Is it possible to travel to Hawaii instantaneously, without even buying a plane ticket? Yes! Just play an amazing musical instrument called a ukulele and the magic sounds from the very first chords will take you to the seashore, right to the sunny Hawaiian Islands. A ukulele is a Hawaiian version of a guitar with four strings. This instrument was invented by a Portuguese man named Manuel Nuñez in the 1880s. Nunez developed the instrument by borrowing elements of the braguinha (a miniature guitar from the island of Madeira) and the cavaquinho (a Portuguese miniature guitar). The last Queen of Hawaii, Liliuokalani, said that “ukulele” means “a gift that came here”: uku (gift) and lele (to come). According to another version, the word translates to “jumping fleas.” That’s because the finger movements that someone makes when he plays the instrument are similar to the movements of jumping fleas. There’s a reason that this wonderful instrument has an army of fans around the world. Do you fancy becoming a master ukulele player? I certainly hope so, but if you don’t, here are ten reasons why you should: 1. Playing the ukulele helps develop your personality Ukulele lessons train your memory and help you focus. You creatively develop yourself and begin to better understand the surrounding world. You soak in everything around you and begin to understand that sound and music are everywhere.  2. It’s easy to learn how to play Anyone can start playing this four-string guitar. You can learn a few simple songs in a couple of days or even hours. 3. The Ukulele has a small size and weight This musical instrument is different from its larger “friends.” It’s the smallest guitar in the world. You can easily hide it in a compact case, bag, suitcase, backpack or oversized fanny pack. 4. It helps develop concentration You learn to think spatially, remember chords, and combine your own voice into your ukulele playing. In addition, music helps to pick you up when you’re emotionally exhausted and return you to your previous level of productivity. 5. It improves fine motor skills As you play, you will develop fine motor skills and strengthen the muscles of your hands. Playing the ukulele also requires an upright posture; improving your posture will do wonders for your physical health in the long run.  6. Playing a ukulele helps fight anxiety Scientists say that music therapy helps you learn how to control your emotions and stick to positive thinking. And over time, a ukulele brings more and more joy because you start to play better and understand the essence of music. 7. You can increase your music vocabulary As you learn about the instrument and...

Every year on March 17, we celebrate Irish culture and observe the death of St. Patrick, who was the patron saint of Ireland. We imbibe Saint Patrick’s Day drinks of all varieties. We line the walls of our living rooms with green garlands and set up our leprechaun figurines on the coffee table. Our homes are showing Irish pride, but now what? There are many ways to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. Make Dinner Host a special Saint Patrick’s Day dinner, featuring a plethora of Irish food for your friends and family to enjoy. There are many traditional options you can explore. Corned beef and cabbage is a classic, and comes with many variations. Bangers and mash, or sausage and mashed potatoes, is also a crowd-pleasing classic. In addition to entrees, you could prepare Irish soda bread or purple cabbage and pecan salad as side dishes. If you have kids, you may want to explore some colorful ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. For example, festive green gelatin or pistachio cupcakes for dessert. If there are no kids involved, why not enjoy some festive Irish spirits? Start off your Saint Patrick’s Day with some Irish coffee by adding a shot of Irish cream into your cup of joe, or indulge in a specialty recipe for Irish coffees. Later in the day, you may feel like cracking open a Guinness or pouring a shot of Jameson. You can even bake with Guinness to give your meal a touch of Irish flavor. Go to a Parade Without a doubt, there is a St. Paddy’s Day parade near you. Take advantage of it. Grab a lawn chair or a blanket — or nothing if you prefer to stand — and wait along the road where floats and performers will make their way toward you. Music will waft through the air and trinkets will be thrown from floats for you to catch. Enjoy the breezy weather and bask in the energy from the crowd around you. Go to a Party Many Irish pubs have special offers on Saint Patrick’s Day. Most of the time, Irish food is involved and discounted. If for no other reason, go out for dinner so you don’t have to prepare it yourself! Most Irish pubs promise loud music, discounted Irish beer and whiskey, deals on meals, and dancing space in honor of St. Patrick’s Day. Immerse Yourself in Irish Culture Cooking and finding local entertainment can be fun, but immersing yourself in the Irish culture will truly get you in the mood to celebrate St. Paddy’s Day. Start with turning up some Irish tunes. Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys are amazing Irish bands to start with. Then, learn some...

Finger monkeys, or pygmy marmosets, are all the rage now. People who like to have exotic pets want to adopt these little critters and keep them under their care, and this has caused a sudden explosion in their popularity. Like piranhas and pythons before them, finger monkeys are becoming increasingly easy to find in the cities and in people’s homes. Pygmy Marmoset Facts They are the smallest animals of the primate family. Marmosets are part of the five monkey family that form a part of the New World Monkey classification. They are native to the South American rain forests and live in the western Amazon basin. They are under no threat of extinction and are classified as animals of ‘Least Concern’ by the IUCN. Their lifespan is between 15 to 20 years. Their primary diet is tree gum. Families of marmosets have been known to strip trees dry of gum and moving on to other groups of trees, ousting families that already live there. They can be quite vicious when fighting over turf. They are, however, too small to hurt humans. They prefer living in groups and are known to be intelligent and speak differently among their peers. They grow to about 6 inches, around 127mm and weigh only about 3.5 ounces, 100 gm. Living in the forests, they can jump about 15 feet in the air, between branches.   Habitats The finger monkey is native to South America. They are found in the western part of the Amazon forest. They are found all over Bolivia, Peru, Columbia, and Western Brazil. They stick to the undercover of mature forests and live among the lower branches of trees. Their spread is limited only by the rivers that cut through the forests and are not known to be strong swimmers. Their main area of activity is between the ground and about 60 feet in the trees. Since they need water to survive, they are found around the areas that are able to sustain water during the dry months. So small ponds and lakes are where finger monkeys usually congregate around. Food habits Finger monkeys are avid hunters and are often seen hunting down insects and butterflies. Moths, beetles and such cretins make up a good part of its diet. While they do hunt, its main source of sustenance is tree sap. They love to suckle on sap to such an extent that they have found ways to make the job of extracting the sap also easy. They bite, scratch and peel back the bark of trees and eat the gum that oozes out. After doing this repeatedly, the trees develop scar tissues that resemble circular, pimple-like structures. By keeping these bumps...

Buckle up. This is one of the more technical videos you’ll find here on The Twist. And this probably isn’t a topic for everyone. But for those of you who are into creating dashboards with Microsoft Excel, we think you’ll find the video above quite intriguing and informative. Ask anyone and they’ll tell you: creating dashboards in Excel is no walk in the park. Even for power users of the software, creating dashboards isn’t easy by any stretch of the brain. So, if you’ve been on the hunt for information about how to create a dashboard, you’ve finally found the perfect set of videos. Start by watching the one above. Then go to this Youtube channel and watch the ten part dashboard design series. After you watch them all, you’ll be a bona fide expert. Crystal Dashboard design works on top of Microsoft Excel to turn it into visualization components. Mike Taylor, your mentor in the video series, suggests you this software. Enjoy his videos, and be sure to comment on...

Everyone’s idea of an adventure is different. Traveling and going on excursions can be the highlight of any trip. But if you’re any kind of a fan of sea life, the ocean, or water in general, scuba diving just might be for you. Why? Because the world of scuba diving can be as involved as you want it to be. This is a sport that can be tailored to fit exactly what you’re looking for. Want a deep sea experience or something with a little more depth? There are programs for that. Perhaps there’s a certain kind of sea animal you’re dying to see? Yes, you’ve guessed it! There are programs for that. Whatever you want out of your scuba diving experiences, you can have, and so much more besides. Sounds too good to be true? It really isn’t! So, the next time you’re near the ocean, maybe you should give scuba diving a try? In this article, we’re sharing the top 5 reasons why. 1. Dolphins, Hammerheads, and Whales, Oh My! We can easily forget what is below the beautiful waters that surround us. We get so fixated on the essentials of survival that we forget how much more there is to explore. But imagine for a second, what it would be like if we could connect with our water mates. Would you like a caged-in experience to see a great white? Or perhaps a free dive and swim in southern Brazil to meet some dolphins is more your cup of tea? Experiencing what’s below allows you to meet creatures that will leave you in awe. The under water world can introduce you to magnificent sea creatures that will remind you of just how small we are, both literally and figuratively. Yes! The underwater schools of sea life that you’ll experience, may just rock your world, in the best way possible. 2. World of Color The colors beneath the ocean floor are like nothing you’ve ever seen. The corals and reefs reflecting off one another will offer you shades of your favorite colors that you didn’t know existed. The structural reefs of calcium carbonate will give you a colony experience that you won’t forget. The marine waters offer many nutrients that keep the reefs alive. And, as long as you’re respectful of them, you can swim in and out of the many nooks, the reefs have to offer. 3. You’ll Get Outside Yourself Sometimes all it takes for us to get outside our heads is to get outside of our routine and comfort zones. Suffering from anxiety or PTSD? Recent studies show that someone suffering from PTSD can experience 80% relief from symptoms through scuba diving. Spinal injuries and...

As kids, we all went snorkeling once or twice. Flippers on our feet, life vests, and funny masks kept us safe and near the surface of the water. There were beautiful coral reefs and schools of fish, but that is where the excitement ended. If snorkeling wasn’t thrilling enough for you, what if you could go swimming with top of the food chain predators? Shark diving is definitely a step up from snorkeling in skill and excitement level. But is it safe? In this article, I’ve put together a guide on how to scuba dive with sharks, its safety, and where to do it. Thrill seekers read on! Is Shark Diving Safe? The short answer to this question is yes, generally. As with any other situation that has a chance to be dangerous, your safety can’t be guaranteed. When you are near sharks, especially if you aren’t accompanied by a professional, there is a chance of an attack. But how common is it? Contrary to what Shark Week & online videos may have you believe, sharks are not the man-eating machines that media has made them out to be. You have more chances of being struck by lightening than you do by being bitten by a shark. In 2015, there were only six fatalities from shark attacks. That is less than a .001% chance when you compare the 2015 attacks to the world population. Yearly, sharks bite less than 100 people and most of those people (92 in 2015) survive and live to tell the tale. This data is for unprovoked shark attacks. As you can imagine, a shark will be much more inclined to bite someone who is poking, prodding, or baiting it. If you’re looking at learning how to scuba dive with sharks, make sure the company you use doesn’t use shark baiting methods. How to Scuba Dive with Sharks Now that you know the rarity of shark attacks, hopefully, you’re considering diving with these majestic ocean predators. Before you go under water, there are some things you’ll need to do first. Get Licensed Learning how to scuba dive is not a do it yourself type of thing and you won’t be allowed to dive if you’re not licensed. There are many programs, even in landlocked places, that have scuba diving lessons that can be completed in an intensive weekend or over the course of a month. The local dive center in your area will tell you what options it offers. It’s also an option to get certified while you’re on vacation, but it takes up precious free time.   Pick the Right Spot When planning out how to scuba dive with sharks, you’ll need to pick a location...