APR 27 WHY WAS DJ AVICII IN OMAN?

APR 27  WHY WAS DJ AVICII IN OMAN?

Last Friday, discos and clubs worldwide mourned the sudden passing of their beloved DJ Avicii. The accomplished Swede (real name: Tim Bergling) was found dead from apparent suicide in a hotel room in Muscat, Oman. At first, the DUNER BLOG planned to write about his many contributions to EDM (Electronic Dance Music). Next, we thought about covering the curse of being a Ralph Lauren model. However, the overwhelming question from staff members was: What was Avicii doing in Oman?

Before we start, some world geography is needed. Muscat is the capital of Oman, a sultanate on the Eastern tip of the Arabian peninsula. Its neighbors are Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. The latter nation is the reason Avicii was in Muscat. See, Dubai was one of his favorite places. During his career, he headlined numerous EMD festivals in the chic capital. As everyone knows, fantastic Dubai has burst on the worldwide scene as a entertainment mecca. In addition to musical events, the city has cutting-edge cuisine, 5-star resorts and high end fashion retailers...all the things an internationally famous DJ demands!

Sadly, a decade of the fast-life spent in fluorescent strobe lights began to take its toll on Avicii. Friends, like Sultan Al Nahyan of the U.A.E., suggested he relax in nearby Oman. He did and the DJ fell in love with Muscat...and for good reason. See, a hundred years ago, Dubai was a sleepy fishing village. But Muscat has 4,000 years of history. Ancient Greek geographer Pliny the Elder was the first to describe the city's stunning harbor, surrounded by majestic cliffs. The seaport's strategic location meant it was part of Persian, Abbasid and Portuguese empires. The latter built two towering forts in the 1500's, which are Muscat's top tourist attractions today.

However, Avicii was drawn to the opulence of Muscat's Ghubra District. The ritzy area dates back to the 1700's, when Oman was a world power. Then, the sultan controlled the southern coast on Arabia and Iran, as well as much of Africa's eastern shores. Did you know that Omani settlers are responsible for the invention of Swahili? It's a combination of Arabic and African languages. Sadly, the sultan's economy was based on slavery. When England banned the trade in 1802, the Omani Empire shrank in size. Currently, it's about the size of Italy.

While Dubai has encouraged growth...it boasts the tallest building in the world...Muscat has taken the opposite approach. Sultan Qaboos has banned any structure over seven stories to keep the Old Town's architecture intact. The result is a hidden gem for savvy travelers, like Avicii, who come to relax, unwind and meditate. He will be missed. For those of who don't follow EDM, have Pandora play 'Levels.' He mixes in Etta James and the results are truly mesmerizing.

APR 21 BEST & WORST NBA SPONSOR PATCHES

APR 21  BEST & WORST NBA SPONSOR PATCHES

The NBA post-season is underway! Sixteen teams are all aggressively striving for the championship. For those of you who are just tuning in, you might have noticed something different about the NBA this season: For the first time ever, there are advertisements sewn into the players' jerseys. Called 'sponsor patches,' they are small...just 2.5 inches by 2.5 inches...and only visible on TV. Each team selects their own sponsor. Some teams choose wisely...other teams, not so much. Here's a quick rundown of some notable ones.

THE LOCAL ANGLE: Like a team nickname, a sponsor should reflect something unique about the city. For example, Detroit's team is called the PISTONS, a nod to the cars made there. (Cleaver!) Miami is hot, so their team is called the HEAT. (Not as cleaver.) So it follows that an ad on the jersey should also represent culturally their city. We salute the New Orleans Pelicans, who chose Zatarains. What would Cajun cuisine be without their beans and rice? We also like Harley Davidson on the Milwaukee Bucks' jerseys. Likewise, General Electric has been big in Massachusetts for 150 years, so they're a natural for the Boston Celtics. Ditto for Goodyear and Cleveland.

THE CORPORATE Sadly, many NBA franchises decided on boring international corporations for their Sponsor Patches. Rather than endorse cheesesteaks, the Philadelphia 76ers are represented by StubHub, a ticket swapping company. No local angle, but at least it's sports-related. The Orlando Magic have always been linked to the Disney Corporation, so it's no surprise to see Walt's famous signature on their gear. But Toronto's Sun Life Mutual patch and Detroit's Flagstar Bank logos on their basketball jerseys just doesn't feel right.

THE CONFUSING: Some teams decided to use their coveted, but small, space to introduce fans to a company or organization they may not already know about. The Brooklyn Nets have 'infor' next to their own logo. The enterprise software company is not exactly a household name. The Jazz is playing with '5 for the Fight.' This organization is raising money for cancer research, but you need to research to figure this out. We are also not impressed with the reigning champions. The Golden State Warriors didn't choose a sponsor with local ties like Ghiradelli Chocolate or Rice-a-Roni, the San Francisco treat. Nope, it's Rakuten, another online store based in Tokyo.

Surprisingly, NBA commissioner Adam Silver received very little opposition to the 'Sponsor Patches' this season. Thankfully, the other three pro leagues in the US remain opposed to advertisements on their players' bodies. But Silver is quick to note it will raise over $100 million in revenue. While that number sounds impressive, remember Russell Westbrook's contract alone is $205 million. Ironically, this was the best year ever for the NBA revenue-wise, so it seems silly to raise more money in such an obvious and offensive manner. We just want to warn the NBA about the slippery-slope advertising on people's clothing. Just look what happened to NASCAR drivers!

APR 13 GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH IS NOW THE SIZE OF ALASKA

APR 13 GREAT PACIFIC GARBAGE PATCH IS NOW THE SIZE OF ALASKA

The most disturbing news story of the week is not what you think! No, it's not an inflammatory Trump Tweet. Nor is it another NBA player found cheating on his pregnant wife. It has nothing to do with Facebook. Nope, this week's truly terrifying item comes from a beach in Spain. A dead Sperm whale washed ashore. While this happens all the time, this time things were different. See, the enormous mammal did not die from natural causes. It died from the 40 pounds of plastic found in his stomach.

Sadly, dead sea creatures washing ashore with bellies full of colorful plastic is becoming commonplace worldwide. The largest problem is the Pacific Plastic Patch. While it sounds pretty, it is truly the opposite. Simply put, it is an enormous section of the North Pacific where waste collects. Why does this happen? Well, ocean currents are circular. So this means the center (gyre) of a current's massive circle receives little movement. Over the last fifty years, floating debris has accumulated. Hence, the name Garbage Patch.

However, the patch in the North Pacific Ocean has grown so large, it received a special moniker: It's the GREAT Pacific Garbage Patch. Ten years ago, National Geographic reported the GPGP had grown in size and was now about the size of Texas. Recently, a study using new satellite technology measured it at 617,000 square miles. That's a little larger than Alaska! Stay tuned, because it shows no signs of slowing down. Soon its size will be compared to nations instead of US States.

There's lots of fishing nets and waste from the 2011 tsunami in Japan, but most of the trash in the garbage patch is plastic. The difference between plastic and this other waste is simple. Other debris will eventually deteriorate, but indestructible plastic is stuck in the ocean forever. Well...actually, scientists speculate that plastic will eventually disintegrate in 500 years. So we'll just have to wait until the year 2518 to know for sure! It's clear: The real problem with the GPGP is delicious, brightly colored micro-plastics which whales just love to eat.

Humankind's love affair with plastic was understandable at first. It was first introduced to the US market in the 1950's. The amazing, wondrous material is stronger than paper and lighter than tin. Soon, plastic containers began replacing tin cans. Plastic bags began replacing paper bags. Nowadays plastic is omnipresent. But this dead whale clearly shows this love affair has gone awry. The DUNER BLOG is not green-washing: The people of earth really need to reconsider the long-term effects of plastic before the garbage patch reaches our beaches!

APR 5 TIGER & ELEPHANT ATTACKS ON THE RISE IN INDIA

APR 5  TIGER & ELEPHANT ATTACKS ON THE RISE IN INDIA

Surprise! The toughest guy in the world isn't a GUY! Nope, it's 23 year-old Rapali Meshram. She lives on the edge of jungle in the Indian state of Maharashtra. One night, she heard her favorite goat scream in pain. She rushed outside to discover a massive tiger, crouched and ready to pounce. Did she run back inside and lock the door? Not the world's toughest guy! Instead, she grabbed a stick and tried to protect her goat. Details of the fight are sketchy, but we know that her mom dragged her back inside. Before heading to hospital, she took a selfie.

While this story of misplaced bravery makes for fun copy, the truth is Rapali is one of the lucky ones. Since 2014, one person a day in India dies from a tiger or elephant attack. Do the math: That's 1,144 people getting mauled or trampled to death in the last three years. Most deaths happen in a similar manner: A rancher or farmer attempting to protect their property. While it may seem extreme, remember: The goat, cattle or fruit tree is the person's lifeline, so it truly is a "life or death" matter.

The larger problem involves the simple fact that the nation of India isn't big enough anymore. As everyone knows, India's population is enormous and keeps expanding. It's at 1.3 billion and has grown by 3 by the time you reach the end of this blog. Also, tiger populations are rising. Since conservation efforts began in the 1970's, the number of wild tigers has doubled. The one statistic that isn't changing is India's size. It's holding steady at 1,266,219 square miles. So the government's plan to keep cramming more and more people and animals together is not working out.

The current problem began forty years ago, when the Indian government implemented the conservation act. Large swaths of sought-after lands were parceled off for nature reserves. At the time, there was enough land for every man and beast. Nowadays, new human settlements are seen as economic development, even if they are on the edge of a nature reserve. Belinda Wright of a Wildlife Protection Society agrees. "The shrinking of good quality habitats is an absolutely critical concern for the future of India's iconic animals."

Back to Rapali. Yesterday, she and her mother were discharged from hospital. They were told not to fight any more wild beasts. Sadly, things didn't go well for the goat, who did not recover from the attack. The tiger remains at large. The lesson here is that modern India is not the Kipling novel The Jungle Book. Humans and tigers cannot talk to each other and work things out. Yet this seems to be the government's approach to the problem. Let's face it: If India doesn't get serious about drawing, keeping and enforcing urban limit lines, conflict between will continue. How many more goats must die?

MAR 30 INSIDE KIM JONG UN'S ARMORED TRAIN

MAR 30 INSIDE KIM JONG UN'S ARMORED TRAIN

It's shaping up to be a most busy year for North Korea's reclusive tyrant KIM JONG UN. On April 27th, he is scheduled to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-In. It will take place in the oddly named 'Freedom House' in the Demilitarized Zone. Later in the year, there are plans to meet with quixotic US President Donald Trump. To prepare for these auspicious summits, Kim Jong headed to Beijing to meet his only ally in the world, Chinese President-for-life Xi. Since this is the hermit dictator's first international trip since assuming power in 2011, the visit to China is indeed historic.

But...speaking of historic...you should see how Kim Jong travels: In a 70-year old Pullman-style railway car. It's pulled by an iron beast of a locomotive painted dark green with bold yellow stripes. Why does he do this? Well, it's not known if the current North Korean dictator is afraid of flying. But his father and grandfather certainly were. Hence, they traveled in a specifically designed, heavily-armored, bullet-proof Super Train. It's hard to find details of this railway wonder, but here's what we've pieced together.

We do know the train's route. After departing Pyongyang, it meanders through the mountains. Next, it stops at Dandong, a remote border city on the Yalu River. It then chugs through two dozen closed stations in Manchuria before reaching the Main Train Station in Beijing. Satellites tell us there are 21 total cars, as the Dear Leader needs lots of protection and pampering. This means the train is extremely heavy, so its average speed is just 37 MPH (60 KPH). So the 685-mile journey takes about 19 hours to complete.

Details about the interior of the mystery train are harder to come by. Photos show a dated, but lavish, furniture in plush conference rooms. Flat screen TVs and maps of Korea adorn the walls. Our only first-hand descriptions of the inside of the train come from Konstantin Pulikovshy, a former Russian diplomat. In a NY Times interview, he recalled a visit to Moscow by Kim Jong Il in 2001. Live lobsters and cases of Bordeaux wines were served. "It was possible to order any dish of Russian, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and French cuisine," he noted. Unverified reports tell of a crew of gorgeous, scantily-clad female conductors. Think of it is as a Playboy Mansion on rails.

While it's fun to poke a KIM JONG UN's many idiosyncrasies, we here at the DUNER BLOG are happy he is at least using his mystery train. This means the man is going places and talking to people. Aside from war, this is the only method that will work to solve the many problems he creates. Let's face it: He controls twenty-five million people who are brainwashed. Most live close to poverty but actually think they are the envy of the world. A mind is a terrible thing to waste!

MAR 24 WHY IS PURPLE ASSOCIATED WITH ROYALTY?

MAR 24  WHY IS PURPLE ASSOCIATED WITH ROYALTY?

At the DUNER BLOG headquarters, we often listen to the All-Eighties radio station. When Prince's Purple Rain played the other day, a staff member asked: "Why is purple always associated with royalty and religion?" Well...when you ask a historical question like this at this office, be prepared for a very long-winded response. So let's get started!

We can thank Hercules for discovering the color purple. Well...actually, it was Hercules' dog. The two were strolling along the beach when the pooch chewed on a sea-snail. Afterward, his drool was a new color. It was quite a discovery. Aside from flowers, one particular sea mollusk is the only naturally occurring purple item on earth. To make it worse, Murex (scientific name: Bolinus Brandaris) is found only along the Mediterranean coastline of the modern-day nation of Lebanon. This meant that only a small amount of purple dye was available.

The color purple's popularity in ancient times can therefore be seen as a clear case of 'Supply and Demand.' Given this rarity, purple clothing was only used by the wealthy and powerful. Adding to the rarity, obtaining this purple dye was quite labor-intensive. First, you crack the shell and remove the snail. Then find a tiny gland and extract a white mucous. Once exposed to six hours of sunlight, it will turn into purple. As expected, it takes hundreds of snails to make an ounce or two of the gelatinous substance. Homer states that purple dye is "worth its weight in gold"

Throughout antiquity, the Phoenician city of Tyre was the center of the Murex production. Pliny the

Elder describes the massive semi-circular vats on the edge of the port. Next to these stood mountains of discarded shells. It follows that controlling this coveted trade was essential for every emperor. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Justinian...all wore Tyrian purple robes. In medieval times, when popes replaced kings, purple remained in demand. But perhaps the most obsessed monarch was Queen Elizabeth I. She passed the Sumptuary Laws, which forbade anyone but the Royal Family from wearing purple!

Suddenly, everything changed in the year 1856. That's when an 18-year-old chemist tried to synthesize an anti-Malaria drug called quinine. William Henry Perkin instead invented a simple chemical purple dye. It was refined and mass produced and the British chemist died a multi-millionaire. Rightfully so. His wondrous gift to the world meant that rich and poor alike could finally wear purple clothes. Even an oddly-named musician from Minneapolis can don an oversized crushed-velvet PURPLE overcoat. Rock on!

MAR 17 THE MOST POPULAR SPRING BREAK DESTINATIONS

MAR 17 THE MOST POPULAR SPRING BREAK DESTINATIONS

It's mid-March and in America that can only mean one thing: SPRING BREAK! For our readers outside the USA: Originally for the Easter holiday, American universities usually give students a whole week off classes. While some students use the free time for intense extra studying sessions, many others instead head south to warm beaches for intense party sessions. According to this year's AAA survey, here are the five most popular Spring Break destinations:

#5. Cancun. Although Mexican resorts have been hit by a crime wave recently, there is one demographic who does not care: Spring Breakers! Not normally the 'news-reading' type, college kids come for the white-sand beaches and the turquoise Caribbean waters. NOT! The main appeal of Cancun is the 18+ drinking age. This solves the biggest problem underage college kids face. As expected, a high level of tequila poppers leads to a high ranking on the party scale for this destination.

#4. Punta Cana. The Dominican Republic also boasts an 18+ drinking age. It also has pristine tropical beaches. But most importantly, the island is closer to the East Coast. The secret is out and tourists are coming in droves to the Eastern tip of Hispaniola. Built in 1984, the international airport has since expanded and is now the busiest in the Caribbean region. It's serviced by major US carriers like Delta, JetBlue and American Airlines. Punta Cana succeeds as a laid-back alternative to the "Girls Gone Wild' vibe of Cancun.

#3. Honolulu. Oahu boasts high visitor numbers year round, but March is their top month. Waikiki

was built for fun and continues to deliver the goods Spring Breakers demand. They need tropical beaches and tropical drinks. Look for this destination to rise in next year's rankings when Southwest Airlines will be allowed into the oligarchical lock on Hawaii flights.

#2. Ft. Lauderdale. Everything changed for this small town in 1960. That's when Connie Francis filmed the movie 'Where the Boys Are' on the main beach. This small act instantly created the whole concept of the Spring Break beach party. For the next two decades, the city was besieged by college kids every March. It became unmanageable, and in 1980 the city council passed strict laws. Next, the city successfully re-branded themselves with high-end additions like the Ritz Carlton. Rich kids still count and likely are responsible for the high ranking.

#1. Orlando. The only entry not located on a beach tops the list. That's because a high number of Spring Breakers aren't in college. Nope, they're in High School and the top destination for family vacations is resort-packed Orlando. Sure, a couple of fraternity brothers will be chanting "Chug! Chug!" at the local Hooter's...but Disney World is the real reason Orlando is this year's top Spring Break destination.