Bone Voyage: 10 Man-Made Skull Rocks, Mountains & Islands

Bone Voyage: 10 Man-Made Skull Rocks, Mountains & Islands: "[ By Steve in Architecture & Design, History & Factoids, Travel & Places. ]

Looking to get a head in the housing market? Think location matters less than gray matters? From natural parks to theme parks, these 10 man-made skull rocks, mountains and islands show that home isn’t always where the heart is.

Skull Rock, Disney’s Fantasyland, CA, USA

(images via: Yesterland and Gorillas Don’t Blog)

Skull Rock, looking over Skull Rock Cove just steps away from Captain Hook’s Pirate Ship Restaurant at Disneyland’s former Fantasyland, took its inspiration from Walt Disney’s 1953 classic animated film, Peter Pan. Though demolished during the extensive 1982 overhaul of Fantasyland, Skull Rock set the bar for theme park skulls worldwide.

(image via: Yesterland)

At night, Skull Rock really came alive (so to speak) thanks to cleverly positioned lighting and of course, those eerily glowing green eyes. Gone but not forgotten, Skull Rock continues to prompt fright and delight thanks to pre-1982 visitors who’ve posted their photos on the Internet.

Disneyland Hotel’s Never Land Pool, Anaheim, CA, USA

(images via: Expedia, TripAdvisor and Travelmuse)

Skull Rock at Fantasyland may be gone but it’s not forgotten – in particular, by Disney’s Imagineers who reincarnated it at the nearby Disneyland Hotel. The hotel’s Never Land Pool, which was included in a large-scale 1999 renovation, now features a new and updated Captain Hook’s Pirate Ship and a re-worked Skull Rock.

(image via: Yesterland)

Though somewhat smaller than its Fantasyland ancestor and lacking its progenitor’s signature waterfalls, the revised Skull Rock at the Never Land Pool overlooks a hot tub and a 100-foot water slide.

Disneyland Paris, France

(images via: Yesterland, Panoramio/Mald, Meanderingmouse and Subhayubagchi)

What is it with Disneyland and giant skulls? Whatever the reason, the entertainment empire seems to like them – almost every Disney theme park has got a skull or two. Take Disneyland Paris for example. The Gallic noggin can be found in the Adventure Isle section of Adventureland which features Captain Hook’s pirate ship, a suspension bridge and a pirate lookout. The giant skull itself displays a complex facade meant to evoke the appearance of tilted and eroded sedimentary rock.

(image via: Adrian Langford)

Unlike most other skull rocks, the one at Disneyland Paris was designed as a cave. Visitors who enter can look out through the eye socket windows and get a skull’s eye view of Fantasyland.

Skull Rock at Desert View Tower, Jacumba, CA, USA

(images via: Notcot, Subarite&Ryquail and Travelmarx)

Desert View Tower, located along I-8 between San Diego and El Centro, was built in the mid-1920s. Declared a California Historical Landmark, the 70-ft (21m) tall tower and adjacent Boulder Park are striking examples of folk art that offer visitors a hands-on, interactive experience like no other.

(image via: Tech109)

It’s in Boulder Park, carved during the Great Depression by out-of-work engineer W.T. Ratcliffe, that you’ll find hand-sculpted quartz granite boulders including an imposing painted skull.

Skull Mountain, Six Flags, New Jersey, USA

(images via: Theme Park Review)

Skull Mountain, a 1,377 ft (420m) long enclosed roller coaster at Six Flags Great Adventure & Wild Safari in New Jersey, USA, opened in 1996 and is one of the theme park’s most popular attractions. Strobe lights and sound effects provide a sufficiently spooky atmosphere during the ride, which only lasts a minute and a half but seems longer due to a series of unexpected twists and turns along the way.

(image via: Gary Burke)

Due to its enclosed format, Skull Mountain is one of the few large roller coasters to remain open during heavy rain and thunderstorms. That doesn’t mean guests are guaranteed to stay dry, however. The huge skull on the ride’s front facade incorporates a waterfall that can be turned on and off at the park’s discretion, allowing water to pour out of the skull’s eye sockets. Be prepared to get “cried upon” on hot, crowded summer days!

Skull Mountain, Phantasialand, Germany

(images via: Theme Park Review, Panoramio/Gustl, Cool_Colonia4711 and Killer Bob)

Phantasialand, located in Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia, opened in 1967 and is one of Germany’s largest theme parks attracting around 2 million visitors annually. The park includes one of the most spectacular large skulls found anywhere – and its awesomeness is helped by its isolation from other man-made distractions.

(image via: Wikimedia)

You can find the skull rock behind the Arabian Nights Gondola Ride as it forms part of the ride’s exterior wall. The lushly landscaped area around Der Totenschädel makes a great place to enjoy an outdoor picnic.

Skull Wall, Treasure Island Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, USA

(images via: Flickriver/Rosa71uk and My Real Vegas)

Las Vegas’ Treasure Island Hotel was a more kid-friendly place to stay in the late 1990s, mainly due to the sprawling Pirate Village of Buccaneer Bay complex built right out front. The outstanding feature of the faux pirate’s cove was an ominous skull that leered out from a plaster & concrete wall. Night lighting gave the eerie visage an extra-gothic glow.

(image via: Darknews)

In 2003, Buccaneer Bay matured into “Sirens’ Cove”, along with the hotel distancing itself somewhat from the pirate theme with its new “TI” nameplate. Luckily, the skull wall survived the transition – adults like to get scared a little too, amiright?

King Kong’s Skull Island

(images via: King Kong Wiki, Designzzz and Brady McIntosh)

Mythical Skull Island, home of King Kong and any number of angry, toothy dinosaurs, has been represented a number of ways since the franchise first came down from the trees in the 1930s. The greatest of great ape’s stomping grounds have even made the jump to video games, in King Kong Skull Island Adventure.

(image via: Every Picture Tells A Story)

“Kong, King of Skull Island”… really, whose going to argue the point? And if you think about it, where else would one expect the gargantuan gorilla to live – Candy Apple Island?

Skull Island & SS Venture, Universal Studios Hollywood, USA

(images via: Hollywood Movie Costumes & Props)

One of the most striking modern-day attractions based on King Kong’s Skull Island can be found on the Studio Tour at Universal Studios Hollywood. Visitors can view the actual model of the 1930s SS Venture ship that appeared in Peter Jackson’s 2005 King Kong remake.

(image via: Hollywood Movie Costumes & Props)

The movie was shot in New Zealand to take advantage of the country’s awe-inspiring scenery (LOTR fans will agree). Upon completion of filming, the models of both the SS Venture and Skull Island were disassembled, shipped to California, and set up again on the Universal Studios backlot.

Longhorn Bar & Grill, Amado, Arizona, USA

(images via: Visual Funhouse, Chris Mooney and Roadside Peek)

Ahh, the sweet, succulent scent of sizzling beef hot off the grill… how does one improve on that? Simple: serve it inside an enormous Longhorn Steer skull! That’s exactly what the Longhorn Bar & Grill does, and the Amado, AZ (near Tucson) landmark has been serving up steaks with style since the mid-1970s.

(image via: Beige Journal)

According to Roadside America, directions to the Longhorn Bar & Grill are as follows: “Take I-19 until exit 48. Drive west on Arivaca Rd., then immediately turn right onto S. Nogales Hwy. The big skull will be on the right.” You can’t miss it… in more ways than one!

(image via: FrogMiller)

If you’re up to some skullduggery, you’ve come to the right place… to 10 right places, actually. These supersized skulls add a little dash of Goth to your travels, so be sure to bone up on your tibia, er, trivia before planning your next vacation.

---

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

The Hills Have Eyes: Joshua Tree’s Spook-tacular Skull Rock

Skull Rock: this naturally formed, supernatural looking rock formation stares across an otherworldly landscape of tumbling tumbleweeds and twisted Joshua trees.
1 Comment - Click Here to Read More
»»

---

10 Private Islands You Can’t Afford to Live On: Amazing, Exotic and Remote Luxury Retreats

Feeling a little cramped in your thousand square foot Manhattan apartment? Got a few extra million to blow?
60 Comments - Click Here to Read More »»

---

70+ Amazing Theme, Castle, Jail and Art Hotels

Even in a major cosmopolitan setting however, however, a stay in a strangely themed hotel can be an incredibly unique travel experience.
16 Comments - Click Here to Read More »»

---

---

---

[ WebUrbanist - By Steve in Architecture & Design, History & Factoids, Travel & Places. ]

"

Morning After Hang On-ers

Morning After Hang On-ers: "

Thanks for coming to my party…

but it’s time to go now!

Hey Jayda, play Wayne Newton’s greatest hits and maybe they’ll leave!

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Kittens "

Depression Drug May Aid Breast Cancer Care

Depression Drug May Aid Breast Cancer Care: "

New research discovers a drug commonly used to treat depression and anxiety disorder — duloxetine, trade name Cymbalta — can reduce joint and muscle pain associated with a breast cancer treatment.

Scientists from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center studied women taking aromatase inhibitors, a type of drug designed to block the production of estrogen, which fuels some breast cancers.

About half of women taking these drugs experience aches and pains in their joints and muscles that cannot be adequately relieved by over-the-counter painkillers. Up to 20 percent of these women will stop taking an aromatase inhibitor because of this pain.

“Since women typically take these drugs for five years, it is important that the side effects not interfere too much with their quality of life, or they will be less likely to continue taking the medicine, which may lead to a greater chance of their breast cancer returning,” says study author N. Lynn Henry, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of internal medicine at the U-M Medical School.

Henry presented the initial results of the study at the 33rd Annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium.

The study looked at the drug duloxetine, or Cymbalta, which is used to treat depression and generalized anxiety disorder. It’s also been shown to work in multiple other chronic pain conditions, such as fibromyalgia and, more recently, osteoarthritis. It is believed to decrease pain through its actions in the central nervous system.

Of 29 patients evaluated, nearly three-quarters reported that their pain had decreased by at least 30 percent. On average, after eight weeks of treatment, pain scores declined 61 percent. Only one in five patients stopped taking duloxetine because of side effects.

“Duloxetine appears to be effective at reducing the muscle and joint pain many women experience from aromatase inhibitors, with only mild additional side effects,” Henry says.

The researchers are planning a randomized, controlled trial comparing duloxetine to placebo. Henry is also doing research looking at the effect of aromatase inhibitors on pain perception to better understand why women develop pain.

Source: University of Michigan

"

Women of Means Prefer Older Men

Women of Means Prefer Older Men: "

Some have already dubbed it the George Clooney Effect: Psychologists in Scotland have found that as women become more financially independent, they want an older, more attractive male partner.

Studies have previously found that women place greater emphasis on whether a man can provide for them, while men place more importance on good looks. The new study revealed that as women earn more and become more independent, their tastes actually change.

The finding suggests that greater financial independence gives women greater confidence in choosing their partner. Instinctive preferences for material stability and security become less important, physical attractiveness becomes more important, and the age of a woman’s partner also increases.

Lead researcher Dr. Fhionna Moore said: “Previous research shows that men place greater importance on physical attractiveness when picking a partner, whereas women focus much more on whether someone can provide material resources.

“We’d assumed that as women earn more, their partner preferences would actually become more like those of men, with a tendency towards preferring younger, more attractive partners rather than those who can provide and care for children.

“However, the preferred age difference did not change as we’d expected — more financially independent women actually preferred even older men. We think this suggests greater financial independence gives women more confidence in partner choices, and attracts them to powerful, attractive older men.”

The study was conducted online with 3,770 heterosexual participants, about equal numbers of men and woman, who were asked questions about their background and personal situation, and their level of financial independence. Participants ranked a series of criteria such as physical attraction, financial prospects and sense of humor in order of importance, with these results matched against their income and financial independence.

“The behavior of men and women does become more similar as women earn more, but only in terms of the importance of physical attraction,” Moore added.

“But the similarities stop there: greater income makes women prefer even older men, and men prefer even younger women.”

The popular stereotype of powerful women adopting male patterns of behavior is strongly questioned by these new results.

The research is published in the latest online issue of the journal Evolutionary Psychology.

Source: University of Abertay Dundee

"

Placebos Work, Even When We Know They’re Placebos

Placebos Work, Even When We Know They’re Placebos: "

Taking a placebo appears to be effective even when the patient is fully aware it’s not a working drug, according to researchers at Harvard Medical School’s Osher Research Center and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC).

Placebos have no active ingredients and are mostly used as controls in clinical trials. It’s a proven fact, however, that patients often respond to them, and up until now, this was considered possible due to the power the ‘positive thinking’ associated with the hope of getting better during treatment. In fact, placebo success is so compelling that many U.S. doctors (one study estimates 50 percent) offer placebos to unaware patients.

There still stands, however, the debatable problem of deceiving patients. Since this “trickery” presents an ethical dilemma, HMS associate professor of medicine Ted Kaptchuk along with a team from BIDMC decided to investigate if the power of placebos could still be used in an honest and respectable manner.

For the study, 80 participants with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were divided into two groups: a control group which received no treatment, and a group given a twice-a-day placebo, which were truthfully described as being “like sugar pills.”

“Not only did we make it absolutely clear that these pills had no active ingredient and were made from inert substances, but we actually had ‘placebo’ printed on the bottle,” says Kaptchuk. “We told the patients that they didn’t have to even believe in the placebo effect. Just take the pills.”

The participants were monitored for three weeks and, at the end of the trial, 59% of the patients given the placebo reported ample symptom improvement as compared to 35% of the control group. Furthermore, participants who took the placebo had rates of improvement about equal to the effects of the most powerful IBS drugs.

“I didn’t think it would work,” says senior author Anthony Lembo, HMS associate professor of medicine at BIDMC and an expert on IBS.

“I felt awkward asking patients to literally take a placebo. But to my surprise, it seemed to work for many of them.”

The authors note that this is a small and narrow study and simply raises interest in the idea that placebos work even for the fully aware patient—a hypothesis that would need confirmation through larger trials.

“Nevertheless,” says Kaptchuk, “these findings suggest that rather than mere positive thinking, there may be significant benefit to the very performance of medical ritual. I’m excited about studying this further. Placebo may work even if patients knows it is a placebo.”

This study was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Osher Research Center, Harvard Medical School and is published in PLoS ONE.

Source: Harvard Medical School

"

‘Real World’ Executive Function Test Proposed for Schizophrenia

‘Real World’ Executive Function Test Proposed for Schizophrenia: "

A test that assesses schizophrenia patients’ ability to do grocery shopping is a good measure of cognitve processes such as planning, rule acquisition, and inhibition, collectively known as executive function, in a natural environment, according to researchers.

The Test of Grocery Shopping Skills (TOGSS) showed close correlation with eight measures of executive function, study co-author Elizabeth Zayat (Rockhurst University, Kansas City, Missouri, USA) and colleagues reported in the journal Psychiatry Research.

“Assessments in natural settings provide an opportunity to see an individual’s ability to respond in a dynamic, novel, and unpredictable environment. While measures that mimic real-world situations have been shown to be capable of assessing executive function, measures that occur in a real-world environment may allow us to better discern specific executive functions,” they said.

Executive dysfunction is one of the most ubiquitous features of schizophrenia and is closely related to functional outcomes, such as employment.

The TOGSS requires participants to accurately select the correct item, correct size, and lowest price for 10 target items on a grocery list. Efficiency is calculated by determining the number of aisles or sections of the store that the participant enters, and subtracting from this the actual number of aisles required to most efficiently find the 10 items on the list.

For the current study, 47 individuals with schizophrenia and 33 with schizoaffective disorder completed the TOGSS after recruitment from mental health centers in the Kansas City area.

They also underwent a battery of eight clinical executive function tests including the Trail Making Test (TMT), Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST), Letter Number Sequencing Ordering Test of Working Memory (MO), and Digit Span Backward (DSB).

A multivariate statistical technique, called canonical correlation analysis (CCA), was applied to explore the relationship between the two sets of variables.

This revealed a significant correlation such that 30 percent of the variance in the executive function and grocery shopping measures was shared.

Specifically, shopping efficiency correlated with the WCST perseverative errors, WCST trials to category 1, WCST total correct, and LNS measures; while shopping accuracy correlated with MO, DSB, and LNS measures.

The researchers say the study findings support the continued exploration of the TOGSS. However, they add that the evidence for specific relationships between executive function domains and TOGSS is moderate and requires replication.

Source: MedWire

"