They Don't Make Maps Like this Anymore

Since the human invention of territorial borders there has been a fascination with maps. Maps have defined the way we understand the world, outlining the geographical -- and often political -- delineations of humanity.

"Worlds Revealed," a new Library of Congress blog created in November, will feature some of the more vintage maps from the LoC archive. The maps, dating back as early as the 1500s, show a time when cartographers used their own artistic stroke to illustrate the world, including cities, railroads, national parks -- even the cosmos.

"With this blog, we invite you to broaden your conception of what a map is," the Library of Congress notes on its site. "We will highlight cartographic objects from our collections that sometimes go beyond what usually ends up in exhibits and in textbooks and bring to the forefront uncataloged objects that have never before been placed online."

Take a peek into the maps of "Worlds Revealed" below.

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5 Pasta Recipes Every True Italian Should Know

Foreign guests at home who are clamoring for a carbonara? Or maybe a nice plate of spicy spaghetti at midnight in a friend’s house in New York or Amsterdam? Here are five of the most famous Italian recipes, symbols of Italy’s pasta cult, to challenge you and test if you are a true master of the art of pasta and sauces.

PENNE ALL’ARRABBIATA

Serves 4

400g of penne

2 fresh or dried chili peppers

2 cloves of garlic

400g ripe fresh or canned tomatoes

100g pecorino cheese

Salt and pepper

Fresh parsley

Extra virgin olive oil

Crush the garlic and fry it in a pan with the olive oil and chopped chilies. Peel the fresh tomatoes, after scalding them in boiling water for 1 minute, remove the seeds and chop them, or use canned tomatoes and add them to the pan, cook them until the liquid is reduced. Cook the pasta until it is al dente and tip it into the pan, add fresh parsley and the cheese. Serve immediately.

PASTA WITH TUNA

Every Italian has eaten this, especially during their university years. This is a “sophisticated” version.

Serves 4

350g of pasta

160g can of tuna in oil

1 clove of garlic

1 hot pepper

300g of cherry tomatoes

Extra virgin olive oil

Fresh basil

Salt and pepper

Thoroughly drain the oil from the tuna, crush the garlic and cut the tomatoes in half. Meanwhile, cook the pasta and sauté the garlic (which you can remove when browned), hot peppers, tomatoes and half of the basil. When the pasta is almost ready, add the tuna to the pan. Drain the pasta and tip it into the pan, stirring well. Serve and add fresh basil leaves.

PASTA ALLA GRICIA

Serves 4

400g of thick spaghetti or macaroni

200g of guanciale

Extra virgin olive oil

100g of pecorino romano cheese

Pepper

Chop the guanciale into regular pieces and brown in a little oil. Cook the pasta until al dente, then drain it and put it in the pan with the nicely browned guanciale, stir in the cheese and a little of the pasta water. Season with pepper.

PASTA ALL’AMATRICIANA

Serves 4

400g spaghetti

100g guanciale di Amatrice

100g of Amatrice pecorino

Extra virgin olive oil

A little white wine

400g of canned or fresh San Marzano tomatoes

Chili pepper

Salt

Cut the guanciale into small, regular pieces and let it brown in a pan with the oil and whole chili, adding a little wine at the end. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside and keep warm. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until al dente, then drain. Chop and skin the fresh tomatoes or chop the canned tomatoes into small pieces and put them in the pan, add salt and reduce the liquid. Remove the hot pepper and put the guanciale back in the pan. Put the drained pasta in a bowl and season with the cheese. Add the tomato sauce and guanciale. Serve immediately.

PASTA ALLA CARBONARA

Serves 4

400g spaghetti, linguine or other pasta

4 eggs

100g guanciale

100g grated pecorino

Pepper

Extra virgin olive oil

Cook the pasta in salted water. Chop the guanciale into even pieces and brown slowly in a pan with the extra virgin olive oil. Take the eggs (which must be at room temperature) and beat them in a bowl with the pepper and pecorino. Drain the pasta when it is al dente, putting aside 1 cup of the cooking water. Pour the spaghetti into the pan, stir well and then pour everything into the bowl, stirring well and adding the cooking water if necessary. Serve immediately adding more pepper and grated cheese.

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Your Airplane Dos and Don'ts For A Stress-Free Flight

Greetings passengers, and welcome to flight 411. We’re happy to have you with us, and we’d love to take this opportunity to provide you with some invaluable information for this flight and any other you’ll ever take. We partnered with Lufthansa Airlines to bring you these essential Dos and Don’ts for the most stress-free flight for you and your fellow passengers. Enjoy your flight.

When you want to elevate your air travel experience, fly Lufthansa Airlines’ new Premium Economy Class. You’ll enjoy up to 50 percent more personal space, more comfortable seats to relax in, more storage for all your stuff, and more extra touches on-board and off. It’s perfect for those who want more than just more legroom.

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The Best Hotels For Sleep In Japan

Many travelers set out on journeys in order to find peace and healing for the body and mind. One of the things that leads to true spiritual and physical relaxation, of course, is sleep.

The pursuit of quality sleep is no longer a luxury, but an indispensable component of life in Japan's minshuku (traditional-style B&B guesthouses), where you can forget the stresses of everyday life and sleep comfortably on your trip to one of the most wondrous destinations on Earth. Check out (and check in at) the best hotels for sleep in Japan: 

Minshuku Takizawa

Founded in 2007, Minshuku Takizawa is located in the Okuhida Spa Village at the foot of the Japanese Alps, a mountain range with peaks as high as 9,800 feet. A quiet place rich in natural beauty, the property heals all fatigue. The guesthouse itself is a renovation of one of Hida-Takayama's old, traditional Japanese houses, redone in a modern but still Japanese style. All nine rooms have heated floors. Guests may also use the free-flowing, open-air hot spring baths at Minshuku Takizawa for no additional cost.

Minshuku Yona-Pahale

At Yona-Pahale, the coasts of Shirahama stretch as far as the eye can see. It's close to Yonahamae Beach, said to be the most beautiful beach in east Asia. This property’s largest rooms can house three guests at a time. Sugarcane fields spread out before you in a lush and quiet environment. At night, you can hear the sounds of owls and geckos as you fall asleep surrounded by nature. The large windows include verandas that look down upon a garden, and the rooms can also be entered via outside staircases.

Minshuku Hashimoto

Located near Kinosaki Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture, this is a traditional yet modern building in a quiet setting. The rooms have terraced windows that stretch from floor to ceiling, and give way to pleasant breezes. Luxurious down comforters promise a peaceful rest.

Minshuku Furatto

Located in Noto in Ishikawa Prefecture, this spot is famous for serving fresh, local ingredients from the nearby Sea of Japan and the mountains behind it. The chef cooks lavish Italian dishes for those in the guesthouse, which features Japanese-style rooms hosting up to four guests at a time. Set on a property of about 1.6 acres, it is a good place to find peace and quiet: Futons are spread atop wooden beds, and the cypress baths are quite luxurious.

Minshuku Shisen

This minshuku, featuring a free-flowing hot spring spouting directly from its source, is located at Yunokami Onsen in Fukushima Prefecture. The open-air baths are next to a mountain stream, so you can fully take in the beauty of the seasons as you bathe. In the wintertime, the hot springs are used to heat the floors of the rooms.

Kyo no Koyado Kana Townhouse

This spot is located at Kyoto Saiin, which makes it convenient for getting to the major tourist destination of Arashiyama. The guesthouse hosts one person to a room and features firm mattresses and Japanese futons, topped with down comforters and high thread-count cotton sheets. 

Onsen Minshuku Shucho no ie

This guesthouse is very fitting as a starting point for sightseeing at Shiretoko National Park, which UNESCO includes on its World Heritage List. While surrounded by mother nature, you can take a leisurely bath in a 100 percent natural, free-flowing hot spring. There are 15 rooms, the largest of which has 10 sleeping mats and provides a comfortable space to relax. Japanese-style rooms include both down and cotton futons. Western-style rooms are also available.

This post first appeared on HuffPost Japan. It has been translated into English and edited for clarity.

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JetBlue Is Offering $39 Flights In A Stellar 2-Day Flash Sale

This is just what winter needed. 

JetBlue launched a 2-day "Winter Wanderland" sale on Tuesday, with flights as low as $39 and one of the widest selections of flash sale destinations we've seen in a long time. 

Some of our favorite deals, for example, include a $39 flight from Washington, D.C. to Charleston, a $99 flight from New York City to the Bahamas and a $99 flight from Boston to Austin. 

West Coast options also abound: $99 gets you from NYC to Lake Tahoe (hellooo, skiing!), and party animals can revel in a $59 flight from San Francisco to Las Vegas. 

The flash sale excludes travel on Fridays and Sundays, with blackout dates including Christmas, New Year's, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the week of Presidents' Day. 

But before you get your duffle in a bunch, remember that off-season trips on non-holiday weeks, like those offered in the sale, are a very budget-friendly travel option. Plus, nobody ever said you had to book round-trip through the flash sale: You can book one leg at JetBlue's uber-cheap price and likely find a more convenient flight home for a good deal, as well.

The flash sales ends Dec. 2 at 11:59 p.m. EST or local time, whichever comes first. 

Happy travels!

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Here's Why Norway Is Your Ultimate Nature Vacation Spot

It's time to plan an adventurous, nature-filled getaway. Hooray! 

But before you choose somewhere sunny and sandy -- and don't get us wrong, there's no harm in that -- consider the mystical land of Norway. It's quite possibly the most stunningly epic place on Earth:

You probably already know Norway as an excellent place to see the northern lights and make like Elsa from "Frozen." But photographer Bjorg-Elise Tuppen reminds us that the country -- particularly its northern region, of which she is a native -- has myriad other natural wonders to explore, like white sand beaches, scenic mountain roads and wide open fields. It's also home to the Lofoten archipelago, one of our favorite places on the planet.  

Norway is dazzling any time of year: Many of Tuppen's photos were taken in fall, but the landscape is equally impressive in winter, when backcountry skiing really picks up, and spring, when orchards are at their best. Take a look at Tuppen's "The Enchanted Land" photo series, and feel the frosty inspiration.

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Revise The Visa Program Or Reject Syrian Refugees? House GOP Wants To Do Both.

House Republicans aim to pass an overhaul in December of one of the key programs through which foreigners enter the U.S., Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said on Monday.

In doing so, the House GOP would be at least partially cooperating with the White House and with many Democrats, who have insisted since the terrorist attacks in Paris earlier this month that while there are steps the U.S. can take to improve national security, Republicans are needlessly fixated on the supposed threat posed by Syrian refugees.

The White House is pressing Congress to change the visa waiver program, which allows the citizens of 38 countries to visit the U.S. without a visa. Most of the people believed to have been involved in the Paris attacks were citizens of either France or Belgium -- both countries on the visa waiver program list.

House Republicans said before the Thanksgiving break that a newly created task force will look at a number of responses to the attacks, but that their first priority was still a vote aimed at limiting the number of Syrian and Iraqi refugees who can resettle in the U.S.

That bill passed on Nov. 19, and a vote is yet to be scheduled in the Senate. The White House has already said President Barack Obama will veto the bill if it reaches his desk.

McCarthy told reporters the task force will meet on Tuesday, and one of the items up for discussion will be the visa waiver program. He said they will be "looking at moving legislation and getting that done before the end of the year."

"We know there is a lot to be done here," he told reporters. "One of the areas that we are going to talk about tomorrow is the visa waiver program. We highlight five areas requiring all visa waiver program countries to issue e-passports -- that means the chips and biometrics. We want to make sure we do that very soon."

That doesn't mean dropping the effort to curb Syrian and Iraqi refugee resettlement, however. McCarthy also said Republicans might attach the bill they passed to critical omnibus legislation to fund the government -- a move that would set up a showdown with the White House.

The administration has signaled its willingness to make changes to the visa waiver program in order to respond to the attacks in Paris. 

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday that it was a top priority that Congress "make technical improvements to the visa waiver program" in the next three weeks, and that the administration was talking to senators from both parties about what those changes might look like.

Earlier Monday, the White House announced plans to add further security measures to the visa waiver program, following up on previous changes made in August. The new policies will include capturing more information about whether people attempting to travel via the visa waiver program had previously traveled to certain countries with terrorist presence, according to the White House.

The U.S. will also confer with other visa waiver countries to make sure they're holding up their end of the bargain on screening and information-sharing, and it will assist countries in things like border security, preventing terrorists from traveling and screening refugees and asylum-seekers, the White House said. The administration said it will look at ways to better collect and use biometric information such as fingerprints and photographs to make the program more secure.

Some changes will require help from Congress to give the administration the necessary authority, according to the White House, such as speeding up a requirement that all visa waiver program travelers use passports with security chips, or e-passports.

Laura Barron-Lopez and Jennifer Bendery contributed reporting.

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Turtles Saved From Sudden Death Thanks To New Train Lanes

Despite what a certain cartoon about nunchucks-wielding reptiles would have you think, turtles are no heroes in a half shell. In Japan, they were in need of a rescue themselves due to their unfortunate habit of getting caught between the railroad switches while trying to cross the tracks.

You can see below how that would be a problem:

Turtles were responsible for 13 train disruptions in Kyoto and Nara between 2002 and 2014, according to the Asahi Shimbun.

So the West Japan Railway Company and Suma Aqualife Park, Kobe's municipal aquarium, teamed up to find a solution: passageways under the tracks that allow the creatures to cross without being turned into turtle soup by a passing train or causing travel delays.

"The system prevents turtles from getting into accidents and avoids causing trouble for our passengers. We hope to continue using it," a JR West official told The Japan Times.

Researchers at the aquarium conducted experiments that found that when turtles try to cross over the train tracks, some of them inevitably fall into the spaces between the switches and can't climb out. With no other choice, they then walk along between the rails, where some of them get jammed, according to a Suma Aqualife Park press release.

To give the turtles an alternate route, Japan Railway West built concrete ditches under the tracks close to the switch points. Railroad staff now also check the chutes every month for turtles and send any trapped creatures to the aquarium.

Naoki Kamezaki, head of Suma Aqualife Park, said that saving the turtles is a "refreshing feeling," according to Huffington Post Japan.

The turtle pathways were built at two stations in Nara Prefecture in April and November, and since then, 10 of the slow-paced critters have been saved from death. Turtle power!

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Turtles Saved From Sudden Death Thanks To New Train Lanes

Despite what a certain cartoon about nunchucks-wielding reptiles would have you think, turtles are no heroes in a half shell. In Japan, they were in need of a rescue themselves due to their unfortunate habit of getting caught between the railroad switches while trying to cross the tracks.

You can see below how that would be a problem:

Turtles were responsible for 13 train disruptions in Kyoto and Nara between 2002 and 2014, according to the Asahi Shimbun.

So the West Japan Railway Company and Suma Aqualife Park, Kobe's municipal aquarium, teamed up to find a solution: passageways under the tracks that allow the creatures to cross without being turned into turtle soup by a passing train or causing travel delays.

"The system prevents turtles from getting into accidents and avoids causing trouble for our passengers. We hope to continue using it," a JR West official told The Japan Times.

Researchers at the aquarium conducted experiments that found that when turtles try to cross over the train tracks, some of them inevitably fall into the spaces between the switches and can't climb out. With no other choice, they then walk along between the rails, where some of them get jammed, according to a Suma Aqualife Park press release.

To give the turtles an alternate route, Japan Railway West built concrete ditches under the tracks close to the switch points. Railroad staff now also check the chutes every month for turtles and send any trapped creatures to the aquarium.

Naoki Kamezaki, head of Suma Aqualife Park, said that saving the turtles is a "refreshing feeling," according to Huffington Post Japan.

The turtle pathways were built at two stations in Nara Prefecture in April and November, and since then, 10 of the slow-paced critters have been saved from death. Turtle power!

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.

Source: http://feeds.huffingtonpost.com/c/35496/f/677550/s/4be70e05/sc/28/l/0L0Shuffingtonpost0N0C20A150C110 ... and provided by entertainment-movie-news.com

Revise The Visa Program Or Reject Syrian Refugees? House GOP Wants To Do Both.

House Republicans aim to pass an overhaul in December of one of the key programs through which foreigners enter the U.S., Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said on Monday.

In doing so, the House GOP would be at least partially cooperating with the White House and with many Democrats, who have insisted since the terrorist attacks in Paris earlier this month that while there are steps the U.S. can take to improve national security, Republicans are needlessly fixated on the supposed threat posed by Syrian refugees.

The White House is pressing Congress to change the visa waiver program, which allows the citizens of 38 countries to visit the U.S. without a visa. Most of the people believed to have been involved in the Paris attacks were citizens of either France or Belgium -- both countries on the visa waiver program list.

House Republicans said before the Thanksgiving break that a newly created task force will look at a number of responses to the attacks, but that their first priority was still a vote aimed at limiting the number of Syrian and Iraqi refugees who can resettle in the U.S.

That bill passed on Nov. 19, and a vote is yet to be scheduled in the Senate. The White House has already said President Barack Obama will veto the bill if it reaches his desk.

McCarthy told reporters the task force will meet on Tuesday, and one of the items up for discussion will be the visa waiver program. He said they will be "looking at moving legislation and getting that done before the end of the year."

"We know there is a lot to be done here," he told reporters. "One of the areas that we are going to talk about tomorrow is the visa waiver program. We highlight five areas requiring all visa waiver program countries to issue e-passports -- that means the chips and biometrics. We want to make sure we do that very soon."

That doesn't mean dropping the effort to curb Syrian and Iraqi refugee resettlement, however. McCarthy also said Republicans might attach the bill they passed to critical omnibus legislation to fund the government -- a move that would set up a showdown with the White House.

The administration has signaled its willingness to make changes to the visa waiver program in order to respond to the attacks in Paris. 

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Monday that it was a top priority that Congress "make technical improvements to the visa waiver program" in the next three weeks, and that the administration was talking to senators from both parties about what those changes might look like.

Earlier Monday, the White House announced plans to add further security measures to the visa waiver program, following up on previous changes made in August. The new policies will include capturing more information about whether people attempting to travel via the visa waiver program had previously traveled to certain countries with terrorist presence, according to the White House.

The U.S. will also confer with other visa waiver countries to make sure they're holding up their end of the bargain on screening and information-sharing, and it will assist countries in things like border security, preventing terrorists from traveling and screening refugees and asylum-seekers, the White House said. The administration said it will look at ways to better collect and use biometric information such as fingerprints and photographs to make the program more secure.

Some changes will require help from Congress to give the administration the necessary authority, according to the White House, such as speeding up a requirement that all visa waiver program travelers use passports with security chips, or e-passports.

Laura Barron-Lopez and Jennifer Bendery contributed reporting.

Also on HuffPost:

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11 Ways Hawaii Feels Like A Foreign Country

From the moment you land in Hawaii, things just feel different.

While Hawaii has been a state since 1959, it has always been a distinctly exotic destination, unlike anything else in the country and even the world. It's no wonder America fell head over heels in love with the islands.

As the world's most isolated landmass, Hawaii has its own culture, its own timezone, and its own way of doing just about everything. 

The idiosyncrasies that make Hawaii so distinct are precisely the reasons we love it so.

Below, just 11 ways Hawaii feels like a foreign country. 

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11 Ways Hawaii Feels Like A Foreign Country

From the moment you land in Hawaii, things just feel different.

While Hawaii has been a state since 1959, it has always been a distinctly exotic destination, unlike anything else in the country and even the world. It's no wonder America fell head over heels in love with the islands.

As the world's most isolated landmass, Hawaii has its own culture, its own timezone, and its own way of doing just about everything. 

The idiosyncrasies that make Hawaii so distinct are precisely the reasons we love it so.

Below, just 11 ways Hawaii feels like a foreign country. 

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://feeds.huffingtonpost.com/c/35496/f/677550/s/4bd72ab2/sc/38/l/0L0Shuffingtonpost0N0C20A150C110 ... and provided by entertainment-movie-news.com