'Did you ever wonder how life halfway around the world, or even just next door, is different from yours?' asked a post on Kuro5hin.
Wisdom Springs is a new site devoted to finding out just that… by getting visitors from all over the world to fill up a form with details of the city, town or village where they live.
Afghanistan tops the alphabetical listing of countries but, little wonder, has no entries yet.
Though the site is UK-based, the most entries (79 at last count) come from the US. The UK, Australia, Canada, Brazil, etc, also have a handful while most other countries have none so far.
India's three listings reflect on life in Chandigarh, Bombay and Goa.
Remember, however, that entries are posted by individuals, on the way they see their cities… not necessarily in the same way we'd see them. Also, the information presented may not always be accurate.
While browsing the site, I expected to find a lot of ethnocentric posts, but was a bit surprised by candid admissions and matter-of-fact comments, like these from a person in Mora, Sweden:
What cultural opportunities do you have?
Lots of boring stuff, nothing really interesting to non-tourists though.
What do you hate about it?
It's horribly boring.
What qualities really stand out? (good or bad)
Nothing ever happens around here except on weekends when everyone gets drunk.
We have the Wasa ski race every year
Would you recommend it, and why?
No
There's also the Bombay guy whose response to What recreational opportunities do you have? is 'Kamathipura is probably the world's largest whorehouse.'
All in all, it has the potential of a decent, fun-fact site, and should become immensely popular going by the fact that most of its 148 entries have appeared in the last few days.
Apostrophe Protection Society
There is actually a society formed to oversee usage of this punctuation mark.
'The Apostrophe Protection Society was started in 2001 with the specific aim of preserving the correct use of this currently much abused punctuation mark in all forms of text written in the English language,' says the Web site.
You can find the whole set of rules on this site, including those regarding apostrophes for plural words and missing letters.
The Chairman of this society is John Richards, a retired journalist who was surprised that reporters seemed to be unaware of the correct use of this particular punctuation mark.
"The little apostrophe deserves our protection. It is indeed a threatened species!"
As his irritation increased, he formed the society in the hope of finding a few supporters. Within a month, he claims to have received over 500 letters of support from several countries.
You too can join this society, and help make the apostrophe less endangered!
Bald R Us
'Survey proves that bald men are the best dressed and most romantic' says a Web site dedicated to … you guessed it … bald men.
This is a community for 'those who believe that God made a few perfect heads and on the rest He put hair'.
With a bald eagle as mascot, "Bald & Proud" T-shirts coming soon and features like 'Bald Man of the Year', this site has a lot of resources for the hairless guy. If you're worried about your hairloss, Ask the Bald Guy for advice. Read up on Hairy Horror Stories about wigs, toupees, hair transplants, etc. And visit the section on romance: 'a long term observation of losing hair and losing dates' that promises a happy ending.
While waxing on the positives of baldness, the site doesn't omit the negatives: 'There is no other area of the body more exposed to the damaging rays of the sun than the unprotected pate of a bald man. Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed form of cancer.' The medical alerts section has tips on minimising this risk and several others. Get informed on early signs and symptoms, what you can do to protect yourself, treatment measures and when to consult a doctor.
You can share your experiences through email or on their guestbook. If you're not yet bald but want to have a shiny scalp, get these How Tos on shaving.
Membership to the site is free - so join up, if for no other reason than it entitles you to discounts at many men's apparel Web sites.
Adventure Photography Tips
On my last trip to Elephanta Caves, I wanted a take number of snaps of the impressive hills, so I shooed away a couple of friends who had begun to climb them and then clicked half a roll. I eagerly waited for the pics to develop in order to show them off. You'll imagine my dismay when the hills came off looking like tiny mounds of mud, as there was no human in the photo to show the contrast of size.
And I had little to show for my expedition.
Mark Thiessen, a photographer with National Geographic, shares these tips on adventure photography. Learn how to capture a moment, take panoramic shots and close-ups, exploit angles, use blurring and sharpness to your advantage… and also to include people in landscape pics.
Take note of these tips - and when you get back from an adventure, you won't need to brag. Simply let your pictures do the talking.