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sábado, fevereiro 13, 2016

The Wolf’s Lair, Poland

Deep in the Masurian woods about 8 km from the small East Prussian town of Rastenburg, lies the ruins of Adolf Hitler’s most secretive bunker, one that he called Wolfsschanze or the Wolf’s Lair. This top secret, high-security bunker, whose name is derived from the self-adopted nickname of Hitler, was hidden deep in the forest far from any serviceable roads and urban areas. It was Hitler’s key military headquarters during the war, in which he spent more than 800 days planning the German army’s move eastwards.

Special care was taken in its construction and security. Buildings within the complex were camouflaged with bushes and artificial trees, and heavily guarded by multiple barriers of anti-aircraft guns, tanks, and land mines. Some of the walls of the bunkers were 2 meters thick. So paranoid was Hitler that he employed some fifteen or so women whose job was to eat Hitler's food before he ate it to make sure it wasn’t poisoned.
“We had to eat it all up. Then we had to wait an hour, and every time we were frightened that we were going to be ill. We used to cry like dogs because we were so glad to have survived,” recalls Margot Wölk, Hitler’s only surviving food taster.

Despite being so well guarded, one of the most notable assassination attempts against Hitler was made in this very place. On 20 July 1944, German army officer Claus von Stauffenberg took with him a briefcase bomb to a conference meeting with the intention of putting it just a few feet away from Hitler. Unfortunately, a fellow German officer unwittingly pushed the briefcase away deflecting the blast away from Hitler. The Führer survived with only minor injuries. This famed assassination attempt was dramatized in numerous movies and television documentaries, the most widely known of which was the 2008 movie Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise as Stauffenberg.

By October 1944, the Red Army had reached the borders of East Prussia prompting Hitler to leave Wolf’s Lair and ordering it to be destroyed. The complex was eventually blown up in January 1945. So hardened was the place that it took the Germans tons of explosives with one bunker alone requiring an estimated 8,000 kg of TNT. Even then, the buildings were only partially destroyed. It took over ten years for the surrounding ground to be cleared of over 54,000 land mines.

Today the site is a mess of toppled walls, crumbling bunkers and natural vegetation. Since the fall of communism in 1990 it has been attracting a steady stream of visitors. There is now a small exhibition room, and memorial plate for Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg.





The view of destroyed interior of briefing room in Hitler's headquarter Wolfsschanze following the failed assassination attempt. Photo credit: unknown




Artist Turns Drywall Into Art with Nothing But Joint Compound

Bernie is based in Ontario, Canada and all of his creations are custom and hand-made pieces of legitimate art.
Bernie uses joint compound to create the 3D images.

Bernie started experimenting with drywall in the early 1990’s. He wanted to play with raised surfaces and how the light interacted with them.

He apparently studied pretty well. The way the light works with the shore line in this sculpture is really spectacular.

After he was comfortable with utilizing the light with raised surfaces, he started using barley and wheat stalks to make impressions in the walls.

Using the joint compound allows him to layer on top of the drywall and create the 3D images.

I love this wilderness depiction. The way he places each sculpture to fit perfectly under the light really adds a lot to the piece.

A steady hand and an active imagination seem to be the only limits to what this man can create.

A common theme for the art throughout the whole room can really tie everything together.

If you love the outdoors, these pieces of drywall sculpture art are a great way to bring some of the outdoors straight into your home.


5 Ways To Cut Through B2B Information Overload

Information overload

“Information overload is a symptom of our desire to not focus on what’s important. It is a choice.” ― Brian Solis

Online businesses have made marketing and advertising more overwhelming to their consumers today. As the internet has grown to be much busier than before, only content that stands out from the crowd reaches millions of people all over the world. There are zillions of ways to get noticed online, but the best strategy is to approach every campaign in the right way so as to engage the audience and provide them with the exact information they require.

Every business thrives on their stories but the ones that grow big quickly are the ones that come up with stories people love. A great marketing strategy and search-engine friendly content that can develop a passionate group of people to support your business will get the content shared like crazy.

Check out these 5 ways to cut through B2B information overload to get your marketing strategies right on the track.

1. Start using project management tools

When you start using project management tools like Basecamp or TeamworkPM, you can prioritize your tasks and perform them according to their importance. You can also keep deadlines and reminders so that you don’t miss anything and that you do everything on time. Owen Hemsath, president of Videospot, an online and video marketing company says: “The system [should] come with a calendar, notes and a messaging system that works with any email client, so it can remind you what you need to be working on at a given time.” If you run a restaurant business, you might want to have a restaurant management platform, to get everything on track.

This way you can process information with precision and you don’t run the risk of making critical mistakes. You also get more time to focus on different aspects of your business growth rather than on its management.

2. Streamline your Timeline on Social media

It might sound simple at first because all B2B companies know the value of using Facebook and Twitter. However, streamlining social media will keep you afloat in the sea of information and you can select those sources from which you actually want to receive updates and share news with.

If your business is focused on app development, your user-base will be budding entrepreneurs that want to gather information about programming apps on mobile phones and tablets. Find credible information that is most suitable for you and your user-base and deliver it on a timely basis via social media.

3. Make use of RSS feeds

The internet is full of information and there are multiple means for getting yourself distracted. While running a business, you only want to surf and read about things that are related to you. The best way to cut through a lot of information that is available on the web is to create RSS on your browser. This way, you find information without needing to spend hours surfing the web and you get a sense of purpose when you go online.

4. Put information onto paper

When you take in a lot of information, your brain really tries to process it, to make connection, and apply it to your business. When you endeavor to keep all that thinking in your brain, you feel tangled, nervous, perplexed. Write down your ideas and make a list of them to prevent the formation of information overload before it begins.

5. Manage information

When you are running a business, you want to provide great information to your readers. But, the best thing to do is omit, filter, and employ parallel channels that work best for you. Stop checking social media several times a day and give yourself a break. That way you have time for a short vacation away from technological information delivery systems and get a relief from information overload.

Featured photo credit: Stevepb via pixabay.com

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Little Things Everyone Can Do Every Day Easily To Spread Love

Little Things Everyone Can Do Every Day To Spread Love

There is nothing quite like love. It makes us feel happy and appreciated, and most of us would like a little more love in our lives. But how can you make the world a more loving place?

It only takes one small act to share feelings of love and kindness. Check out 15 little things that you can do every day to help spread love and joy.

1. Mentor someone

Do you have a skill that you can share with others? Volunteering as a mentor for someone gives them the chance to improve their skills, which could help their career or benefit them in other ways. From business to baking, there are lots of things people would like to learn about.

2. Send fun texts to your loved ones

Take a few minutes each day to send your friends a funny text or picture. It will put a smile on their face, and they may send it on to other people, spreading more love and laughter.

3. Do one little act of kindness every day

You could smile at a stranger, hold a door open for someone or help someone with heavy bags. It only takes a few seconds to do so, but the other person will appreciate your gesture – and it will probably put them in a much better mood!

4. Spread positive gossip

So many conversations are based around nasty, mean gossip. Try switching to a more positive angle and you will notice more love and happiness in your life – and you won’t upset anyone if they find out what you said!

5. Try to be less judgemental

No one likes to be judged by others, and there is very little gain from being judgmental. You will hold less anger if you are non-judgmental and open-minded – and you will be nicer to be around.

6. Be kind to the people you dislike

If you want to make the world a more loving place, it is important to stop focusing on your anger and dislikes. Don’t hold grudges or feel resentment towards the people you dislike; instead wish them well while getting on with your own life.

7. Help a friend out

Do you have any friends who you could help? From babysitting to giving a friend a lift, there are lots of simple ways to show your friends that you care about them.

8. Send your long-distance friends pictures of you all together

Share pictures with your friends who live far away of you together to remember happy memories. It will help you to appreciate each other even when you are not together.

9. Give to charity

Volunteering is a great way to share love with the world. If you don’t have time to volunteer, you can donate money, clothes, shoes, food or books to many charities to share your wealth with others.

10. Hug your loved ones

Sometimes it is easier to show love and affection without using words. If you have a friend or a family member who is feeling down or stressed, give them a big hug to show your support.

11. Buy someone a coffee

Next time you are in your local coffee shop, consider buying someone else a coffee too to spread love and generosity. It is relatively inexpensive, and the other person will be touched by your kind gesture.

12. Compliment others

Everyone likes to feel good about themselves. Try to give someone a genuine compliment every day to spread love and happiness.

13. Use your social media page to help others to feel positive

Make your social media page a friendly place by posting cute pictures, funny videos and inspirational quotes. This will help to cheer up everyone else’s feed – and you don’t even need to leave your bed to do this one!

14. Thank your server when you buy something

Often people who work in customer service roles feel under-appreciated. Show servers that you notice their hard work by thanking them for their time, and they will always look forward to seeing you again.

15. Be polite

Manners may be less important in today’s world, but most people still appreciate being treated with respect. Simply saying “please” and “thank you” can make someone else feel appreciated and loved.

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