Fungtopus? The Incredible Fungus that Looks Like an Octopus

This is Clathrus archeri.  Looking every inch the result of a GM experiment gone wrong, it resembles a strange cross between a toadstool and an octopus.

Yet this is not the result of some subterranean gene-splicing enterprise to bring the world a spore-bearing cellaphod (for whatever reason that might be).  This is exactly how nature intended the Octopus Stinkhorn.  The shape and form you see here is an integral but short-lived part of its life-cycle.

Image Credit Flickr User Jose Delgar

A Drone through Africa

This short film was three years in the making and was created by Cape Town based Cinematographer and Photographer Naudewashere.  It is, simply put, visually stunning and an absolute joy to watch.

If like me you are forced to do most of your traveling from the comfort of your armchair then this is an opportunity to experience Africa in a new way.

Leviathan's Blood: Modern Fantasy Writing at its Best

Australia doesn’t have a reputation for producing fine novelists which is nonsense really. Even if you place just two in the frame, Peter Carey (author of the sublime Oscar and Lucinda) and Markus Zusak (who wrote The Book Thief, the last novel to reduce me to tears) then there is ample proof that the country punches above its weight when it comes to literary masters.

As such it’s great to introduce you to another Australian author - Ben Peek whose new novel, Leviathan’s Blood, has just been published. It is part of a trilogy so there is plenty to explore in this new world. And what a world! Peek takes you to a place where the gods have died: their bodies have become the foundations of mountains.

Among the corpses men and women live their lives but something is stirring in some. What made the gods divine is trickling in to the earth and infecting people. A curse or a gift, this has given them immense powers: some can see the dead, others are able to walk through fire. The earth itself can be shattered by their power.

A new god arises and resolves to reclaim that which once belonged to her progenitors. Add a former mercenary, a cartographer’s apprentice and a saboteur in to the mix, together with an ancient man who can communicate with the dead and you have what is arguably one of the best modern fantasies to come out in years.

So if you want something epic and unputdownable (if that wasn’t a real word then it is now), take a peak at the teaser above or click here for more information. A new world awaits.

Five small Steps for Big Change

It is rare these days, when so much information is thrust under our noses, that a simple statistic can stagger. This is one of those: over the next year over three million children will die from infectious diseases. That is over eight thousand a day – or 300 an hour. If it took you a minute to read this paragraph, then during that time five children will have died from disease. The greatest shame of it all is that often these diseases could have been prevented.

The Global Hygiene Council wants to change that – and the good news is that to reduce these appalling numbers is quite straightforward. The answer lies – as it invariably and inevitably does with most things – in education. Poor personal hygiene and home hygiene practices are widely recognised as the main causes of infection transmission for colds, influenza and diarrhoea. If people can be taught a few basics of hygiene then the Global Hygiene Council predicts that death can be avoided for many of those three million children.

As such the council has released the video above which outline five ways that people can help to reduce disease. Although you might take each and every one of them for granted many people in the world are still unaware that these simple steps can help reduce child mortality. Please take a look and help pass the message on - #FiveStepsForBigChange.

Shirley Colllins: Pretty Polly

There have been any number of cases, over the centuries, of women donning male attire to join the armed forces.  This song dates back to the 1840s and is sung here by Shirley Collins.  The animation by Trunk is not quite what it seems to be – in as much as it’s not an animation!  It was actually filmed in camera on real film with no edits. At times it involved 18 people moving sets and operating puppets, lights, clouds, hills and other elements in real time.

The Shattered Remains of Afghanistan’s Versailles

The ferocity of Afghan resistance to foreign rule has been recorded down the centuries, from Alexander the Great to our own modern times.  Yet it is not only outsiders who have been the focus of the ire of the Afghan people.

The first Afghan ruler who endeavored to modernize Afghanistan on a western model, Amanullah Khan (left), was eventually forced to flee his own country.

His once opulent palaces are now testimony to the conflict and violence which have dogged this complex country for more than a century.

Image Credit Flickr User Carl Montgomery

Amanullah Khan became the Emir of Afghanistan in 1919, shortly afterwards declaring himself King.  He instigated the Third Anglo-Afghan War in the same year which was, ostensibly, a minor tactical victory for the British Empire.  However, it effectively ended direct British influence in the country. Afghanistan was able to recommence the right to conduct its own foreign affairs as an entirely independent nation.  Amanullah Khan immediately ordered the construction of the Darul Aman Palace and grounds.

Unusual Chinese Dishes That are Worth Trying

Chinese food is one of the most popular ethnic cuisines in the UK and the US. This popularity is fairly easy to explain.

Both countries have relatively large Chinese populations (about 5% of the non-white population in the UK, and 1.5% of the total US population). Chinese food is remarkably healthy, as has been shown by many studies, and it is among the more inexpensive types of restaurant fare.  Chinese food is also remarkably easy to prepare at home.

If you check the menus of the Chinese restaurants in your neighbourhood on Urban Spoon (Zomato) or Hungry House, you are likely to find some dishes, such as duck and quail and some fish dishes, which are not common in other restaurants, but in most cases those restaurants are serving westernised versions of the recipes.

Part of the appeal of Chinese food is the unique combination of ingredients that complement one another and which often offer very pleasant contrasts.  Traditional Chinese cooking also makes full use of the ingredients. This has resulted in some unusual preparations and cooking techniques, at least by western standards.
With that in mind, here are some traditional Chinese dishes and cooking techniques.

Bones 
Chinese chefs believe that the meat near the bone is the best tasting. Therefore meat is often cut so that the bones shatter and end up in the dish; this is especially true if the meat is duck, chicken, or pork. This not only ensures that the best meat is in the dish, but also has the side benefit of releasing the marrow into the dish, which significantly adds to the taste.  Finding a bit of bone in your dish is a mark of a traditional Chinese chef, not a sign of careless preparation.

Vegetables
The “raw food” movement is one of the latest fads in the western world. Raw vegetables are an oddity in Chinas, where many foods westerners eat raw, such as lettuce and cucumber, are served pickled, fried, or boiled.

Lotus roots and bamboo shoots are becoming fairly common in UK Chinese kitchens. With proper preparation both have a similar texture and taste to common lettuce.

Chinese markets frequently have bitter melon, also called winter melon. Bitter melon rarely finds its way onto mainstream Chinese restaurant menus due to its exceedingly bitter taste which can be overpowering. However, bitter melon does have its fans, most of whom have developed a taste for it over a period of time. One advantage of adding bitter melon to your diet is that it may have significant health advantages as it has been show to lower the blood glucose levels of diabetics and some researchers feel it may be an effective cancer fighter.

Meat and Fish
Chinese cooking has a long history of preparing dishes that are totally foreign to the western way of thinking, however most are never found outside of mainland China. However, it is not uncommon to find heads, feet, and beaks on your plate in more traditional restaurants outside of China.

That said, there are a few that are sometimes available and well worth sampling.

Fried chicken feet are one example of how nothing goes to waste in Chinese cooking.  Often served as starters, fried chicken feet are quite crisp and tasty.

Many scientists have stated that one of the best ways to address the issue of world hunger and sustainability is by consuming insects, something the Chinese have practiced for centuries.  Scorpions, ants, and cicadas are among the insects that can frequently be found at Chinese markets and Chinese food festivals.  Most are served deep-fried and have an unique but pleasant taste. Scorpions are served deep fried and all and are perfectly safe to eat as any poison is killed during the cooking process. Most insects have a sort of nutty taste, with the exception of ants, which surprisingly taste like limes.

Practically everything found in the ocean has made its way onto the dinner plate in China. In all honesty the decision on whether to try them depends on your personal taste in seafood. One item that can be easily avoided is sea cucumbers, which are frequently sold in Chinese herb and medicine shops. Despite their unusual appearance, their taste is very bland.

Thousand-year-old eggs are another item which can frequently be found in Chinese markets. Thousand-year-old eggs are actually only about 100 days old and are preserved duck eggs that have been coated with ash and salt that turn the whites a dark colour.  Preserved eggs can be frequently found in soups or other dishes. They are a bit of an acquired taste and have a strong salty flavour.

Exploring some of the more traditional Chinese foods is a great way to expand your culinary horizon, and many of the items (with the exception of preserved eggs) are amazingly easy to prepare at home.