MAY 25 WHAT ARE THE 'SEVEN SUMMITS'?

MAY 25  WHAT ARE THE SEVEN SUMMITS?

Tragedy struck Sandy, Utah this week, when friends and family got word from Nepal: Avid mountain climber Donald Lynn Cash died during his descent from Mount Everest. He died pursing his passion: conquering the Seven Summits. As with any sport, there is always an ultimate achievement. For runners, it's the Boston Marathon. For triathletes, it's Kona. For mountain climbers, the pinnacle is to climb the highest peak on each continent, or the so-called 'Seven Summits.' Here are the seven, ranked in order of easiest to most difficult to climb.

#7 Kosciuszko (Australia). 7,310 ft. 2,228m. We begin 'Down Under'. The tallest mountain in Australia is named after the Polish explorer who first climbed the unassuming mount in 1840. Getting there is simple. Rent a car in Sydney and drive three hours southwest. Park and walk five miles of trail to the summit.

#6. Elbrus (Europe). 18,510 ft. 5,642m. Similarly, getting to the top of Europe's highest peak is also relatively easy. Fly to Sochi via Moscow. Hop onto an impressive chairlift to the Elbrus base camp. From there, it's a rigorous seven hour climb to the summit. It's only possible do to this in the summer: the Caucus Mountains have seven months of winter.

#5 Aconcagua (South America). 22,837 ft. 6,960m. Located at 32°S latitude, this Argentine peak bathes in seven months of summer. It's not very steep, either. According to the climber's association, Aconcagua is the tallest non-technical mountain in the world. This means no ropes or axes are required. Even a nine-year old boy made it to the summit!

#4 Kilimanjaro (Africa). 19,341 ft. 5,885m. The tallest peak in the tropics straddles the border of Kenya and Tanzania. The advantage of climbing a mountain located in a hot climate means the going is snow-free for most of the journey. It's also a non-technical mountain, so you just need to be in great shape to climb it. With 28,000 hikers annually, it's the most popular of the Seven Summits.  

#3. Denali (North America). 20,310 ft. 6,190m. While visiting this mountain won't require a passport or visa, it will require lots of endurance. You can't drive, fly or take a chairlift...That's just how Alaska is. Even in summer, conditions are freezing. Hence, only a handful of experienced climbers attempt the climb. Of those, only 58% make it to the top.

#2. Everest (Asia) 29,029 ft. 8,848m. Climbing to the top of Mount Everest is on everyone's bucket-list...not just mountain climbers. To satisfy this growing number, the Nepalese government continues to increase the number of people allowed into the National Park. Then, they wait for clear skies and all ascend together. Donald Lynn Cash died from respiratory failure while waiting in line to hike down a trail.

#1. Vinson Massif (Antarctica). 16,050 ft. 4,892m. Of course this is the toughest to climb! It's on the South Pole! Travel to the unpopulated continent is restricted to scientists and wealthy people. So if you're not a PhD, you must shell out $43,000 to an adventure agency. They'll fly you from Punta Arenas in a tiny plane to a even tinier landing strip in Antartica. From then on, it's subzero temperatures. Let's face it...you'd have to be really crazy to want to climb the Seven Summits.

MAY 18 WHICH COUNTRY HAS THE MOST SATELLITES?

MAY 18  WHICH COUNTRY HAS THE MOST SATELLITES?

This week, Elon Musk's SPACE X agency was forced to delay their Starlink Launch. The ambitious project plans to launch sixty satellites into orbit, thus setting a record. Ultimately, this dense scattering from above will provide everyone below with high-speed internet service. It's a stunning development. See, we Earthlings have come a long way from the first Sputnik launch back in 1953. Today, there are an estimated 2,062 satellites orbiting our planet. If you're feeling suddenly spied on, let's see who is operating these space wonders.

Thankfully, there is an international agency that concerns itself primarily with monitoring events in the Last Frontier. The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) maintains a database to bring worldwide awareness of what's happening in our planet's gravitational field. In addition to counting each nation's spacecraft, they also categorize by ownership: commercial, military or government. Each satellite's launch date and expected lifetime is also provided. Heck, it even tracks every satellite's apogee, perigee and inclination...but we don't know what those things are.

Not surprisingly, the United States is responsible for 901 of earth's satellites. This is more than the next eight nations combined. Of these, more than half (523) are commercially owned and operated. For example, AT&T has a seven while DirectTV employs four satellites. The US Armed forces has 176 of them orbiting earth, and the US Government is responsible for 164. Let's see who is next on the international chart. At #2 and #3 on the chart are the usual suspects: China (299 satellites) and (Russia (153). Also not surprisingly, most of their satellites are used for the military.

In the fourth place on the list  are Multi-national satellites. This grouping includes entities like the European Space Union and The Pan-Arab Space Agency. Even Central American nations have a space company. Japan, the UK, India and Canada occupy slots #5 - #8, but the most surprising nation in the top ten comes in at #9: Luxembourg. The tiny principality operates the Luxembourg Space Agency (LSA) which is primarily concerned with scientific advancement.

Perhaps the most encouraging part of the UCS study is the fact that militaries worldwide are launching far fewer satellites and the private sector can't send enough up. Elon Musk is confident the Starlink will not only succeed, but pave the path for even greater global coverage in the near future. Finally, having more satellites has also improved one of our most beloved summertime activities: Campfires. It is near impossible to see a shooting star, but you only have to wait a couple minutes to see a satellite crisscrossing the night sky!

 

MAY 11 THAILAND HAS A NEW KING

MAY 11  THAILAND HAS A NEW KING

While most of the world's tabloids were firmly focused on the birth of Prince Archie in London on Tuesday, there was another event in the field of international royalty this week: A new king was crowned in Bangkok. Maha Vajralongkorn...thankfully also known Rama X...is a regent no longer. It's been a long wait. His father was a beloved monarch who ruled for seventy years so a very long period of mourning was needed. We're talking thirty months of mourning!

What makes the Thai Royal House so fascinating is their semi-divine status. A thousand years ago, the world was ruled by kings who descended from above. One by one, over the next thousand years, they have been replaced by more earthly rulers. Sometimes, like in Paris, St. Petersburg or Peking, the transition is violent and the king, czar and emperor is executed. Other monarchs have been luckier. They are stripped of their holy status but remain ceremonial heads of state. This is the case in London, Madrid and Tokyo. Yet only one major nation still has a monarch who rules from a Mandate From Heaven: Thailand.

To clarify: In 1932, the nation changed its name from the Kingdom of Siam to The Republic of Thailand and officially became a Constitutional Monarchy. However, a government proclamation doesn't change a millennium of devotion. While the rest of Asia was colonized by Europe, proud Siam remained independent. "I love and respect the monarchy," explained spectator Sujitra Bokularb. "Since I was young, I have seen the wonders the king has done for us." The current royal house dates back to 1782 when Rama the First was crowned. Most Westerners know his great-grandson Rama IV. He was the King in the musical The King And I. W

Okay...most of you probably don't know Rogers & Hammerstein...so here's a quick recap. The sacred Thai king is portrayed as arrogant, superficial and surrounded by lavish extravagance. Until he falls in love. (It's a musical, after all!) Since it is punishable by death to slander the monarchy, the movie version of The King And I is still banned in Thailand. Sadly, as the standards of living continue to plunge in the once-wealthy Asian jewel, people should be able to voice concern about better wealth distribution.

Yet none of this matters this week! We've got a new king! The Wat Pho (Royal March) is a reward to the people for their unwilling devotion. On display was some of the most opulent items ever. Let's start with the seven-tiered umbrella. It boasts four feet of fine white silk trimmed in gold. Also gold is the Sword of Victory, encrusted with diamonds and rubies. Likewise, the Royal Fan is also gold. We like the Royal Fly-Whisk made from white elephant hair. Yet the best example of the over-the-top wealth of the Thai King must be the Royal Slippers. Red velvet on the inside, diamonds on the outside and soles made of pure gold. Don't worry! Thai Kings don't walk. His royal carriage is carried by 16 soldiers the entire four miles of the parade.

MAY 4 WHY ARE AMERICAN DOLLAR BILLS SO PLAIN?

MAY 4  WHY ARE AMERICAN DOLLAR BILLS SO PLAIN?

This week, the International Bank Note Society announced the winner of the coveted 'Bank Note of the Year Award.' Here's the final tally. In fifth place: The Solomon Islands $40 wowed judges with dynamic color schemes. Russia's elegant 100 Ruble and Norway's geometric 500 Kroner came in fourth and third place. Last year's champ, Switzerland, was expected to repeat, but ended up in a distant second place. Everyone fell in love with Canada's daring and explosive $10 bill.

Never heard of the IBNS? It's a relatively new organization that celebrates the collection of paper currency. Since 2004, they've crowned 16 champions for their artistic merit. Kazakhstan, Switzerland and Canada are the only multiple winners. One nation has never been nominated for having artistically pleasing currency: The USA. Everyone in the world agrees: Greenbacks are dirty, dull, overly similar and completely uninspiring. Most Americans don't travel overseas and therefore don't know that money doesn't have to look like this.

Let's check out the chat-room at AskEurope and see what Europeans have to say about American bills. "Their coins are different colors and sizes. Why are the bills all the same?" GaryJM continues: "You open your wallet and you just see a stack of green. You must search to find the desired one." Also confusing to European travelers is the fact the US bills are all the same size. "Why is a useless $1 the same size as a powerful $100 bill?" Good question, MagsClouds. Every other nation makes smaller value bills smaller in size. Yet Greenbacks are frustratingly all the same size.

Sure, we understand why the Feds don't change our money. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The dollar has been earth's most important currency for nearly a century. Suddenly changing it would create havoc and insecurity. Why? Because people worldwide chose to hold US dollars over saving their own currencies in banks. Like gold, US $100 bills are valued everywhere and at any time. No one is saving Ugandan Shillings in shoe boxes, so changing their design is no big deal. However, if the US Mint suddenly produced pink money, folks would freak out.

We don't want this, but certainly some minor changes to our currency are long overdue. The current design was unveiled in 1929 and has only changed slightly since then. In 1999, the Mint enlarged the portraits of Hamilton and Jackson and people loved it. A new $20 Harriet Tubman bill will be released next year. Hopefully, Americans will embrace it and...more importantly...accept improvement to our sacred bills. Canada's award winning design is vertical. Weird, but effective. In California, IDs for citizens under 21 years old are vertical; for people over 21 they are horizontal. This simple change has made it much easier to identify underage drinkers. Let's face it: Every American would benefit from having our bills easier to use and more pleasing to look at!