is now available to all consumers. Now, the classic burning applications have been replaced by a revolutionary solution which is supported by a HotFix Manager utility and the Physxtech Enhancement. To put this a bit more simply, it's a super speed performing algorithm for copying software.

In the past, DVD burners have produced results that are lacking in quality and the time it takes to actually complete them is outrageous. Nobody has that kind of time to waste!!

If you're a bit hesitant, and I'm sure you might be if you haven't been introduced to software this advanced, I'll let you in on a little secret. It's extremely easy to use, reasonably priced, and reliable.

You can get all the newest releases and copy the ones you already have using the DVD ranger software which adheres to strict copyright guidelines. Save money and share your videos, that's for me!

What a day it has been. I was looking for a relaxing and laid back day that included great food like spanakopita and baklava, so where did I end up? Well, after driving around Daytona for 30 minutes, waiting 30 minutes for a shuttle that never came, and walking over a mile to get to the St. Demetrios Orthodox Church for a cold beer that I never drink until today, I made it to the Greek Festival.

This was the first festival I had been to in several years. I used to attend the Greek Festival in Daytona, Ohio near the Art Institute of Dayton. I had so many fond memories and high expectations for this festival today. Although, it did seem that making money was the focus, instead of sharing the culture. I guess I was expecting more personally made crafts and trinkets, tours of the church, and more dancing. Although, I'm sure no one had enough to drink at 4:00 pm to lose themselves in the Mandolin players melodies. The night was still young I guess.

I was thrilled, however, that the ladies in the church allowed me to take pictures of the altar and the beautiful ceilings. For that, I am grateful. It was a day of much needed adventure and my feet are yelling at me right now. Ouch!

As a student that spends most of her time on the web looking for resources and interesting stories to reference, I find that at times it's difficult to find all the information in one setting. I like real time Web search engines like leapfish which give me an advantage and a more efficient platform that's convenient and fun, therefore providing me a more personalized web experience.

Depending on what search engine you use to find references or just reading material, I am sure that on more than one occasion you have typed in the word and were presented with options that didn't meet your initial search. Therefore, you spend even more time looking for the material and not completing your task at hand.

I dove into the adventure of real time web by visiting Leapfish to see what everyone was talking about. I typed in the word Archaeology and got so much more than I expected. The return of information was staggering, giving me options for reading material, video, sharing on sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Digg. Not only that, the search results were separated in a way that I had never seen on any search engine before.

The results are divided into sections including:

• Images
• Blog Results
• Wikipedia
• Video
• Shopping on Amazon and Ebay
• Twitter Feed
• News
• Web

I am quite floored and highly impressed by the innovation and organization of this new Real Time Web Experience. Not only that, I have now found a place that I can share all of my findings with my friends, without leaving the site at all. That's revolutionary and unrivaled!

B Nelson gives an interesting overview of team sports and the effects on the moral of students that may not participate in them. School is already hard enough for many, without adding to social pressures to be jocks and cheerleaders, or so I've heard. Of course, I see from both sides as I played sports and I was a cheerleader in high school many moons ago.

The problem as I see it is that for some kids, organized sports are the bane of their existence. The jocks and the cheerleaders forming the popular crowd, while the brainy kids are labeled geeks, the artistic kids are labeled freaks, and very little support, if any, is given to either of them. Read more about Team sports and their effects

Lawyers, Trustees, Executors or Administrators & Personal Representatives looking to find missing heirs or a beneficiary realize it can be a daunting task. In fact, it can mean the difference of dispersing the assets in a way that was arranged or it can result in something much more complicated without the right assistance.

That's why many people are using heir finding services that simply use a proven methodical and approach when they are involved with a particular case, using their expertise with the help of some historical and technological resources. In most cases, their research is guaranteed, otherwise it's free. It's a win, win situation for both parties involved.

The finders approach to the process is quite simple and easy to understand and usually their service includes free advice, fast & free appraisals and quotations by post, DX, fax, e-mail or online, friendly & efficient no-nonsense service with the reassurance of our Professional Conduct Code, full international network , regular updates on work in progress at intervals you choose, work completed within your specified time scale where requested, clear and concise final reports including all documentation, cross-referenced and easy to understand, comprehensive range of additional supporting services.

It's complicated, but it doesn't have to be if you work with the right company that is both innovative and proficient with their execution.

It's hard to imagine that that the diamond industry is still under the looking glass when it comes to Blood Diamonds. However, when the first mines were originally set up, many groups of people lay claim to their holding, until Cecil Rhodes starting buying up all of the claims.

De Beers Consolidated Mines was formed in 1888 by the merger of the companies of Barney Barnato and Cecil Rhodes, by which time the company was the sole owner of all diamond mining operations in the country.

So what has changed since the establishment of these companies? I'll let the video speak for itself. If you own diamonds and you have just an inkling of curiosity as to where they came from during the early 90's to around 2001, I urge you to watch this video.

It's shocking and it helps people recognize that their contributions into the diamond industry helped fund years of civil war and murder of innocent people.

Aren't kids inspiring? I consider myself to be a gifted musician in the way of singing and with my ear for music, but never have I come across such musical genius as Sungha Jung.

At thirteen years old, this guitar playing aficionado hopes to become a professional acoustic finger-style guitarist. Well, I think he's already accomplished this goal.

Sungha has been watching his dad play the guitar for a while before finally jumping into it himself.

Currently, I am taking drum lessons and teaching myself fingerstyle guitar. I used to not have tabs for the music that I played in my videos.

I just listen and pick them up directly from the sound source in videos available on the internet.

However, recently, I have started playing with original tabs whenever they are available to me by courtesy of the authors.

My old guitar is custom made by Selma to fit my body size, and on it, Thomas Leeb wrote "Keep on grooving to my friend."

Also check out:

• Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things: Hidden Talents of People You May Have Never Heard Of

I have been with the same auto insurance company for several years now, however recently the prices went up for no apparent reason. I have not had any accidents, I make my payments on time, yet the price took an enormous jump. So now, I am having quite the dilemma. I tried to speak with a representative and nothing could be done on their part. I told them I would be looking elsewhere for cheap full coverage auto insurance and I'm sure with my track record I won't have any problem finding some better options.

I started investigating some sites that offer quotes from all of the best insurance companies. Granted, this is a new thing for me since I haven't had to look for new insurance in years, however I want it to be quick and easy, and of course I want my information to be secure considering I do everything online now, even though my parents think I'm crazy for being an internet junkie.

I found a wonderful site that allowed me to enter all of me up to date driver information, along with a secure page that looks up your personal data to get you the best coverage and prices. It was simple and easy to follow, and I found some great options.

The bottom line is that for most of us, calling around to every insurance company is a complete hassle. I want all of the information at my fingertips so I can plainly see what company is going out of their way for my business. In the end, it all about customer service and personal options.

In my case, with the type of car I drive, which is a convertible sports car, it's very difficult to get insured under a cheap policy and with a reputable company. That's why I'm pretty selective about the company that I'm with.

If you are looking for a new insurance company, I urge you to look online at quotes. This allows you to choose the best company based on reputation and price. However, spending less isn't always the best choice. Just remember that when you compare the companies side by side, choose the one that best suits your needs and budget.

Wow, what a week it has been. The play was an amazing success, however I think I relieved that I have my Fridays back for relaxing, and writing of course.

To my surprise, when the play was over and they were raffling off all of the prizes, I actually won a gift certificate to the Daytona Kennel Club, which I gladly donated back to the audience.

My initial goal for donating to the raffle was supporting a local charity called Salt of the Earth, which is a wonderful charity supporting education and poverty stricken families all over the globe.

I was honored to be a part of the play and I'm so glad we were able to help the community in some small way.

Buenas Tardes,

This week, on Thursday November 5th, there will be a play called La Casa Tomada at Daytona State College at 7:00pm. Admission is free to the public.

There will be a raffle with door prizes including:

• A personal tennis lesson
• Spanish bottle of wine
• Gift certificates to restaurants
• And much, much more.

Raffle tickets cost $1.00 for one, 6 for $5.00

Dress is casual.

The play is entirely in Spanish, however you'll still be able to understand the plot even if you don't speak the language.

I'll be singing in Spanish, so if you'd like to meet me in person, I'll be there. I will also have the part of the writer, ironic isn't it?

The play is in the Theater Center(building 220) at 7:00pm on November 5th, so don't be late.

Espanol

Esta semana, el jueves 5 de noviembre, habrá un juego llamado La Casa Tomada en la universidad del estado de Daytona en 7:00 P.M. La admisión está libre al público.

Habrá un raffle con los premios de la puerta incluyendo:

Una botella española de la lección personal del tenis de vales del vino a los restaurantes y a mucho, mucho más.

Los boletos de Raffle cuestan $1.00 para uno, 6 para $5.00 que el vestido es ocasional.

El juego está enteramente en español, no obstante usted todavía podrá entender que el diagrama aunque usted no habla la lengua.

El juego está en el centro del teatro (edificio 220) en 7:00 P.M. el 5 de noviembre, no es tan atrasado.

On Science Daily I discovered an interesting story about the adaptation of a once harmless enzyme into a toxic and deathly defense for a lizard. The evolution of toxicity in species is a fascinating subject, and it's been seen before.

"The venom is essentially an over-activation of the original digestive enzyme, amplifying its effects," she says. "What had been a mild anticoagulant in the salivary glands of both species has become a much more extreme compound that causes paralysis and death in prey that is bitten." Read More about these toxic creatures

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• Interesting and Bizarre Predatory Animal Defenses
• Amazing Exotics: Evolutionary, Strange, and Bizarre Species of The World
• Jurassic Park: Mysterious Island Inhabited by the Last Living Dinosaur
• Bizarre and Eccentric Behaviors: The Metamorphosis of the Werewolf Disease Unknown to the World
• Emotions of Animals: 11 Marvelously Photographical Reasons That Prove Animals Have Feelings Too
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Every year, my male friends Golf Myrtle Beach at some of the most well known and popular golf courses. It seems that the men just require this time to reflect with each other, and of course, they get to play with perfect clear skies and a view of the many luxurious resorts around.

I'm sure many of you ladies can relate. One day, we are having on a nice conversation over dinner and the next, the men are planning a golf weekend with their buddies. Of course, I can't say it's all one sided. I'm usually the one on the internet looking for Myrtle Beach Golf Packages since I'm a total guru at finding the best deals at all the best courses and resorts. I have been to some of course a couple of times, although for the most part I am driving the golf cart and sunning myself. Hey, it's a hard job, but sometimes it's absolutely necessary.

Myrtle Beach Golf is world famous, even gaining the title "Golf Capital of the World". There are over 120 courses, including some miniature golf courses for the children. Some of the most well known of all the courses are:

• Arcadian Shores Golf Club
• Arrowhead Country Club
• Barefoot Resort and Golf Club
• Burning Ridge Golf Course
• Grand Dunes Golf Resort
• Myrtle Beach National Golf Course
• River Oaks Golf Plantation
• River Club
  
• Willbrook Plantation
  

The most important aspect to remember when planning you Myrtle Beach Golf Vacations is that most of the courses are open to the public, which simply means it makes it easier to find resorts close to the courses to want to play. I think golf packages are a perfect gift for men or women who love to golf in a beautiful location on a flawless course.

Jean Tinguely was born on May 22, 1925. He was an amazing artist, Swiss painter, and sculpture. His most famous genre came from the fascinating artform of kinetics, turning materials from excess gluttony to amazing art pieces. He passed away on August 30, 1991 at the age of 66.

Chris Stonecipher, one of my best friends, recently discovered Jean Tinguely while studying a art history class at Washington State University.

Read more about Jean Tinguely and his work