We have all heard about the volcano that erupted in Iceland and how air travel all over Europe has been affected. You might have had a personal experience, or you might know someone who suffered. It certainly has cost a lot of people (and businesses) considerable amounts, but Iceland is not taking it sitting down.

In fact, the government is taking this chance to highlight all the other things that their country has to offer visitors. The volcanic eruption has placed the country’s geothermal assets into the forefront. After all, the very same geological reasons for the eruption make Iceland the foremost destination for hot springs!

Indeed, the government has offered all stranded travelers free access to the eight hot pools of the capital, Reykjavik. The temperatures in these pool range from 29 degrees Celsius to 42 degrees Celsius (84 to 108 Fahrenheit). The pools are known for their relaxing and healing properties and are frequented by both locals and visitors alike. Iceland has one of the highest concentrations of these kinds of pools in the world, thanks to its geological resources.

The response of the people has been encouraging, as the government’s offer has not been ignored. In fact, the government says that there are so many people taking them up on their offer that the pools have been full!

The eruption took place (is taking place, rather) under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier and countless airports in Europe have been affected by the ash. Some airports have resumed their operations while others are still at a halt.

Early Saturday morning was just a normal time for most people in the world, but for those in Chile, it could very well have been the worst day of their lives. Not many months have passed since the killer earthquake hit Haiti, and a lot of people the world over still live in anxiety. You can just imagine what our fellowmen from Chile were thinking when they awakened to a rocking world.

The quake that hit Chile was way stronger than the one that hit Haiti – it measured in at 8.8 on the Richter scale. Seismologists classify this as “great” earthquake, capable of incurring tremendous damages. To date, hundreds have been reported dead in Chile, with the numbers expected to rise.

The extent of the effects of this earthquake is supposed to reach far and wide, though. As a matter of fact, a tsunami was triggered by the tremor. AP reports that waves have already reached as far as Russia and Japan on Sunday – a day after the quake hit Chile. The good thing is that the waves were not as huge as was expected. People were already told to evacuate as early as Saturday, and evacuate they did. Perhaps due to the distance, the waves were a “mere” 4-feet high, which, while causing some flooding, did not really cause much damage. The Japanese government has already lifted the tsunami warning.

Most other countries who are in the path of the tsunami have also lifted their warnings.

How was your weekend? The chances are that you fared a thousand times better than the Filipinos who were caught unawares by tropical storm Ondoy (international name Ketsana). The Philippines experiences typhoons on a regular basis, and Filipinos are used to constant rain. As such, Friday night even saw a lot of people out partying and welcoming the weekend.

Saturday morning was a whole different story. People in the Metro Manila area experience rainfall like never before, and the floodwaters rose at an unprecedented rate. Rich or poor, it did not matter – everyone was left at the mercy of strong currents. Even huge houses were not spared, with floodwaters covering most of the edifices.

The weekend was definitely a horrific period of time for countless people in the metro. The news of the disaster has spread all over the world, with most of the attention focused on the metro. What many might not know is that thousands more of people are also in similar situations outside of the capital. In outlying provinces such as Laguna and Bulacan, people remain stranded on their roofs and in areas yet unreached by rescue efforts. Everywhere, people are clamoring for food and water, as well as clothes and practically anything that can help them start over.

There are countless volunteers offering their assistance. The problem is the goods are not nearly enough. If you go to the big supermarkets in Manila, you will see bare shelves. Many say they went shopping to donate the goods.

The bottom line is that these people need help, FAST. Splashpress Media has launched our campaign to help in whatever way we can. If you feel that you want to pitch in, please visit our donation page and read more. The Filipino people will surely appreciate every little bit.

Animals that eat plants are a common sight, but plants eating animals? Well, there is the Venus fly trap. Then there are all those plants in fantasy and science fiction movies. In real life, though, it is rare that we hear about flesh-eating plants.

British botanists Alastair Robinson and Stewart McPherson headed over to the Philippine island of Palawan in 2007 to check out a pitcher plant they heard about from some missionaries. They discovered the plant in Mount Victoria, and published the report earlier this year in the Botanical Journal of Linnean Society.

The plant has been named Nepenthes attenboroughii, in honor of Sir David, the wildlife broadcaster. To this, Sir David replied:

“I was contacted by the team shortly after the discovery and they asked if they could name it after me. I was delighted and told them, ‘Thank you very much’. I’m absolutely flattered. This is a remarkable species the largest of its kind. I’m told it can catch rats then eat them with its digestive enzymes. It’s certainly capable of that.”

Indeed, the pitcher plant is unique in so many ways. More than catching flies and other small insects, it can devour rats! The botanists describe the plant as “immediately distinguishable from other Nepenthes by its great dimensions and trumpet-shaped lower and upper pitchers.” It is also unique in that it is the only member of its genus that “lives” at such a high elevation.

Can you imagine just how much more there is left to discover in the wild?

And I thought that we only had to fear alligators in the Everglades. Apparently, the population of Burmese pythons has reached an unprecedented high. According to wildlife biologists, the population of the pythons has now reached about 150,000!

Where do these pythons come from (as it is highly unlikely that they traveled all the way from Burma)? Apparently, pet owners dump them in the glades once they get tired of them. And since the conditions in the area are conducive to breeding, the snakes have multiplied over the years.

Aside from the fact that pythons are ungainly (at least to the average person), they pose a danger to the natural balance in the Everglades. Pythons eat just about anything and endangered species like the wood stork and Key Largo woodrat are in extreme danger. More so, the bigger snakes can eat larger animals like bobcats and deer and in fact, scientists have already found these animals inside the bellies of captured snakes.

If you think that no one is doing anything about the problem, think again. The Obama administration has already allotted $200 million so far to projects aimed at restoring the glades. While naturalists and environmentalists are rejoicing over this, there are those who think that the money should be spent on other more practical things. On the other hand, the glades and its preservation cannot be given a price, don’t you think?

The next time that you get tired of your pet python, you should think twice about throwing it out in the glades.

It was not long ago that we heard of the “best job in the world.” Sandy beaches –among the best in the world – free housing, blogging, fish feeding, and the works; these are the things that the winner will have to face for six months. No wonder that the server of the organizers got swamped and crashed in the days following the announcement!

This time, they have a different sort of announcement: the winner of the contest!

Ben Southall, 34, is the lucky guy who won. He is a British charity fundraiser who was part of the 16 finalists who entered video clips to get the chance to live in paradise for half a year. And how does the winner feel about this? He is quoted as saying:

To go away now as the island caretaker for Tourism Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef is an extreme honor. I hope I can fill the boots as much as everybody is expecting, my swimming hopefully is up to standard and I look forward to all of the new roles and the responsibilities that the task involves.

Starting July 1, Southall would have the chance to “fill the boots.” He will not be alone in the island, however, as his Canadian girlfriend has been allowed to join him. All I can say is that these two are perhaps the luckiest people in the world right now.

As for the tourism department of Queensland? They are hoping that this stunt will result in dollars – lots of it – spent in tourism in the area.

Brain cancer cases are on the rise and the search for a cure is one of the most pressing undertakings of our generation. We have grown by leaps and bounds in our quest to understand the human brain and how it functions but it is still not enough to answer all our questions. Some of the best sources of information might be the most unlikely ones for as individual we are as our fingerprints, so does the manifestation of the disease and the best defense is access to the latest news and developments. Technology has greatly improved our access to information, through our computers, mobiles and portable computers we have with us each and everyday. On the road, we can get the latest information on diseases other news by simply logging into our preferred sites handing us information where ever, whenever you need it. You get the latest news about just about anything, even as you wait in line for the bus. Need the latest news on just about anything anywhere, then the internet is the place to go, so log on and start searching.

Well, according to English UFO expert Philip Mantle at least. Mr. Mantle, who is also editor of UFO Data Magazine , has been studying the vegetation, rocks and soil at the famous UFO crash site in Roswell, New Mexico, which apparently really does looks like a scene out of a sci-fi film “….surrounded by charred trees and bushes and a mysterious blue substance that dribbles down rocks.”

Mantle is due to to come out with a highly-anticipated report at the UFO International Conference at the end of the month, which they say will prove that there truly is “life out there”.

Speaking of proof, even more incredible is the news that the “real X-Files“, have also begun to be released by no less than the UK’s Ministry of Defence, who over the next 3 years will be “de-classifying” UFO-related documents never seen before by the public.

The files, which date from 1978-2002 can now be downloaded here. On the same page, you’ll also find great links to a podcast from UK expert Dr. David Clarke, a videocast from Nick Pope, former UFO investigator at the Ministry of Defence and now independent expert on the unexplained, and a great guide with background material.

They are known as man’s best friend and studies show that they are one of the best ways to get into better health. Having a dog improves ones mental and physical health. Study shows dog owners are in better health than being a cat owner.

The study conducted by Dr. Deborah Wells of Queen’s University, Belfast shows that people with dogs tend to have lower levels of cholesterol and blood pressure. This may be due to the regular exercise they get from walking their pet. She writes that dog owners also appear to experience fewer ailments both those that are minor and those that are more serious.

Dogs in fact seem to lower ones stress levels which is why dog owners recover more swiftly from heart disease. It’s also true that having a dog means that you have a constant, loyal companion that you can talk with about anything - just don’t expect an answer back.
Dogs generally increase ones social contact as well. Usually the more good looking and friendly the dog, the more people will approach to admire your pet and in the process, make friends.

Again and again, people call it global warming. Change in weather, the weird set of climates from the usually normal warm and cold day shifts have totally been amazing and strange to people since clearly, adjustments to the obvious movement of the usual seasons have been a necessity.

As it stands right now, summer, spring or winter have been moved out of the usual months where they are expected to fall. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) showed records that January showed the warmest winter experienced to date. 10 warmest winters have occurred since 1995 and the second warmest was experienced in 2004 based on the records of NOAA.

A lot of the change in climate has been pointed towards the ever growing issue of pollution, notably the rise in greenhouse gas emissions. Many are expecting the El Nino phenomenon to take place and from all indications, the warm climate that most parts of the world is experiencing is just a glimpse of warmer days to come.