Castles on cliffs are the stuff of fairytales. And sure, it was a security measure, building the kingdom's stronghold in the least accessible location, but that doesn't make these seven beautiful castles located on cliffs any less impressive or fairytale-like. The one above is Alcazar in Segovia, Spain, built in the 12th century and now open to tourists year round and home to the Spanish General Military Archives. http://www.7coollist.com/2011/07/7-impressive-castles-located-on-cliffs.html

Nineteen-year-old Roger Hayhurst is the not-so-secret identity of Salford, Greater Manchester's Knight Warrior--a gentle-looking guy who peacefully intervenes in drunken pub brawls and street fights. In his blue and black Lycra costume, the Knight Warrior is a force for decency and goodness, though his actions scare his mom a bit.

Mr Hayhurst ... says his only special power is a supernatural desire to make the world a better place.

‘When people see me coming up, it does tend to stun them into silence,’ he said.

‘I just carry on trying to get them to calm down, and eventually most of them do. If I think things are getting a bit hairy, I just back off and phone the police.

'They know what I am doing and have been very kind to me. Some of my friends think I am a bit odd but all I want to do is try and get people to like each other. I just want to do good in the world.’

Mr Hayhurst said his main aim was to sort out rows between people coming out of pubs or simply fighting on the streets. He lives with his mother Jennifer, 61, and grandad Alfred, 91, and also hands out clothing and food parcels to the homeless in Manchester city centre.

Mrs Hayhurst said she was always ‘slightly worried’ when her son went out – usually between 9pm and 2am, at least three times a week.

‘His absolute genuineness is his best defence,’ she said. ‘He is one of the kindest young men I know.’

In Seattle, care worker turned martial arts expert Phoenix Jones has been stabbed twice and shot once on similar crime-fighting missions on the streets of the US west coast city.

Link | Image: Cavendish Press

Graphic designer Dana Tanamachi has one heck of a steady hand. By day, Tanamachi works at Louise Fili Ltd, a renowned lettering and design studio. But by night, she's out doing freelance chalkboard typography art with nary a stencil, pattern nor transparency--no small feat considering the density of text on most of the works shown in this post from Web Urbanist. Link

Since its debut in 1979, the Happy Meal has been a staple of childhood. It's not been without its problems, though, as nutrition-conscious parents and health-promoting legislation have worked to keep McDonald's kids' meals within acceptable caloric standards. From the 600-calorie hamburger debut to Tuesday's First Lady-approved changes (and a little toy trivia for good measure), check out the bumpy history of the Happy Meal on The Week. Link

Image: McDonalds.com

(Watch on Vimeo)

This funny short, written and directed by Casey Donahue, is a template for every couple's arguments, ever. I don't know if there's anything missing (there are no doors to slam, so I guess that's just implied), but I do know that saying "I am always right" is the fastest way to start this thing on loop. So maybe don't do that. You always do that.

Slacktory via Laughing Squid

Örebro, Sweden is celebrating its annual open art festival, which sounds like a prime opportunity for dividing a community by aesthetic. Ask a handful of people whether or not they like Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman's giant wooden rabbit, which appears to have toppled over and decided to rest, and you'll get about a 50/50 split of fans and haters. Regardless of which side of the line you fall on, it's kind of hard not to admit that the big guy is cute. Check out tons more pictures of the Big Yellow Rabbit on Kuriositas. Link Image: swedishCass

When I was a kid and Crocodile Dundee was popular (I predate Steve Irwin's fame by about a decade, apparently), I was terrified that I'd find myself in some isolated swamp full of crocodiles, and that those crocodiles would, of course, want to eat me. I was maybe too young to watch the movie. Anyway, it turns out my horrible nightmare about crocodiles politely chewing me up was not only improbable but also inaccurate: crocodiles can't even chew.

Yes, it’s true. Despite their fearsome reputation, crocodiles can’t chew. But that’s not to say they won’t kill you—in fact, death by crocodile is probably more agonizing precisely because they’re unable to masticate.

Great!  I feel way better about this. Get the details of crocodiles' etiquette-free eating habits on Mental_floss. Link

Image: MartinRe

Both the ASPCA and Humane Society strongly encourage pet owners to spay and neuter their furry friends to prevent overpopulation (and a dearth of homeless puppies, sad face). It shouldn't really be a surprise, then, that there is a less invasive option in the works. But let's face it, it's kind of a crazy idea, right? Not so, according to a group of scientists in Arizona.

There's birth control for dogs?
It's in the works. Along with SenesTech, a biotech company that specializes in "humane animal population management,"Arizona scientist Dr. Loretta Mayer has developed Chemspay, a doggy contraceptive that is administered once orally or via injection, and induces menopause in an animal. In trials conducted between 2004 and 2008, the drug significantly reduced the number of eggs in test dogs, thus rendering them unable to have puppies.

What's next for this canine pill?
Mayer is taking her research to India, where she's working on a project to curb the country's feral dog population. "This technology, if successful, will really have a huge impact on unwanted dog populations," she says. "The biggest impact will be where dogs are reservoirs for human diseases, like in India." Stateside, it could dramatically decrease the number of unwanted dogs that are euthanized, says Maria Parece at Gather.

So when can American dogs get in on this?
In three years or so, Mayer plans to begin FDA trials at an animal rescue center in Flagstaff, Ariz. It will take a total of six to nine years for Chemspay to gain FDA approval. "There is a very long timeline in this project," Mayer says. "Each and every one of our products takes years to develop."

The rest of the article focuses on the history of pet-designed birth control and the potential of Chemspay, as well as other alternative birth control options. Check it out on The Week. Link

Image: minstrel_blue

This weekend, the Antiques Roadshow crew sent a Tulsa man home as a record-breaker and new retiree. Though his identity is being withheld, the most expensive item ever appraised in the show's 16-year history, worth $1 - 1.5M, has been revealed as a set of five Chinese cups carved of rhinoceros horn. Before carrying them into the Tulsa Convention Center, the man said he'd owned the cups since the 1970s.

"As each one came out of the box my jaw started to drop a little more and that of at my colleagues eyes and their jaws dropped as well," says Mason.

"I was hoping he wasn't going to collapse but he said that he was glad that he didn't need his inhaler," says Mason.

"You clearly could even see, in the tape that I was watching, the color rush over his face," says producer Bemko.

Mason says the million dollar cups were given as gifts to wealthy people for special occasions in the late 17th to early 18th centuries.

During that time it was thought that rhinoceros horn had special powers. What makes them so valuable today is china's power and stance in the world.

"We had not had a million dollar find until last season we found some jade in Raleigh now Tulsa, you are the top dogs now," says the show's host Mark Walberg.

"Top Dogs" is sure to be a title Tulsans are proud to hold.

Its safe to say none of the Roadshow crew knew they would be breaking records in Green Country.

"I certainly wasn't expecting this in Tulsa, Oklahoma," says Mason. "Although Tulsa is a wonderful place and now it's even more wonderful as far as I'm concerned."

"I am no longer surprise by what I'm going to find anywhere, but yeah okay a little surprised to find it in Tulsa, but delighted," says Bemko.

The last time the Roadshow was in Tulsa was nearly ten years ago, hopefully with the big find this weekend they will visit us a little sooner.

Producers tell us Tulsa's record breaking show will air on PBS some time early next year.

Link | Image: © Jeff Dunn, WGBH 2011

(YouTube)

In making what Bon Yurt calls "the best afterparty imaginable," this ad for the company's yogurt shows a team of artists going BlendTec on several thousand glowsticks before pumping them into 700 glasses through about 200 meters of plastic tubing to make a neon equalizer display. I don't know what this has to do with yogurt, but it looks like awesome fun times.

bonyurtalpina via Colossal via Laughing Squid

Where does a bobcat hide out from a menacing mountain lion? Atop a 40-foot tall Saguaro cactus, of course. As uncomfortable as his thorny perch may be, it's gotta hurt less than being eaten by a bigger cat.

The photos were captured in Gold Canyon, on the foot of the Superstition Mountains.

The bobcat was trying to get away from a mountain lion that was stalking it, explains the photographer Curt Fonger. He darted up a 40-foot saguaro, and there he stayed for the remainder of the day.

Curt Fonger and his wife Marta are living out their golden years on wilderness' edge in Gold Canyon. With over 40 years of photography experience, Curt recently had a career-defining moment.

"I've never had the luxury of seeing a bobcat on top of a saguaro," he says. "Just a beautiful creature, he was displaying himself proudly, kind of looking around, probably trying to see if mister mountain lion was still around... it was almost if he was posing!"

Curt says the golden cat with amber eyes stared back at him, perched on top of the cactus for hours.

"He was pretty relaxed, he kind of laid on top of the saguaro, shut his eyes, almost as if he was sleeping."

The bobcat eventually came down, but Curt and Marta are still riding high.

"It was that Kodak moment I think every photographer lives for."

There are some nice close-up shots by Fonger on MyFOX Phoenix. Link

via Laughing Squid | Image: Curt Fonger

(YouTube link)

This 1980s PSA from the lovable Star Wars droids is so hilariously nonsensical that it almost works. Artoo could conceivably smoke all he likes, though I don't know why he'd bother, but he won't--for the children. Love it. I think a reprisal is in order, though, because "You don't want to sell me death sticks, " and "You want to go home and rethink your life," would be much more effective. Assuming the Jedi Mind Trick works via television.

rougeliter via G.TDW

(YouTube link)

Gamera, a 12-year-old African spur-thighed tortoise, recently underwent an amputation of his front left leg after suffering a life-threatening "severe thermal injury and tissue damage from an unknown source." The team at Washington State University's College of Veterinary Medicine hooked Gamera up with an office-chair caster (attached with epoxy) and a feeding tube to help him recover. The tortoise has gained about three pounds in three months and can get around just fine on most surfaces with his new limb. (Insert "that's how he rolls" joke here.) Link

via Gizmodo

Popular crime-scene shows like CSI and Dexter can give viewers the impression that they're well-educated armchair scientists, but anyone in a forensics lab will tell you that we don't know jack. The folks at Forensic Nursing break down the science of blood pattern analysis (BPA) in  this handy infographic, detailing the types of spatter, and how the analysis is made. http://www.forensicnursing.org/forensic-analysis/

via Daily Infographic

Musical Buoy in Search Towards a New Shore (Dedicated to Melvin Maddocks)
Wood, data, reed | 2009

TED Global Fellow Nathalie Meibach's sculptures are a little complicated. On the surface they look like pumped-up versions of those wooden bead mazes for children. But Miebach's work begins by translating weather data from cities into musical scores, which she then uses to build vibrant, whimsical sculptures. She enlists musicians for collaboration in bringing the musical scores to life, which accompany the sculptures on display. You can listen to and download the track on Meibach's site, where you'll also find a nice gallery of her work.

via Brain Pickings