Only 265 km from San Francisco lies one of America's jewels. Yosemite National Park is located on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California. It holds an important place in the soul of the nation.
Yosemite took its shape at the end of the Ice Age when the region's glaciers carved the valley. Managed by the National Park Service agency, Yosemite covers an area of 2,000 square miles and is divided into five vegetation zones, ranging from oak woodlands to California scrub to an alpine pass. Four million visitors flock there each year, most of whom explore Yosemite Valley, which is open year-round. This breathtaking valley, 13 km long and 1.5 km wide, is unlike any other place on earth. From the west, take a detour to Tunnel View for an incredible view that has silenced many visitors and moved some to tears. To the right flows the veiled Bridalveil Fall, facing the raw granite of El Capitan Rock, while behind it stands the majestic facade of Half Dome at the valley floor.
From Tunnel View, you would quickly drive and then walk to Bridalveil Fall. The fall is in full flood in May, but retains its magic in all seasons. If you are looking for love, take a breath. For the Ahwahneechees, an indigenous people, inhaling the mist from the waterfall increases the chances of marriage.
The road to the park runs the banks of the Merced River, a wild and beautiful river that reveals different faces along the park's gorges before flowing gently into the valley, surrounded by pine forests, plains and beaches. It is the perfect place to relax and enjoy the mystical setting. Along the Yosemite Valley Road there are 1,200 miles of hiking trails. The Four Mile Trail, created 150 years ago, climbs the face of the valley to an incredible panorama. At Glacier Point, the entire valley opens up to you, with the surrounding area as far as the eye can see. Further on, the little breath you have left will be filled with the view from Washburn Point.
Further down the valley you will find another famous trail, the Mist Trail. This five-hour hike is suitable for all hikers, and well worth it for its incredible views, including Vernal and Nevada Falls. The Mist Trail joins John Muir Trail, named after the great conservationist. He wrote in his book The Yosemite, published in 1912, "We all crave beauty, a place to play and pray, where Mother Nature can invigorate our bodies and souls." It was through his writings that the nation became aware of the importance of Yosemite, and that this place could be designated a national park.
Sources: Yosemite, National Park Reservation, National Parks, National Geographic, Yosemite This Year, Mono County California
In the modern world, everyone wants to order everything online with no long wait. Yet, are we ready for all changes that Big Tech can bring? Digital life expands far beyond our screens, into the real world. That means we have to live with the impact of technology in our own backyard.
The downside of electronic factories.
Technology may have almost solved the majority of human needs, but it has not totally made a good community. Some people in cities near e-commerce processing centers complain about traffic pollution and the safety hazards of vans and delivery trucks.
Communities where water is scarce worry about the needs of internet data centers that use water to keep equipment cool. Neighbors sometimes complain about noise or waste from nearby commercial kitchens and mini-warehouses of delivery services like Uber Eats. This brings noise, traffic, and pollution to more neighborhoods in exchange for faster deliveries.
Conflicts about sharing space and limiting public resources are not new. But we are increasingly living side by side with the physical manifestations of the technological services we want and need. Nor is it too obvious that we are equipped to treat them as our new neighbors. Companies that deliver burritos, alcohol, or bananas to our homes must also have real estate and transportation close to where we live and work. And the effects of climate change have made competition for energy and water more urgent.
According to Richard Mays, the mayor of The Dalles, Oregon, Oregon is home to many computer data centers; and residents disagreed about whether these activities brought enough taxes, jobs, and other benefits compared to what they meant in terms of pressure on roads and the energy grid.
However, no one individual or company is solely responsible for this situation. Our collective demand for more of everything online is to blame, and the public, our elected officials, and businesses need to confront this new reality much more directly. Our more technology-dependent lives require greater public awareness and smart public policy to effectively manage the ripple effects. We all have a stake in figuring out how to accommodate the future we want while keeping the communities we love intact.
Sources: News Update, The New York Times, Opera News, Tell Us Daily
Toliara, the southern Malagasy city, is known as the city of the sun because of its record of sunshine among all the cities in Madagascar. The streets are full of sunshine all year round with an average temperature of 28°C and it almost never rains, between 30 to 40 cm of rain per year. In Toliara, the wind called the TSIOKANTSIMO blows all the time. It comes from the south and it often promotes a sea full of anchovies.
There is a famous expression about Toliara: "Toliara tsy miroro"— which means Tulear never sleeps. This saying comes from the fact that the city is alive both day and night. Toliara is also known for its overabundance of rickshaws, the most common means of transportation in the city.
In Toliara, you can enjoy crowded markets and parking lots. It is a very dynamic city except from noon to 3pm when it is a general siesta. Shops are closed, sellers sleep under their stalls, guards sleep on the doorsteps, the streets are deserted: this is the sacred hours of Toliara.
Toliara can be divided into three main parts. First, there is the harbor where there are rather wooden houses on the seaside, inhabited by fishermen and dugoutmen. Then, there is the city center showcasing colonial houses, made of stone, with floor, intended for little more well-to-do families. Finally, there is the rest of the city, all around, which is mostly composed of houses made of metal sheets or made of "vojo" - meaning straw.
In Toliara, some houses have electricity and others do not. Most of these houses do not have running water at home. To get water, they have a common pump in each neighborhood. Rich and poor inhabitants alike, most of the inhabitants of Toliara still cook with charcoal. As for the dress code, most women still wear the traditional "lamba", a kind of Malagasy sarong. Even if most of them consider themselves Christians, the Muslim community is very present. Toliara is also the city of the "Vezo" tribe which speaks the Vezo language.
What Vezo means.
It goes back to the arrival of the first Austronesians in Madagascar. In their language which was a mixture of Malay and Javanese, Vezo meant "population by the sea" as opposed to bazimba – which became vazimba in Malagasy or "population of the forest". At the time when the Austronesians first arrived, there were only two types of Malagasy: the Vezo, those who lived on the coast, and the vazimba, those who lived inland.
Then along the time, there were new immigrants who came to make trade like Persians, Arabs, and others. Due to this mixing, some populations gradually changed their tribe’s name. Only the clan of the south-west of Madagascar keeps the old Austronesian name: the Vezo. Anyway, the magnificent people of the Vezo are looking forward to welcoming you in Toliara.
Sources: Madagascar Tourism in Tulear, Tour Operator Madagascar, Madagascar Ecotourisme
Also known as the Devil's Triangle, Hoodoo Sea, Limbo of the Lost, the Bermuda Triangle has been much discussed in popular movies, books, and documentaries. It is located on the southeast coast of the United States, in the Atlantic Ocean, between Bermuda, Florida and Puerto Rico. If you connect the three points, you get the triangle region, which is about 500,000 square miles in size.
The term "Bermuda Triangle" was first used by Vincent Gadis in 1964 in his article published in Argosy Magazine. Stories around the Bermuda Triangle began in the days of Christopher Columbus, who is said to have seen a flame of fire crash into the sea in the triangle on his first voyage to the new world. Imagine what that could be!
In 1945, five U.S. Navy planes and 14 men disappeared in the area during routine training exercises. The U.S. Navy investigated and eventually declared the incident to be of unknown cause. This area has swallowed 75 aircraft, over 100 ships and over a thousand lives.
The most recent incident occurred on December 28, 2020. A boat with 20 people on board left Bimini in the Bahamas. It was supposed to arrive in Lakewood, Florida on December 29. The boat passed through an area encompassing the Bermuda Triangle and was reported missing. The boat has still not returned. The U.S. Coast Guard searched at least 17,000 square miles and found nothing. They have now suspended the search.
The role of paranormal activity and the presence of extraterrestrials have been strongly suggested by those who believe that something strange is going on. Many scientists have challenged this argument by offering rational explanations for the phenomenon. Among the few scientific explanations, the most popular is the theory of electromagnetic interference causing the compass problems. This theory claims that the earth's natural magnet exerts a very strong attraction that redirects the compass and other sophisticated equipment, allowing them to follow their intended course through the water. However, since no theory has been able to offer a concrete explanation, many continue to believe that there is nothing strange about the area, as most incidents have been reported inaccurately or as romanticized versions of the accidents.
The most accepted theory was presented by a team of scientists from the University of Colorado in 2016. A team analyzed satellite images of the area and noticed a series of hexagonal clouds that they believed could act as aerial bombs. These aerial bombs are believed to cause deadly blasts of air that exceed speeds of 170 miles per hour. These are hurricane force winds that can blast the air and unleash 45-foot-high waves into the air. Most boats do not survive such air speed.
Sources: The Conversation, Britannica, The New York Times, History, Bermuda Attractions
The truth always comes out of the mouths of children. With tantara, a game of dolls without dolls, little girls are already mothers and look at the adult world with an often-penetrating gaze. Knock, knock! I am the mother! Knock, knock! I am the girl!
As a little girl, who has not played this at least once in her childhood? Find a small corner of a sidewalk, a staircase step, or a low wall and there you can start your tantara (literally means story). Draw a few lines with charcoal to mark off your playing area. Do not forget the precious pebbles (vato) which will animate the characters: the father, the mother, the children, the grandparents, etc.
The bigger the pebble, the elder the character it represents. The rule is simple: to make the pebble talk, hit it with a smaller one.
Here we go for perfectly improvised dialogues where the little girl projects her own little world, like a small open-air family theater where she plays her future role as a mother, wife, and woman.
Rather than a true ancestral heritage, tantara vato is an improvised game whose exact origin remains to be determined. However, it is thought to be an alternative game for most Malagasy children who cannot afford to play with dolls or Barbie. To replace the dollhouse, they draw a few lines on the ground and make pebbles talk.
There is no age limit to playing tantara. Who taught them this game? Nobody. They discover by observing and imitating others. Little girls may play alone or in a group, and it can quickly become very noisy! The dialogues are often rudimentary, but always very instructive for an attentive ear.
The little storyteller expresses her own experiences through the dialogue she tells. If there is alcoholism or domestic violence in her home, she is likely to bring it up in the tantara, and this is an excellent way for parents and other people to connect with her and help her. Every aspect of human life such as illness, adultery, death, abuse, can be reported in the stories. A reflection of the society in which we live in the end, is seen through the eyes of the little ones. Or, as the saying goes, the truth always comes out of the mouths of children.
Sources: Tour-Malin Madagascar, Africulture, Malagasy Students’ Union in Wuhan
AirTags were marketed by Apple as the ultimate tool to prevent you from misplacing your keys, wallet, or bag. However, how about attaching it to a live animal and tracking its movements if it goes missing?
There's no major reason not to use AirTags to track your pet; but it is not going to work like many people think. After all, there is no secret that AirTags work very well for tracking a static object, such as a backpack left in an office, a car in a parking lot, or a wallet in the bushes on a path. By contrast, a pet introduces several new challenges.
First, Apple itself admits that AirTags were not designed to track living objects like a person or pet.
When a dog or cat goes missing, it is less likely to stay in one place but rather move its head erratically, sniffing, running, or looking in different directions. Movement seems to seriously disrupt the tracking ability of AirTags. In theory, you can locate the general location of a lost pet, but the key word in this sentence is “general”, meaning within a hundred to two hundred meters depending on the pet's movements. The provided information is only accurate if the pet is within a continuous eight-to-ten-meter radius of a compatible iPhone in a reception area. If your pet is in an area where it can be reliably tracked, it is likely that someone will see it and simply call the number on its collar, if it has one. However, if someone wants to steal your pet, the collar is the first thing they move. In this scenario, the AirTag becomes immediately useless.
What are the dangerous side effects of AirTags?
If you plan to attach a small lithium battery to your pet's neck, there are several potentially dangerous side effects to be aware of. Pets love to chew, especially dogs. If your dog's collar comes off, chances are your dog will chew or bite it and get a mouthful of raw lithium. Even worse, if the AirTag comes off the collar and falls off, there is a good chance your dog will eat it all. This is one of the reasons why AirTags have been banned from sale in several major Australian stores.
A ton of legal and privacy issues have been raised regarding the use of AirTags. Apple does not recommend pet owners to attach AirTags to their pets, then turn on Apple when the AirTag fails to find a lost pet.
Sources: The New York Times, World Tech News, Today World Latest News
What makes reading books wonderful is that not only does it lay the foundation for your child's learning and success, but it is also full of wonder and magic. As Dr. Seuss once said: "You can find magic everywhere you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book!"
Books ignite the love of reading that will last a lifetime. Obsession with reading transport many kids to places where anything is possible. These children could literally spend hours curled up with their favorite book. However, not all children are the same. Others prefer more physical activities such as riding their bike or running around the house rather than sitting quietly and reading.
Then, how could you make your child love reading?
• Let them read whatever they want. Children are more likely to read when they are given the choice to select the books they want. Therefore, mind their interest and give them some control over the books they choose.
• Provide opportunities that encourage them to read. Books and other reading materials should be readily available in all areas where the child spends time.
• Create a safe place to read. Create a comfortable and safe space for your children to read, as it gives them confidence in finding the right book and allows them to share with a reading buddy.
• Listen to your child reading. Be an avid listener and have your child read to you every day. This will help develop their language skills.
• Allow them to be creative. Let your children have fun while reading and stimulate their imagination by encouraging them to express what they are reading creatively.
• Read aloud. Read to them every day and make it a habit.
• Read your own books in front of your child. Be a model reader. Watching you read is the best example of how to get your child into good reading habits.
• Find reading time in your everyday life. Do not wait until you have time to sit down and a good book. Look for simply "reading moments" throughout the day, such as reading grocery store labels or road signs.
• Make reading a part of your daily life. Make reading a regular activity in your home and your children will learn to love it.
Reading is a powerful key that opens doors to compassion, exploration, and learning. However, passion for reading does not come naturally. It must be nurtured until your child becomes a well-rounded personality.
Sources: Healthy Children, Reading Rockets, Parents, The New York Times, Understood, Kids Health
When Europeans tire of their clothes or even just the same pair of jeans, rather than throwing them in the trash, many donate them to charity or put them in a recycling bin. Assuming now that they will be passed on to people who need them, but what if nobody else wants those clothes people are throwing away? Let us take a look at the secondhand clothes that are harming the environment and what is being done to mitigate the effects.
In Nairobi, Kenya, tons of secondhand clothes come in every month. Some of the shipment enters the country through charitable donations, but not all that arrives is given to the needy. They are sold at a market for cash. Secondhand clothes in Kenya are of good quality, cheaper and more reasonably priced. However, the entry of these clothes is also accused of driving the local textile industry out of business and some advocate for secondhand clothes selling ban.
For now, it seems that the removal of secondhand clothing may affect those on a budget, but ultimately, textile mills will step up to produce not only textiles for the upper middle class, but also affordable textiles. They will also improve in terms of design.
In Kenya, secondhand clothes are called "dead white people's clothes". In Mozambique they are called "clothes of calamity". These are nicknames for the used and unwanted clothes from the West that so often end up in Africa. Kenya imports more than one hundred thousand tons of secondhand clothing each year. Of this, an estimated 35,000 tons are thrown away each year.
About 50% of the clothes that come in are not necessarily the clothes people want to wear. You might find a nice pair of jeans or shorts, but half of the rest are clothes you cannot even wear. What happens next? These clothes end up in the dump. However, in Africa, we don't have recycling capacity yet, so it ends up being thrown everywhere.
In Kibera, one of the largest slums in Africa, where about a million people live, a lot of the imported clothes do not end up in closets but in rivers and wastelands. Rivers are filled with garbage, leaving residents to suffer the consequences of inadequate drainage systems and a lack of waste collection services.
Sources: The New York Times, Voice of America, The Conversation, The African Growth and Opportunity Act
When a baby is six or seven months old, tradition dictates that the curls be cut for the first time. This is the ceremony of alavolon-jaza at the end of which the hair is mixed with food and served to the guests.
While in other cultures, cutting a child's hair for the first time is a harmless event, in Madagascar, especially in the central highlands, it should not go unnoticed. The ceremony of alavolon-jaza (first cut) is as important as that of famorana (circumcision) or vodiondry (traditional marriage). This is why all relatives, friends and acquaintances must be kept informed of the event.
This remains true today, and not only in the most remote countryside.
Some specialists believe that the ancients waited for the alavolon-jaza to give the child a personal name. After being given a name, the child became a member of the group in their own right and could now be buried in the family tomb. It is also on this occasion that the baby eats food other than mother’s milk for the first time. For example, they are given a little porridge. A point to note is, to be considered lahy (male), little boys still have to undergo circumcision.
How the ceremony typically unfolds.
Around 8 o'clock in the morning, all the guests—about ten people including grandparents, uncles and aunts and a handful of friends— are present on the premises and will bring gifts such as combs, caps, or hair clips. At 9:00 a.m., it's time to get down to business, because everything must happen in the morning. The father of the child hands the scissors to a pretty young woman in her twenties with an impeccable hairstyle.
According to tradition, the parents choose a hairdresser blessed with a hair as beautiful and neat as the hair wished for their child. The cut only takes a few minutes. The hair is then scattered on cooked rice spread on a van. Malagasy people believe that the cut hair brings blessings, especially for women who wish to have a child. At 11 o'clock, at the grandfather's signal, women who want to get pregnant rush to the rice in the hope that this food will enable the process.
Sources: Studio Sifaka, Teny Malagasy, University Libraries and Archives, Rakibolana
Some people dream of running a business with their family and loved ones in which key positions are held by family members and all major decisions made by the family alone. This may all sound good and promising, but once put into practice, family and business do not always get along well. While many family-owned and operated businesses are blooming, others – even some long-standing family businesses – navigate some tough times.
Thus, what are the benefits of having this kind of management in the first place?
A greater incentive to work hard. People will work hard if they work for themselves, and same goes for the family. The collective zeal, enthusiasm and energy of all family members will be higher if they work as a team for a common purpose rather than working individually for different companies.
Family members acquaintance. Doing business with family members means you already know the personalities and abilities of your partners and collaborators. Assigning roles and responsibilities will be much easier. Working together as family also creates a more relaxed work environment, since you know everyone's likes and dislikes.
Training time discount. Family members are already familiar with the nature and structure of their business. This reduces the time and effort involved in training new hires and speeds things up.
Work schedules adjustment. Family members can get each other covered when needed and in case of unforeseen circumstances. Likewise, an employee is more likely to put in the extra effort to compensate for the loss caused by someone else's absence.
What are the disadvantages that are mostly found in family businesses?
Difficulty to separate family from business. Working with family members can mean taking your work home or dragging a family issue to work. The separation between personal and professional life may be unclear, or even absent. When family and work encroach on each other, it can affect the health of the business such as sales, revenue, and customer services.
Vulnerabilities. In the event of a divorce or massive dispute between family members, the business will certainly suffer. You could end up losing part or all of the business because of the strained relationship between family members. Split businesses can become temporarily unstable, or in the worst case get dissolved.
Disciplines. Family members may tend to think they have special privileges over normal employees and may feel entitled to not follow established rules. Arriving late at meetings, leaving the office early, not submitting reports on time, putting off important work for personal work, and other such things may be common. Employees behave this way when they feel free to do so and when they know they cannot be dismissed.
Too many leaders. If roles are not defined properly, other non-family collaborators may receive different and opposing orders from their leaders. If everyone feels they have an equal voice in the business, it can lead to discrepancy and chaos.
In some ways, being part of the family business and carrying on the legacy can be very exciting. However, for some people, it can be limiting and can lead to conflict with family members. It is important, therefore, to keep in mind the pros and cons of running a family business before you decide to make it a reality.
Sources: The Economic Times, the book “Guide to Family Business” written by Peter Leach, Tony Bogod, Business News Daily
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