This approach has two benefits: it improves hygiene around marketplaces by getting rid of waste before it starts to rot; and it helps the local farming industry improve yields by up to 30% by providing chemical free fertiliser.

The project is a finalist on the BBC’s World Challenge competition, and you can watch the BBC programme about Danamon Peduli’s work in Indonesia on this site.

Looks like technology the rest of the world could use too.

Read more:
Food of the World: Indonesian breakfast
Space-age vegetables of the future? Japan and the USA plan to grow vegetables in factories
Could flood resistant rice help farmers in Bangladesh?

As a result, I am driving taxi to make a living and writing these real life stories just to make the dull job a little more interesting

Taxi drivers are in the right place to see the life of a city and the variety of its people; Mingjie Cai is a great storyteller with keen skills of observation. This makes an addictive read with some great insights into the lifestyle and people of Singapore.

It’s also a sobering insight into the long hours and low pay of Singapore’s taxi drivers.

Put some time aside for this blog: once you start reading it’s hard to stop.

Read more:
More Singapore blogs from Blogs of the World
Satay in Singapore: Food of the World

And if you’re into travel, or just like reading about different places, here are two cool projects where you can get your city guide from the locals.

Spotted by Locals

Spotted by Locals is a network of city blogs covering 22 European cities. The regulars like Paris, Rome and Barcelona are there, but they also cover some cities that get less coverage. Ljubljana, Zagreb and even Antwerp are all places where knowing a local would definitely come in handy!

Each city blog is brought to you by a team of ’spotters’ who write about their favourite hangouts and travel tips. Because they’re updated regularly you can be sure of getting up to date information.

Metelkova, Ljubljana by Eva Taucar – Spotted by Locals

This is my City

This is my City is a trip by tv making duo Thomas and Tim. They’ve planned a world tour of 8 cities, and in (almost) each place they have managed to enlist a local who will act as their tour guide. They will be filming their escapades and you can watch the pilot (in Reykjavik, Iceland) here.

One condition of their trip? They will not refuse anything their host suggests:

Exposing yourself to local customs and really getting into the way of life might make you uncomfortable. But being a little uncomfortable is not a bad thing. Our rule isn’t about being stupid or reckless, it’s about being always open. If snorting wasabi naked in a snowstorm is something that the locals actually do, we’re up for it.

they said, in this interview with Matador. Sounds like they will be having some crazy adventures, but that kind of open mind is just what you need to get your head around another country’s culture.

Read more:
Sketching the World, one city at a time
A (photo) tale of 50 states – capturing the spirit of the USA
Favourite online hangouts around the world

Like so many things in Japan, they are beautifully presented. Thanks to seikinsou for sharing this photo.

If you liked this, check out our Food of the World photo group on Flickr to see more photos posted by PocketCultures readers around the world. We’d love to see yours too! Just join the group and add your photos.

Read More:
Japan’s space age vegetable plans
Japanese blogs from Blogs of the World
The real Phad Thai: everything you need to know about Thailand’s signature dish

Mrs. Evelyn H. Lauder, Senior Corporate Vice President of The Estée Lauder Companies and Founder and Chairman of The Breast Cancer Research Foundation stated, “I’m thrilled that we will be extending The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign to new lengths this October by reaching millions of women and men worldwide with the lifesaving message of the importance of breast health and early detection through the World Pink Mosaic in the shape of the ubiquitous Pink Ribbon.  The Estée Lauder Companies’ Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign has now distributed more than 100 million Pink Ribbons — and this online initiative allows us to reach people on every corner of the earth. Join Us!  Knowledge is power and early detection saves lives.”

Building on the success of its first comprehensive digital marketing effort in 2008, people from around the world can submit their photo into this virtual mosaic as a simple means of donning a virtual pink ribbon and lending their participation and support to this global cause.  Participants can distinguish themselves within the mosaic as either “supporter,” “survivor” or one “touched” by this disease, through photo frames in different shades of pink or white. As submissions are uploaded, they become part of a virtual tapestry that will take the shape of a giant Pink Ribbon.  Individuals can, in turn, share their participation with friends and family by posting it to their social networking profiles, sending a link to Twitter or emailing it.

The World Pink Mosaic will be accessible through multiple locations on the web, including The Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s official website (www.bcrfcure.org), Brickfish.com, the social media platform provider of the campaign, and 15 Estée Lauder Companies brands’ websites (a complete list is below).

To drive awareness and excitement around the World Pink Mosaic, the Company plans a comprehensive Twitter effort for the month (Twitter.com/WorldPink2009) beginning on October 1, along with social media outreach extending to Facebook and the blogging community.  In addition, participating Estée Lauder Companies brands will be supporting the program via email, search engine marketing and website promotion. Banner ads calling attention to the World Pink Mosaic are expected to deliver upwards of 200 million impressions, running across a range of publisher sites, ad networks, mobile networks and social networking sites.

The Estée Lauder Companies’ 2009 Online Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign is being made possible through the generous support of several key online media and agency partners: Brickfish, Tender Creative, phd Media, Attention! Social Media Marketing and Range Online Media.  In addition, numerous online media sites, and networks donated advertising inventory to help support the cause and drive World Pink Mosaic participation.

The Estée Lauder Companies’ 2009 Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, “World Pink. World Without Breast Cancer.™ Wear a Pink Ribbon. Make a Difference.” encapsulates the spirit of bringing people together from all walks of life to find a cure for breast cancer. Breast cancer knows no barriers and does not discriminate. It does not care about the color of your skin, the country you live in or whether you are young or old.  This October, the BCA Campaign will be present in over 70 countries and will unite around one common goal: to reach every corner of the world with the message about the importance of early detection and to raise significant funds for research in order to attain a world without breast cancer.  Fifteen of The Estée Lauder Companies’ highly sought-after brands will sell Pink Ribbon Products to raise money for The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  October 2009 also marks the 10 Year Anniversary of The Estée Lauder Companies’ Global Landmark Illumination Initiative whereby more than 200 landmarks worldwide will be illuminated in pinks lights to spread the message that early detection saves lives.  Knowledge is Power.

The following Estée Lauder Companies Inc. brand websites will be hosting the 2009 World Pink Mosaic:

• www.aveda.com
• www.bobbibrowncosmetics.com
• www.bumbleandbumble.com
• www.clinique.com
• www.darphin.com
• www.dknyfragrances.com
• www.donnakaranbeauty.com
• www.esteelauder.com
• www.jomalone.com
• www.labseries.com
• www.lamer.com
• www.ojon.com
• www.prescriptives.com
• www.seanjohnfragrances.com

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. The Company’s products are sold in over 140 countries and territories under the following brand names: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Prescriptives, Lab Series, Origins, M•A•C, Bobbi Brown, Tommy Hilfiger, Kiton, La Mer, Donna Karan, Aveda, Jo Malone, Bumble and bumble, Darphin, Michael Kors, American Beauty, Flirt!, Good Skin™, Grassroots Research Labs, Sean John, Missoni, Daisy Fuentes, Tom Ford, Coach and Ojon.

The Breast Cancer Research Foundation® was founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder as an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to funding innovative clinical and translational research.  In October 2009, nearly $29 million will be awarded to more than 170 scientists across the United States and Europe and in Australia, Canada, Latin America and the Middle East.  BCRF perseveres in directing at least 85 cents of every dollar raised directly to research.  And for the eighth consecutive year, BCRF received Charity Navigator’s highest rating, four stars, thus outperforming over 99.8% of the 5,400 evaluated charities, while the American Institute of Philanthropy has awarded BCRF its highest possible rating of A+.  BCRF is the only breast cancer organization in the U.S. to receive these accolades.  For more information about BCRF, visit www.bcrfcure.org.

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Deadliest Toxin: Botulinum

Botulinum toxin is the deadliest protein known to man and is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. Botulinum is a neurotoxin that is so deadly it can kill the entire human population with only as little as two pounds of the stuff and is one of the most dangerous potential biological weapons.  The bacteria lives in low-oxygen environments and can contaminate food or open wounds or can be ingested as spores.  Food poisoning can result from as little 1 microgram, which is enough to kill a human.  It causes paralysis and death occurs due to the inability to breathe.  However, this substance is used in very safe quantities in Botox beauty treatments.

Most Vicious Animal: The Honey Badger

The Guinness Book of World Records has named the honey badger “most fearless creature.”  It may look deceptively cute but it attacks almost anything and is a very smart animal, knowing its opponents’ weak spots.  A honey badger knows to attack a male human’s testicles, for example.  Honey badgers have been known to kill crocodiles and snakes; it can eat a five-foot snake in only 15 minutes.  They are so ferocious that not even a leopard or a lion will attempt to kill one.  Honey badgers are also known to use tools, like using logs as ladders.  As the name implies, these animals love honey so much that they would not hesitate to dive into a beehive regardless of whether or not it’s safe.  Honey badgers are found in Africa and Western and Southern Asia.

Worst Insect: The Mosquito

Nothing else can beat the mosquito as the peskiest insect in the world.  Being feasted on by female mosquitoes day in and day out come summertime is not a small nuisance.  On top of their nasty blood-sucking habits, their constant buzzing is just as irritable.  Humans have awoken to mosquito bites on almost every inch of skin that these parasites can get to for as long as both have co-existed on earth.  The red, itchy bites are not the least of our worries, though.  Mosquitoes are also known to be the deadliest insects in the world.  They spread malaria through their bites and it is believed that half of the deaths of the human population throughout all of known history was from this disease.

Worst Symptomatic Disease: Fatal Familial Insomnia

Fatal familial insomnia is an inherited disease that was discovered only recently and is so rare that it has only been found in only 28 families around the world.  As the name suggests, it is a terrible and fatal disease that prevents you from sleeping and leads eventually to death.  There is no known cure and once the disease has begun, the person has between 7 to 36 months of sleeplessness until he finally dies.  The stages of fatal familial insomnia are as follows:

1. Insomnia sets in and increases over time, which results in panic attacks, paranoia, and phobias, lasting for about four months.
2. During the next five month, hallucinations and panic attacks worsen.
3. Three months of continuous sleeplessness result in rapid loss of weight.
4. Dementia soon follows.  For about the final six months, the person becomes unresponsive and mute and eventually dies.

Most Painful Bite: The Bullet Ant

The pain from a bullet ant bite is claimed to be the same as the pain from being shot by a bullet, hence the name.  The pain is so acute and is described as a burning, throbbing, and all-consuming sensation that lasts for as long as 24 hours.  Like all other ant species, the bullet ants live in colonies, usually at the base of trees.  In Brazil, the Satere-Mawere tribe uses these ants to initiate boys into manhood.  Hundreds of bullet ants are attached to a glove, which is then worn by a boy who must endure their stings for 10 minutes.  This ritual is repeated several times.  The poison from the stings may paralyze the boy’s arm temporarily and may cause him to shake uncontrollably from the pain for days.  Bullet ants are found in Nicaragua and Paraguay.

Most Intrusive Weed: Salvinia Molesta

Salvinia molesta is an aquatic fern which originated from Brazil.  It is also known as kariba weed and its growth on water doubles in size every few days.  Because of its frantic rate of growth, it is common to find lakes completely covered by a 24-inch high carpet of this weed.  Due to lack of sunlight, animal and plant life in the water cease to exist.  It is almost impossible to kill the plant; a tiny piece is enough to start water infestation.  The salvinia molesta reproduces like a spore; when broken into tiny pieces, each piece starts a new growth.

Smelliest Plant: The Corpse Flower

The corpse flower got its name from its distinct, awful smell: like that of a rotting corpse.

The plant grows a single, enormous flower, which reaches over 10 feet in diameter.

The corpse flower mimics the look of rotting meat to attract carrion eating insects.

The stink is spread as a result of its temperature, which is close to that of the human body’s.

It originated from the grasslands of Sumatra, but many display gardens around the world have made it a part of their collection.

Worst Spider: Brazilian Wandering Spider

The Brazilian Wandering Spider is enormous in size and has one of the most painful and the deadliest bites among all the spiders.  An interesting side effect of a bite from this spider is an erection that lasts for hours.  Studies are being conducted to determine its medical potential use for erectile dysfunction.

Nastiest Fish: The Candiru

The Candiru is a sliver-like parasitic catfish that is more feared in the waters of the Amazon river than the piranhas.  The Candiru feeds on blood and enters the host through even the smallest orifices of the body, most often through the gills, and latches on using the razor sharp spines on its head.  It finds its host by sniffing the water and is attracted to the smell of human urine.  The Candiru can swim up into the penis or the vagina of humans who often wade, and urinate, in the waters of the Amazon.  Once the fish has implanted itself, it causes great pain as it drinks blood and can only be removed by cutting it out.  This parasitic fish can grow up to a length of six inches.

Most Damaging to its Environment: Man

One does not have to be an environmental activist or a “tree-hugger” to recognize man’s destructive nature against nature and, ultimately, himself.  Aside from natural disasters, only the human species is capable of causing mass destructive damage that spans continents and extends across all species on earth.  We pollute the waters, the air, and the land.  We can flatten mountains and tear down forests.  We have caused the extinction and are still endangering the existence of thousands of species on earth, both discovered and undiscovered.  The theory of natural selection espouses the phrase, “survival of the fittest.”  Such is the cycle of life, but we must not forget that co-existence with other species is just as important to survival.

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