danipretto

Finland’s capital and largest city Helsinki has put forth a bold plan to integrate public and shared transportation so that in 10 years residents will not need to own a car. The “mobility on demand” system will provide citizens with a “route planner” smartphone app that allows for one-click purchasing that combines all transit options. The cheap and flexible city-wide travel options include public transportation, carpool, bus, taxi, train, ferries, bike sharing and more.

Read the rest of Helsinki Wants Residents Car Free Within Just 10 Years

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Post tags: car, car-free Helsinki, Finland, Helsinki, integrated transit, public transit, shared transportation, smartphone app, urban planning, vehicle

The Beach People are here to remind us of the dreamy summer days we’ve spent on the shore showcased by the fun free feeling of their lookbook. With simple beach-going staples like a beach cart, tote bag, and more, my favorite is this funky Aztec-inspired round towel. Based just south of the Gold Coast in Australia, The Beach People describe on their blog, “What is life about other than people & love… and going to the beach of course!”

Designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985, the ancient city of Petra, Jordan, offers carved-rock architecture unlike any other, some of which may have been built back in the 5th century BCE.

“This was one of the more stressful shoots I’ve been on in the last year. I had really wanted a shot of this place at night, with the candles, stars and, most importantly, no people!”

“Thankfully, due to some great planning and preparation, I finally got the shot I always wanted!” – Conor MacNeill

“Another grand building in Petra, which you can climb up to and go inside. Other buildings are closed. You can see in some of the upper windows that rocks are blocking the windows. When Burckhardt discovered Petra it was covered in centuries of rubble, and earthquake damage, but he knew immediately he’d found the lost city. It has since been cleared and is quite magnificent.” – Louise Lindsay

“Never seen shots of Petra’s Monastery at night, this beautiful giant deserves one.” – Xiao Yang

“Petra’s theater is cut out of solid rock. The theater is actually Nabataean and was constructed long before the Romans entered Petra.” – Ameeta Deshpande

Because of its ornate and well-preserved facade, the Treasury building is probably the most recognizable monument of Petra.

Enjoy, and share, more photography in the Precious Petra of Jordan gallery and Petra of Jordan group.

bye losers!

Are you excited for the Aprons For Gloves’ Restaurant Rumble on July 23rd? So the hell are we. Even though it’s now sold out, you can still catch all the action with your friends in Gastown (Portside), Chinatown (Fortune Sound Club), or on the Granville strip (The Bottleneck). Yup, all three venues are throwing special Livestream viewing parties and they’re going to be awesome. Click on the links above for tickets and details. Bonus: watch the new Restaurant Rumble preview video!

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Honour Bound details the many cool things that we feel honour bound to check out because they either represent our city extremely well or are inherently awesome in one way or another.

1) Bind your Belly:

Women have been wrapping up their torsos after delivering babies for thousands of years. Japanese women wear a "sarashi", Latin women bind themselves with a "faja" and Malaysian women use a "bengkung". North Americans are evidently far behind when it comes to this practice! One of my new clients started crying after she bound her belly following her third c-section. Alarmed, I asked if she was ok. She responded saying her body felt "so much better" and was upset wishing someone had told her about binding benefits after her first two deliveries.

Binding the belly after delivering your baby provides support to stretched out abdominal muscles, helps your uterus contract, can prevent back pain (especially those with C-sections and abdominal wall separation), helps rid your body of excess fluids and helps pull your hips and ribcage back into their pre-baby position. The greatest benefit comes from binding during the first 8 weeks post partum, when the hormone levels of relaxin are still very elevated. It's a no brainer: binding is a win-win.

2) See a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist:

You just grew a human and carried it around in your womb for the better part of a year. Regardless of how you deliver your baby -- vaginal or caesarean, the weight of your uterus has been pushing sustained downward pressure on your pelvic floor for many months. Your pelvic floor is like a hammock from pubic to tail bone that supports the internal organs, prevent urine leakage, supports your spine, and keeps your sex life happy, to name but a few of its functions. Pelvic Floor Physiotherapists are licensed to do internal exams and can safely determine if a) Your pelvic floor is weak or tight b) If you know how to properly do a kegel, c) If your bladder, uterus or rectum have dropped, and to what degree. d) If you have abdominal separation or diastasis recti.

These highly specialized physiotherapists are invaluable to post partum women. In fact, in France each woman receives 6 pelvic floor physiotherapy appointments after childbirth as part of her government covered health care. Even if you don't have extended health insurance, these practitioners are worth every penny! Even just one visit can tell you so much. Here's where you can search for a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist in your area.

See more from The Purple Fig

3) Connect with your Deep Abs:

No we're definitely not talking about crunches. It all starts with understanding how to engage your pelvic floor (refer to step 2 above!) The idea is to work your deepest layer of stabilizing muscles called your Transversus Abdominus. This deep muscle wraps around your torso like a corset and stabilizes and compresses the abdomen for a "flat belly." This is key after giving birth when your internal organs are contracting back down to their pre-baby size. Learning to engage the deep abs is also crucial to "lifting" your internal organs and preventing pelvic organ prolapse, which often happens over the course of pregnancy and during pushing in delivery. (NOTE: traditional sit ups can actually make prolapsed organs drop further as the forward crunching movement creates intra-abdominal pressure, essentially pushing things "out the exit door". So, to reiterate - NO crunches!)

The only way to engage this inner core unit is by recruiting your kegels and doing a deep belly vacuum exercise through diaphragmatic breathing. The result is a flat strong lower tummy.

The good news with all of these steps is you can start right away. The exercises in step 3 are gentle, similar to a meditative breathing (they require a great deal of concentration!) Give your body the time and proper tools it needs to recover. Connecting with your muscles will give you the strength and confidence to get back to your favourite activities, whatever they may be! Not to mention, these 3 little steps will also help get you back into those skinny jeans safely and quickly.

Cheers to that!

Nikki Bergen

The Purple Fig is a community where women share personal and relatable stories; no ego, no shame, no judgement. We're about life, love and all of the stuff that makes us yearn, squirm, and giggle. These stories make up the authentic and intriguing journey of a woman.

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We know, you've seen it all by now. The kooky wedding dances, the sentimental wedding dances, and the "you won't believe what happens" wedding dances. And yes, this mother-son wedding video falls squarely into that latter category. But still, you'll want to watch it.

We're not sure if it's the unexpectedly awesome moves this unassuming pair suddenly break out into, the hardcore tunes or just the sweet idea of all the time Mom and son got to spend together practicing for this moment, it's a seriously heartwarming few minutes that are difficult to resist.

We can only imagine the crowd at the wedding wasn't too shocked — after all, the groom had to get his moves from somewhere!

In case this summer was getting too serious for you, here comes "Sharknado 2."

It’s inevitable: a Twitter storm is on the horizon as "Sharknado 2: The Second One," the highly anticipated sequel to last summer’s social media phenomenon, "Sharknado," is heading straight for Space with the exclusive Canadian movie premiere, Wednesday, July 30 at 9 p.m. ET.

Giving new meaning to the term "swimming with sharks," the two-hour sequel delivers a downpour of havoc on New York City. In the eye of the storm are returning "Sharknado" stars Ian Ziering and Tara Reid, along with new cast members Vivica A. Fox and Mark McGrath. "Sharknado 2: The Second One" also features guest cameos from Kelly Osbourne as a flight attendant; Judd Hirsch as Ben, a cab driver; Andy Dick as a New York City police officer; and Judah Friedlander as Brian.

In "Sharknado 2: The Second One," a freak weather system turns its deadly fury on New York City, unleashing a Sharknado on the population and its most-cherished iconic sites – and only Fin (Ian Ziering) and April (Tara Reid) can save the Big Apple. Vivica A. Fox joins the cast as Skye, an old high school friend of Fin, while Mark McGrath stars as Fin’s brother-in-law.

In preparation of a "Sharknado 2: The Second One,", Space treads in unsafe waters with Shark Attack Wednesdays. Every Wednesday night beginning July 16, Space is airing a shark thriller, including "2 Headed Shark Attack" (July 16 at 9 p.m. ET), "Sharktopus" (July 23 at 9 p.m. ET) and finally, the mother of all sharktastrophes, "Sharknado" (July 30 at 7 p.m. ET).

Watch "Sharknado 2: The Second One" on Wednesday, July 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

Every summer, I make a note on my Oh My God Good Vegetables Are Finally Here! cooking to-do list (what, you don’t keep one?) to post about how to make classic dill pickles. Every week they’re available, I pick up nearly a bucket of perfect-for-pickling kirby cucumbers from the Greenmarket for my cucumber-junkie family with the greatest intention of finally making good on this promise. And I never, ever do. It might be that the first couple times I tried, many years ago, my always-too-hot kitchen molded both jars, traumatizing me at the end of the jars’ incubation periods. It might be that because I live in NYC, when I want an insanely good sour pickle, I just go to The Pickle Guys on Essex Street or track down some from Guss’. Like bagels, killer soup dumplings, or Halal cart street meat, amazing pickles are in a category of food you have to be extremely driven and possibly cuckoo to make at home in NYC. I mean, I am, but apparently not enough.

I make these instead. These are our go-to fridge pickle, and they are ludicrously easy. Do you have salt? Do you have vinegar? You’re set. They’re passable an hour later, excellent 6 to 8 hours later, and you can also enjoy them three weeks from now — though by then, we’ll be on our third batch.

... Read the rest of easiest fridge dill pickles on smittenkitchen.com

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© smitten kitchen 2006-2012. | permalink to easiest fridge dill pickles | 153 comments to date | see more: Cucumber, Photo, Pickled, Quick, Vegetarian

France: Stubborn ''Big State'' remains unemployed. Coincidence? I think not.

France must confront its demons: The Big State and a Gallic attitude to labour productivity, as its economy suffers. Compared with Canada, France is living on past glories while Canada pursues a way for its people to live as well as they can in the here and now. In essence, the French need to go easy on the vino.

France had little to celebrate on its national day, after the announcement that unemployment in the country had risen to a new high, bringing the total number of those without work to a record 5 million people, a first that pushed France's unemployment rate, now at 9.8 per cent, ever so close to the dreaded 10 per cent mark. The rest of the year is showing no signs of wanting to improve.

With GDP growth at close to 1 percent, and business and consumer confidence at an all-time low, France is being forced to confront its demons -- the State is being forced to decrease its involvement in the economy.

''In France, the State is too big. About 27 per cent of the population is employed by the state. Another problem is that there are not very many people working. Only 45 percent of the population is in the labor force (compared to 49.3 per cent in the U.S.), '' warns Professor Stephane Garelli , director of the World Competitiveness Center, at the IMD business school in Lausanne, Switzerland. In fact, nearly 57 per cent of the French economy still flows through state hands.

As Garelli points out, the French still like to take the "pont" for the weekend, and to work less whenever possible (paradoxically, French workers spend longer hours in the office than most other workers when they do work, they just aren't productive) -- per capita economic performance is 8 percent lower in France than Germany, after adjusting for differences in purchasing power. The average French employee labours for just 1,580 hours a year, compared to more than 1,800 in Canada. And the French love to go on strike. Between 2008 and 2010, France lost an average of 27 working days a year for every 1,000 people, compared to just 3.4 days in Canada.

Mr Hollande in July convened a conference of "social partners" aimed at adding labour market changes to the pro-business programme of more than €40 billion in tax relief and €50 billion in public spending cuts he has adopted in an effort to boost stalled growth and stimulate employment. This year, payroll taxes paid by firms will be cut by 6 per cent. Public-sector pay has been frozen. Transfers to local government, the chief source of public-sector job growth, are to be chopped over the next three years by €11 billion.

It's a small start. Yet the government persists in supporting a social system that props up unemployment rather than seeking a means to incentivize job creation. There are still no proposals to support industrial investment in growth industries within the country -- almost all of that money is being taken abroad by French industry. The theory is to let companies make money outside of France, and to let the chips fall where they may back home -- high taxes will provide bread and soup for the unemployed.

Compared with France, Canada is pursuing a much more progressive and innovative policy to create jobs and restructure its economy. But France prefers 'la gloire historique' to living in the present. Vive la France? No, thanks.

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It’s no secret that rhinos are being poached in record numbers, and despite efforts to protect the animals, 2014 is on track to be the worst year in nearly a decade for rhino deaths. So far poachers have killed more than 500 rhinos, the majority of which lived in South Africa. Last year the number of rhinos poached ended at 1,004 – the highest number since 2006.

Read the rest of 2014 Could Be the Worst Year in Nearly a Decade for Rhino Poaching

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Post tags: 2014 rhino deaths, endangered animal protection, endangered rhinos, kruger national park, Kruger National Park Rhino Poaching, protecting endangered animals, protecting rhinos, rhino conservation, rhino horn, rhino horn powder, rhino killing, rhino poaching, rhinos, Rhinos killed by July 2014, rhinos killed in 2014, South Africa Rhinos

Need a healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth? Look no further than this nutritious and oh-so-creamy avocado and coconut mousse. Perfect for the summer months, this light and silky vegan dessert is packed full with healthy fats and vitamins and can even be whipped up in a jiffy with zero cooking time required. Click through to see the step-by-step directions for this guilt-free and healthy dessert!

READ MORE>

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This is the picture of Steven Spielberg posing with the sick animatronic Triceratops from Jurassic Park some troll posted to his timeline (links to actual post just in case you want to read all the sadness for yourself) on Facebook. The response was depressing to say the least. It's one of those times when you really hope the people responding are also trolls and just trying to trick the original poster. Like two trolls clubbing the shit out of each other under a bridge. TWO TROLLS ENTER, ONLY ONE WILL LEAVE. Wait -- why does one have to leave? I say nuke the bridge while they're going at it. Keep going for an even longer, more depressing rant.

This is a video from Novosibirsk, Siberia, of a bunch of beach-goers running for their lives (or to at least prevent bruising) after it starts hailing in the middle of a 99°F (37°C) day. I would have just stayed underwater. Still, God must be angry. Probably at something I did. So why he's punishing the people of Siberia instead of me doesn't make a lot of sense. Unless -- UNLESS -- somebody in Siberia stole my identity. Haha, that's what you get, jerk! Keep going for the video.

releasings:

hobbitdragon:

ddollley:

I just made the most inhuman noise

WHEN IT REALIZES THE PERSON IS STILL THERE AND GOES BACK TO BEING ‘DEAD’

oh my god

moniquill:

Kitten: I shall groom you, friend dog!

Kitten: I have made a tactical error.

the august issue of elle decoration UK is a keeper, featuring some amazing homes from around the globe (included one very idyllic home in the tropics belonging to jade jaggar). but my very favorite space is that of interior stylist shelly street’s serene cape town home. her home is white on white with lots of vintage collectibles, and organic accents found in the south african nature — like a mirror framed in coconut sticks, a tree stump end table and odds and ends like shells, stones and reclaimed wood. there’s a great mix going on here – like the modern harry bertoia and verner panton chairs around a gorgeous whitewashed vintage farm table, all of it working together seamlessly like it was always meant to be. for the whole beautiful home tour, check out the latest issue of elle decoration UK.

• photography by greg cox for elle decoration UK, august 2014.

This is the 1.5-meter (~5-feet), at least 500 gram (~1.1-pound) giant earthworm found near the Sumaco Volcano in Ecuador by Project Noah member hoppy4840. That is a giant f***ing worm. Remember the children's book 'How To Eat Fried Worms'? I doubt there was a recipe for something this gigantic. I bet you could put this thing on a hook and catch Jaws. Maybe even a megalodon. Or you could just hold it in front of your shorts and pretend you have the world's biggest penis. Hmmmm, so this is what it would feel like. Feels good. You ever tripped over your own penis before? Because I have. Just kidding, it was a friend's. AWKWARD. Kidding again, totally cool. Keep going for a couple more shots.

[volsain]

A luxury tent resort on Vancouver Island has cracked a top 10 list of the world's most expensive hotels.

The Clayoquot Wilderness Resort near Tofino charges an average nightly rate of US$3,681 (C$3,923) during the high-demand summer, making it the eighth priciest hotel in the world, and the costliest in North America, according to a survey by TravelMag.com.

And there's a three-night minimum stay.

The resort takes glamping (that's glamourous camping) to a grand scale. Guests stay in elegant safari-style tents decorated with antiques, king-size beds, remote-controlled propane wood stoves, and ensuite bathrooms. Gourmet meals feature locally caught wild salmon and scallops, and produce from the on-site organic garden.

The secluded hotel can be reached only via a 45-minute private seaplane transfer from Vancouver, or a 30-minute boat ride from Tofino.

Story continues after slideshow:


Located within the 350,000-hectare Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve (a UNESCO site), you can catch salmon and halibut, ride horses into the old-grown rainforest, kayak in the Bedwell River and hike.

The award-winning hotel takes its location and environmental responsibility seriously, with gravity-fed turbines, recycling and waste composting systems, and "non-intrusive and conservancy-driven" marine and land adventures. It's also funded a salmon stream restoration program and wildlife studies in the area.

B.C.'s Queen Charlotte Lodge, a luxury salmon fishing destination, ranked at number 20 on the world list.

The world's most expensive hotel is the North Island Lodge, a private island resort in the Seychelles which charges an average nightly rate of US$6,559.

The travel site looked at the average rate for a couple between July 1 to August 31, 2014.

Top 10 most expensive hotels in the world

1. North Island Lodge (Mahe, Seychelles)6,995


2. Fregate Island (Seychelles)5,246


3. Laucala Resort (Taveuni, Fiji)5,040


4. Khwai River Lodge (Okavango Delta, Botswana)3,800


5. Savute Elephant Camp (Chobe, Botswana)3,800


6. Eagle Island Camp (Okavango Delta, Botswana)3,800


7. Singita Sasakwa Lodge (Serengeti, Tanzania)3,700


8. Clayoquot Wilderness Resort (Vancouver Island, Canada)3,681


9. Le Dune, Forte Village Resort (Sardinia, Italy)3,114


10. Mnemba Island Lodge (Zanzibar, Tanzania)3,100

Source: Travelmag.com

As far as weight loss habits go, one thing we've learned through some amazing success stories is that tracking what goes into your body is just as important (if not more so) as making sure you're getting enough exercise. And now, one everyday appliance might finally be able to do the job for you.

As reported by MIT Technology Review earlier this week, GE is in the preliminary stages of building a microwave that will count calories for you, by passing waves through blended or liquid food and determining its fat content, water content and weight. Apparently, other nutritional elements, like sugar, fibre and protein, can be approximated through calculations.



This is fantastic news for anyone who's tried to adhere to a food diary for longer than a few days, as they know the pain of inputting each particular ingredient that goes into their meal to add up all of their calories for the day. However, as of right now, the device only works on food that's been cooked together, as opposed to separate items. There's also the question of passing microwaves through everything you eat into the microwave, which may not be your preference.

Plenty of other proposed inventions to count calories have come up in the news over the last few years, like a plate that scans your food items (and sends calorie data to your phone), and a handheld scanner that performs a similar task. Most popular fitness technologies, however, still only show calories burned, as opposed to what has been ingested.

So we're still holding out hope for this microwave device, and others like it, because as far as we're concerned, knowledge is power — and yes, discovering that the plate of nachos you'd created packs a whopping 2,000 calories might just make you eat a little less of it.

No time for breakfast? Make a smoothie! I love this combination of bananas and pineapple – a little taste of the tropics to start my morning.


Pineapples are rich in enzymes, which is great for your digestive system. It's also an excellent source of vitamin C. I like to throw in some chia seeds, but it's completely optional. Along with bananas, this smoothie is high in fiber, vitamins and a perfect start to your day!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Many of us would love to eat fresh and local produce all year round, but doing so can be difficult and expensive unless you have the time and space to grow your own food. With the Urban Cultivator, however, growing organic and nutritious greens for your family has never been easier. No bigger than the footprint of a standard dishwasher, this fully automated kitchen appliance plugs into the existing water and electrical systems for easy installation. Once you add the all-organic plant food into the Urban Cultivator, the pre-programmed indoor garden will regulate the water and air conditions so that all you need to do is harvest and chow down on the healthy, hydroponic greens.

+ Urban Cultivator

The article above was submitted to us by an Inhabitat reader. Want to see your story on Inhabitat? Send us a tip by following this link. Remember to follow our instructions carefully to boost your chances of being chosen for publishing!

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Post tags: fresh produce, home grown vegetables, hydroponics, indoor garden, indoor vegetable garden, local produce, local vegetables, Organic, organic greens, organic produce, reader submitted content, urban cultivator

Note: Slightly larger version HERE in case you want to experience the wrath of God in higher def. This is a shot of lightning striking Chicago's three tallest buildings (the Willis Tower, Trump Tower and John Hancock Building) simultaneously on the evening of June 30th, 2014. The image was captured by videographer Craig Shimala, who had set up cameras on his roof to capture the incoming storm. When shown the image, the double rainbow guy immediately creamed his jeans and passed out cold for over an hour. Time-lapse footage of the storm after the jump, triple strike happens right around 0:35.

Bandbox is a line of bicycle and equestrian/skateboard helmets and helmet covers that are designed to look like fancy men’s and women’s hats. Models include the Southampton, the Ascot and the Brooklyn wool felt fedora.

With the wide variety of Bandbox Helmet Cover styles, you can chose helmet covers to match the weather and locale from beach hats with sun protection to felt newsboy caps for urban rides on cool days.

images via Bandbox

via Cool Hunting