UWS

The world’s most beautiful airports, according to a prestigious architecture award Prix Versailles’s annual announcement this year features hubs in China, India, Cambodia and Germany – here’s the full list Written by Liv Kelly Travel Writer

You're Drinking Too Much Coffee When...

« Il pleure dans mon cœur » de Paul Verlaine

Il pleure dans mon coeur Comme il pleut sur la ville ; Quelle est cette langueur Qui pénètre mon coeur ? Ô bruit doux de la pluie Par terre et sur les toits ! Pour un coeur qui s’ennuie, Ô le chant de la pluie ! Il pleure sans raison Dans ce coeur qui s’écoeure. Quoi ! nulle trahison ?… Ce deuil est sans raison. C’est bien la pire peine De ne savoir pourquoi Sans amour et sans haine Mon coeur a tant de peine !

Musique Hans Zimmer Réalisation Mostafa

In 1790, Mozart composed one of opera's most challenging arias for soprano Adriana Ferrarese del Bene in "Così fan tutte." The soprano had a peculiar habit of dropping her chin on low notes and throwing her head back dramatically for high notes.

Mozart, known for his wit, composed "Come scoglio" specifically to highlight these movements. The aria features extreme vocal leaps between high and low notes in rapid succession, essentially choreographing Ferrarese's head to bob throughout the performance like a chicken. 🎭

While the aria may have been composed with a touch of mischief, it also showcased Ferrarese's impressive vocal range and technical abilities. The piece remains one of opera's most demanding soprano roles, requiring extraordinary skill to perform. 🎼

Today, "Come scoglio" is considered a masterpiece of operatic composition, demonstrating Mozart's genius for turning a singer's unique characteristics into musical gold.

Sources: Opera Omaha Blog, Wikipedia, Interlude.hk Analysis #Mozart#Opera#Soprano

Anja Harteros - Come scoglio from Così fan Tutte

Così fan tutte 'Come scoglio immoto resta' ('Like a rock standing motionless') – Glyndebourne

10 Plant Care Tips NOBODY Tells You (but are EASY to do)

Cat Sleeping Positions (And What They Mean)

Your cat may communicate with you in a number of ways—through purring, rubbing against you, and crawling into your lap…but the way your cat sleeps around you actually communicates a lot. Whether your cat loves to loaf, stretch out like an acrobat, or curl into a ball between your legs, their position of choice may say a lot about their emotional state and how they feel about you. Here, we’ll break down every possible sleeping arrangement so that you can know how your cat is feeling!

Did you know indulging in chocolate can trigger a delightful cascade of neurotransmitters in our brains? From the warm embrace of Oxytocin to the happiness surge of Serotonin, the euphoric Endorphins, and the motivation boost from Dopamine, chocolate truly works its magic on our mood! Discover how you can naturally boost these feel-good neurotransmitters. Because happiness isn’t just a treat, it’s a journey we can embark on every day!

What to Do After a Panic Attack

How to calm down, regroup, and recover By Katharina Star, PhD

Katharina Star, PhD, is an expert on anxiety and panic disorder. Dr. Star is a professional counselor, and she is trained in creative art therapies and mindfulness.

Learn about our editorial process October 09, 2024

Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD

Table of Contents

What Does a Panic Attack Feel Like?

What to Do During a Panic Attack

How to Calm Down After a Panic Attack

Treatment Options

Self Help Techniques for Anxiety and Panic This article has been fact-checked by our medical staff Fact Checked by Henry Vyner, MD, Psychiatrist and Written by Micah Abraham, BSc * updated October 10, 2020

Self Help for Anxiety? Are you looking to treat your anxiety now? Would you like to live everyday anxiety free? Find out how you can learn to control anxiety with this free 7 minute anxiety test.

Stress Quiz Understand your stress before it builds up Start by selecting your gender:

The Ultimate Homemade Method to Root Plant Cuttings in Water

Multiplying your favorite plants by rooting cuttings in water is a rewarding and cost-effective process. However, some plant cuttings can take weeks to show any signs of life, and others simply rot before they ever grow a single root. While many people turn to synthetic rooting hormone powders from the store, you can achieve faster, stronger, and more reliable results using a completely natural, homemade method.

The secret lies in extracting natural rooting hormones from other plants and combining that liquid with a strict water-care routine.

The Power of Natural Rooting Hormones

The most powerful homemade rooting boosters come from two common plants: the Willow tree and the Pothos houseplant. Both of these plants contain exceptionally high levels of naturally occurring rooting hormones, specifically Indolebutyric acid. This acid is the exact chemical that tells a plant’s cells to stop growing leaves and start producing roots.

When you steep these specific plants in water, those natural hormones leach out into the liquid. When you place a fresh, unrooted cutting into that same water, it absorbs the hormones and begins developing a root system much faster than it would in plain tap water.

Choosing Your Rooting Booster

Depending on what you have access to in your home or neighborhood, you can choose one of these two options to create your hormone-rich rooting water:

The Willow Method: Willow trees grow rapidly because their branches are packed with rooting hormones. They also contain high amounts of salicylic acid, a natural compound that protects against bacteria, fungus, and rot.

The Pothos Method: If you do not have willow trees nearby, the common Pothos houseplant is an excellent indoor alternative. Pothos cuttings root rapidly in water and constantly release their natural hormones into the jar, helping any other plant sharing that water to root alongside them.

How to Make and Use the Homemade Rooting Water

Here is the exact step-by-step process to create your rooting liquid and prepare your plant cuttings for the best chance of success.

Making the Rooting Liquid:

Gather the material: Collect about two cups of young, flexible willow twigs. Look for the green or yellow branches, not the old, hard brown wood. If using Pothos, take two healthy vine cuttings from an existing plant.

Chop them up: Cut the willow twigs into small, one-inch pieces to expose the inner bark. If using Pothos, cut the vine so you have a few individual leaves, making sure each piece has a node (the small bump on the stem where roots grow).

Brew the water: If using willow, place the chopped twigs in a heat-safe jar and cover them entirely with boiling water. Let the mixture sit out of direct sunlight for 24 to 48 hours to steep. If using Pothos, simply place the fresh cuttings in a jar of room-temperature tap water and leave them for a few days so the hormones begin to release.

Strain and store: For the willow mixture, strain out the solid twigs and keep the yellowish liquid. You can store this liquid in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to two months.

Preparing Your Plant Cutting:

Cut at the right spot: Take a cutting from the plant you want to multiply. Make a clean cut just below a node. Roots will almost always emerge directly from this joint.

Remove lower leaves: Strip away any leaves on the bottom half of your cutting. If leaves sit submerged under the water, they will quickly rot and introduce harmful bacteria to your rooting jar.

Let thick stems heal: If you are rooting a plant with a thick, fleshy stem, leave the fresh cutting on a dry table for one to two days. This allows the cut end to dry out and form a protective seal, which prevents water from rotting the stem from the inside out.

The Setup and Maintenance Routine

Once your liquid and your cuttings are ready, it is time to put them together. The way you maintain the water is just as important as the hormones inside it.

Use the right container: Choose a clear glass jar. Clear glass allows you to monitor the water quality and watch for root growth without disturbing the plant.

Fill the jar: Pour your homemade willow water into the jar, or simply use the jar where your Pothos cuttings are already resting.

Place the cutting: Put your new plant cutting into the water. Ensure that at least one or two nodes are completely submerged, but keep all the remaining leaves well above the water line.

Find the right location: Place the jar in a warm spot that receives bright, indirect sunlight. Avoid placing the jar in direct, hot sun, which will heat the water too much and encourage green algae to take over.

Refresh the water: This is the most crucial step to prevent rot. Every five to seven days, pour out the old water. Rinse the glass jar thoroughly to remove any slippery biofilm buildup on the inside.

Refill and rinse: Refill the jar with a fresh batch of your refrigerated willow water. When you change the water, gently rinse the submerged stem of your cutting under a tap to wash away any invisible bacteria or fungal spores.

By combining the natural chemical power of willow or Pothos with the physical cleanliness of regular water changes, you give your plants the perfect environment to thrive. The hormones force the plant to push out roots quickly, while the clean environment stops rot before it can start. Using this simple, reliable method, you can successfully root almost anything using materials you already have.

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Your happiness is not random. It is biological, emotional, and deeply connected to how you live each day.

What we often call “peace”, “love”, or “motivation” is not magic. It is chemistry working in harmony with your choices.

The world will tell you happiness is something you chase. But real happiness is something you build — through habits, through people, through presence.

You don’t need a perfect life to feel better. You need small, consistent moments of care for your mind, body, and heart.

Take the walk. Call the friend. Finish the small task. Step into sunlight. Breathe.

Because healing is not one big moment. It is a thousand small choices you make when nobody is watching.

This quote highlights that happiness is an active, cultivated state rooted in intentional daily habits, mindfulness, and bodily chemistry, rather than a random, external occurrence. It blends Buddhist principles of inner peace with biological mechanisms (dopamine, oxytocin) to suggest that actions, connection, and presence shape mental well-being.

Key takeaways from this perspective include:

Happiness is Built: It is not random; it is the result of habits, mindfulness, and personal choices.

Biological Harmony: Key emotions are linked to body chemistry - dopamine (progress), oxytocin (connection), and endorphins (movement).

Active Choices: Mental health is improved by consciously choosing to meditate, connect with others, and find stillness.

Inner Work: True, sustainable happiness (or "absolute happiness") comes from within and is not dependent on external circumstances.

The Path is the Goal: Real joy is found in daily, mindful actions rather than a distant future goal.

The quote "And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul" is widely, though likely incorrectly, attributed to naturalist John Muir. While it captures his sentiments on nature, it is not found in his documented writings and is considered a modern misattribution or popular adaptation. The phrase is often used with "garden" or "woods" instead of "forest."

Common Attribution: John Muir (often used in social media, posters, and in the context of hiking/nature).

Likely Source: It is often cited as a modern quote inspired by his work, as it does not appear in his journals or books.

Themed Variation: The variation "Into the garden I go..." is commonly used by gardeners to describe finding peace. 

While not directly found in his writings, it echoes the sentiment found in his journals regarding the restorative power of nature. 

Origin and Accuracy

While it is frequently associated with Muir, many historians and organizations like the Sierra Club  clarify that he never actually wrote these exact words in any of his published works or journals. 

The original sentiment—that being in nature helps a person disconnect from societal noise to find inner clarity—does align with

Muir's philosophy. However, the specific "lose my mind and find my soul" wording is likely a modern paraphrase. According to some research, a similar version was posted on Tumblr in October 2014 by a user named Mariah Danu, and it has since been misattributed to Muir across social media and merchandise. 

Common Variations

Because of its popularity, the quote is often slightly altered depending on the setting:

"And into the garden I go..." – Popular in gardening communities.

"And into the woods I go..." – Frequently used by hikers and outdoor enthusiasts. 

Are you looking for more

John Muir quotes or perhaps some gardening-themed inspiration?

AI can make mistakes, so dou

🍯 How to Tell If Honey Is Real or Fake 👀

Not all honey on store shelves is 100% pure 😳

Some products are diluted with syrups or heavily processed. Here are a few simple tests you can try at home 👇

✔ Water Test: Real honey sinks to the bottom and dissolves slowly. Fake honey dissolves quickly and makes the water cloudy.

🔥 Flame Test: A cotton wick dipped in real honey may burn. Fake honey with too much moisture usually won’t.

💧 Drop Test: Real honey stays thick and compact. Fake honey spreads quickly.

🍯 Texture Test: Real honey is thicker and flows slowly.

💡 Bonus Tip: Whenever possible, buy honey from trusted sources or local beekeepers.