June 2009 | Amazing Facts

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Some huge and beautiful aquariums from the world

10 Weirdest Toilet Papers

Horror Story Toilet Paper

Do you read in the bathroom? Well, you might appreciate this new literary experience—a horror story in the form of toilet paper! Each roll is printed with several copies of "Drop", a nine-chapter novella written by Koji Suzuki, author of the "Ring" cycle of novels, which has been made into films in both Japan and Hollywood.

Origami Toilet Paper

Next time you forget that magazine or book, it will not be a problem. With this Origami Potty Paper you can spend hours learning new and interesting Origami techniques all from your roll of toilet paper. Want to know the best part? You can practice while you're enjoying your private time on the potty!

Windows Vista Toilet Paper

Ah, the Japanese... They are so fond of the Windows Vista Service Pack 1 that they printed toilet paper rolls about it, highlighting it's features. (Source)

Camouflage Toilet Paper

In case you're tired of your plain white toilet paper, you can now wipe in military style with this camouflage toilet paper. For $5.95 you get a roll that consists of 200 sheets of 3-ply toilet paper, imported from Germany.

Osama Toilet Paper

Its inscription is worth the money: "Get rid of your shiite"

Musical Toilet Paper

Shitty music, literally.

Valentines Toilet Paper

Make your valentine fall in love again -while in the bathroom- with this sweet toilet paper.

Colored Toilet Paper

These look interesting. Some people like to rotate colors for the holidays: Red for Valentine's Day; green for St. Patrick's Day; black and orange for Halloween; and green and red for Christmas.

Obama Toilet Paper

Oh sh*t! Unfortunately, this Obama Toilet paper is for display only, not actual use, and costs only $10. According to its website “this roll would look great on the desk of any Democrat”

Monday, June 29, 2009

New look at art

Banksy works are displayed at Bristol's City Museum and Art Gallery.
This is a real revolution in the world of art!

15 Amazing Etch-a-Sketch Artworks

Artist George Vlosich, aka the Master of Etch-a-Sketch, has been featured in top magazines and on television shows all around the world, while his YouTube video received over 2 million views.

Since he was ten years old, George has been perfecting his talent on the Etch A Sketch. Each is an original work of art that takes 70-80 hours to create. Once finished, the piece is then preserved to stand the test of time. Every creation is uniquely different, and cannot be duplicated, with prices fetching up to $10,000 per piece!

Meet some of his finest work below, along with the famous video.

Here's the famous video of George doing an Etch-a-Sketch drawing for the Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team:

Sunday, June 28, 2009

The Incredible Surfing Mice

Mice aren’t the most water-loving creatures in the world, but apparently Australian Shane Wilmott has trained his three little mice not only to love water but also to ride the waves on surf-boards. Shane says this way he has merged his love for surfing and for his three little rodent pets.

The 50 Most Awesome Snowmen Ever Built

Saturday, June 27, 2009

15 Creative Coca-Cola Bottle & Can Designs

Coca-Cola Light collaborated with Roberto Cavalli in 2008 and created these gorgeous bottles.

Creative package design from Coca-Cola for Christmas holiday in 2008, come with spherical shape different from the usual coke bottle.

Coca-Cola Russia released iconic sodas Coke, Fanta, Sprite in small 8-ounce cans.

Coca-Cola bottles designed by Nathalie Rykiel, daughter of famous fashion designer Sonia Rykiel, in France 2008.

Coca-Cola celebrated their 100th anniversary by releasing this centenary bottle. The bottle was made exclusively for Selfridges, a popular London department store. The centenary Coke bottle was made of glass with a bright shade of yellow, which is Selfridge's signature color. Coca-Cola was written in red, with a red cap. (Source)

Early Coca-Cola bottle circa 1899 - referred to as Hutchinson style.

Coca-Cola designed a bottle that keeps the inside drink chilled for a few minutes! The bottles also require different vending machine technology to regulate their temperature.

Introduced in 2005, Coca-Cola launched a line of 5 aluminum contoured bottles called the “Magnificent 5? or M5. Five different studios from five continents were each commissioned to design a bottle. According to Coca-Cola, this visual rebranding aimed at discerningly creative consumers, to be found only at “the world's most exclusive clubs and lounges.” (Source)

These are 8 different designs for the limited edition of Coke bottles for the summer campaign of 2009.

Coca-Cola Olympic Games Barcelona '92 cans designed with swimming, cycling, basketball, football, gymnastics, volleyball, badminton, table and tennis.

The infamous bottle is known for its contour design and was actually created in 1915, by glass bottle designer Earl R. Dean of the Root Glass Company. The Coca-Cola Company decided to have a competition on who could create the best bottle design. They wanted a design that could be easily recognizable, even in the dark or if broken. (Source)

This campaign brings with it a temporary Coke rebranding. Making a play on James Bond's well-known code (007), Coke Zero was temporally known as Zero Zero 7. Collectors of Coke bottles and James Bond fans rushed to get their hands on the famous limited edition 007 bottle in celebration of “Quantum of Solace.” (Source)

This is Manolo Blahnick's limited edition 2009 Coca-Cola Light bottle.

The bottle pictured above was masterminded by graphic designer and curator Jiang Hua. The horizontal red patterns are actually stylized Chinese characters for the word "Coca-Cola." Its soundtrack song, "Be It All," was written by singer-songwriter Jes, who says she was inspired by the maze-like quality of the bottle's design. (Source)

The brand launched five limited edition beachy coke cans designed for 2009 summer's: sunglasses, surfboards, grill, American flag and beach ball.

Magnificent Mountain Towns

Lakeside at Hallstatt, Austria
Hallstatt, Austria, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and boasts only 946 residents.

Zermatt by the Matterhorn
Zermatt, Switzerland, is a mountaineering and ski resort on the north side of the Matterhorn.

Whistler
Whistler, British Columbia, is a famed ski resort that offers some of the best skiing in North America.

Vernazza, a True Italian Fishing Village
Vernazza, the fourth of the "five lands" of Cinque Terre, Italy, is a fishing village on the Italian Riviera.

Reykjavik Stays Frosty
Iceland's biggest city is a cluster of interesting Scandinavian architecture all heated by the power of a volcano.

Taormina's Holy Beauty
Sicily's Taormina boasts the Convent of San Domenic, classical architecture, and popular beaches.

Korcula Shelters From the Wind
On the Dalmation Coast, Korcula, Croatia is an ancient fortified city with an ingenious street layout that protects against strong winds while circulating air. It's also surrounded by the region's coves, grottoes, and lovely waters.

Hydra Rears Its Heads
Despite its monstrous name, Hydra, Greece, offers a delightful respite for vacationers, and bans all motor traffic except garbage trucks.

Pretty on the Panhandle
On the Alaska Panhandle and near Klondike Gold Rush National Historic Park, Skagway, Alaska, was featured in Jack London's book "The Call of the Wild."

Friday, June 26, 2009

The Kid That Doesn’t Grow Old

At her 16 years old, Brooke Greenberg weighs 16 pounds and is 30 inches tall. Due to a mysterious disease, she doesn’t grow. Dr. Richard Walker said: "There've been very minimal changes in Brooke's brain. Various parts of her body, rather than all being at the same stage, seem to be disconnected."
Doctors hope that this single case will perhaps help to shed light on the mystery of aging process.
On the first photo, Brooke is one-years old. Look how she has changed over the last 15 years.

3 y.o.

7 y.o.

8 y.o.

12 y.o.

13 y.o.

16 y.o.

15 Manly Smells

Smells can conjure up some powerful memories. The smell of pine needles can take you back to childhood Christmases or the smell of a laundry detergent can remind you of home. For me, there are certain smells that I’ve come to associate with manliness. Whenever I smell them I think of my dad or grandpa or some aspect of my boyhood and my initiation into the rites of manhood.

And apparently, I’m not alone. For fun last week, I asked Art of Manliness Facebook Fans and Twitter followers what smells they thought were manly. The response was overwhelming. I decided to pick a few of my favorite responses and make a post out of it. So without further ado, I present 15 manly smells.

Hardware Store

The hardware store is a smorgasbord of manly smells: paint, wood, fertilizer, metal. It’s all there. As a boy, there was a local hardware store that my dad would go to. He’d lug my brother and I along. We’d open up all the drawers for the hinges and nails and play hide-in-seek in the door displays. Like many local hardware stores, it went out of business years ago when the Big Box stores moved in. The building was torn down and replaced with an upscale shopping center. But whenever I drive by the corner where it once stood, I can still smell the manliness that once emanated from that place.

Shoe Polish

The smell of shoe polish is a distinctively manly smell. For many men it conjures up images of brave soldiers shining their shoes to a mirror polish. For me, whenever I crack open a can of Kiwi black shoe polish, I’m instantly transported to my childhood den. About once a month, my dad would pull out his wooden shoe polish kit and take all his boots to the den to polish them. He usually watched In the Heat of the Night or Magnum P.I. while he did it. The warm smell of shoe polish and leather filled the entire room, and it would usually linger there for an hour after he finished.

Cut Grass

For many men, mowing the lawn is the bane of their existence. But even if you hate the actual chore of mowing the yard, you can’t deny that the smell of fresh cut grass is pretty darn manly. I love the smell of the grass bag as I empty it into a trash can. And I actually quite enjoy how I smell after I mow the yard. It’s a combination of cut grass, gasoline, and body odor. I’ll even delay taking a shower just so I can revel in my manly scent.

Sawdust

I haven’t worked with wood as much as I would like to. But whenever I do, I always try to savor the smell of sawdust. I can remember when I first gained an appreciation of sawdust. It was at that old hardware store I mentioned earlier. Out back, they had a lumber yard, and I remember getting big whiffs of sawdust as I watched the workers saw wood down to size for my dad. The smell of sawdust also brings back the memory of my dad showing me how to sand my first pinewood derby car. Good times.

Scotch

The warm, rich, smokey smell of an aged scotch whisky. There’s nothing like it. To the first timer, the smell of scotch can be off putting. But once you get past it’s initial pungency, you’ll discover a symphony of smell. Each scotch has its own distinct smell, but they all share some general characteristics. You’ll definitely smell the smokey peat used during the malting process. But if you get in closer, you might catch the subtle fruity smell of apples or cherries. There’s also a hint of licorice, which reminds me of kind old men. Taken together, you’re left with a scent that will put hair on the chest of any man who takes a whiff. Scotchy, scotch, scotch.

Gunpowder

I think every man’s affinity for the smell of gunpowder began at some fireworks stand out in the country. That’s where mine did at least. Every Fourth of July, without fail, the parents would take my brother and I to a fireworks stand on an old country road. I can remember being overwhelmed by the smell of gunpowder as we ran up to the stand. After we filled up our paper bags, I would often stick my nose in it and take a nice big whiff. I was smelling danger. And manliness.

The smell of spent gunpowder is just as appealing, too. The smell of spent shotgun shells or the way an area smells after you fire off a round from a pistol is definitely manly.

Original Old Spice

Go to any men’s section in a department store, and you’ll see a stand selling $60 bottles of cologne with foo fooey scents. Walk into any local drug store and you can find manliness in a bottle for less than 12 bucks. Before they made deodorant, Old Spice was known for it’s cologne. Chances are your grandpa did and still does wear Old Spice. They still make the cologne, but it doesn’t get much play these days, which is a shame. Based purely on anecdotal evidence, women seem to love a man who wears Old Spice cologne. It reminds them of their grandfathers. They’re not hot for their grandpas, obviously, they’re just keen on the smell of old fashioned manliness. When they get a whiff of you sporting Old Spice they’ll instantly associate you with a time when men were men. Quit dousing yourself in Calvin Klein or gassing yourself in a cloud of Axe body spray and get some Old Spice.

Campfire

It’s sunrise. The sky is still gray with a hint of orange and yellow on the horizon. You go over the fire pit and begin to strategically place dry leaves and small twigs into a tepee shape. You light a match, and watch the leaves smolder. And then it reaches you- the first bit of smoke from a campfire you made all by yourself. You suddenly feel more manly. But the smells don’t stop there. Throw in some maple, pine, or pinon logs and you up the manly smell quotient a few marks.

And the campfire smell stays with you when you go home. It gets in your clothes and in your hair. You never really notice it until you walk into a clean house. The contrast between your smokey smelling self and your antiseptic home gives you one last chance to revel in the manly scent of a campfire, before you watch it get washed down the shower drain.

Barbershop

I love walking into a barbershop. You know why? Because they all smell so damn manly. A barbershop smell is a mixture of Barbicide, shaving cream, musky smelling hair, and cheap (and free) coffee. If you’re going to an old barber shop, it may also smell faintly of tobacco from the days when men would smoke a cigarette and put out their butts in the ash tray on the barber chair arm rests.

Pipe Smoke

Not many men smoke pipes these days, which is a shame because people are missing out on the sweet manly smell of pipe tobacco. Cigarette and cigar smoke can be acrid and obnoxious, but pipe smoke is, well, just pleasant. A whiff of a nice clove or cherry wood blend summons images of kindly older men in tweed jackets sitting in a chair next to a warm cozy fire with an old dog nearby.

Leather

Nothing beats the smell of well worn leather. Some of the manliest pieces of clothing and accessories are made from leather- leather jackets, leather boots, leather briefcases, leather saddlebags. The smell of leather reminds me of riding horses with my grandpa. I loved walking into the storage area in his barn where he stored all his tack and taking a deep breath. I remember thinking “Man, this is manly.” And like a fine glass of scotch, leather only gets better with time.

Your Grandpa’s Chair

It seems like every old man has a chair that’s just for him. After years of sitting in it, the seat conformed specifically to the contours of his body and his scent has been permanently stamped into the upholstery. At least that’s how my grandpa’s chair was. That’s him sitting in his chair with me on the left and my little brother, Larry, on the right. One my fondest memories was going to my grandpa’s house in Bosque Farms, New Mexico for Thanksgiving. We’d sit on his lap and he’d hold us in his big strong hands. His chair smelled like the pinion wood he’d burn in his cast iron stove, the barn that he kept his horses in, and the sweat of a man who worked hard even in retirement. In a word, it smelled like pure manliness.

I miss that chair.

Gun Cleaning Solvent

Another ritual my father had when I was growing up was cleaning his government issued gun for his job as a Federal Game Warden. It was usually done on the week nights after dinner. He’d bring his gun cleaning kit to the kitchen table and place a white cloth in front of him on which he’d place his revolver. I was always fascinated by all the different size brushes in his kit. He’d then slowly open up the bottle of Hoppe’s No. 9 gun cleaning solvent. It filled the entire room with a rich, warm smell.

The first time you smell gun solvent it’s pretty jarring, but then you get used to it, and then you start to like it.

Charcoal

I love tearing open a bag of Kingsford and letting that waft of charcoal goodness hit me right in the nose. It’s a smell that tells my mind and body that summer is officially here. But the smell only gets better when you throw a match on them and watch them turn from black lumps of coal to glowing red stones, ready to cook any meat you throw on it.

Bowling Alley

In their heyday in the 1950’s, bowling alleys replaced the fraternal lodge as a place for men to gather and bond. Perhaps that’s why I associate the smell of a bowling alley with manliness. The combination of lane wax, piles of bowling shoes that have been worn by thousands of people, and cigarette smoke mix together to form that distinct bowling alley smell that permeates alleys across the country.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

25 Extremely Expressive Primates

Owl Faced Monkey With Mother 'Karmina' in France

Japanese Macaque Near Fire in Nagoya, Japan

Coconut-Plucking Monkey Tied to Truck in Thailand

Capuchin Monkey at Home in Rockville, Maryland

Monkey in Zoological Park in Caracas, Venezuela

Monkey in Cage in Jakarta, Indonesia

Black Spider Monkey on Reserve in Brazil

Orangutan and Infant at Ragunan Zoo in Indonesia

Baby Gorilla at Zoo in Prague

Diego, a Howler Monkey, at Edinburgh Zoo

Baby Arabian Baboon at Fuzhou Zoo in China

Baby Gorilla at San Francisco Zoo

Tarsier in Sanctuary in the Phillipines

Japanese Macaques Bathe In Hot Springs

Monkey Eats Popsicle, Lahore, Pakistan

Baby Orangutan Cuddles With Sumatran Tiger Cub at Animal Hospital in Indonesia

Infant Pigmy Chimpanzee in Cincinnati, Ohio

Red Titi Monkey in London Zoo

Monkey With Fall Out Boy in New York

Francois' Langur Monkey at London Zoo

Monkey Makeout Session on Valentine's Day 2004, Monkey Temple in Bangkok Thailand

Slow Loris Drinks at Rescue Center in China

Japanese Macaques Cool Off at Zoo in Rome

Male Siamang Inflates His Throat at Mogo Zoo in Australia

Kibabu the Gorilla at Zoo in Sydney, Australia

10 Fascinating Frozen Wonders of Nature

Frozen Waterfalls

The growth of a frozen waterfall can proceed only gradually, for progressive freezing of the flowing water. There are thousands of frozen falls around the world. The one located at Beijing's Myun County attracts tourists from all over the country as well as internationally. A beautiful display of nature's art at work.

Ice Caves

Ice cave are a type of natural cave that contains significant amounts of ice. At least a portion of the cave must have a temperature below 0 °C (32 °F) all year round, and water must have traveled into the cave's cold zone. There are many ice caves throughout the world, but the Eisriesenwelt Ice Caves in Austria are some of the largest known to man.

Ice Circles

A rare phenomenon usually only seen in extremely cold countries, scientists generally accept that Ice Circles are formed when surface ice gathers in the center of a body of water rather than the edges. A slow moving river current can create a slow turning eddy, which rotates, forming an ice disc. Very slowly the edges are ground down until a gap is formed between the eddy and the surrounding ice. These ice circles have been seen with diameters of over 500 feet and can also at times be found in clusters and groups atdifferent sizes. (Photo by Brook Tyler)

Ice Spikes

These amazing ice spikes, generally known as penitentes due to their resemblance to processions of white-hooded monks, can be found on mountain glaciers and vary in size. As this accelerates, deep troughs are formed, leaving peaks of ice standing between them. Chile is home to the rugged mountain terrain of the Andes and the severe weather extremes at different altitudes make for some stunning ice formations, like daggers looking ice field.

Ice Shelves

Ice takes on all sorts of interesting asymmetrical and geometric shapes, from the icy platelets above to the incredible parallel ice shelves of the Arctic. Ellesmere Island is famous for its ice shelves, but unfortunately they are diminishing rapidly in the face of global warming. Climate change caused alarming losses in summer of 2008, and scientists are concerned that this special ecosystem may soon be lost forever.

Ice Flowers

Ice flowers are formed on new layers of sea ice, from saturated water vapors that come up from under the ice through cracks. In contact with the cold air, the vapors start to freeze and the salt on the surface of the ice begins to crystallize and serves as a nucleus for the frozen vaporized water. Thus, molecule by molecule the ice flowers begin to take shape. They have recently been recognized as the dominant source of sea salt aerosol in Antarctica and scientist suspect they may be the main cause of tropospheric ozone depletion during the polar sunrise. One of the most beautiful frozen wonders on Earth, ice flowers are still a mystery to many people.

Striped Icebergs

Icebergs in the Antarctic area sometimes have stripes, formed by layers of snow that react to different conditions. Blue stripes are often created when a crevice in the ice sheet fills up with meltwater and freezes so quickly that no bubbles form. When an iceberg falls into the sea, a layer of salty seawater can freeze to the underside. If this is rich in algae, it can form a green stripe. Brown, black and yellow lines are caused by sediment, picked up when the ice sheet grinds downhill towards the sea.

Glaciers

Glaciers are simply accumulated snow, packed densely into ice over thousands, even millions, of years. Glaciers serve an important function as ecosystem regulators and water suppliers (they are the largest single source of fresh water), and the heating of the planet has led to major glacier shrinkage around the world in the last decade. Perito Moreno in Argentina, known as one of the few still advancing glaciers on Earth, is a great example of that simple yet stunning ice formation.

Snow Flakes

Snow crystals form when tiny supercooled cloud droplets freeze. These droplets are able to remain liquid at temperatures lower than -18 °C (0r °F), because to freeze, a few molecules in the droplet need to get together by chance to form an arrangement similar to that in an ice lattice; then the droplet freezes around this "nucleus."

Frozen Tidal Wave?

Despite it looks, this is not really a tidal wave but ice created from glacial movements forming tidal wave looks. Pretty cool.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Back To The Past

After the jump, you will find a great selection of toys from the 80-90s. I think many of you will be able to find something from their childhood.
If you were born later, it still is interesting to see these rare toyS.

The World’s Most Remarkable Palaces and Their Amazing Features

A palace is a royal residence, any splendid residence, or the official residence of some high dignitaries, as of a pope. Here’s a list of some of the most magnificent palaces in the world and their notable features.

Istana Nurul Iman - The Largest Residential Palace in the World and the World’s Largest Residence

The world’s largest residential palace in the word is the Istana Nurul Iman Palace. It is the official residence of Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei. The palace is located in Brunei’s capital, Bandar Ser Begawan. It is also the largest residence of any type in the world.
Amazing Features of the Palace
The palace was built at a cost of around $1.4 billion USD.
Its domes are made of gold
It has a floor area of 2,152,782 square feet or 200,000 square meters
It contains 1,788 rooms and 257 bathrooms
It has 564 chandeliers, 51,000 light bulbs, 44 stairwells, and 18 elevators
It has 5 swimming pools
It has an air conditioned stable for the Sultan’s 200 polo ponies. Wow, lucky animals.
It has a 110-car garage. Home to a car collection that includes custom-made Ferraris and Bentleys as well as 165 Rolls Royce.
It has a banquet hall that can be expanded to accommodate up to 4,000 guests
It has a mosque that can accommodate 1,500 people

Buckingham Palace, London, UK - World’s Largest “Working” Royal Palace

The title of the world’s largest “working” royal palace belongs to the Buckingham Palace. It is the official London residence of the British monarchy.
Remarkable Features of the Buckingham Palace
The palace has a total area of 828,818 square feet or 77,000 square meters.
The Buckingham Palace Garden is the largest private garden in London
Buckingham Palace is one of the world’s most familiar buildings and more than 50,000 people visit the palace each year as guests to banquets, lunches, dinners, receptions and the royal garden parties
The Gallery is hung with numerous works including some by Rembrandt, van Dyck, Rubens, and Vermeer.
The State Ballroom is the largest room at Buckingham Palace. State banquets often over 150 guests dine off in gold plates.
The palace contained 19 state rooms, 52 principal bedrooms, 188 staff bedrooms, 92 offices, and 78 bathrooms

Royal Palace of Madrid in Spain - Largest Palace in Western Europe

The largest palace in Western Europe is the Royal Palace of Madrid in Spain. The Palacio Real de Madrid, also called Palacio de Oriente - Eastern Palace, is the official residence of the King of Spain. However, the king and the royal family do not actually reside in this palace, instead choosing the smaller Palacio de la Zarzuela.
Distinct Features of the Palace
The palace has the distinction of being the largest royal palace in Western Europe in size, with over a combined area of over 135,000 m² or 1,453,122 square feet.
The palace has more than 2,800 rooms
The vast palace is richly decorated by artists such as Velasquez, Tiepolo, Mengs, Gasparini, Juan de Flandes, Caravaggio and Goya.
Royal Armory and weapons dating back to the 13th century are kept in the palace
The world’s only complete Stradivarius string quintet is kept in the palace, including collections of tapestry, porcelain, furniture, and other objects of art of great historical importance

Stockholm Palace, Sweden - The Largest Royal Palace in the World that is Still in Use for its Original Purpose

Stockholm Palace is the official residence and major royal palace of the Swedish monarch. It is “the largest royal palace in the world that is still in use for its original purpose.”
Notable features of the Palace
The personal offices of the monarch and the other members of the Swedish royal family as well as the administrative offices of the Royal Court of Sweden are located there.
The palace is used for representative purposes by the king whilst performing his duties as the head of state
The palace is guarded by the Hogvakten, a royal guard of members of the Swedish Armed Forces which dates back to the early 16th century
The palace is built of brick, with midsections of the west, south, and east facades covered by sandstone.
The roof is covered with copper and is surrounded by a stone balustrade which stretched around the entire main building
The palace has 609 rooms and is one of the largest royal palaces in the world still in use for its original purpose
The palace contains Sweden’s oldest museum, which includes old weapons and uniforms.
The Palace Church is situated at the east
The Treasure Chamber which contains the Swedish crown jewels is located at the west
Museum of antiques is located in the northeast wing and contains ancient sculptures found in Italy.

The Forbidden City, Beijing, China - World’s Largest Palace Complex

The Forbidden City which is the world’s largest palace complex, is neither occupied as a residence nor is it one continuous building.
Splendid Features of the Palace
The total square footage of the complex is just less than 7,750,000 square feet, but with the vast open courtyards of the complex, the totaled square footage of the Forbidden City’s collective buildings is smaller than that of Istana Nurul Iman
For almost five centuries, it served as the home of the Emperor and his household, and the ceremonial and political centre of Chinese government
The complex consists of 980 surviving buildings with 8,707 bays of rooms and covers 720,000 square meters
The palace complex exemplifies traditional Chinese palatial architecture
The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987 and is listed by UNESCO as the largest collection of preserved ancient wooden structures in the world
The construction of the palace lasted 15 years, and required more than a million workers
The Forbidden City is the world’s largest surviving palace complex and covers 72 hectares
The Forbidden City is surrounded by a 7.9-meter high city wall and a six-meter deep, 52-meter wide moat. The walls are 8.62 meters wide at the base, tapering to 6.66 meters at the top.
At the four corners of the wall sit towers with intricate roofs boasting 72 ridges
The Hall of Supreme Harmony which was the ceremonial center of imperial power, is the largest, and rises some 30 meters above the level of the surrounding square. It is the largest surviving wooden structure in China.
The northern ramp, behind the Hall of Preserving Harmony, is carved from a single piece of stone 16.57 meters long, 3.07 meters wide, and 1.7 meters thick. It weighs some 200 tons and is the largest such carving in China.
The Forbidden City is surrounded on three sides by imperial gardens.
The Forbidden City contains Equestrian painting of the Qianlong Emperor (r. 1735-1796) by Giuseppe Castiglione.
The collections of the Palace Museum are based on the Qing imperial collection. Some 1.17 million items were stored in the Forbidden City.
The imperial libraries housed one of the China’s largest collections of ancient books and various documents
The Palace Museum holds 340,000 pieces of ceramics and porcelain
The Palace Museum holds close to 50,000 items of paintings. Of these, more than 400 date from before the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368). This is the largest such collection in China.
The Palace Museum’s bronze collection dates from the early Shang Dynasty (founded c. 1766 BC). Of the almost 10,000 pieces held, about 1600 are inscribed items from the pre-Qin period (to 221 BC)
The Palace Museum has one of the largest collections of mechanical timepieces of the 18th and 19th centuries in the world, with more than 1000 pieces. The collection contains both Chinese- and foreign-made pieces.
The Museum’s collection of jade includes some 30,000 pieces

These palaces are amazingly beautiful. Other palaces with notable features are; the Russian Imperial Palaces in St Petersburg, the Papal Palace in Rome, Potala Palace, Palace of Versailles in France, and many others.

The Winter Palace - St. Petersburg, Russia

The Winter Palace was the winter residence of the Russian tsars.

The Papal Palace or Palace of the Vatican - Vatican City

The Papal Palace is the official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City.

The Potala Palace - Tibet

The Potala Palace was the former chief residence of the Dalai Lama. Today the Potala Palace has been converted into a museum by the Chinese.

The Palace of Versailles in France

It was once the center of power and the former official residence of the French Monarchy.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Events That Created the World’s Largest Mushroom Clouds

Notable mushroom clouds that synthetically and naturally occurred in the world.

Mushrooms have traditionally been associated both with life and death, food and poison, making them a powerful symbol.

The photo below, taken over the mountains of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is a natural mushroom cloud formation. It causes no harm but rather provides a scenic view.

Here are a handful of the most destructive mushroom clouds that appeared on Earth. They have caused much destruction to mankind and to nature as well.

Mount Pinatubo Mushroom Cloud

This peculiar mushroom is the giant mushroom-cloud which was formed during the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines on June 15, 1991. The effects of the eruption were felt worldwide. It ejected roughly 10 billion metric tons of magma, and 20 million tons of SO2, bringing vast quantities of minerals and metals to the surface environment. It injected large amounts of aerosols into the stratosphere -more than any eruption since that of Krakatoa in 1883.

Redoubt Volcano Mushroom Cloud

This gigantic mushroom cloud that billowed over the sky was formed by Redoubt Volcano’s eruption in 1989. The mushroom-shaped plume rose from avalanches of hot debris (pyroclastic flows) that cascaded down the north flank of the volcano. This volcano is situated in Alaska, USA.

Mount St. Helens Mushroom Cloud

The huge mushroom cloud above was created by the eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980. The bulge and surrounding area slid away in a gigantic rockslide and debris avalanche, releasing pressure, and triggering a major pumice and ash eruption of the volcano. Fifty-seven people were killed. This volcano is located in Washington, USA.

Ngauruhoe Volcano Mushroom Cloud

The massive mushroom cloud above was formed during the volcano’s eruption in 1974. This volcano with a near perfect cone is located in the Tangariro Massif. It has been New Zealand’s most active volcano in historic times, with more than 60 eruptive episodes since its first recorded eruption in 1839. Another eruption occurred in 1977.

Those were deadly and dangerous mushroom clouds created by nature. The mushroom clouds below were all manmade. Some of these mushroom clouds devastated thousands of human beings directly and indirectly and some destroyed many valuable ecological sites in the world.

Bikini Atoll Mushroom Cloud

This huge mushroom cloud is from a 23 kiloton atomic bomb detonated 90 feet underwater during Operation Crossroads along the Bikini Atoll in Marshall Islands on July 25, 1946. This was the second atomic detonation of the operation. The first blast of the operation, which took place on July 1st, was detonated at an altitude of 520 feet. The inhabitants of this place were paid and relocated. After a few years, a few residents went back but soon again remove from the area because it is still highly contaminated.

Castle Romeo Mushroom Cloud

This magnificent mushroom cloud with prominent condensation ring is from a Castle Romeo hydrogen bomb test which was detonated on March 27, 1954, after several delays (which played havoc with the planned experimental measurements program) at Bikini Atoll, on a barge moored in the middle of the crater from the Castle Bravo test. It was the first such barge-based test, a necessity that had come about because the powerful thermonuclear devices destroyed islands if they were set off on land.

Ivy Mike Mushroom Cloud

This mushroom cloud that seem provided a scenic view is from Ivy Mike, a codename given to the first US test of a fusion device where a major part of the explosive yield came from fusion. It was detonated on November 1, 1952 by the US on Enewetak Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, as part of Operation Ivy. The device was the first full test of a staged fusion bomb, and is generally considered the first successful test of a hydrogen bomb.

First Atomic Explosion Mushroom Cloud

This mushroom cloud which is about 8 miles high is emitted from the first atomic explosion test in the New Mexican desert that took place on July 16, 1945. It’s a plutonium-core nuclear bomb which was raised to the top of a 65-foot-high steel tower in the New Mexican desert. The Trinity test began when the bomb, called “the gadget”, was detonated on July 16 at 5:30 a.m. The scientists, watching 10 miles from the tower, had disagreed on what would happen following the detonation — from nothing to the end of the world. Instead it caused an explosion that was about the equivalent of 19 kilotons of TNT.

Soviet Atomic Bomb Mushroom Cloud

This is Russia’s first nuclear test named Joe-1 by the west was detonated at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in Kazakhstan on August 29, 1949. Its estimated yield was about 22 kilotons which formed a mammoth mushroom cloud.

Little Boy Mushroom Cloud in the Hiroshima Bombing

Little Boy was dropped on the city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, creating this gigantic mushroom cloud and killed more than 140,000 people, mostly, civilians. Thousands more died later due injuries and illnesses attributed to exposure to radiation emitted by the explosion.

Fat Man Mushroom Cloud in the Nagasaki Bombing

This is the Fat Man mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki which rises 18 km (11 mi, 60,000 ft) into the air from the hypocenter. The explosion took place on August 9, 1945, three days after the bombing of Hiroshima. 80,000 perished instantly and thousands more died later due to exposure to radiation from the explosion. Six days later, Japan surrendered. These are to date the only attacks with nuclear weapons in the history of warfare.

Approximately, there have been 2,000 nuclear tests performed on the different part of the world. Eight countries have performed nuclear tests - the USA, UK, France, China, Russia, India, Pakistan and North Korea. There is speculation that Israel has an arsenal of nuclear weapons supplied by the US although it has never performed a test.

Production of nuclear weapons should be stopped at once, if not, the world will be on the brink of destruction.

Most Famous and Historically Significant Tombs in the World

A tomb is a place for the burial of the dead. Some people consider tombs or burial sites scary for they believe that the place is a dwelling place for ghost. On the other hand, many people consider them amazing and fascinating. Here are the 10 most interesting and historically important tombs in the world.

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus: Turkey

One single tomb that can be considered famous and significant is the Tomb of Mausolus. It is called Mausoleum of Mausolus or Mausoleum at Halicarnassus. It was a tomb built between 353 and 350 BC at Halicarnassus (present Bodrum, Turkey) for Mausolus, a satrap (governor) in the Persian Empire, and Artemisia II of Caria, his wife and sister. The structure was designed by the Greek architects Satyrus and Pythius. It stood approximately 45 meters (135 ft) in height, and each of the four sides was adorned with sculptural relief created by each one of four Greek sculptors - Leochares, Bryaxis, Scopas of Paros and Timotheus. The Mausoleum stood relatively intact until 1522 A.D., when it was ordered destroyed as an example of Pagan art.

The finished structure was considered to be such an aesthetic triumph that Antipater of Sidon identified it as one of his 7 Wonders of the Ancient World.

Hadrian's Tomb: Rome, Italy

Another famous tomb is the Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant'Angelo. It is a towering cylindrical building in Rome, initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was later used as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum. The tomb of the Roman emperor Hadrian was erected on the right bank of the Tiber, between 135 and 139. Originally the mausoleum was a decorated cylinder, with a garden top and golden quadriga. Hadrian's ashes were placed here a year after his death in 138, together with those of his wife Sabina, and his first adopted son, Lucius Aelius, who also died in 138. Following this, the remains of succeeding emperors were also placed here, the last recorded deposition being Caracalla in 217.

Lenin's Tomb: Red Square - Moscow, Russia

A tomb that is significantly famous especially among the Russians is Lenin's Mausoleum. It is also known as Lenin's Tomb situated in Red Square in Moscow. This mausoleum is popular because the embalmed body of Lenin has been on public display there since the year he died in 1924 (with rare exceptions in wartime). It is the mausoleum that serves as the current resting place of Vladimir Lenin. Aleksey Schusev's diminutive but monumental granite structure incorporates some elements from ancient mausoleums, such as the Step Pyramid and the Tomb of Cyrus the Great.

Taj Mahal: Agra, India

Undoubtedly, Taj Mahal is one of the most famous tombs worldwide. It is a mausoleum located in Agra, India, that was built under Mogul Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was cited as “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.”

Grant's Tomb: New York, USA

A tomb with great importance most especially among the Americans is General Grant National Memorial better known as Grant's Tomb. It is a mausoleum containing the bodies of Ulysses S. Grant (1822-1885), an American Civil War General and the 18th President of the United States, and his wife, Julia Dent Grant (1826-1902). The tomb complex is a US Presidential Memorial in the Morning Heights neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The structure is situated in a prominent location in Riverside Park overlooking the Hudson River.

Pantheon: Rome, Italy

Another important and with historical significance tomb is the Pantheon which was originally built for the all gods. Literally means "Temple of all the gods” is a building in Rome. It was rebuilt circa 125 AD during Hadrian's reign. The intended degree of inclusiveness of this dedication is debated. The generic term pantheon is now applied to a monument in which illustrious dead are buried. Pantheon is the best preserved of all Roman buildings, and perhaps the best preserved building of its age in the world. It has been in continuous use throughout its history.

Since the Renaissance the Pantheon has been used as a tomb. Among those buried there are the painter Raphael and Annibale Carracci, the composer Arcangelo Corelli, and the architect Baldassare Peruzzi. Also buried there are two kings of Italy: Vittorio Emmanuelle II and Umberto I, as well as Umberto's Queen, Margherita.

7 Westminster Abbey: London, UK

Looking at this structure, there is no way you will think that it's a burial place. The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to by its original name of Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English and later British monarchs.

Aristocrats were buried inside chapels and monks and people associated with the Abbey were buried in the Cloisters and other areas. One of these was Geoffrey Chaucer, who was buried here as he had apartments in the Abbey where he was employed as master of the Kings Works. Other poets were buried around Chaucer in what became known as Poet's Corner. These include John Milton, William Wordsworth, Thomas Gray, John Keats, Percy Bysshe, Robert Burns, William Blake, T.S. Elliot and Gerard Manley Hopkins and many others.

St. Peter's Basilica: Vatican City

In Catholic tradition, it is the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus and, according to tradition, was the first Bishop of Antioch, and later first and therefore first in the line of the papal succession. St. Peter' is the most famous of Rome's any churches.

There are over 100 tombs within St. Peter's Basilica, many located in the Vatican grotto, beneath the Basilica. These include 91 popes, St. Ignatius of Antioch, Holy Roman Emperor Otto II, and the composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. Exiled Catholic British royalty James Francis Edward Stuart and his two sons, Charles Edward Stuart and Henry Benedict Stuart, are buried here, having been granted asylum by Pope Clement XI. Also buried here are Maria Clementina Sobieska, wife of Charles Edward Stuart, and Queen Christina of Sweden, who abdicated her throne in order to convert to Catholicism. The most recent interment was Pope John Paul II, on April 8, 2005.

Tomb of Cyrus the Great: Iran

This ancient tomb excavated in Pasargadae, a city in ancient Persia, is believed to be the tomb of one of the most notable king of Persia - King Cyrus the Great. It is today an archeological site and one of only five of Iran's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. According to the Elamite cuneiform of the Persepolis fortification tablets the name was rendered as Batrakatas and the name in current usage derives from a Greek transliteration of an Old Persian Pathragada toponym of still-uncertain meaning.

Great Pyramid of Giza: Egypt

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only remaining member of the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World. It is also called Khufu's Pyramid or the Pyramid of Khufu, and Pyramid of Cheops. This tomb with great popularity and historical significance is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis. It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for 4th Egyptian pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years.

The Tomb of Jesus Christ is not included on the list because it is still a subject of much controversy and scrutiny. Once it is proven that it was indeed the Tomb of Christ, it will surely be considered the tomb with the greatest significance and will surely escalate to the highest and unsurpassable degree of popularity.

One of the basic reasons why some of these magnificent tombs were built is because of people's belief on life after death. Given the chance to choose before you pass away, where on these burial sites would you like to be buried?

Monday, June 22, 2009

10 Strange Species Discovered Last Year

Every year, biologists brave the world’s deserts, jungles and industrial ecosystems looking for new species.
And what wonderful things they find. It turns out that the real world is totally like the internet: If you look hard enough, you can find just about anything. This year, scientists found caffeine-less coffee plants, tiny seahorses and a 23-inch long bug that looks like a branch, not to mention a strange white slug no one had ever described that was found in a Welsh garden.

Below, you’ll find the top 10 species found and described in 2008, according to The International Institute for Species Exploration at Arizona State University.

At the top of the page you see the world’s tiniest seahorse, Satomi’s Pygmy Seahorse, aka Hippocampus satomiae. Found in Indonesian waters, it’s the reigning champ of lilliputian seahorses, floating around at half an inch tall.

Deep Blue Chromis aka Chromis abyssus

The deep reefs of the Pacific Ocean are home to a variety of strange creatures that are just beginning to be described. Named in honor of the BBC program that funded the trip on which it was discovered, this small blue fish was found in Palau, which is hundreds of miles from anywhere.

Ghost Slug aka Selenochlamys ysbryda

This member of the family Trigonochlamydidae was found in a “domestic garden in Canton,” a town in Wales. It’s nocturnal and creepy looking.

Phobaeticus chani

That’s not a stick, it’s the world’s longest insect, measuring in at 22.3 inches total and with a body length of 14 inches. You can find it in Borneo, although we’d rather not.

Charrier Coffee aka Coffea charrieriana

If there’s one thing we’ve been waiting for from the plant community, it’s a caffeine-less coffee plant. Oh, wait, no we haven’t! Caffeine is the coffee plant’s raison d’etre in our book. Biologists say, however, that this Cameroonian freak could be useful in coffee breeding programs to develop a naturally decaf bean. Which is good news, if you’re into that weak stuff.

Tahina spectabilis

Looking for a new metaphor for your new magical realist novel set in Madagascar? The Tahina palm is the answer to your dreams: The plant literally flowers itself to death, going out in a blaze of flowers and fruit. It lives only in one tiny corner of Madagascar and is unrelated to any of the 170 other palm varieties on the island.

Barbados Threadsnake aka Leptotyphlops carlae

The world’s tiniest, quarter-wrapping snake made the rounds of the internet last year and made the ASU’s species list this year. It’s only found in Barbados.

Mother Fish aka Materpiscis attenboroughi

The mother fish is only known from the fossil above, which shows the animal giving birth 370 million years ago. It’s the oldest-known vertebrate to have birthed offspring live.

Opisthostoma vermiculum

This strange Malaysian gastropod has a shell that defies the standard laws of shell twisting. It coils along four separate axes, not three like most of its relatives. It’s no tiny seahorse, but you can’t hold that against it.

Microbacterium hatanonis

Bacteria really can live just about anywhere on else from hot volcanic vents to Antarctic ice. But they are also adapting to the new environments that humans create. Case in point, Japanese scientists found that this bacterial species lives inside hairspray. It still doesn’t have a common name, but seeing as most bacteria live in communities, we suggest AquaNet.

Color Photos Of Almost Hundred Years Ago

Look at this picture. Does it seem natural for the time when it was taken (1915)? I'm sure most of you will say that it was photoshopped and fake. Well no, it's a real photo taken by the Russian photographer Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky.

His process used a camera that took a series of three monochrome pictures in sequence, each through a different coloured filter. By projecting all three monochrome pictures using correctly coloured light, it was possible to reconstruct the original colour scene.

Any stray movement within the camera's field of view showed up in the prints as multiple "ghosted" images, since the red, green and blue images were taken of the subject at slightly different times (from one to three seconds). For example, look at the kid in the bottom of the picture on the left. It’s well known, that children move a lot, that’s why it was not easy working with them.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

The World's Smallest Man

17-year old Khagendra Thapa Magar is reported to be the shortest man in the world, measuring 60 cm (24 inches). Magar came from the Baglung District of Nepal and is dubbed as a "little Buddha" by the villagers. Just 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) at birth, Khagendra now is only about 5.5 kg (12 lb).

The World's 'Germiest' Attractions

No. 1: The Blarney Stone

The Blarney Stone is a block of bluestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle, Blarney about 5 miles (8 km) from Cork, Ireland. According to legend, kissing the stone endows the kisser with the gift of gab (great eloquence or skill at flattery). The stone was set into a tower of the castle in 1446. The castle is a popular tourist site in Ireland, attracting visitors from all over the world to kiss the Stone and tour the castle and its gardens.

No. 2: Seattle's Gum Wall

This is the box office window and entrance to the Market Theater. You are not going to believe the "ew" factor of this tradition that has become a living art installation sought out by photographers the city over. The Market Theater in Post Alley at Pike Place Public Market has given up cleaning the gum it's patrons began sticking to the alley's brick wall while they were waiting in line. It's a habit that has stuck. Originally coins were pressed into the colorful gum blobs. Some people still affix a penny, but those quickly disappear. After two complete removals and cleanings, they realized the futility of trying to keep the gum off. It is now become a de facto public art installation, and a participatory one that grows daily

No. 3: Oscar Wilde's Tomb
It's a tradition to kiss the tomb of the Irish author and playwright, leaving lipstick on the characteristically subdued, modest monument.

No. 4: Piazza San Marco, Venice
Piazza San Marco is the principal square of Venice, Italy.
Pigeons, a.k.a. flying rats, rule the roost in Venice's legendary town square.

No. 5: Handprints at Grauman's Chinese Theater, Hollywood
Grauman's Chinese Theatre is a movie theater located at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood.
here are nearly 200 Hollywood celebrity handprints, footprints, and autographs in the concrete of the theater's forecourt.

No. 6:Karni Mata Rat Temple, India
Karni Mata Temple, 30 miles south of Bikaner in Deshnoke, is one of the strangest holy spots in India
Not only the mother goddess but well fed rats (called kabas) reside here and receive homage. The high priests have gone to great length to protect the rats whose bodies are believed to house the souls of Karni Mata's departed devotees

No. 7: Szechenyi Thermal Baths, Budapest
In Hungary, people spend all day soaking in the hot waters of this enormous bathing complex -- in essence, taking a bath with thousands of complete strangers.

No. 8: Friendly Monkey Valley, Everland Amusement Park, South Korea
Sorry, but does it really matter if these monkeys are friendly?

No. 9:Glastonbury Festival, England
Every summer, hundreds of thousands of hygiene -challenged music fans converge on Worthy Farm, near Glastonbury, England, for several days of dancing, partying, and (more often than not) acres and acres of filth.

No. 10:Any Children's Ball Pit
A ball pit (also known as a ball pool or ball pond) is a pit, usually rectangular and padded, filled with small (generally no larger than a baseball) colorful hollow plastic balls. It is typically employed as a recreation and exercise for small children

No. 11:Disaster Emeritus: CBGB's Bathroom
While the stage at the legendary music venue on Manhattan's Bowery featured acts like Blondie, Talking Heads, Television, the Ramones, Youth of Today, Bad Brains -- need we go on? -- the club's dank, graffitied, sticky-floored bathroom welcomed generations of anonymous punks (most of whom had awful aim). CBGB closed its doors in 2006, but legend has it the bathroom walked away of its own accord.

Top 10 Worst Things In Nature

Nature provides for almost all of our needs and it is as diverse as the stars in the sky. But there is a dark side too. Nature also contains some of the most awful things you can imagine – worse than anything conjured up by Stephen King! This list looks at ten of those things.
10
Honey Badger
Most Vicious Animal

The honey badger is usually found in Africa and Western and Southern Asia. For a number of years the Guinness Book of Records has named it the “most fearless creature”. This animal (which looks deceptively cute) will attack virtually anything and it is smart enough to know its opponents weak spots. For example, when confronted by a human male, it will attack the testicles. This is also one of the few animals that uses tools – for example making use of logs as ladders. The honey badger loves honey and will dive right into a beehive with no regard to its own safety – which unfortunately often leads to its death. Honey Badgers can kill crocodiles, and are very efficient snake killers. It takes only 15 minutes for the animal to eat a 5 foot snake. The ferocity of these creatures is well known in nature and not even a leopard or lion will attempt to kill one.

Mosquito

Worst Insect

There is no doubt that the mosquito has to be the worst insect in the world. Just as summer starts, the mosquitos come out in force ready to feast upon the pasty white legs of humans that have been locked inside for winter. At night as you lie in bed you can hear them buzzing but you can’t see them – and then next morning a huge welt appears on the tip of your nose because the mosquito chowed down on it. Oh – and it also happens to be the most deadly insect in the world because it spreads malaria – in fact, it is believed that half the human population that has died through history, died because of the female mosquito bite. God must have been pre-occupied the day he was creating the animals, because he didn’t notice Satan making the mosquito.

Fatal Familial Insomnia
Worst Disease Symptoms

Fatal Familial Insomnia is a terrible disease found in only 28 families around the world. The disease prevents you from sleeping and no medication available can help you. When the disease begins, you generally have from 7 to 36 months of sleepless nights until you finally die. Wikipedia describes the stages of the disease thus:

1. The patient suffers increasing insomnia, resulting in panic attacks, paranoia, and phobias. This stage lasts for about four months.
2. Hallucinations and panic attacks become noticeable, continuing for about five months.
3. Complete inability to sleep is followed by rapid loss of weight. This lasts for about three months.
4. Dementia, where the patient becomes unresponsive or mute over the course of six months. This is the final progression of the disease, and the patient will subsequently die.

Bullet Ant
Most Painful Bite

The bullet ant is ranked as having the most painful sting in the world – often likened to the pain of being shot, described thus: “waves of burning, throbbing, all-consuming pain that continues unabated for up to 24 hours”. The ant is found in Nicaragua south to Paraguay and, like other ants, they live in large colonies which are usually situated at the base of trees. The ants are used in an initiation rite for boys in the Satere-Mawe tribe of Brazil. The boys are made to wear a glove with hundreds of these ants attached – they must suffer the stings for 10 minutes and they must perform this ritual multiple times. The boys arm is usually paralyzed temporarily from the poison and their bodies can shake for days. You can watch the rite of passage on youtube – I don’t recommend it for the weak of heart.

Salvinia Molesta
Most Intrusive Weed

Also known as kariba weed, the salvinia molesta plant is an aquatic fern from Brazil. It floats on top of water and doubles in size every few days. This usually results in lakes that become completely covered by a mat of the plant up to 24 inches high. The intrusive weed prevents sunlight from entering the water which, in turn, prevents animal and plant life from surviving. To make matters worse, you can’t kill the plant. If you break it into small pieces, each piece will spawn a new plant. In the US attempts have been made to remove it using cranes, but all it takes is one tiny piece to restart the whole growing process. It is now found around the world and causes havoc everywhere it goes. In the image above, what appears to be a nice lawn is actually an entire lake covered with salvinia molesta.

Corpse Flower
Smelliest Plant

The corpse flower thrives in the grasslands bordering rain forests in Sumatra (though it is now found around the world in display gardens). It grows a single enormous flower which produces a smell that is remarkably similar to a rotting corpse (hence its name). The flower grows to over 10 feet wide and its coloring is designed to mimic the look of rotting meat – to help entice the carrion eating insects that pollinate it. The tip of the corpse flower is nearly the same temperature as the human body which probably helps to spread the stink and adds to the illusion that it is really rotten flesh. Here is an excellent youtube clip with David Attenborough presenting the corpse flower.

Brazilian Wandering Spider
Worst Spider

It is huge. It has one of the most painful bites in the spider world. It is the most deadly spider; forget the funnel web spider – this thing is dangerous. It has the highest human kill rate in the world. To make things even worse, a bite from this spider causes an erection that lasts for hours. No – this is not a subtle ad for viagra; it really is a side-effect of a wandering spider bite. Emergency room staff are able to immediately recognize a person suffering from a bite. Needless to say, the venom is being studied for possible medical uses for people suffering erectile disfunction.

Candiru
Nastiest Fish

The Candiru is a small parasitic catfish which is found mostly in the Amazon river where it is the most feared fish – even more so than piranhas. The fish can grow to a maximum length of around six inches. Candiru feed on the blood of their host creatures by swimming into the gills and using razor sharp spines on its head to attach itself. It then chews its way through the host until it reaches a major artery and drinks blood until it is satiated. The fish finds its prey by sniffing the water and this is where it starts to get nasty: the smell of human urine appeals to candirus and they can find their way to a human penis or vagina under the water and enter it. When this happens, the fish attaches itself (causing great pain to the poor human) and it can generally only be removed through surgery. This is a very unpleasant situation to be in – so be warned: don’t pee in the Amazon river. You can watch a youtube clip about the candiru here. And if you are able to cope with disgusting images, check out the photo of a doctor removing a candiru from a man’s nether-regions.

2
Man
Most Damaging To Its Environment

First of all we need to get one thing clear – I am not a “greenie” or an “environmentalist” – but even a hard-hearted non-recycler like me can see how much damage man causes to nature. We pollute our waterways and air, we tear down whole forests, we flatten mountains, and we bury nuclear waste beneath the earth. Nature has every reason to hate us and perhaps that is in part the reason for the many plagues and pandemics that have struck our kind since time immemorial.

1
Botulinum Toxin
Deadliest Thing Ever

Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum and it is, beyond a doubt, the deadliest known protein. If the clostridium botulinum spores find their way to food or wounds, they will begin to release the toxin which leads to poisoning if eaten. It is so deadly that a mere two pounds (roughly 1kg) of the stuff is enough to kill the entire human population. It is so deadly that it is potentially useful as a biological weapon. This is the kind of thing we obviously want to keep right away from right? Well, no. Millions of people have this deadly protein injected into their face every year; it is present in minute quantities in Botox which is used to “treat” wrinkle

Saturday, June 20, 2009

The Happiest Places on Earth

Here are some extraordinary places that accommodate joy and inspiration in the world. Just forget about your worries, agonies and troubles, let the yesterday, tomorrow, future and fantasy inspirations in these happiest places fill you with fond and sweet memories.

Hi, I'm M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E. Just call me Mickey, OK? First of all, welcome to Disneyland Park- the happiest land on earth. Today, I'll become your tourist guide.

Get yourself ready and let's start our tour now. I hope you enjoy the trip! Here we go...

Disneyland was the first Disney theme park owned by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of The Walt Disney Company, and it was opened on July 17, 1955. Disneyland was the idea of Walt E. Disney, an artist who created the cartoon character of Mickey Mouse. He wanted to establish a park, in which the families could have fun, and there his dream fulfilled when the first Disneyland was built in Anaheim, California in 1955. He hoped to bring Disneyland as a source of joy and inspiration to the entire world. Indeed, Disneyland has become a huge hit for both adults and children!

There is also a plaque at the entrance of Disneyland stated that "Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy."

Sleeping Beauty Castle

Sleeping Beauty Castle is a building situated in the center of Disneyland Park and Hong Kong Disneyland Park. It's the oldest and best known building of all Disney castles, with several dioramas depicting the famous fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty.

Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland reaches a height of 23.5m and its pink castle is surrounded by a moat where swans swim. To enter, please follow me to walk across a drawbridge.

Adventureland

Adventureland takes you to far off places like Africa, Asia, South Pacific, Middle East, South America and desert islands. This themed land was opened on July 17, 1955 and it features a theme of the remote jungles of the above mentioned places. In almost one place, you could picture a diverse civilization, which of course makes your adventure here worth a penny. Exotic animal statues, Congo drums, architectural crafts of Pacific, tribal performance mask and non-American totem poles are some of the notable features here. Jungle Cruise, Tarzan's Treehouse, and Walt Disney's Enchanted Tiki Room are three main attractions in Disneyland, while Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye is a renowned tourist spot at Tokyo DisneySea theme park in Chiba, Japan. The trips to these places are absolutely enjoyable!

Mickey's Toontown

Where can you see Mickey Mouse and all your favorite Disney characters? In your PC game, Nintendo game, shows, cinemas, TV screens or newspapers? Where can you meet and enjoy the ride with the character of Mickey? Of course, your dream can be fulfilled by visiting Mickey's Toontown which was opened to the public in 1993. At Tokyo Disneyland, it's called Toontown.

Here, it's a home of mine as it houses the house of Minnie Mouse and Mickey Mouse. The establishment of Mickey's Toontown, has notably raised my global status as the most popular kid idols as well as the most popular cartoon characters.

Main Street, U.S.A

Main Street, U.S.A. brings you back to a typical Midwest town 100 years ago. At Disneyland, it even has horse-drawn trams.

There is a train station above the entrance for each Main Street, U.S.A. However, this service is not available at Tokyo Disneyland.

Tomorrowland

Do you want to pilot your own spacecraft on a mission to venture into the mystery of the outer space? Then, come to Tomorrowland and have a ride on Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster. Not enough with this ride? Alright, how about have a wild ride on Astro Orbitor? Come and experience yourself, it's indeed an exciting ride here as it depicts numerous exciting views of the future. Give yourself a chance to participate in the adventures of Star Tours, I Shrunk the Audience, Disneyland Monorail, Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, Innoventions, Space Mountain, Tomorrowland Station, and Autopia.

Critter Country

Here, we come to a place called Critter Country which was initially a home to Indian Village. It was opened in 1972. The notable spot to look for here is Splash Mountain. It's a log-flume journey and the idea of the creation of Splash Mountain was actually inspired by the Uncle Remus stories of Joel Chandler Harris. The mountain ride here is really thrilling and unforgettable! You should never miss it!

New Orleans Square

New Orleans Square which was opened on July 24, 1966, depicts a theme on 19th century New Orleans. Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean are two well-known attractions here. Hey, wanna to meet pirate? Here is the place. Come here and meet Captain Jack Sparrow.

Hello, Captain Jack, shall we have a drink at Club 33?

Fantasyland

Fantasyland is a world of storybook. The characters of the story become "live" here which are served as a source of creative inspiration among the youngsters.

At Fantasyland, you'll encounter this poor Donald Duck. Hey, listen, he's calling for HELP...

Donald says, "Hey, who pasted my buttock to the ceiling? Come here and get me down here, and I'll give you 100 buck, OK?" He continues to yell, "Help, help, help....!"

Have you ever dreamt of flying with Peter Pan to the paradise? Or, how about have a challenging adventure with Alice in the Wonderland? Here, you come to a right place. Yes, Fantasyland at Disneyland. Imagine a sweet moment while swirling in the teacups at Alice in Wonderland's Mad Tea Party! It must be an unforgettable moment!!! Fantasyland is truly exciting! Now, listen to what Donald is goin' to say then...

YEEPIE! This is great! So much fun, I really can't stop spinning!

EPCOT Center

EPCOT Center is part of a family of Disney theme park. It took a shape to show what life might be like in the future.

Disney's California Adventure

Next to Disneyland in Anaheim, there sits Disney's California Adventure. The adventure park here takes a theme of the state of California. At night, colored lights will turn this park into a magical place.

Disneyland Paris

Disneyland Paris is in France. Here, Mickey can speak French
! Amazing though!

Next to Disneyland Paris is Walt Disney Studios Paris, which is an extraordinary trip to HOLLYWOOD!

Tokyo Disneyland

Konnichiwa! Welcome to Tokyo Disneyland. Located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, this Disney Park was the first to be built by Walt Disney Imagineering outside of the United States. It was opened on April 15, 1983.

Next door to Tokyo Disneyland is Tokyo DisneySea. Here, it tells you all about the ocean and the aquatic animals.

At the main entrance to Tokyo DisneySea, there you'll see another Disney character, Donald Duck. It's a big hit with kid there. Donald is CUTE, isn't he?

WWAALTT E-E-E HOOPES U HHAVVE A GGOODD TRIPP HEREE. MICCKKEEEY ISSS TTTIRRED N HEEE ASKS MMMEE TOO DEEELIVVVER UUU GOODD WIIISHHES ...TTTOO TOOO.. WWAALTT E-E-E -HASSS 222 LEAAVEE NOOOWW BYYYE BYYE HOPEE U UNNDEERSTAANND MEE ...DDIS ISSS A ROOOBOTICC LAANGGUAGEE...TOOO. TTTOO...

The 12 Best ‘All That’ Skits

Pierre Escargot, Vital Information For Your Everyday Life, The Repairman man man man man = skits from the most amazing kids comedy sketch show ever: ALL THAT. Here are videos of the 12 best skits (I would have included more if they were on YouTube, “The Okrah Show” anyone?). But anyways, who was everyone's favorite cast member? Lori Beth all the way here.

1. Everyday French With Pierre Escargot

2. Vital Information For Your Everyday Life

Still funny today.
3. The Librarian

4. The Repairman

5. Earboy

Ross Perot = GENIUS.
6. Cooking With Randy And Mandy

CHOCOLATE.
7. Coach Kreeton

8. Ishboo

My personal favorite.
9. Detective Dan

10. What's In The Box?

11. Good Burger

12. Ask Ashley

Sorry for the quality on this one, but it was a MUST.

Friday, June 19, 2009

World’s Most Disastrous Oceans and Seas

Sea of Marmara

The Sea of Marmara, or rather Propontis, was a sea that the Greeks sailed through to reach the Black Sea. According to legend, a great storm broke out on Propontis bringing the Argonauts back to an island they had left.

However, there was a conflict which resulted in the murder of King Cyzicus. Cyzicus ruled over the Dolionians, a tribe that inhabited the southern shore of the Propontis.

Interesting Facts:
Imrali is an island on the Marmara sea where Abdullah Öcalan is imprisoned.
On December 29, 1999, the Russian oil tanker Volgoneft broke in two in the Sea of Marmara, and more than 1500 tonnes of oil were spilled into the water.
The North Anatolian fault runs under the sea. This particular fault has trggered many major earthquakes including the Izmit Earthquake of 1999.

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. Its name is derived from the Latin name Mare Pacificum, "sea", bestowed upon it by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan

The ocean encompasses almost a third of the Earth's surface, having an area of 179.7 million square kilometres (69.4 million sq mi and 161 million cubic mi) —significantly larger than Earth's entire landmass, with room for another Africa to spare

Water temperatures in the Pacific vary from freezing in the poleward areas to about 30 °C (86 °F) near the equator. Salinity also varies latitudinally

The Pacific is ringed by many volcanoes and oceanic trenches

Contrary to popular belief, the Pacific is far from peaceful. In fact, many tropical cyclones inflict devastating affects on the islands. Not only that, the lands around the Pacific are full of volcanoes and often affected by earthquakes. Tsunamis, which are cause by underwater earthquakes, have devastated many islands and destroyed entire towns.

In the Pacific, marine pollution is by far the biggest culprit of destruction. Chemicals used as fertilizers in agriculture as well as waste from livestock and humans run into the ocean. The excess chemicals that deplete the oxygen in the water create a type of dead zone (an aquatic area with very little life).

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea has an average depth of 1,500 metres (4,920 ft) and the deepest recorded point is 5,267 meters (about 3.27 miles) in the Calypso Deep in the Ionian Sea.

It was an important route for merchants and travelers of ancient times that allowed for trade and cultural exchange between emergent peoples of the region — the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Phoenician, Carthaginian, Greek, Levantine, Roman, Moorish and Turkish cultures.

In contrast to the many destructive oceans in the world, pollution in this region has been quite disastrous in recent years. In fact, the” United Nations Environment Programme has estimated that 650 million tons of sewage, 129,000 tons of mineral oil, 60,000 tons of mercury, 3,800 tons of lead and 36,000 tons of phosphates are dumped into the Mediterranean each year.”

The Mediterranean Monk Seal is among the world’s most endangered marine mammals because of sea pollution. In fact, according to a 1994 study of the seabed using nets around the coasts of Spain, France and Italy, there was an average of 1,935 items per square kilometre found the floor of the sea. “Plastic debris accounted for 76%, of which 94% was plastic bags.”

Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering about 20% of the water on the Earth's surface.
The Indian Ocean is the warmest ocean in the world.

Disasters:

On December 26, 2004, the countries surrounding the Indian Ocean were hit by a tsunami caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. The waves resulted in more than 226,000 deaths and over 1 million people were left homeless some dead.
The earthquake was caused by subduction and triggered a series of devastating tsunami along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean.
It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand were the hardest hit.

With a magnitude of between 9.1 and 9.3, it is the second largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph. This earthquake had the longest duration of faulting ever observed, between 8.3 and 10 minutes. It caused the entire planet to vibrate as much as 1 cm (0.4 inches) and triggered other earthquakes as far away as Alaska.

1970 Bhola cyclone
The 1970 Bhola cyclone was a devastating tropical cyclone that struck East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and India's West Bengal on November 12, 1970. It was the deadliest tropical cyclone ever recorded, and one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern times. Up to 500,000 people lost their lives in the storm, primarily as a result of the storm surge that flooded much of the low-lying islands of the Ganges Delta

Atlantic Ocean

The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions; with a total area of about 106.4 million square kilometres (41.1 million square miles). It covers approximately one-fifth of the Earth's surface.

Atlantic is the saltiest of the world's major oceans.
The climate of the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent land areas is influenced by the temperatures of the surface waters and water currents as well as the winds blowing across the waters.

Icebergs (large blocks of broken glaciers floating in the water)-are common in the Northwest areas of the Atlantic and “have been spotted as far south as Bermuda and the Madeira Islands.” Ships that travel in the surrounding areas are subject to superstructure icing, which is water that freezes on contact, causing the boat to capsize and sink.

Disasters:

On the night of 14 April 1912, during the RMS Titanic maiden voyage, Titanic hit an iceberg and sank two hours and forty minutes later, early on 15 April 1912. The sinking resulted in the deaths of 1,517 people, making it one of the most deadly peacetime maritime disasters in history. The high casualty rate was due in part to the fact that, although complying with the regulations of the time, the ship did not carry enough lifeboats for everyone aboard. The ship had a total lifeboat capacity of 1,178 people, although her capacity was 3,547. A disproportionate number of men died due to the women-and-children-first protocol that was followed.

Air France Flight 447 was a scheduled commercial flight from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Paris, France, that crashed on June 1, 2009 over the Atlantic Ocean with the loss of all 216 passengers and 12 crew members

The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean in which a number of aircraft and surface vessels are alleged to have disappeared in mysterious circumstances which fall beyond the boundaries of human error, piracy, equipment failure, or natural disasters. Popular culture has attributed some of these disappearances to the paranormal, a suspension of the laws of physics, or activity by extraterrestrial beings.

USS Cyclops

The incident resulting in the single largest loss of life in the history of the US Navy not related to combat occurred when USS Cyclops, under the command of Lt Cdr G. W. Worley, went missing without a trace with a crew of 309 sometime after March 4, 1918, after departing the island of Barbados. Although there is no strong evidence for any single theory, many independent theories exist, some blaming storms, some capsizing, and some suggesting that wartime enemy activity was to blame for the loss

Douglas DC-3:: Disappeared in 1948

On December 28, 1948, a Douglas DC-3 aircraft, number NC16002, disappeared while on a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami. No trace of the aircraft or the 32 people onboard was ever found. From the documentation compiled by the Civil Aeronautics Board investigation, a possible key to the plane's disappearance was found, but barely touched upon by the Triangle writers: the plane's batteries were inspected and found to be low on charge, but ordered back into the plane without a recharge by the pilot while in San Juan. Whether or not this led to complete electrical failure will never be known. However, since piston-engined aircraft rely upon magnetos to provide spark to their cylinders rather than a battery powered ignition coil system, this theory is not strongly convincing.

SS Marine Sulphur Queen: Disappeared in 1963
SS Marine Sulphur Queen, T2 tanker ship converted to carrying molten sulphur, noted for its disappearance in 1963 near the southern coast of Florida, taking the lives of 39 crewmen. The loss of the ship was the subject of lengthy litigation between the owner and families of the missing men.

Aegean Sea: The Legend of Atlantis

The name “Aegean” was said to be named after the town of Aegae, or possibly the queen of the Amazons who died in the sea, “or Aigaion, the “sea goat”, another name of Briareus, one of the archaic Hecatonchires, or, especially among the Athenians, Aegeus, the father of Theseus, who drowned himself in the sea when he thought his son had died.”

During the 1970s, the Islands of Thera became a topic of international importance. Geological sediment samples were taken near the island, and the conclusion was that the sediments may have been linked with a possible explanation of the ancient legend of the lost island of Atlantis.

The Smallest Living Animals

The smallest organism found on Earth can be measured using a variety of different methods, and can be defined as the smallest by volume, mass, height, or length

Smallest Amphibian: Monte Iberia Eleuth; Brazilian Gold Frog

The Brazilian Gold Frog (Brachycephalus didactylus), also known as Izecksohn's Toad, is the smallest frog in the Southern Hemisphere. It was previously called Psyllophryne didactyla

At just over 3/8 inches (9.6 - 9.8 mm) long, the Monte Iberia Eleuth (Eleutherodactylus iberia) is the smallest living frog in the northern hemisphere. It is the second-smallest frog (and tetrapod) in the world, following the Brazilian Gold Frog.

Smallest Reptile: Jaragua Sphaero; Virgin Gorda Least Gecko

The Jaragua Sphaero, or dwarf gecko, measures three-fourths of an inch from nose to tail tip and weighs just 0.00455 of an ounce (by contrast, the largest animal, the blue whale, is 1,600 times longer and more than 1 billion times heavier)

Its range is believed to be limited to Jaragua National Park in the extreme southwest of the Dominican Republic and the nearby forested Beata Island

Sphaerodactylus parthenopion or "Virgin Gorda Least Gecko," which was discovered in 1965 in the British Virgin Islands.Range about sixteen millimeters long as an adult from nose to tail.

Smallest Mammal: Kitti’s Hog-nosed Bat

Kitti's Hog-nosed Bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai), also known as the bumblebee bat, is a vulnerable species of bat and the only member of the family Craseonycteridae. It occurs in western Thailand and southeast Burma, where it occupies limestone caves along rivers.

Kitti's Hog-nosed Bat is the smallest species of bat and one of the world's smallest mammals. It has a reddish-brown or grey coat, with a distinctive pig-like snout. Colonies range greatly in size, with an average of 100 individuals per cave. The bat feeds during short activity periods in the evening and dawn, foraging around nearby forest areas for insects. Females give birth annually to a single offspring.
Kitti's Hog-nosed Bat is about 29–33 millimetres (1.14–1.30 in) in length and 2 grams (0.07 oz) in mass), hence the common name of "bumblebee bat".

Smallest Insect: Dicopomorpha Echmepterygis

The parasitic wasp known as Dicopomorpha echmepterygis measures 139 ?m, or a little over a tenth of a millimeter. Males of the species are blind and wingless, but females are capable of flight.

Smallest Turtle: Speckled Padloper Tortoise

The Speckled padloper tortoise (Homopus signatus) is the world's smallest tortoise. Found in western South Africa, the males measure 6-8 cm (2.3-3.1 in), while females measure up to almost 10 cm (4 in). It feeds on small succulent plants.

Smallest Bird: Bee Hummingbird

The Bee Hummingbird or Zunzuncito (Mellisuga helenae) is a species of hummingbird that is endemic to Cuba and Isla de la Juventud. With a mass of approximately 1.8 grams (0.063 oz) and a length of 5 centimetres (2.0 in), it is the smallest bird.

Smallest Crocodilian: Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman

The Cuvier's Dwarf Caiman or Musky Caiman, Paleosuchus palpebrosus, is a relatively small crocodilian reptile from northern and central South America. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Surinam and Venezuela. It lives primarily near fast stretches of stream, but also in nutrient-deficient waters.

With a total length of up to 1.6 m (5.2 ft) in males and typically up to 1.2m (4 ft) in females, it is the smallest extant species of crocodilian. Juvenile dwarf caimans eat invertebrates, while adult caimans eat both fish and invertebrates. It uses burrows as shelter during the day, and lays eggs on a mounded nest which hatch in about three months.

Top 8 Levels of Scientology

This is the list of the 8 levels of scientology that one can attain after becoming free of unwanted influences of life (a clear). There are only eight published levels though there are a further seven levels that may or may not exist. These levels (called Operating Thetan Levels) are a closely guarded secret of the Scientologists but they have appeared on the internet for a number of years. So, if you have the money (and the inclination) this is what Scientology has to offer you.

OT I

OT I comes after completing OT eligibility and OT preps (qv), this consists of walking about and counting people until one has a “win”, and similar god-like procedures. EP (End Phenomena) is to extrovert a being, and bring about an awareness of himself in relation to others and the physical universe. Also called OT (Operating Thetan) orientation. OT I has had various incarnations over the years

“This Solo-audited level is the first step a Clear takes toward full OT abilities, and that first step is a fresh causative OT viewpoint of the MEST universe and other beings.”

OT II

OT II consists of hundreds of boring “implants” written in Hubbard’s hand like “to be or not to be”, followed by “spotting the light” that accompanied the “implants.” EP (End Phenomena; the final result of processing “therapy”) is rehabilitation of intention and ability to project intention. With an EP like that, it can’t fail! “A series of processes directed at whole track implant materials (GPMs) dealing with dichotomies and binary thinking. Available at Advanced Organizations and higher.” – Jonathon Barbera.

“By confronting hidden areas of one’s existence on the whole track, vast amounts of energy and attention are released. Those on this Solo-audited level experience a resurgence of self-determinism and native ability. OT II unlocks the aberrative factors on the whole track that have allowed the thetan to lose his innate freedom and ability and one achieves the ability to confront the whole track.”

OT III: The Wall of Fire

OT III, also called “The Wall of Fire”. Deals with Incident 2, Xenu, the evil galactic overlord, and the H bombs on Hawaii 76 million years ago. Hubbard said that anyone who was exposed to this level casually would “freewheel” through it, become a chronic insomniac, then get sick and die. “Locating and auditing of body thetans on Incident I (first incident in MEST universe) and Incident II (incident which caused the degradation of these beings into body thetans and clusters as caused by Xenu approximately seventy-five million years ago). Emphasis on this level is ridding the pre-OT of body thetans which are conscious enough to respond to the auditing. Available at Advanced Organizations and higher. Partially replaced by New OT V.” – Jonathon Barbera

“This Solo-audited level goes through what is called the “Wall of Fire” that surrounds a previously impenetrable whole track mystery. What prevents a being from being himself? This level answers that question. Once complete, a being is free of the whole track overwhelm that has trapped him. Here he confronts and eradicates the fourth dynamic engram that has plagued this universe for millennia.”

The Clear learns about the catastrophic event that placed body thetans on Earth and deprived them of their operating abilities. The Clear is trained to audit the thetans inhabiting his or her own body regarding this incident.

OT IV: OT Drug Rundown

OT IV; the Operating Thetan drug rundown. New OT IV gets rid of the effects of taking drugs in past lifetimes for a few thousand dollars. You should really see this land in FLA; it is near Clearwater… “Mocking-up and unmocking implants from Clearing Course in order to prevent future implanting plus the handling and rehabilitation of past auditing. Product was supposed to be an OT Exterior. Replaced by New OT IV: handles the effects of drugs, medicine, and alcohol by addressing BTs stuck to/in drugs, medicine, and alcohol incidents. Audited by Class VIII auditors at Advanced Organizations and higher.” – Jonathon Barbera.

“This level handles the hidden problems and stops in a being’s universe caused by the effects of drugs and poisons on the whole track. This is the final polish that rids one of any last vestige of the effects of drugs on the spirit. Ministered at Advanced Organizations or Flag. Approximately 12 1/2 to 25 hours.”

The Clear audits his or her body thetans for drug-related problems.

OT V: New Era Dianetics for OTs

OT V; getting rid of the Body Thetans! EP (End Phenomena) is cause over life. Should be cause over your debt; you’ll need it. New OT 5 starts what is call New Era Dianetics for Operating Thetans, NED for OTs or NOTS, reputed to be for removing BTs (Body Thetans; evil spirit infestations) that didn’t respond on OT3. Physical universe familiarization, for only a few ‘thou, was a part of old OT V. “A series of drills directed at the Pre-OT’s handling of, and relationship to, MEST. Drills were to be done exterior. Replaced by New OT V: A series of steps directed at clearing the Pre-OTs body of body thetans with some attention on body thetans which are causing particular conditions (including health conditions, rock slams caused by the evil intentions of body thetans, PTSness caused by suppressive body thetans, etc.) Audited by Class IX auditors at Advanced Organizations and higher. 55 HCOBs.” – Jonathon Barbera.

“The Second Wall of Fire consists of 26 separate rundowns and has been described as dealing with “living lightning, the very stuff of life itself.” This level addresses the last aspects of one’s case that can prevent him from achieving total freedom on all dynamics. An audited level ministered at Advanced Organizations or Flag. Approximately 50 hours.”

The Clear learns that thetans inhabit everything in the MEST universe. Through auditing, the Clear contacts and identifies as many thetans as possible for further action.

OT VI: Hubbard Solo New Era Dianetics for OTs (Solo NOTs) Auditing Course

OT 6 teaches the Pre-OT, to do NOTs, New Era Dianetics for Operating Thetans, solo. OT VI is very expensive; it is easy to run up a $40,000 bill to get ready for the next step, OT VII. OT ability drills for a few ‘thou more constituted old OT VI. “Drills dealing with exteriorization, emotions, and sensations. The drills were supposed to be done exterior. Replaced by New OT VI: A course which trains the Pre-OT on how to solo audit Solo NOTs. Available at FSO (Flag). 14 HCOBs.” – Jonathon Barbera.

“The training one receives before starting to solo audit on New OT VII is so powerful that it actually constitutes an entire OT level. On Solo NOTs one is dealing with complexities intended to crush one’s true power and abilities as a thetan. Solo NOTs auditors acquire a wide range of auditing skills to handle the vast phenomena that can occur on OT VIII. Approximately 3-4 weeks with the new Solo Auditor Course done.”

The Clear receives further training to audit the body thetans identified during OT V.

OT VII: Hubbard Solo New Era Dianetics for OTs Auditing

On OT VII one does NOTS, New Era Dianetics for Operating Thetans, solo. New OT VII is cheaper than New OT V, as only the six month C/S’ing and the final certainly check are paid for and the main work is left to the mark himself. Old OT VII was projection of intention and polish up for a few more ‘thou…and you thought shouting was all you needed to project your intention. “A series of processes, drills, and training steps directed at intention. Replaced by New OT VII: the purpose of this level is the further ridding of body thetans. Done at FSO (Flag) and at home for two to three years. Product is an OT.” – Jonathon Barbera.

“On New OT VII one solo audits at home daily. This is a lengthy level, requiring a considerable amount of time to complete. It is the final pre-OT level, and culminates in attainment of the state of CAUSE OVER LIFE.”

The Clear audits all previously identified thetans until they “blow,” or detach from the Clear. As noted in the official description, the OT VII level can take many years to complete.

OT VIII: Truth Revealed

OT VIII is the top of the current Grade Chart – OT IX won’t be released until all the present Orgs are the size of the old Saint Hill Organization in East Grinstead, England, in the ’60s – not until hell freezes over, in other words. The Bridge, or Gradation Chart of Human Awareness and Abilities, tops out at OT 15, in some versions, although information is sketchy for the last few. OT 8 is a big expensive mystery, only delivered on the newspeak-named Scientology cruiseliner “Freewinds” out on the Caribbean. People who have completed this level have said that it is a review of all of the person’s auditing and a verification/ nullification of discoveries the person has made about himself, that it is Route 1 and 2 from the Creation of Human ability book, that it involves looking into your past auditing folders in order to spot any moments where you were being somebody else, e.g. past life identities, which you have discovered on Int Rundown or NED and any body thetans you have unleashed on OT III, OT IV, OT V, OT VI, OT VII and on Lists L10, L11 and L12, then a meter check to see if these identities are right or wrong items. At the end of this new process (New OT VIII), you will have recovered all of your own time track, supposedly. Two slightly different sets of the complete process have been posted to alt.religion.scientology, allegedly from people who have finished the level on the Freewinds. These procedures do indeed involved the 8th dynamic (god), as well as other steps, including material from A History of Man.

“This Solo-audited level addresses the primary cause of amnesia on the whole track and lets one see the truth of his own existence. This is the first actual OT level and brings about a resurgence of power and native abilities for the being himself. This may be done at the Flag Ship Service Organization only.” Graduation from this level requires a $100,000 payment.

Unreleased OTs

OT IX, (Orders of Magnitude). Prerequisites imply more implant material on this level. The word “orders” may merely suggest levels or may possibly indicate commands for the OT to perform as a Scientologist. – Jonathon Barbera.
OT X, (Character). Rumors have suggested that this level produces whole track recall. – Jonathon Barbera.
OT XI, (Operating). Probably further rehabilitation of the OT’s abilities. – Jonathon Barbera.
OT XII, (Future). Probably is directed at the OT’s handling or prediction of the future. – Jonathon Barbera.
OT XIII, Title not given. Probably incomplete or nonexistent. – Jonathon Barbera.
OT XIV, Title not given. Probably incomplete or nonexistent. – Jonathon Barbera.
OT XV, Title not given. Probably incomplete or nonexistent. If it did exist, this level’s product would be Total Freedom. – Jonathon Barbera. Note: it has been suggested that the old OT levels have been bumped up to fill these slots 9 to 15, so if and when these levels are released to the public (supposedly only after all current orgs are the size of the booming early Saint Hill), the current OT VIIIs may be in for a shock re-doing all their old levels over again, if they are old-timers.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

The World's 'Germiest' Attractions

No. 1: The Blarney Stone
Pull out your hand sanitizer and cover your nose: TripAdvisor.com has released its list of the world's "Germiest Attractions." First? Ireland's Blarney Stone, which untold numbers of pilgrims have kissed in hopes of being blessed with the gift of gab. See the other attractions that made TripAdvisor.com's top five, plus LIFE's picks of some other gross-out spots.

No. 2: Seattle's Gum Wall
People have been sticking their old chewing gum on a wall outside Seattle's Market Theatre for years, and the tradition has, erm, stuck. (Pictured is a similar gummy landscape in San Luis Obispo, Calif., but you get the idea.)

No. 3: Oscar Wilde's Tomb
It's a tradition to kiss the tomb of the Irish author and playwright, leaving lipstick on the characteristically subdued, modest monument.

No. 4: Piazza San Marco, Venice
Pigeons, a.k.a. flying rats, rule the roost in Venice's legendary town square.

No. 5: Handprints at Grauman's Chinese Theater, Hollywood
Would you get on your knees and stick your fingers into the cracks and crannies on any random sidewalk in your hometown?

Karni Mata Rat Temple, India
Now, LIFE's picks of tourist spots that'll have you scrubbing your skin raw. In India, thousands of rats -- completely unafraid of humans -- are treated like hairy little princes at this temple. Oh, and if you visit, you have to go in barefoot.

Szechenyi Thermal Baths, Budapest
In Hungary, people spend all day soaking in the hot waters of this enormous bathing complex -- in essence, taking a bath with thousands of complete strangers.

Friendly Monkey Valley, Everland Amusement Park, South Korea
Sorry, but does it really matter if these monkeys are friendly?

Glastonbury Festival, England
Every summer, hundreds of thousands of hygiene -challenged music fans converge on Worthy Farm, near Glastonbury, England, for several days of dancing, partying, and (more often than not) acres and acres of filth.

Any Children's Ball Pit
Don't give too much thought to what's at the bottom of that pile of colorful plastic balls. And definitely do not dwell on how often those gum-popping teenage employees clean it out.

Disaster Emeritus: CBGB's Bathroom
While the stage at the legendary music venue on Manhattan's Bowery featured acts like Blondie, Talking Heads, Television, the Ramones, Youth of Today, Bad Brains -- need we go on? -- the club's dank, graffitied, sticky-floored bathroom welcomed generations of anonymous punks (most of whom had awful aim). CBGB closed its doors in 2006, but legend has it the bathroom walked away of its own accord.

Caterpillars of All Stripes

Creepy, Crawly, Pretty
A red-banded caterpillar moves across an exotic flower.

Crossing the Bridge
August 1961: A caterpillar explores the face of actress Jenny Baker.

Power in Numbers
In Bree, Belgium, well-organized caterpillars appear to form one giant beast as they march up a tree.

Please Don't Pinch!
A visitor at Miami Metrozoo's "Big Bug Out" holds a caterpillar in 2001.

Fuzzy, Was He?
Caterpillars crawl on a plant in a giant butterfly farm in Germany.

You Can't Miss It
A bright yellow caterpillar.

Munchies for Silkworms
In Huzhou, China, a farmer feeds fresh mulberry leaves to silkworms, which eventually become moths.

Didn't Roberto Cavalli Use This Pattern?
A caterpillar with beautiful black, white, and yellow markings climbs a plant.

Grub, Grub, Grub
An Oleander Hawk-moth eats a leaf.

Curling Up With a Good Leaf
A monarch larva in all its glory.

Is It Wagging a Tail?
A caterpillar displays some alarmingly cute qualities.

Measuring Sticks
Measuringworms -- the caterpillar form of the Geometer moth -- inch down a plant.

Somebody's Hungry!
A Monarch butterfly caterpillar munches on milkweed.

Silkworms at Work
Silkworms spin cocoons among straws in a silk farm in Huzhou, China.

Caterpillar in Spring
A baby caterpiller hangs from a banyan tree in Kolkata, India.

Keep Your Head Up
A caterpillar in closeup on a cabbage leaf.

In the Groove
A caterpillar of an owl butterfly crawls on a plant in Germany.

Glow in the Dark!
Genetically modified fluorescent silkworms are photographed during the Bio Taiwan tech exhibit.

Having a Ball in Bolivia
A caterpillar explores an unusual plant at the Nayriri butterfly farm near La Paz, Bolivia.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Top 12 Loudest Animals That Can Make You Deaf

Grey Wolf

They can make very loud howling at night.
Their howling can be heard from 10 miles away.

North American Bullfrog

They are the loudest amphibian, the male makes mating call for the female.
The mating call can be heard from 0,5 miles away.

Australian’s Bladder Cicada

They are the loudest insect, the male sings loud mating call for the female.
The song can reach 120 dB, 100 times louder than music discotheque.
The song can be heard from 1,5 miles away.

Northern Elephant Seal

The male makes loud sound to interest the female and chase other males.
The sound can be heard from miles away.

Kakapo

They are the loudest bird, the male makes mating call for the female.
The mating call can be heard from 4,5 miles away.

Bulldog Bat

They can make very loud sound while trying to find way home at night.
Their sound can reach 137 dB, over 100 times louder than rock concert.

Lion

The male can roar very load to chase other males to show domination.
The loudest roaring recorded can be heard from 5 miles away.

Spotted Hyena

They will make giggle sound if threatened or attacked by predators.
The giggle can be heard from 8 miles away.

Elephant

They can make loud trumpet-like sound to call each other.
The sound can be heard from 5 miles away, the loudest record can be heard from 20 miles away.

Howler Monkey

They are the loudest land animal.
The male can make very loud roaring and the female can make high itch whopping.
Their sound can be heard clearly 10 miles away, even through dense rain forest.

Blue Whale

They can make extremely loud whistle sound to call each other.
Their whistle can reach 188 dB, louder than jet engine and granade explosion.
Their whistle can be heard through the sea and over 500 miles away.

Blue Whale used to be loudest animal, until researchers found and animal loudest than Blue Whale...Maybe you wont believe it!

Tiger Pistol Shrimp

They beat Blue Whale as the loudest water animal as well the loudest living animals.
They can make extremely loud sound that can reach over 200 dB and louder than the mountain eruption.

Fortunately they live under the deep sea...you know why? Because human can only hear as loud as 120-130 dB, louder than that, well get extremely pain on ears and deaf.

World's Slimmest Houses And Buildings

This small house is located in Toronto. It has a living room, kitchen and bedroom. The entire house sits on a parcel of land 7.25 feet wide and 113.67 feet long. Its interior surface e is slightly under 30o square. (Behind the house, you even have a small cute patio). It's on sale for $173,000.

What do you do with a remnant space only 2.4 meters (7 feet 10 inches) wide? Sculp(IT), a "young, progressive and complementary team of architects who apply their passion for architecture to every task given" from Antwerp, decided to turn it into a home and office.
Four wooden floors between two existing walls, hanging in a steel skeleton, organize this house: downstairs for work, dining on 1st, relaxing on 2nd, sleeping on 3rd, and on the roof, go and enjoy the view.

The border to the outside is only glass. Transparency not only a necessity, but also a trump card.

This house is located in Amsterdam and is maybe one of the thinnest houses in the world. Absolutely crazy.

Zur Wage 1273, Konstanz, Germany.

The Sliver House designed by Boyarsky Murphy was built on the site of a single-storey wine vault that served an adjacent pub. From the street it looks impossibly small, with a 3m frontage and 8m height. It looks even smaller because of its wide and high neighbours.

This slim yet beautiful house is located in Toronto and was designed by Drew Mandel.

The site area of this house is 130 sqm while the constructed area is 65.7 sqm. Very small indeed. The interior looks beautiful though. The main theme of this house involves the slopes and architecture. Located in Japan and designed by Shuhei Endo.

Osaka, Japan

In Paris, France.

Thin building in Nagasaki , Japan.

The white building standing on the left side is the so called “Capsule Hotel”. It's located in the right above Daimon crossing. Hamamatsucho Station, Tokyo, Japan

TIn London, England.

Charleston, SC.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

10 Most Barbarous Torture Methods Ever Known!

The Rat:

A cheap and effective way to torture someone was with the use of rats. There were many variants, but the most common was to force a rat through a victim’s body (usually the intestines) as a way to escape.
This was done as follows:
The victim was completely restrained and tied to the ground or any horizontal surface. A rat was then placed on his stomach covered by a metallic container. As the container was gradually heated, the rat began to look for a way out - through the victim’s body.
Digging a hole usually took a few hours of agonizing pain for the victim. This almost invariantly resulted in death.
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The Pillory:

The pillory was used to publicly humiliate a victim. Even though it was meant as a mild form of punishment, the crowd sometimes made it lethal.
The pillory often served as a post for Flagellation. When the victim was restrained with the device, he was completely defenseless and subject to the crowd.
In many cases the crowd threw harmless objects such as vegetables, but when the victim committed a serious offense they threw stones or other heavy objects. The crowd often humiliated the victim by cutting his hair, putting marks on his body and even mutilating some of his body parts.
The pillory didn’t last more than a few hours, but it was sometimes carried on for days. The device was situated in either the marketplace or the plaza - where most villagers could see the victim’s suffering. The army was also well-known for using the pillory as a means of punishment.
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The Chair of Torture :

Also known as the Judas Chair, the Chair of Torture was a terrible device of the Middle Ages. It was used until the late 1800’s in Europe.
There are many variants of the chair. They all have one thing in common: spikes cover the back, arm-rests, seat, leg-rests and foot-rests. The number of spikes in one of these chairs ranges from 500 to 1,500.
To avoid movement, the victim’s wrists were tied to the chair or, in one version, two bars pushed the arms against arm-rests for the spikes to penetrate the flesh even further. In some versions, there were holes under the chair’s bottom where the torturer placed coal to cause severe burns while the victim still remained conscious.
This instrument’s strength lies primarily in the psychological fear caused on the victims. It was a common practice to extract a confession by forcing the victim to watch someone else be tortured with this instrument.
The time of death greatly varied ranging from a few hours to a day or more. No spike penetrated any vital organ and the wound was closed by the spike itself which delayed blood loss greatly.
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The Knee Splitter:

The knee splitter, a terrible torture, was mostly used during the Inquisition. What this instrument accomplished was to permanently render the knees useless.
Even though the name implies that this instrument was only used for “splitting” knees, it was also used in other body parts including: the elbows, arms and even the lower legs.
As the torturer turned the handle, the claws slowly slammed against each other mutilating any skin in between. The number of spikes the knee splitter contained varied from three to more than twenty.
There were many variants to this instrument. Some claws were heated beforehand to maximize pain - others had dozens of small claws that penetrated the flesh slowly and painfully.
Even though this method very seldom provoked direct death, it was often followed by other more painful methods if the victim refused to cooperate.
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The Wheel:

This device was used as a capital punishment during the Middle Ages. Reserved for hated criminals, The Wheel always killed its victim, but did so very slowly.
The Wheel originated in Greece and quickly spread to Germany, France, Russia, England and Sweden. The device consists of a large wooden wheel with many spokes. The victim’s limbs were tied to the spokes and the wheel itself was slowly revolved. Through the openings between the spokes, the torturer usually hit the victim with an iron hammer that could easily break the victim’s bones. Once his bones were broken, he was left on the wheel to die, sometimes placed on a tall pole so the birds could feed from the still-living human.
In France, many executioners used the coups de grÃ¢ce, which caused lethal injuries, to make the victim’s death faster. When extreme pain was desired, the victim just had his bones broken and left there to die. It could take up to two or three days for him to die of dehydration.
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The Thumbscrew:

The victim’s fingers were placed inside the instrument and slowly crushed as the torturer turned the handle on top. This method was primarily used to extract confessions as it was both painful and very lasting.
If the victim refused to speak, the torturer could choose from many other torture methods.
The same instrument was also used to crush victim’s toes.
A bigger variant of the instrument that followed the same principle was used to crush victim’s feet, knees and elbows. The Head Crusher was used for crushing the head.
A similar device was used for medical purposes in order to straighten the fingers of warriors who had been injured. The effectiveness of such instrument is debated.
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The Heretics Fork:

The heretics fork was used in the Middles Ages mainly during the Spanish Inquisition.
The instrument consists of two forks set against each other that penetrated the flesh under the chin in one end and the upper chest in the other. As usual, this instrument didn’t harm any vital points; thus avoiding death and prolonging pain.
The victim’s hands were tied behind his back to prevent any chance of escape. The Heretics Fork made speech and neck movement almost impossible and was used after a confession to avoid hearing the victim any further. As can be seen in the picture, a small collar supported the fork forcing the victim to hold his head erect.
Sometimes the victim was incarcerated and subject to this instrument as well. This instrument often harmed the neck of the victim, as well as potentially spreading an infection or disease.
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The Coffin (The Gibbet)

The Coffin Torture was feared throughout the Middle Ages. It is enough for one to look at the picture to the left to realize the reason.
The victim was placed inside the “coffin”. Torturers were well-known for forcing overweight victims into the device, or even making the “coffin” slightly larger than normal to make the victims more uncomfortable.
The period of time a victim was to be kept inside the coffin was determined by his or her crime. Very serious crimes, such as blasphemy, were punished by death inside the coffin where the victim was to be kept inside under the sun with animals eating his or her flesh.
The coffin was sometimes placed in a public plaza so the local population would congregate around it and mock the unlucky victim. Sometimes death occurred because of the hatred towards the person as others often threw rocks and other objects to further increase the pain.
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The Head crusher

The head crusher was widely used during most of the Middle Ages, especially the Inquisition. With the chin placed over the bottom bar and the head under the upper cap, the torturer slowly turned the screw pressing the bar against the cap.
This resulted in the head being slowly compressed. First the teeth are shattered into the jaw; then the victim slowly died with agonizing pain, but not before his eyes were squeezed from his sockets.
This instrument was a formidable way to extract confessions from victims as the period of pain could be prolonged for many hours if the torturer chose to. This could be done by repeatedly turning the screw both ways.
If the torture was stopped midway, the victim often had irreparable damage done to the brain, jaw or eyes.
Many variants of this instrument existed, some that had small containers in front of the eyes to receive them as they fell out of their sockets.

Crocodile Tube:

The crocodile tube wasn’t common, but it was used to kill many infidels and thieves.
The victim was fixed inside a tube just big enough for the victim’s entrance. The tube, having crocodile teeth-like spikes, was slowly compressed leaving the victim totally immobilized. The torturer could only see his face and feet.
With the help of carbon and fire underneath the tube, the torturer gradually heated the tube until he extracted a confession or killed the victim. The former was most common, as this is one of the cruelest and most painful tortures ever used on human beings.
With the face and feet exposed, the torturer was able to inflict painful wounds on the victim. Facial mutilation and toe ripping were preferred choices.
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10 Biggest Parties Around the World

Mardi Gras? Carnival? Octoberfest? The Running of the Bulls? Been there. Done that. Everyone knows about these parties. They’re great. They’re famous. But most people go to them once and never come back. Let’s talk about parties where the same people return year after year.

La Tomatina

What: Nobody is really sure how it began- practical joke? A harmless food fight between two merchants? A prank? No one knows but this messy fiesta has been a strong tradition since 1945. On the last Wednesday in August, about 30,000 people descend on this little town to participate in the world’s largest food fight. Never had that massive cafeteria food fight when you were younger? Well, here’s your chance.

When: The last Wednesday in August.

Where: The tiny town of Buñol in the Valencia region of Spain

Bring: Throw-away clothes and goggles! Tomato juice in the eye stings!

Full Moon Party

What: Legend has it that the Full Moon Party started as a birthday party in the 80s. The backpackers decided to come back again and again. Soon word spread and every month, backpackers would head to KPG to party.

Over the years, the hippy party morphed into a 20,000 person festival. Even in the low season, the party still sees about 10,000 visitors. Many people will tell you that it’s lost its charm over the years but for a serious dose of all night (and all day) partying in Thailand, this is place to get it.

When: During the full moon, every month

Where: Ko Pha Ngan, Thailand

Bring: Your drinking shoes, a red bull, facepaint, and clothes you don’t care about.

Burning Man

What: Looking for the ultimate arts extravaganza? Burning Man is for you!

An 8 day festival that culminates in the burning of a 72ft wooden man, this festival is where you can cut loose.

Each year has a theme (this year, it’s “American Dream”) and last year 47,000 people decided to join the fun.

When: Starts 8 days before the American Labor Day, September

Where: Blackrock Desert, Nevada USA

Bring: Everything BUT money! Burning Man runs on a full barter system and the only things you can buy are water and ice.

Aside from the obvious supplies you’d take camping, other essentials include sunblock, a Camel Back and goggles.

MOST importantly, bring something that allows you to participate–that’s what Burning Man is all about.

Glastonbury Music Festival

What: A 3 day music festival designed to celebrate the earth, music, and the arts, this festival brings in people from all over the world. Last year’s event had over 177,000 people and 700 musical acts.

When: The last weekend in June

Where: Pilton, England

Bring: Tickets, a tent, sleeping bag, food, and whatever else you “need” to have fun.

Holi

What: Similar to the Thai holiday of Songrkan, Holi is a two day Hindu spring festival that occurs in northern India. The first night is marked by bonfires, and the second day is spent pleasuring your inner 2nd grader by splashing colored flour and water over everybody. It’s a celebration about renewal.

When: The full moon in March.

Where: India

Bring: Red, orange, and green flour, lots of water, clothes you don’t need!

Bay to Breakers

What: It’s supposed to be a 7 mile foot race but instead it’s a 7 mile costume party and keg race that goes through downtown San Francisco. It began in 1906 to keep people’s sprits up after the earthquake and locals are still keeping that alive, in force! Over 70,000 people, congregate downtown in costumes (or nothing at all) and shopping carts filled with kegs. A little Mardi Gras + a little Halloween college party = a lot of fun.

When: The third Sunday in May.

Where: San Francisco, California

Bring: A crazy costume and lots of beer!

Australia Day

What: Australians love two things: beer and bbqs. No day brings out the best in these two than Australia Day,

when Aussies celebrate the first European settlement on the continent of Australia.

Aussies, a normally festive bunch, kick it up a notch all over the country with bbqs, music, and beer.

From the cities to the towns, Aussies are out in full force. If you don’t already have an Aussie friend to take you under his/her wing, head to a beach with beer and make some new friends!

Most Australians would love nothing more to break in a newbie!

When: January 26

Where: Anywhere in Oz!

Bring: Your Australian pride, a case of Carlton draught or Coopers, and something for the grill.

Songkran

What: Songkran is the Thai New Year. It’s a spiritual festival designed to cool you down and wash away the sins of the previous year. What better way of doing that than by committing a few new ones, right away? Songkran takes place all over the country with everyone embarking on possibly the world’s largest water fight.

When: Mid-April

Where: Anywhere in the land of Smiles (Bangkok and Chang Mai have the biggest parties)

Bring: Anything you don’t mind wearing only once, a water gun, extra water, and a good attitude.

Queen’s Day

What: The normally reserved Dutch cut lose to celebrate the birth of their Queen. Originally to celebrate the birth of Juliana, the day now celebrates the birth of Beatrix, whose January birthday makes it cold to party. All over the country, the Dutch head outside with their beer and music, flood the streets in orange, and cruise up and down the canals in revelry.

When: April 30th

Where: The Netherlands (Amsterdam has the biggest party)

Bring: Anything orange!

Calgary Stampede

What: A 10 day rodeo that attracts over a million visitors during its course. The festival features a parade and is the largest event in Canada. But don’t come to watch the rodeo, come for the party! The throngs of people who flock to Calgary are there for the revelry, the beer, and the girls (or boys).

When: Second week in July

Where: Calgary, Alberta

Bring: Your best cowboy outfit and a tolerance for country music.

Monday, June 15, 2009

18 Weird Cats

Lynx in Manama, Bahrain

Mr. Tinkles at 'Cats and Dogs' Premiere

Cat and Mouse in Navy Upside-Down Test

German Green Party Poster That Reads 'One Cannot Always Spot Nazis at First Sight'

British Blue Attempts to Join Sister in Goldfish Bowl

A Ragdoll Cat at the Can Fanciers' Association

Pet Canary on Head of Household Cat

African Serval Kitten

Acrobatic Cat

One of Ernest Hemingway's Six-Toed Cats Drinks from His Glass

Cat Cafe (Cyber Cafe for Cats) in Tokyo

Persian Kittens in London

Pet Cat With Different Eyes

Oriental Shorthair Bears Its Teeth

Russian Don Sphynx

Cat Dropped Upside Down to Observe How It Rights Itself

Cat on Halloween in Japan

The World’s 5 Creepiest Places

Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh, Scotland

For years the hidden underground closes of Mary King’s Close, in the Old Town area of Edinburgh, Scotland, have been shrouded in myths and mysteries. Tales of ghosts and murders, and myths of plague victims being walled up and left to die abounded.
The Real Mary King’s Close consists of a number of closes which were originally narrow streets with houses on either side, stretching up to seven storeys high. In 1753, the Burgh Council decided to develop a new building on this site, the Royal Exchange (now the City Chambers). The houses at the top of the closes were knocked down and part of the lower sections were kept and used as the foundations for the Royal Exchange. The remnants of the closes were left beneath the building, dark and ancient dwellings steeped in mystery.
Following research into new documentary and archaeological evidence uncovered by Continuum, for the first time the real lives of some of the people who lived here have been traced and their stories can now be told. At The Real Mary King’s Close you will see an historically accurate interpretation of life in Edinburgh from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries.

Chernobyl, Pripyat, Ukraine

Prypiat (Ukrainian: ???´?’???, Pryp”jat’; Russian: ???´????, Pripjat’), or Pripyat, is an abandoned city in the zone of alienation in northern Ukraine, Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. The city was founded in 1970 to house the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant workers, and was abandoned in 1986 following the Chernobyl disaster. Its population had been around 50,000 prior to the accident.
It is difficult to accurately quantify the number of deaths caused by the events at Chernobyl

The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear reactor accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. It is considered to be the worst nuclear power plant disaster in history and the only level 7 instance on the International Nuclear Event Scale. It resulted in a severe release of radioactivity into the environment following a massive power excursion which destroyed the reactor.

Paris Catacombs, Paris, France

Underground stone quarries that hold the 200-year-old skeletons of several million people.

The Catacombs of Paris or Catacombes de Paris are a famous underground ossuary in Paris, France. Its entrance is located near the Denfert-Rochereau station of the Paris Métro. Organized in a renovated section of the city’s vast network of subterranean tunnels and caverns towards the end of the 18th century, it became a tourist attraction on a small scale from the early 19th century and has been open to the public on a regular basis from 1867. The official name for the catacombs is l’Ossuaire Municipal.

Bones and skulls are stacked on either side of a narrow corridor like merchandise at a warehouse—a lot of merchandise. The air is close and cool, with just a hint of decomposition, and there’s rude graffiti dating from the French Revolution, mainly about the king and the feeble nobility.

Manchac Swamp, Louisiana

The Manchac Swamp, a.k.a. the “haunted swamp,” near New Orleans is a Southern Gothic fan’s dream. An imprisoned voodoo queen is said to have cast a curse on these watery surroundings around the turn of the last century, resulting in the disappearance of three hamlets in a hurricane in 1915.

This swamp is a wilderness jewel. Sims’s photographs and John Kemp’s text have made timeless the people and place of Manchac Swamp.

The Manchac Swamp Bridge is a bridge in the US state of Louisiana. With a total length of 22.80 miles (36.69 km) it is the third longest bridge in the world by total length (see List of bridges by length). The bridge carries Interstate 55 over the Manchac Swamp in Louisiana, and represents one-third of the highway’s approximately 66 miles in Louisiana.

Bran Castle, Bran, Romania

Bran Castle situated near Bran and in the immediate vicinity of Brasov, is a national monument and landmark in Romania. The fortress is situated on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia, on DN73. Commonly known as “Dracula’s Castle” (although it is one among several locations linked to the Dracula legend, including Poienari Castle and Hunyad Castle), it is marketed as the home of the titular character in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

In 1897 Bram Stoker wrote a terrifying story about Count Dracula. A century after, there are still people who believe in it. Even researchers are trying to find out the truth about Dracula. All are trying to clear the mystery: was there or wasn’t there a vampire in Transylvania?How many of these fabulous stories are legends and how many say the truth ? Here is the legend about Dracula.

His castle is supposed to be Bran’s Castle since its narrow corridors constitute a mysterious labyrinth of ghostly nooks and secret chambers easy to hide a “vampire”.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Spectacular And Holy Caves From Around the World

Batu Caves

One cave regarded as holy in Malaysia is the Batu Caves. This holy cave is a limestone hill, which has a series of caves and cave temples, located in Kuala Lumpur- the capital of Malaysia. The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, dedicated to god Murugan. It is the focal point of the annual Thaipusam festival in Malaysia and attracts over more than 1.5 million pilgrims, making it one of the largest gatherings in History.

Cave of the Patriarchs

The picture above is the enclosure of the Cave of the Patriarchs. The Cave of the Patriarchs is considered holy for the Jews, Christians and Muslims. It is a series of subterranean caves located in a complex called by Muslims the Ibrahimi Mosque or Sanctuary of Abraham. The name is either a reference to the layout of the burial chamber, or alternatively refers to the biblical couples, i.e.: cave of the tombs of couples. The compound is located in the ancient city of Hebron. The 3 religious groups maintain the same traditions that the site is the burial place of four Biblical couples: (1) Adam and Eve; (2) Abraham and Sarah; (3) Isaac and Rebekah; (4) Jacob and Leah. According to Midrashic sources the Cave of the Patriarchs also contains the head of Esau and according to some Islamic sources it is also the tomb of Joseph.

Amarnath Caves

Amarnath Caves are one of the most famous shrines in Hinduism, dedicated to the god Shiva. The caves are located in the Jammu and Kashmir. The shrine is claimed to be over 5,000 years old and forms an important part of ancient Hindu mythology. Inside the main Amarnath cave lays an ice stalagmite resembling the Shiva Linga, which waxes during May to August and gradually wanes thereafter. This lingam is said to grow and shrink with the phases of the moon, reaching its height during the summer festival. According to Hindu mythology, this is the cave where Shiva explained the secret of life and eternity to his divine consort Parvati. There are two other ice formations representing Parvati and Ganesha, Shiva’s son.

Holy Cave of Matale

For Buddhists, the Holy Cave of Matale is the most holy of all the caves in the whole island of Sri Lanka. Two thousands years ago a small group of Theravada Buddhist Monks gathered there for several years to inscribe the entire Pali Tipitaka in Ola Leaves, a crucial historical act which sustain the original textual teaching of the Buddha to this day.

Ajanta Caves

Other caves considered holy in India are the Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India. These are rock-cut cave monuments dating from the 2nd century BCE, containing paintings and sculpture considered to be masterpieces of both Buddhist religious art and universal pictorial art. The Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983.

Gardner's Gut: New Zealand

A visit to New Zealand is incomplete if we're not going to see some of its popular caves. A cave worth-seeing there is the Gardner's Gut, an extensive cave system in the Waitomo area. It is located in the Ruakuri Caves & Bush Scenic Reserve, an area that also contains a number of other natural features of note. With a length of over 12 km of explored passages, it is the country's 6th largest known cave system.

From New Zealand, we'll climb up to the north.

Ease Gill Cave System: British isle

Looking for an exotic cave? Well, the Ease Gill Cave System which is the longest cave system in the British Isles, with over 100 km of passages is the right cave for you. Just looking at its unique krypton-colored stalagmites and stalactites is already an awesome experience. This cave also includes connections only passable by cave diving that spans the valley between Leck Fell and Casterton Fell. The water resurges into Leck Beck.

Fingal's Cave: Scotland

UK offers lots of scenic views and one of these is the natural wonder - Fingal's Cave. It is a sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland. The cave is formed entirely from hexagonally-jointed basalt columns, similar in structure to the Giant's Causeway in Northern Ireland making them a unique tourist spots.

Gruta de Moinhos Velhos: Portugal

One of the most important cave systems known in Portugal is the Gruta de Moinhos Velhos. The system has about 9 km in extension. It is characterized by the existence of two fossil paragenetic main conduits of about one decameter in diameter with dendritic tributaries, and a set of semi-active passages in a dendritic pattern at the north and angulates at the south. The fossil zone has a drop of 100 meters and the thickness of intermediate zone varies from 80 meters upstream to 60 meters downstream. Water flows in syngenetic galleries, from the northern to the southern quadrant, towards Gruta da Pena spring.

Caves of Nerja: Spain

Another well-known tourist spot in the Iberian Peninsula is the Caves of Nerja. These caves are a series of caverns close to the town of Nerja in Andalusia. Stretching for almost 5 km the caverns are one of Spain's major tourist attractions. Concerts are regularly held in one of the chambers which form a natural amphitheater.

Eisriesenwelt: Austria

From Western Europe, let's proceed to the eastern European countries. One popular cave for a destination is the Eisriesenwelt. The name of this cave means "World of the Ice Giants". This cave is a natural limestone ice cave located in Werfen, Austria. The cave is inside the Hochkogel Mountain in the Tennegebirge section of the Alps. This cave is really worth visiting because it is the largest ice cave in the world, extending more than 42 km and visited by about 150,000 tourists every year.

Caves of Han-sur-Lesse: Belgium

Another cave in the continent of Europe which is regarded as a famous tourist destination is the Caves of Han-sur-Lesse. These caves are a major tourist attraction with about half a million visitors annually. The caves are the result of the underground erosion of a limestone hill by the river Lesse. The caves have a constant temperature of 13°C (55°F) and a high level of humidity.

From Europe, we'll move to North America.

Luray Caverns: Virginia, USA

One of the largest and commercially celebrated caves in the US is Luray Caverns located in Virginia, USA. It has already drawn several thousands of visitors since its discovery in 1878. The underground cavern system is generously adorned with speleothems (columns, mud flows, stalactites, stalagmites, flowstone, mirrored pools, etc). The caverns are noted for the Great Stalacpipe Organ, a lithophone made from solenoid fired strikers that tap stalactites of various sizes to produce tones similar to those of xylophones, tuning forks, or bells.

Lechuguilla Cave: New Mexico, USA

As of 2008, Lechuguilla Cave is the fifth longest cave known to exist in the world with a length of 193 km. It is also the deepest in the continental United States at 489 meters or 1,604 ft long. This cave is well-known because of its unusual geology, rare formations, and pristine condition.

Abukuma-do: Japan

From Continental America, we'll finally end up in the "Land of the Rising Sun" -Japan. I think something is wrong here, isn't it more enjoyable if our last destination is the "Land of the Setting Sun? Well, just asking, to continue with our tour, Abukuma-do or Abukuma Cave is perfect cave for our last destination. This cave is a limestone cave located in Fukushima Prefecture discovered only in 1969. Visitors can traverse a 600-meter-long path inside the cave as well as a 120-meter-long exploration course to view the stalactites and stalagmites. Each stalactite has taken more than eighty million years to form. Beyond the public areas lie about 2,500 meters of cave that are not open to the public. The temperature inside Abukuma-do is around 15°C and the humidity is above 90%.

Laas Geel: Somalia

There are still a lot of things to discover about our past. This cave in Somalia just recently provided us additional know-

ledge of the past. Laas Geel, a complex of caves and rock shelters in Somalia is famous for its recently discovered cave

paintings. The caves are located outside Hargeisa. They contain some of the earliest known art in the Horn of Africa and

the African continent in general, dating back to somewhere between 9,000-8,000 and 3,000 BCE.

Liang Bua Cave: Indonesia

In Asia, an important archeological site recently excavated is the Liang Bua Cave on the Island of Flores, Indonesia.

It was the site of the 2003 discovery of a potentially new species of Homo genus, Homo florensis, the remains of which

are coded LB1, LB2, etc, after the cave. So far it is the only location in which such remains have been identified.

Cave of Letters: Israel

Israel has always been one of the most important sources of archeological finds and one of these many sites is the

Cave of Letters. This is a cave located in the Dead Sea area that contained one of the largest caches of ancient docu-

ments and personal correspondence ever discovered in the land of Israel. This cave was discovered in 1960, the cave

contained letters from Bar Kochba, leader of the Third Jewish Revolt, as well as other documents from that period. Since

its discovery the letters found there have slowly been published, but not yet in its entirety.

Cave of Archedemos the Nympholept: Greece

An archeological site that provided the world with some significant findings is the Cave of Archedemos the Nympholept.

This small cave is located somewhere in Attica, Greece. The cave is unique in Greece because ancient sculptures hewn

into the living rock of the cave exist. In fact, the sculptures are carved into a calcite column and flowstone within the cave.

The cave was used from the Archaic period and reused in Early Christian times. The marble votive tablets from the cave

are now exhibited at the National Archeological Museum of Athens.

Ghar Dalam: Malta

Ghar Dalam which literally means "Cave of Darkness" is an extraordinary pre-historical cul de sac containing the bone

remains of animals that were stranded and subsequently became extinct on Malta at the end of the Ice Age. This cave

was the site where remains of extinct animals were found like dwarf elephant, hippopotamus, deer and bear. Their bone

deposits found here are of a different age; t

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