I overheard an interesting conversation about Iceland last Saturday night. My children’s literature teacher, from a couple semesters back, just happened to be at a bar I was at, and was quite passionately giving a speech about the Icelandic people and their belief in elves. Yep, you read that right, elves. Those fairytale creatures that most of us grew up with, or read about in Lord of the Rings. A breed of beings that are commonly depicted as miniature humans, rumored to have pointy ears, and supposedly live on rocky terrain.
Elves are a part of Celtic folklore, and the people of Iceland regard them with respect. When I overheard my old teacher, he was discussing how pieces of land are often protected in Iceland because elves are believed to inhabit particular areas. Scheduled building-projects frequently cease in Iceland because of them.
Some of you may be thinking that this tradition is lunacy. Why would we stop the progress of our society for a group of mythical beings? But this folk tale seems to have at least helped a little with the human problem of over-development. And keeping alive a source of magic and wonder can’t be bad for the country’s morale. No, I think we should thank the elves for contributing to the preservation of this beautiful country. For the sake of its wildlife and culture.
But, back to why you’re here–the infographic! Here’s ten reasons why you should visit the magical land of Iceland as soon as possible! [Via]
For most American high school graduates college is a no brainer. It is what you’re “supposed” to do after high school. We spend thousands of dollars to get a degree that, in today’s economy, may or may not get us a job. Some of us don’t even know what we are going to study. We blindly step onto campus hoping that something will pop out at us as interesting. When nothing catches our fancy, we settle for business, communication, or some other general degree. Alas, here we are, kicked out into the world of specialization when we are Jacks of all trades and masters at none.
Finals will end soon, and the metamorphosis from undergraduate to graduate is around the corner for many young adults. Was the 4 (or more) years really worth the money and sweat spent on an education? Should high school graduates be pushed into trade school where they can learn specialized skills to actually land them a job? There is no direct answer, but the thought is definitely worth considering.
[Via]
New players often ask themselves how to master their abilities on card games, especially on those with higher odds of winning such as Blackjack. You can’t become a pro if you don’t master the very basic rules and strategy of the game. My first introduction to Blackjack came when I went on a cruise as a young teenager.
The casino was amazing to me. The lights, sounds, money – I was in heaven. Unfortunately the pit boss was not too keen on my presence in the casino. After being kicked out multiple times due to my young age I finally recruited my family to gamble for me.
Giving $100 to my dad, I said “put it all on black”. I lost $100 bucks and I haven’t been to a casino since. Not to say I don’t enjoy poker, though. I think poker is one of the greatest, most entertaining card games. I have a knack for Texas Hold’em and enjoy my Blackjack almost as much.
Today’s graphic will teach you the basics of the game and also give you some pointers, but beware new-comers, seasoned players will tear you apart. [Palace of Chance]
We’ve all heard it from all of our dentists, “You need to floss more!” or “don’t forget to brush the very back of your molars!” Whatever, most of us don’t worry about their warnings until the day before our next dental visit. The worst that can happen is that we get a little cavity, and they just fix it with a silver cap, right? Turns out, bad dental hygiene isn’t just bad for your teeth, its also bad for your health. Today’s infographic lists 14 bad-dental-hygiene ailments that plague everyday people just like you and me. Poor oral hygiene can lead to heart disease, respiratory disease, and even brain abscesses! Preventative medicine is the best medicine, so please, listen to your dentist and floss your teeth and brush all the way to the back of your molars! Your body will thank you! [via]
So, I don’t know about you, but when this week ends it shall be summertime for me. Nothing screams summertime louder than video games. Although my New Year’s resolution is to read more books, I’m pretty sure that video games will most likely consume my soon to be unlimited time. I’ve looked through this infographic and I was pleased to see some of my favorite videogames of all time are on here: Portal 2, Mario Bros 3, Katamari Damacy, Mario Kart 64, Bioshock, Final Fantasy X, Okami, Shadow of the Colossus just to name a few. With titles like these, there’s really no way of going wrong. This makes me all the more excited to check out the other games on this list that I haven’t played. If they’re even close to the caliber of the previously mentioned games, then I shall be a happy man.
Some notes of correction though… Okami should be under the female character branch, seeing as the main character is a fox goddess, also I believe that the Zelda games should somehow be under the ‘like solving puzzles?’ branch because you gotta love puzzles to beat those games. Also, where’s Pikmin? Such an underrated gem of a game. Let us know what you think of this infographic. Is it missing some of your favorites?
[via]
