South Pacific Tourism

Tourism is the largest industry in many Pacific island countries. Yet mass packaged tourism can be a double-edged sword. More at:

Pacific Tourism

Downtown USA

If you are considering touring the USA at some point in your life then you may be thinking of booking a room in a swanky five star hotel, but you might miss out on some of the inner city delights by doing so.

Downtown USA

Biking Abroad

For many a holiday abroad gives us a break away from lounging around our living rooms to find ourselves doing the same but in a hotter climate. The impetus in on us to pull our finger out and make holidays more of an adventure. If you are thinking of heading to one of the scenic resorts around the Mediterranean for example, then why not go with the intention of exploring the stunning landscape.

Biking Abroad

Weekend Breaks

There's nothing better than a weekend break - better still a long weekend break - to freshen you up, boost your enthusiasm for life and get you through to your next proper holiday.

Weekend Breaks

Family Holidays

Family holidays take a little planning to be successful. They have to suit your family circumstances: parents needs as well as the kids and so much depends on their ages and interests. In many ways younger children are much easier to satisfy than moody, temperamental teenagers. And, of course, the budget and the timing - many will be constrained by school holidays and pushed into the busier, and therefore most expensive times of the year. What are the options?

Family Holidays

Caribbean Cruises

The Caribbean has a multiplicity of islands, large and small, as well as some worthwhile destinations on the American continent. But how do you visit a selection of them when you have a limited budget and only a week or two to spare from your annual leave? The answer for many is a Caribbean Cruise.

Caribbean Cruises

Italy

With its ancient history Italy it will surprise some that it is a relatively new country having only been a united state since the 19th century. Despite the common language the regions of Italy remain very different in culture, attitudes and especially food.

More at: Italy

Rome - Capital of Italy

Known as 'the Eternal City' Rome is one of the most varied and historic cities in Europe. Its history dates back to the beginning of the first millenium BC, wrapped in the legend of its mythical founders, Romulus and Remus.

Rome - Capital of Italy

Menorca

A holiday in the Balearics is a time for unwinding, spending some time with the family, and seeing a few sights that this Mediterranean paradise has to offer. But before you go, you have to choose which island you primarily wish to visit. Majorca and Ibiza both have their charms, but in this article, we’re going to put the case for Menorca.

Holidays in Menorca: Things to See

Mayfair Hotels

Originally named after the annual May Fair that took place on the site during the 18th Century, Mayfair has risen in the popular consciousness - thanks largely to its status on the monopoly board - as a byword for wealthy London.

Mayfair Hotels

Biking in Dublin

Experiencing cities by bike is always a great way of getting to know the respective city better since you can see exactly where you are going.

Biking in Dublin

New York Kayaking

Have you ever thought about taking a kayak trip around Manhattan? Or cruising up the Hudson River? Kayaking in New York is commonly seen on the waterfront, along with the ferries, barges, and boats. With a majestic skyline for a view, kayaking in the City is easily accomplished with a beginning class or guided tour.

Kayaking Around New York City

Late Family Summer Holidays

Late family summer holidays are an excellent idea because there are many good last minute hotel deals as well as often cheaper airline tickets. There are many child friendly hotel deals that include free accommodation and activities for the children such as special pools, playgrounds, and entertainment.

Late Family Summer Holidays

Amsterdam

Amsterdam has long been a top destination for weekend breaks for everyone, from those who come for the vibrant nightlife and shopping opportunities amongst the historic city streets and canals to those wanting to taste the culture available in the many performance art venues and the Museum Quarter. The nightlife, culture and festivals of Amsterdam centre on the city's main squares located in and around the central district.

More at: City Break: Amsterdam

Founded as a fishing village in the medieval period, Amsterdam has grown to be a flourishing northern European city of around 750,000 people. Today the heart of the city is based around a network of canals and bridges with distinctive houses surviving from the 16th century and onwards.

See: Amsterdam City Visits

Las Vegas - Cruising the Strip

Few things are as jaw-dropping as emerging onto the famous ‘Vegas Strip’. As you turn that last corner and the neon lights peer over the horizon you are already contemplating memorable experiences that await you during your stay.

Cruising the Strip

Beautiful Ljubljana

IF you are thinking of holidays in Slovenia you should check out Ljubljana. This is the heart and the Capital City of Slovenia, and is one of the most breath-taking cities in Europe. It is utterly beautiful and packed with history and culture.

Beautiful Ljubljana: Capital City of Slovenia

Stag weekends

Newcastle is THE good time town in the North East, in fact, in the whole of England.

More at: Why Newcastle is the UK’s best party town for a Stag Weekend

Tunis - North Africa

Tunis is a compact city and while Tunisia is predominantly Islamic in religion, is a westernized city displaying a strong French influence. In fact, understanding some French is very useful for any tourist outside major hotels. The Medina, a complex walled area with narrow streets, lined with shops, is at the heart of the old city. The more recently built areas are more European in appearance, with a wide central boulevard, a grid structure of streets, cafes and some excellent 1920's colonial buildings. Finding your way around, especially using the tram system, is very easy.

More at: Tunis - North Africa

London's Landmarks

London is associated with familiar landmarks dating back centuries as well as brand new ones such as Tate Modern, the London Wheel and Canary Wharf (see London's New Landmarks). Needless to say, most tourists still come to see the traditional sights. This page lists three of the most famous: Tower Bridge, the Tower of London itself and the wonderful St Paul's Cathedral.

London landmarks

3 Most Expensive Areas to Live in London

London has boomed and boomed and has become very expensive but some property to buy has reached scale topping figures. Lets look at some of the most affluent areas and we can dream.

3 Most Expensive Areas to Live in London.

3 Rocking London Shows for your City Break

Every single night there are massive productions of some of the most famous and much loved plays, musicals, ballets and operas. You are truly spoilt for choice.

3 Rocking London Shows for your City Break

The World's Biggest and Most Awesome Islands

We've listed the five largest islands in the world and briefly outlined what you can find there.

The World's Biggest and Most Awesome Islands

Five Largest Cities in North America

We’ve found the five biggest cities in North America and given you a brief (but hopefully convincing) summary of why you should visit them instead of the more obscure holiday destinations.

The five largest cities in North America - and why you should visit them

Road Trippin'

An alternative to plane or train travel is road travel. Even though trains are fast, and you can source extremely cheap airline tickets on the internet, the humble road trip can be far more enjoyable and versatile than even the most extravagant luxury holiday. You’re in charge of every element of the trip - where you go, where you stay, and how fast you get there.

Road Trippin

New plane routes shrink Britain

Although it seems like overkill to many, air travel to parts of the United Kingdom can be an efficient, economical and enjoyable way to see the country.

New plane routes shrink Britain

New Cruise Articles

There are a number of scuba diving cruises and travel destinations for those seeking a more hands-on experience during vacation.


Island Scuba Diving Cruises

Great Summer Cruises

Second Impressions Have Limited Value

An international team of psychologists argue that there appears to be truth in the saying ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression'.

Second Impressions Have Limited Value

Genealogy and Family History

Tracing Family History

Tracing family history is an absorbing, mentally stimulating, educational and frequently obsessive pastime.

Your Family History

Few of us have famous ancestors. But in the same way as historians have widened their interests in recent years from Kings, Queens and Presidents to the history of ordinary people, genealogy offers us the opportunity to see how people 'just like us' lived their lives through the centuries.

Family History Information

This section could be sub-titled 'what information can you get for nothing?'

Organising Family History

Any serious genealogical work will lead to amassing a large volume of information, some of it amenable to computerisation.

Personality of 'Beautiful' People More Accurately Rated

People identify the personality traits of people who are physically attractive more accurately than others during short encounters, according to a new University of ritish Columbia study.


Personality of 'Beautiful' People More Accurately Rated

Remembering Faces

The ability to recognize and remember faces is best when we are aged 30-34 - ten years later than most of our other mental abilities.

Recognizing and Remembering Faces

Gozo - Maltese Islands

Gozo is the second largest of the Maltese Islands with a population of around 30,000.

ozo provides some excellent walking, great coastal scenery and some of Europe's best
diving. Archaeological remains, such as the megalithic temple of Ggantija and the citadel in Victoria provide great historical interest. The island's churches are, well, enormous - many looking more like cathedrals than parish churches. There are some excellent restaurants making good use of local produce and fish.

Gozo

Brailes - Antiquarian Notes

'Extract of a Letter from Brailes, in Warwickshire, dated June 11 1765.

'Monday last, between two and three o'clock, we had a most dreadful storm of hail, attended with thunder and lightning, which has cut off a great deal of the corn in Upper Brailes, Lower Brailes, and Sutton-field. In Lower Brailes all the fruit-trees are stripped as bare as if it was Christmas. The gardens are likewise cut off to that degree, that in the whole town there is not a plant big enough to wrap round your hand. The windows are broke in a shocking manner, particularly those that lay North. In the three windows in the school fifty squares are broke, besides those above stairs, etc. Many of the hail-stones measured six and seven inches round; rooks, pigeons, etc. were killed in great numbers, which continued about an hour, the thunder not ceasing one instant, and the hail (which I measured in the open field after the storm was over) lay fourteen inches thick on the ground.

More at: BrailesAntiquarian accounts of Brailes

Perceiving Emotions

Japanese people pay more attention to the tone of voice than facial expression.

Perceiving Emotions

Volunteers Disliked

Employees who readily volunteer even for unwanted tasks tend to be disliked by less selfless colleagues.

Volunteers Disliked

UK - No Plans To Retire

10 per cent of the UK working population (the equivalent of 3.5 million) have no plans to retire and 42 per cent are unable to say at what age they plan to stop working.

No Plans To Retire

Social Interactions Are Intense Experiences

The most intense positive and negative experiences tend to be associated with social interaction rather than individual accomplishment


Social Interactions Are Intense Experiences

A House In Wales - Sale, Swap or Part Exchange

Would you like this for a view?



It goes with a property in Wales on the outskirts of the village of Gwaun Cae Gurwen. Sited in a semi-rural location on the borders of Carmarthenshire in the county borough of Neath-Port Talbot, this is a two-bedroom bungalow with part-converted attic and extensive grassy garden - both needing some work. The M4, Brecon Beacons National Park, rural Carmarthenshire, Gower peninsula and the City of Swansea are all within easy travelling distance. The location offers sweeping views of mountains and a deep wooded valley.

More details at:

House in Wales for sale, swap or part exchange

Revising Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs

A recent updating of Abraham Maslow's iconic pyramid of needs by a team of psychologists concludes that factors involved in successful parenting, such as caring, feeding, nurturing and educating, are indicative of a profound pyschological need that
merits placement at the top of the hierarchy. Maslow's concept of ordering human motivations dates from the 1940s. The current revision, which the authors acknowledge is controversial, takes into account developments in areas such as neuroscience, developmental psychology and evolutionary psychology.

Revising Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs

Personality And Domestic Violence

Similar personality traits have been found in male and female perpetrators of domestic violence in a group of psychiatric patients - further study may extend this to the wider community.

Personality And Domestic Violence

Starr Carr - Britain's Oldest Dwelling Found

Recent research from the Universities of Manchester and York on Stone Age remains at Star Carr, near Scarborough, North Yorkshire, has identified Britain's earliest known surviving house. The dwelling dates from at least 8500 BC, when Britain was still part of continental Europe, pre-dating the previous record holder found at Howick, Northumberland, by at least 500 years. Archaeologists consider Star Carr to equal
Stonehenge in importance.

Starr Carr

Rating Others Positively Linked To Emotional Stability

Research led by Wake Forest University identified an association between the degree to which individuals perceive others in positive terms and their own happiness and emotional stability.

Rating Others Positively Linked To Emotional Stability

Keep Busy, Keep Happy

Individuals who keep busy, even with relatively pointless activity, tend to be happier than those who do not.

Keep Busy, Keep Happy

Child Personality Predicts Adult Behavior

Personality traits observed in childhood are a strong predictor of adult behavior.

Child Personality Predicts Adult Behavior

Attractive Women Can Be Disadvantaged

Attractive women may experience discrimination when applying for jobs traditionally considered "masculine" and where appearance is not considered important. This includes positions like manager of research and development, director of finance, mechanical engineer and construction supervisor. No such discrimination was experienced by attractive men.


Attractive Women Can Be Disadvantaged

Cancer Survival - A Spanish Study

Assessment of the probability of surviving nine types of cancer in eight Spanish regions with the highest numbers of cancer diagnoses.

Cancer Survival - A Spanish Study

Happy And Unhappy Families

What was striking was that these family relationship patterns were not only stable across different relationships but also across time, with very few families switching patterns.

Happy And Unhappy Families

Treating Depression Over The Telephone

Providing treatment for clinical depression over the telephone can be almost as effective as face-to-face consultations.

Treating Depression Over The Telephone

Self-Esteem

Self-esteem increases throughout adult life, peaking at around retirement age but declining thereafter. Health and income are significant factors in the maintenance of self-esteem.

Self-Esteem

Decision Making

When individuals are faced with making a choice that could result in short-term reward or longer-term benefit, those provided with complete information about the options tend to opt for the quick result.


Decision-Makers Opt For Quick Results

Depression And Chocolate Consumption

People eat more chocolate when symptoms of depression increase.

Depression And Chocolate Consumption

Commitment And Counterfactual Reflection

Developing greater workforce commitment can be as simple as asking employees to reflect on their organization's history.


Commitment And Counterfactual Reflection

Rating Personality and Attractiveness

Volunteers in a recent study were able to accurately judge aspects of a stranger's personality by looking at photographs. It proved possible to correctly assess factors such as self-esteem and ratings of extraversion and religiosity from physical appearance.

Rating Personality and Attractiveness

Women Feel More Guilt

Research from the University of the Basque Country published in the Spanish Journal of Psychology found that despite changing attitudes towards interpersonal relationships, women feel significantly more guilt than men. This did not simply reflect higher levels of this emotion in women but a lack of it in men.

Women Feel More Guilt

Facial Recognition

Caucasians and Asians examine faces in different ways.

Facial Recognition: Ethic Differences

Tobago

Tobago has a developed but relatively discrete tourist industry. There is an extensive range of hotels and guest houses. Its mountainous interior, extensive rain forest, beautiful beaches and friendly people offer a wide range of activities. There are both direct flights and flights via Trinidad (depending on your location). A day trip to Trinidad - and even Venezuela - is comparatively straightforward and a worthwhile experience. How many people can claim they've had a day trip to South America?!

History of Tobago

History of Tobago

Robinson Crusoe and Tobago

Kew - Historical Accounts

Kew: Historical Accounts
The village is pleasantly situated on the southern bank of the Thames

Kew Church: Historical Accounts
Parish church built in 1714 on waste ground donated by Queen Anne

Kew Gardens: Historical Accounts
The exotic, or as it is usually called, the botanic garden, was established in the year 1760, by the Princess Dowager.

Llandeilo - Postcard Views

Edwardian postcards of Llandeilo bridge and Dryslwyn Castle.

Llandeilo

Brighton - Views and Notes

Notes and views on Regency Square and the Royal Pavilion

Brighton - Notes and Views

A Victorian Tourist On Fair Isle

Rising abruptly from the sea, and standing aloof alike from the Orcadian and Shetland groups, there is sublimity in the awful loneliness of the rock-girt Fair Isle.

A Victorian Tourist on Fair Isle

A Victorian Tourist in Stromness

In this town, so quaint and quiet, the sea is a domestic institution. It ripples familiarly up the short lanes between rows of houses, and the bows of vessels stretch across second storey windows. Pilots can row up to their own doors in boats. It is doubtless owing to this circumstance that so many of the youth of Stromness take early to the water, and embark on board ship for all quarters of the world. Several of the houses, adjoining the harbour, are provided with little stone jetties, which enable the inmates to step dry-shod from their firesides into fishing-yawls.

A Victorian Tourist in Stromness

A Victorian Tourist on Papa Westray

From Pierowall, as an excursion centre, I next crossed the beautiful land-locked bay to the pleasant little island of Papa Westray, which still commemorates in it name the Irish anchorite fathers. Papa is four miles in length by one in breadth, swelling away up from the shore in an easy slope, and terminating northwards in the bold promontory of the Moul. The green fields dipping down from the clustering dwellings on the central ridge, with the House of Holland conspicuous in their midst, exhibit traces alike of careful cultivation and of considerable fertility.

A Victorian Tourist on Papa Westray

Victorian Cooking Methods

Baking - The Victorian Way
Surprisingly, this article is mainly about baking meat.

Frying - The Victorian Way
A very convenient mode of cookery to those who wish to unite comfort with economy, it seems. Watch that lard.

Preserves - The Victorian Way
In an age when fruits were locally-grown and seasonal, preserving them was important.

Steaming - The Victorian Way
The application of steam to culinary purposes has much to recommend it ...

Stewing - The Victorian Way
A wholesome, convenient and economical mode of cookery.
One of its great recommendations is the small amount of fuel consumed to sustain the gentle degree of ebullition required. 'Ebullition'?

Victorian Recipes

Doughnuts - A Victorian Recipe
Modern and American? Not so. Read how the Victorians made doughnuts.

Cooking Eggs - The Victorian Way
Boiled, broiled, fried, poached and more - how to cook those eggs.

Eggs - Some Victorian Recipes
Egg balls, egg curry, egg flip, egg pie, egg pudding, egg salad, egg sauce, egg wine.

Peas - Stewed, Boiled, Pudding, With Milk and Sugar

Pea soup - 5 heroic recipes

Peaches - Victorian Recipes

Pears - Jelly, Marmalade, Stewed, Preserved

Pepper - Victorian Use

Peppermint - Cordial, Drops, Lozenges

Perry - The Victorian Way

Pickles - The Victorian Way

What to do with a Pig - The Victorian Way

Pig, roast - Complete Roast Pig

Pigeon - Pigeon Pie and Other Victorian Recipes

Prawns - Victorian Recipes

Pound Cake - Victorian Recipe

Plum Cake - Four Victorian Recipes

Plum Pudding

More Victorian Plum Recipes

Sponge Cake - Victorian Recipes
Sponge cakes were important features of the Victorian way of life. Here are four recipes.

Tripe - Some Victorian Recipes
boiled, fried, roasted, stewed, friccassed ... all stomach turning. Literally.

Edinburgh

Corstorphine Road, Edinburgh

Edinburgh Old and new

Edinburgh

Getting to Edinburgh

Water of Leith, Edinburgh

Countering Myths About Welsh

A couple of recent blog posts that tackle some myths about the Welsh language:

Silly things people say about Welsh II

Two stupid things people say about Welsh

Prehistoric carvings in Orkney

Following the discovery of a 5,000-year-old 3.5cm tall stone carved figurine during excavations funded by Historic Scotland at the Links of Noltland prehistoric settlement on the Orkney island of Westray, parallels have been drawn with prehistoric carvings on the Holm of Papay, a small island off Papa Westray

Rating Facial Attractiveness

Three pieces of research on attractiveness:

Women are as complicated as men say they are when evaluating potential mates.

People who know each other well are more likely than strangers to agree on the attractiveness of faces.

A study of a psychological phenomenon called "attentional adhesion" found that whatever the motive, we are automatically and strongly drawn to attractive people and are rendered temporarily unable to avert our attention.

Rating Facial Attractiveness

Race And Ethnicity Confusion

Psychological research on racial prejudice tends to give the impression that 'colour' and ethnic groupings are clearly defined. But a study research published earlier this year points to confusion in the way people identify themselves and in official classifications, at least in the United States.

Race And Ethnicity Confusion

Novelty and the Brain

Infants who are excellent at processing novel information when they are just 6- and 12-months-old are likely to demonstrate excellence in intelligence tests and academic achievements as young adults in their 20's.

Infants, Adults and Novelty

Croatia

Croatia's idyllic Dalmatian islands, the tumbling cascades in Plitvice National Park, the marble streets of medieval Dubrovnik and Diocletian’s amazing Palace in Split all contribute to Croatia's soaring popularity.

Croatia

Islands in the Pacific

A Hiking Guide to Easter Island

Fiji - Backpackers and Billionaires

Samoa a South Pacific Travel Sensation

Costa Rica

Costa Rica is often voted as one of the best travel destinations. With a population of just over 4 million, Costa Rica straddles Central America between the Pacific and the Caribbean. The climate differs widely across the country, with two main seasons: dry (November-April) and wet (May-October). The Pacific province of Guanacaste has the dryest climate, although rainfall in the wet season maight make you think otherwise.

Costa Rica
Volcanic Costa Rica
Cloud Forests
Nicoya, Costa Rica

The Walter Family Of Babcary, Somerset

Genealogical account of the family of Ann and Walter Walter and their descendants.

Walter Walter (1804-1877) lived at the 110 acre Greenhill Farm, Lower Foddington, Babcary, Somerset. He was married to Ann Leach Penny (1814-1889) who was born in the neighbouring village of Charlton Mackrell, Somerset.

The Walter Family of Babcary, Somerset, England

Albert Walter - Illinois and the Civil War
Albert Walter was born in Babcary, Somerset, England in 1840, the son of Walter and Ann Walter. He emigrated to the USA and died in the Civil War.

Hugh and Robert Walter in America
Hugh Penny Walter and Robert Leach Walter emigrated to the USA and settled in Barber County, Kansas

Family of David Walter
Born Babcary, Somerset, died in Swansea, Glamorgan.

Family of Benjamin Walter of Slough and Eton
Born Babcary, Somerset, died Slough, Buckinghamshire.

The Horne Family of Careby, Lincolnshire, England, UK

A genealogical account of the family of Henry and Elizabeth Horne.

The Horne Family of Careby, Lincolnshire, England, UK

Palma Majorca

Palma is the capital city of and the island of Majorca's main port. It is on the south coast of the island, on the Bay of Palma with a population of around 383,000. The city's came name from the Romans who first set up a hilltop base in this area. There is very little that is Roman remaining, but some portions of the walls from this settlement can be seen around the city. Another wall was built by the Moors in the 10th Century in this area, but this is no longer standing.

More at: Palma Majorca

Athens

The first reliable historical information about Athens relates to an incident some time after 640BC when a certain Kylon (once an Olympic champion) attempted a coup during a religious festival. The coup failed. He escaped but his followers were
killed. The mythical story of Athens goes back to Theseus who was credited with much of the city-state's legal system and city council. In fact, the region of Attica - unusually large for a city-state - took centuries to unify. More at: Athens

Athens, capital of Greece, was transformed as a tourist destination by the Olympic Games of 2004. The Greek capital now has a modern international airport, metro system and motorway connections to match the unparalleled archaeological sites that have made Athens one of the world's most dramatic cities for thousands of years.

More at: Tourist Athens

Old Images of London

A Wet Night on the Thames Embankment - card posted 1903

Cannon Street

Charing Cross

London Bridge

Waterloo Bridge

Post-Roman Buildings

What happened to the buildings of Roman Britain? They became a vast quarry for later
medieval builders.

Post-Roman Buildings

Middlesex - Antiquarian Notes

Isleworth
Teddington
Twickenham
Pope's Villa, Twickenham

Lincoln - Historical Accounts

Lincoln (1802 - 1866): Lincoln, a place of considerable note in the ecclesiastical and military annals of England, is singularly situated on the top and side of a high hill, which slopes with a deep descent to the south, where the river Witham runs at its base.

Lincoln - 1
Lincoln - 2
Lincoln - 3

Some British Cities

Places to look at for a spring visit:

Cardiff

Edinburgh

Newcastle-Gateshead

London Attractions

London has a number of iconic landmarks, recognised by people all over the world. Virtually everyone knows that Big Ben, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square are in the British capital. But newer landmarks are becoming a prominent feature of tourist and working London. Read on:

London's New Landmarks

Cardiff

Known as ‘Europe’s youngest capital’, Cardiff, in south Wales, has re-invented itself as one of Britain’s most buzzing, young-at-heart and stylish cities. It’s a rapidly-evolving, vibrant and fascinating place for a short break More at:

Cardiff: Europe's youngest capital

Kew - Historical notes

Kew (1772 & 1789): Some excerpts from the Gentleman's Magazine for historical interest:

The buildings in Kew Gardens are deservedly the admiration of all foreigners

Teenage Stress

Stress in adolescence may have a negative impact on health in adulthood. Healthy teenagers reporting interpersonal conflicts had increased levels of C-reactive protein an inflammatory marker associated with later development of cardiovascular disease.

Teenage Stress

Consistent Contributors

Consistent contributors" help to increase efficiency by positively influencing less motivated members of their group.


Consistent Contributors

Salt Consumption Linked To Moods

Over-consumption of and craving for salt may be explained by its mood-enhancing qualities. Researchers found rats deficient in sodium chloride (common table salt) avoided activities they normally enjoy.

Salt Consumption Linked To Moods

Ageism - Stereotypes Can Become Reality

Older people who believe in negative assumptions about aging tend to fulfill them. This study found that young, healthy people with stereotypical attitudes to older people may be at risk of heart disease themselves in the future.

Ageism - Stereotypes Can Become Reality

Genes and Breast Cancer

A set of 50 genes can reliably identify all four types of breast cancer, potentially enabling personalized therapy for individual patients.


Genes and Breast Cancer

Happy Hospitals

Radical change to traditional hospital management is a key factor, producing significant improvements in patient and employee satisfaction.

Happy Hospitals

Mediterranean Diet May Help Alzheimer's

Mediterranean diet appears to be associated with a lower risk of Alzheimer's.


Mediterranean Diet May Help Alzheimer's

Gut Feelings Can Be Valid

Electrophysiological evidence that decisions thought to be based on guesswork or gut feelings may actually draw on valid memories that cannot be consciously accessed.

Gut Feelings Can Be Valid

Experiences More Satisfying Than Possessions

Research from San Francisco State University presented at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology has found that purchasing experiences rather than possessions results in increased well-being for consumers and others around them. The study concludes that this is because purchases of this type address higher order needs such as the need for social connectedness.

Experiences More Satisfying Than Possessions

Gardening - Seeds from Thompson & Morgan

Time to start sowing seeds, either in a greenhouse or propagator, or, in some cases, directly in the ground when conditions are warm enough. One of the greatest pleasures in gardening is growing your own plants from seed. Thompson & Morgan have one of the best selections of seeds available.

Impression Management And Survey Responses

Why people do not necessarily tell the strict truth about themselves in surveys and whether or not anything can be done about it.

Impression Management And Survey Responses

Going Grey

A research report in The FASEB Journal concludes that hydrogen peroxide, rather than wisdom, is at the root (literally) of greying hair.

According to the researchers, the process of going gray is caused by a massive build up of hydrogen peroxide because of wear and tear on our hair follicles. The peroxide blocks synthesis of melanin, the natural pigment that gives hair its natural colour.

Going Grey

Women Are More Expressive When Texting

While men may talk more in public, women make more of text messaging in a public venue.

Women Are More Expressive When Texting

Multiracials Feel Better

Ratings on indicators such as happiness, stress, citizenship behavior, and school alienation showed that multiracial students were more engaged in school and felt better than individuals who regarded themselves as being from a single group.

Multiracials Feel Better

Heart And Brain Health Linked

Almost one half of patients with heart failure have memory failure and other problems in cognitive functioning.

Heart And Brain Health Linked

Health Benefits of Olive Oil

Significant differences in cancer rates between northern and southern Europeans may be explained by the anti-cancer effects of olive oil in the diet. Now a Spanish study confirms that anti-oxidants in extra virgin olive oil can combat breast cancer.


Health Benefits of Olive Oil

Vikings Dressed Flamboyantly

Pre-Christian Vikings dressed more flamboyantly than previously thought with the use of vivid colours, silk ribbons, and bits of mirrors. The study identifies men as especially vain, and women as provocative dressers.

Vikings Dressed Flamboyantly

Positive And Negative Messages In Advertising

As purchasing deadlines get nearer, a consumer's focus on products promising positive outcomes shifts to a willingness to pay more to help avoid an argument or other negative outcome.

Positive And Negative Messages In Advertising

Suppressing Anger Shortens Life

Couples in which both partners suppressed their anger when unfairly attacked by the other died earlier than those in relationships where one or both expressed their anger
and resolved underlying conflict.

Suppressing Anger Shortens Life

Americans At Higher Risk Of Stroke

American adults have a higher prevalence of stroke than Europeans, due in part to a higher rate of risk factors and barriers to health care in the United States. The study found that American men had a 61 per cent greater chance of having a stroke and American women had almost twice the chance compared to their European equivalents.


Americans At Higher Risk Of Stroke

The Brain And Differences In Boy/Girl Language Learning

Areas of the brain associated with language work harder in girls than in boys during language tasks, and boys and girls rely on different parts of the brain when performing these tasks. Researchers explain that although girls' superior language abilities have long been acknowledged, this study is the first to provide a possible biological explanation for the differences.

The Brain And Differences In Boy/Girl Language Learning

Madeira

A visit to Madeira is like a nice weekend or a day in the country. It is both familiar and a delightful change from routine life for northern Europeans.

Semi-tropical and located in the Atlantic Ocean, 600km off Morocco, Madeira is an autonomous part of Portugal and is therefore within the Euro-zone. The island has been transformed by European Union funding over the past decade. A new airport with a remarkable runway carried on stilts over sea and cliffs allows easier access from mainland Portugal and other parts of Europe. Access to many coastal and inland villages is being improved with extensive tunnelling through the mountainous terrain.

Madeira - An Introduction

Madeira - History

Funchal, Madeira

Funchal Hotels, Madeira

Reid's Hotel, Madeira

Are International University Rankings Misleading?

A new 2008 Edition of the Times Higher-QS World University Rankings has been released showing a dominance of US and UK universities in the top ten. But research published in the open access journal BMC Medicine concluded that international university rankings are "misleading and should be abandoned".


Are International University Rankings Misleading?

Music And The Effects Of Alcohol

Research led by the Université de Bretagne-Sud found that playing loud music in licensed premises led customers to drink more alcohol over a shorter time period.

Music And The Effects Of Alcohol

Children and Parents' Antisocial Behavior

Recent research from the University of Chicago found that a mother's parenting style and a baby's temperament in the first year of life can reliably predict subsequent behavioral problems.

Children and Parents' Antisocial Behavior

Aging Worms

Specific genetic pathways have been identified that drive the aging process in worms.

Aging Worms

Choosing A Mate

Beauty is still of paramount consideration for men while women are more discriminating, placing greater emphasis on the need for security and commitment.

Also, recent research from psychologists at McGill University has identified gender differences in responses to flirtation. Researchers found that men tend to consider their current partners less favorably after meeting an attractive unattached woman whereas female partners are more likely to work on strengthening existing relationships.

Choosing A Mate

Introduction to Psychology

Gillian Butler observes that one of the major problems of Psychology is that science demands that 'facts' should be objective and verifiable, but the workings of the mind cannot be observed in the way that we can observe the functioning of (for example) an engine. Instead, they are perceived only indirectly, requiring that we infer them from what can be observed: behaviour.

Introduction to Psychology

William James and the Principles of Psychology

William James (1842-1910) was one of the founders of modern Psychology. He exercised a positive and pragmatic influence on the development of the young science. William James was the brother of novelist Henry James, with whom he shared a powerful command of the English language. William James' Principles of Psychology (1890) took him over a decade to write and amounted to 1500 pages. James was a considerable reader and had absorbed much of the writings of the Scottish, English, French and German schools of Psychology but he produced his own interpretations of the subject. In his 'Principles', James defined Psychology as the 'science of mental life'.

William James and the
Principles of Psychology

Youth Problems

Research from Ohio State University has challenged the common perception that girls tend to internalize their problems, becoming depressed or anxious, while boys externalize, committing violence against people or property.

In another study, young people with pre-existing relationship difficulties were found to be more likely to develop anxiety and depression than the other way round, this being particularly the case when entering adulthood.


Youth Problems

Daytime Napping And Disturbed Sleep

Poor sleeping at night has been linked to daytime napping for older adults and practising tai chi chih, the western version of an ancient Chinese martial art, helped improve sleep quality in another study of older adults.

Daytime Napping And Disturbed Sleep

Bullying

Two recent studies on bullying:

Research from Yale School of Medicine has identified an apparent link between bullying or being bullied and suicide in young people.

Research from Ontario's York University and Queens University found that young people who bully tend to have problems in other relationships, such as with parents and friends. The study concludes that effective prevention and intervention strategies should include those relationships, as well as aggression and morality issues arising from bullying itself.

Bullying

Controversy Over Breast Self-Examination

A review into the effectiveness of regular breast self-examination concludes that despite its promotion in health advice to women there is no evidence that it has contributed to a reduction in breast cancer deaths.


Controversy Over Breast Self-Examination

Be Happy - But Not Too Happy

Although women start life happier than men, they experience more difficulty in achieving their goals and end up less happy as a result. Researchers also conclude that happiness is a worthy goal for the unhappy, but the endless pursuit of ever more happiness may be counterproductive.

Be Happy - But Not Too Happy

Bulbs, Corms, Tubers and Rhizomes

What are bulbs and how do you distinguish them from corms, tubers and rhizomes?

Bulbs, Corms, Tubers and Rhizomes

Smart Bulbs

How deep should bulbs be planted? According to a study published in the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science it may not matter because bulbs can move themselves deeper into the ground, seemingly in search of better, moister growing conditions.

Smart Bulbs

Ferns - Popular Victorian Plants

Ferns are ancient plants. Their ancestors and related species dominated the earth when the great coal deposits of the carboniferous age were laid down around 300 million years ago. You might say that today's coal is largely made from the compressed remains of ancient ferns.

Today, according to The Fern Grower's Manual there are some 12,000 named species around the world with new types being regularly discovered. They range in size from the tiny to tree-like structures. Ferns propagate from spores rather than seeds, although this was not understood until 1794 when John Lindsay, a British surgeon in Jamaica, grew ferns from 'dust' collected from adult plants.

Ferns: Popular Victorian Plants

Instinctive Staring

Research from Agnes Scott College published in Psychological Science studied the instinctive tendency for people in a group to stare at the person most likely to be offended if a controversial comment is made.

Instinctive Staring

Westward Ho

The price of land in nineteenth century America was a significantly less important factor in Westward Expansion than population growth and technological innovation leading to decreased transportation costs.

Westward Ho

Distance Learning

Researchers from the University of Missouri studied the demographics and personality types of adult distance learners and concluded that this increasingly popular option may not be suitable for everyone.


Only 30 Per Cent Of Distance Learners Complete Their Courses

Adolescents With Chronic Insomnia

Chronic insomnia severely impacts future health and functioning of youths.

Adolescents With Chronic Insomnia

Husbands Create Housework

Being married results in an extra seven hours a week of housework for women, whereas having a wife saves men about an hour.

Husbands Create Housework

Vancouver Island

"... the largest isle in North America's Pacific, stretches for more than 450 superb kilometers off the west coast of British Columbia. A magnificent chain of rugged snow-capped mountains, sprinkled with lakes and rivers and pierced by deep inlets, effectively divides the island into two distinct sides: dense, rain-drenched forest and remote surf- and wind-battered shores on the west, and well-populated, sheltered, beach-fringed lowlands on the east. At the northern and southern tips lie large regions of low, rolling hills."

Vancouver sland
Ucluelet - For All Reasons, for All Seasons
West Coast Changes and Challenges: Ucluelet Charts Dynamic Course for Island Community

Closing the Distance

Every kid wants to grow up to be like his father, and Jeff Bukantz was no different - but unfortunately for Jeff, his father was a four-time Olympian and one of the greatest fencers ever! In his sentimental memoir Closing the Distance: Chasing a Father's Olympic Fencing Legacy, Jeff recounts the trials and tribulations he encountered while trying to follow in the footsteps of Danny Bukantz, a great man both on and off the fencing strip.

Closing the Distance

More Biographies

Outdoor Paris

July is a superb time to be outdoors in Paris. Together with its historical heritage and fine architecture, Paris is also typified by culturally-rich gardens with a variety of stylistic influences. Paris claims no fewer than 465 parks and 484,000 trees in those parks, along streets and roads, schoolyards and walkways. This makes walking, cycling (there is a citywide bicycle rental scheme) or roller-blading a pleasure.

More at: Paris and Eurodisney

Ancient Canadian Fort Reveals First Nations History

A fortified village pre-dating the arrival of Europeans in Western Canada - the only one of its kind so far discovered on the Canadian plains - is producing intriguing evidence of a hitherto unknown First Nations group settling on the prairies. It is also rekindling ties between the Siksika Nation (Blackfoot) and other groups in the U.S.

Ancient Canadian Fort Reveals First Nations History

Jaipur: City Palace

Jaipur's City Palace is both a royal residence and a museum open to the public. The buildings are intricately decorated and guarded by the Maharajah's staff in full uniform. The palace is surrounded by a high wall in the centre of Jaipur.

Jaipur: City Palace

Delhi Tombs

Humayun's Tomb is sited near Nizamuddin, the centre of medieval Moslem Delhi. Its construction was begun in 1564 after the second Mughal emperor's death by his widow Haji Begum, mother of Akbar. The gardens around the site have a number of other tombs.

Delhi Tombs

Old Delhi

The Red Fort, Old Delhi

Delhi dates back to 1000 BC but the most famous features of Old Delhi reflect the period of Moslem rule, so that, according to the Rough Guide, Delhi is a 'veritable museum of Indo-Islamic architecture.'

Old Delhi

Delhi: The Red Fort

Lal Qila, the Red Fort, is the largest monument in Old Delhi. Built for Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, the Fort was erected between 1639 and 1648. Its red sandstone walls, turrets and bastions were modeled on the royal citadel at Agra.

Delhi: The Red Fort

Too Little Or Too Much Sleep?

Study shows that children and adults who are short sleepers have a consistent increased risk of obesity.

Too Little Or Too Much Sleep?

New Light On Altruism

Research led by the University of Nottingham published in Science has shed new light on ways in which people are prepared to sacrifice personal advantage for the common good and what happens when "freeloaders" take advantage of their altruism.

Researchers explain that understanding decision-making processes behind cooperation is a key element in addressing major contemporary issues such as recycling and climate change.

New Light On Altruism

Women Are More Forgiving

Men find forgiving more difficult than women but this gender gap closes if men develop empathy toward an offender by seeing they may be capable of acting in a similar way themselves.

Women Are More Forgiving

Gut Feelings

Research has shed new light on "gut feelings" arguing that they are real psychological phenomena that should be taken seriously.

Gut Feelings

Stress And Cancer Surgery

Research from Tel Aviv University published in Brain, Behaviour, and Immunity has shown that psychological and physiological stress before during and after cancer surgery impairs immune system functioning and that blocking the influence of major stress hormones may improve outcome.

Stress And Cancer Surgery

Soaking Potatoes Leads To Healthier Chips

Soaking potatoes in water before frying can reduce levels of acrylamide, a naturally occurring chemical formed when starch-rich foods are cooked at high temperatures.

Soaking Potatoes Leads To Healthier Chips

How Culture Affects The Recognition Of Emotions

Research from the University of Alberta, Canada and Hokkaido University, Japan published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology has found significant differences in how people from eastern and western cultures assess interpersonal situations.

How Culture Affects The Recognition Of Emotions

Acne Inhibits Exercise

Research from Bath University published in the Journal of Health Psychology has found people with acne who are highly anxious about their condition report being less likely to get involved in sport or exercise.

Acne Inhibits Exercise

Selecting The Proper Pond Pump

Whether you own a preformed, or liner pond, a pond pump plays a vital role in maintaining balance in any garden pond or water feature. It's no surprise that stagnant bodies of water, are inviting to mosquito infestations, which are a major concern with West Nile Virus. Not only do these stagnant ponds have a wretched smell, they look un-appealing, and will be very un-inviting to guests or wildlife. This is why pond pumps are of the utmost importance, to regularly circulate water and maintain the health of your pond.

More at: Selecting The Proper Pond Pump

Bronze Age Iberia

New light on Bronze Age life in the Iberian Peninsula.

Bronze Age Iberia

Mayans Used Glittering Pigments On Their Buildings

Ancient Mayans used lustrous pigments to make their buildings glitter in daylight.

Mayans Used Glittering Pigments On Their Buildings

Anxiety And Heart Attacks

Longstanding anxiety significantly increases the risk of heart attack in men, even when other common risk factors are taken into account.

Anxiety And Heart Attacks

Explaining To Mother Helps Problem-Solving

Children are best able to identify the solution to a problem when they explain it to their mother.

Explaining To Mother Helps Problem-Solving

Origins Of Pacific Islanders

New research throws light on long-standing controversies surrounding the origins and genetic relationships of Pacific Islanders.

Origins Of Pacific Islanders

Books about the Vikings

A new selection at:

Books about the Vikings

Interpreting Health Information On The Web

While Internet searches to answer health-related questions can yield a huge amount of data, people tend to pay more attention to information that matches pre-existing beliefs.

Interpreting Health Information On The Web

Dementia Screening

A recent commentary arguing against routine screening for dementia by physicians working in primary care settings has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association

Dementia Screening

Disclosing Bad News

Using negotiation skills to help clinicians handle requests from family members not to reveal bad news to a patient.

Disclosing Bad News

Never Too Late To Change Your Lifestyle

Older adults can achieve significant health improvements with simple and realistic lifestyle changes.

Never Too Late To Change Your Lifestyle

Bestselling Computing Books

Updated selection of the best computing and internet books:

Bestselling Computing Books

Recovery From Substance Abuse

An expert panel's report recently published in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment concludes that abstinence from alcohol and drugs is only the initial stage in recovery for people with substance abuse disorders. The report from the Betty Ford Institute explains that although recovery is generally recognized as a primary treatment goal, there is no widely accepted definition of what the term actually
means.

Recovery From Substance Abuse

Lifestyle Habits

Child health psychologists should play a greater role in development of positive
lifestyles thus contributing to adult disease prevention.

Lifestyle Habits

Hearing Messages

Hearing messages embedded in meaningless noise could be an early sign of schizophrenia.

Hearing Messages

Machiavellian Monkeys

Humans and rhesus macaque monkeys share tendencies towards nepotism and political maneuvering.

Machiavellian Monkeys

Survey Of Caistor Roman Town

A survey of Caistor Roman town near Norwich sponsored by the British Academy has given dramatic new insights into the nature of this settlement and confirms it as a site of international importance.

Survey Of Caistor Roman Town

20,000 New Cancer Cases A Day Worldwide

A report from the American Cancer Society estimates that 2007 saw over 12 million new cancer cases and 7.6 million cancer deaths (about 20,000 a day) worldwide. Of these, 5.4 million cases and 2.9 million deaths occurred in economically developed countries, compared to 6.7 million cases and 4.7 million deaths in developing economies.

20,000 New Cancer Cases A Day Worldwide

Roman-Byzantine Era Synagogue Found

Archaeologists from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have discovered an ancient synagogue among the ruins of a large Jewish village from the Roman-Byzantine era at the foot of the Mt Nitai cliffs overlooking the Sea of Galilee.

Roman-Byzantine Era Synagogue Found

Chocolate's Early History

The earliest known cacao consumption has been identified from analysis of pottery shards found at the site of Puerto Escondido in northern Honduras.

Chocolate's Early History

Cancer Viruses

Ground-breaking research from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University published in PloS One has demonstrated successful treatment of cancers by targeting causative viruses and raised the possibility of prevention by destroying virus-infected cells before they turn cancerous. Researchers explain that nearly 20 per cent of human cancers result from pre-existing viral infections, for example liver cancer (caused by hepatitis B and C viruses), cervical cancer (caused by human papillomaviruses) and some types of lymphoma (caused by the Epstein-Barr virus).

Cancer Viruses

Caribbean Islands

Take A Break From Winter With A Luxurious Point Grace Getaway

Located on a blissful stretch of powder white sandy beach, Point Grace offers a selection of ocean-front suites or cottage suites with relaxing pool and garden views. All suites are exquisitely furnished and decorated. With magnificent views of the ocean and the peaceful sounds of the gentle Caribbean waves in the background, Point Grace offers the most elegant surroundings with an uncompromised level of service.

Jamaican Christmas

Christmas season in Jamaica is the most festive time of the year, filled with non-stop celebrations, special treats like Jamaican Christmas cake and sorrel drinks, entertainment, parties, festivals and happy gatherings of friends and family.

Antigua Today

History of Antigua

Cruising articles for 2008 and 2009

Cunard
Queen Mary 2 Named "Best Luxury Cruise Ship" By Travel Weekly
Readers Choice Awards single out "Best of the Best in the travel industry"

Queen Victoria's Inaugural European Itineraries
Mediterranean Itineraries Offering Unique Departures from Barcelona, Rome, Venice, Athens and Southampton Afford an In-Depth View of Some of the World's Most Captivating Cities

MSC Cruises
'Kids Sail Free' On MSC Cruises’ New 2008 Europe Cruises
MSC Cruises has announced its new line up of itineraries, pricing and the opening of reservations for its exciting selection of 2008 Europe sailings, featuring more than 78 different itineraries and more than 120 ports of call.

Seabourn Cruises
Seabourn Announces Odyssey Inaugural Itineraries
The Yachts of Seabourn is pleased to announce that the world's most luxurious cruise vessel, Seabourn Odyssey, will launch her inaugural year itinerary in Venice on June 24, 2009 and, beginning today, guests previously on a waiting list may select their choices of departures and luxury suites.

Crystal Cruises
Crystal Sets Worldwide Itineraries To Seven Continents For 2009
From Antarctica to the Polar Ice Cap, in 2009 Crystal Cruises is venturing to all seven continents, circling the Pacific, and featuring new itineraries in South America, Europe and the Middle East for its ultra-luxurious Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity.


Crystal's 2008 'How To' World Cruise
Experts Offer Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunities for Learning and Exploration

Holland America Cruises
Holland America Line Increases Popular 7-Day Southern Caribbean Sailings in 2008
In 2008, Holland America Line doubles departures of its seven-day deep southern Caribbean itinerary, created for those seeking a week-long cruise to lesser visited Caribbean ports.

Royal Caribbean Cruises/Tours
Expanded Cruisetour Options in Alaska and Canadian Rockies
From scenic drives deep into Denali National Park to riding the rails through the wilderness in the world's most luxurious glass-domed railcars, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises' proprietary cruisetour packages offer guests a way to experience the best of Alaska beyond the coastline.

More Than 3 Million Americans Have Dementia

About 3.4 million Americans over the age of 70 (13.9 per cent) suffer from some form of dementia of whom about 2.4 million (9.7 per cent) have Alzheimer's disease.

More Than 3 Million Americans Have Dementia

Teenage Substance Misuse: What Parents Do And Don't Know

Research from the Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) at the University of Buffalo published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse found that the majority of parents could accurately evaluate their teenagers' cigarette smoking and substance use but were less aware of marijuana and alcohol use.


Teenage Substance Misuse: What Parents Do And Don't Know

How Antioxidants May Work

Very high doses of antioxidant polyphenols (commonly found in red wine, fruits, vegetables, and green tea) shut down and prevented cancerous tumors by inhibiting new blood vessel formation. Conversely, at relatively low doses they play a beneficial role in cardiac and circulatory diseases by facilitating blood vessel growth.

How Antioxidants May Work