BONJOUR MES AMIS

dimanche 26 janvier 2014

The Raw Power of Pure Destruction. Wow.

There is something mesmerizing about chaos, when everything loses control and natural order erupts. These are momentous and hard moments, rarely photographed. Except in these instances, where photographers were able to capture a small glimpse of these frightening events.

Largest North American landslide on record, Bingham Canyon Mine, Utah, 2013

2011 Japan Tsunami initial wave

Costa Concordia – a new perspective

Four million dollar mansion burns to the ground in Ohio

Fire in factory from inside

Fire from a burning bulding being sucked into a tornado

The strength of Category 5 Hurricane winds. Hurricane Andrew 1992

Blown over wind turbine in Wyoming

Brazilian Private Yacht Wrecked in Icy Antarctic Waters

A submerged statue of the Hindu Lord Shiva amid the flood waters of the river Ganges, June 17, 2013

A McDonalds Restaurant on US 90 in Biloxi, Mississippi, which sits across the road from the Gulf of Mexico, completely gutted during Hurricane Katrina

Collapse of Deepwater Horizon Rig

Hurricane Sandy: The Aftermath

The Man burns at Burning Man 2013 in Nevada

Electric pole hanging after a wild fire

Erika tanker sinking off the coast of France

Burnt-down nightclub

Taxi cab on fire, New York January 9 2013

Crash test of an F-4 Phantom

Sinkhole, Guatemala City 2010

Dresden, Germany, after allied bombings on 15 February 1945

A child walks past damaged buildings in Deir al-Zor – Syria

Home Depot flattened by tornado, Joplin, Missouri, 2011

Paul Walker crash

Cash machines in a bank in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. June 17th 2013

Important Breast Cancer Facts

This month is Breast Cancer awareness month. Breast cancer is one of the worst enemies of women (and also some men) living today. With recent advances, the fight against breast cancer has never been stronger, and part of that is making sure that we the public are well aware of the facts and self exams that we should know and can perform, to provide early detection. The earlier the detection, the better the chances and the less traumatic the side effects to the body.

We will be bringing you these helpful infographics from time to time, which we recommend to share among your female friends to print and remember the important facts that may one day save one of them from this horrible disease.

How much time do we spend (in hours) a year doing various activities? You only need ONE HOUR a year to check yourself for breast cancer! Check out below to see what you need to be checking.

samedi 25 janvier 2014

The Dynamic House!

Today's trends in architecture point towards finding smart building solutions, that will make use of natural energy, consume as little power as possible, and at the same time - keep everything aesthetic, comfortable and beautiful. Once in a while, a great idea surges forth and amazes us all.

Usually, houses are built to be suitable to the local climate. So, for instance, a house built in the North of Scotland will usually be built to maintain internal heat, while a house built in Arizona will work to cool the interior.

And here comes D*Haus, the amazing dynamic house that can change its shape to suit the current weather!

This house is the brain child of British architects David Groenberg and Daniel Wolfson, who wanted to come up with a house that will be suitable for any weather, cold or warm. Their creation, D*Haus, can change its shape in 8 different combinations, that react to the changing seasons, meteorological changes and even astronomical changes.

Using special rails, the various parts of the house can change their location. One can set an automatic program that will slowly change the house according to the trajectory of the sun, thus enabling its residents to enjoy the sunlight all day long. Solar panels power this amazing creation. In addition, the house's thick outer walls can open up to interior walls and so glass becomes the outer wall, and lets the sunshine in. Doors can become windows and so release pent up heat.

The architects used a 100 year old mathematical idea by Henry Dudney. Now, 100 years later, his work has joined with their creativity to create this amazing dynamic house.

vendredi 24 janvier 2014

10 Inflaming vs. 10 Anti-Inflammation Foods!

Inflammation is a condition in which a part of the body shows symptoms of becoming red, swollen, hot and most of the time - painful. This is caused as a reaction to injury or infection. We can see inflammation when it's on the outside of the body. But what about internal inflammation? This can be caused by any number of reasons. One way to combat it and your quality of life, is to eat a lot of foods that fight inflammation from inside the body.
For this, it is important to know which foods help you fight inflammation, and which are the cause of it!

10 Foods that act as natural anti-inflammation agents

1. Salmon - Salmon contains the Omega 3 amino acids and has been known to treat a numbers of health issues. If you don't like eating fish, you can try a good, high quality supplement. Try and integrate fish oil or oily fish into your meals twice a week to enjoy its advantages.

2. Turmeric - Researches cannot stop talking about this powerful spice from Asia that is a strong contender in the anti-inflammatory ring, thanks to its active ingredient - curcumin. This strong ingredient is believed to also fight the development of alzheimer's disease, counter heart problems, and act as a natural pain reliever.

3. Extra Virgin Olive Oil - This oil has been the key to long living in the Mediterranean cultures for hundreds of years. The oil provides healthy amounts of anti-inflammation fats and can lower the risk of asthma and arthritis, as well as protect the heart and blood vessels.

4. Sweet Potato - Complex carbs, beta-carotene, vitamins B6 and C and fiber - these potatoes will work to heal inflammation raging through the body.

5. Blueberries - These berries not only fight inflammation, but are also an excellent anti-aging agent for the brain and above all, fight diseases like cancer and dementia.

Tip: Best to go for organic berries, as their small size makes it hard to wash away the pesticides.

6. Kelp - This brow algae extract has important roles to play in the prevention and fight against liver and lung cancer. It also is a strong anti-inflammation agent, anti tumor and antioxidant. This one does it all. Good sources for kelp are Kombu, wakame and arame.

7. Ginger - Regular ginger contains a multitude of potential health benefits. It fights inflammation, it helps control your blood sugar levels, and as a tea - it's really good for your diet.

8. Garlic - Although garlic is more well know, research is actually a bit more inconsistent about its benefits. But it can help reduce inflammation, control blood sugar and fight infections.

9. Green tea - There are few things more proven and more healthy than green tea. It contains anti-inflammatory flavonoids to such an extent that drinking it actually lowers the risk of certain cancers.

10. Cruciferous Vegetables - Broccoli, brussels sprouts, kale and cauliflower are all vegetables filled with high amounts of antioxidants. They are considered natural detoxifiers and rid the body of harmful materials that may do it damage.

The Pyramid of Anti-Inflammation Foods

(Click to view in full size)

10 foods That Cause Inflammation

1. Sugar - It's incredibly hard to avoid sugar, it's simply evertwhere. Still, try to limit your intake of food filled with processed sugar, and go for sweet fruit instead.

2. Common Cooking Oils - Safflower, soy, sunflower, corn, and cottonseed. These oils not only contribute to the onset of inflammation, but they are also made with cheap, unhealthy ingredients.
3. Trans Fats - Trans fats increase bad cholesterol, promote inflammation, obesity and resistance to insulin. They are in fried foods, fast foods, commercially baked goods, such as peanut butter and items prepared with partially hydrogenated oil, margarine and vegetable oil.

4. Dairy - While some yogurts are ok, the body has a hard time processing dairy products. Milk is a common allergen that may cause inflammation, stomach problems, skin rashes, hives and even breathing difficulties. Remember, milk is good for children, but bad for adults.

5. Feedlot-Raised Meat - Animals who are fed with grains like soy and corn contain high inflammation. These animals also gain excess fat and are injected with hormones and antibiotics. Always opt for organic, free-range meats who have been fed natural diets.
6. Red and Processed Meat - Red meat contains a molecule that humans don't naturally produce called Neu5GC. Once you ingest this compound, your body develops antibodies which may trigger constant inflammatory responses. Reduce red meat consumption and replace with poultry, fish and learn cuts of red meat, once a week at most.

7. Alcohol: Regular consumption of alcohol causes irritation and inflammation to numerous organs, which can lead to cancer.

8. Refined Grains - "Refined" products have no fiber and have a high glycemic index. They are everywhere: white rice, white flour, white bread, pasta, pastries... Try and replace with minimally processed grains.
9. Artificial Food Additives - Aspartame and MSG are two common food additives that can trigger inflammation responses. Try and omit completely from the diet.
10. Fill in the Blank - Do you constantly have headaches or feel tired? Sometimes, you may develop an allergy to a food and not even know it. Coffee, certain vegetables, cheese... there might be a trigger you aren't even aware of. Try and take a few foods out to see how you feel and slowly incorporate them back in to see if there might be a hidden culprit lurking in your diet!

Recipe: Potato Rings with Homemade Sauce

Potato Rings with Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dipping Sauce

This recipe is for 32-40 rings.

Ingredients:

3 large russet potatoes, cleaned peeled and chopped into large pieces

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream

¼ cup unsalted butter (½ stick), softened

½ cup caramelized yellow onions, chopped

3 tablespoons chives, thinly sliced

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup rice flour

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

2 eggs, lightly beaten

salt and pepper to taste

2 quarts vegetable oil

buttermilk ranch sauce:

1/2 cup light mayonnaise

¼ cup low-fat buttermilk

1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, minced

1 tablespoon chives, thinly sliced|

1 teaspoons dill, minced

½ teaspoon dry mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot and fill with water.

2. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, a20-25 minutes.

3. Drain the potatoes into a colander and pour back into the pot.

4. Pour the cream and butter over the potatoes and mash with a potato masher until smooth (Add more cream 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed).

5. Fold in the caramelized onions and chives until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and stir.

6. Spread the mixture onto a sheet pan, about ½ inch thick and place in the refrigerator until the mixture has cooled down and hardened, 4-6 hours.

7. While the potato mixture cools place both flours, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika into a shallow dish and stir together until fully combined. Set aside.

8. When the potato mixture has cooled, remove from the refrigerator and using 1-1 ½ inch circle cutters, cut out as many circles as possible (usually makes about 32-40).

9. Using a ½ inch circle cutter, cut out a ½ inch circle from every 1-1½ circle, creating a small donut shape.

10. Dip the potato rings into the flour mixture followed by the egg mixture and finally again in the flour mixture (make sure the rings are completely coated).

11. Place the coated rings onto a clean sheet pan, lined with parchment paper and place in the freezer and allow the rings to freeze completely, 4-6 hours.

12. Once the potato rings are frozen, preheat the oil, in a large pot, to 375°F.

13. While the oil heats up, place the ingredients for the dipping sauce into a mixing bowl and whisk together. Season with salt and pepper.

14. When the oil is hot, carefully drop a few of the rings into the oil and fry for 4-6 minutes or until golden brown.

15. Drain onto a large plate lined with paper towels and season with salt with pepper.

16. Repeat with the remaining potato rings and serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

Bon Appétit!

jeudi 23 janvier 2014

Windows vs. Ford Motor Co.

For all of youwho feel only the deepest love and affection for the way computers have enhanced our lives, read on.

At a recent computer expo (COMDEX), Bill Gates reportedly compared the computer industry with the auto industry and stated,

"If Ford had kept up with technology like the computer industry has, we would all be driving $25 cars that got 1,000 miles to the gallon."

In response to Bill's comments, Ford issued a press release stating:

"If Ford had developed technology like Microsoft, we would all be driving cars with the following characteristics (and I just love this):

1. For no reason whatsoever, your car would crash - twice a day.

2. Every time they repainted the lines in the road, you would have to buy a new car.

3. Occasionally your car would die on the freeway for no reason. You would have to pull to the side of the road, close all of the windows, shut off the car, restart it, and reopen the windows before you could continue. For some reason you would simply accept this.

4.... Occasionally, executing a maneuver such as a left turn would cause your car to shut down and refuse to restart, in which case you would have to reinstall the engine.

5. Macintosh would make a car that was powered by the sun, was reliable, five times as fast and twice as easy to drive - but would run on only five percent of the roads.

6. The oil, water temperature, and alternator warning lights would all be replaced by a single "This Car Has Performed An Illegal Operation" warning light.

I love the next one!

7. The airbag system would ask, "Are you sure?" before deploying.

8. Occasionally, for no reason whatsoever, your car would lock you out and refuse to let you in until you simultaneously lifted the door handle, turned the key and grabbed hold of the radio antenna.

9. Every time a new car was introduced car buyers would have to learn how to drive all over again because none of the controls would operate in the same manner as the old car.

10. You'd have to press the "Start" button to turn the engine off.

PS - I'd like to add that when all else fails, you could call "customer service" in some foreign country and be instructed in some foreign language how to fix your car yourself!"

Please share this with your friends who love - but sometimes hate - their computer!

I Didn't Know Stairs Can Be This Beautiful.

Stairs seem like just a tool to most people. Their job is to get you from one point to another. But to certain artists that think outside the box, stairs can be a unique canvas on which to create unique and stunning art. In addition, stairs themselves can be a thing of beauty, as they climb mountains, go over bridges, span incredible landscape or built in a magnificent way. Here are some of what I consider the most dazzling staircases the world has to offer.

San Francisco’s Tiled Steps, USA