Home add your blog Archives Search Forum Contact RSS FEED

This site is an rss/xml news reader containing our favorite feeds. All articles are the copyrighted material of the blogs that wrote them.

Japanese celebrity wins 2009 Crystal Dig World
Championship

post from Japan Probe on 04 November 2009 04:46:59 PM. © Japan Probe

Comedian Daisuke Miyagawa recently traveled to Arkansas to compete in crystal digging contest for an episode of NTV’s “Itte Q.” Mark and Mike, twin brothers who are longtime veterans of the event, are hired to guide and assist Miyagawa in his 3-day search for big crystals.Part 1Daisuke learns the basics of crystal digging, and [...]

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JapanProbe/~3/xn2nTPrwGX8/

Digg this

Hot dogs in Japan

post from Japan Probe on 04 November 2009 04:43:17 PM. © Japan Probe

No nationwide fast food chain in Japan has hot dogs as a non-breakfast menu item. Mini Stop convenience stores have started concentrating on hot dogs, aiming to become a fast food contender:—Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)Dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/JapanProbe/~3/35QN1yKfO10/

Digg this

Barton and Leier Talk

post from Go Nanaimo Blog on 04 November 2009 02:45:21 PM. © Go Nanaimo Blog

The Nanaimo Art Gallery in conjunction with Vancouver Island University Arts and Design Department will present an artists talk with Nixie Barton and Grant Leier from 6:30 to 8 pm on Tuesday, November 10, 2009, at the Gallery's 900 Fifth Street location, building 330.

Read The Full Article:
http://blog.gonanaimo.com/barton-and-leier-talk

Digg this

Live Your Life Like a 20-Year-Old in Estonia

post from Go Green Travel Green on 04 November 2009 02:03:14 PM. © Go Green Travel Green

We spent a lovely weekend in Tallinn, although we don't have pictures to prove it because, along[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GoGreenTravelGreen/~3/frjqFHPbN7w/

Digg this

LINDERWALD - HOME OF MARTIN VAN BUREN

post from DEAN HANMER - ARTIST IN RESIDENCE on 04 November 2009 01:38:00 PM. © DEAN HANMER - ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

For our New York vacation we had several goals. To see the fall colors of the trees, to walk, to visit sculpture parks, and to continue our learning about the Revolutionary War. I had compiled a long list of tourist attractions, knowing that we couldn't possibly see it all. Early on, one of the themes we found ourselves on was, presidents.

We visited George Washington's last army headquarters at the conclusion of the Revolutionary War in Newburgh, NY and the home and presidential library of FDR in Hyde Park, NY. It was at Hyde Park that I, by chance, found a tourist flyer mentioning Linderwald, the home of Martin Van Buren. I decided on the spot that this was an adventure to be taken and fortunately for us, we had two days before his home was to be closed for the season. The next day we drove to Kinderhook, New York. Like most people, neither Pattie or I knew much about Martin Van Buren. I knew that he had followed Andrew Jackson which made him our eighth president, but that's about it.

At his home, Linderwald, we joined another couple for a one hour tour and history lesson about President Van Buren. This is a National Park Service site and our guide really knew his history. There is something fantastic about being in a presidents home and I would say there was in me a feeling of reverence. Van Buren was in a tough spot as president. The banks had collapsed and slavery had split the nation, although it would be another twenty years before the Civil War. In my opinion, Van Buren should have counted himself lucky when he didn't win his reelection bid.

Now I can say that I know something of our eighth president. I've been to his home and I've bought a book. While Linderwald may not make a tourist "A" list, I can say that it made our "Top 10." We loved it.

Read The Full Article:
http://deanhanmer.blogspot.com/2009/11/linderwald-home-of-martin-van-buren.html

Digg this

The chameleon [Flickr]

post from Karan's Guest House on 04 November 2009 12:34:17 PM. © Karan's Guest House

ratnasinghrathore posted a photo:

Can you spot the Chameleon in the picture?
karansguesthouse.wordpress.com

Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/karansguesthouse/~3/PChW-5Dnzik/

Digg this

HOME EXCHANGE

post from DEAN HANMER - ARTIST IN RESIDENCE on 04 November 2009 12:24:00 PM. © DEAN HANMER - ARTIST IN RESIDENCE

One of the highlights of our Hudson River Valley vacation was the home that we stayed in. This home was built in 1802 and is situated on 24 acres which includes a large pond and hiking trails. It also included two dogs, which we feed and loved during our stay. We came about staying in this home through our participation in the website, www.homeexchange.com. While we were staying in New York, the owner of this property was staying at our home on Vashon Island. Besides exchanging homes we also exchanged cars, so we and our exchange partner had a free place to stay and a free vehicle to use. Sweet!

It was great for Pattie and I to live with dogs. We often wonder what it would be like to have them ourselves and this experience reinforced our belief that we don't have the lifestyle to be dog owners. Still, getting ten days of dog love was really fun and they provided us with much joy and laughter. Our host was a retired Doctor of Philosophy and college professor. What a library we enjoyed in the evenings that we weren't out. Being surrounded by books is one of the great pleasures of life and I was able to read a couple of books I would not normally have been exposed to.

Of course staying in a home is so much better than a hotel. We saved money by having some of our meals at home and were able to spread out in the evenings. We felt like we were staying at a very nice cabin and the home, library, woods and pond taken together made me thing of Walden's Pond, which I have recently read. Another advantage of the home stay is the quiet. No neighbors or people in the halls, no television from the next room. It's easier to relax and the savings make more travel possible, which was our goal of exchanging homes in the first place. In two weeks we will be in Paris and next November, Buenos Aires, both made possible by exchanging our home for theirs.

Read The Full Article:
http://deanhanmer.blogspot.com/2009/11/home-exchange.html

Digg this

The ice of Kilimanjaro is disappearing

Well, maybe this is not really news but it is a sad fact I guess. Due to the climate changes in the world the glaciers on highest mountain in Africa is melting and the prediction is that the ice will be gone in 20 years! I have had the pleasure of standing at the top of Kilimanjaro (see my trip report http://gardkarlsen.com/kilimanjaro_index.htm ) and it was freezing. But I have to admit that towards the top I was so tired that I didn’t really notice the glaciers at all and I should have taken lots more photos.
I would guess that the main problem of the glaciers disappearing is that the fresh water source will be gone for many of the people that live around the mountain and I guess that this a much bigger problem than issue that the mountain will not be that picture perfect anymore without the glaciers. So if you want to climb the mountain and still enjoy the view of “The snows of Kilimanjaro” you have to hurry - it will be gone soon. On the right hand side you will see a couple of photos showing the difference from 1993 to 2000. If you can read Norwegian you can read an article about this in the Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten.

Read The Full Article:
http://gardkarlsen.com/blog/?p=541

Digg this

Japanese Extreme Ping Pong

The internet can be a wonderful as well as weird place, of which I love both aspects. Using my favorite application called Stumble Upon I came across this video.

video details and more

Read The Full Article:
http://intiaperture.blogspot.com/2009/11/japanese-extreme-ping-pong.html

Digg this

Doc and Big Dave McLean

Sky High Productions and the Blues Underground are bringing Doc MacLean and Big Dave McLean to Nanaimo on Saturday, November 7, 2009. Riding high on the roots revival, these veteran bluesmen report that their National Steel Century Blues Tour has grown to a record breaking 100+ back to back shows spanning nine provinces and two territories.

Read The Full Article:
http://blog.gonanaimo.com/doc-and-big-dave-mclean

Digg this