According to a study published in the Daily Mail, millions of humans are facing a significant risk of meltdown due to the tremendous rate at which we speed through life. Psychologists fear that unless we make some drastic changes we face serious damage not only to our relationships but also to our health as well.

The study cites examples such as people hurrying through their evening meals in less than ten minutes, and some individuals rushing through sex in two minutes. The psychologists claim that society has reached a point where humans are living at a crazy pace and demand instant gratification.

“There is a real danger people are heading for meltdown unless we slow down and realise that there are only so many hours in the day in which to get everything done.”

I couldn’t agree more with this quote, however I don’t necessarily think you can blame the everyday people slaving through daily life. We have been conditioned to act like thoughtless androids whose purpose is solely to accomplish a task. Our fundamental values, innate human values, have been twisted around by those controlling our societies. Rather than putting emphasis on the importance of personal relationships and taking the time to enjoy our lives on this beautiful planet , we’re taught that being monetarily successful is all we need to achieve happiness.

I encourage you to take a moment and reflect on what you can do to garner more enjoyment out of your stressful life. Cancel something last minute and take the free time to relax and reflect on life, you just might find yourself valuing something you lost long ago.

Starbucks has become synonymous with the word coffee. Hundreds of millions of people around the globe have indulged in their many flavors of Juan Valdez. So many people, in fact, that it appears as if the coffee hegemon has begun seeking alternative markets.

Enter Carin’s chihuahua, who has enjoyed a cup of Starbucks on more than one occasion:

This has got to be one of the most amazing pictures I’ve ever come across. It was taken by the Columbia shuttle crew during their last space mission and shows a sunset cutting through Africa and Europe. Notice the bright lights in certain countries where the sun has already set — Paris, Berlin, etc.

A big thanks to the Columbia crew and the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for this picture:

Looking for the perfect beach getaway? A place where you can sit and relax, free from the daily stresses of life such as work, commuting, managing your finances and, mobile phones?

Palm Islands, a popular holiday destination in the Grenadines, has become the first place in the Caribbean to ban the use of mobile devices. Under the ban, the use of mobile phones, PDAs and laptop computers is prohibited within half a mile of Casarina Beach.

Rob Barrett, CEO of Elite Resort Islands — which owns Palm Islands — says “there is nothing worse than lying back in your double hammock, sipping on your strawberry daiquiri and hearing the Motorola jingle in the background.” He adds that guests should be on Caribbean time when vacationing at Palm Islands, which essentially boils down to switching off your mobile phone and listening to waves crashing on the beach.

My feeling is that if you have to worry about sitting on a beach surrounded by cell phones, you’re probably not far enough away from home and need a better vacation location. The best beach vacations I’ve ever taken have been to a place where my cell phone doesn’t have a chance of making a phone call. That’s how a real beach vacation should be, out in the middle of nowhere, unreachable to the outside world.

To all my wino friends out there, however few you may be, brace yourself for some either great or horrible news, however you want to take it.

Scientists have now broken the complete genetic code for the plant which produces wine grapes. This, in effect, sets the stage for genetically-mutated wine to enhance flavor and improve resistance against disease.

Dozens of researchers in France analyzing the Pinot Noir variety of Vitis vinifera, the core species from which virtually all grape wine is made, found twice as many genes contributing to aroma than in other sequenced plants, suggesting that wine flavours could be traced to the genome level.

The researchers discovered that V. vinifera had families of genes that correlated directly with the aromatic features of wine. Additionally, they identified genetic source of resveratrol, the red wine anti-oxidant that has been linked with health benefits from anti-aging to anti-viral treatments.

Finally, researchers argue that evolving the grapes genetically is necessary to improve the quality of the grapes as well as their ability to resist pathogens.

The question I would like to pose to my faithful wine enthusiasts is simply: is genetically enhanced wine a good thing or a bad thing?

With summer here my girlfriend’s chihuahua has lost most of its fur. Thus, it has resorted to using 1100W to keep itself warm…

Sharks are often thought of as some of the most dangerous creatures on Earth. While this may be true in an aquatic environment, the video below shows that sharks are no match for land animals:

And that’s just your domestic house dog, imagine a lion or tiger?