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November 14th was National Pickle Day in the United States. This auspicious day, which celebrates the centuries of work put into perfecting the original pickle, traces its origin back to the Pickle Packers Association in 1949 when it took pride of place in National Pickle Week. Learning of National Pickle Day gave us pause (for a number of reasons….) but we thought it was a good excuse to take a quick look at that most interesting fruit – or is it a vegetable? This is a question that we’re sure has been dividing families for generations. A pickle is a cucumber which has been preserved in vinegar or brine. So, vegetable, right? Actually no. Cucumbers are grown from flowering plants and produce large quantities of seeds used for growing future cucumber plants. It is because of this primary function that they are classified as fruits rather than vegetables. So, now that that’s clear as mud, it leads to the obvious next question – since pickles are cucumbers that have been soaked in a pickling solution, is a pickle a cucumber? Once again, the obvious becomes murky and families are torn apart by the debate. Some people (us included) would say “no”, that once the cucumber has been soaked in the pickling solution, it has been deliciously transformed into a pickle. Others say that a pickle is simply a cucumber that’s been preserved in vinegar and spices. I guess that answer depends entirely on who you ask. The world “pickle” comes from the Dutch “pekel” or northern German “pokel”, meaning “salt” or “brine”, two very important components in the pickling process. Throughout history pickling was a necessity, being one of the best ways preserving food for a long period of time. The popularity of the pickle date back thousands of years to 2030 BC when cucumbers were brought from their native India to the Tigris Valley in Mesopotamia. It is here that the tradition of pickling them began. And the pickle quickly became famous. They are mentioned in the Bible. Aristotle praised the healing effects of cured cucumbers. Cleopatra..... Julius Caesar fed pickles to his troops in the belief that they lent physical and spiritual strength. Shakespeare peppered his plays with references not only to pickles, but new uses of the word as a metaphor: “Oh, Hamlet, how camest thou in such a pickle?” (Hamlet Act 5, Scene 1). Christopher Columbus brought pickles to the New World by growing cucumbers for the purpose of pickling on the island of Haiti in the late 1400’s. Thomas Jefferson, one of the founding fathers of the United States, said: In 1985, Steven Trotter became the youngest man to go over the crest of Niagara Falls in a pickle barrel, actually two plastic pickle barrels surrounded by rubber inner tubes. So, as you can see from this brief homage to the pickle, there are nearly as many different uses for the pickle – from literature to conquering armies, from beauty secrets to extreme survival techniques – as there are different types of pickles to crunch on – from Dill’s to Gherkins, from Bread & Butter to Sweet & Sour. And make your plans now how you will celebrate National Pickle Day next year. #nationalpickleday #pickle #gherkin #cleopatra #juliuscaeser #shakespeare #christophercolumbus #thomasjefferson #hamlet #india #haiti #niagrafalls #madmagazine #rickandmorty #anyhigh

There’s always the Louvre in Paris or the Getty in Los Angeles the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York or the British Museum in London Places to experience beauty, learn about history and broaden our horizons. Places where we can experience art as a metaphor on our lives. A museum is formally defined as: “a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection and knowledge sharing.” “Offering varied experiences” being the operative words for where we’re going with this week’s blog. Because, if dusty fossils and stunning Picasso’s don’t do it for you, then we thought we’d offer up ten of the oddest, most offbeat, and downright coolest places to experience some of the most random things possible. Museums? Or experiences? You be the judge. We’ve included web site links to each just so you don’t think we’re making some of these up. · Museum of Bad Art (USA). MOBA’s motto is “art too bad to be ignored”. And although most of the 600+ pieces on display wouldn’t make it to your mother’s fridge, here they have a place to shine. The only museum we’re aware of that’s dedicated to collecting and exhibiting the worst art, the curators say that the work must be original and have serious intent – no deliberate kitsch thank you! According to co-founder Marie Jackson, “We are here to celebrate an artist’s right to fail, gloriously.” http://museumofbadart.org/ · CupNoodles aka Instant Ramen Museum (Japan). Invented in 1958 this is the meal of choice for bachelors and broke college students worldwide. And with an estimated 100 billion servings of instant noodles consumed every year, this Osaka-based Museum is a monument devoted to the king of instant noodles, Momofuku Ando, who is featured in statue form on a colossal stone cup of his instant meal. Make ramen by hand in the factory, view more than 800 product packages in the Instant Noodles Tunnel and create your own original package then sample products from the vending machines in the Tasting Room. Hot water is provided. https://www.cupnoodles-museum.jp/en/osaka_ikeda/ · Sulabh International Museum of Toilets (India). If you find yourself exhausted after a long day of sightseeing on the streets of New Delhi, there’s always a seat available at the Museum of Toilets. Established in 1992 and listed by Time magazine as one of the “10 museums around the world that are anything but mundane”, the museum features sanitation artifacts from 50 countries spanning more than 4000 years. Divided into three sections: ancient, medieval and modern. The ancient section has displays relating to the first manmade toilets (from Pakistan circa 3000 BC if you’re wondering). You can see the royal “thrones” used by kings and queens in the medieval section and in the modern section you’ll find hi-tech Japanese and Korean toilets along with a replica of the world’s largest “toilet complex”, which can be found in Maharashtra in west-central India. https://www.sulabhtoiletmuseum.org/history-of-toilets/ · Museum of Death (USA). Housing severed heads, gory morgue photos, replicas of execution devices and the world’s largest collection of serial murder artwork, this one definitely is not for the squeamish. Following the museum’s initial success in Hollywood, the owners expanded to a second location in New Orleans. The museum’s stated goal is “to make people happy to be alive.” And who can argue with that?! http://www.museumofdeath.net/ · Cancun Underwater Museum (Mexico). From algae-encrusted VW Beetles to classical busts covered in psychedelic coral, you might need to hold your breath for this one. Sitting between three and six meters (9.8 and 19.6ft) deep on the ocean floor is a collection of 500 sculptures, each made from a special material to act as an artificial reef and improve the ecosystem. Opened in 2010, this underwater museum - which can be visited by glass-bottom boat, snorkeling or scuba diving - is devoted to the “art of conservation”. https://musamexico.org/ · The Kunstkamera (Russia). The Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography was founded in 1727 and was the first museum in Russia. Peter’s museum was a cabinet of curiosities dedicated to preserving “natural and human curiosities and rarities”. The massive collection of more than 200,000 oddities was originally assembled to dispel the Russian people's belief in monsters, though it's difficult to see how the strange exhibits might have accomplished that. The czar put together a ghastly personal collection of curiosities including a large assortment of deformed human and animal fetuses, creatures with extra heads or limbs, even a decapitated human head preserved in vinegar. https://www.kunstkamera.ru/en/ · Celebrity Lingerie Hall of Fame (USA). Frederick’s of Hollywood has, in its hot-pink art deco flagship store, a display of Tinseltown literally under wraps. While the ground floor is devoted to retail, upstairs is a who's who of Hollywood undergarments, from Tom Hanks' boxer shorts in "Forrest Gump" to the undies of the entire cast of "Beverly Hills 90210”, from Madonna’s black and gold bra to a garter belt worn by Susan Sarandon in “Bull Durham”. If you’ve ever wondered what’s happening underneath the surface in Hollywood, this is the place for you. Celebrity Lingerie Hall of Fame, 6608 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, California. · Barbed Wire Museum (USA). Ok, so barbed wire is important in its way, and has a variety of uses – mainly to keep people and animals out. But did you know it was first patented in 1874? And did you know that it’s apparently important enough that there are TWO museums devoted to it in the USA? One in the state of Texas – The Devils Rope Barbed Wire Museum which is housed in a former bra factory and includes patent information and samples from private wire collectors. And one in Kansas – The Kansas Barbed Wire Museum where you’ll be able to peruse newsletters from America’s top barbed wire appreciation clubs (yes, those are a thing) as well as participate in the annual Barbed Wire Swap & Sell and barbed wire splicing contest. Seriously. https://barbwiremuseum.com/ https://www.rushcounty.org/BarbedWireMuseum/BWabout.html · International Banana Museum (USA). Conceived and founded in 1976 by Fred Bannister, the idea grew out of the positive response Bannister received from his International Banana Club, of which Bannister was the designated “Top Banana”. The Banana Club would eventually grow to 35,000 members in 17 different countries. Donating a banana-related item to the museum would enable one to join the Banana Club, with a nickname and ability to earn "banana merit points” and obtain a degree in "Bananistry". Former US President Ronald Reagan was a member of the club. (No, seriously) You can view more than 19,000 items of bananabilia, from a banana-shaped putter to a seven-foot-tall banana, from a gold-sequined Michael Jackson banana to the world’s only petrified banana. The museum even won a Guinness World Record as the largest museum devoted to a single fruit. http://www.internationalbananamuseum.com/index.html · Museum of Broken Relationships (Croatia). Ok, just for the name and concept alone we’ve saved possibly the best for last! This weird and wonderful museum was set up by two Zagreb-based artists who once dated and, when they split joked that they should create a museum to honor their relationship. Opened in 2006, the handful of mementoes grew to an enormous collection as broken-hearted singles from around the world began donating items. Notable items on display include everyday objects and letters to an axe used to chop up an ex-partner’s belongings, a stiletto that has been kissed by a submissive partner and a pair of bright orange pants given to a man by his ex-girlfriend. The museum went on a world tour including across Europe, the USA, Latin America and Asia and the collection was seen by more than 200,000 visitors along the way. https://brokenships.com/ Here’s our recommendation for a theme song for the Museum of Broken Relationships: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVk_e31dnlE So, as you can tell, a museum can mean many different things to different people. These are just a few of the more unusual that we’ve come across. We know that there are many more. Please share some that you’ve visited and found fascinating with us that we couldn’t include here. #museum #art #artwork #badart #moma #moba #getty #britishmuseum #louvre #paris #france #momofukuando #cupnoodlesmuseum #instantramen #japan #osaka #toilets #india #delhi #underwatermuseum #ocean #mexico #cancun #kunstkamera #peterthegreat #russia #museumofdeathofficial #losangeles #california #hollywood #neworleans #lingerie #bra #fredricksofhollywood #barbedwire #kansas #texas #usa #america #banana #benfoldsfive #actualbenfolds #internationalbananamuseum #guinnessworldrecords #museumofbrokenrelationships #brokenships #croatia #zagreb #lovers #anyhigh

Yes, Friday, November 4th is “Use Your Common Sense Day”. A day to celebrate something that so many of us have so little of. Today, common sense is defined as ‘sound, practical judgement concerning everyday matters, or a basic ability to perceive, understand and judge in a manner that is common to nearly all people to live in a reasonable and safe way.’ However, the concept of common sense is very ancient. It was first codified by Greek philosopher Aristotle in describing the raw analysis of the animal mind to explain how the different senses join together and enable discrimination of particular objects by people and other animals. The Romans used the term to explain the natural human sensitivity for other humans and the community. A basic awareness and ability to judge that most people are expected to share naturally, even if they cannot explain why. Jumping forward a millennium, Common Sense was, famously the title of a 47-page pamphlet written by Thomas Paine. Published anonymously in January 1776 it became an immediate sensation, making a persuasive and impassioned case for independence from Britain for the thirteen American colonies, which had not yet been given serious intellectual consideration. In proportion to the population of the colonies at that time (2.5 million), it had the largest sale and circulation of any book published in American history, and as of 2006, remained the all-time best-selling American title and is still in print today. We guess this just goes to show how desperate people have always been for “common sense”. First celebrated in 2015, “Use Your Common Sense Day” also commemorates the birthday of one of America’s most famous humorists – Will Rogers who insightfully commented that “Common sense ain’t all that common”. Born in 1879, Will Rogers was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in what is now part of the state of Oklahoma. As an entertainer and humorist, he traveled around the world three times, made 71 films (50 silents and 21 "talkies"), and wrote more than 4,000 nationally syndicated newspaper columns. By the mid-1930s, Rogers was hugely popular in the United States for his leading political wit and was among the highest paid of Hollywood film stars. He died in a small plane crash in Alaska in 1935. And we share here a few famously humorous and insightful quotes from Will Rogers, common sense related or otherwise….. “A fool and his money are soon elected.” “Too many people spend money they haven’t earned to buy things they don’t want to impress people they don’t like.” “Advertising is the art of convincing people to spend money they don’t have for something they don’t need.” “All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that’s an alibi for my ignorance.” “Live in such a way that you wouldn’t be ashamed to sell your parrot to the town gossip.” “You’ve got to go out on a limb sometimes because that where the fruit is.” “An onion can make people cry but there’s never been a vegetable that can make people laugh.” How can you celebrate on November 4th? Maybe spend some introspective time looking at things from a new perspective. Laugh about some of the silly mistakes you’ve made, because the best way to deal with them are with humor and making a different choice the next time. Watch some YouTube videos on the stupid things that people do. Because we always must remember that common sense is like deodorant. The people who need it most never use it…. #useyourcommonsenseday #commonsense #willrogers #aristotle #romans #funnyquotes #thomaspaine #anyhigh

The end of October/beginning of November each year brings us to a time to scare and be scared as well as re-connect with loved ones long gone. This would be Halloween for the scarry and Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, for the re-connecting. While both holidays may be considered “spooky”, Halloween is seen as a night of terror and mischief revolving around darkness, death, ghosts, candy, and costumes. Dia de los Muertos, on the other hand, is explicitly about the afterlife and remembrance whose festivities consist of color and joy. The tradition of Halloween dates back thousands of years. The word itself means “hallowed evening,” and is known to early European celebrators as All Hallows’ Eve, paying homage to the saints. Eventually, it was shortened to “Halloween.” The earliest known root of Halloween is the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, mostly in the area that is now Ireland, the UK and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1 – a date that marked the end of the summer harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. The Samhain celebration involved several ritualistic ceremonies used by the Druids (Celtic priests) to connect with spirits, including bonfires, jack-o-lanterns, and costumes, consisting of animal heads and skins, to disguise oneself from ghosts. By 40 A.D. the Roman Empire had conquered most of the Celtic lands. During the 400 years they ruled this area, two festivals of Roman origin were combined with the Celtic Samhain. One was Feralia, a day in late October when the Romans commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees, who is represented by the apple, which likely explains the tradition of bobbing for apples today on Halloween. In 1000 A.D, the Christian church made November 1 “All Souls Day/All Saints Day”, a day to honor the dead. This is widely believed as the church’s attempt to replace the Celtic festival of Samhain with a church-sanctioned holiday. The All Saints Day celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from the Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints Day) and the night before it, the traditional night of Samhain in the Celtic religion, began to be called All-Hallows Eve and, eventually, Halloween. The earliest known American Halloween celebrations, in the late 1800’s, consisted of large parties to honor the harvest, share ghost stories, sing, and dance. By the 1920’s, Halloween had become a secular but community-centered holiday, with parades and town-wide Halloween parties. The centuries-old practice of trick-or-treating, children going door-to-door asking for candy, was also revived, it being a relatively inexpensive way for an entire community to share the Halloween celebration. Trick-or-treat costumes have transformed over the years from saints and angels to superheroes, witches and ghouls, politicians, and everything in between. Thus, a new American tradition was born. Today, Americans spend an estimated $6 billion annually on Halloween, making it the country’s second largest commercial holiday after Christmas and one quarter of all candy sold in the U.S. is purchased specifically for Halloween. The spiritual roots of Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) are associated with prayer and asking our spirit guides for support and protection. Dia de los Muertos is an ever-evolving holiday that traces its earliest roots back to the Aztec and Nahua people in what is now central Mexico. Mourning the dead was considered disrespectful because in these cultures, the dead are still considered to be members of the community. It is up to their families to keep their memory alive. Día de los Muertos is when the dead temporarily return to Earth to be by our side and has its roots in the Aztec festival for the Goddess Mictecacihuatl, also known as the “Lady of the Dead”. In the mythology of the Aztec people, Mictecacihuatl ruled over the land of Mictlan, the lowest level of the underworld where the dead live. Mictecacihuatl had power over all souls dwelling in the underworld and her role was to guard the dead and preside over festivals for them. She was thought to have a role in collecting the bones of the dead, so that they could be gathered by other gods and returned to the land of the living where they would be restored to allow the creation of new races. The fact that many races exist is because the bones were dropped and mixed together before they made their way back to the land of the living for use by the gods of creation. The worldly goods buried with the newly dead were intended as offerings to Mictecacihuatl to ensure their safety in the underworld. The Aztecs used skulls to honor the dead a millennium before the Dia de los Muertos celebrations emerged. Skulls, like the ones once placed on Aztec temples, remain a key symbol in a tradition that has continued for more than six centuries in the annual celebration to honor and commune with those who have passed on. Modern Dia de los Muertos festivals have also been influenced by Catholic Spanish traditions. Once the Spanish conquered the Aztec empire in the 16th century, the Catholic Church moved indigenous celebrations honoring the dead throughout the year to the Catholic dates commemorating All Saints Day and All Souls Day on November 1st and 2nd, and so absorbed the Aztec festivals to coincide with the Catholic holidays. UNESCO officially made Dia de los Muertos part of the intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2008. We’re looking forward to hearing your stories about which of these celebrations – or maybe a different one – that you take part in. #halloween #dayofthedead #diadelosmuertos #ghosts #spooky #witches #druids #cetls #uk #usa #ireland #unesco #mexico #aztec #spanish #mictecacihuatl #roman #trickortreat #anyhigh

Music – the language of the spirit - is what we’re talking about today. Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world. Nevertheless, it is an intrinsic aspect of all human societies, a cultural universe. It is estimated today that, with the proliferation of popular music in the 20th century, there are more than 1,200 definable subgenres of music. That said, the generally agreed to main genres of music are: Rhythm & Blues (R&B); Rock; Jazz; Country; Soul; Hip Hop; Techno; Dubstep & EDM; Pop. Research findings have shown that music supports our physical, mental and emotional health. It can help in regulating our emotions, improve our mood and enhance productivity and concentration plus it can even help us sleep better. In 1818 Arthur Schopenhauer published his masterwork “Music is the food of the soul” from his book, The World as Will And Representation. In it, he used the reference of music to explain the connection between human urges and satisfaction stating that, as humans, we are always longing for a will, a drive to keep us moving forward. These longings can be for love, money, status or spirituality. When we get the chance to fulfill our desires, we experience a momentary euphoria. But we always fail to understand that happiness is temporary. Without a longing desire for “something”, the sense of happiness is vague to us, becoming a forever chased after mirage. Schopenhauer analogized the succession of melody to this primeval nature of human will and contentment. He saw melody as the entire span of human lives and the moments of happiness as the keynotes of the melody. The melody would have many deviations, just as human lives go through many deviations. What we long for in our journey is the ultimate return to the keynote followed by the chorus that we can sing along with to be happy. Phew! That’s a lot to take in. We like what Bob Marley said about music: “The good thing about music is that when it hits you, you feel no pain.” Music represents different things to each of us and touches each of us in its own unique way. Like a familiar odor, a familiar tune can instantly take us back to a special time and place. We each have our own favorite types of music and particular songs. While there can be endless debate about “the best”, Rolling Stone recently updated its listing of the 500 “Best” songs of all time. See if your favorites made the list here - https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-all-time-1224767/ And speaking of favorites, we thought we’d end this very quick look at music by sharing the lyrics to one of our favorite songs by one of our favorite artists, Jackson Browne. Lights and Virtues Here’s to lights and virtues Here’s to truths yet to be known Knowledge to light the darkness The search for things of your own Here’s to lights and virtues Here’s to reaching higher ground A life of hope and purpose Here’s to strength yet to be found Honor, though it goes unrecognized And truth, though liars abound The pleasure of love and friendship The courage to be alone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcskGKtIHEE #jacksonbrowne #bobmarley #rollingstone #schopenhauer #rock #jazz #hiphop #country #soul #rnb #pop #techno #edm #dance #anyhigh

The dictionary defines hero as, “A person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his or her brave deeds and noble qualities.” We thought we'd let a couple quotes by famous authors speak to the hero as well. Oscar Wilde: "Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation". Joseph Campbell: “If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s. Life is not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to be lived. Follow the path that is no path, follow your bliss.” F. Scott Fitzgerald: "Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy." And, again, Joseph Campbell: “We have not even to risk the adventure alone for the heroes of all time have gone before us. The labyrinth is thoroughly known....we have only to follow the thread of the hero path. And where we had thought to find an abomination we shall find a God. And where we had thought to slay another we shall slay ourselves. Where we had thought to travel outwards we shall come to the center of our own existence. And where we had thought to be alone we shall be with all the world.” Let us know about the hero journey's that you've been on. #josephcampbell #oscarwilde #fscottfitzgerald #writers #authors #hero #powerofmyth #anyhigh

Travel has always been one of our biggest passions. It’s something that, when done with the right sense of adventure and open mind, can take you to a whole new level of understanding – both of ourselves and of others. Indeed, there are many places and attractions that are must-sees. Things to check off that traditional bucket-list. However, we’ve always been fonder of the non-traditional bucket-list type things. There are some very, shall we say “unusual” man-made tourist “attractions” around the world. Some that are must-sees for the non-traditional traveler. And some that are…well, you can decide for yourself whether any of these interesting sights would make your list or not. South Korea’s Toilet-Themed Park: Yes, the porcelain god has finally got an altar at South Korea’s Haewoojae, which translates loosely as “a place of sanctuary where one can solve one’s worries”. This is a theme park, around the history and culture of toilets, was built in memory of the city of Suwon’s former Mayor who dedicated much time and resources to improving the city’s public toilets. And we’re certain he would be flushed with pride were he to see it today. Admission is free but donations are accepted. There is much “toilet themed” art to peruse and the park even hosts a Golden Poop Festival. The Rumah Terbalik Upside-Down House: Located in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, the upside-down house is one of only a few like it in the world. Opened in 2012, it has been entered into the Malaysian book of records as, unsurprisingly, the only structure of its kind in Malaysia. If you’d like to experience walking on the ceiling as furniture and household appliances hover above your head, tours are available. In the garage, a car is parked upside down. Definitely strange, and seeming to defy all reasoning, most people just ask “Why?” The Cockroach Hall of Fame: Located in Plano, Texas this also raises the question “WHY?” The museum was opened by a pest control specialist who decided he wanted to try and make people smile instead of scream when they saw the creepy, crawling creatures. The museum features cockroach corpses dressed in costumes and posed inside tiny elaborate sets like the “Liberoachi” in which one is playing a tiny piano. There’s the “David Letteroach,” and of course the “Marilyn Monroach”. In case you work up an appetite wandering through the exhibits there are dried roach-larvae bbq flavored snacks available. The Gnome Reserve: For those who have tired of the thrill of wildlife reserves, the Gnome Reserve, located in West Putford, England is a one-of-a-kind experience. More than 1,000 gnomes and pixies are spread throughout a natural outdoor habitat along with over 250 labeled species of wildflowers. There’s even an on-site museum with antique gnomes. Not to worry about the dress code. Pointed hats and fishing rods are loaned out to visitors for free, “so you don’t embarrass the gnomes.” The Gruselkabinet – Cabinet of Horrors: This museum is the only permanently opened World War II-era air-raid shelter in Berlin, Germany. Known for its collection of frightening, horror-themed objects and artifacts, this bizarre place offers three levels of terror. On the ground floor you’ll find creepy mannequins reenacting barbaric medical treatments performed during the war. The top floor features a haunted house maze with costumed actors jumping out at unsuspecting visitors and the basement, by comparison, is pretty tame filled with historical exhibitions. This is definitely an attraction you won’t forget. Carhenge: Located in Alliance, Nebraska, this monument has nothing to do with druids. We even know who built it (artist Jim Reinders and his family) and why (because it’s cool). The Stonehenge replica is made up of 39 classic cars, all painted grey and arranged in the same proportions as the original. Since the dedication of Carhenge on the summer solstice in 1987, a number of other car artworks have been added including “The Ford Seasons” inspired by Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and “The Carnastoga Wagon” The Karni Mata Temple – Temple of Rats: Located in Deshnok, in Rajasthan, India, this is literally a temple of rats. Named for the Goddess Karni who believed her family members wouldn’t ever die, but instead would be reincarnated as rats. The towns residents firmly believe that the population of more than 20,000 rats are, in fact, members of Karni goddess’ family and provide them with food and refuge. A most unusual tourist attraction, if you happen to have a phobia of rats, this could be the place to break it as the rats are said to be quite friendly. World’s Largest Ball of Paint: It began as just a normal baseball. But after 40 years, and over 25,000 coats of paint, it’s now a 4,200-pound (1,900 kg) giant ball of paint. You can visit it and add your own coat of paint by heading out to Alexandria, Indiana. Does it look like a giant testicle? Sorta. But one thing’s for sure, in a life-or-death paintball match, this would be a solid nuclear option. The Big Lobster: If giant, kitschy monuments are your thing, none have as much personality as Larry, the Big Lobster. Built in 1979 to celebrate the town of Kingston, SE Australia’s seafood, wine, cheese and timber industries, Larry stands 55 feet high (17 meters), 49 feet long (15 meters) and 45 feet wide (14 meters) and weighs about 4 tons. At its base is a tourist complex, complete with restaurant and gift shop. The Icelandic Phallological Museum: Even though it’s “members only” on display, you don’t have to be a member to tour the world’s largest display of penises and penile parts. More than 300 penises from more than 100 species of mammals are on display. If you’ve ever wanted to see a whale penis in a jar, this is the place to do it. In 2011 the museum obtained its first human penis but apparently there was a problem with the “detachment” so the museum continues its search for a “bigger and better one.” In the words of Siguour Hjartarson, the founder of the museum, “Collecting penises is like collecting anything. You can never stop, you can never catch up, you can always get a new one, a better one.” You gotta admire someone who has a passion for their work! We'll share some more interesting places around the world in future blogs. #korea #india #indiana #iceland #malaysia #england #texas #nebraska #berlin #germany #australia #lobster #penis #stonehenge #insects #halloffame #rats #museum #temple #lobster #WWII #anyhigh #travel

We realized that we’ve yet to touch on one of our favorite topics/hobbies/past-times - call it what you will - here in our weekly blogpost. That would be the consumption of cannabis. Actually, what inspired this week’s blog post was reading the story of Daniel Torres who founded the cannabis company “Mari y Juana”. But more about him later. The days of pot brownies and simple gummies are fast becoming just a lazy, hazy memory. Until recently, unusual cannabis-infused foods and drinks were little more than a hopeful dream. But great news: With the increasing legalization of cannabis in the United States, edibles laced with THC and CBD as well as other cannabinoids are becoming much more widely available, and much, much more delicious. Thanks to the innovation of many cannabis entrepreneurs, edibles are now, yes, actually good, come in many different forms, and, crucially, are much more precisely dosed. Cannabis-laced food and drink is a robust and ever-evolving scene, and it's only getting more diverse and interesting. These days the array of edible cannabis products on the market is astonishing and it’s inspired us to round up a list of the most interesting edibles we could find. Some that we’ve tried - and some that we can’t wait to. Edibles provide a totally different buzz than smoking weed and can take you to a whole different level. Which is, after all, what AnyHigh is all about – finding new levels. Like watching “The Life of Pi” in 3d on edibles – highly recommended! (pun intended) Today we thought we’d take a quick look at some truly unique and unusual cannabis-infused consumables that are on the market (depending, of course, upon the market you happen to be in….). · Cereal. Remember those sweet Saturday mornings spent watching cartoons eating cereal? Now you can enjoy your favorite childhood cereal, infused with 400mg of THC! “Wow Edibles” of Los Angeles aims to provide their customers with great tasting, potent edibles. They currently have three different varieties; Crunchy Caps is a nod to Captain Crunch, Toast Crunch is similar to Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Loopy Fruit is their take on Fruit Loops · Coffee. "Wake & Bake" takes on a whole new meaning with a cup of cannabis-infused coffee. Now, while this may seem counter-intuitive, a potent brew that combines the perfect blend of gourmet coffee with high-quality cannabis oil can provide a fast-acting and energizing high. And, thanks to “Fairwinds Catapult THC Infused Coffee”, the two are beautifully combined in easy to brew Keurig pods. What better way to start the day? · Snacks. Salty, savory and tasty, “Tsumo” snacks are THC-infused bags of chips. They come in Salsa Verde, Zesty Ranch, Hint of Lime and Classic Cheese Curls. Each bag has 10 mg of THC. Bet you can’t eat just one! · Popcorn just got a whole lot better – who would’a thought that was even possible?! “Pop Up Potcorn” (we just love that name!) is a line of gourmet microwave and ready-to-eat popcorn made with cannabis infused oil. They’re available in sea salt, jalapeno cheddar and our personal favorite, movie theatre butter. Low in sugar, low in carbs with 10mg of THC per serving bag, this is the perfect addition to any movie night. · Sauces. “Podey Pizza” is marketing itself as the world's first pot-laced pizza sauce. And if you don’t want candy, and you’re not into chocolate, another savory option is THC-laced barbecue sauce. "Saucy" comes in smaller 5 mg-dosed packets for spreading on your sandwich or fries, and larger 25 mg dosed ones for spreading out. Tangy and delicious, it’s perfect for dunking fries into or for bringing that pulled pork right back to life. · Something Sweet. Pop Rocks were an old school, fizzy favorite. So, if you’re looking for an explosion of THC, “Space Crystals” could be your ticket home. And when was the last time you ate cotton candy? Well, now “B-Edibles” offers you the chance to multi-task that 8-year-old in you with your higher instincts by partaking in their “infused candy floss”. Made from naturally gluten and allergen-free, non-GMO organic sugar, they come in a variety of different flavors including lavender, rose, watermelon, mango, orange, coconut, and pineapple. Good for the teeth and soul! · Soda & Seltzers. Cannabis-infused seltzers are typically low dose drinks that are meant to be session-able—like beer or wine, you can have a few socially without overdoing it. “Cann”, whose slogan is, appropriately enough, “Give Up The Booze, Not The Buzz”, is a social tonic that’s dosed at 2mg of THC and 4mg of CBD per can. The flavors are really good: Lemon Lavender, Blood Orange Cardamom, Rosemary Grapefruit. For those who love a cocktail, “Klaus” provides THC-infused sparkling drinks that imitate the classic cocktails, but with a cannabis twist. Take their “Mezzrole” In their own words for example: It fills the nose and the mouth with the bold aromatics of cannabis-forward terpenes. Dollops of zesty and zippy on the tongue, caramelized, spicy ginger cane syrup comes into view, each sniff framed by the exotic French lime puree. Rice vinegar carries each sip into a multi-minute finish, ebullient with bursts of heady salt spray splashing over crushed minerals. We’ll certainly drink to that! · Honey. For thousands of years, honey has been used medicinally for its anti-bacterial properties and high levels of antioxidants. Winner of numerous awards for a variety of products, "Honey Pot Products" (another name we just love….) is renowned for their honey. Sourced from local California apiaries (honey farms), the bees collect their nectar from wildflowers. Combined with high-quality cannabis oil. The two come together to create a powerful and delicious cannabis honey. That’s our brief look at some of the more interesting edibles out there today. Which brings us back to Daniel Torres and the Mari y Juana cannabis company he founded in 2016. A first-generation Mexican American, in a marketplace saturated with standard chocolates and gummies, Torres wanted to be different. He decided to focus on the Michelada. The Michelada is a Mexican beer cocktail which usually consists of clam juice, tomato juice, hot sauce, limes and a light beer. For Mari y Juana this includes a dose of 10mg of THC. Torres’ goal was not just to create a product related to his identity, but to impress his family too. “My mom has flushed my weed down the toilet more times than I can count,” Torres laughs. While working in a controversial business can often be viewed as damaging, “There’s a convergence of both worlds – Mexican and American, my parents and myself – that I’m trying to convey in the branding.” Following the success of the michelada mix, Torres began developing a new recipe, this time for Mexican-inspired sodas. Torres got his parents to sit down and try them with him. “My mom tasted it and liked it. It was a celebratory drink,” he said. Plus the product snagged Mari y Juana first place in the beverages category of The High Times 2022 Cannabis Cup for people’s choice. For us, this whole story is about more than just getting high. It’s about de-stigmatizing marijuana for everyone who might be misinformed or hesitant about experimenting with it. Torres summed it up best for most of us: “I want to normalize this thing for our parents, for existing people who have forever demonized it. I feel a sense of pride that I could accomplish that with my mom. It’s something I have to continue to reflect on, like, ‘Wow, that really happened.’” Amen brother! #weed #marijuana #cannabis #edibles #anyhigh #wowedibles #kushfly #honey #honeyppot #popcorn #potcorn #poprocks #Klaus #Cann #MariyJuana #lifeofpi #podeypizza #michelada

This week, we thought we’d take a brief look at something that helps us all to keep our cool – the air conditioner. Truly a marvel of discovery and invention. In 2000, air conditioning (AC)/refrigeration was named among the 10 greatest mechanical engineering achievements of the 20th century by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Once considered a luxury, AC is now an essential in buildings vital to the economy and in our daily lives. It is estimated that 48% of all energy consumption in the USA is a result of cooling and heating. The idea of AC has been around since pre-history. Ancient Egyptians used a wide variety of passive AC techniques, such as hanging wet reeds in their windows which, when the breeze would blow through, would send cool air into their buildings. In second century China, an inventor named Ding Huane created the first manually powered rotary fan. In 1558, Giambattista della Porta, an Italian scholar, polymath and playwright (sometimes referred to as the “professor of secrets”), described a method of chilling ice to temperatures far below its freezing point by mixing it with potassium nitrate in his book Natural Magic. In this book he covered a variety of the subjects including occult philosophy, astrology, alchemy, mathematics, meteorology and natural philosophy. In the 1840s, physician and inventor Dr. John Gorrie of Florida proposed the idea of cooling cities to relieve residents of "the evils of high temperatures". He designed a machine that created ice using a compressor powered by a horse, water, wind-driven sails or steam and was granted a patent for it in 1851. His invention laid the foundation for modern air conditioning and refrigeration. In 1901, American inventor Willis H. Carrier built what is considered the first modern electrical air conditioning unit. He installed his first air-conditioning system a year later, in Brooklyn, New York. His invention controlled both the temperature and humidity. Later, together with six other employees, Carrier formed The Carrier Air Conditioning Company of America, a business that, in 2020, employed 53,000 people and was valued at $18.6 billion. So, while there’s no denying there’s money in cool, we thought we’d end this with words of advice on keeping cool – and getting a good night’s sleep - in the pre-AC days from Thomas Darlington, New York’s Health Commissioner from 1904-1910. “Much may be done by living decent, orderly lives: not hurrying about our duties, taking life as easily as possible, quietly, not being excited, keeping cool. Fussing and fretting, or, as some aptly say, ‘stewing’ about the weather gets on one’s mind and nerves so that sleep is impossible.” #airconditioning #ac #cool #carrier #asme #italy #egypt #china #usa #anyhigh

And that makes this week, September 12-18, one of our favorite weeks of the year because it’s International Negroni Week! It’s an excellent opportunity to celebrate one of the world’s classic (and a personal favorite of ours) cocktails – the Negroni – seven nights a week. Negroni Week was founded in 2013 by the Portland, Oregon based “liquid culture” magazine Imbibe in partnership with Campari America. The past ten years has seen it expand to more than 6,000 participating bars and restaurants around the world. In the beginning…..The Negroni’s origins are not known with certainty. So, while there is no documented historical account, most cocktailians agree that it was first mixed in Florence, Italy, in 1919, at the Caffè Casoni on the Via de’ Tornabouni. when Count Camillo Negroni concocted it by asking the bartender to strengthen his favorite cocktail, the Americano, by adding gin rather than the normal soda water. The bartender also added an orange garnish rather than the typical lemon garnish of the Americano to signify that it was a different drink. One of the earliest reports of the drink came from Orson Welles in correspondence while working in Rome in 1947, where he described a new drink called the Negroni, "The bitters are excellent for your liver, the gin is bad for you. They balance each other." The classic Negroni is made with equal parts Gin, Campari and Sweet Vermouth. The ingredients should be stirred (not shaken…) in a mixing glass with ice, then strained into a chilled cocktail glass, or ice-filled double rocks glass, and garnished with an orange twist. Today, there are so many variations on the original that the Negroni has become more than a drink, it’s become a category. To name just a few: the Boulevardier substitutes whiskey in place of gin; the Dutch Negroni uses Jenever for the gin; the Negroscan uses traditional Norwegian akvavit instead of gin; the Queen’s Negroni replaces the Campari with Pimm’s; the Tegroni replaces the gin with tequila. But for us, the classic Negroni cocktail is unbeatable, an exercise in simplicity, sophistication and restraint. In its three simple ingredients it communicates so much about the Italian point of view: bitter yet sweet, simple yet complex, traditional yet adaptable. It offers a level of Italian chic that’s on par with Italian exports like Prada, Versace and Armani. (Appropriately, the birth-site of the original Negroni in Florence, Italy is now occupied by a Giorgio Armani boutique). Negroni week, in addition to celebrating the cocktail, has raised over $3 million for charities over the past ten years. https://imbibemagazine.com/negroni-week-2022/ This year Negroni week is supporting Slow Food, an organization that promotes local food and traditional cooking. Founded in Italy in 1986, Slow Food has grown to over 100,000 members with branches in over 160 countries. Promoted as an alternative to fast food, it strives to preserve traditional and regional cuisine and encourages farming of plants, seeds and livestock characteristic of the local ecosystem. It promotes local small businesses and sustainable foods with the focuse on food quality, rather than quantity. So this week, join us in raising a toast to an old and trusted friend – the Negroni. Here is a link where you can find a venue that’s participating in Negroni Week https://www.negroniweek.com/find/ Cheers! #negroni #cocktails #italy #florence #campari #armani #imbibemagazine #imbibegram #negroniweek #orsonwelles #anyhigh #portland #oregon

No, we’re not talking about some vaudeville sideshow performer from the turn of the century, or an American film comedy from 1941 (which actually had nothing at all to do with Borneo….). Today we’re saluting the true “wild men” of Borneo – the Orangutan. The Bornean orangutan is the third-largest ape with males ranging from 110-220 lbs (50-100kg) and between 3.9-5.6 ft (1.2-1.7m) in height and females from 66-110 lbs (30-50 kg) and 3.3-3.9 ft (1-1.2 m) in height. Orangatuns in captivity can grow considerably heavier, with the largest recorded at 450 lbs (204 kg). The Bornean orangutan has a distinctive body shape with very long arms that may reach up to nearly 5 feet (1.5 metres) in length. It has grey skin, a coarse, shaggy, reddish coat and prehensile, grasping hands and feet. Its coat does not cover its face, although Bornean orangutans do have some hair on their faces including a beard and mustache. It also has large, fatty cheek pads known as flanges as well as a pendulous throat sac. The Bornean orangutan lives in the tropical forests of the Bornean lowlands, as well as mountainous areas up to 4,900 ft (1,500 metres) above sea level. They live throughout the forest canopy and move large distances to find trees bearing fruit. It is found in the two Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, and four of the five Indonesian Provinces of Kalimantan. Due to habitat destruction, the species’ distribution is now highly patchy throughout the island and it has become rare in the southeast of the island. Its presence in Brunei is uncertain and unconfirmed. Bornean orangutans are solitary. Two or three with overlapping territories may interact, but only for short periods of time. While not territorial, adult males will display threatening behaviors upon meeting other males, and only socialize with females to mate. Males are considered the most solitary of the orangutans. https://www.youtube.com/embed/d5ab8BOu4LE The Bornean orangutan has a lifespan of 35-45 years in the wild, while in captivity it can live to be nearly 60. The Bornean orangutan, while still more common than the Sumatran, with about 104,700 individuals in the wild, whereas just under 14,000 Sumatran orangutans are left in the wild, is still critically endangered. The total number of Bornean orangutans is estimated to be less than 14% of what it was in the recent past (from around 10,000 years ago until the middle of the 20th century), and this sharp decline has occurred mostly over the past few decades due to human activities and development. A number of orangutan rescue and rehabilitation projects operate in Borneo: The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation (BOS) has rescue and rehabilitation centers in East Kalimantan and in Central Kalimantan. BOS also works to conserve and recreate the fast-disappearing rainforest habitat of the orangutan. Orangutan Foundation International rescues and rehabilitates orangutans, preparing them for release back into protected areas of the Indonesian rain forest. In addition, it also promotes the preservation of the rain forest for them. The Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre near Sandakan in the state of Sabah in Malaysian Borneo opened in 1964 as the first official orangutan rehabilitation project. #orangutan #apes #anyhigh #borneo #malaysia #indonesia #conservation #rainforest #kalimantan #wildlife #threedognight

September is a month when lots of special things occur. “Labor Day”, the first Monday in September, is celebrated as a holiday in the USA & Canada; September 21st is recognized as the International Day of Peace around the world; the 22nd marks the Autumnal Equinox; Rosh Hashanah, marking the beginning of the Jewish new year, often happens in September (the 25th in 2022); the 29th is Michaelmas, an ancient Celtic “Quarter Day” marking the end of the harvesting season. So, as if there’s not enough to be celebrating already, in 2007 September was also officially listed by the US Senate as “National Bourbon Heritage Month” (as it needs to be ratified by the Senate every year, since then it’s also become known as Kentucky Bourbon Heritage Month – a minor distinction for Bourbon lovers everywhere). This observance calls of a celebration of bourbon as America’s “Native Spirit” and, happily, goes on all month. Of course, in our hearts, every month is Kentucky Bourbon Heritage Month. And every day is National Bourbon Day! To help with all the celebrations coming up in September, we thought this would be a good time to share some of the stranger hangover remedies throughout history that we’ve come across (though not necessarily tried ourselves…..). A) According to ancient papyrus scrolls found in Egypt, one way to remedy a hangover was to wear a wreath of leaves around your neck from a shrub called an Alexandrian laurel. Unearthed in 1898, the papyri, all written in Greek and containing numerous medical cures and remedies, include one for a "drunken headache." The text is believed to be roughly 1,900 years old. B) Kitab al-Tabikh, is a 10th-century cookbook written by Ibn Sayyar al-Warraq, which contains several recipes for lemonade - - all of which were thought to prevent hangovers when added to alcoholic beverages. One is for "simple lemonade made with lemon juice, sugar, and water," another mixes lemonade with quince juice and one more option is to flavor lemonade with mint. Should those fail, al-Warraq also suggested to avoid drinking alcohol in one big gulp. Instead, have it in several small doses and breathe deeply between one dose and the other. Should a hangover strike anyway, "cold water first thing in the morning" was recommended. C) Ancient texts from Mesopotamia, dating back as far as the 12th century BCE, offer insight into drinking and remedies for hangovers alike. According to the texts: "If a man has taken strong wine and his head is affected and he forgets his words and his speech becomes confused, his mind wanders and his eyes have a set expression; to cure him, take licorice, beans, oleander... to be compounded with oil and wine before the approach of sunset, and in the morning before sunrise - and before anyone has kissed him - let him take it, and he will recover". D) In the old wild west days in the USA, cowboys were a hardy lot. A remedy they would use for hangovers was to boil rabbit dung in tea. Reportedly, the high levels of nutrients like potassium could help replenish what the body lost after a night of drinking – just like it does for the soil. E) In medieval England, eels had many uses - as food, they functioned as currency and were used to make clothing and accessories. For hangovers, eels were again useful, although to be effective they were to be eaten raw and accompanied by bitter almonds. F) Every country has its special way of curing hangovers and Sicily, in Italy, is no exception. Old Sicilians believe that eating dried bull penis (also known as Pizzle) is the way to combat a hangover. Full of vitamins, proteins and minerals, it’s said to offer a nice boost of energy. Interestingly, this particular cure is popular in Bolivia as well. G) John Gaddesden served as a court physician in England during the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He wrote Rosa Anglica, a medical treatise, between 1304 and 1314. The text contains hangover remedies for men and women alike: “If anyone have drunk too much, if it be a man the testicles should be washed with salt and vinegar, and if it be a woman, the breasts...” While we’re not entirely sure about the immediacy of the effectiveness of this last one, it certainly seems that it would take one’s mind off the hangover, at least for a little while. #bourbon #september #holidays #hangover #roshhashanah #equinox #wildwest #england #kentucky #bourbonheritagemonth #nationalbourbonday #laborday