New blog entries on Todd's Norwegian adventure

Fun stuff, Todd biking in Norway, gets a broken spoke in the middle of nowhere!

Sustainable toilet systems

Move over little flush-flush, we're going back to squatting over a little hole in the ground.

Ex-F1 champ takes driving lessons

Yeah, but I be he stays right unless he is passing somebody...

When you say Wisconsin...

You've said it all...

12 Hours-Bottle-to-Throttle

Well this piece of news would seem to answer for some of the NASA mishaps. Maybe the ice damaging the shuttle's thermal tiles was coming from the astronauts emptying their drinks before they climb aboard...

Bao Xishun is at it again!!

World's tallest man meets world's shortest man

Okay, I got the scoop reading another blog, but twice in as many days Bao Xishun is in the news!! Just a dew days after his traditional Inner-Mongolian marriage ceremony, Bao has met He Pingping, who has petitioned to be recognized as the world's shortest man at just 74cm tall (less than 2.5 feet!!).

I have found a picture of Bao saving the dolphins as well...

Can you guess it yet?

The coat of arms of Peru contains the escutcheon or shield, consisting of three elements: the top left section shows the vicuña, the national animal, on a light-blue field, representing the fauna of Peru; the tree in the top right section is the cinchona tree (the source of quinine, a powerful anti-malarial drug and the key flavorant in "tonic water," used in making gin-and-tonics), on a white background, representing the national flora; and the bottom cornucopia with coins spilling from it, on a red field, represents the mineral resources of the country.

Machu Picchu was constructed around 1450, at the height of the Inca empire, and was abandoned less than 100 years later, as the empire collapsed under Spanish conquest. Although the citadel is located only about 50 miles from Cusco, the Inca capital, it was never found and destroyed by the Spanish, as were many other Inca sites. Over the centuries, the surrounding jungle grew to enshroud the site, and few knew of its existence. It was "discovered" in 1911 by Yale historian and explorer Hiram Bingham.

A map of Peru.

My Favorite Chinese guy

I love seeing Bao Xishun in the news again. I think he is like the Chinese version of Paris Hilton. (haven't seen too much of her in the news since she went on Larry King after getting out of the slammer, huh?) Anytime Bao makes a move, it is in the news. First, he was certified "World's Tallest Man." Then he saved the dolphins with is super-long arms. Then he got married in a civil service, and now he is in this "traditional" ceremony. I can't wait to see what this hero does next! Hopefully they put him in charge of cleaning up Chinese food! He can use his massive feet to kick some serious ass!

Who needs frequent flier miles?

Modes of transport

I've given a clue to my brother on the mobile phone. I've told him that the native peoples of the land I'll be visiting had no wheels in their "olde tyme" civilization. For whatever reason, the wheel was not an idea which would have given them much advantage. There are many climates and topographies where a wheel would not be too helpful. Imagine pulling a cart through sand, across rivers, through thick mud, or up a steep, narrow mountainous trail. (Or down a steep, narrow mountainous trail!).
The country is roughly ten times the size of England.

Nobody has guessed correctly...

At least not the country. The state has been mentioned, and is one where I have driven my own vehicle, and a state-owned vehicle. If
As for the country
Clue #1: It is not an island.
Clue #2: It has mountains and an ocean.
Clue #3: It is the only place in the world we could get tickets to, but the few tourists who have venured there and have returned said it was amazing...

With more guesses, you'll get more clues...