Earth Hour 2010 is set to be the biggest Earth Hour yet, with more participants expected to take part than in 2009, when 1 billion people switched off. 121 countries have signed up for Earth Hour 2010, and 812 iconic landmarks will turn off their lights. They include the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the Sydney Opera House, El Ángel, the Empire State Building and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Please do your bit by turning off all non-essential lights and electrical appliances for one hour at 8:30pm local time on March 27 and spread the word so others do the same. What a great way of saying thank you to our planet.

Earth Hour Website | Facebook | Twitter

80% of Spanish travellers who were questioned said that they do not always tip when they visit other countries. They were closely followed by 78% of Italians and 76% of French tourists.

Commenting on the study, Emyr Thomas, director of concierge and lifestyle management company Bon Vivant, said: “Tipping can be socially awkward and can cause endless embarrassment, especially on holiday when we are unfamiliar with local customs.

“In some countries it is considered rude not to tip, so you might need to justify yourself, just as in others, such as Japan, it is often considered rude to tip at all.”

Upon its release in 1996, Pokémon immediately became one of the most sought after card games in history. Whilst an 11 pack of cards should normally have cost around $5, rare individual cards were being traded for over one hundred times that, with some booster packs selling for as much as $9,000.

#2 – Yo-Yos

A Philippino immigrant named Pedro Flores invented the modern yo-yo in the 1920’s, however he is not always recognized for it. A business man named Donald Duncan met Pedro Flores busking with his yo-yo on the street. Duncan liked the yo-yo, and promoted it with Flores until in 1929, when he bought the manufacturing rights from Pedro.

The press likened the late 1920s yo-yo fad to a case of measles. They said the yo-yo craze would run its course in a few weeks never to be seen again. Who would have guessed that 70 years later, millions of yo-yos would continue to be sold each year?

Technological development of the yo-yo saw a resurgence in it’s popularity in the 1990s. The British Association of Toy Retailers voted the Yo-Yo the “Craze of the Century” for the 20th century.

#3 – Tamagotchis

The Tamagotchi was first released in 1996, in Japan. It’s a handheld digital pet that was originally aimed at 8-15 year old children, however it went on to become a huge success with the adult population in Japan and around the world.

The egg shaped computer included three buttons used to control the Tamagotchi. The user would have to feed the Tamagotchi, play with it, clean it’s waste and monitor it’s general well-being whilst it grew up.

The tiny machine took the world by storm, with people in Japan willing to pay hundreds of dollars just to get their hands on one. Over 70,000,000 Tamagotchis had been sold world-wide as of 2008.

#4 – Teletubbies

In 1997, a show featuring four colorful creatures hit our television screens – they were called the Teletubbies.

Tinky Winky, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po were the four main characters. They were the Teletubbies who lived together with their guardian and housekeeper Noo-Noo. The first show aired on 31 March 1997 and rapidly Teletubby mania swarmed across the world.

The show was a huge success with branded merchandise taking over shops in the UK and around the Globe. More than one million dolls of Tinky Winky, Laa Laa, Dipsy and Po, were sold between September and December of 1997 in Britain with stores selling out within hours of delivery.

The BBC released a single later in 1997 called Teletubbies say “Eh-oh!”. The single spent two weeks at number one in the UK Singles Chart, selling over one million copies in total.

Their baby-like characteristics found the way into the hearts of millions of children, but their bright colors and adorable charm made them a big hit with the older generation too – particularly college students.

#5 – Crazy Bones

Gogos are small figurines that became a popular fad during the 1990s. They were inspired by a game played in Ancient Greece called astragals, where children played with sheep’s knucklebones.

Crazy Bones is a modernization of the game where characters were moulded from plastic. There were hundreds of individual characters, each character had a unique face and name.

Their immense popularity led to Crazy Bones being banned in many schools because they were too much of a distraction to pupils and the cause of the vast majority of playground arguments.

#6 – Beanie Babies

In 1993 the nine original Beanie Babies were launched. They were Legs the Frog, Squealer the Pig, Spot the Dog, Flash the Dolphin, Splash the Whale, Chocolate the Moose, Patti the Platypus, Brownie the Bear and Punchers the Lobster.

They went on to become a massively popular collectable in the late 90s. The majority of the people who bought them believed they would increase in value over time, however by the year 2000 the phenomenon had dwindled.

#7 – Pogs

If you were around in the 1990s, I’m sure you will have owned a Pog or two. They became so popular that thousands of types of pogs were manufactured, covering a wide array of toys, cartoons, movies, games, sports, celebrities and so much more.

Not everyone called them Pogs though. You may have known them as Milkcaps, Tazos, or Trovs. Whatever you called them, they were a huge hit in the 90s and millions were produced around the world to cater for the extraordinary demand.

Got any more to add? Let us know in the comments below. I’m feeling rather nostalgic now.

In 1903, Saint Patrick’s Day became an official public holiday in Ireland. This was introduced by the Irish MP James O’Mara. O’Mara later introduced a law which required pubs to be closed on March 17 because drinking was getting ‘out of hand’ and he felt that the holiday should be celebrated religiously.

The law was only overturned in 1970, so the Irish had to go sober on St Paddy’s day for 67 years. I’m getting thirsty just thinking about it.

Celebrated on March 17th annually, St Patrick’s day is one huge party that goes on all around the world. It’s a celebration of all things Irish and remembers the death St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.

Parades and parties take place in many countries including Great Britain, Canada, the USA, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, Montserrat and of course Ireland.

#2 – Guinness

Beer drinkers around the world have the Irish to thank for the invention of the Black Stuff. The dry stout, which is the best-selling alcoholic drink of all time in Ireland, but also popular globally, originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James’s Gate, Dublin. On 31 December 1759 he signed a 9,000 year lease at £45 per annum for the unused brewery. Cheers!

#3 – Irish Dancing

Although Irish dancing had been going on for many centuries, Riverdance popularized it in 1994. That year, Michael Flatley and the Riverdance crew performed during the interval of the Eurovision Song Contest in Ireland – they stunned the world. Riverdance went on to become the most popular and successful dance show of all time with more than 20 million tickets sold. It was also voted the most popular interval act in the history of Eurovision.

Irish dancing boomed and it’s style evolved and continues to evolve to this day. Michael Flatley went on to start his own show ‘Lord of the Dance’ which was as huge success. ‘Feet of Flames’ and a variety of other shows followed providing entertainment for millions worldwide.

#4 – U2

U2 was formed in Dublin on 25 September 1976. The group consists of Bono (vocals and guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards, and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums and percussion).

On Saint Patrick’s Day in 1978, U2 won a talent show in Limerick, Ireland. The prize consisted of £500 and studio time to record a demo which would be heard by CBS Ireland. The rest is history.

They went on to sell more than 145 million albums and won 22 Grammy awards. Their greatest legacy however, may be their social activism. They used their music and events such as ‘Live Aid’ to help those in need around the world.

#5 – The Blarney Stone

The Blarney Stone is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, Blarney. Legend says that kissing the Blarney stone endows the kisser with the gift of eloquence.

For over 200 years, millions of people from around the world have come to Blarney to kiss the stone however it’s not as easy as it may seem to actually kiss it.

Once upon a time, visitors had to be held by the ankles and lowered head first over the battlements. Today, one has to lean backwards (holding on to an iron railing) on the parapet’s edge.

Update: A notable mention should also go to some other great contributions by the Irish such as: the tank, the submarine, modern chemistry, Irish music, the tractor, Irish literature, castles, beautiful mountains, color photography, Irish whiskey… The list could go on. Thank you Ireland.

Images – River: fourleafclovergoodluckcharms.wordpress.com, Guinness: winstonpub.ca, U2: rockheap.com, Blarney Stone: blarneycastle.ie

They have been caught up in three separate terrorist attacks during their vacations.

Jason and Jenny Cairns-Lawrence, from England, were in New York during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Having experienced such a tragic event, they never imagined that they would ever be caught up in another terrorist attack in their lives, but four years later they were.

Jason and Jenny happened to be in London during the worst terrorist attack, the country had ever seen. A series of bombings took place, targeting the underground and overground transport systems, killing 52 people.

By now, Mr and Mrs Cairns-Lawrence could class themselves as the unluckiest tourists in the world, but just three years later, they would be in the wrong place at the wrong time once again.

In 2008, the couple took a vacation to the exotic Indian city of Mumbai. They couldn’t believe it when they were faced with yet another terrorist attack. This time there were more than ten coordinated shooting and bombing attacks across, killing at least 173 people and wounding at least 308.

Jason and Jenny weren’t injured in any of the attacks, so there is a case to say that they are the luckiest couple that ever lived, but I sure hope they warn us about the next time they go traveling.

#2 – Roy Sullivan

He got struck by lightning seven times.

They say lightning never strikes twice, but it stuck Roy Sullivan a whopping seven times.

Roy was a U.S. park ranger in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia and holds the Guinness World Record for the times lightning has struck one human being. Here’s a timeline of Roy’s strikes.

The odds of being struck by lightning once in your lifetime are roughly three thousand to one. Being struck seven times has odds of about twenty-two septillion to one. That’s 22,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 to one!

#3 – Tsutomu Yamaguchi

He was in the only two cities that have ever been hit by an atomic bomb.

Tsutomu Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima on a business trip on 6 August 1945 when a US plane dropped the first atomic bomb. He suffered serious burns and spent a night there to recover. He then decided to go back home to Nagasaki. Despite his wounds he decided to go back to work on 9 August and on that day, Nagasaki was the second city to be hit by an atomic bomb.

Yamaguchi survived both bombings, but it was not until 24 March 2009 that the government of Japan officially recognised his presence in Hiroshima three days earlier.

#4 – Henry Ziegland

He was shot by a bullet lodged in a tree, 20 years after he was injured by the same bullet in a shooting.

In 1883 Henry Ziegland broke up from his girlfriend. She was so distressed from the break-up that she committed suicide. Her enraged brother did the ‘heroic’ thing, and shot Ziegland and then took his own life with the same gun. Little did he know that the bullet had scraped past Ziegland and lodged itself in a tree behind him.

Ziegland must have thought he was the luckiest man alive. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on his side when he decided to remove the tree from his property, some 20 years after the original shooting.

Unable to perform the task manually, he decided to use dynamite. In the explosion the bullet became dislodged from the tree with such a force that it flew into Ziegland’s head, killing him instantly.

#5 – Ann Hodges

She is the only person on record to hit by a meteorite.

On November 30, 1954, Ann Hodges was in her living room, taking an afternoon nap on her couch when a meteorite crashed through her roof, bounced off a large wooden console radio, destroying it and hit her on the hip.

Ann Hodges is the only person on record to be hit by a meteorite. As a result, the media attention she got was huge. Offers for the historic piece of rock were coming in from around the country, some of up to $5,000. The whole world knew about the event, but she was uncomfortable with the publicity.

The United States Air Force came and collected the meteorite, but Ann’s husband, Eugene, hired a lawyer to get it back. Unfortunately however, by the time they got the meteorite back, over a year later, public attention had diminished and they were unable to find a buyer.

She decided to donate the 8.5 pound, grapefruit-sized meteorite to the Alabama Museum of Natural History, against her husband’s wishes, where it is displayed at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

A Georgian television station says it has located the world’s oldest woman. The station says that documents show that Antisa Khvichava was born in 1880, making her 130 years old – the oldest living person by almost two decades.

They say you can’t help what you fall in love with, but in the case of one Korean man, it’s more like ‘what’ you fall in love with.

Lee Jin-gyu fell in love with, and has just got married to, a pillow. It’s not any ordinary pillow though, it’s a “dakimakura” – a large pillow from Japan, which translates as “hugging pillow”. It’s similar to a body pillow as some may know it.

Lee, 28, dressed the pillow in a lavish wedding dress for the ceremony, which was held at a local church.

A friend said: “He is completely obsessed with this pillow and takes it everywhere. They go out to the park or the funfair where it will go on all the rides with him. Then when he goes out to eat he takes it with him and it gets its own seat and its own meal.”

I assume it was a mutual agreement to get married. Maybe Lee was worried dakimakura might leave him for another pillow. Each to their own, i guess.

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Sam Loman created this human body using a typical subway map to illustrate how our bodies are structured and how they work. Click here for larger image.

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Gregg Valentino is one of the most controversial bodybuilders of all time. He started bodybuilding at the age of 13 and by the time he was in his late teens he had already developed huge 18 inch arms. It was only after 23 years of natural training that Greg started to experiment with steroids. During this time his arms grew to an in-human 28″. You may be familiar with Greg from the documentary, ‘The man whose arms exploded’.

#2 Markus Ruhl – Biggest Shoulders

Ruhl began training at the age of 19 following a doctor’s recommendation after sustaining a knee injury while playing soccer. At 120lbs, Ruhl began training hard six days a week until deciding to compete on a professional level when he was 23. Years later and Ruhl has developed a 60″ chest and ripped 24″ arms.

#3 Noah Steere – Tall and Huge

Noah Steere is one of the tallest bodybuilders around. At 6′6″, he towers down on his competition, and his sheer muscle mass makes him a freak of nature.

#4 Ronnie Coleman – Record Eight Time Mr. Olympia

Ronnie Coleman holds the record of eight straight wins as Mr. Olympia, and is arguably the greatest bodybuilder of all time. Coleman also holds the record for most wins as an IFBB professional with 26 wins. And all of this is from an accounting graduate!

#5 Greg Kovacs – Weighs over 400lbs

Not only is Kovacs tall at 6′4″, but he is also extremely heavy. He is one of the few bodybuilders to allegedly weigh over 400 pounds. On top of that he has a 70″ chest and 25.5″ arms off-season.

Link: Workout For Less

Location data from mobile phones has indicated that 93 per cent of human movement is predictable. A study published by peer-reviewed journal Science examined anonymised data culled from mobile phone service providers and found that it was possible to accurately predict movement and location up to 97 per cent of the time for the majority of people, and 93 per cent of the time for the entire set of data.

The study also found that the majority of people did not stray outside a 6 mile radius for the bulk of the period investigated, and that at any one time people were 70 per cent likely to be at their most-visited location.

Link Image: Getty

This is Johnny Kelly’s graduation project at the Royal College of Art in 2007. Here, the illustrator explores the many ways that we “put off” doing things. Sometimes the only way to get something done is to do two dozen other things first.

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Khagendra Thapa Magar, who is only 22 inches (56 centimeters) tall, left his homeland of Nepal on Sunday, bound for Italy to campaign for the record. Once in Italy, his father, Rup Bahadur Thapa, will decide on their next destination.

The current record is held by China’s He Pingping, who is a relatively large 29 inches (73 centimeters) tall. Second’s not that bad is it, Pingping?

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A website which provides real-time updates on the location empty homes has been criticized by privacy campaigners, who say it is ‘irresponsible’ and a “one stop shop” for burglars.

PleaseRobMe.com provides minute-by-minute updates on people who have just left their house and their current location. It does this by tracking Twitter user’s activities in real-time as they tweet.

The Dutch website, which was launched last week, has hit back saying they were simply highlighting the dangers of the newest social networking craze.

So, is this website an aid to robbers or an aid to our safety? Surely everyone knows that there are many potential dangers to using social media, but is providing criminals with a sorted database of opportunities the right way to go about helping us become aware of our privacy?

An Apple obsessed couple have become the first to get married inside an apple store.

Josh and Ting Li, from New York, tied the knot at 12.01 on Valentine’s Day, in the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue. The ceremony was dominated with Apple products and references to the technology giant.

Their priest was dressed as Steve Jobs, they read their vows from iPhones, and the rings were tied to a ribbon wrapped around a first generation iPod.

Part of their vows included a passage from the Apple CEO that said: “You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down.”

Mrs Ling, dressed in a strapless wedding dress, had her vows written on a card that said “I love you more than this” followed by a picture of an iPhone.

Let’s not even get started on the honeymoon…

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This video shows a bear with three legs which has adapted to walk upright, like a human. The details as to why it only has three legs are unknown, but presumably it was either born without a front leg, or lost one at a later stage. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether it’s real or fake.

My idea is to have nothing left. Absolutely nothing,” he told The Daily Telegraph. “Money is counterproductive – it prevents happiness to come.”

Instead, he will move out of his luxury Alpine retreat into a small wooden hut in the mountains or a simple bedsit in Innsbruck.
His entire proceeds are going to charities he set up in Central and Latin America, but he will not even take a salary from these.

“For a long time I believed that more wealth and luxury automatically meant more happiness,” he said. “I come from a very poor family where the rules were to work more to achieve more material things, and I applied this for many years,” said Mr Rabeder.

But over time, he had another, conflicting feeling.
“More and more I heard the words: ‘Stop what you are doing now – all this luxury and consumerism – and start your real life’,” he said. “I had the feeling I was working as a slave for things that I did not wish for or need.

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So here we are again. It’s that Tuesday during Easter where we stuff our faces with a mixture of flour, eggs, milk and butter. Yep, it’s Pancake Day. Don’t know what I mean? How about Shrove Tuesday or Fat Tuesday? No? Tuesday of Carnival? Mardi Gras? You got it! So throw those New Year’s resolutions out the window and enjoy a batch of delicious, circular-cut pastry. Oh, and the above video is probably the best pancake recipe video on the internet, so check it out!

• Valentine’s Day the is the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion after Christmas, with over 1 billion Valentine’s Day cards sent annually.
• Valentines Day is a time for procrastinators. More than 50 percent of all Valentine’s Day cards are bought in the six days before February 14.
• Teachers receive the most Valentine’s Day cards, followed by children, mothers, wives, and then, sweethearts. Children ages 6 to 10 exchange more than 650 million Valentine’s cards with teachers, classmates, and family members
• Of the 73% of people who buy Valentine’s Day flowers are men, while only 27 percent are women.
• 70% of those celebrating the holiday give a card, followed by a telephone call [49%], gift [48%], special dinner [37%], candy [33%] restaurant meal [30%], and flowers [19%].
• About 3% of pet owners will give Valentine’s Day gifts to their pets.

There is more, but I’m sure you’ll agree that’s enough lovey dovey for one day.