Nicosia, Cyprus

Abandonment and decay: That's what you typically see in a buffer zone set up to keep two warring factions apart. This one cuts through Nicosia to separate the Turkish north from the Greek south. It should really should be called the Humpty Dumpty Zone since no one has been able to put Cyprus back together since the two sides went to war in 1964. [2004]

Punda, Willemstad, Curaçao

You may call it a knock-off, but geographers see it as the end result of stimulus diffusion. Ideas spread, but they change along the way. The idea here was that being open from 7 am to 11 pm would be the ultimate in convenience, thus the name 7-11. But the idea changed on its way to the Caribbean, where the name became 7_even.  [2017]

 

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Exactly forty years ago today, the U.S. Center for Disease Control became the first institution to officially report on a set of symptoms that would soon become known as AIDS, or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. Later that decade, Australia seemed to be taking the pandemic seriously, but you would never have seen a billboard like this in the U.S. [1988]

Half Moon Bay, California, USA

What will get rid of this infestation of dinosaurs? (a) They will devour each other. (b) They will be decimated by oxidation. (c) They will be taken home as family pets. (d) They will be wiped out by a 7-mile wide asteroid. If your answer was oxidation, it looks like the dimetrodon will survive. [2010]

Hurricane, Utah, USA

If you miss the age of dinosaurs, if you want to scare the birds away from you garden, if you want to give all the kids on your block something to talk about, all you have to do is buy a Mesozoic monster from you local metal smith! You may also want to buy a posy or two in case you don't have a green thumb. [2019]

Pataha, Washington, USA

Is there a smile on his face? That must mean this plate-metal dinosaur just left some very important person's eighth birthday party. While he was there, birthday boy counted the number of plates it took to clothe him in scales. Then, he counted the number of pounds he weighed when he got on the scales. [2019]

Nashville, Tennessee, USA

It seems a shame to celebrate Tennessee's 225th birthday here at the state capitol without also celebrating something musical. So, here's 'The Story': Country+ singer Brandi Carlile has a birthday today, as well. Although not born in Tennessee, she can still pack the Ryman auditorium, and native-born Dolly still gives voice to her lyrics. [2019]