TANNING BUTLER: Dream Job or Male Sexual Exploitation?

by Annie Scott

from http://www.luxist.com/

The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach has created an unusual profession: The Tanning Butler.

Affectionately known as the "world's greatest job," tanning butler duties include strolling around the luxury hotel pool and rubbing attractive people (and presumably unattractive people, but let's not think about that) with complimentary Hampton Sun products from 12pm to 4pm.

The tanning butlers wear signature "Tanning Butler" t-shirts -- so don't believe that guy in a Speedo who's pretending to be a hotel employee -- and are armed with various SPFs, Evian spritzers and sunglasses cleaner in a custom-made holster.

"Good afternoon, I'm the Tanning Butler," they've been instructed to say. "Can I offer you some complimentary sunscreen? If you like, I can apply it to your back and shoulders that might burn easily, as well."

In my fantasy, that line is delivered with a very sexy accent. I hope the Ritz-Carlton's HR department is reading this.

"This modern twist on the English butler is beyond guests' expectations," says Michelle Payer, creator of The Tanning Butler. "It's a light-hearted service we created to cater to our guests as they sunbathe by providing an unexpected, luxury service they won't see anywhere else in the world."

An added perk of the profession? Celebrity rubbing. Jessica Simpson, Nick Lachey, Johnny Knoxville and Vivica A. Fox are just a few names the Ritz-Carlton, South Beach claims to have tanned.

If you're interested in staying at The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach, Miami's newest oceanfront hotel -- "a complete restoration of an original 1953 Morris Lapidus-designed landmark hotel in the city's historic Art Deco district" -- visit the website to book.

Alternatively, click here for job openings.

10 Most Incredible Images of Anticrepuscular Rays

From: http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/

Anticrespulcular rays captured just outside Boulder, CO
Image: John Britton

How many people turn around when they watch a beautiful sunset? Not many, but here are a few good reasons why they should. Anticrepuscular rays are spectacular optical phenomena that are quite rare and they require the viewer to have his or her back to the sun or sunset point. Like crepuscular rays, covered here earlier, they are columns of sunlit air streaming through gaps in clouds. Yet while the former seem to converge from the sun, anticrepuscular rays converge toward the antisolar point – the point in the sky directly opposite the sun – creating some stunning effects.

Nothing supernatural here or is there?

Image: Carolina Ödman

Radiating from this ship in Ye Liou, Taiwan?

Image: Unknown photographer

Anticrepuscular rays actually do not radiate from one point but are parallel shafts of light. They produce an optical illusion explained by da Vinci’s linear perspective according to which at distance, all things convert to a central point. It’s similar to a long, straight road converging toward the horizon regardless of which way one is looking.

The illusion is even more spectacular when the anticrepuscular rays seem to converge from an object like the ship above or this rock at Horseshoe Canyon in Utah, below.

Image: Peggy Peterson

With a tinge of pink, in Florida:

Image: Daniel Herron

The hours around dusk and dawn are called the crepuscular hours (literally: relating to twilight) and have given this light phenomenon its name. Dusk and dawn are the times of the rays’ most frequent occurrences because then, the contrast between light and dark is the most obvious.

Seen from a plane while flying over Arizona:

Image: Craig Gould

If crepuscular rays are called God’s Fingers, would anticrepuscular rays be the opposite, the Devil’s Feelers maybe?

Divine intervention?

Image: Piccolo Namek

We can see why these images are often used for religious pamphlets:

Image: Luis Argerich

The image below seems to show anticrepuscular rays converging from a gorgeous glory, captured above the clouds on a flight to southwestern Tennessee. Below the clouds, the phenomenon would have been observed as crepuscular rays.

Rays and glory:

Image: Tim Stone

The last pic should clear up any questions about anticrepuscular rays:
Setting sun + well placed clouds + a bit of luck = anticrepuscular rays.

Panoramic view of anticrepuscular rays over Chandler, Arizona:

Image: Ian Schlueter

So next time you watch a spectacular sunset, make sure to turn around as something unusual if not even more spectacular may be awaiting you.

Sources: 1, 2, 3

So Much for the Sun Tan

So Much For The Sun Tan

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Ow. It hurts just looking at these scorched bodies, what's wrong with them? They're either on a death wish or they just don't get that big, bright burning yellow orb in the sky that we orbit around. It gives off heat as well as light :(