"What are YOU doing this weekend?" (Photo by Veronica ML) Ah, the lazy days of summer are here. Wait -- "lazy?" We Americans are lazy enough already, according to this month’s American Journal of Medicine. That means it’s time to get out, get active, and to take advantage of some summertime activities! Nothing on your calendar? No problem! Ours is packed through the season. Here are just a few ideas for just this weekend: In major metropolitan areas, of course, there’s always something going on. If you’re anywhere near Chicago, this weekend is "Taste of Chicago," with free admission and filled with food and music. Speaking of music, everyone in Dallas is likely lined up for the "American Idol" auditions. If you missed registering in Texas, get your plane tickets now for one of the upcoming auditions in Los Angeles, Orlando, or Denver. Are there events geared toward those who want to get or stay fit this summer? Certainly! Remember the "Seinfeld" episode where Kramer swims in the East River because the pool is too constricting? It turns out there's a gaggle of like-minded New Yorkers who are swimming around Liberty Island today. If you can't make it, don’t worry; they have more events scheduled. Of course, you don’t have to live in the big city to find cool things to do. Wherever you are, you can still participate in "Take Your Dog to Work Day" (provided your employer approves, of course!), Some folks in Petaluma, California, however, will be skipping work with their pooches to visit the Sonoma-Marin Fair and enter the "World’s Ugliest Dog Contest." If the thought of big crowds and rats on leashes makes you want to just stay home -- or if you’re just saving all your energy for the Fourth of July weekend -- you can still get involved by watching other people push the limits of hockey, golf, or pure speed. Just don’t say you’re bored!

Directory categories: American Idol, Recreation in Manhattan, Chicago Travel Guides, Activities for Dogs, Sports

Archived under: American Idol, Animals, Boredom, Calendars, Chicago, Cities, Contests, Dogs, Eating, Entertainment, Events, Festivals, Food and Drink, Health, Outdoors, Pets, Recreation and Travel, Regional, Seinfeld, Sports, Summer, Swimming, Tourist Attractions, Travel, Vacations

Post a comment (0) | Email this posting

The forest-mimicking columns inside Gaudi's temple La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain (Photo by Juan Salmoral) If there is any one principle that resonates through the work of architectural legend Antoni Gaudí, it's that nothing beats the beautiful ingenuity of Nature. Born on this day in 1852, Gaudí was infatuated with the natural world. He immersed himself in nature's forms -- from sea shells to mushrooms. Organic shapes inspired Gaudí's stunningly original monuments in and around Spain's cultural mecca, Barcelona. His bizarre buildings are wrought with swirling ceilings, gill-like window vents, molten façades, ruffled rooftops, and whimsical chimney creatures. Even the structural elements of Gaudí's buildings take on surreal, nature-inspired forms through tree-like columns, bone supports, helicoid staircases, and rib-shaped rafters. Despite his innovations, Barcelonians didn't think much of him during his lifetime. Aside from the few rich clients who adored (and funded) his artistry, most civilians -- and frankly, most of Gaudi's colleagues -- scoffed equally at his major works. Nevertheless, the Catalan creator of biomorphic curves eventually earned posthumous praise from master architects and artists, solidifying his status as a forefather of Modernism. Suggested Sites... Casa Battló (1905-1907) - Gaudí's gaudy apartment, inspired by sea forms. Casa Milà (1905-1907) - Gaudí's undulating building called "The Quarry." Parque Guëll (1900-1914) - Gaudí's park, featuring his home, bridges, mosaics, terraces, and sculptures. La Sagrada Familia (1882-2026?) - his massive masterpiece-in-progress, full of cave forms and unforgettable towers. NYC Grand Hotel Plans (1908) - Gaudí fans proposed his design for the new World Trade Center.

Directory categories: Antoni Gaudi, Master Architects, Barcelona Local Guides, Art Nouveau

Archived under: 19th Century, Antoni Gaudi, Architects, Architecture, Arts, Birthdays, Buildings, Creativity, Design, Europe, History, Regional, Spain, Tourist Attractions

Post a comment (1) | Email this posting

(Photo by Timothy K. Hamilton) It's been 142 years since the United States purchased the Alaskan territories from Russia for 7.2 million dollars -- less than two cents per acre. To put that another way, today, Alaska’s purchase price would buy only fourteen half-million dollar houses like the one belonging to that state’s famous governor. That’s a good value by any standard, especially this year, with houses going for fire sale prices in cities like Stockton, CA, and Detroit. And when you consider the cultural value of Alaska, it’s clear it was a bargain by any standard. In 2008, we learned a lot about the Land of the Midnight Sun. Here are some highlights: It's beautiful up there. To control predator populations, Alaska allows tightly regulated wolf-hunting from the air. Real dudes race snowmobiles. Forget soccer, hockey moms are going to puck you up. You can see Russia from your backyard. Alaskans aren’t really like the rest of us. In fact, many don’t want to be like the rest of us. Alaskans are paid for the privilege of living in the last frontier -- last year, every man, woman, and child rresiding in the state eceived $2,069 from the state’s oil royalty program. Real Alaskans wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Suggested Sites... I Eat Gravel - musings on Alaska by a real live Alaskan. The Mudflats - award-winning political blog, slinging only a moderate amount of mud. Official site of the State of Alaska - includes information for residents, visitors, and the curious Internet horde.

Directory categories: Alaska, Alaska Travel Destination Guides, History of Alaksa

Archived under: 19th Century, Alaska, American History, Animals, Anniversaries, Business, Cultures, Detroit, Elections, History, Outdoors, Regional, United States, Wildlife, Winter

Post a comment (0) | Email this posting

(Photo by Graham Chastney) We're old-fashioned when it comes to games and toys. We prefer Lincoln Logs to Leapsters, Backgammon to Warcraft, and even Rock Paper Scissors to Grand Theft Auto. So when we recently learned about a traditional playground game that requires only horse chestnuts (also known as "conkers") and string, we were intrigued. The more we learned about the game of Conkers, the more we felt we'd been deprived of something wonderful as children. In Conkers (which is played mostly in the U.K., Ireland, and some former British colonies), the preparation is nearly as important as the game. Competitors -- generally school kids, although nostalgic (and sometimes inebriated) adults also partake -- select the biggest, toughest, or luckiest-looking horse chestnuts from the autumn crop. Some contestants boil, bake, soak in vinegar, or shellac their conkers in order to toughen them up -- though others insist that any conker-tampering is cheating. Players carefully bore a hole through each nut, and thread a string through it, knotting the end to keep it in place. And then the games -- and the bruises -- begin. The game consists of two competitors taking turns whacking one another's conkers with their own, with play determined by a catalog of arcane rules and traditions. The conker that breaks first is the loser, with the winning nut receiving a score that is the sum of its own victories, plus the victories of all the loser's vanquished opponents. A particularly lucky conker might have dozens of victories under its belt before being smashed or retired from competition. Once a competitor graduates from playground matches, there's only one place to go: the World Conker Championships. The annual event takes place in Ashton, England, on the second Sunday of October. If you can't make it to the games in person this weekend, grab your conkers and play along at home! Suggested Sites... World Conker Championships - official site of the world's most serious game of Conkers. Institution of Occupational Safety and Health: Conkers! - the safety group now sponsors the WCC, dispelling a myth that they once required children to wear protective goggles while playing Conkers. Conkers: A Favourite Childen's Game - detailed, illustrated instructions -- all you need to start playing Conkers. BBC: Caravan Conkers! - the boys from BBC's "Top Gear" play Conkers with cranes and RVs. The End of Horse Chestnut Trees? - BBC report on a deadly fungus that threatens horse chestnut trees -- and Conkers.

Directory categories: Conkers, Games, U.K. Games, Game Retailers

Archived under: Conkers, Contests, Games, Kids, Recreation and Travel, Regional, Sports, United Kingdom

Post a comment (2) | Email this posting

Unfortunately, modern pirates don't warn their victims with a Jolly Roger (Photo by Simon Bisson) We love pirates! We love pirate jokes, fashion, and that swashbuckling Johnny Depp in eyeliner, so naturally we're big fans of Talk Like a Pirate Day (and any other excuse to dress up, dress down, or speak strangely, really). In years past, we've reported on buried treasure, the kraken, pirate myths, and the history of Talk Like a Pirate Day itself. But even though it seems that the pirate fad is waning (avast!) and we've strip-mined the topic, there's one area we've neglected: modern-day piracy. Unfortunately, it's not very funny. Most of us don't sail the Seven Seas anymore, so the only piracy we worry about involves borrowed software and downloaded MP3s. But in recent years, old-fashioned seafaring piracy has been on the rise. While the famed buccaneers of the Golden Age were fearsome and brutal, history has rendered them romantic, mythical characters, with their tall ships, cannons, and cutlasses. Modern pirates in speedboats, armed with automatic weapons and grenade launchers, don't have the same panache -- and frankly, sound a lot scarier. Interpol even classifies them as terrorists, and we think everyone can agree that there's nothing very romantic about terrorism. Current pirate hotspots include the waters around Indonesia, especially the Strait of Malacca, and both coasts of Africa, thanks to instability in Somalia and Nigeria. But the increased pirate activity has not gone unnoticed. This summer, a UN Security Council resolution granted states the right to help protect ships from acts of piracy, and, after a recent naval raid freed two hostages held by Somali pirates, French President Nicolas Sarkozy called for a global effort to combat piracy. Unless you're looking to ruffle some feathers today as you talk like a pirate, you might want to stick to the old-fashioned and/or fictional kind. After all, it's not Talk Like an International Terrorist Day... though it wouldn't surprise us if someone created that holiday next. Suggested Sites... International Marine Bureau Weekly Piracy Report - up-to-date news on pirate attacks around the world, with a handy map to know which areas to avoid. Noonsite.com: Piracy - reports of recent attacks, messageboards, and articles about modern pirates. Introduction to Modern Yacht Piracy - what you need to know to protect yourself from pirates. Cargo Security International: Piracy - news and stats about modern pirate attacks.

Directory categories: Maritime Transportation, Historical Piracy, Pirates and Buccaneers, Maritime History, Somalia

Archived under: Boating, Crime, Pirates, Regional, Talk Like a Pirate Day, Terrorism, Transportation

Post a comment (1) | Email this posting