Zazzle Shop

Screen printing

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Ryanair seeks female crew to strip down for calendar


The lovely ladies of Ryanair pose for a promo shot
The lovely ladies of Ryanair pose for a promo shot

VISIT THE PHOTO GALLERY - HERE

Irish airline Ryanair is on a Europe-wide search for sexy female cabin crew to strip down for its 2011 calendar.

Despite complaints from women’s groups across Europe, the airline is determined to line up female cabin crew members to pose semi-naked for the calendar.

A Ryanair spokesperson said that despite women’s groups criticism of the calendar idea, a recent poll indicated female staff as the popular choice.

"Overwhelmingly people still want female cabin crews,” he said.

"We wanted sexy passengers to be in it but they said no they wanted cabin crew 50,000 passengers voted and said they wanted it to be female.

"We've come in for some criticism in the past from some women's groups so we decided to let passengers tell us what they want."

The spokesperson said that fewer Irish girls apply to take part in the calendar than other nationalities, and there are no guarantees that an Irish girl will make the cut.

All proceeds go for charity. Last year’s calendar raised $130,000.

Ryanair’s biggest competition is the Irish Fire Brigade calendar, which sold 20,000 copies in 2009 making it the most popular calendar in the world.

The firemen are already hitting the gym.

"We have ten and we're short of two bodies at the moment. They're fine fellows, and they were chosen because they work out and they look good.

"Everyone likes to see firemen with their tops off," a spokesperson for the Fire Brigade calendar told the Herald.

The Irish Fire Brigade charity calendar is set to launch in October. In keeping with a long-standing tradition, the handsome firemen will be selling the calendars out on the streets of Dublin in time for Christmas.

VISIT THE PHOTO GALLERY - HERE

The Amazing Colors of Deep Sea Slugs

nudibranch12Photo: Doug Deep

This spectacular looking creature is not an alien lifeform, but one of 3,000 varieties of sea slugs that live on ocean floors around the world. They are among the most visually stunning animals that you could ever hope to see, and while the name sea slug is somewhat yucky, the alternative, nudibranch, sounds rather sophisticated. These amazing mobile works of art can really make you gasp - they look that good!

nudibranch9Photo: Doug Deep

The word "nudibranch" comes from the Latin nudus, naked, and the Greek brankhia, hence 'naked gills'. The name comes from the flower-like gills found on the back of many types. They use the gills to breathe. Nudibranches are soft-bodied molluscs and are related to snails and slugs, so are commonly called sea slugs. They do not have shells.

large10Photo: Doug Deep

Their means of defence are camouflage, toxic secretions and stinging cells. The rainbow of bright colours that many wear is a warning to predators.

largePhoto: Doug Deep

They have very small eyes that only sense light and dark so they are basically blind. However that is not a problem because of their horn-like protrusions called rhinophores. They use them to taste, smell and feel the ocean around them. They detect chemicals that tell the sea-slug everything it needs to know, like where food is and where other nudibranchs are.

large13Photo: Doug Deep

They are carnivores and many are able to eat what other sea creatures can't. Sea creatures that contain stinging toxins, like the anemone or soft corals, are eaten by the sea-slugs which then convert or use the toxins for their own defences.

seaslug1Photo: Parent Gery

Some varieties contain a type of algae in their transparent bodies, which, when exposed to sunlight, produce nutrients which they use for energy! They come in an incredible variety of colours and patterns. Blue with yellow dots, green and black, red and purple, white with yellow accents, the list goes on and on. Suffice it to say that if you can imagine it, there's probably a nudibranch to fit the bill.

seaslug2Photo: Nick Hobgood

Many secrete chemicals when they are threatened. The chemicals may either make them very distasteful or even toxic. That's why they are not good for the aquarium! The chemicals they release may cause other animals to be very stressed, or even die! Some are also able to store the stinging cells of the hydroids or other cnidarians they feed on in their cerata. Many are brightly coloured to warn the predators not to eat them, and also to match their surrounding, which allow them to camouflage themselves from the predators.

seaslug7Photo: Chriswan Sungkono

Nudibranchs are simultaneous hermaphrodites, meaning each slug has both male and female reproductive organs at the same time. They practice internal fertilisation, and do it side-by-side, facing opposite directions. Sometimes, one will act as the male partner and the other as the female. At other times, they may fertilise each other. After mating, they go their separate ways and each lays its egg mass. They usually die after laying their eggs.

seaslug6Photo: Jens Patersen

In some cases, the eggs are laid on or near a food source and the young hatch fully developed and commence feeding. In other cases, the young hatch and are carried away in the current. They eventually settle onto a food source and continue developing into adults. The juveniles usually have shells, but lose them as adults. There is no doubt whatever that these incredible creatures are a living rainbow of such beauty that the sight of them makes you smile. Some things in nature are almost beyond belief in their glorious appearance, and sea-slugs certainly rate amongst those.

seaslug4Photo: Nick Hobgood

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4

Rare Zebra/Donkey Hybrid Born at Wildlife Preserve

by Stephen Messenger
Porto Alegre, Brazil
From: http://www.treehugger.com/

zedonk photo

Photo via the Gainesville Times

They may be an unlikely pair, but just five days ago a zebra and donkey in Georgia welcomed into the world one very unique-looking baby girl -- a zedonk! Officials at the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve, where the cute little crossbred was born, are as surprised as anyone by the very rare coupling. It turns out, the zebra/donkey romance has been many years in the making, but somehow the duo managed to keep it a secret. "The animals have been running (in the fields) together for more than 40 years, but this is the first time that this has happened here," says the preserve's founder. "We never suspected that they (had mated), so it was quite a surprise when the zedonk was born."


zedonk-long.jpg While the mating may have been a well-kept secret, there's little mystery about which characteristics the baby zedonk inherited from her zebra father and which came from her donkey mother. With the distinctive black stripes of a zebra on her legs and face, and the narrow head of a donkey, the wildlife preserve's newest resident looks to be a perfect hybrid.

When it comes to temperament, however, it seems the five-day-old takes more after her dad, preserve general manager C.W. Wathen told the Gainesville Times:

Usually, a foal will lay over on its side, sunning itself. But the zedonk sits up at all time -- like she's on alert looking out for predators. She's still got some of her wild instincts.

Chances are the baby zedonk will never meet anything quite like her -- the infertile hybrid is actually quite rare -- though she'll have no shortage of companions at the Chestatee Wildlife Preserve, which is home to a variety of animals from around the globe.

Still, there is one type of visitor that the young zedonk is sure to be seeing plenty of, says Wathen: "The kids have been going crazy about the zedonk."

A dam big project: Incredible images of construction work on 1,900ft-long Hoover Bridge

By Mail Foreign Service

From: http://www.dailymail.co.uk

It is one of the planet's newest awe-inspiring superstructures - the Hoover Dam Bridge.

Now the giant construction project which is on schedule to be completed in September can be seen in all its glory in a series of stunning photographs.

Twelve years in planning and five years under construction, the development - known officially as the 'Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge' - is finally taking shape.

Hoover bridge

Spectacular structure: The Hoover Dam Bridge rises from the river banks in the middle stages of the £160million project. This image, which was taken in April this year, shows how the new bridge will replace the old road which crossed the top of the dam

Rising 890 ft above the Colorado River, when finished, its total length will be 1,900 ft, with its longest supported span running to 1080 ft.

Built in the shadow of the iconic Hoover Dam, which powers most of states Nevada and Arizona, the construction is the first concrete-steel composite arch bridge built in the United States.

With costs estimated to run to £160 million, the bridge is designed to take the pressure off the congested US Highway 93, which connects Las Vegas, Nevada, in the west with Arizona and the Grand Canyon in the east.

The bridge is expected to carry 17,000 trucks and cars every day and will allow the roadway that runs on top of the Hoover Dam to close.

Having long been the most accessible river crossing between Nevada and Arizona, the dam is thought to be at risk of a terror strike, with trucks already banned from crossing.

In November, cars will no longer be able to cross the dam which was built in 1936.

Hoover Dam Bridge

Don't look down: Workers use a crane to construct the top of the bridge's arch during the large-scale project. The picture, taken in August, 2009, shows how engineers anchored the structure in the canyon's sides

Hoover Bridge Dam

Let there be light: Night work on the Hoover Bridge continues unabated thanks to huge lighting towers in September last year. The bridge is due to be completed later this year

Designed by T.Y Lin International, the bridge will be four lanes wide and is designed to match the style of the dam shadowing it, which holds back artificial Lake Mead.

Around 3,000 workers have helped construct the bridge using 2,300 feet long steel cables held aloft by a 'high line' crane system.

The distinctive arches are made up of 106 concrete and steel arches, each one 24ft-long.

The bridge has been named after Mike O'Callaghan, a former Nevada Governor and Pat Tillman, the American Football player who left the NFL and joined the army after the 9/11 attacks.

Tillman was killed in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan in 2004.

Documenting the last 18 months on camera has been Santa Fe resident Jamey Stillings, 38.

Hoover Dam Bridge

Patriotic: The new bridge will provide much needed relief for cars and lorries using U.S. Highway 93. The road provides a scenic link betweej the Grand Canyon, to the east and Las Vegas to the west

'I was driving on a road trip through Nevada across to Arizona when I took in the Hoover Dam as a tourist,' said Jamey, who has been photographing the Bridge since March 2009.

'I came across the construction of the bridge without warning and it captured a piece of my imagination.'

Deciding to stay for a night nearby, Jamey set about forming a project to photograph the bridge as it's put together step-by-step.

'I fell in love with it and wanted to begin a photographic project immediately,' said Jamey.

'I have been a photographer working in environments such as war zones in Nicaragua and in advertising and corporate work, but this was a chance to return to my roots.

'I have made ten trips in total to the bridge. I have spent 26 days and nights at the site with the workers and have taken over 12,000 frames.'

bridge

High and mighty: The bridge nears completion, providing a four-lane highway crossing from Arizona to Nevada and on to Las Vegas

The Hoover Dam

The Hoover Dam, seen in the background, was started in 1931 and completed in 1936. It spans the Black Canyon and uses the Colorado River in a giant hydroelectricity project

Hoover Dam

Relief from congestion: A satellite image showing how the bridge will connect US Highway 93 at the top of the picture with the road towards the bottom



Wyclef Jean Weighs Run for President of Haiti

From: http://www.rollingstone.com/

Musician's Yele Haiti foundation raised millions for his homeland in wake of devastating earthquake


Caballero/Getty
By Daniel Kreps

Wyclef Jean is reportedly considering running for president of his native Haiti. Jean, whose YĂ©le Haiti foundation helped raise millions of dollars for his homeland after a massive earthquake devastated Haiti earlier this year, told Canadian newspaper La Droit that he was weighing his political options, later admitting to CNN, "I can't sing forever." Jean has until August 7th to fill out the necessary paperwork to launch a bid for Haiti's five-year presidency. The country's current president, Rene Preval, is barred by Haiti's constitution from seeking another term.

While Wyclef's brother Sam Jean told E! that there is a "very good chance" the musician will run for president and the paperwork had already been filled out, Wyclef still hasn't confirmed his candidacy, writing on Twitter, "Just to Clear up the rumors I have not announce to the Press that I'm Running for President of Haiti." A statement from Yele Haiti echoed Jean's tweet: "Wyclef's commitment to his homeland and its youth is boundless, and he will remain its greatest supporter regardless of whether he is part of the government moving forward. At this time, Wyclef Jean has not announced his intent to run for Haitian president. If and when a decision is made, media will be alerted immediately."

Hope for Haiti Now: Read Rolling Stone's live blog of the all-star telethon.

Wyclef recently told the Associated Press that while he would be involved in some capacity with the November 28th presidential elections in Haiti, it would likely not be a candidate. "Do I have political intentions? At this time no. But what I do have is a movement — it's called AFACeAFACe. The youth population... we are going to encourage them to vote," Jean said. Sam Jean added that the youth population is lobbying most aggressively for Wyclef to run for president. "It's not really coming from him, to be honest. Most of the population in Haiti is under the age of 26, I believe, so the youth have really clamored to him. They're the ones who are really excited and have said to him, 'Hey, why don't you run for president,'" Sam Jean told E!

Wyclef's possible presidential bid comes amid allegations that the singer misused funds from YĂ©le Haiti in the years prior to the earthquake. One report claims Jean paid a Haitian TV station $250,000 he owed using money from the charity. While Jean publicly admitted that his foundation had made some operational mistakes in the past, he denied that he profited in any way off his charity.

Grass Sofas are Big and Green

by Bonnie Alter
from: http://www.treehugger.com/

park sofa photo
Image from trendhunter.com: Osterley Park

What could be nicer: a big green grass sofa, out in the sun, in front of a gorgeous country house. Leave it to the National Trust to arrange it. They have grown and installed ten couches in different countryside locales and towns to get people lazing around outside instead of in.

It's a good thing too because according to a study that they carried out, Brit's spend an average of 43 hours a week sitting around on their sofa, even in summer. It gets worse: in some places it's 50 to 70 hours. Now the weather isn't always great, but still....

big-seat.png
Images from trendhunter.com

Obesity due to poor eating habits and lack of exercise is becoming a huge issue in the western world. Statistics such as these emphasize the extent of the problem. The Trust is calling them 'living' rooms because, along with a coffee table, the whole thing is made out of grass and turf. What a fun way to get people outside--the only thing lacking is the t.v.

Way back in 2006, this TreeHugger's first post was about a grass chair, grown from seeds and a DIY kit. The National Trust's technique is far more sophisticated. Theirs take a month to grow, with a base of straw, covered in green turf. Fourteen bales of hay, held together with rope, were used for each sofa. Then 20 meters of pristine turf were grown especially for each of the sofas and every one was hand wrapped carefully by expert gardeners. Then the turf had to be sewn around the corners to hold it on. Ditto for the coffee table.

outdoor chair photo

The largest one is located at Osterley Park in London. Almost 100 square meters of turf and almost 50 hay bales were used to create this sofa and table. And it's all worth it when you see the fun and smell the grass on a beautiful day.

chair grass photo
The original: 2006

Here's the original grow-your-own. A collector's item.

The Comic-Con 2010 Cosplay Gallery: 850 Amazing Costumes

From: http://www.tested.com/




tested.com This year, I managed to snap up over 850 costume photos, ranging from your traditional Princess Leias and Supergirls to Iron Men and Green Lanterns (there were many of those).

Click here for the Full Gallery on ONE PAGE: The Comic-Con 2010 Cosplay Gallery: 850 Amazing Costumes

THIS MAN REALLY, REALLY LIKES E.T.

From: http://www.viceland.com/

Nick Gjoka got his first E.T. toy soon after he saw the film, when he was four. When he hit his teens he stepped up his game and started hunting for more obscure bits of E.T. merchandise in flea markets and yard sales. Then came eBay. “When I turned 21 or 22, that’s when I started to really collect,” he says. He’s now 32, and estimates there are thousands of items in his collection. He didn’t want to discuss such matters over the phone so we enjoyed this sprightly email exchange.

Vice: What’s your living situation?
Nick: In March, I moved in with my Grandmother who has Alzheimer’s, to take care of her in Pennsylvania. My collection is mostly boxed up in a storage spot. I don’t collect as much as I used to, but when I do find something I usually bring it here first or have the item shipped here and my family doesn’t mind. They think that it’s funny and they always ask questions about it.

collection3

What do you do for a living?
My “life” is on hold right now. All I do is take care of my grandmother. It truly is a 24/7 job. Everyday I also ride my bike (bicycles and no, not one with an E.T. on front), meditate, read, workout, and cook. My Gram and I like to take naps watching Lifetime TV network movies too. When I’m not doing this, I can be found (or not found) traveling, touring, cooking, skating, cycling, snowboarding and going to shows.

collection1

What do you think it is that compels you to collect?
I’m pretty sure it’s in the family. My parents collect and sell antiques. I was raised around it. An average summer holiday get away would be for a weekend of drag racing, flea markets, 50’s doo-wop, rock ‘n roll, and hot rods. I used to hate it back then but I look back at it now and I am glad that I was raised around that stuff. Besides that, I really like E.T. because it reminds me about my Grandfather that I had growing up. I can clearly remember opening one of my first E.T. toys at his house on Christmas morning. He was my only Grandfather growing up, and I thought maybe my collecting was a connection with him. When I was younger and had started collecting, E.T. items became an easy gift to get me, so all of a sudden I had a huge collection and started looking for more rare E.T. things.

collection7

Do you think there’s some OCD going on here?
After that comment I made up above (he was my only Grandfather, growing up and I thought maybe my collecting was a connection with him), I sound like some of the people on those reality TV shows about hoarding. I probably do have OCD with other things in my life but not with my collecting. Now it’s just an on-and-off hobby for me. It’s not like crack where I NEED to have this E.T. doll to where I would go beg someone for money. I’m a 31-year-old straightedge vegan guy so I don’t waste money on a Big Mac before washing it down with a beer after, so I have some extra money lying around. I’ll buy an E.T. item if the mood strikes and if it’s something that I don’t already have.

When people you meet find out about your E.T. collection, what do they think about it?
I typically don’t tell people. I have a couple of E.T. tattoos so sometimes someone may ask about them and it will lead into some other E.T. discussions. If I do meet someone who knows about my collection it is usually because a mutual friend might have mentioned it to them. More often then not, people are usually totally down with it and want to see it. A lot of people talk about an E.T. toy they had as a kid and they say something like, “If I can find it, I’ll give it to you.” I like when people try to find something I don’t already have. It’s nice.

Have you met any other big E.T. fans?
Well not to boast, but I AM THE BIGGEST E.T. FAN! :) Seriously though, I have met a few other collectors through eBay over the years. We’ll swap stories, collectibles etc. One other fan started collecting because his mum had an E.T. collection so he just continued it. Another collector from the UK is a little girl. E.T. is her favorite movie and her family buys her tons of E.T. stuff. Other collectors are fans of Spielberg’s movies and this being one of the most popular ones, they collect E.T. items.

What’s the most expensive E.T. thing you’ve bought?
The most expensive item that I paid for would be an E.T. clothes hamper. It is basically a life-size E.T. doll that opens in the back to put stuff in. Items that should have been more but I found for cheap were some candid production photos and crew items. The item that’s worth the most to me would be the E.T. toys that my grandfather gave me when I was a little kid.

What’s the worst piece of E.T. merchandise you’ve seen?
There are too many bootleg items to mention! The official red light-up finger that was sold in 1982 is pretty phallic and disturbing looking.

I hear you own a piece of E.T.’s foot.
I guess when I say “foot”, it’s kind of a stretch. It is really a piece of foam from the puppet’s foot. It was sent to Collegeville Costumes as a color swatch so they could get the color correct in the making of the E.T. Halloween costumes that they made in 1982. It was a plastic mask with a smock/bib plastic like top. The costume company couldn’t get the color correct so they sent a piece of the original E.T. from the film. I received it along with some correspondence letter between the producer of the film and someone at Collegeville Costumes.

What bootleg stuff have you got? Would you buy anything that was E.T. branded, even unofficial rubbish?
I have some ceramic E.T. dolls, some school supplies and a cookie jar. I like to buy more official stuff but once in a while I see some outrageous bootleg item that I have to have! A couple of my friends (not E.T. collectors) like to collect weird bootleg stuff too so we look out for each other. Along with that, another one of the E.T. collectors focuses on bootleg stuff so I try not to bid on it.

What about the Turkish E.T. rip-off?
You mean Badi? I have yet to see it.

What about E.T. porn?
Oh geez. I’ve heard about at least two different ones involving E.T. but I don’t bother with any of that.

Do you think you’ll stop collecting at some point?
I go in spurts. I will go for a week, checking eBay and then I’ll go for a month or two and not check it. If I got a fair offer for the collection, I would sell the whole thing!

Tell us about the Halloween parade, when you and your friends dress up and ride through New York.
NYC has an annual Halloween parade that goes up 6th Ave for over 20 blocks. It is a huge deal and people come out from all over! The first time my friends and I just wanted to ride around through Brooklyn and NYC on Halloween dressed up like Elliot, with E.T. in a basket on the front of our bikes. One of my friends that rode the first couple of times was also an E.T. fan and bit of a collector. Over the years it has evolved and the group became bigger and bigger. The last time we did it, we had it down to a science. We knew the best ways to attach the crates to the bikes, we had the E.T. bust already made, we had extra red hoodies, white blankets, and BMX bikes in case anyone wanted to join us. We had at least eight riders as opposed to the three we had the first time. After a friend would do it once they would always want to do it the next year too. It was soooooooo much fun!

You also run a Morrissey blog. How does Morrissey compare to E.T.?
I don’t think they are similar at all. I would love for someone to try and find some similarities. Some people are maniacs. They will over analyze stuff and somehow make a connection. Oh wait, how about this one? E.T. came out in 1982 and The Smiths started in 1982!!! Bam! there you go, there’s your connection. People are strange.

If E.T. came down and visited you and asked you to go off in his spaceship forever, would you go?
Those kind of ideas are on some next level. That’s some Star Trek nerd’s fantasy, not mine. It’s just a hobby for me and a way for someone to finally notice me in this cold miserable world.

ALEX GODFREY

You can see more of Nick’s collection at www.iloveet.com

Lingerie Football League Training Camp



The Dallas Desire , Lingerie Football League Western Conference Champions, hosted their first day of training camp at Germany Park on Saturday, July 24. Their first matchup will be against the San Diego Seduction at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park, September 3. ALL PHOTOS BY DANNY HURLEY.



Click here for this Fantastic Gallery: http://www.dallasobserver.com/slideshow/lingerie-football-league-training-camp-30646724/1/

One Very Long TRUCK


Click To Enlarge