A few months ago, I did an article on marine kelp forests, which are typically found in cold, nutrient-rich water. Just recently, however, algae forests found in arctic waters of Antarctica are being compared to kelp forests found in the temperate waters of California. Deep see expeditions are presently underway to investigate the different species found, one in which in 50 feet long and 4 feet wide. 



A special mention goes to © 2010 National Geographic; Video courtesy Chuck Amsler, UAB

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

This might just be the most exciting photography competition I've discussed yet on this blog. The great sponsors over at Panasonic are holding the LUMIX Life Focus on Australia. So even if your an amateur photographer or a professional taking fabulous shots of the Australian outback or the wildlife that that has fascinated people all over the globe for centuries, grab your Lumix and start shooting now for a chance to win big.

To peak your interest, not only will you have a chance to showcase your photographs for a chance to win monthly prizes and a final prize after the competition, but you will be part of a movement to show the world why Australians appreciate and love Australia.

The LUMIX Life Focus On Australia starts April 1st 2010 - The Video. The video featured on the promotion's main sites is actually pretty thrilling for any photographer. The six most admired and celebrated Australian photographers will be acting as ambassadors for the competition, and Ken Duncan explains what this all means for you and your photography. You get to work on the same level as the countries best photographers, so let the competition begin.

To follow the Lumix Camera competition check out the Panasonic Australia on Facebook page and start joining in the buzz. Or, if you want to start posting photographs in the Lumix photo community, check out Ken Duncan's Panasonic Lumix Australia group on Flickr.

Just remember, you will need to be from Australia and photos will also need to focus on Australia. You can see pro photos on the website for examples of what the contest is all about.

This is your chance to show the world Australia through your eyes. Can you handle it?

Good Luck!

I've heard of mirages, but I never thought they could actually be real. Huacachina is a resort built around a small lake in the Peruvian desert. Brimming with lush vegetation and picturesque landscapes, Huacachina is full of mystery, intrigue, and history. AJ Galvez takes us on a tour of the wonder that is the oasis of Huacachina.

An oasis is an isolated place with vegetation that surrounds a spring, lake, or any source of water. Huacachina is an oasis found on Peru’s desert, and according to legends, a beautiful native princess was seen taking a bath by a young hunter on that place. To her surprise she fled immediately leaving the pool of water which later on became the lagoon, and the folds of her mantle streaming behind her became the surrounding sand dunes. It was said that the princess still live today in the oasis as a mermaid.

Read more about the Oasis of Huacachina

Derbyshire is located in the eastern Midlands of England, and history abounds this glorious and fascinating place. In fact, just the the other day, I was discussing the Neolithic period on my blog Ancient Digger. These nomadic tribes were known to hunt the hilly tundra using their bare hands and hand crafted tools. They set up limestone caves on the border of Nottinghamshire, some which date back to 12000BC. There have also been several burial mounds found, most centrally located in Derbyshire.

If you'd like to learn more about Derbyshire, check out the Derbyshire UK, a comprehensive guide for local attractions, accommodations, business, and so on.

Picture Sources

This week has been, to be honest, horrible. Over 60% of the people at my school are deathly sick, including me, and the others are wearing surgical masks so they don't get sick. My heads in a fog, my ears have been so clogged they hurt horribly.

So what do you do when you don't feel well? Hang around with cute animals, that's what. I never thought animals could be so therapeutic until I got sick. They voice their concerns, they help with physical exams, and they even throw in a bit of nap time with you for free.

Ninja Copper

This would be my three year old Manx cat that is more than just a ninja in her spare time. She likes to pretend she's a dog, gives occasional baths to my Belgium Malinois, and on occasion, she likes to drink from the toilet bowl.We still love her. Did I mention she sleeps with one eye open? Freaky!

Pele the Siberian Husky

This is my 8 year old Siberian Husky and he's starting to become quite cranky in his old age. He has had bad hips for years, due to some over indulgence if you know what I mean. lol

Luna, the Fawn Belgium Malinois.

This is Luna. The newest addition. She's one year old and this is as big as she's going to get. Although, she acts like a 100 pound dog when she's attacking Pele, my Siberian.

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

All of you know I'm a huge fan of Branson, Missouri. I think, if fact I know, I've been there over a dozen times with family and friends. I've stayed at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing more than half the time due to it's close proximity to all the shopping, restaurants, the Ozark Mountains, Lake Taneycomo, museums, theme parks, bars, boutiques, and outdoor activities. So yes, I think that makes me more than a great travel guide for anyone wanting to visit during the Spring season.




A couple months ago, I helped my sister and her husband plan a trip to Branson for the 14th Annual Branson Tri-Lakes Building and Home Show at the Hilton Branson Convention Center. Since my brother in law just started out building spectacular homes less than two years ago, he tends to travel quite often to see the latest in home innovations.They planned to say five days, so I thought I would give them some suggestions for their trip.

I told them the best way to receive a super competitive price for their hotel would be to use their visa card. In fact, when you use your Visa Signature or Visa Infinite card, you get 25% off of Hilton's distinctive worldwide locations. You can't beat that! Now on to their activities.

Personally, I love the outdoors, and I know they do as well, so I suggested Branson Zipline which gives visitors a canopy view of the Ozark Mountains. Then, I suggested walking around on the hiking trails, which last time I was in Branson, took me about 2 1/2 hours to complete. That was only one trail mind you. After a long and sweaty trek through the mountains, I told them to have lunch at Fall Creek Bakery. I figured, if my sister has time, she would make it to some of the wonderful boutiques around the hotel, however five days just isn't enough time to spend in Branson.

She said it was an amazing stay and she loved all of my suggestions. I was so pleased, and I told her that my fiance and me were planning a trip back during the summer. I just can't get enough of this place!

Of course, I wasn't even born yet in 1969, but I heard so many stories about Woodstock from my parents and family growing up. "A time of reverence, peace, unity, and just a really great time" is what they called it.

It was a festival of music and art, including some of the most revered musicians of our time including Jimi Hendrix, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Mountain, Janis Joplin, amongst many many others.

Dustin LaBarge, a staff writer over at Factoidz, has written a short, yet fascinating history of the music and art festival in 1969 that shook the world and impacted lives.

The Woodstock festival consisted of more than three days of free concerting in a natural amphitheater on a 600-acre farm in Bethel, New York. The event officially kicked off just after 5:00 P.M. on the night of August 15 with Richie Havens performing "Freedom," and it continued until about 8:30 A.M. on the morning of the 18th, when Jimi Hendrix ended the festivities with the now-immortalized (and improvised) version of The Star-Spangled Banner.

Read the entire article about Woodstock: The 1969 Music and Art Festival

Also check out

The Decade of Death: Hardly a Time of Flower Power

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There aren't enough words to describe how amazingly talented Trey Radcliff is. Not only does he produce some of the most spectacular shots I've ever seen, but he happens to be a gifted artist. He's been called a a “Pioneer of HDR photography” by Chris Anderson from TED and he's won several awards including the First HDR Photograph to hang in the Smithsonian. Wow, now I'm impressed.

If you've never heard of Radcliff or his site, head on over there now. It's called Stuckincustoms and I could spend hours there, which explains why I haven't been doing my homework.

What do you think of his photography?

Over at Man-Over-Board, Glenn is sharing the latest news in cultural awareness, hot topics, travel information, and much much more. However, one of his latest posts caught me off guard, that being Earth Hour 2010.

The first Earth Hour was in 2008, when one city Sydney, Australia decided to have all it’s citizens turn off their lights. Over 2.2 million people did it that first year and while it was deemed a success, the following year in 2009,  we had over 50 million people in over 400 cities across the globe participate in turning off their lights.man-over-board.com, Changing The World One Light At A Time, Mar 2010

So why should you be aware of this momentous event? Well, if you haven't noticed, lately there has been a shift in weather patterns and many countries are experiencing some pretty odd occurrences. I think it's time that all of us should take notice and do our part. So will you turn off your lights on March 27th?

We think of snakes as spiritual, yet terrifying creatures, that on some occasions we meet with trembling eyes. Most of us never dream of ever coming close to investigate them further, let alone include ourselves in a daring race of vigilance, speed, and sheer ability to squeeze the life out of a human or another animal.

In a recent competition in Austraila, deemed the "Snake Olympics", several different species of snakes competed in sprint trials in a racetrack, tongue flicking, thrashing, biting when held, and wrapping around other bodies. What was the reasoning behind this bizarre, yet stated as an "educational" experience?

The participants were being observed to see how they would react in certain environmental situations. The were poked and prodded, so I'm imagining the competition wasn't all that enjoyable for them.

According to Discovery News, both the small-eyed snakes (Cryptophis nigrescens) and broad-headed snakes (Hoplocephalus bungaroides)— were selected to participate in the trials.

Many of the trials included varying temperatures to see how both species would react in abnormal conditions. Consequently, they also underwent testing determined by lightness and darkness.

To see the results of the tests, and read more about the Snake Olympics, check out Discovery News.

Sources

© 2007 David Fischer Photo Cryptophis nigrescens
Eastern Small-eyed Snake

AVRU Hoplocephalus bungaroides

At the closing of another semester at the local state college, both my fiancé and I will be attending the university to obtain advanced degrees. We both tend to maintain professional dress when we go to classes, so I'm always on the lookout for reasonably priced business attire.

It tends to be a bit easier for me to find looks that fit my busy lifestyle, however when it comes to my fiancé picking mens shirts, he tends to be very picky about how they fit and how much they cost. Well, with all of my time spent on the internet, I'm always able to find the best sites for clothing.

I found a site called Blair that has a plethora of choices under twenty dollars for everyday active ware, and professional business attire. Not only do they have some super savvy and trendy shirts for a day out on the golf course, or a casual day at the office, but they have some wonderful choices for a PhD student, getting ready to start teaching their first classes.

One of my favorite choices for my fiance, and my dad for that matter, is the Scandia Woods® Long Sleeve Polo. My father loves these shirts because they have tiny air holes that are stitched in the fabric, making them light and comfortable for everyday wear. Consequently, they are supremely soft on the skin, yet durable for long wear.It also helps that they're under $23.00 and they come in a slew of great colors.

Long sleeves can't be worn all year around, and since we live in Florida, I need short sleeves almost 8 months out of the year. Blair has some great short sleeve choices, my favorite being the SmartValue Textured Shirt. Not only do they have a camp collar,chest pocket, straight hem and side vents, but these options allow for versatility. If you're teaching a class, and you want to pair this shirt with some khaki or black slacks, this is a great choice.

If you're on the lookout for everyday business casual ware, golfing attire, or activeware, Blair is the first place you want to check out for reasonably priced, high quality clothing.

Last year when I was doing independent study on comparative psychology, I stumbled upon some odd footage. Kevin Richardson, an animal behaviorist, had formed a private refuge in South Africa, near Johannesburg.

Amongst some of the furry creatures exploring there way around the reserve are several hyenas, that on occasion, like to partake in warm embraces with Kevin. There are also close to 38 lions that Kevin has been working with, ever since they were born in captivity.

Not only had he developed a personal relationship with each and everyone of the animals, but some of the female lionesses that had just given birth, allowed him to nap with their cubs. How strange is that? Really, it's unheard of.

Most of us would never imagine placing ourselves in this type of environment, for the very thought of one of these wild animals attacking can't be far from Kevin's mind at all times. They appear to be beautiful and kind creatures, however animals can change their behavior quite quickly in certain situations.

Watch the video and see for yourself. Feedback is always welcome.

I haven't seen the latest Alice in Wonderland movie, but I can only imagine it's filled with artistic scenes, creative makeup and set design, and some crazy choreography. So, when I stumbled upon this funny mad hatter dance by Johnny Depp, all while I was looking for something interesting on the cultural and society front today, I thought why not share.

«Деревенский мотив» на Фото.Сайте

«Спасо-Прилуцкий» на Фото.Сайте

«Погожий день на Наре» на Фото.Сайте
«Зимний свет» на Фото.Сайте

These shots were taken by UriCh with a Canon - CANON EF24-105 f/4L IS USM. Upon interpretation, it seems that the photographer happened to get a late start in learning how to shoot pictures.

I'm hoping my translation is close, so to the end:

"Just a big fan of photography, who believes that learning is never too late. I thank all those who showed interest in my work."

Have you seen the new ad networks from Google Adsense? Not only do publishers have the option to earn money from competing advertisers on Adwords, but now Google has added certified ad-networks.

Ultimately, this will allow site owners to earn more revenue over a certain period of time. How do they make us money? Well, up until now advertisers using Adwords were only competing against themselves. Now, there is an entirely new set of network ads competing for your business.

First of all, I want you to watch the video. I wanted to the know the reason why I had been making more money with Adsense lately. Was it because I was using targeted keywords for advertisers? Maybe, however I haven't exactly changed my content too drastically, so I was pleasantly surprised when my Google earnings started to double everyday.

Once you watch the video, access your Adsense account. Go to Adsense setup, and then to the Ad Review Center. There you will be able to see the new networks that have been recently displayed on your site, and consequently, making you more money.

You also have the option at the point to filter out categories that might not fit well with the theme of your blog. Check it out and tell me what all of you think about these new changes.

As a Google Adsense user, I was thrilled with my recent boost in earnings.

Every semester, in every class, I'm required to write a research paper that includes six sources. None of these sources include any quotes or documentation from Wikipedia, as the professors don't find the pages to be truly accurate in their information.

A problem arises, however, when I do find pertinent information on a Wikipedia page and I am forbidden to use it for writing papers. From my standpoint, I understand that professors are concerned about correct source usage and spelling issues, however not all of the Wikipedia resource pages are inaccurate.

The problem is that, there are several different types of contributors lending their views to the Wikipedia site. Subsequently, many of those contributors do not have a strong understanding of the subject and they publish pure opinion, along with some atrocious grammatical errors.

Ram and Liu, professors from the University of Arizona, first identified six types of contributor roles for individual articles, along with casual contributors who made four or fewer edits to entries. "What we found was that there are many different people playing many different roles, and they don't always play the same role in every article," said Sudha Ram, management information systems professor at the University of Arizona, who conducted the analysis with graduate student Jun Liu.

I admit, I use Wikipedia quite often to research some unknown subjects, however I check and double check the sources to see if they are reliable. Also, I love using the pictures on Wikipedia Commons to display exotic locations, breathtaking photography, and several travel destinations. I just feel Wikipedia has received quite a bad wrap from casual contributors, which generally lack source references, and have simply soiled Wikipedia's reputation.

Read the entire Discovery News article about Wikipedia Contributors

Cracker Creek is adjacent to Gamble Place in Port Orange, Florida and offers famous Eco-History Pontoon Boat Tours Thursday through Sunday at 11am and 2pm. Kayak and Canoe rentals are available Thursday to Sunday from 8 am to 5pm.













Also check out:

I set out today to visit Gamble Place at Spruce Creek in Port Orange, Florida today, however the buildings are undergoing restoration and maintenance. To be honest, I thought I had arrived in the wrong place, since I ended up at someones private residence. I did, however, notice a visitor's center at Cracker Creek where I met a lovely lady that explained to me where I was actually at.

Read more:  A Photo Tour of Cracker Creek in Port Orange Florida

Very few places surprise me, so I was thrilled when I stumbled upon these old pictures of Unalaska, Alaska.

View of Unalaska, Alaska

Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Ascension

Sea Otter Fur Trade

Historically, Unalaska had a highly developed and complex society set on the site of some of the most breathtaking views I've ever seen. Even with a very small population, Unalaska has managed over the years to be a popular site for fur trade. In fact, in 1768, Unalaska became a Russian trading port for the fur seal industry, which was eventually monopolized by the Russian-American Company. It was there that Captain James Cook encountered the navigator Gerasim Izmailov in 1778.

Picture Sources

So, I don't admit to folding to the curiously handsome and cunning lizard on the commercials, however I like how he swings.

Leave it to GEICO to produce an entertaining and creative commercial including one of the world's greatest philanthropists and wealthiest individuals Warren Buffet.

This video features real GEICO associates and a cameo appearance by Warren Buffett. All are members of our "GEICO family" and fanatics for providing outstanding customer service - all for you.

Shannon Richey, a Factoidz writer I just met previously, has given her view of Wiccans based on the opinions of some of her friends. With an open mind and understanding of other belief systems, being that Shannon has worked for Belief.net for several years, she gives a clear and factual explanation of the Wiccan religion.

I’m not sure if it really matters, but I just want to say this upfront: I am not a Wiccan. I’m actually a Christian, but I enjoy learning about religion (not just mine) and what other people around me believe. I am particularly interested in faith groups-like Wicca-whose beliefs are markedly different from my own. I’ve had several Wiccan friends who were more than willing to share their beliefs with me, and we have had some very interesting and informative conversations.Read more about the Misconceptions about Wiccans

Also check out

The Belief Net Quiz: What do you believe?

Picture Credit

Once known as the "Little Paris", Bucharest in Romania is full of charm, ornate architecture, and scenic sites for the avid traveler. There are over 37 museums, 22 theaters, 18 art galleries, and several night clubs. The culture is quite eclectic inspired by international and local tastes.

glitter-graphics.com



This music is compliments of Nick Bytes called Mr. Moses Ri-Tooral-I-Ay ~ The Clancy Brothers.

Today is St. Paddy's Day, but just one hour ago, we received a call from my fiance's son that he had been accepted to his college of choice. He has worked so hard all 4 years in high school and completely aced his SAT scores. So what can I get him celebrate his moment? Well, he already has every game system imaginable, so I figured since I have had such great luck with watches, I would get him a Citizen Eco Drive watch that's super savvy and cool, without looking to grown up.

I was looking for a black face, with maybe some scroll work, and silver design. He's into high tech gadgetry and video game design, so this is going to be a hard decision, so I need your help. I already have an online site that I receive my watches from, but I have so many options to choose from I don't know where to start.

I have found some designs that I love, but I'm trying to get inside the head of an 18 year old genius, and it's a bit difficult. So, ladies and gentlemen, between all the watches I've pictured, which do you like the best and why. I need help!

Some scholars believe Lewis Theobald's "Double Falsehood," first performed in London's West End in December 1727, was based substantially on the Bard's "Cardenio."

"There is definitely Shakespearean DNA," said English literature professor Brean Hammond, who has worked since 2002 to determine if "Double Falsehood" has Shakespearean roots. Arden Shakespeare, an authoritative publisher of the Bard's works, has released an edition of the play edited by Hammond -- a decision the publisher acknowledges is controversial.

Arden's general editor, Shakespeare scholar Richard Proudfoot, agrees with Hammond and says there is no absolute way of knowing if "Double Falsehood" is based on Shakespeare's work, but he argues it is a "sufficiently sustainable position" that it represents the play in some form.

Read more about the Shakespeare find on Discovery News

Photography compliments of frugalculture (Manager with the Tourist Board in the North of Ireland)