Nikko, Japan

Nikko (Japanese: 日光市) is a Japanese city in Tochigi Prefecture. The city's name comes from the word nikkou, which literally means sunlight/sunshine in Japanese. Nikko acheived fame as a mountain resort known for its scenic views filled with waterfalls, rivers, forests, and of course, mountains. It's home to several historical and famous sites such as the Futarasan Shrine, a Shinto shrine that includes the Shinkyo. The Shinkyo is the Sacred Bridge that crosses over the Daiya River. It's also home to a Tosho-gu shrine that features the infamous three wise monkeys called the san'en (also called sanzaru or sanbiki no saru in Japanese) that emulate "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil." Nikko also has a lot of hot springs and peaceful nature based hotels. It's very beautiful and far away from the images of Tokyo that crowd everyone's minds when they think of Japan. It's a very clean and pristine looking place. Not a lot of lung clogging pollution or anything like that. Just nature and fresh air.

The official flag of Nikko.


The Shinkyo, also know as the Sacred Bridge


A waterfall in Nikko.

Basking Shark

A basking shark is the second largest living species of shark, the largest being the whale shark. It averages 20 to 26 feet long but the biggest one caught and verified on record was 40.3 feet long and was caught in Canada in 1851. The basking shark is a filter feeder, meaning it eats only plankton. Because they eat only plankton and not fish or animals, they will not be attracted to chum. They are a prime experience for divers because they are virtually harmless and w will often interact with the divers by circling them. There has never been any record of a shark attack on a human regarding basking sharks. They are noted as not being afraid of boats and will approach them should the boats come within their path. They are slow, swiming at an average speed of around 2 knots per hour (roughtly 2.3 miles per hour). Basking sharks are often known to travel in same-sex groups called shoals. They often swim at the surface to feed, hence the name "basking" shark because they appeared to be basking in the sun. In 2009, 25 basking sharks were tagged off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Studies on those sharks showed that they can remain at depths of 660 to 3,300 feet for weeks at a time and can travel as far south as Brazil. Basking sharks don't have many predators but have been known to be attacked by tiger sharks and orcas. The biggest threat to basking sharks is people. Traditionally, they were hunted by whalers for oil, flesh and leath but are now hunted for shark fin soup and traditional Chinese medicene. From 1845 to 1970, Canada declared them a nuisance and the government attempted to eradicate them (a.k.a. wipe them out). Human influence has caused a serious decline in the population of basking sharks and they are now a protected species in several countries but not all.

Picture of two average sized divers by an open mouth basking shark.


A young woman swimming with a basking shark.

Don't Leave Home by Dido

Don't Leave Home is a 2004 song by the English singer Dido off of her album Life For Rent. It didn't chart high, reaching #1 only on the Russian Singles Chart. Though it only reached #25 on the UK Singles Chart, it remained there for nine weeks and even five years later, remains in popular usage worldwide with the song being featured in movies, soundtracks, tv shows and commercials. It's a song about drug addiction but it is written from the point of the drug speaking to the addict. It is a very beautiful song in my opinion, even with or without knowing the meaning behind it.

The music video for Don't Leave Home.

Dido - Don't Leave Home (Official Music Video) - Click here for the funniest movie of the week

The lyrics for Don't Leave Home.
Like a ghost don't need a key
Your best friend I've come to be
Please don't think of getting up for me
You don't even need to speak
When I've been here for just one day
You'll already miss me if I go away
So close the blinds and shut the door
You won't need other friends anymore
Oh don't leave home, oh don't leave home
If you're cold I'll keep you warm
If you're low just hold on
Cause I will be your safety
Oh don't leave home
And I arrived when you were weak
I'll make you weaker, weaker still
Now all your love you give to me
When your heart is all I need
Oh don't leave home, oh don't leave home
If you're cold I'll keep you warm
If you're low just hold on
Cause I will be your safety
Oh don't leave home
Oh how quiet, quiet the world can be
When it's just you and little me
Everything is clear and everything is new
So you won't be leaving will you
Oh don't leave home, oh don't leave home
If you're cold I'll keep you warm
If you're low just hold on
Cause I will be your safety
Oh don't leave home

Neopets

Neopets is an online virtual pet community. You create a free account and pick from different species of virtual fantasy creatures to take as a pet. You can have up to four pets at once. You can open a shop of your own, play the stock market or play games to score Neopoints (the currency in Neopia) to buy your pet food, clothes, toys, and more. You can even buy a cute Petpet for your Neopet. You visit all sorts of hidden worlds such as the medieval Brightvale and the prehistoric Tyrannia that are apart of Neopia. You can even adopt or abandon your pet at the pound or make your slacking Neopet get a job of its own. Remember to feed your pet everyday or they'll get hungry. And don't feed them junk food or they may get sick and you'll need to pay a visit to the hospital. You can also paint your Neopet different themes from Hawaiian to Starry to Christmas. There's also weekly and monthly contests where you can win mega Neopoints. Overall, it's a very cute and fun site for all ages with virtually limitless possibilities and games. There's nothing gruesome like killing other Neopets or anything (though you can "battle" them for status). The Neopets are super cute and innocent. They also have really cute merchandise. The official website is http://www.neopets.com/.

A Neopet called a "Feepit" is featured below.


A Petpet called a "Warf" is featured below.

Gingerism

Gingerism is a form of discrimination against redheads. It is often compared to racism. Yes, I know a lot of you are probably laughing at the thought but it's true. It's prominent in the United Kingdom but is also experienced in the United States, Australia and Canada as well. It sounds unbelievable but it has indeed been documented and verified over the years. Gingerism may take place in milder forms such as name calling with words like ranga or fanta pants. Extreme forms actually involved physical harm and harrassment against redheads. Several years ago, a redhead family of four in Britain had to move because people vandalized their home with rocks and left threatening letters to them simply because they all had red hair. It's thought the cause of discrimination in the United Kingdom began because the Celts (such as the Irish and the Scots), who have been and still are discriminated against, had red hair before Nordic influence. Thus red hair was associated with Celts who were considered witches, barbaric and inferior. As British colonies branched out into the United States, Canada and Australia, the idea was taken with them. This is probably why gingerism is not typically witnessed in Middle Eastern or Hispanic countries despite having significant populations of red hair. In the Middle East, all the way back to Ancient Egypt, red hair was a prized trait. Pharoah Ramesses II (a.k.a. Rameses the Great) had red hair as did his father Seti I. In Islam, the prophet Muhammad dyed his hair red with henna, a practice still in use today and popular in Western countries as an alternative form to chemical ridden hair dye. So gingerism seems to be mostly, if not completely, limited to English speaking countries with British roots.

Marcia Cross is an American actress who is famous for her red hair in the United States.


British actor Rupert Grint, best known for playing Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter films, is known worldwide for having "ginger" hair.


American sex symbol Marilyn Monroe, born Norma Jean Baker, was a natural redhead.

Skins

Skins is a British tv show that broadcasts on the channel E4. It first aired in 2007 and has obtained millions of faithful teen viewers. The show switches casts after two seasons (with the exception of Kaya Scodelario). It focuses on groups of British teenagers fresh out of high school and new to college from an array of backgrounds and lifestyles (both mainstream and alternative). Popular characters from the show include the gay and handsome Maxxie (portrayed by Mitch Hewer), the womanizing Tony (portrayed by Nicholas Hoult), the promiscious and untamed Effy (portrayed by Kaya Scodelario), the extremely different redheaded twins Katie and Emily ( portrayed by Megan and Kathryn Prescott), and the obnoxious rebel-with-out-a-cause Cook (portrayed by James O'Connell). Overall, the show takes the teen dramas to the next level with character development as its strongest point as opposed to over-the-top drama. While there's still sex, drugs, and partying, the biggest appeal of the show is that the characters are relatable and not unbelievable in their personalities and appearances. Unlike when other teen dramas change casts and the characters are basically just portrayed by new people under a different name, the writers of Skins did a great job giving appeal to their new characters without repeating anything you saw in the last characters. With each new cast, everyone picks a new Skins character to identify with. Yes, it's highly dramatic but it's addicting and just good ol' fashioned entertainment. The fourth season will air in 2010.

A picture for the soundtrack of the first season of Skins that features all of the original cast.

Ear Pointing

Ear pointing, also known as ear sculpting, is a form of body modification used to produce "elf ears" (or Vulcan ears to all you Trekkies out there). A small wedge shaped piece of ear is removed at the top of the ear and then sutured back together. When healed, the ear comes to a point, resembling an elf ear. It is considered a pseudosurgical procedure. Steve Haworth is usually credited with inventing it. Few people offer the surgery and it is not offered by cosmetic surgeons. Where can you can get ear pointing done? BME lists several respected professionals who perform ear pointing. They are as follows: Steve Haworth, Emilio Gonzalez, Lukas Zpira (Official Website), Jonathan Martinez (Official Website), and Brian Decker (Official Website). Another person I found on the web is Russ Fox (Official Website). Given the other sites, Fox's looks very professional and he offers a wide variety of services with a large following. Please note that I neither endorse nor condemn any of these professionals as I am not a body modification expert and I have never been a customer of any of them.

Pictures of ear pointing below featuring unknown persons performed by an unknown professional(s). Faces have been covered to conceal identity.

Ladyboy

Ladyboys or a Kathoey/Katoey as they're called in Thai (Thai: กะเทย) is roughly translated as being a male-to-female transgender person or a male crossdresser but in Thailand, they are often seen as a "third sex." Unlike a mtf person, a ladyboy often stops their transformation at breasts, which they obtain by means of cosmetic surgery, female hormone therapy or a combination of both. However, some ladyboys do indeed undergo full sex change surgery. Unlike a crossdresser, a ladyboy generally behaves like a woman full time and presents themselves as such. A ladyboy often dresses like a woman, wears makeup, and will grow their natural hair long where crossdressers often wear wigs and resume daily life as a male. Ladyboys are quite popular in Thai media as well as in the Thai sex industry. There are many ladyboy beauty contests held in Thailand every year. A ladyboy may also be known as a shemale.

Nong Poy is a popular Thai ladyboy who is featured in various Thai media.



Nong Thoom (also spelled as Nong Toom or Nong Tum), born Parinya Charoenphol, is a ladyboy who became a famous Muay Thai champion and then later became a model and actress. Her life story was made into the Thai film Beautiful Boxer.

Welcome

Welcome to Things You Didn't Know Existed.