Sunday, December 7, 2008

Man Vs. Wild's Bear Grylls Injured on Expedition

Host of the Discovery Channel show, Man Vs. Wild, Bear Grylls was injured in Antarctica on Friday when he fell. Bear is known for doing dangerous examples of wilderness survival on his show; however, when he was injured he was doing an expedition for an internal charity organization. He blogs about his expedition on his website.

Riots in Greece


Due to the death of a teenager by a member of an elite police department in Athens, Greece, riots have been breaking out all over the country.

There have been warnings for people not to enter the downtown party of Athens for this weekend until the rioting subsides.

Although the police officer who shot and killed the teen was charged with shooting with the intent to kill, the people of Athens are still upset and fill the streets while burning a car dealership and leaving glass and debris all over the city streets. The rioting seemed to subside for a little while, but soon the streets were filled with people and tear gas again.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Did Australia Place a Curse on American Fashion?


The weather has taken a change for the worse; the cold, blistering winds of winter have come into full effect. But what does that mean for college students besides skipping classes and throwing snowballs at random, innocent people walking on campus? It means that UGG boots are in full swing.


Many people despise these overpriced, warm, sheep wool lined boots. But why? Since the boots are so dreaded amongst people, the origin of them should be explored to find out if they are called UGG's because they are 'ugly' or for another reason.


There are two basic theories of UGG boots:

Number 1: During the 19th century, sheep skin hides were used to make a variety of different materials in Australia such as clothing and footwear. The original UGG models which came out of this were short and ugly, according to the shoe makers. This is where the term UGG came from becaause it is a nick name off of ugly.


Number 2: The second theory says that the Aussies have the tendency to drop the letter h from the beginning of words. UGG boots in fact 'hug' the feet so people say that the h was dropped and the word UGG came about.


Whether or not either theory is accurate, people will still refer to these warm creations as ugly.


To read an article from a UK online newspaper about UGG's, go to:

picture courtesy of uggbootsforall.com



Looking for the perfect holiday gift? Try the iBreath

Wondering if you are too drunk to drive? Take the guesswork out of the equation with the new iBreath Alcohol Breathalyzer attachment for the Apple iPod.

The iBreath simply attaches to your iPod through the docking port, and can instantly tell you your blood-alcohol content (see picture). A small fold out blower allows you to easily breathe into the device, and then provides a digital display with your BAC.

The device has just arrived in the UK for the holiday season. No timetable has been set for its release in the United States, but A-List celebrities in Europe are reportedly the biggest consumers. If celebrities continue to purchase the iBreath, it's my belief that the U.S. will be exposed to this device sooner rather than later.

The biggest concern I have with this device is the amount of vehicular accidents that may occur after its release. Someone may be sitting at a bar having a few drinks, and then use the iBreath to discover that they have a .07 BAC. Sure, its under the legal limit (in most states/countries), but it could still impair someone attempting to drive home. Obviously there are many variables associated with this scenario (persons weight, gender, ect.), but it's something to consider.

For more information on the iBreath, click here.

Monday, December 1, 2008

The French Men's Private Affair


According to a study done by the Germans, people living in France are saying they need the largest condoms next to the Greeks who need much smaller ones.


The study was done in Europe by the Singen-based Institute of Condom Consultancy over a period of eight months. The ICC asked 10,500 men in 25 different countries to take a tape measure and yes, measure their 'goods'. Then they needed to enter their 'private' information into some kind of database.


According to the study, French men need approximately six inch long condoms which is about 3cm longer than the Greeks; the Greeks seemed to be a bit more modest within the boundaries of the study.


The question is why exactly was this study done? It was aimed at educating young people about how important contraception is. But there is something even more fun and exciting these young people can look forward to. The ICC hosts an annual "Pimp Your Condom" which is a fair that educates teenagers about STD's.


The ICC's director, Jan Vinzenz Krause invented a spray on latex condom which fit on just like a normal condom. Unfortunately, the spray on condom was never fully developed.