[ By Steph in Art & Design, Geography & Travel. ]
When you’re in search of a romantic honeymoon spot or comfortable lodging after a long day of travel, sewage pipes, harbor cranes and the county jail probably aren’t at the top of your list. But believe it or not, such structures have been transformed into fun, quirky and sometimes stunning hotels. From a former research lab at the bottom of the sea to a Boeing 727, these unusual recycled and upcycled hotels offer up one-of-a-kind accomodations.
Boston’s Liberty Hotel in a Former Jail
(images via: libertyhotel.com)
Prison inmates once wasted their lives away in these rooms. Today, affluent travelers pay top dollar to occupy them. The Liberty Hotel in Boston was converted from the historic Charles Street Jail in a stunning $150 million restoration that preserved vestiges of the jail cells within common areas like the lobby and the appropriately named ‘Clink’ bar and restaurant.
Controversy Inn: Reclaimed Trams
(images via: inhabitat)
How fun is this colorful Netherlands hotel made of four recycled trains? Named for the ‘Controversy Farm’ where the hotel is located, the inn features reclaimed trams that once rode the rails in Germany and Amsterdam and now house themed rooms packed with eco-friendly recycled details like tabletops made from old traffic signs.
Hotel Made From Beach Garbage, Rome
(images via: corona)
A sharp contrast to the elegant white columns of the Vatican behind it, the ‘Save the Beach’ hotel is Rome’s trashiest – and it’s proud of that designation. The temporary hotel was built entirely from garbage collected on European beaches and erected on one of the dirtiest beaches in Rome. 12 tons of trash were used to create three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and highlighted some of the weird materials that get dumped on beaches, with mannequin legs and musical instruments among the bits sighted in the walls.
Drain Pipes at the Das Park Hotel, Austria
(images via: dasparkhotel)
Sewage pipes might seem like the last place you’d ever want to sleep, and most of the time, there’s good reason for that. But it’s a different story at Das Park Hotel in Austria, where three of these massive concrete drain pipes have been reclaimed for use as extremely compact lodging. There’s no bathroom and it’s definitely not for the claustrophobic, but it’s fun and modern, and definitely a creative example of adaptive reuse.
Shipping Container Travelodge, UK
(images via: world architecture news)
Shipping containers are being reused in all kinds of awesome and unexpected ways, and one of the most practical yet is in the form of a hotel in the UK. Budget chain Travelodge built a clever modular shipping container hotel from 86 used containers that were fully pre-fabricated with walls, electric and bathrooms in place before being assembled onto a giant steel frame. The design is also easily disassembled, so once renovations are required, the containers can simply be replaced.
727 Airplane at the Costa Verde Resort, Costa Rica
(images via: inhabitat)
Since most airplanes end up rotting in bizarre plane graveyards when they’re no longer air-worthy, it’s always nice to see them get transformed into something new. At the Costa Verde Resort, guests can stay in a 1965 Boeing 727 that has been converted into a cozy two-bedroom suite with a kitchenette, dining room and private terrace. Perched on a platform 50 feet above the ground, guests can experience something like the sensation of flight, not to mention incredible views of the ocean.
De Vrouwe Stavoren Wine Cask Hotel, Austria
(images via: de vrouwe van stavoren)
It’s the ultimate getaway for oenophiles: a hotel made from upcycled wine casks that once held 14,500 liters of Beaujolais from a French chateau. Each cask holds two twin beds, and guests have access to adjoining bathrooms and sitting rooms.
Oil Rig Hotel & Spa Concept
(images via: jetson green)
Abandoned oil rigs already sit and rot in oceans around the world, and many more will be decommissioned as we transition from heavy use of fossil fuels. So innovative ideas like the Oil Rig Hotel and Spa not only provide highly unusual and unique lodging and recreation on the water, but also prevent old oil rigs from being removed – which is done, at great hazard to sea life, by explosion. The concept, by Morris Architects of Houston, would feature 300 guest and luxury suites, event space, dining, shopping, entertainment, a casino, a fitness center and more.
Dockside Crane Hotel, Netherlands
(images via: luxuo)
Until 12 years ago, this harbor crane had a lot of work to do, unloading heavy timber on a daily basis. But the construction of a new harbor forced the crane into early retirement. Luckily, it found its niche as an extremely quirky 1-room speciality hotel. The guest room is in the former machine room and features a double bed, Eames chairs and a large screen television not to mention a commanding view of the harbor. Breakfast, which is included, comes up to the bedroom on an internal lift. But that’s not even the best part – you get to play captain in the working control room and spin the cabin around.
Holiday Inn Made of Recycled Key Cards
(images via: fast company)
Expert card stacker Brian Berg teamed up with Holiday Inn to create the most unlikely of hotels: a literal house of cards. And while Brian proves the strength of his creation by sitting on the bed, this hotel where even the toilet paper is made from recycled key cards isn’t actually available for sleeping. Nevertheless, it’s an interesting accomplishment using reclaimed materials. If laid end-to-end, the 200,000 cards used to create the structure would stretch 11 miles.
Hotel Monaco in a Former Post Office, Washington D.C.
(images via: monaco-dc.com)
Patterned after the Roman Temple of Jupiter, the General Post Office building in Washington, D.C. has long been an architectural attraction in America’s capital city and is on the National Register of Historic Places. But now, Washington’s first all-marble building, built in 1839, is home to Hotel Monaco, a 183-room boutique hotel. The main post office area of the building was turned into the hotel lobby, which has retained the character of the building with all of its white columns. And in what was once the mail-sorting area, diners can sit down and enjoy a meal in the hotel restaurant.
Waitanic Patrol Boat Hotel
(images via: woodlyn park)
Guests can choose between four rooms – the Titanic, Britanic, Honeymoon or Captain’s – in a grounded World War II patrol boat at the Waitanic Hotel, one of New Zealand’s most unusual offerings. Not only is this clever reuse of a boat that once detected submarines, guests get another wacky treat when they stay there – the owner, Billy Black, is a professional sheep shearer and performer who puts on a ‘Kiwi culture show’.
Research Station to Jules Undersea Lodge
(images via: jul.com)
If you want to stay at the Jules Undersea Lodge, you’ll need scuba equipment. No kidding. Built in a marine research station, this hotel in Key Largo, Florida requires a 21-foot dive beneath the surface of the sea just to gain entrance. The station, which was once used to explore the continental shelf off Puerto Rico, now features a bedroom, a common room with a kitchenette, and a ‘wet room’ where divers surface, take off their gear and enjoy a hot shower. It’s even air-conditioned.
Hotel Icon in a Former Bank, Houston, Texas
(image via: hotel icon)
Built in 1911, the former Union Bank building is one of Houston’s most iconic architectural attractions – so is it any wonder that after a $35 million hotel conversion project, it’s now called Hotel Icon? This 135-room hotel retains the massive wooden counter of the old bank as its front desk, and the vault can be seen in the lobby.
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World’s Trashiest Hotel: Rome Hotel Built of Beach Garbage
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EuroNews – IT – Interview: Muhammad Yunus
Il suo tour europeo per presentare il primo osservatorio internazionale sul microcredito è iniziato in Italia. È a Roma che il premio Nobel per la Pace 2006, Muhammad Yunus, ha incontrato Euronews. Il padre del microcredito ritiene che per la pace nel mondo sia prioritario combattere la povertà . Trent’anni fa, in Bangladesh, ha creato la Grameen Bank, la prima banca al mondo specializzata nel microcredito. Sistema grazie al quale finora 100 milioni di poveri (nel sud est asiatico, in America Latina e in Africa) hanno potuto aver accesso al credito. Si stima che a oggi siano stati prestati circa 6 miliardi di dollari, con un tasso di restituzione di circa il 98%.
Leaf Beyond Belief: 11 Tree-mendous Examples Of Topiary Art
[ By Steve in Art & Design, Geography & Travel, Home & Garden. ]
What is it about the human condition that compels us to bend nature to conform to our wishes? Even the humble garden is not immune, as these 11 tree-mendous topiaries tell so well. They may look “bush league” but you’d better be-leaf creating them takes mad botanical skills rooted in a love for landscape art.
Town Of Topiary, Railton, Tasmania, Australia
(images via: Wikimedia, Heather Birch, Leo Farelly, Nikkii Daniels and Tassie Tourists)
Some folks will travel to the ends of the earth to find good topiary and Railton, Tasmania, suits that qualification to a T. Herds of verdant elephants strut majestically across green meadows towards a waterhole they’ll never reach, while scattered about the town topiary depicting ostriches, a tarantula and even a squad of soldiers stake out their own patch of ground.
(image via: Heather Birch)
Railton’s evergreen menagerie includes creatures symbolic of Tasmania, an island state located south of eastern Australia. It may be safe to say that the topiary sculpture of the Tasmanian Tiger above may be the only one in existence.
Topiary Park, Columbus, Ohio, USA
(images via: The Topiary Park and Larry Hamill Photography)
Art apes art at the Topiary Park (formerly the Old Deaf School Park) located in downtown Columbus, Ohio, where resident topiarist James T. Mason has patiently created a homage to French pointillist painter George Seurat’s famous nineteenth century painting, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Isle of La Grande Jatte.” Seurat created his crowning masterpiece by meticulously applying paint in minuscule dots, or points, over a period of two years. Unlike the painting, Mason’s topiary tour de force continues to evolve, changing both with the seasons and in response to the occasional trimming.
(images via: The Photo Garden Bee and Larry Hamill Photography)
Topiarist Mason began the installation in 1989 by setting up bronze frames that were to be the backbones of 54 afternoon strollers, 8 boats, 3 dogs, 1 cat and of course: the mysterious Capuchin monkey. To quote Mason, “The Topiary Park is a landscape of a painting of a landscape. If an artist can paint a picture of a landscape – art mimicking nature – then why not a sculptor creating a landscape of a work of art – nature mimicking art?” Why not indeed… which is Mason’s, er, point.
Bang Pa-In Royal Palace, Ayutthaya, Thailand
(images via: Search.com, Virtual Tourist and Garden Visit)
The exotic and expansive Summer Palace at Bang Pa was built for King Rama V, Thailand’s 19th century modernizing king famed for his fictional depiction in the play and film The King and I. The palace features extensive, well-maintained topiary gardens that flourish in part due to the region’s lush, tropical climate.
(image via: Travel Webshots)
A heard of elephants is not unexpected for a Thai topiary garden but a gathering of rabbits? Modern fashions notwithstanding, Thailand had a leg up on punk rock style long before The Clash ever rocked the casbah… at least, if the above “green hare” is any indication.
Wimbledon’s Topiary Cameraman
(images via: Bud Collins Tennis)
Atop the Broadcast Centre at London’s All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club – commonly known as Wimbledon – is a rooftop garden not many know about. The focal point of the garden is a topiary statue of a cameraman, neatly trimmed as if an actual techie froze stiff while doing some winter filming and was taken over by ravenous English yew.
(image via: PaidContent:UK)
The topiary statue is eerily accurate right down to the cameraman’s standard issue flat cap, also known (according to Wikipedia) “as a sixpence, scally cap, Ivy Cap, Irish Cap, salmon hat, UNION Cap, Dai cap, Jeff cap, Windsor cap, touring cap, driving cap, or Newspaper Cap.” Those Brits really love their hats… and their topiary gardens.
Ladew Topiary Gardens, Monkton, MD, USA
(images via: Wicanders Cork Oak Blog, New Lantern and HorseHints)
Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton, Maryland, is one of America’s most famous topiary parks. The landscaping’s high quality is no accident: the gardens were first designed in the 1930s by award-winning topiary artist Harvey S. Ladew (1887-1976). Visitors often state the highlight of a visit to Ladew Topiary Gardens is viewing the acclaimed Fox Hunting tableau. Ladew was an admire of English country culture and the scene features every major participant in a traditional fox hunt from riders to hounds to the fox himself. Tally ho!!
(image via: Ladew Topiary Gardens)
The Garden Club of America declared Ladew Topiary Gardens to be “the most outstanding topiary garden in America,” and the living sculptures in the 22-acre park live up to their rave reviews. The park contains a few topiary topics one might not expect to find in rural Maryland… such as a fully rigged out Chinese junk.
Beatles Topiary, Liverpool, UK
(images via: The Sun and Art On The Network)
“The Fab Four have been transformed into Fab Foliage!” Leave it to those wordsmiths from across the pond to perfectly describe the city of Liverpool’s topiary tribute to their hometown heroes, The Beatles. The shrubbery grown in Tuscany, Italy was coaxed into anthropomorphic metal cages by artist Franco Covili on behalf of Art On The Network. Eighteen months later, the specially selected Privet hedge had filled out the figures and the ensemble was put on display just outside Liverpool’s South Parkway train station.
(image via: Art On The Network)
Staff at the station (Billy Shears, anyone?) have been carefully trained in the art of topiary maintenance, ensuring the privet bush doesn’t overgrow its confines and those trademark Beatles bouffants retain their mid-sixties vibe. All you need is shrub… shrub is all you need.
Flower Puppy by Jeff Koons, Bilbao, Spain
(images via: Bethany J Mitchell, TravelPod/Btran and Purple Cloud)
Want to traumatize your cat? Bring it to the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, in Bilbao, Spain, where you’ll find a 43 ft (13.1 m) tall West Highland White Terrier guarding the entrance. Luckily it’s not real (but Mr. Frisky doesn’t know that), at least not flesh & blood. Jeff Koons’ monumental topiary “Puppy” does have a circulatory system of sorts: an internal irrigation system used to keep its flowery fur as fresh as daisies.
(image via: Wikipedia)
If you think you’ve seen this gigantic, flowery puppy somewhere before, you are correct sir! Koons’ colossal canine embarked on a world tour (well, Germany, Australia and New York) before settling in at the Guggenheim in Bilbao. Since it did, the rain in Spain falls mainly on the pooch.
Shanghai International Mosaiculture
(images via: Jevedebe and People’s Daily Online)
Shanghai, China, hosted the 2006 International Mosaiculture exhibition and competition which featured a staggering variety of ingenious topiary sculptures. Animals were rendered in exciting ways: ducks flapping their way through a wetland and dolphins leaping into the air supported by water fountains, just to name a couple. Topiary was also used to enhance architecture and depict static objects like bamboo folding screens, historical painted masks and much more.
The following video is almost 10 minutes long but it gives the viewer a good idea of what it would be like to walk amongst the topiary gardens at the 2006 International Mosaiculture exhibition:
Mosaiculture Shanghai 2006 Edit Clip, via Facilemovs
(image via: Good-Times Webshots)
People were also represented by topiary at the 2006 International Mosaiculture exhibition in Shanghai’s Century Park, such as the group of children shown above playing traditional Chinese games like marbles and hoop rolling. The 2006 Mosaiculture competition allowed participants to really push the topiary envelope in new ways, such as using contrastingly colored plants to add depth and texture to their creations.
Topiary Art Designs, Suffolk, UK
(images via: Daily Mail UK)
Not everyone who’d like to have topiary in their yard knows how to “grow their own”, so to speak, and their isn’t a topiary specialist on every block… unless you live in Bury St Edmunds, UK. Even if you don’t, Steve Manning does on-site topiary consultations though with clientele lie Prince Charles you can be sure the fee is, er, rather princely.
(image via: Daily Mail UK)
Manning and his wife Jackie run runs Topiary Art Designs you’ll need both time and money should you opt for their services: up to £6,000 per completed piece, and you’ll wait as long as 3 years for delivery once you place your order. The results are spectacular, however, and well worth it for those whose yards can accommodate the Manning’s life-size, finely detailed creations.
Sea Serpent Topiary, Disney World and Disneyland
(images via: Waymarking/Rayman and Scott A Dommin)
One of the most famous topiary sculptures is that of the sea serpent at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida. It can be found near the entrance to Tomorrowland where the moat surrounding Cinderella’s Castle reflects and mirrors its structure to best advantage.The serpent is formed from 5 separate topiary sculptures that take the form of the mythical creature’s undulating coils.
(image via: Peter E Lee)
Tokyo Disneyland also features a topiary sea serpent – perhaps it’s a standard feature of Disney theme parks. Tokyo’s version is a bit different, however, opting for a dash of zen tranquility and the charmingly manicured wakes each segment of the serpent creates as it glides majestically through a sea of green beneath a sky of blue.
Guerrilla Topiary
(image via: myLot)
Mooning bush… not just for Democrats anymore! The image above has become an Internet constant over the past 4 or so years since it was first posted, often cropping up in, well, posts such as this one. Facts and info on the image are hard to come by – is there a real mooning bush somewhere in suburbia annoying the heck out of too-serious neighbor, or is it just a clever photoshop displaying some Walter Mitty’s shear fantasy? One thing’s certain: the (gr)ass really is greener on the other side of the fence.
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From Reservoir Ruins to Stunning Urban Park in Sydney
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Bilbao Building Features Faceted Glass Facade
[ By Steph in Art & Design, Energy & Fuel, Geography & Travel. ]
Faceted like an irregular crystal, this building in Bilbao, Spain wasn’t simply born of some stroke of artistic inspiration. The amorphous towering facade came about because the city’s restrictive zoning rules required a setback from the curb as well as other concessions. Coll-Barreu Architects took those restrictions and ran with them, producing an unexpected structure that not only serves as a focal point on the street, but is energy-efficient as well.
The striking glass skin is actually disguising a rather pedestrian health department building, but while some architecture enthusiasts may bemoan the lost opportunity for an interesting modern interior, the ‘double facade’ lets in lots of natural light and allows for natural temperature regulation, decreasing energy needs. The inner structure shines through at night like a skeleton.
“The double façade solves not only urban requirements but also those concerning energetic, fire-resistant and acoustic insulation from outside,” explain the architects. “This climatic improvement enables the elimination of the conventional air-conditioning installation as well as the false ceiling. Thus, the sound produced by the building is reduced, air recirculation in workplaces disappears, with a significant increase of health conditions. The volume occupied per floor is also reduced.”
The space between the building itself and the skin acts as a massive two-story atrium that opens up to a rooftop deck. Because of all the angles on the facade, the view from inside is never quite the same, reflecting various parts of the city scene outside depending on viewpoint, season and the time of day.
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Man-Made Mountains: 12 Terrain-Inspired Buildings
It juts out of the landscape and into the clouds, covered in grass, butterflies flitting about – but it’s no naturally-occurring mountain. It’s a high-density housing development, or a …
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www.MyASEN.com
.MyASEN.com Social entrepreneurship is the work of a social entrepreneur. A social entrepreneur is someone who recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create, and manage a venture to make social change. Whereas a business entrepreneur typically measures performance in profit and return, a social entrepreneur assesses success in terms of the impact s has on society. While social entrepreneurs often work through nonprofits and citizen groups, many work in the private and governmental sectors. The main aim of a social entrepreneurship as well as social enterprise is to further social and environmental goals. Although social entrepreneurs are often non-profits, this need not be incompatible with making a profit. Social enterprises are for more-than-profit, using blended value business models that combine a revenue-generating business with a social-value-generating structure or component. Donald Trumps solution for America! trumpsocialnetwork.com
Animal Metallicism: 10 Amazing Golden Creatures
[ By Steve in 7 Wonders Series, Animals & Habitats, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Got the gold bug? Golden animals are both beautiful and rare, much like the precious metal itself. These colorful insects, arachnids, vertebrates – and even one very special lady – are linked by a common bond: the warm, golden glow that gives them the look of exquisite, living treasures.
Golden Beetles
(images via: MindCafe, BugGuide and TravelPod)
Certain types of beetles can appear so golden it’s hard to believe they haven’t somehow incorporated 24-carat gold into their gleaming shells! They haven’t – if they did, human treasure hunters would have long since driven them to extinction. Among the most golden of these “gold bugs” are the Golden Scarab Beetle and the Golden Tortoise Beetle.
(images via: Home Schooling Aspergers, Laurie and Matt and Extreme Science)
These insects get their golden appearance using some pretty sophisticated science. The Golden Tortoise Beetle can adjust the moisture content between two layers of its wing covers, resulting in varying levels or golden iridescence as seen by the human eye.
(image via: DK Images)
The Golden Scarab Beetle (Chrysina resplendens) goes even further: its chitinous cuticle reflects circularly polarized light which is “left-handed”. Sounds complicated; looks brilliant!
Golden Jumping Spiders
(images via: Johnbird30 and BugGuide)
Jumping spiders are hunters and ambush predators rather than web-weavers so one would think having a gleaming, metallic exoskeleton would not be in their best interest. Possibly these spiders’ golden appearance is something only human eyes – and not those of its prey – can appreciate.
(image via: Bug Guide)
Jumping spiders are one of the most intelligent spider species and this 1/4-inch long iridescent gold example is one of the most striking in appearance. The rose petal upon which this jewel-like arachnid has set up his or her hunting grounds makes a pleasing contrast with the shimmering iridescent gold of the spider’s exoskeleton.
Golden Monarch Butterfly Chrysalis
(images via: Micro Cosmos, Dave A. eh? and How Stuff Works)
Monarch butterflies are known for their bold orange wings bisected with black veins and contrasting white spots. Their caterpillars, often found grazing on Milkweed plants, are striped with black, white and yellow. It’s only in this majestic creature’s intermediate stage that it chooses to flash its gold: the chrysalis. Oh, uhh, the dude in the chrysalis suit? Gold, pure (comedy) gold.
(images via: Clayruth and About.com)
A Monarch butterfly chrysalis is mainly emerald or jade green in color highlighted by bright metallic gold trim – a horizontal line about 1/3 of the way down and raised golden bumps set apart symmetrically on its lower portion. About 24 hours before the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis, the surface will darken and then turn transparent. Through this process and even after the butterfly has emerged, the golden stripe and spots remain.
Golden Fish
(images via: Smile-O-Smile)
To quote the website copy describing this “truly unbelievable” golden fish, “This is an amazing creation of the Creator. Gold Fish, which was found in the sea in Taiwan was put to display in Taiwan’s Natural Museum.” Okie dokie, I have an open mind and I’m sure you do too… but then: “Scientists have found that some of the parts of this beautiful fish are of 24 carat pure gold.” That noise you heard? That was my mind snapping shut.
(image via: Rojaks)
Seems this particular goldfish, er, gold fish is an animatronic device that may have a creator; just not THE Creator. One can be sure, however, that Koi breeders are actively engaged in producing a truly believable golden ornamental carp. Such a fish might not have 24-carat gold parts but eager buyers would likely pay as if they were.
Golden Poison-Dart Frog
(images via: Jassy World and Bukisa)
There are several different species of Golden Poison Frogs including Phyllobates terribilis, said to be the world’s most poisonous vertebrate. Just how deadly are the alkaloid toxins exuded by these frogs through their skin? Just milligram of the frog’s Batrachotoxin poison is enough to kill approximately 10,000 mice, or 10 to 20 humans, or two African bull elephants – from 1/1,000th of a gram of poison! Another way of stating its toxicity is roughly 15,000 humans killed per gram. “Look but don’t touch” was never so appropriate.
(images via: The Dog Walker, Harunyahya and Know Your Meme)
Golden Poison Frogs are not metallic gold in hue; in fact they can be pale green, various shades of yellow or even bright orange. Where you WILL see metallic gold on frogs (or toads) is in their eyes – the iris’ of many types of common frogs and toads displays a rich, brassy golden tone that contrasts with a midnight black background. Quite beautiful… some might even say, hypnotic.
Gold Tegu Lizard
(images via: Offbeat Pets and Richard Seaman)
The Gold Tegu lizard is a large South American lizard that exploits a similar ecologic niche to that of monitor lizards on other continents. The Gold Tegu’s glossy skin and ornate gold over black striping combine to make it visually very appealing.
(image via: Richard Seaman)
Gold Tegu lizards are popular pets though their feisty nature and hard-to-tame aggressiveness makes them a real handful. Speaking of which, a Gold Tegu can grow rather large – up to 44″ long from tip of the nose to the end of their tails – and unlike other Tegu species they are mainly carnivorous.
Golden Snakes
(images via: Arkive, Steffen und Christina, Eco Terrarium Supply and Polyvore.com)
Several different species of snakes have been graced with the prefix “golden”, including the Golden Tree Snake and the Golden Cat Snake. Most gold-toned snakes live in desert habitats where their coloration helps them blend in with the sandy ground and dry vegetation of arid climes.
(image via: Worth1000)
Now here’s one “rattler” that one wouldn’t mind having coiled close by – it’s one way to un-constrict your finances, at least. I’d say the gilded serpent above was both real and available but then… I’d be speaking with a forked tongue.
Golden Marmoset
(images via: Is America Burning and Purple Slinky)
The Golden Marmoset, or Golden Lion Tamarin (Leontopithecus rosalia), is one of the smallest monkeys and also one of the most endangered. It’s estimated only about 1,000 of these primates survive in forested areas of Brazil’s Atlantic coast while another 490 are currently kept in captivity or on protected reserves. It’s estimated that 98 percent of the Golden Marmoset’s original lush rainforest habitat has been destroyed through logging and/or agriculture.
(image via: Uglorable)
The thick, golden fur covering the Golden Marmoset makes it appear larger and heaver than it really is. In actual fact, these New World monkeys only grow up to 13.2 inches (335mm) long and can weight up to 25 ounces (about 700 grams) when fully grown.
Golden Weaver Bird
(images via: Brian Callahan)
The African Golden Weaver (Ploceus subaureus) can be found in eastern and southern Africa roughly from Kenya down to South Africa. These birds can form flocks of many thousands and their teardrop-shaped nests may hang from leaf-stripped savannah trees by the dozens.
(images via: ScienceBlogs and Vijay Barve)
Golden Weaver Birds are not considered to be threatened and indeed, one of their relatives (the Red-billed Quelea) is considered to be the world’s most abundant bird with a population of approximately 1.5 billion. All Weavers are seed-eaters, and flocks sometimes cause African farmers problems when they settle en masse to gorge themselves on mature seed crops.
Golden Bond Girl
(images via: EHV Emmetts and Probert Encyclopaedia)
Our last (but not least) golden creature is of the species Homo Sapien, commonly known as Shirley Eaton, Bond Girl. Eaton played the role of Jill Masterson in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger. Her claim to fame was her on-screen demise, considered by movie pundits to be one of the top ten film deaths. The crucial scene features Eaton sprawled nude on a bed, her body completely covered in gold. Betty White’s cool and all, but Shirley Eaton is one hot Golden Girl! Here’s a video clip of the notorious (for 1964) scene:
Shirley Eaton as Jill Masterson in Goldfinger (part 3), via Sakieee7
(image via: Screenrush)
The Jill Masterson character supposedly died from “skin suffocation”, a questionable proposition that incidentally was investigated in a memorable episode of the Mythbusters television series. Shirley Eaton was said to suffer no ill effects from her movie makeup though the film’s producers kept a doctor on hand while filming “just in case”. As for Mythbuster’s Adam Savage, his head to toe gold painting also left him none the worse for wear though his pride was somewhat dented.
(image via: Gary L. Todd, Ph.D.)
All that glitters isn’t always gold and what appears to be gold may or may not glitter – then again, animals are animate objects and their golden garb has value much more than that of the metal that has enticed, entranced and blinded humans from time immemorial.
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Animal Hybrids: The Half-Lives Of 10 Curious Creatures
Animal hybrids can occur naturally or through the machinations of Mankind – either way, the resulting hybrids can be surprisingly vigorous.
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My discussion with Dr. Muhammad Yunus in Seattle. 2010
On May 23, 2010 Dr. Muhammad Yunus, fouder of Grameen Bank spoke at the Town Hall in Seattle. Promoting his new book “Building Social Business”. This is video takes place after Dr. Yunus’ lecture and is of me asking him a question about Healthcare in America and what would things look like if he was able to implement social business-funded healthcare.
Did Microlending Survive the Recession? Yes, Says Grameen Bank Founder
Complete Premium video at: fora.tv Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus says the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh and its microcredit program remain robust despite the gloomy state of the global economy. Yunus credits the bank’s one-on-one relationship with the “real economy” for shielding it from the economic turbulence. “We don’t even know there’s a crisis going on,” he says. —– Microcredit pioneer and Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus shows how he believes the social business model can harness the entrepreneurial spirit to address poverty, hunger and disease. Yunus shows how social business has gone from being a theory to an inspiring practice, adopted by leading corporations including BASF, Intel, Danone, Veolia and Adidas, as well as entrepreneurs and social activists worldwide. He demonstrates how social business transforms lives; offers practical guidance for those who want to create social businesses of their own; explains that public and corporate policies must adapt to make room for the social business model; and claims that social business holds the potential to redeem the failed promise of free-market enterprise. Social Entrepreneurship in America is a special series featuring leading innovators and pioneers utilizing entrepreneurial passion and rigor to solve societal problems. – Commonwealth Club of California Muhammad Yunus is founder and managing director of the Grameen Bank, established in Bangladesh in 1983. Dr. Yunus founded the bank with the objective of …
Backwards Vending: Machine Pays For Recyclables
[ By Delana in Art & Design, Nature & Ecosystems, Technology & Gadgets. ]
Most of us are familiar with the concept of vending machines: after you put money in, the machine gives you something in return. But this new vending machine, called The Dream Machine, works in exactly the opposite way. When you put in a can or bottle to recycle, it gives you points and prizes in return.
(image via: KingDesmond)
The idea behind the Dream Machine is to encourage people to recycle even when they’re away from home. Containers from drinks consumed away from home are typically the least likely to be recycled because of the lack of public recycling facilities. It’s estimated that we throw away, rather than recycle, around 100 billion recyclable cans and bottles every year. Even where there are facilities for recycling away from home, most people lack the motivation to seek them out. This system gives the public a reason to hang onto their cans and bottles until they spot a Dream Machine.
The machines are the work of Pepsi, Waste Management and Keep America Beautiful. Manufactured by GreenOps, the machines provide points which can be redeemed at Greenopolis.com or in the store where the machine is located. Users simply scan the bar code on the can or bottle, then feed it into the machine. Each machine can hold around 300 containers before it needs to be emptied.
While not many of the machines are currently in use out in the world, thousands more will be installed over the summer and throughout the year. Ultimately, the program is expected to bring in approximately 400 million containers annually. The Dream Machines won’t interfere with state bottle recycling programs, which offer a refund of a few cents per bottle recycled, since the machines will only be installed in places where traditional recycling options aren’t available.
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Butter Living: 10 Amazing Yellow Animals
[ By Steve in 7 Wonders Series, Animals & Habitats, Nature & Ecosystems. ]
Yellow Bug
Bugs – and that includes beetles, butterflies, bees and more, are yellow for a number of reasons. In the case of the latter its to warn away potential predators by adopting nature’s version of road racing’s Caution flag. For others, matching the color of the plants you live on is a good way to avoid predators and/or deceive prey.
(image via: PBase/Calvin_Y)
All is not green and purple at the Mandai Orchid Garden, as this small but noticeable bug makes abundantly clear. Yellow pigment suffuses this insect’s chitinous carapace and much of its exoskeleton, save for the lower legs and compound eyes.
Yellow Crab Spider
(images via: UCI, Alana & Armin and Biosurvey/OU)
The Goldenrod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia) is commonly found on North American flowers such as daisies and – you guessed it – goldenrod. Close-up photos of Crab Spiders (not just the Goldenrod variety) are of interest chiefly due to the skull-like markings on the spiders’ abdomens.
(image via: What’s That Bug?)
There’s another reason as well: these voracious predators often ambush prey larger than themselves, a feat only possible due to their precise camouflage enabling a sense of surprise.
(image via: Red Orbit)
Goldenrod Crab Spiders are usually yellow but that’s not always the case, even among individual spiders. If one of these spiders should find itself on a white flower, it can change its color to match the new background. This is accomplished through the movement of liquid pigment the spiders produce and shuttle from lower to upper “skin” layers as needed. It takes one of these spiders about 6 days to change from yellow to white but as long as 30 days to accomplish the reverse color shift.
Yellow Butterfly
(image via: Richard Seaman)
The roots of the butterfly’s name are shrouded in history but it’s not unreasonable to guess that many common European butterflies flitted about on buttery yellow wings. Today, butterflies around the world have evolved to be yellow, most likely to match the nectar-laden flowers upon which they must land to feed. At these times, butterflies are most vulnerable to bird and insect predators.
(image via: Best Books Review)
Caterpillars are often yellow as well, regardless of the color of the butterfly it will someday become. The snake-like larva above combines enlarged eyespots with bright yellow coloration in an effort to dissuade predators from considering it for their next meal.
(image via: Mentalfloss)
The Clouded Sulphur is one of the most common butterflies and can often be seen in suburban settings from early spring through late fall. Though easy to see as it flies from flower to flower, the presence of small, contrasting eyespots on its wings may help this small butterfly escape becoming dinner when a “diner” gets too close.
Yellow Sea Anemone
(images via: Zoniedude1 and PBase/Wicicala)
Sea Anemones have very few, if any, natural predators and perhaps this is why they display an incredibly wide variety of colors, often quite intense in hue.
(image via: Photographers Direct)
The stinging tentacles of Sea Anemones are avoided by most fish though famously, the Clownfish (think “Finding Nemo”) is immune to the nerve-paralyzing venom and often uses anemones for hiding places when bigger fish are in the area.
(image via: Wild At Hull)
Sea anemones are not social creatures but are found in abundance in, on and around coral reefs, adding pleasant splashes of color to delight the eyes of admiring scuba divers.
Yellow Crab
(images via: Picasa/Dan, Jupiter Images and 123RF)
Crabs are one of the most successful species of crustacean, filling a number of ecological niches in varied locations on land and in the sea. Unlike their cousins the Lobsters, for whom a yellow carapace is a 30 million to 1 occurrence, yellow crabs are common within their species and their shells add a bright tone to undersea vistas.
(image via: Art Classes in Virginia)
This Fiddler Crab is delicately tinged in mild yellow with only its creamy white claws and deep black stalked eyes differing from its overall lemony hue. Fiddler Crabs conduct elaborate courtship rituals in which they flex and wave their larger claw to impress the local females – and intimidate any rival males.
Yellow Fish
(images via: Le Caribbean Islands and SwittersB)
Yellow Tang, Yellowtail, Yellow-fin, the list of fish with “Yellow” in their name is a long one. Why is yellow so frequently seen among our finned friends? It may be that filtered through seawater, sunlight doesn’t “light up” an animal who appears brilliantly tinted when viewed in the open air.
(image via: Fish-Wallpapers)
Whatever the reason, yellow fish add depth and beauty to nature’s spectrum of the sea and also to countless home tropical fish aquariums.
(image via: Howard Ho)
The above photograph by Howard Ho captures the exquisite beauty of a bright yellow fish against a rich vermillion background. Brightly pigmented fish such as this one are typically found in shallow surface waters; deep sea fish are much more blandly colored but often use bioluminescence to draw attention (and prey) to themselves.
Yellow Frog
(images via: Revinder Chahal, Deviantart/Papatheo, Douglas Barnett and Jonas Witt)
Not all bright yellow frogs are poisonous but a significant number are. Soft-bodied and small, these tropical frogs are preyed upon by a huge number of reptiles, birds and mammals. Being bright yellow warns potential predators to beware of the possibility of poisoning – a threat that works whether the yellow frog is poisonous or not.
(image via: Stephen Desroches)
In the amazing nature photo above, Stephen Desroches has managed to capture a tropical poison dart frog in a zoo’s carefully constructed approximation of its much more inaccessible natural setting.
(image via: Jose E Hernandez World)
While many so-called “bad zoos” get the lion’s share of publicity, the vast majority of zoos take great pains to ensure their “guests” enjoy a quality of life as good as, or sometimes even better, than one they’d experience in the dog-eat-dog wild world.
Yellow Snake
(images via: Discovery, Ski.org and South Florida Daily)
Yellow is not a common color for snakes, who rely heavily on ambush predation as a hunting technique. Most of the yellow snakes people are familiar with are actually albinos bred to satisfy demand from pet owners who appreciate the beauty of a yellow snake, patterned or otherwise.
(image via: Fantom-XP)
Though referred to at the source page as a “Yellow Python”, the serpentine specimen above is more likely a Caramel Burmese Python. This albino variation of the normal Burmese Python bears yellow and orange patterning on a pale base and is distinguished by its eyes, said to resemble the color of milk chocolate.
Yellow Bird
(images via: JLV Photoblog, Usefilm and Baby Animal Photos)
From baby ducks and chicks to domestic canaries to the sweetly singing Yellow Warbler who visits America’s backyards during its long migrations, yellow birds seem to be everywhere – check your bathtub for a rubber ducky.
(image via: Talbot Carvings)
The only place yellow birds seem to be rare is on the pro baseball field: we’ve got Cardinals, Blue Jays and Orioles, so why no love for the noble Goldfinch?
(image via: Punjabi Lok Virsa)
The wide variety of wholly or partially yellow birds, combined with their naturally beautiful range of movement, makes them popular subjects for amateur and professional photographers alike. The above bird, a type of woodpecker known as the Yellow-Shafted Flicker, is caught here just as it leaves its nest somewhere deep in an American forest.
Yellow Mongoose
(images via: Nigel Dennis, Zool UZH, Giau Ngo and Panoramio/Edgar181944)
Relatively common and not considered threatened throughout its home range in southern Africa; in fact 12 subspecies of the raccoon-like burrowing mammal have been identified. The Yellow Mongoose has golden fur shading to a paler yellow tint on its underside, topped off with a white-tipped tail.
(image via: Barrowfordian)
Judging from its fierce scowl and bared teeth, it’s hard to imagine this Yellow Mongoose being a close relative of the shy, cute Meerkats from the popular TV show Meerkat Manor. In fact, another name for the Yellow Mongoose is the Red Meerkat. The angry-looking fella above makes his (or her) home at the South Lakes Wild Animal Park in Cumbria, UK.
(image via: UNP)
Yellow in color though not in temperament, these “Sunny Jims” of the animal kingdom add a dash of bright gold to an often earthy Earthly environment. Speaking of Jim, we’ll close with one particular human animal who has adopted brilliant yellow coloration as his way to stand out in a crowd. We think he’s very successful… who’d argue otherwise, especially to his bright yellow face?
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Relatively unchanged for millions of years, these very “living fossils” have each managed to find a successful ecological niche and have stuck with it. 3 Comments – Click Here to Read More