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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

8 Unusual Walls Around the World

Walls have been built since ancient times, to mark borders, protect kingdoms and settlements, or keep out unwanted people. In more recent times, walls have also been built to serve as memorials and structures of art.

01. Chewing Gum Wall, Seattle, US

Photo Link

Not all walls are controversial and divisive. Seattle's gum wall is the place for any unwanted chewing gum, a tradition which was started by people queuing for the theatre. Currently the gum on the wall stretches to several inches thick and is a slightly alternative location for wedding photographs. 07 more walls after the break...

Hohenzollernbruecke Bridge — Bridge of Love

Photo: Dennis Grombkowski/GETTY IMAGES

Thousands upon thousands of locked padlocks can be seen affixed to the fence across the unpronounceable Hohenzollernbruecke bridge in Cologne, Germany. The phenomenon called Love Locks (or Love Padlocks), which many believe to have originated from Italy, is a new kind of vandalism where lovebirds lock padlocks bearing their names against fences, gate, bridge or similar public place to symbolize their everlasting love.

According to Wikipedia(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_padlocks), Love padlocks have existed for quite some time, though there are no certain sources for their origin. In Europe, love padlocks started appearing in the early 2000s. In Rome, the ritual of affixing love padlocks to the bridge Ponte Milvio can be attributed to the book I Want You by Italian author Federico Moccia, who later made it into the film-adaptation Ho voglia di te. 06 more images after the break...

10 Most Expensive Books In The World

01. "Leicester Code," Leonardo da Vinci (The Codex Leicester, Leonardo da Vinci)

$ 30.8 million in 1994, the auction Christies ($ 44,6 million in current prices *).

Notebook entries by Leonardo da Vinci, made during his life in Milan in 1506-1510, respectively. The manuscript consists of 18 sheets of paper covered on both sides and folded in such a way that together they formed a 72-page book. Leonardo notes written in a special way, his own "mirror" type - they can be read only by means of a mirror. Entries are devoted to various events, mused about the nature of which Leonardo: why the moon is shining, why and how the water flows in rivers, where are the fossils of which are minerals and so on. Notebook also contains a large number of mathematical calculations, diagrams and drawings. "Leicester" code was named after the Earl of Leicester, who bought the manuscript in 1717. In 1980, the book's heirs Lester bought the famous industrialist, collector and friend of the Soviet Armand Hammer, after which he served for a short period called the "Code Hammer» (Codex Hammer). After his death in 1994 the code was put up for auction, in which was acquired by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and he regularly exhibited in museums in the picture. 09 more after the break...

Grapes in a Volcanic Island

The island of Lanzarote (Lanzarote) refers to the Canary Islands (Spain). It is also called an "island volcanoes" - on a small island is about 60 wide and 15 km are about three hundred volcanoes. In autumn 1730 together with thirty craters began to erupt lava and ash. The eruption lasted for six years, and as a result of one-third of the island was covered with basalt and lifeless ash. This is a very negative impact on agriculture, Lanzarote, but did not stop the local growers, which in the end, successfully adapted to grow grapes right in a volcanic desert. 30 more image after the break...

Street Food Around The World

We all know that you need to properly feed, but sometimes I feel like grab something tasty, but harmful in the street. In this collection are some popular "street" food from different countries.

01. Seviche, Peru.

Seviche - it is a common dish throughout Latin America. Typically, this snack is made from a mixture of raw fish with seafood marinated in citrus juice, in this case in lime juice. 09 more after the break...

New Book: Magic Beans: A Handful of Fairytales from the Storybag

Magic Beans: A Handful of Fairytales from the Storybag is a recent book released in the UK with many short stories by well-known authors based on fairy tales. I missed this when it was released a few months ago and it is pushed primarily in ebook format here in the US. The ebook is $9.99 which looks like a bargain when one finds that each of the short stories are also available separately for $1.95 each in ebook format.

The best part--besides a stellar author list--is that many of these are lesser used tales for retellings. I'm not sure how much interpretation is in these versions or if they are more straightforward rewritings by the authors, but either way I am sure they are fun reading. I do know enough to recognize they are reprints of dollar books printed by Scholastic with each title. The illustrations appear to be included here, so this is a good way to collect them all if they interest you or a child in your life.

Book description:

Magic beans. Sow them. Plant them. Watch children grow.

'If you are a dreamer, come in. If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar, a hoper, a prayer, a magic-bean-buyer. If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire, for we have some flax-golden tales to spin. Come in! Come in!' - Shel Silverstein, Poet

Each and every one of the stories in this anthology is a magic bean: a wondrous tale that will capture your imagination. Prepare to be dazzled by Rapunzel's golden tresses. Prepare to be moved by the suffering of the Little Mermaid. Prepare to laugh yourself silly as 'Mr Sultana' struggles to get the better of a little red rooster!

Lovingly crafted by the finest authors and illustrators, these 'magic beans' will delight, thrill and thoroughly entertain.

Table of Contents:

Adèle Geras
The Six Swan Brothers

Anne Fine
The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Henrietta Branford
Hansel and Gretel

Jacqueline Wilson
Rapunzel

Malorie Blackman
Aesop’s Fables

Philip Pullman
Mossycoat

Tony Mitton
The Seal Hunter

Alan Garner
Grey Wolf, Prince Jack and the Firebird

Berlie Doherty
The Snow Queen

Gillian Cross
The Goose Girl

Kit Wright
Rumpelstiltskin

Michael Morpurgo
Cockadoodle-doo, Mr Sultana!

Susan Gates
The Three Heads in the Well

Linda Newbery
The Little Mermaid

France Month: Peau d'âne by Jean-Pierre Kerlo'ch & Eric Battut

Peau d'âne by Jean-Pierre Kerlo'ch (Auteur), Eric Battut (Illustrations). Another Peau d'âne since I have her on the brain this week. I could only find two illustrations for this book, but they are interesting all the same.

Book description:

La délicatesse des illustrations d'Éric Battut met en lumière l'un des textes les plus fascinants et les plus anciens du répertoire français, adapté par Jean-Pierre Kerloc'h dans le respect de la langue de Charles Perrault.