In a few weeks I'll be heading to the Smokey Mountains for the first time. I'm a bit apprehensive about the trip, as we'll be staying deep in the mountains in a cabin, surrounded by no one. It's not really as isolated as I'm making it out to be, but it certainly might feel that way after living here in busy Orlando, Fl.

I'm trying to plan my itinerary prior to our trip, however I'm a bit in the dark about the attractions and local restaurants. I do know, however, Gatlinburg has the Ripley's Aquarium and Believe It or Not. Those will be my first stop as I'm obsessed with the historically bizarre and Kelly loves anything to do with with marine creatures.

My busy schedule doesn't permit me much time to look for and plan things to do while on vacation, however that's why I rely on local searches to do the work for me. Using local yellowpages online, I can locate local businesses and coupons for those businesses, as well as activities for myself and for my pets. This is all on one page mind you, as everything I need or desire is laid out in front of me on one website. So if you're like me and need a bit of a lending hand to plan your trip, try Local.

Can a person really own the Sun? On a normal day, we can purchase the stars in the sky for a sweetheart, but why not a big ball of hydrogen and  helium, with a touch of oxygen, carbon, neon, and their buddies?

The "thestickman" tells us an interesting tale. Did I say tale? I mean an actual, factual article about a woman laying claim to Sun as if she struck gold.

A 49 year old Spanish woman named Angles Duran was apparently was aware of organizations that allow people to name and register stars in the heavens (and real estate/mineral rights to acreage on the ocean floor, the Moon and Mars!) suddenly realized that nobody has claimed ownership of the nearest star, our Sun. She allegedly filed a claim of ownership with a notary just like filing a mineral claim like a ‘gold strike.’

Read more: Woman Claims She Owns The Sun and We Owe Her Big Time

In 1940th Life magazine’s cover featured nuclear explosion photographic picture, made by Charles Wyckoff. That was the first example of high dynamic range imaging; and the popularity of this photographic technique continues to grow gradually these days thanks to the incredible artistic effects of the HDR images.

Cruzine has prepared this showcase of vintage cars HDR images (click on the link for more vintage HDR shots) to get you familiar with this specific trend of modern photography art, stemming from the ideas and experiments of the greatest photographers of the 20th century.

Check These HDR Books Out!

Written by Shannon Tillman

I really love winter. I like the snow, the skiing, the holidays, and all the time I get to spend with family I hardly ever see. Unfortunately, before I get to enjoy all those things, I have to get the house ready for the season. It's not that hard of work, it's just tedious and takes me forever to get done.

Usually I get the house prepped for winter by the end of October, but this year it's been warmer than usual, so I kept putting it off. I finally got the storm windows up, 23 of them in all. As much as I hate messing with them I can't imagine putting up with that wind drafting through all winter. We put new, all-weather, doors on this summer, so at least I could skip the storm doors.

I got a new air compressor, so blowing out the sprinklers was about as easy as it has ever been. The air conditioner just gets drained and bagged for the season, thank goodness. I think that's the least troublesome of the lot. The furnace is always difficult to get to so I save it for last. Once I get the air filter switched out and the furnaced moved back into place it's time to relax. After the winter work is done, I always sit back with a glass of hot cider and watch TVbyDirect.

They're nostalgic and humorous to us these days, but back then they had a message. Whether Fred Flintstone was educating us on the seven warning signs for cancer, the Tin man from Wizard of Oz was singing about his heart, or Commodore Gray enlightened us about his Little Meow and Big Bow Wow, they educated and informed the masses.

Take a trip back down memory lane from the 50's and 60's. Do you remember these PSA messages? What did you think about them as opposed to now?

Blurb By Kathleen Murphy
 

Via PaganPages

It's a sound that's said to turn one's blood to water--the appalling cry of the banshee. The banshee is a female spirit of Irish folklore whose wails presage a death.  If you hear the banshee, a relative or nearby neighbor will die.  If you see the banshee, well, it's been nice knowing you.

The name banshee comes from the Gaelic bean sidhe, or "woman of the fairies."  She's also known as bean nighe, or "washer woman."  That's because long ago, when petty wars were common, she was often seen washing the bloody clothes of dead warriors. 

From: The Banshee, Ireland's Wailing Ghost

The first thing that came to mind when I saw this uber cool neon dress was a glow stick you use at raves and those neon necklaces we once wore in the 80's.

Charlie Bucket in the designer of this fabulous highlighter dress, flowing with colored liquid through 600 feet of plastic tubing. Charlie is a bit of a star in the hacked crafts crowd, having debuted his Fluid Dress at the Maker Faire festival in California last year.~Switched

Music is compliments of ratatatmusic.com

A penguin with a tuxedo is like a zebra without its stripes, but the mega penguins of the late Eocine preferred less formal attire. Studies show penguins may not have always been black and white. Instead, they were cloaked in reds, browns, and grays. Seems like a more hip penguin than the uppity ones we see today.

Aside from painting a more accurate picture of ancient aquatic avifauna, analysis of ancient pigment-giving particles can provide clues about feather—and the animal's—evolution.

The newly described species on which the fossil feathers were found, Inkayacu paracasensis, lived some 36 million years ago in what is now Peru.

Click on the bird, courtesy of Katie Browne/U.T. Austin , for the full article.

Guest Blurb By Expert Travel Writer DeeBee 

Most of the houses are vernacular houses, houses built using locally resourced materials and traditional age old building methods.

Some of the houses listed are still used as abodes, and some are lovingly preserved examples of a long ago, lost culture or heritage. I have also sneaked in a couple of very futuristic Dutch houses, which just couldn't be left out of any unusual house article.

Read More About Unusual Houses from Around the World.
Also Check out: Wacky Homes Around the Globe

A search of Colombia's forests has revealed three new amphibians, conservation researchers reported Monday.

Led by Robin Moore of Conservation International, the three new species discovered by the team turned up in a search for a beaked toad not seen since World War I.

"Finding three new species in such a short space of time speaks to the incredibly rich biodiversity of these relatively unexplored forests and highlights their importance for conservation," Moore said, in the statement.

Picture © Robin Moore

With a twisted wire, line like design, these graphics are beyond imagination. The only comparison I have are those exacto knife designs we used to make children, however this was created on the computer.

These incredible images belong to scloopy (Ryan Anderson) and were created using a piece of software he designed in  Processing (processing.org).

The program "takes an image and draws branching little lines all over it. The tips of the lines look for brightness in the image. Then I exported to postscript to get the final hi-res version."

All pictures © scloopy

Guest Blurb By Joe Dorish

Image Source

These are the ten largest homes in the United States by square footage that were built before 1950. All ten of these mansion homes are big tourist attractions today that collectively receive over 5 million visitors annually. Ironically the only largest home on the list that is not currently open to the public is the only home owned by the public.

The locations of some of these largest homes in the United States might be a surprise to many. How many people know that North Carolina is where the largest home in America is located or that the two smallest states in the United States, Rhode Island... From: 10 Largest Homes in the United States

I was a small business owner not too long ago. I had two restaurants before I was 27 and it was probably the hardest and most challenging endeavor I've ever faced. It's not an impossible dream, however, as many people are still finding success in this troubled economy. How are they finding success you may ask? There are small business grants put aside for people like you and me, needing a bit of a hand to get started.

Is it risky? Aren't most of these grant sites a scam? Well, there are several scams out there, but there are also organizations like BusinessGrants.org, helping people find legitimate opportunities to make their dreams of owning a small business a reality.

From a personal standpoint, I was able to refinance my home to pay for my restaurant, but I urge you not to do this. If you really want to pursue this, I'll get you started in the right direction.

• Start with your local government agencies. I made a few stops into the local chamber of commerce where I was able to meet with several individuals in the business field able to provide me with some pretty sound advice.
• There are also foundations funded by the federal government. You can find out more information through the Grants Program Management Office.
• Search the Internet. I can't tell you how many grants and loans I found by digging deep.
• Ask friends owning businesses. They'll have some great advice.
• Visit the library. Yes, I know people don't go to the library anymore. Are you kidding? I spend at least one day a week at a library and I always learn something new. Libraries are a treasure trove of information.
• Play it smart. If you find a site too good to be true, it usually is. Check out the site on the Better Business Bureau and RipOffReport.
• Be optimistic and positive. It took me 6 months to find the money I needed to start, but when I finally did, the wait was well worth it.

Any questions? Have you started a business before? What was the most challenging aspect to it? Please share with all of us.

© Mulberry24

I'm a great outdoor enthusiast. I love nature and landscapes and even the sounds of crickets chirping at night.

© Tony the Misfit

I guess I took it for granted when I lived up north and now I miss it. The changing of the seasons. The first snow fall when it starts to stick on the trees. The sound of kids sliding down the snowy hillside.

© Martin Vidner

I still find solace in the memories. I suppose. I used to spend hours with my mom rolling large snowballs to create this magical caterpillar on our front lawn. There were no snowmen. That was just to easy for us. We felt the need to spend close to 6 to 7 hours in the freezing cold, just to make something that wouldn't last.

© Muffet

It's always this time of year when I, and many others, start to look back on our lives and reminisce about the simple times when we were children.

It's like a winter fog. Though we thought everything was blissful and fun, there was always a deeper message. Nothing is as clear as we perceive.

One of my favorite gifts I received for Christmas several years ago was a karaoke machine from my dad. This wasn't too long ago mind you, as I've been keeping up with my solo act every since I had someone to sing for.The machine I received had its own screen featuring all the karaoke songs you can think of. You know the ones. The songs no one would ever admit to loving, but when they come on the radio everyone has to belt out a tune. The entire experience is so much better than just buying Karaoke CDs from the store. You have to have the entire set up. Make a night of it in your garage. 

One of my closest guy friends is dating a karaoke diva and DJ. She has three machines in her garage, disco balls, spot lighting, microphones, and let's not forget a huge stage. At a time, we were spending almost every weekend there. It certainly saved money on the bar tab and it's much less stressful than performing in front of hundreds of strangers. In fact, I would usually try out of my new songs in the garage before I ever performed them in front of a crowd.

Today, I'm a pro. Wowing crowds singing my rendition of Tina Turner's "Proud Mary" and 'Respect" By Aretha Franklin. I'm a diva and deep down I love the attention I get when on stage. I wait for the end of the song and know the crowd will be up on their feet. I think my favorite part about the karaoke experience is the fact no one expects my voice. The power of it. The way it shakes up your emotions. It's my one hidden talents I love to share. What's yours?

Yes, I said it. It's an over-sized, fat, flip flop monkey installation on display in Brazil for the Pixel Show art fair.

Akrotiri lies on 49 acres on the Cycladic island of Thera. During the Bronze Age, Akrotiri was quite impressive with its elaborate construction. The town was occupied in the Late Neolithic period, but evolved into a major town in 2000BC. Like Pompeii, Akrotiri was the site of a volcanic disaster. The island, with its center hollowed out, left a crescent moon shape.

During the Late Neolithic period hydraulic systems were paving the way for new states, as is evident in the elaborate drainage system at Akrotiri. There were also streets, squares, and houses built up to a height of 26 feet. The town was the epitome of a state society with blocks of houses, freestanding monuments, and elaborate buildings constructed entirely out of stone. Typical of the Neolithic period, food stores were discovered as well as preparation areas and crafting rooms.

Read My article Akrotiri: Proposed Site of the Famous City of Atlantis 

Picture courtesy of Klearchos Kapoutsis

Guest post written by Ned Landers

Now that I've reached age 65, I've finally started to see a little social security money come trickling into the house. I know that social security isn't what it used to be, but every bit helps in this economy. Luckily, the government encourages seniors like me to get out and work while still receiving some assistance. The money definitely helps my wife and this time during this late transition in our lives, and we are glad it is finally coming in.

I'm not quite ready to retire, and I plan on working a few more years. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what direction I want to go in for a short-term job, and I am choosing to look at this new path in my life as something positive. I am going to try and do something a little different than I did in my 43 years in the work force. I've spent a lot of time recently looking for HearingAidsbyMiracleEar on the computer to help with interpersonal communication, and I'm also searching for all the things that would interest me in a new career. When life throws you lemons, you make lemonade, right?

****A supernova remnant located in the Large Magellenic Cloud****  © Chandra X-ray Observatory

In scientific lingo:

This composite image of data from Chandra (blue) and Hubble (yellow and purple) depicts the scene of a supernova explosion's aftermath. The X-ray data reveal a bullet-like structure to the lower right that appears to have been blown out of the remnant. The detection of the bullet, which is traveling at some 5 million miles per hour, is evidence that the explosion that created the remnant was not symmetrical.

In my words:

Looks like one of those marble painted composite images I made in grade school. It doesn't make it unimpressive, it just means, there's actually a force out in our universe causing things such as this to happen. Makes you stop to take a closer look at the sky. Or run out and purchase a telescope of your very own. Doesn't it?

The Smithsonian is asking for your thoughts, as there are not very many pertaining to this 1919 photo of flats and/or brownstones. This photo from the Smithsonian Institution Archives is from the Martin A. Gruber Photograph Collection, 1919-1924. Can you guess the area of the town, the street?

 Image © Amertribes

Jack Wilson was the son of a “weather doctor” and planned to follow in his father’s footsteps. Jack had the inept ability to see visions from God, and since he had undergone training with an experienced shaman in his community under his parent's guidance, he had now gained the spiritual knowledge of interpretation.

Jack Wilson: Wovoka  (aka The Cutter, aka Big Rumbling Belly)

 Image © Wikipedia

As Jack grew up, he gained the reputation throughout Mason Valley as an extraordinary and sanctified young leader. It wasn’t until January 1, 1889, Jack Wilson (otherwise known as Wovoka) experienced a vision during a solar eclipse after falling ill with a fever.

Wovoka Sitting (Standing L-R: Charlie Whiteman, Rising Buffalo, Red Pipe, William Penn, George Shakespear, Night Horse, Painted Wolf, Little Ant, Goes In Lodge (Northern Arapaho)  

 Image © Thunderdreamers

While Wilson was unconscious, “God gave him a message to the people of earth, a gospel of peace and right living”. When he and the son regained the light, he was a prophet. He often presided over circle dances, falling into a trance like state to receive revelations. Jack interpreted the sun's heavenly path across the sky, while preaching a message of universal love. Pretty soon, Indians and Euro-Americans regarded him as “The Christ”. The Son of God.

 

Catching a helicopter at the pad heading to the Hamptoms, running down the street to Startbucks in your skirt and running shoes, and taking a stroll through Central Park. It's all so New York and so is this five minute video entitled "The Sandpit".

The Sandpit takes a look into the micro and uber miniature world of the Big Apple. With inspiring music by Human, co-written by Rosi Golan and Alex Wong, New York becomes a truly tiny world, when we know it's anything but.

At the same time the Chicago World's Columbian Exposition was taking place, H. H. Homes was terrorizing the city, taking upwards of 2000 lives in his castle of horrors. Now, the horror will become a reality when Leonardo DiCaprio plays the infamous HH Homes in the upcoming thriller based upon the book by Erik Larson  The Devil in the White City.

The Chicago World's Columbian Exposition introduced Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix, Quaker Oats, and Cream of Wheat-convenience foods. People flocked to see these new innovations, however over a six month span thousands of fair-goers went missing. It was later said that Holmes would take many of those travelers and put them all into one room at his "Castle of Horrors" and suck it dry of oxygen.

Check out the History of HH Holmes and his Castle of Horrors

• Cachtice Castle, Blood Countess Elizabeth Bathory, and the Murders of Vienna
• Ed Gein The Wisconsin Grave Robber and Butcher of Plainfield (@Socyberty)
• The Infamous and Bizarre Vampire of Brooklyn Albert Fish (@Socyberty)
• Robert Hansen: Alaskan Murderer (@This Site)
• Serial Killer Jane Toppan

Authored by Solomon Riggs

When I look around at the world my children are growing up in, I get sad at times. I will remember how it was when I was their age. Instead of video games, we had hide and seek games outside. Instead of chatting to someone we've never met on the Internet, we would sit in the yard and talk with all the neighbor kids. When we were sent to our rooms, it truly was a punishment since we didn't have anything in there but books to entertain us.

Instead of just getting sad, I decided to do something about it. I figured if I didn't introduce my kids to new things, then I am part of the problem rather than the solution. I told everyone to pack three days worth of clothes, a bathing suit, and nothing else. Video games, vampire books, and cell phones were not allowed. I set the home security alarm (information ADT) before leaving. It took us about two hours to get to the lake and another hour to convince them that a weekend of true camping was not a punishment for something they did.

They howled in protest at first, but soon they were having just as much fun as I was. They didn't even know Mom owned a tent, and they were even more surprised to see that I could still put it up as fast as I could 15 years ago. We collected firewood and had a junk food supper before heading down to the beach to go swimming. By the end of the weekend, the kids finally understood why I get so happy when I tell them of my adventures when I was their age

Berawan secondary burials involves a sort of storage, if you will, of the remnants of the deceased above ground in a longhouse or upon a platform in the cemetery. The family of the dead will store the corpse in a valuable glazed jar or the coffin left over from the first stage. The entire process usually “lasts at least eight months and sometimes for several years if the close kin cannot immediately afford to complete the expensive final stages.”

In actuality, the process seems off to westerners, however it seems to me, this funerary practice allows for a deeper connection to the deceased. The family watches as the dead, rot in a sense, and so the act of decay may represent the fact that nature has taken over the body which is only a vessel in the first place. Hertz hypothesized that “peoples who practice secondary burial have certain beliefs about the afterlife, namely, that the fate of the body provides a model for the fate of the soul.” A good death in essence.

On the contrary, the Berawan are quite shocked at American mortuary practices, especially when it comes to the practice of embalming the dead with fluid for preservation purposes. Embalming is a completely unnatural act, and as the Berawan leave their ritual up to nature, they detest the fact Americans try to control it. By slowing the process of natural decay, Americans are freezing the dead in a state of the unknown.

Furthermore, Americans keep the dead in a morgue like setting, together. At any given time, the mortician may be putting makeup on one corpse or doing the hair of another. To be honest, it sounds sick when you think about it! This process is more so for the people that have to look at the dead during a funeral viewing, not for the person innocently lying in the wooden box, who’s probably thinking (ok, not in the truest sense of being alive kind of way *smile*)…..I'm going in the ground, who cares what I’m wearing or what shade of lipstick I have on”!

Photo sources

(Credit: Image courtesy of University of Zurich)
Wikipedia