Bolivia’s Tinku Festival
The Tinku Festival of Bolivia is perhaps one of the most violent, non-animal related events that one could experience. It takes place in May of each year and the theme of the event is shedding blood to give to the Earth to ensure a good harvest. People get together and ritually beat the tar out of each other and it concerns no sporting events.
The festival is 600 years old, dating back to a time when there were only indigenous people living on the continent. Nowadays, they gather in the city of Macha and some other, smaller towns and continue to honor this tradition.
It begins with people dressed in colorful, traditional costumes dancing, stomping about and drinking heavily of the 90% grain alcohol that is popular among the poorer classes. From there it escalates into some semi-playful striking and eventually becomes a full fledged brawl. It’s not a free-for-all fight, however, and the matches pit two people against each other for each conflict.
Almost exclusively men take part in the Tinku, the women instead forming circles around them and chanting the entire time. The men take their place in the center and duke it out. Sometimes, in order to do more damage, they’ll put rocks in their hands to make the punches hit harder or wrap their hands in cloth covered in glass shards to shed more blood. Usually they wear leather caps to protect their heads and some opt for thick belts as well, to keep their stomachs safer. Towards the end of the event, the fights have been known to get so violent that police usually have to step in and intervene.
The purpose of the blood is as an offering to the earth goddess, Pachamama. It also used to serve a dual purpose by helping to settle some of the angst that various clans had against each other. Back in the day, deaths were not an uncommon event. Today, it’s mostly injuries and the occasional trip to the hospital. If you really want to see something different, take a trip to Bolivia during Tinku, but be prepared to see blood. This event is definitely not for everyone.
Cats are not afraid of heights
Cats are very agile creatures. They are fast, flexible, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. In my house, I try to keep my kitties' feet on the ground, but they always find a way to climb to new heights. This makes it almost impossible for me to have nice things. Here's a recent event that happened while I was away:
My mother created a beautiful flower arrangement in a glass vase, which she gave to me on my anniversary. It was adorned with greenery and peacock feathers, which matches the decor in my front living area.
I knew that my cats would want to eat the feathers, so I put it on the very top of a six-foot bookcase. Surely my cats wouldn't be able to reach it.
For several weeks, the flower arrangement remained untouched. I even got several compliments on it from guests. Last week, however, one of my felines discovered a way to climb to the top of the shelf. In their attempts to eat the peacock feathers, they knocked the entire vase down to the floor, smashing it to pieces. Needless to say, I wasn't very happy when I arrived back home.
How my cat scaled to the top, I will never know. I don't even know which one was responsible, although I have my suspicions. (Yes, Mr. Thumbs, I'm talking to you.)
While I'm upset about my cat's climbing adventure, I am glad that curiosity did not kill the cat. What it did make me realize is that my furry friends need some more places to play. Some cats like to explore high places, while others are satisfied on the ground.
If you have a cat that likes to climb, I highly suggest buying them a scratching post tower. This gives them an approved jungle gym, making your kitties less likely to knock over your bookcases. Also, make sure they have enough toys on the ground to keep them occupied when you're not around. A bored feline is more likely to get into trouble.
Remember that although cuddly, cats are still animals with wild instincts. It is our job as their human owner to provide them with the things they need to enrich their lives.
Leipzig’s Bach Festival
For those looking toward a more musical holiday, Germany can be one of the best places to go, especially if classical music is your cup of tea. During June, Germany celebrates the Bach Festival, an event that happens in many locations throughout the country. One of the most renowned of these tributes to Johann Sebastian Bach happens to take place in Leipzig.
For ten days in mid-June, the city comes alive with music. This event has been ongoing since 1904, though it has had many off years and been known under several different names. Nowadays it has assumed a more permanent role in the list of Germany’s many festivals and brings around 100,000 people to Leipzig each year.
The festival of concerts has a different billing for each of the ten days. Dozens of performances take place over the length of the event and all are dedicated to the works of Bach. Many famous orchestras and musical celebrities come to take part in this festival and they put on their acts at a variety of different venues.
In addition to the celebration of music, there are also plenty of other things to do while in this famous and historical city. Leipzig has a wealth of history and there are many sites and other attractions to occupy your time during the periods when there are no concerts you wish to see.
Next year’s Bach Festival will be happening from June 13th to June 24th. The ticket prices for each day are based upon the prestige of those performing and so the costs can vary quite a bit. It’s best to get tickets ahead of time for whichever performances you want to see so that you don’t miss out. This festival can be a great event to plan a vacation around, getting to hear some good music and exploring a magnificent part of Germany.
Slovenia’s Hostel Celica
Slovenia is a country that many people don’t consider when they’re looking to plan a vacation. Thus, people often know little about it. One way to get a little more informed on this seemingly obscure country is to take a few days to stay in one of their more historic and interesting lodgings, Hostel Celica in the city of Ljubljana.
This hostel was formerly a prison, built way back in 1883. It has since been converted, though many of the prison elements still remain to give it its strange flavor. The design is more than just turning cells into rentable rooms, however. Hostel Celica is an art house as well, run by the city of Ljubljana as a collective.
There are about 30 rooms in the hostel. Each one was decorated by a different artist and so each is unique. For those that can’t afford a full room, there is a dorm available along with some multi-bed
rooms for those traveling in groups. Within each room are the amenities that one might expect, minus the toilets. All the toilet facilities are located upstairs, so there’s a bit of a walk when you need to get that business done.
Within the hostel is an art gallery, a bar, a restaurant and they take pride in hosting many cultural events for their visitors, from art exhibitions to concerts to workshops. The hostel is close to the city center, so it’s easy to get out and enjoy the rest of Ljubljana. Tours of the prison are available for those who want to learn a little more about its history.
One of Hostel Celica’s claims to fame is its friendly and helpful staff, always willing to help visitors find their way around or discover the best of the country and city. This is a great hostel for people who want to experience Slovenia and don’t mind spending a little more than at a usual hostel for the unique environment. It’s also a great way to be introduced to the culture of the country and experience many sides of Slovenia all at once.
Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love
Home is important to most of us which is why we strive to improve the interior of our homes. Most of home decoration focuses on exactly that: interiors and creating the perfect sense of home for those who are indoors, but what about the outside? The exterior of a home, beyond the walls that comprise it also contributes to how people enjoy their living space. The outdoors creates the first impression visitors will have of your home, and for many people it will be where they spend much of their time, whether grilling steaks in the backyard or simply relaxing on the patio.
Home Outside: Creating the Landscape You Love educates readers on viewing the exterior of their homes, meaning the yard, as a part of the home and therefore in need of all of the attention that a homeowner gives to their interior. The goal is to create an atmosphere that is as comfortable as the one inside the home.
Author Julie Moir Messervy points out that many people ignore the outdoor aspects of their homes as a result of the greater role that technology plays in modern living. People spend their time indoors watching TV and playing videogames. The book provides advice on how to reverse this trend on your own property. Homeowners are encouraged to enjoy their ownership of the property. They are free to garden, or even to sleep outside if they choose. The key is to utilize the property in a way that is ideal for that particular site. She notes that in many cases landscape contractors neglect to do this. The goal of the book is to help the homeowner to accomplish this so that they can see their yard as being as much a part of their lives as the interior of a house.
The Obamacare Challenge
You know how everybody---everybody as in the conservative Republican nitwits-complains about Obamacare? I have a suggestion for them. Prove how much you hate it. Take this little challenge and let me know how it goes.
The Challenge.
Deny yourself all of the access you and your loved ones get to health care because of Obamacare. Why? Because it is ruining society as we know it, right? Prove that it is unnecessary and that our health care system was unbroken as it was before Obamacare came into effect.
- Take your children who are aged 22-25 off of your insurance policy because they would not have any kind of health insurance coverage otherwise. Save yourself money and just take your kids off the policy. If they get really sick, just pray and hope that they get better.
- If you or one of your family members has a pre-existing condition, change insurance policies. When you hear that you can have coverage for your pre-existing condition, let the insurance company know that you are volunteering not to be covered for anything that you might actually need health insurance coverage for.
- If you want preventive screening for free, don’t take it. Just ignore that part of the policy and assume that you are well. Let your health get out of hand so that you will have to pay more later on.
- Tell your state that you do not want any money to be spent on preventive diseases. Let the state give the money back. Because spending money on disease prevention is not a good decision, right?
- If you are a senior, don’t use any of the drug prescription cuts. Just ignore them because everything in Obamacare is bad for you, right?
Let me know how it goes. If you are really so upset about Obamacare, you won’t use any of the provisions in it, right? Understand that it is not just the rights of people without health care that is affected. Understand that the Affordable Care Act directly impacts all Americans in a positive way. Don’t make a mistake and try to take back the rights that we as Americans have gained.
Or, if you want, take my little challenge and do the above.
http://www.mtdemocrat.com/letters/women-and-obamacare/
http://www.cdc.gov/hai/stateplans/aca/aca-funded.html
http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/index.html
Chocolate dice
I recently have been on a rampage when it comes to trolling munchkins and the likes. And really? It's hard not to. Most gamers cant stand Munchkin/wahwah patrols/ insert other slang terms here for bratty baby like ' gamers'. I honestly can't express how hard that is.
I am a bigger person however, and felt it would be a good time to share a token of my guilt for being so savage as of late. I present these lovely chocolate gaming dice from Think Geek. The whole set runs about $8 bucks and comes with a d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 and most importantly a d20. Yes for the record you can play with them too. I would advise against that though, because for all you know the chocolate die may actually be friendly and give you a good streak until you absently eat one of them- then the die gods wrath falls upon you and you will fail every roll you make from that point on. With that in mind I'd suggest just eating them straight away and not give RPG Karma a chance to catch up to you. I'm just waiting for them to try and make Chocolate game disks that function. Or at the very least are expected to function. Something tells me there would be more problems than not when it comes to pulling that one off. I really would not be shocked to see someone try however. It would most likely have a pretty lame title like “ chocolate of duty” or some other lame knock off a popular title.
Festival of Cedral
The Festival of Cedral takes place each year on the island of Cozumel in the village of El Cedral. It is a Mexican celebration of feasting, dancing, rodeos and more that has been ongoing since 1848. According to the legend of the festival’s origins, long ago some people fled to the island of Cozumel to escape from violent warriors on the mainland. They hid in a church for safety but were discovered and most of them killed. One man managed to survive, clutching a small wooden cross all the while. After the horror, the man pledged to organize and maintain a religious festival every year to give thanks to God for his survival.
The result is that from April 29th to May 3rd the small village of Cedral fills up with people from the immediate area as well as thousands of tourists. They come to enjoy the many carnival-like festivities such as rides for the kids, carnival games, beer gardens, an endless variety of food and a crafts market filled with local people selling their handmade wares.
In addition to these activities, there are cultural events to show the way these people live. Displays of prize-winning animals, bullfights and rodeos are a few of the animal-themed attractions. There are sporting events and other competitions, music and dancing and hundreds of performers dressed up in colorful and traditional costumes.
Some have referred to the Festival of Cedral as a “Mexican State Fair” because of the atmosphere. Whatever you choose to call it, this event is a great way for tourists to experience this often overlooked island and get a look at one popular and enduring cultural festival in a country rich with them.
that golden touch
There is something to be said about the things people will blow their money on all for the sake of themselves. I mean money can't buy happiness, but it sure buys a ton of “ stuff” to keep you distracted. It also can buy pleasurable things. Aside from the nice things like chocolates, or a good dessert liqueur, oh and yes even naughty toy things. And to nobody's shock this market extends far beyond the common folk into the range of the spending elite.
If you fall into that area Let me present to your new best “ $15,000” friend; The LELO Inez Gold Vibrator. Which for those in the know will point out is part of the LELO Luxe Collection . So what makes this thing so costly? That would most defiantly come from the 24k gold plated casing. Oh sure they say it's the silent five pre-programmed settings and wood box, but we know that's just a ruse. On the up side gold is hypoallergenic- but at 15k I expect that thing to buy dinner and compose masterful contemporary works on top of it.
You know, I'm sure I could just as easily go on some long long string of jokes and what not, more over just how...I actually can't think of a word here, I'm all for adult toys, they are nothing new and have been around for thousands of years- something being made of gold several hundred years ago makes sense, doing so today is really no different than pandering to the snobbishly elite, More over 15k ? I know guys can get a fully customized “ and really creepy” doll that weighs around 200 lbs and has a skeleton and all that for like- 2k and though far more creepy, the cost is more realistic. I know cars that cost less. Now were it pure solid platinum then we would be talking on a different level.
OMG only 72 days left until Christmas
everyone have to have at least 1 friend like that. The type that go absolutely crazy that with holiday cheers. The scary part is that they can often do this months and months before an actual holiday. I personally blame them for being the reason we see Halloween stuff in stores in early July. Don't get me wrong holidays are pretty neat sometimes and all but people just have a tendency to over kill it. here it is still 70 some odd days until Christmas and said friend is already going completely crazy with the holiday cheer. the last thing I really want to do is think about Christmas while I'm still wearing shorts. I live in a place where winter is cold and miserable and wet I don't want to have that dread of the winter creeping into my mind already. this is where I should enter a "winter is coming" joke but I won't. for now.
I'll be honest I'm not even really much of a holiday person. Christmas? No, not really. here we celebrate presents. whats face it I find way too many problems with Christmas and it's supposedly origins. yes I'm history buff so right there I tend to find a lot of the flaws behind it. so might as well keep it as simple as possible right? the more simple Yule/ Boxing Day approach. yet having somebody jumping up and down in your face months before a holiday that is just simply annoying and makes the dread that much worse.