If there is a God, make him Irish

Ireland's pubs and beer are legendary, but the country's traditional drinking holes are experiencing a new phenomenon - the 12 days of Christmas have turned into the 12 pubs of Christmas... visited all in one night.

Slainte!

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30539356

The winter solstice

On Sunday, 21 December, the northern hemisphere will experience the shortest day of its year, marked at 23:03 GMT by an astronomical phenomenon known as the winter solstice - the moment the North Pole is tilted furthest from the sun as the Earth continues on its orbit.

It's a fascinating read:

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30549149

Time off to live Real

In Australia, “people leave and engage in their ‘real’ lives without fearing any repercussion for being away from the office.” Austria, Germany, Italy and Spain each offer their citizens more than 30 days off a year in annual leave and paid holidays.

So why is the US a no-vacation nation?

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20141106-the-no-vacation-nation

Holidays

Major holidays are a time when we reunite with close friends and family, eat in abundance and celebrate long-held traditions.

What happens when you are an ex-pat and your customs feel out of place, traditional food isn't available and your friends and families are miles away?

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20141211-hanukkah-in-antarctica

An ambulance driver's fight against the invisible enemy

Health workers fighting Ebola have been named as Time's "Person of the Year", and one face splashed on covers of the magazine is that of an ambulance driver, Foday Gallah, in the Liberian capital, Monrovia. This is the story of his determination to battle a disease which almost killed him.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30418759

Have we become resistant to Nature?

Have we boxed ourselves out of the natural world? And yet, see what nature has to offer us: its spontaniety and serendipity, its unscripted delights, its capacity to shake us out of the frustrations and humiliations which are an inevitable product of the controlled and ordered world we have sought to create.

A fantastic read:

http://www.bbc.com/earth/bespoke/story/20141203-back-to-nature/index.html

The continuing tragedy of Bhopal

December 3, 1984: Shortly after midnight, MIC gas leaks from a tank at Bhopal’s UCIL plant.

30 years after the world's worst industrial disaster, people are still waiting for justice.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/30-years-after-bhopal-gas-tragedy/article6652172.ece

Surviving Hiroshima

August 6, 1945: The atomic bomb exploded 600 metres above Hiroshima city.

The wounds are still there. Survivors are seemingly okay but they still don't have 100 per cent energy.

Keiko Ogura, a survivor was clear on one thing - “If we think of revenge, the world will be unhappy. This is my message.”

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/blogs/blog-free-for-all/article6658206.ece

The world's next Atlantis?

The Pacific Island nation of Kiribati may be the first country to disappear under the rising sea levels of climate change. Tebunginako was once home to more than 200 households, but today, it lies beneath several meters of turquoise water. "We used to swim out there as children," the Mayor repeats quietly, his gaze shifting blankly to the ocean. "And tie the boats to the coconut trees..."

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/05/world/kiribati-atlantis/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

Care for sick orphaned seal pups

A year ago, the worst storm surges in more than 60 years left the UK's east coast severely battered. The storms coincided with grey seal pupping season, which happens in early December. Dozens of the young animals were separated from their mothers in the strong seas. The problem, though, is not just weather - the centre is seeing increasing numbers of sick common seals (all but three of the current residents) but cannot pinpoint the reason.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-30329782

Improve your memory

Memorizing, pairing words, quizzing, testing...tried them all?

The only effective way to learn is to practice retrieving items from memory, not trying to cement them in there by further study, say researchers.

http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20141202-hack-your-memory-learn-faster

Women-only clubs

Most women live in the work/home rut. Women too need a place to get away, to be themselves and, well, just to let their hair down and, well, to just chill. On the other side, a great support network also build up.

These clubs could give women everywhere an idea of how to form their own little women-only clubs.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/03/business/womens-only-private-members-clubs/index.html?hpt=hp_c5

Move over Scotland

Rich, deep, and mysterious. A smell both fresh and musty at the same time. And your curiosity is piqued.

The Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013, made by beverage giant Suntory, took home top honors in Jim Murray's "Whisky Bible". The whisky guru referred to it as "near indescribable genius." Scotch didn't even make the top three.

http://edition.cnn.com/2014/12/01/travel/japan-suntory-whisky-bible-award-winner/index.html?hpt=hp_bn6

Japan's humble 'comfort food'

UNESCO, the U.N. cultural organization, has added traditional Japanese cuisine, or "washoku," into its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. "'Wa' means Japanese, 'shoku' means 'to eat' or 'meal' or anything food-related," explains cooking instructor and "washoku" enthusiast Reiko Yoshikawa. For Japanese, food is associated with many things. "First of all, it means happiness, the gathering, of being together," Yoshikawa says. "Nutrition, in a sense, is also very important and also the appreciation to nature."

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/12/12/world/asia/japan-on-the-road-food/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

The hunger for honest content

Turkey’s young population is embracing social media. Its popularity is driven by a demand for honest content with a personal touch.

Tuba Unsal, actress, model and accessories designer, is the poster girl for Turkey's online generation. Tuba doesn't have staged-managed social media accounts – it’s simply her life in pictures, honestly portrayed. It is this honesty that gives her such massive appeal.

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20141201-the-face-of-an-online-generation

Australia grieves

It is remarkable - and there's a huge lesson to be learnt in this - how the whole nation grieves young Phillip Hughes. There aren't enough words to express what a remarkable person and cricketer he was.

At the same time it is truly, truly amazing how at this painful time, the people have not forgotten or sidelined Sean Abbott, but have enclosed him in a circle of love. No blame here - they just want him to know that they are all with him as he gets through this traumatic time.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1141201/jsp/sports/story_19109057.jsp#.VH1feTGUcX8