steadyeddie's posterous

steadyeddie's posterous

Eddie  //  Just a Posterous kinda guy...

 
May 16 / 5:38pm

Coffee Drinkers May Live Longer.

Drinking coffee might help you live longer, a new study suggests.

Results show that death rates over a 13-year period among men and women who drank coffee decreased with a greater number of cups per day, up to six. The trend was seen for deaths from any cause, and from specific causes such as heart disease, respiratory disease, stroke and diabetes. This relationship, however, was not seen for those who died of cancer.

coffee

"We observed associations between coffee-drinking and a range of different causes of death, and across a number of different groups," said lead author Neal Freedman, of the National Institutes of Health. "The effect was seen in both men and women, those of different body weights, and in both former and never smokers."

The study showed an association, not a direct cause-effect relationship, between coffee and mortality rates.

Still, while high coffee consumption was previously thought to have adverse health effects, this study adds to the growing body of recent findings that show higher coffee consumption is not harmful, and in some cases may have health benefits, said Jeanine Genkinger, an epidemiology professor at the Columbia University School of Public Health in New York City, who was not involved in the research. Genkinger emphasized that the greatest benefits may come from black coffee — cream, sugar and additives may be detrimental to health.

The study will be published Thursday (May 17) in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Coffee's perks

Researchers looked at the coffee drinking habits of 402,260 members of the American Association of Retired Persons. Participants completed a detailed dietary, lifestyle and demographic questionnaire at the study's start, when they were between ages 50 and 71. During the study, 52,515 participants died.

The association between drinking coffee and mortality was seen among different races and education levels, and in a very large group with a large number of deaths — this type of analysis was not done in previous studies, said Esther Lopez-Garcia, of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the Autonomous University of Madrid in Spain.

The new study also removed the possibility of smoking and alcohol as confounding factors, said Edward Giovannucci, a nutrition and epidemiology professor at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston. "One of the concerns about studies of coffee is that coffee drinkers often tend to be smokers and alcohol drinkers."

The limitations of the study included that participants reported their own coffee consumption, and only at the beginning of the 13-year study, Lopez-Garcia said. In addition, researchers did not gather data on the specific types of coffee consumed, except whether it was caffeinated.

A previous Mayo Clinic study showed that drinking four or more cups of coffee daily causes headaches, stomach upset, restlessness and a racing heartbeat — all attributable to caffeine. Some health conditions such as insomnia, anxiety and hypertension can worsen with too-frequent consumption.

"The potential effects on cardiovascular disease are complex, because some may be beneficial and some adverse, but the results from this study suggest that the benefits may outweigh the adverse ones," Giovannucci said.

Coffee contains many chemicals, including antioxidants and compounds that can prevent mutations."Some of the components in coffee are among the strongest and most abundant antioxidants in our diets," Giovannucci said.

Coffee may also be good for the brain. Neuroscientists have shown that coffee drinkers have a lower risk of brain disorders as they age. In fact, brain benefits may come with drinking decaf: A study of Type 2 diabetes patients showed those who drank decaf had a lower risk of mental decline than those who did not drink coffee. The researchers attributed the mental benefits to compounds called polyphenols, which have been linked with improved cognitive skills.

What's the true health benefit linked to coffee?

"Coffee, but not caffeine, is a very positive aspect of the diet, and in my opinion, it reduces the risk of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease and diabetes," said Terry Graham, a nutrition professor at the University of Guelph in Ontario. Graham said he recommends people at risk for Type 2 diabetes drink decaffeinated coffee.

Lopez-Garcia noted that coffee drinking may also be a marker of other healthy habits. "In the Mediterranean countries, people go to coffee shops to drink coffee, so this consumption is associated with leisure time and socializing," said Lopez-Garcia. She said that while biological mechanisms have been suggested to explain coffee's benefits, researchers should also look at environmental factors associated with coffee drinking.

Pass it on: Drinking coffee long-term may decrease the risk of death from heart and respiratory diseases, as well as stroke and diabetes.

via news.discovery.com

 
May 16 / 4:51am

Cactus Paintings by Kwangho Lee

Korean artist Kwangho Lee‘s most recent work was creating the new cactus and landscape series. Lee has experimented with various techniques such as scratching, rubbing of the paintbrush, and tapping on the canvas whilst enlarging the subject to its extreme to make the cactus seem like a type of abstraction. As a result, the small cacti can appear animal-like, rouse a unique phallic aura, and be reminiscent of a monument or even a model from his previous work ‘inter-view’ series.

the artist has attempted to create not only a realistic transfer of the subject onto the  canvas but to investigate the fundamental question of painting – the act of painting itself.

On view at kukje gallery, seoul.

via trendland.com

 
May 2 / 8:46am

Sensor Sniffs Fruit, Shows Ripeness.

704px-Some_Ripe_Bananas
Bananas are obvious. A nice, firm yellow peel equals ripe; brown spots equals overripe. But what of other fruits and vegetables? An inexpensive sensor developed by researchers at MIT could let you (and your grocer) know when produce is ready to eat. And it could help supermarket managers push fresh fruit before they spoil, avoiding waste.

The sensor, developed by MIT chemistry professor Timothy Swager and his students, picks up ethylene, a chemical that fruits give off as they mature. The riper the item, the more ethylene produced.

Ethylene is already monitored in the food industry, but the equipment used is expensive, on the order of $1,200 for a single unit. The detectors use gas chromatography or mass spectroscopy, which separate gases to analyze their composition.

Swager came up with a different idea: carbon nanotubes. The nanotubes allow electron flow, as they are conductive. Adding copper atoms slows the electrons down. When ethylene is present, it binds to the copper atoms and slows the electrons further, increasing the nanotubes' resistance. The amount of resistance reveals how much ethylene there is.

To boost the sensitivity of the device, the researchers added tiny beads of polystyrene, which absorbs the ethylene and concentrates it. The system can pick up ethylene concentrations down to 0.5 parts per million. The concentration required for fruit to ripen is usually 0.1 to 1 part per million. That means a gram of ethylene for the amount of air that would fill a room about 30 feet on a side. Swager told Disovery News that he can make the device small -- about the size of a small computer chip. The only limit, he said, is that it has to be easy to handle for the user.

Swager and his students tested the device on bananas, avocados, apples, pears and oranges. In all five cases the amount of ethylene accurately measured ripeness.

Swager's previous work in the field was building sensors to detect chemical and biological warfare agents. In that sense this research is an extension of that.

A big advantage for this technology, Swager said, is cost. The carbon nanotube sensor would be about 25 cents. He plans to add an radio-frequency identification chip so the sensor can communicate wirelessly with a handheld device. That would add another 75 cents. (And yes, he has filed for a patent and hopes to commercialize the sensors).

via news.discovery.com

 
Apr 29 / 9:26am

25 Everyday Objects Under an Electron Microscope.

You come into contact with millions of different objects every day. Many of those everyday objects are so small that you don’t even realize you’re interacting with them, but when we look at the world around us on a microscopic level, a whole new universe reveals itself. Fortunately, the photos in this gallery were taken using an electron microscope, which is the most powerful microscope known to man, and with it we can see everyday objects in a way we’ve never seen them before. Here are 25 everyday objects under an electron microscope:

Dust

electron microscope image

Human Hair

electron microscope image

Cracked Steel

electron microscope image

Human Tongue

electron microscope image

Ant

electron microscope image

Artery & Red Blood Cells

electron microscope image

Brain Cells

electron microscope image

Cake Sprinkles

electron microscope image

Dust Mite

electron microscope image

Flea

electron microscope image

Guitar String

electron microscope image

Human Fingerprint Ridge

electron microscope image

Life Saver Candy

electron microscope image

Maggot

electron microscope image

Mosquito

electron microscope image

Needle & Thread

electron microscope image

Pollen

electron microscope image

Salt & Pepper

electron microscope image

Snow Crystals

electron microscope image

Spider

electron microscope image

Sugar

electron microscope image

Toilet Paper

electron microscope image

Velcro

electron microscope image

A Leaf

electron microscope image

Nerve Ending

electron microscope image

via egotvonline.com

 
Apr 28 / 4:41pm

What do colorblind people see?

What do colorblind people see?

Science fiction is often used to show us the world through impossibly alien eyes. But there are fully human people who see the world in an alien way (to the rest of us) via current biological means. One of the most everyday versions of this is basic colorblindness. But what do people really see, when they see the world differently?

If you're in possession of a matching pair of X chromosomes, it's unlikely you could know what it's like to be colorblind. Biological females have between a 0.1 and 0.4 percent chance of being red-green colorblind. The most predominant form of colorblindness is the loss of reds and greens, both of which depend on L-cones in the retina to be seen by the brain. The gene that is responsible for these is on the X chromosome. Unless you are the daughter of a colorblind father and a colorblind or colorblindness carrier of a mother, you'll always have a back-up. If you have an X and a Y chromosome, and your mother is a carrier, you've got a fifty-fifty shot at being colorblind in this way, which adds up to between five and seven percent of the population.

What do colorblind people see?
The most mild type of colorblindness is Deuteranopia, which takes out most shades of red and pink and turns them into a green. A red dress, provided that it's light, will turn into a sort of dull shade of army green. Greens are also darker and duller, turning to light grays and brownish-green camouflage colors. An often unappreciated casualty of red-green colorblindness is purple, which is red and blue mixed together. Deuteronopia turns purple to just another shade of blue.

What do colorblind people see?
Protanopia is more severe. Instead of turning red to green, it shuts some shades of red off completely, making them appear black or gray. The darker shades of red are gray-black, and even the lightest shades of pink change to army green or darker. Skin tones are often wiped out. A little more of the bright shades of green get through than do through Deuteranopia, though.

What do colorblind people see?
The most uncommon form of colorblindness is yellow-blue colorblindness. This one isn't sex-selective at all. It's the result of defective S-cones, which could be unformed due to genetics, but can also be damaged through other activities. Alcoholics have a higher rate of this colorblindness, called Tritanopia, than the rest of the population's 0.01 percent. Head injuries and exposure to some kinds of industrial chemicals can also take out blue-yellow color vision. It's understandable that Tritanopia is dubbed yellow-blue colorblindness, to distinguish it from red-green colorblindness, but it takes out green more completely than any other kind of colorblindness. All greens are gone, transmuted to blue. Reds are also changed, turned to pink. But yellow is also destroyed, and is also turned completely to shades of pink. Pink skin is more florid. Even the blue shades are changed, seeming grayer and darker.

Images: Color Blind Awareness

Via How Stuff Works, HHMI, and Colour-Blindness.

Note: Deuteranopia and Protonopia look very much alike. I would recommend hitting the How Stuff Works (in the links here) site for more images that demonstrate the difference.

Republished from http://io9.com

 
Apr 26 / 12:04am

44 Mind-Blowing Photos Of Space From The Hubble Telescope.

1.

The merging Antennae galaxies. As the two galaxies smash together, billions of stars are born, mostly in groups and clusters of stars.

(Reuters / NASA)
2.

The massive star Eta Carinae in our Milky Way galaxy that experts believe might explode in a supernova at any time.

(Reuters / NASA)
3.

A giant star-forming nebula with massive young stellar clusters.

(Reuters / NASA)
4.

Supernova remnant 0509-67.5, located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small galaxy about 170,000 light-years from Earth.

(Reuters / NASA)
5.

Young, blue star clusters.

(Reuters / NASA)
6.

The four moons of Saturn passing in front of their parent planet. The giant orange moon Titan casts a large shadow onto Saturn's north polar hood. Below Titan, near the ring plane and to the left, is the moon Mimas, casting a much smaller shadow onto Saturn's equatorial cloud tops. Farther to the left, and off Saturn's disk, are the bright moons Dione and the fainter Enceladus.

(Reuters / NASA)
7.

Interacting galaxies consisting of NGC 5754, the large spiral on the right, and NGC 5752, the smaller companion in the bottom left.

(Reuters / NASA)
8.

Remnants from a star that exploded thousands of years ago.

(Reuters / NASA)
9.

The Bug Nebula (NGC 6302) with impressive walls of compressed gas, laced with trailing strands and bubbling outflows.

(Reuters / NASA)
10.

The "Black Eye" galaxy, so named because an ancient cosmic smashup produced a dark ring and a roiling, conflicted interior.

(Reuters / NASA)
11.

The Eagle Nebula with a tall, dense tower of gas being sculpted by ultraviolet light from a group of massive, hot stars.

(Reuters / NASA)
12.

The Sombrero galaxy, with stars in a pancake-shaped disk along with a glowing central bulge of stars.

(Reuters / NASA)
13.

A comet-like object scientists believe was created by the collision of two asteroids, possible siblings of the rogue rock blamed for killing the dinosaurs millions of years ago.

(Reuters / NASA)
14.

The strikingly unusual planetary nebula, NGC 6751. Glowing in the constellation Aquila like a giant eye, the nebula is a cloud of gas ejected several thousand years ago from the hot star visible in its center.

(Reuters / NASA)
15.

A pair of gravitationally interacting galaxies called Arp 147

(Reuters / NASA)
16.

Images of Saturn, shown in a composite photo, captured from 1996 to 2000, depict the planet in different stages of its 29-year journey around the sun.

(Reuters / NASA)
17.

This double star cluster of stars, named NGC 1850, is found in one of earth's neighboring galaxies, the Large Magellanic Cloud.

(Reuters / NASA)
18.

Star V838 Monocerotis's (V838 Mon) light echo, which is about six light years in diameter.

(Reuters / NASA)
19.

Arp 148 is the staggering aftermath of an encounter between two galaxies, resulting in a ring-shaped galaxy and a long-tailed companion.

(Reuters / NASA)
20.

The Boomerang Nebula. This reflecting cloud of dust and gas has two nearly symmetric lobes of matter that are being ejected from a central star.

(Reuters / NASA)
21.

The first visible-light snapshot of a planet circling another star. Estimated to be no more than three times Jupiter's mass, the planet, called Fomalhaut b, orbits the bright southern star Fomalhaut, located 25 light-years away in the constellation Piscis Australis, or the "Southern Fish."

(Reuters / NASA)
22.

This Whirlpool Galaxy image showcases the spiral galaxy's curving arms where newborn stars reside and its yellowish central core that serves as home for older stars.

(Reuters / NASA)
23.

Some stars aren't born, they're hatched from interstellar gas pockets called EGGS (Evaporating Gas Globules) at the end of vast tubes known as "elephant trunks."

(Reuters / NASA)
24.

Jupiter's trademark belts and zones of high- and low-pressure regions appear in crisp detail. Circular convection cells can be seen at high northern and southern latitudes.

(Reuters / NASA)
25.

The Cone Nebula, M17. As spectacular as the central subjects of the photographs are, the background is of critical importance to astronomers. What appear as jewel-toned pinwheels, ovals and diamonds on the blackness of space are actually faraway galaxies.

(Reuters / NASA)
26.

The nearby dwarf galaxy NGC 4214.

(Reuters / NASA)
27.

A large rare population of hot, bright stars inside the hub of the neighboring Andromeda galaxy.

(Reuters / NASA)
28.

A ghostly ring of dark matter in a galaxy cluster designated Cl 0024+17.

(Reuters / NASA)
29.

Several hundred never before seen galaxies are visible in this "deepest-ever" view of the universe.

(Reuters / NASA)
30.

a crater on an object called 8405 Asbolus, a 48 mile-wide chuck of ice and dust that lies between Saturn and Uranus.

(Reuters / NASA)
31.

The coil-shaped Helix Nebula.

(Reuters / NASA)
32.

A bizarre X-pattern of filamentary structures near the point-like nucleus of the object and trailing streamers of dust.

(Reuters / NASA)
33.

The black hole-powered core of a nearby active galaxy.

(Reuters / NASA)
34.

Glowing gold at its center and ringed by a purplish halo, a nearby galaxy holds a vast, stellar nursery with dusty and clean areas for newborn stars.

(Reuters / NASA)
35.

Mars 11 hours before the planet made its closest approach to Earth on August 26, 2003.

(Reuters / NASA)
36.

The Antennae Galaxies (also known as NGC 4038 and 4039).

(Reuters / NASA)
37.

ESO 99-4 is a galaxy with a highly peculiar shape that is probably the remnant of an earlier merger process that has deformed it beyond visual recognition, leaving the main body largely obscured by dark bands of dust.

(Reuters / NASA)
38.

The glowing remains of a dying, Sun-like star known as the "Ant Nebula."

(Reuters / NASA)
39.

Massive baby stars, nestled in a cloud of glowing gases and shining as bright as 300,000 suns, are at the center of a galactic "family portrait."

(Reuters / NASA)
40.

The Horsehead nebula.

(Reuters / NASA)
41.

A close-up picture of Jupiter shows the impact site of Fragment G of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.

(Reuters / NASA)
42.

The Elephant's Trunk Nebula, an elongated dark globule within the emission nebula IC 1396 in the constellation of Cepheus.

(Reuters / NASA)
43.

The tempestuous stellar nursery called the Carina Nebula, located 7,500 light-years away from Earth in the southern constellation Carina.

(Reuters / NASA)
44.

Fly around of the Hubble Space Telescope.

(Reuters / NASA)

via buzzfeed.com
 
Apr 25 / 8:46am

Beetle Masonry Remastered

Photo by Brad Bolton 1995

Thanks to Nancy Wesser for sending this amazing photo yesterday of a stone clad Volkswagen Beetle .

When I enquired to know more about it, Nancy  sent this from her brother.

"The whole episode of the construction of the Stone VW is revealed by the owner in a book titled simply "My Bug".   The editor, Michael J. Rosen, has collected the stories of dozens of VW owners.  Stephen Gibian was the builder and the year was 1976.   There was a rusted hulk of a 60's Beetle in the field and, nearby, the remains of a stone foundation.   Put them together, and...voila!   The book has additional photos of the construction stages as well as descriptive text, e.g.:  "The windows were slabs of stone found at a local quarry..."

You can find the book at Amazon.Com.   The other stories contain lots of memories of Beetles long-gone, but it's worth getting just for the Stone VW story.
The book is ISBN 1-57965-135-6"

 
Apr 23 / 2:53pm

Phrases in 5 common languages to know when traveling in Europe.

Click to view image in gallery

Traveling abroad this summer? These helpful phrases will open doors and help you gain immediate acceptance.

You don't need to be fluent in the language of the country that you are traveling to, but learning some key phrases makes a great impression. If someone hears that you're trying to speak the language, they will give you their respect and help.

From saying hello to asking how much something cost; knowing some important phrases will set you up for an amazing trip. Its also a great way to meet and connect with people, you can find a secret spot that only the locals know or the best place to eat in town.

Your pronunciation doesn't have to be perfect, all that matters is that your trying and that means a lot the locals.  Also it's a great way to impress your friends when you start speaking the language of the country your in, works everytime!

Here are some helpful phrases in 5 common languages to know when traveling in Europe

French, Italian, Spanish, German and Dutch

 

FRENCH

The Basics:

Hello: bonjour  (bohn-zhoor)

Please:  S'il vous plaît   (see voo play)

Thank you: merci  (mehr-see)

Goodbye: au revoir  (oh reh-vwar)

Where is the bathroom? pardon, où sont les toilettes?  (oo sohn lay twah-leht)

Do you have a menu in English? avez –vous un menu en anglais? (ah-vay vooz uhn men-u ahn ahn-glay)

How much is it? combien est-il (kohn-bee-an es-eel) 

 

I’m lost, can you help me find ____? Je suis perdu, peux vous m'aider à trouver? (zhuh swee pehr-dew puh   vooz- may-day ah tru-vay)

I would like: Je voudrais (zhuh voo-dray)

I am sorry, I don’t speak French: Je suis désolé, je ne parle pas français (zhuh swee day-zoh-lay , zhuh nuh parl pah frahn-say)

Some Phrases Just for Fun:

I drank too much, can you call a taxi? J'ai bu trop, pouvez-vous appeler un taxi (zhay boo tro-op, poo-vay voo ah-puh-lay uhn tahk-see)

Can I climb the Eiffel tower? Est-ce que je peux monter la Tour Eiffel?  (ehs-ce kuh zhuh puh mon-teh la toor ee-fel)

How’s my breath? Comment tu trouves mon haleine? (kon-mahn tew troo-vay mohn ah-lehn)

Some French Etiquette to Know:

Never say: Jokes are not appreciated in French culture. Intelligent conversation or funny real-life stories are appreciated.

Inappropriate gesture: Do not slap your open palm over a closed fist (this is considered a vulgar gesture).

Never do: Do not bring up money or religion. Do not use someone’s first name until you are invited to do so.

French custom: Instead of a 3-course meal that Americans are used to, the French traditionally serve 6 courses. In order, they are hors d’ oeuvres, fish course, meat course, salad, cheese plate, and dessert. Bread and wine are also staples that are always on the table.

 

ITALIAN

The Basics:

Hello: Buongiorno (bwon-jor-no)

Thank you: Grazie (gra-tyse)

Please: Per favore (per fa-vo-re)

Goodbye: arrivederci (a-ree-ve-der-chee)

Where are the toilets? dove sono I gabinetti? (do-ve so-no ee ga-bee-ne-tee)

Do you have a menu in English? Avete un menu in inglese?

How much is it? Quantè (kwan-te)

I’m lost! Could you help me, please? Mi sono perso/a! Mi può aiutare, per favore? (mee so-no per-so/a! mee pwo ai-yoo-ta-re per fa-vo-re)

I’d like to buy___:  Vorrei comprare__   (vo-ray kom-pra-re__)

I am sorry, I don’t speak Italian: Mi dispiace, non parlo italiano  (mee dees-pya-che, non par-lo ay-tal-lee-on-o)

Drinking Toast: Salute! (to your health!) (sa-loo-te)

Some Phrases Just for Fun:

Can you lower the price? Può farmi lo sconto? (pwo far-mee lo skon-to)

Where would you go for a cheap meal? Dove andrebbe per un pasto economico (do-ve an-dre-be per oon pas-to e-ko-no-me-ko)

I’d like the wine list: Vorrei la lista del vini (vo-ray la lee-sta day vee-nee

Some Italian Etiquette to Know:

Never say: Do not call someone by their first name until they invite you to do so. Use their title and last name.

Inappropriate gesture: Stroking your fingers under your chin and thrusting them forward is a sign of defiance

Never do: Never talk about politics, taxes, religion/The Vatican, the Mafia, World War II, private or personal matters (income, family matters, occupation)

Italian Custom: Italians take part in something called La Passeggiata daily. This ritual consists of a stroll around the town at about 6:00 p.m. The purpose of this ritual is to see and be seen by other people and catch up with friends before dinner.

SPANISH

The Basics:

Hello: Hola  (oh-lah)

Please:  por favor (por-fa-bor)

Thank you: Gracias (grah-thee-ahs)

Goodbye: adios  (ah-dee-ohs)

Where are the toilets? ¿dónde están los servicios? (dohn-day ay-stahn lohs sehr-bee-thee-ohs)

I would like a menu in English? ¿Me gustaría la carta en inglés? (meh goo-stah-ree-ah lah kar-tah ayn een-glays)

How much is it? ¿cuánto cuesta? (kwahn-toh kway-stah)

I’m lost , how do I get to____? Estoy perdido[a] ¿ Cómo llego a _? (eh-stoy pehr-dee-doh, koh-moh yay-goh ah __?)

Is there a phone I can use? ¿Hay un teléfono que puedo utilizar? (I ayn tel-lay-fone-o kay pway-do u-tee-lee-zar)

I am sorry I don’t speak Spanish: Lo siento no hablo español (loh-see-ehn-toh no ah-bloh ay-spahn-yohl)

Drinking Toast: Salud! (To your health!) (sa-lu-de)

Some Phrases Just for Fun:

I drank too much, can you call me a cab? ¿Yo bebí masiado, puede usted llamarme un taxi? (yo bay-be day-ma-see-a-doh, pwah-day oo-stehd ya-mar-may ayn tax-see)

 

Where is the nearest hospital? ¿Dónde está el hospital más cercano? (dohn-day ay-sta ehl oh-spee-tahl serh-can-o)

I would like one of everything, please:  Me gustaría uno de todo, por favor (may-goo-stah-ree-ah un-oh day toh-doh por-fa-bor)

Some Spanish Etiquette to Know:

Never say: Do not talk about politics, religion, the Civil War in Spain, or Franco.

Inappropriate gesture: Making the “ok” sign (index finger and thumb forming a circle) is considered obscene.

Never do: Do not order more food than you can eat. It is considered rude to leave food on your plate.

Spanish Custom: Bullfighting is a sport that is a tradition in Spain. After a cape is waved in front of the bull, the Matador and his Picadores weaken the bull by placing spears into it. The Matador dedicates the death of the bull to his president or the crowd before performing his faena. The faena is the Matador’s “dance with death” when he stands in the arena with his sword letting the bull charge him until he finally kills it. This tradition dates all the way back to 711 A.D.

 

 

German

The Basics:

Hello: Hallo  (a-low)

Thank you: Danke  (dong-ka)

Goodbye: Auf Wiedersehen (all-veet-a-zen)

Where is the bathroom? wo ist die Toiette? (Woa is dee-toilet)

Do you have a menu in English? Haben Sie ein Menü auf englisch? (Have-n- see- ine- menuu-ov-eng-glish)

How much does this cost? wieviel kostet dies? (Vay-vel cos-tet dies)

I’m lost can you help me find ____? Ich habe mich verfahren, können  Sie mir helfen, __ zu finden? (Eek hab misch mivare-fa-ren, see mik-ch hell-ven___________ zoo fine-done)

Is there a phone I can use? gibt es ein Telefon, das ich benutzen kann? (Gipt –es-ine-telafon, das-eeck-ben-oot-zin kaan)

I am sorry I don’t speak German: Entshuldigung, ich spreche kein Deutsch. (Ent-shu-il-de-gung, eek sprek-a-nee doy-ch)

Drinking Toast: Prost! (May it be good) (Pro-st)

Some Phrases Just for Fun:

I drank too much, can you call me a cab? ich habe zu viel getrunken, können Sie für mich ein Taxi bestellen?

Where can I find the best bratwurst? Wo kann ich die beste Bratwurst finden?

How many types of beer are served in Germany? Wieviele Biersorten gibt es in Deutschland?

Some German Etiquette to Know:

Never say: Do not bring up the Nazi’s or the Holocaust. Interrupting in a conversation is also considered greatly disrespectful.

Inappropriate gesture: Do not point your index finger to your head, it is considered rude.

Never do: Do not eat with your fingers, put your elbows on the table, be late, or drink too much.

German Custom: Every year for 16-18 days from the end of September to the beginning of October, Germans celebrate Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest is the largest fair in the world with more than 5 million people attending every year. While the first Oktoberfest was a celebration of Bavarian Prince Louis’ wedding, it has grown into a festival of beer and food that is well-known and replicated all over the world.

 

 

DUTCH

The Basics:

Hello: Hello  (a-low)

Thank you: dank u  (dang-u)

Goodbye: tot ziens (tot-zines)

Where is the bathroom? Waar is het toilet (warr is het toilet)

 Do you have a menu in English? Hebt u een menu in het Engels? (Hept-you-ine-menu-en-ha-t-on-g-lace)

How much does this cost? hoeveel kost dit? (Ho-veel kost de-it)

I’m lost can you help me find ____? Ik ben verwaald, kunt U mij helpen____ te vinden?

Is there a phone I can use? is er een telefoon die ik kan grbruiken?

I am sorry I don’t speak Dutch: Mijn excuses, ik spreek geen Nederlands

Drinking Toast: Proost! (Cheers!) (Pru-st)

Some Phrases Just for Fun:

I drank too much, can you call me a cab? Ik heb teveel,gedronken, kunt U voor mij een taxi bestellen?

Where can I find the best Pannenkoeken? waar kan ik de beste pannenkoeken vinden?  

The tulips are beautiful! de tulpen zijn mooi! (Die-tool-pen-zin-moo-ey)

Some Dutch Etiquette to Know:

Never say: Do not talk about your income and possessions, criticize the Dutch Royal Family, or religion.

Inappropriate gesture: Do not tap the center of your forehead with your index finger. This is a sign for “crazy” and is impolite.

Never do: Loud, outspoken, and provocative behavior is not appreciated or well-received. Try to blend in with others.

Dutch Custom: Wooden clogs worn by Dutch people of the Netherlands are an iconic symbol of their culture. These clogs are used for Dutch dancing or worn by farmers. Although they may look purely decorative they are very useful. They keep feet warm in the winter, cool in the summer, have good support, and absorb perspiration. Now days most wooden clogs are made by machine but there are still a few of the shoe makers left in Holland’s tourist areas.

via traveldudes.org

 
Apr 23 / 2:25pm

Belgrade Observatory

  

"Night Sky over the Belgrade Astronomy observatory. Once it used to be home for several astronomy telescopes and other equipment but due to increasing light pollution it has been transfered to the south of Serbia. Now only buildings remain to remind us that we used to have an observatory only 5km from the city center.

This building houses the Small Passage Instrument." Taken by Vladimir Krzalic