Rodsburgh Blogs

20 Most anticipated movies coming in 2013

2012-12-13T22:15:00.001-08:00

20 Most anticipated movies coming in 2013

(in Random order)

20. After Earth ~ (Will Smith) 7 June 2013 (USA)

One thousand years after cataclysmic events forced humanity's escape from Earth, Nova Prime has become mankind's new home. Legendary General Cypher Raige returns from an extended tour of duty to his estranged family, ready to be a father to his 13-year-old son, Kitai. When an asteroid storm damages Cypher and Kitai's craft, they crash-land on a now unfamiliar and dangerous Earth. As his father lies dying in the cockpit, Kitai must trek across the hostile terrain to recover their rescue beacon. His whole life, Kitai has wanted nothing more than to be a soldier like his father. Today, he gets his chance.

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19. Oblivion ~ (Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman) 19 April 2013 (USA)

Earth is a memory worth fighting for.

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18. Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters ~ (Jeremy Rener, Gemma Arterton) 25 January 2013 (USA)

In this dark spin on the fairy tale, siblings Hansel and Gretel are a formidable team of bounty hunters who track and kill witches all over the world.

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17. The Host ~ (Saoirse Ronan, Diane Kruger) 29 March 2013 (USA)

A parasitic alien soul is injected into the body of Melanie Stryder. Instead of carrying out her race's mission of taking over the Earth, "Wanda" (as she comes to be called) forms a bond with her host and sets out to aid other free humans.

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16. Jack the Giant Slayer ~ (Nicholas Hoult, Stanley Tucci) 1 March 2013 (USA)

A modern day fairy tale in which the long-standing peace between men and giants is threatened, as a young farmer leads an expedition into the giants' kingdom in hopes of rescuing a kidnapped princess.

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15. Epic ~ Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson 24 May 2013 (USA)

A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group characters in order to save their world -- and ours.

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14. The Prototype ~ Victoria De Mare, Jamie Noel

The United Sates government assigns a very special case to a newly created intelligence agency. Lead Agent Garret Brown encounters more than he expects when he uncovers a sinister plot involving aliens and their plan for world domination led by cult leader, Reverend Jeremiah C. Hope. As Garret uncovers more of the plot, he is forced to drink an alien fabricated blue liquid that kills him but then miraculously brings him back to life 300 years in the future making him the only human survivor of the nuclear holocaust. Now it is up to Garrett and the human clones that rescued him to stop the alien warrior Piak and his army who have taken control of Earth and its natural resources.

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13. 21 and Over ~ (Miles Teller, Justin Chon) 1 March 2013

When Straight-A college student Jeff Chang's two best friends take him out for his 21st birthday on the night before an important medical school interview, what was supposed to be a quick beer becomes a night of humiliation, over indulgence and utter debauchery.

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12. Beautiful Creatures ~ ( Alice Englert, Viola Davis ) 13 February 2013 (USA)

Ethan longs to escape his small Southern town. He meets a mysterious new girl, Lena. Together, they uncover dark secrets about their respective families, their history and their town.

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11. Iron Man 3 ~ ( Robert Downey Jr., Guy Pearce) 3 May 2013

Tony Stark uses his ingenuity to fight those who destroyed his private world and soon goes up against his most powerful enemy yet: the Mandarin.

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10. A Haunted House ~ (Marlon Wayans, Essence Atkins) 11 January 2013 (USA)

Malcolm and Keisha move into their dream home, but soon learn a demon also resides there. When Kisha becomes possessed, Malcolm - determined to keep his sex life on track - turns to a priest, a psychic, and a team of ghost-busters for help.

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9. Pacific Rim ~ Idris Elba, (Charlie Hunnam) 12 July 2013 (USA)

When an alien attack threatens the Earth's existence, giant robots piloted by humans are deployed to fight off the menace.

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8. The Mortal Instruments ~ (Lena Headey, Lily Collins) 23 August 2013 (USA)

When her mom is attacked and taken from their home in New York City by a demon, a seemingly ordinary teenage girl, Clary Fray, finds out truths about her past and bloodline on her quest to get her back, that changes her entire life.

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7. Warm Bodies ~ (Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer) 1 February 2013 (USA)

After a zombie becomes involved with the girlfriend of one of his victims, their romance sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.

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6. Gangster Squad ~ (Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling) 11 January 2013

A chronicle of the LAPD's fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s.

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5. G.I Joe Retaliation ~ ( Channing Tatum, Dwayne Johnson ) 29 March 2013 (USA)

The G.I. Joes are not only fighting their mortal enemy Cobra; they are forced to contend with threats from within the government that jeopardize their very existence.

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4. Evil Dead ~ ( Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez) 12 April 2013 (USA)

Mia, a young woman struggling with sobriety, heads to a remote cabin with her brother and a group of friends, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads to danger and horror.

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3. The Lone Ranger ~ ( Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer ) 3 July 2013 (USA)

ative American spirit warrior Tonto recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid, a man of the law, into a legend of justice.

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2. The Last Stand ~ (Arnold Schwarzenegger, Eduardo Noriega) 18 January 2013 (USA)

The leader of a drug cartel busts out of a courthouse and speeds to the Mexican border, where the only thing in his path is a sheriff and his inexperienced staff.

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1. Man of Steel ~ ( Henry Cavill, Russell Crowe ) 14 June 2013 (USA)

An alien infant is raised on Earth, and grows up with superhuman abilities. He sets out to use these abilities to guard his adopted world.

10 Most Incredible Sex Facts

2012-10-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

b.a# 26

1. The average frequency for sex is two times per week

A Durex survey outlined that the average number of times
people have sex is 103 times per year, 1.98 times per week and 0.28 times per
day! Incorporating sex into your life does have its benefits, including stress
relief and increased energy, but there is no right or wrong quota you need to
hit – we're not all bunny rabbits! Link

2. Heavier men last longer in bed

Put down the weights and grab a hamburger: Researchers in Turkey
have finished a yearlong study that correlated body mass index with male sexual
performance. Their findings may surprise you: Heavier men were able to make
love for an average of 7.3 minutes, while slender men lasted an average of 108
seconds. The study, published in Nature, showed that overweight men had higher
levels of the female estradiol hormone, which blocks male hormones and delays
the climax.Link

3. Oral sex could be a cure for morning sickness

One academic is proposing a cure for morning sickness that
some moms-to-be might find in bad taste — sperm. Gordon Gallup, a psychologist
at SUNY-Albany has a theory that pregnant women who are continually exposed to
the father's semen are less likely to suffer from AM nausea. Gallup, who
specializes in human reproductive competition and behavior, offers the theory
that expectant women become ill and vomit because their bodies are rejecting
the semen's genetic material as something foreign and unfamiliar. The theory
could feasibly quell their queasiness by ingesting the same sperm in order to
allow the body to build up a tolerance. The idea, while likely appealing to
dads, is only a theory and has yet to be tested.Link

4. Sex cures headaches

If you think sex can't be had due to a headache, how wrong
you are, at least according to headache specialist Dr. Vincent Martin.
Amazingly, it's just the opposite. Martin stated that the increase in serotonin
levels which happens during sex eases the pathways in the brain that can lead
to and sustain a headache.

Now, this isn't to say that sex is the answer to all
headaches or there would be massive tardiness in the corporate world every day.
However, with the act itself being quite a bit more powerful than popping a few
ibuprofen or aspirin, perhaps this new headache cure will be tested soon by,
well, many.Link

5. Scratching your ankle feels as good as sex

The old phrase ‘You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours' may
need updating. The ankle has overtaken the back as the most satisfying spot to
scratch, according to researchers at the Wake Forest School of Medicine in
North Carolina. In the study, reported in the British Journal of Dermatology,
healthy volunteers were made to itch on the forearm, ankle and back by rubbing
them with cowhage, a plant with tiny hairs that irritate the skin. Professor
Francis McGlone, a member of the International Forum for the Study of Itch,
said, "It was interesting that the ankle was the itchiest site and that
the most pleasure came from scratching it, because the back has been well-known
as a preferred site for scratching."Link

6. Men think about sleep & food as much as sex

Men think about sex every seven seconds, right? Not
according to a new study that finds men ponder sleep and food as much as they
do sex. The study found that the median number of thoughts about sex by
college-age men was 18 times a day to women's 10 times a day. But the men also
thought about food and sleep proportionately more.Link

7. Finger length may indicate penis size

Hold up your right hand. Are your index and ring fingers
mismatched? Congratulations, you're more likely than men with matching digits
to have a long penis. A smaller ratio between the second and fourth fingers is
linked to a longer stretched penis size, researchers report in the Asian
Journal of Andrology. The findings go beyond providing a new finger ratio-based
pick-up line for men in bars, however; researchers say that a quick look at a
man's fingers could reveal his exposure to male hormones in the womb, providing
a hint about his risk for hormone-driven diseases like prostate cancer.Link

8. Female orgasm is a form of natural selection

Orgasm is an evolutionary function of nature. In 1967, a man
named Desmond Morris wrote a controversial book called "The Naked
Ape." The book looked at the female orgasm, suggesting that its purpose
was to not only encourage interest in sexual activity, but also to promote
exhaustion to encourage her to remain in the horizontal position (preventing
sperm from leaking out). He also suggested that women's difficulty in attaining
orgasm with men was, in fact, a form of natural selection. Only the most
patient, caring, and imaginative men (considered preferred traits) would have
the best chance of eliciting an orgasm, and thus successfully conceiving a
child.Link

9. Vibrators were used as medical treatment during the 19th
century

According to the Museum of Sex, the vibrator was originally
used as a medicinal treatment for female "hysteria" during the 19th
century. The vibrator-induced orgasms helped doctors dissipate hysteria's
anxiety-related symptoms.Link

10. 25% of men over 65 use the magic blue pill

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and
Digestive and Kidney Diseases, approximately 5 percent of 40-year-old men and
between 15 to 25 percent of 65-year-old men experience erectile dysfunction.

Another interesting fact about middle age sex is that 46
percent of people over 50 claim to have sex once a week. 85 per cent feel that
sex at a more mature age is less pressurized than when they were teens or young
adults, suggesting that sex can get better with age (like many things in life).Link

HOW TO OVERCOME JEALOUSY

2012-09-21T12:27:00.000-07:00

b.a#25

9 WAYS TO OVERCOME JEALOUSY

I know that the fastest way to despair is by comparing one’s
insides with another’s outsides, and that Max Ehrmann, the author of the
classic poem “Desiderata,” was absolutely correct when he said that if you
compare yourself with others you become either vain or bitter, or, as Helen
Keller put it: “Instead of comparing our lot with that of those who are more
fortunate than we are, we should compare it with the lot of the great majority
of our fellow men. It then appears that we are among the privileged.”

In relationships, this emotion is so pervasive and
instantaneous that people fail to take time, step back and evaluate it. It
breaks communication, compassion and damages relationships. I know that I have
been jealous and I am intimately aware of the impact it can have on a
relationship. When we are in a state of jealousy, we are operating in a state
of instinctual survival mode. We are acting out of scarcity. In this state, we
are irrational and the only thing we can think about is ourselves. We fail to
consider the feelings and impact of our behavior on other people. But when we
operate from a place of abundance, we unleash the human spirit, think
compassionately towards others. We can free ourselves from negative emotions.

I learned that my jealousy was very much driven from my
ego’s cry for attention. Deep down inside, I was just a little child, arms
wrapped around myself, scared and wanting to be loved.

The following are methods to help reduce and eliminate this
negative thought pattern:

1. 1. Fully Experience the Feeling

By telling yourself not to feel jealous, you will never be
able to get out of it. “What we resist persists”. But if we bring awareness
into the equation and deeply understand the situation, we’ll start to eliminate
the negative emotions. Allow yourself to fully feel the feeling of jealousy. By
facing the emotion directly and fully experiencing it, you’ll see that the
feeling will start to diminish. I have also found this experience to work with
anger towards another, and fear of a situation.

Find a place alone where you won’t be disturbed. Close your
eyes, and start to feel the jealousy. Observe where that feeling is coming
from? How is it reflecting in your body? Does your throat feel tight? Is it
your stomach? Does your heart ache? Become the observer. It’s important to
fully allow the feeling to surface. Recognize that it isn’t you, but your ego’s
crave for attention in the name of survival. Keep observing, and in a few
seconds you’ll see that the feeling will slowly disperse. By practicing this,
“you can move beyond the ego’s perspective and see reality from the perspectiveof a higher consciousness.”

“To overcome jealousy, just see how the jealousy came into
your system, just analyze the sequence of thoughts and emotions in your system
and then undo it by reasoning out the whole process with your intelligence.”

– Swamiji Nithyananda

2. 2. Love Yourself

“If you don’t fully accept and love yourself as you are, you
could be more prone to comparing yourself to others as a way of artificially
boosting your feeling of self-worth.” 

 — Steve Pavlina

Self worth comes with self appreciation and love. People who
are truly comfortable and secure with themselves, rarely let jealousy get in
the way. Look within, spend time with yourself, get to know the real you.
Choose to focus on yourself, instead of the person you are jealous of. Use your
understanding of desires and your mind to change your perception. Know that you
have everything you need to be whole, happy and complete right inside of you.
Know that if you feel something is missing that you can have it, you can
achieve it.

  3. 
Stop Comparing 

 Nithyananda said,
“Comparison is the seed and jealousy is the fruit!”. Comparison leads to
jealousy, and both are mind-created states. “Our mind is so caught up in
comparison that it misses the actual quality of what it sees. We need to drop
the comparing attitude to be able to see things as they are.” (Nithyananda).
Start by appreciating the differences. See the benefits of you uniqueness.

It is helpful to be reminded that there is no end to
comparison, because there is no end to our expectations. Remember the last time
you fulfilled a desired goal? Or received something you wanted? What happened
to it 4 weeks later? Did you still appreciate it as much?

“Mind is that Illusion which shows a tiny mustard seed to be
a huge mountain until it is attained, and a mountain to be as insignificant as
a mustard seed once it has been attained!“

– Raman Maharshi

4.4. Find What’s Threatening You?

  Ask yourself and
see what is it about yourself that you feel is being threatened? What are you
insecure about? What are you afraid to lose? What is it that you believe you
deserve? Once you understand what this is, decide to overcome this insecurity
with a rough plan. See how you can see the situation from a place of abundance
rather than scarcity?

5. Write It Out 

 I’ve always found it helpful to think on
paper. By writing down your thoughts, it gives you an opportunity to express
yourself, but also lays your options out clearly on paper. It’s like seeing the
city from an airplane, you have a clearer vision of the big-picture. Ask
yourself “Why do I feel this way?” Write out all your reasons out on paper.
Write without editing, jot down anything that comes to mind. You can organize
the information later. Once you have all your reasons, write beside each one
what you can do about it. Dig deep within yourself, find insight from your
uncertainty.

5 6. 
Be Realistic – Ask yourself 

Is the person really a threat to you? To your relationship?
To your business?

Is what you are feeling or doing creating any benefits for
anyone involved? If it doesn’t feel very good and it’s not helping you, then
does it make sense to continue feeling this way?

Is there a lesson I can learn here? What is the inspiration
I can gain from this situation?

6.7. 
Find Your Strength

 Focus on your
strengths and unique qualities. Feel gratitude for the gifts you have and
abilities that you are blessed with. Once you identify what they are, then
shift your focus.

  8. Shift Your Focus

When we are feeling negative, it is sometimes difficult to
think rationally. We are so focused on the negative feeling that we lose the
big picture. Change your current emotional state by shifting your attention to
something completely different. Like go for a jog, or start doing the dishes.
Once you’ve cool down, come back to the situation with a clear and open mind.

  9. “Is this what we want for ourselves?” 

 By feeling this way, we are giving this emotion our
attention, in the process we are attracting to us like situations and
perceptions for us to continue feeling this negative emotion. “What we sew is
what we reap”. If you were in their shoes, would you want the same? How do you
think the other person feel? Put yourself in their position. When I find
someone more successful in my field, I celebrate their success as if it was my
own, and I use their case as an example to model after.

(WONDERS) 7 Most Extreme Paths

2012-08-22T11:06:00.002-07:00

b.a#23

1. El Caminito Del Rey (Spain)

Adrenaline-junkies have been flocking to southern Spain to
experience the 110-year-old El Caminito Del Rey. And you don't need to be an
experienced climber either, the only requirements are that walkers should be at
least twelve years old and have a good head for heights. The trail, also known
as the King's Pathway, was originally built in 1905 for workers to travel
between two hydroelectric power plants but was closed-off in 2000 after two
walkers fell to their deaths.Link

2.Huashan Cliffside Path (China)

Huashan is located near the southeast corner of the Ordos
Loop section of the Yellow River basin, south of the Wei River valley, at the
eastern end of the Qinling Mountains, in southern Shaanxi province. It is part
of the Qin Ling Mountain Range that divides not only northern and southern
Shaanxi, but also China. There are two walking trails leading to Huashan's
North Peak (1614 m), the lowest of the mountain's five major peaks. The most
popular is the traditional route in Hua Shan Yu (Hua Shan Gorge) first
developed in the 3rd to 4th century A.D. and with successive expansion, mostly
during the Tang Dynasty.

The inherent danger of many of the exposed, narrow pathways
with precipitous drops gave the mountain a deserved reputation for danger. As
tourism has boomed and the mountain's accessibility vastly improved with the
installation of the cable car in the 1990s, visitor numbers surged. Despite the
safety measures introduced by cutting deeper pathways and building up stone
steps and wider paths, as well as adding railings, fatalities continued to
occur.Link

3. School 5,000ft Cliff Path (China)

The children of Gulucan village in West China take their
lives in their hands every day with a walk to school which involves navigating
a narrow path carved into a 5,000-ft cliff-side. It is the only way they can
get to the school, which with its five concrete rooms is known as the best construction
in the village.Link 

4. Roche Veyrand (France)

France is home to around 120 via ferratas, ranging from easy
to extremely difficult routes. Roche Veyrand is definitely a fine example of
one of these quite difficult and challenging tracks. The path is located in St
Pierre d'Entremont, in the Rhône-Alpes region, which stretches in the
south-eastern part of the country.Link

5. Ebenalp Path (Switzerland)

A journey back in time to the prehistoric caves on the
Ebenalp at Wildkirchli is a once in a lifetime experience for young and old. The
path leads from the Ebenalp mountain station to the site in just under 20
minutes. Link

6. Yueyang's New Paths (China)

Meet China's amazing army of "spidermen" who are
risking their lives to build a scenic trail 300 metres above the ground. With
little more than a safety harness and a ledge to support them, the men are
building hundreds of metres of cliff paths - only a metre wide and without a
guardrail - in Yueyang, in Hunan province.

The concrete for the paths is mixed at ground level and
winched up in a make-shift cable car.Zhang Bin, head of the path construction
team, said: "Workers building plank paths along cliffs should at least be
psychologically stable." Link 

7. The Cliffs of Moher (Ireland)

For those who want to experience an unforgettable adrenalin
rush, you need to refuse to settle with anything short of the best. For the
passionate bike riders who are willing to travel to The Cliffs of Moher there
is a treat in store, the most dangerous bike ride trail on this planet.

Towering at a top height of 700 feet above the Atlantic
ocean, the Cliffs of Moher located near the charming town of Doolin in Co.
Clare Ireland offer a truly enriching experience for the brave and adventurous
at heart.Link

(FAST FACTS) 10 Weirdest and Uniquely Shaped Buildings

2012-08-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

b.a#22   

1. The Hashtag Tower (Seoul, Korea)

Now this is something to talk about: Danish architects BIG
have designed an apartment tower complex that looks like a hashtag.

The Cross # Towers constitute a three-dimensional urban
community of interlocking horizontal and vertical towers. Three public bridges
connect two slender towers at different levels – underground, on the street and
in the air. Catering to the demands and desires of different residents, age
groups and cultures, the bridges are landscaped and equipped for a variety of
activities traditionally restricted to the ground. The resultant volume forms a
distinct figure on the new skyline of Seoul – a “#” that serves as a gateway to
the new Yongsan Business District, signaling a radical departure from the crude
repetition of disconnected towers, leaning towards a new urban community that
populates the three-dimensional space of the city. Link

2. Elephant Building (Bangkok)

Meet the Elephant Building in Bangkok, Thailand. Designed by
Sumet Jumsai and completed in 1997. Link

3. Ren Building (Shangai)

The Ren Building is an interesting design by PLOT, which has
since split up into BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) and JDS (Julien De Smedt). The
project was a proposal for a hotel, sports and conference center for the World
Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The building was conceived as two buildings merging into
one. The first building, emerging from the water, is supposed to be devoted to
activities of the body, and houses the sports and water culture center. The
second building, emerging from land, is to be devoted to the spirit and
enlightenment, and houses the conference center and meeting facilities. The two
buildings are to meet in a 1000-room hotel, a building for living. The building
becomes the Chinese sign for "The People", and a recognizable
landmark for the World Expo in China. Link 

4. Swastika Building (California, US)

This is a US Navy building in Coronado, CA that was
unintentionally built in the shape of a swastika. Now, because of a public
uproar, the Navy will be spending $600,000 to alter the shape of the building.Link

5. Wing Shape Zayed National Museum (UAE)

This wing-shaped building is the Zayed National Museum
designed by Foster + Partners. It is located on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi,
UAE, and will be the first museum completed for the island for showcasing the
history, culture and more recently, the social and economic transformation of
the Emirates.

The museum features five wing-shaped towers protruding from
a man-made, landscaped mound that houses the galleries. The towers act as
thermal chimneys and draw cooling currents through the museum without any need
for electricity. Fresh air is captured and drawn through underground
ground-cooling pipes and then released into the museum's air. Since the towers
heat up at the top, air is pulled up vertically through the galleries due to
the thermal stack effect, and is then pushed out of the air vents.Link

6. The Dancing House (Czech Republic)

The Dancing House, aka the Dancing Building, is an
architectural masterpiece in downtown Prague. It got its name due to its shape.
The original name was Fred and Ginger (after Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers) as
it resembles a pair of dancers. It was designed in 1992 by Croatian-Czech
architect Vlado Milunic and finished in 1996. Link

7.  “COR” building
(Miami, Fl)

A new high rise is going up in Miami's design district, and its
a lean, green, eco machine. A collaboration between Chad Oppenheim architecture
+ design, energy consultant Buro Happold, and structural engineer Ysreal
Seinuk, the $40 million, 25-story, “COR” building will incorporate mixed-use
residential and commercial space, integrating green technologies including wind
turbines, photovoltaic panels, and solar hot water generation. The building's
exoskeleton is a hyper-efficient structure that provides thermal mass for
insulation, shade for residents, and architectural elements such as terraces
and armatures that support turbines.

With the aim to attract creative and design-oriented
businesses and professionals, the interior of COR features sleek commercial and
comfortable residential spaces ranging from $400,000 to $2 million. Each
residential unit will include Energy Star appliances, recycled glass tile
flooring, and bamboo-lined hallways. In total, COR will play host to 113
residential units, 20,100 square feet of office space, and 5,400 square feet of
retail space (which already includes a café and furniture store).  Link

8. Wood Skyscraper (Vancouver)

The seemingly radical idea of building a skyscraper out of
wood is not so strange after all, as architect Michael Green is quick to point
out, because of two main advantages that wood has over concrete and steel -
it's eco-friendly and cost-effective.

‘Tallwood' would be made of large panels of ‘laminated
strand lumber'—a composite made by gluing together strands of wood. Trees are a
renewable resource, and they help to reduce air pollution. Sourcing from
sustainably-managed forests could be deemed more environmentally sensitive,
according to CNN.

Unlike concrete—which produces about 6-9kg of carbon dioxide
for every 10kg of concrete—wood sucks carbon out of the atmosphere. And
contrary to popular belief, wood actually is quite fire-resistant. Link

9. Coin Building (UAE)

Aldar headquarters building in Abu Dhabi. Designed by MZ
Architects and opened in 2010. This coin-shaped building is the world's first
circular skyscraper. Link

10. Egg Building (China)

This beautiful structure known as “The Egg” is China's
National Centre for the Performing Arts. This dome-shaped building is submerged
in water and contains an Opera House, a Concert Hall, and a Theater.
Remarkably, this building is just as massive and intriguing below the surface
of the water. “The Egg” is home to underwater corridors, an underwater garage,
and even an artificial lake. The structure took over five years to build. Link

(WONDERS) 10 Most Fascinating Tunnels

2012-08-20T17:41:00.000-07:00

b.a#22

1. California's Sequoia National Park

This unusual tunnel can be seen in California's Sequoia National Park. The drive is cut through the tree trunk of a Sequoia which fell
in 1937. Instead of removing it from the road, the park administration decided
to cut a tunnel in it. It's 5.18 m. (17 ft.) wide and 2.44 m. (8 ft.) high.Link 

2. Prairie Lights

Prairie Lights is Texas's premier holiday drive-through
park, featuring more than 4 million lights along the shores of beautiful Lynn
Creek Park on Joe Pool Lake in Grand Prairie. Visitors are amazed by the
world's longest light tunnel and the Holiday Village out-of-car experiences.Link

3. Train Tree Tunnel

This beautiful train tree tunnel is located in Kleven,
Ukraine. It's called the Tunnel of Love.

Photo by Oleg Gordienko, original caption by the
photographer is Green Mile. Link

4. Red Rock Canyon

Road Through Rock Formation, Red Rock Canyon, Utah, USA.Link

5. The Bund Sightseeing Tunnel

This has to be one of the most surreal, psychedelic and fun
forms of public transport. The Tunnel connects East Nanjin Rd on the Bund, and
Pudong near the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, running under the Huangpu river in
Shanghai, China. It's a psychedelic trip in a glass capsule along the 647-meter
flashing, srobing tunnel.Link

6. Tunnel House

This building and an adjacent one had been used for
exhibition space and art classes for over 30 years and they're both scheduled
to be torn down to make way for a new larger structure. So, as a final
farewell, local Houston artists, Dan Havel and Dean Ruck, turned them into an
art installation known as "Inversion." Using boards from the outside
of the houses they created a large funnel-like vortex running between the two
that ends in a small hole in an adjacent courtyard. It's a cool effect
particularly for those who always wanted to experience a black hole without the
whole "being crushed to a quantum singularity" end result.Link

7. Rotterdam Market Hall

Imagine having this cool public market pop up in your town?
Well the lucky residents of Rotterdam, The Netherlands, are actually getting
one! The mayor announced the commencement of construction on the huge
tunnel-shaped market hall which will flash images of gigantic fresh fruits and
vegetables via LCD screens on the inside and be lined with balconied apartments
offering killer views on the outside. This true mixed-use development combining
residences, shopping, restaurants and a public market will be a central hub of
activity for citizens and tourists. The project is being developed by Provast
and was designed by MVRDV.

The new icon for Rotterdam is expected to be completed in
2014.Link

8. Wisteria Tunnel

This stunning flower walkway is the known as the Wisteria
Tunnel, situated in the Kawachi Fuji Garden in Kitakyushu, Japan.Link

9. Red Mountain Pass and Ouray, Colorado

Unusual tunnel for runoff or rock slides.Link

10. L'Oceanographic Center in Valencia

Underwater tunnel at the L'Oceanographic Center in Valencia,
Spain.Link

(FAST FACTS) 11 Utterly Bizarre Animal Mating Rituals

2012-08-20T13:50:00.001-07:00

b.a#21

1.Bonobos

When it comes to getting it on, no animal is as close to
humans as the bonobo. These fascinating apes are the only other animals that
enjoy having sex face-to-face and with French kissing. Of course, that's not
the only interesting thing about their sex lives. Bonobos have built their
entire society on sex, to the point where they make ancient Romans look like
prudes.

That's because rather than fighting, bonobos turn to sex as
a way of dealing with disputes. It's also used as a greeting, as a way to
apologize, as a way to ask for some extra food and more. And sex isn't just
limited to mounting animals of the opposite gender – masturbation, mutual
masturbation and homosexual romps are all encouraged by these frisky critters.
In fact, the only thing that seems off limits is for a mother to engage in
sexual activities with her son – hey, you've got to draw the line somewhere.Link 

2. Clownfish

Think gender is something you're born into? Well it's not if
you're a clownfish. These vivid fish live in colonies with one breeding pair
and a few non-breeding males. The largest fish is always the female and that's
not because the females grow the biggest – it's because when there is no female
around, the largest male in the group will change sex to become a female. The
next largest male will be the breeding male and the rest are abstinent until a
new space opens in the breeding pair. Think about that next time you watch
Finding Nemo – Nemo's dad should have become his mom after she was eaten.Link 

3. Anglerfish

Think the sex life of a clownfish is bad? Just wait until
you learn about the anglerfish. For years, scientists were perplexed by the
fact that they could only find female anglerfishes. Even weirder, the females
all had weird lumps on their sides. Eventually, researchers discovered that the
lumps were the remnants of the parasitic male anglerfish.

Male anglerfish are tiny creatures that lose their own
digestive systems when they get large enough to mate. In one species, the
Photocorynus Spiniceps, the male is only a quarter of an inch long, making him
the smallest known vertebrate – he is an amazing, half a million times smaller
than the female.

In order to survive, males must find a female and latch onto
her. The male will bite the female and release an enzyme that dissolves the
skin tissue so the two can be fused together, allowing his sperm to enter her
body and her nutrients to feed his (for a little while). The males soon waste
away leaving nothing but a lump of testes ready to fertilize the female's eggs
whenever she is ready to spawn. Females have been discovered with as many as
eight sets of testes fused onto their bodies.

For those males who can't find a mate, some species are
provided with another option – turning into a female and then waiting for their
own parasitic male to come along.Link

4. Red-Sided Garter Snakes

Orgies and transvestites, most likely, aren't the first
thing you think of when you think of snakes, but maybe they should be. That's
because the red-sided garter snake has one of the craziest sex lives of any
creature out there.

These snakes get together once a year in Manitoba, Canada,
when the female emerges from hibernation, and release a pheromone that attracts
hundreds of the male snakes in her vicinity to come by for a good time – all at
the same time. These “mating balls” have been known to get huge, sometimes
incorporating over 30,000 snakes.

As if competing with up to 30,000 other gents for the
affection of one female wasn't bad enough – sometimes it turns out the female
isn't even really a female. Occasionally, a “she-male” snake will release
pheromones and start a mating ball. Scientists aren't entirely sure why those
male snakes would act this way, but one theory is that they desire the warmth
and protection afforded to the females during mating season. Link

5. Hyenas

The female hyena has a clitoris that is the same size and
shape as the male's penis – sometimes up to seven inches long. It even gets
erect like a penis. Her labia are also fused onto what looks like a scrotum,
complete with two pads of fatty tissue that resemble testes. For this reason,
it's often hard for amateur observers to tell the difference between male and
female hyenas.

In order to have sex, the male must navigate his penis into
the female's pseudopenis. As if that weren't bad enough, giving birth is a
nightmare for the mothers. In fact, one in ten mothers die while giving birth,
and the first-born cub will almost always suffocate as it tries to escape its
mother's elongated birth canal. For those that do live, life is rough, because
hyenas are almost always born in pairs and the stronger twin will often kill
its sibling to establish dominance.Link 

6. Porcupine

Have you ever wondered how something so prickly could ever
enjoy a romp in the hay? Well, the process may be even weirder than you ever
thought possible. It all starts out when the female decides she is ready to
mate – an occurrence that only happens for about 10 hours in an entire year, in
some species. When the male wants to court her, he will stand up on his hind
legs and spray urine all over her from as far away as 6 feet. Once she's good
and soaked, she'll either scream and shake off the urine – telling the guy to
get out of there, or she'll arch her back until her tail is over her head,
allowing him to mount her. The actual mating only lasts for about a minute, but
the male has to be ready to mate with her over and over again.

Interestingly, some species mate for life and those that do
are one of the handful of creatures that have been known to have intercourse
even when there's no chance of creating offspring.Link 

7. Dolphins

If you ever wished penises could work more like elephant
trunks, then let me introduce you to Flipper. Dolphin penises are prehensile,
able to swivel, and are even retractable. Unfortunately, they're also born with
an unstoppable sex drive, which leads them to not only hump inanimate objects,
but also to rape other species, including sea turtles, porpoises, and even
humans. In many cases, they even rape the females of their own species rather
than letting things happen at their own pace. On the upside, at least the
trauma is over quickly – it usually only takes a male dolphin 12 seconds to
ejaculate.Link 

8. Fruit Flies

You wouldn't think a creature as small and unassuming as the
fruit fly would have anything particularly fascinating about its sex life, but
one species, the tiny Drosophila Bifurca, actually has the longest sperm in the
animal kingdom. Each 2-inch-long sperm is over 1,000 times that of a human and
takes up 11% of the male's body mass. It may seem extreme, but it's a necessity
for a creature that needs to mate with a female with one of the most
complicated reproductive tracts, that features irritating chemicals to destroy
weak sperm, prior to fertilization.Link 

9. Lions

Lions need to put a lot of time and effort into getting
pregnant. How much time? Well, typical mating bouts last for up to four days,
involving between 20 and 40 sex sessions per day. In fact, it's estimated that
for every cub that survives past the age of one year, its mother had to mate
three thousand times.Link 

10. Goats

Male goats are ready to breed at the tender age of only four
months old. As he hits puberty, he starts to develop a strange, pungent odor,
which he then adds to by peeing along his stomach and into his beard. When he
wants to get in the mood, he will lick his penis and then drink the urine of
the female goat he is interested in. Sometimes the females will work to get him
further aroused by mounting one another –and you thought lipstick lesbianism
was a college girl specialty.Link 

11. Giraffes

For humans, wine tasting can be a romantic encounter on a
first date, but for male giraffes, it's all about urine tasting. Why? Because
mating is hard work for giraffes, so rather than wasting time on females that
aren't ready to make a baby, the male will politely nudge the female's rump to
induce urination and then taste the urine to see if she is ovulating. If she
is, the courtship will then commence – meaning he follows her incessantly until
she finally gives in and mates with him. Urine drinking and stalking…giraffes
sure know how to romance a lady.Link 

(FAST FACTS) 10 Incredible Internet World Records

2012-08-20T13:13:00.001-07:00

b.a#20

1. Highest Number of Twitter Followers: Lady Gaga

Sorry, Biebs – Gaga gotcha. Say what you will but the Queen
of Pop Charts is also Numero Uno in Twitterverse with 32,781,183 followers (as
of Jan 2013) to Justin Bieber's paltry 32,489,549. Rounding out the top 5 are
Katy Perry (30,852,091), Rhianna (27,672,075), and
Number 5? President Barack Obama (25,406,532) who is the only other male in the
Top Ten. Link

2. Most watched video on YouTube:

Call it Revenge of the Bieber. While Justin may only be
Number Two in the Twitterverse, Biebs is top of the pops here on YouTube with 818,305,406 views of hit his Baby as of 1/5/2013.

Speaking of babies, what is the most popular NON-MUSIC video
of all time? Charlie Bit My Finger – Again! with 505,806,531 views – proving
there's nothing like the power of a good sequel. WATCH BELOW!  

"Gangnam Style"  is a K-pop single by the South Korean musician
PSY. The song was released in July 2012 as the lead single of his sixth studio
album and debuted at number one on South Korea's Gaon Chart. On December 21,
2012, at around 15:50 UTC, "Gangnam Style" became the first video in
the history of the Internet to be viewed more than a billion times. As of
January 1, 2013, the music video has been viewed over 1.10 billion times on
YouTube, and it is the site's most watched video after surpassing Justin
Bieber's single "Baby".

3. Oldest site on Internet: Symbolics.com

On March 15, 1985, Symbolics Computer Corporation made
history by registering the first domain name. That year, there were just five
websites in existence. Fast forward to today, where there are over 192 million
domains registered and more than 2.1 billion users worldwide, mostly based in
Asia. Symbolics.com was bought in 2009 and now hosts a bunch of
useless-but-interesting Internet facts (including some of the ones I just mentioned). Link

4. Longest Domain Name: Llanfairpwllgw-
yngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll-Llantysiliogogogoch.com

Speaking of domain names, one of the silliest Internet
Records is for the longest one. Technically, a domain name can have up to 63
characters (not including sub-domains or suffixes). Sure, there are loads of
stupid ones – technically the “longest” domain name on record is
http://www.thelongestdomainnameintheworldandthensomeandthensomemoreandmore.com/
- followed closely by
http://www.abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzabcdefghijk.com/
- a free email service for annoying people. But in our book (and in Guinness')
the winner is Llanfairpwllgw-yngyllgogerychwyrndrobwll-Llantysiliogogogoch.com
which is the website of an actual single-word town in Wales. Try saying (or
typing) that ten times fast! Link

5. Highest Webcam on Earth: Mount Everest

In this world of ubiquitous surveillance, it is now even
harder to avoid the camera's probing eye. Even Sherpas are now being watched,
as the Italian Scientific Committee has placed a webcam at an altitude of 5643
meters atop a peak overlooking Mt. Everest, the highest spot on Earth. Rumor
has it that if you tune in during off hours, you may see some hot Yeti-on-Yeti
action. Link

6. Biggest Hog of Internet Data: The Royal Wedding

When Prince William married Kate Middleton on April 29,
2011, it seemed like the whole world was watching. And they were, as an
estimated 2.5 billion people watched the nuptials in some way, shape or form.
Approximately 1.6 million people streamed it live via Internet, surpassing the
2010 World Cup record. Yahoo alone received 40,000 requests per SECOND for
video data. But not only did they watch, they clicked on news stories at a rate
of 5 million page views per minute at its peak, surpassing Michael Jackson's
funeral. On Twitter, the top 10 trends all related to Will and Kate, and on
Facebook 6.8 million people posted a wedding-related status update within 24
hours, resulting in 9.4 million comments. If they had streamed the honeymoon,
they would have broken the Internet. Link 

7. Country With Fastest Internet: South Korea

This country really is wired. By 2006, 96% of South Korean
cellphone users had Internet access and today's users connect at a blazing fast
17.5 Mbps. In a distant second place is Japan with 9.1, tied with Hong Kong;
the Netherlands and Latvia are each a notch below that. Where is the United
States? A distant 13th place with 5.8 Mbps. The fastest US City is Boston with
8.4 Mbps. How is the Internet doing as a whole? A mere 2.3 Mbps on average
worldwide, a drop of 14 percent from 2011. Link 

8. Most Expensive Domain Name: Insure.com

If you think Sex sells, think again. It's INSURANCE that's
the big cash-grabber. In 2006, it earned the top spot by commanding $16 million
dollars, topping Sex.com's $14 million sale in Oct. 2010.

Fund.com and Porn.com are next in line, no-brainers of
course. But the luckiest in the bunch? The Farm Bureau, who sold FB.com to
Facebook for $8.5 million. Link  

9. Most Facebook “Likes” in 24 Hours: Oreo or Lil' Wayne?

It started out as a silly promotional gimmick for a cookie.
In February 2011, Oreo announced a campaign to win the Guinness Record for the
most number of Likes in a 24-hour period.

And on Feb. 16, the black-and-white snack did indeed receive
the award when it clocked 114,619 Likes on a single post within that time
frame. But who should come along and attempt to rain on Oreo's parade? Rapper
Lil' Wayne heard about the record and immediately summoned his posse to break
it. One day later, Oreo's record was destroyed with 588,243 on Lil' Wayne's
status. This made news around the globe, but has apparently fallen on deaf ears
at Guinness. To this date, they claim the Oreo takes the prize but state, “All
categories are open to the public and anyone who wishes to attempt their own
record can do so simply by registering at www.guinnessworldrecords.com/apply.”

On your mark, get set… GO!!! Link

10. The Godfathers of Spam: Gary Thuerk, Joel Furr and Ken
Daignean

Everything has a first on the Internet, and Spam – those
annoying, unwanted emails filling more than 90% of your inbox – is no
exception. On May 3, 1978 a marketer at Digital Equipment Corporation named
Gary Thuerk thought of a brilliant way to get the word out about their new
computer systems. He sent a mass email to 400 accounts on ARPANET and voila,
Spam was born. But Spam wasn't called Spam yet – THAT honor goes to Joel Furr,
who first coined the phrase in a Usenet posting around 1993. The use of the
word Spam brilliantly refers to both the ham-based-processed-meat-in-a-can
(named by Ken Daignean who won a $100 contest in 1937), and to a skit by the
British Comedy Troupe Monty Python, where Vikings appear from nowhere and chant
“Spam Spam Wonderful Spam!” drowning out everyone else in the scene. Link 

(FAST FACTS) 10 Coolest Home Theaters

2012-08-20T10:27:00.000-07:00

b.a#19

1. King Kong Home Theater

Looking for a home theater experience that will make your
guests go ape?

Then check out this King Kong-inspired home theater setup by
Tom Spina designs, which comes complete with faux wood and stone front, giant
ape hands gripping each chair, and Kong himself peeking over the top of the TV
cabinet.

This furniture is sure to make watching old horror movies a
much more terrifying experience, and gives your home that all important theme
park vibe. It puts the fun in funky monkey! Link

2. Old Pool Home Theater

When you have a big house with many rooms, some of the rooms
are not used. So they don't remain empty you could do something useful, like
the owners of this Wisconsin home did with their unused indoor pool. They
decided that it could become a veritable home theater, and they did a really
great job of creating a spacious home theater with stadium-style seating. Link

3. Indiana Jones Home Theater

This amazing Indy-themed room was designed by home theatre
expert Doug Charrois, for Larry and Colleen Halliday in Canada. The room even
features replicas of the holy grail, a jacket, hat, whips, torches and
more—including the idol from the opening of the original movie. Link

4. Brabus Home Theater

This particular home theater is in a home on wheels, and
it's a Mercedes-Benz tuner Brabus theater. It has a 40-inch 3D model, which has
a Playstation 3, Internet connected Mac Mini, not to mention a lot of iPads. In
case you are wondering, there is also a Keurig coffee machine, in case you need
some extra energy.

Just to let you know, this Brabus has a 6.1 liter V-8 that
will bring this theater from 0 to 60 in six seconds. I once heard about home
theater buses, and this one certainly goes a whole lot faster, even though it
probably doesn't hold as many people. It's good that it has 3D and looks quite
comfortable. Link

5. Inflated High End Home Theater

This cool inflatable outdoor home theater inflates in about
5 minutes with its own built-in fan. The gigantic screen is 16 by 13 ft. and it
includes a DVD player, a high-output DLP projector, dual 15-inch speakers with
stands, a microphone, and all of the required cables. It's basically like
having an outdoor home theater in a box, but this “little kit” will
set-you-back about $10,000. Set up this outdoor theater in your backyard, and
you'll be the most popular house on the block. Link

6. Terminator Home Theater

This is, without a doubt, one of the coolest home theater
setups ever. Electronic House featured this Terminator inspired home theater
recently. I've got to say, Darren Mortenson, the man behind this particular
piece of theater magic, is a genius. It's designed to look like a sci-fi set
and includes a bunch of cool little props and pieces of memorabilia. The
project was put together on a reasonable budget. Looking at the products in the
component list, there is nothing there that is outlandishly expensive. The DIY aspect
makes this project incredibly cool. You see people outsourcing this kind of
thing all the time, but Mortenson did it himself and became a licensed CEDIA
installer in the process. The 159-inch screen ought to make his favorite movies
on the screen seem larger than life. Link

7. Radio City Music Hall Home Theater

James Biber, an architect and partner at Pentagram, has
designed this home theater in Montauk, N.Y., inspired by Radio City Music Hall.
The home theater, which takes up 350 square feet in a 1,500-square-foot
basement, had to have soundproofing and dimmable lights, and the client wanted
seating on the floor.

What impresses me most about this home theater is the
lighting, which is hidden in the arches facing the stage. 600 five-watt
dimmer-controlled light bulbs are installed but the light is very soft. On the
dimmest setting, the lights prevent the theater from being completely dark. Link

8. Paris Home Theater

Jason Crist wanted to bring some Paris back to his home in
Nashville, so he hired designer Donny Hackett to build an incredible
Paris-themed home theater. It comes complete with a "ceiling structure
[that] was modeled after a rose window in the Notre Dame cathedral." Link

9. Rotating Home Theater

Now isn't this one of the coolest home theaters you have
ever come across? The front row seats rotate a full 180 degrees at the touch of
a button, facing the second row so that the room instantly transforms into a
social-friendly setting. The 16-foot circle of flooring comes equipped with a
quartet of motors and several wheels right below the floor's steel frame in
order to achieve this. Other than this apparent novelty, you also get a 7.1
channel audio system and a 12-foot wide custom-built screen that has been
perforated with small holes in order to let the sound through. Sounds expensive
to me, which is why I didn't even bother to ask about the price. Link

10. Pirates of the Caribbean Home Theater

Built at a cost of $2.5 million, this Pirates of the
Caribbean-inspired home theater definitely looks the part. Unfortunately, you
won't find any lifelike animatronics in the theater. Link

(FAST FACTS) 8 Most Disturbing Body Parts After Plastic Surgery

2012-08-19T08:05:00.000-07:00

b.a#18

1. The woman with Europe's largest fake breasts 

Beshine currently holds the title of “Biggest Breasts in
Europe” and though she started her boob od(d)yssey as a humble B cup, she's now
a mind boggling Z-cup, thanks to expander implants which she refills as
regularly as she can.

Beshine says that she doesn't suffer from backache due to a
strict program of back strengthening but does struggle to find clothes that fit
and, not surprisingly, can no longer sleep on her stomach, though apparently
lying on her back or side is still possible. Link 

2. The woman who spent over 15k on illegal butt and hips
injection

A woman who spent approximately $15,000 on illegal butt and
hip injections shed light on the secret world of black market cosmetic
procedures in a new book. In a raw and honest account, Vanity Wonder, 30, a
mother-of-two from America's Midwest, has revealed how she became addicted to
silicone shots to increase the size of her behind. "Shot Girls"
details her own experiences of seeking out and having the injections, and how
she became an assistant to a black market practitioner, who treated women from
a 17-year-old brought in by her proud mother, to a senior in her seventies with
bifocals and false teeth. Link

3. The man who grew 6 in with painful surgery

A man in New York has “grown” over six inches through painful limb-lengthening surgeries intended to artificially increase his height. While the reason behind Apotheosis (his pseudonym) having undergone the surgery might be cosmetic, there are in fact numerous patients suffering from dwarfism or deformities who have and are currently going through the process of surgically lengthening their limbs.

Renowned orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Dror Paley claims that the
majority of the patients that visit her at St. Mary's Medical Center for
cosmetic reasons, are suffering from height dysphoria which she claims is one
of the few psychologic-psychiatric disorders that actually can be cured with
the knife.

Akash Shukla is just one of those patients who has undergone
the surgery for the cosmetic reason depicted by Paley. At age eighteen, the
young man from New Jersey discovered that he would ultimately only grow to be a
mere 4'11.5″ tall. Due to his short height, Shukla opted to undergo the painful
process of lengthening his limbs in order to increase his height. Nearly 5'2″
after surgery, Shukla is now significantly taller than before.

This rare procedure is performed by only a few doctors in
the United States and costs roughly $85,000. Painful, time consuming, and
expensive are just a few words to describe this incredible surgery which has
assisted those like Shukla, Apotheosis, and many more, to achieve a height
beyond that which they were otherwise destined to have. Link

4. The Russian woman who had over 100 lip injections

A woman desperate to look like Jessica Rabbit has won the dubious honour of being in possession of the world's biggest lips after having 100 silicone injections. Kristina Rei, 22, was convinced her thin lips made her ugly so she opted to have them enlarged in the style of her favorite cartoon character, at a cost of more than £4,000.

Now the nail technician admits she has an addiction, but
still plans to have her so-called trout pout made even more outrageous. Each
injection costs roughly £40 and is 'extremely painful' but Kristina, from St
Petersburg, Russia, insists nothing will stop her. Link

5. The fake doctor arrested for injecting butt implants with
Fix-a-flat

"Dr." Oneal Morris has a very literal solution for patients looking to add a little junk to their trunks. She injected a woman looking to add a little more oomph to her caboose, with a solution made of cement, superglue, mineral oil, and Fix-A-Flat tire mender. Thirty-year-old Morris was arrested by Miami Gardens' police.

A patient asked Morris, a transgendered woman who is still
legally identified as a man, to give her butt implants. So Morris cut her open
and injected the crazy mixture. She then closed the patient's wound with
superglue. As a result of the procedure, the woman ended up in the hospital,
treated for a serious condition by actual doctors. Morris was arrested on
charges of practicing medicine without a license and from her arrest pictures,
appears to sport some sort of junk in her own rear end as well. Link

6. The Russian Barbie who supposedly had her ribs removed to
have a smaller waist

Valeria Lukyanova is the self-proclaimed "most famous woman on the Russian-language internet". The 21 year-old Ukrainian first made a splash in her native Ukraine and neighboring Russia a few years back with her anime-style Barbie doll looks. After she first hit it big on the Russian-language internet, netizens started digging through her old social networking posts and profiles, cataloguing all the rumored surgeries she'd undergone—from nose jobs to rib removal. She certainly has a tiny waist. Link

7. The woman who had concrete injected in her face by fake
doctor

New pictures of an alleged victim of previously featured
'fake doctor' Oneal Ron Morris show the horrific damage to her face after it
was injected with a toxic mixture of cement and tyre sealant. Rajee
Narinesingh, 48, from Miami, Florida, says her face was ruined by Morris, who
had just been released from custody after she was accused of administering the
potentially lethal shots to another victim.

Ms. Narinesingh, who, like Morris, 30, was born a man, but
lives as a woman, has been left with lumpy shapes in her cheeks, a misshapen
chin and a ballooning upper lip after the back room beauty treatment. Link

8. The man who underwent breast augmentation after a $
100,000 bet

Guys, what would you do for a bet? Shave your eyebrows? Dye your hair? Get your nipple pierced? How about getting breast implants? No? Then frankly, you just aren't the man that Brian Zembic is. In 1996, Brian Zembic took a bet for $100,000 that he wouldn't keep a set of 38C breast implants in for a year. He did. The twist? He still has them…

The story of Brian's breasts begins in the summer of 1996
when he had a conversation with a friend named Jobo about breast implants. Somehow
the argument escalated to the point where the pair agreed that they would enter
into a wager where Zembic would receive breast implants and if he kept them in
for a year he would win $100,000.

Nothing more might have come of it, until Brian lost a large
amount of money playing the stock market and decided to take on the bet to
cover his losses. He found a cosmetic surgeon who was also a gambler and after
a few games of backgammon, was able to win the $4,500 he needed to pay for the
surgery.

In October 1996 Zembic underwent the breast augmentation
surgery in New York. Jobo, hearing that Zembic had had the surgery, offered to
buy out the bet by paying $50,000 to cancel the wager. Zembic refused and said
he would see the wager through for the full year and full $100,000. In October
1997, he fulfilled the arrangements of the bet and Jobo deposited the full
$100,000 into a Swiss bank account.

Since then, Brian has appeared on numerous TV shows and magazines to talk about his boobs. He claims that the breast implants have made him more popular with women and that he wouldn't have them removed unless his daughter was picked on as a result of his bizarre choice. Link

(NEWS) Curiosity To Foreign Planet Mars Day 3

2012-08-15T16:59:00.001-07:00

b.a#17

Third Day on Mars

In this image released by NASA on Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012, a
self portrait of NASA’s Curiosity rover was taken by its Navigation cameras,
located on the now-upright mast. The camera snapped pictures 360-degrees around
the rover. (AP Photo/NASA)

NASA's Curiosity rover took this self-portrait using a
camera on its newly deployed mast.

 PASADENA, California—The science rover Curiosity took a
break from instrument checks on its third full day on Mars to beam back more
pictures from the Red Planet, including its first self-portrait and a
360-degree color view of its home in Gale Crater.

The panoramic mosaic, comprising 130 separate images that
Curiosity captured with its newly activated navigation cameras, shows a
rust-colored, pebble-strewn expanse stretching to a wall of the crater’s rim in
one direction and a tall mound of layered rock in another, the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) said on Thursday.

That formation, named Mt. Sharp, stands at the center of the
vast, ancient impact crater and several miles from where Curiosity touched down
at the end of an eight-month voyage across 566 million kilometers of space.

A partial view of a 360-degree color panorama of the Curiosity rover's landing site on Gale Crater. The panorama comes from low-resolution versions of images taken Thursday, August 9, with a 34-millimeter mast camera. Cameras mounted on Curiosity's remote sensing mast have beamed back fresh images of the site.

Mars’ geologic history

The layers of exposed rock are thought to hold a wealth of
Mars’ geologic history, making it the main target of exploration for scientists
who will use the rover to seek evidence of whether the planet most similar to
Earth might now harbor or once may have hosted key ingredients for microbial
life.

But mission controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
near Los Angeles are exercising caution immediately following Curiosity’s jarring,
death-defying descent to the surface on Sunday night.

They plan to spend weeks putting the nuclear-powered,
six-wheeled rover and its sophisticated array of instruments through a
painstaking series of “health” checks before embarking on the thrust of their
science mission in earnest.

The Curiosity rover at its landing site inside Gale Crater.
The image was taken from the rover's navigation cameras.

The $2.5-billion Curiosity project, formally named the Mars
Science Laboratory, is Nasa’s first astrobiology mission since the Viking
probes of the 1970s and is touted as the first fully equipped mobile
geochemistry lab ever sent to a distant world.

After three full days on the Red Planet, “Curiosity
continues to behave flawlessly” and has “executed all planned activities”
without a hitch, mission manager Michael Watkins said.

A
panoramic photograph shows the Curiosity rover's surroundings at its landing
site inside Gale Crater. The rim of Gale Crater can be seen to the left, and
the base of Mount Sharp is to the center-right.

Equipment checks

The latest round of equipment checks included an instrument
designed to determine mineral composition of powdered rock and soil samples;
one to analyze soil and atmospheric samples for organic compounds; one to
detect traces of water locked in shallow mineral deposits; and another that
uses particle X-rays to identify chemical elements in rocks and soils.

A color image from NASA's Curiosity rover shows the
pebble-covered surface of Mars. This panorama mosaic was made of 130 images of
144 by 144 pixels each. Selected full frames from this panorama, which are
1,200 by 1,200 pixels each, are expected to be transmitted to Earth later.

Like Mojave Desert

The very delivery of Curiosity to the surface of Mars
already has been hailed by Nasa as the greatest feat of robotic space flight.

The car-sized rover, which flew from Earth encased in a
protective capsule, blasted into the Martian sky at hypersonic speed and landed
safely seven minutes later after an elaborate, daredevil descent combining a
giant parachute with a rocket-pack that lowered the rover to the Martian
surface on a tether.

Since then, the rover has been sending a string of early
images back to Earth, relayed by two Nasa satellites orbiting Mars, providing
glimpses of a terrain that scientists say appear reminiscent of the Mojave
Desert in Southern California.

 Two blast marks from the descent stage's rockets can be seen
in the center of this image. Also seen is Curiosity's left side. This picture
is a mosaic of images taken by the rover's navigation cameras.

Dark pebbles

One shot beamed back Wednesday night, the first taken by
Curiosity of itself, shows the rover’s top deck strewn with dark pebbles
apparently kicked up from the ground when the craft landed. Nasa scientists
said the gravel does not appear to pose any risk to instruments on the vehicle.

Two separate high-resolution “Navcam” images taken of the
surface show that thrust from the sky-crane rockets during descent carved out a
0.5-meter trench in the surface, exposing what appears to be Martian bedrock
underneath.

When Curiosity wakes up for its fourth day on Mars early
Friday (California time), mission controllers plan to conduct additional
instrument checks and prepare the craft for an upgrade of its main computer software
for surface operations.

All other activities will be suspended during that upgrade,
which will begin on day 5 of the mission and last four days.

In this portion of the larger mosaic from the previous
frame, the crater wall can be seen north of the landing site, or behind the
rover. NASA says water erosion is believed to have created a network of
valleys, which enter Gale Crater from the outside here.

Future missions

“It’s very exciting to think about getting there, but it is
quite a ways away,” said mission scientist Dawn Sumner.

During its two-year mission, the roaming laboratory will
analyze rocks and soil in search of the chemical building blocks of life, and
determine whether there were habitable conditions where microbes could thrive.

As high-tech as Curiosity is, it can’t directly look for
past or present life; future missions would be needed to answer that question.

Curiosity is the most complex interplanetary rover ever
designed, and engineers are taking their time performing health checkups. The
rover will not make its first drive or move its robotic arm for weeks.

 In this portion of the larger mosaic from the previous
frame, the crater wall can be seen north of the landing site, or behind the
rover. NASA says water erosion is believed to have created a network of
valleys, which enter Gale Crater from the outside here.

Mars rover Curiosity beamed back a sweeping color panorama
of the planet's surface Thursday, showing the rocky, reddish desert surrounding
it and the mountain it will explore in the coming months.

The 360-degree view captures the landscape of Gale Crater,
where Curiosity touched down early Monday, and the foot of Mount Sharp -- the
rover's primary scientific target. Mike Malin, whose company built the camera
used to shoot the scene, said the shot was "probably not the best
pointed," but added, "We hope we'll get many others."

This partial mosaic from the Curiosity rover shows Mars'
environment around the rover's landing site on Gale Crater. NASA says the
pictured landscape resembles portions of the U.S. Southwest. The
high-resolution mosaic includes 130 images, but not all the images have been
returned by the rover to Earth. The blackened areas of the mosaic are the parts
that haven't been transmitted yet.

The brightness of the image was boosted to compensate for
the dim sunlight of the martian afternoon, but the colors were untouched, NASA
said

Curiosity went through its paces "flawlessly" on
its third full day on the planet, mission manager Michael Watkins said
Thursday. The rover's mission is to determine whether Mars ever had an
environment capable of supporting life, and its prime target is Mount Sharp,
the 18,000-foot (5,500-meter) peak about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) to the
south.

This image, taken from the rover's mast camera, looks south of the landing site toward Mount Sharp.

Curiosity opening Martian frontier?

Scientists hope the layers of rock that form the mountain
will give them a timeline of the history of Mars. Curiosity mission planner
Dawn Sumner said photographs like the ones beamed back by the rover, as well as
others taken by probes in orbit, will be used to map a path to the mountain's
base -- "doing the best science we can along the way, but also keeping our
eyes on that beautiful layered rock," she said.

The rover is supposed to run for two years, but a previous
rover, Opportunity, has been working on Mars since 2004 -- well beyond the
three months NASA planned. Opportunity's sister rover, Spirit, ran from 2004 to
2010.

This image, with a portion of the rover in the corner, shows
the wall of Gale Crater running across the horizon at the top of the image. The
Mars rover Curiosity arrived on Mars early on August 6 and began beaming back
images from the surface. See all the images as they are released here.

(NEWS) Curiosity To Foreign Planet Mars Day 2

2012-08-15T14:27:00.001-07:00

b.a#16

Second Day On Mars

NASA rover Curiosity's second day on Mars went
"flawlessly," NASA said Wednesday, confirming the antennas, communication
links and generator on the $2.5 billion robot are all working well.

 "We feel very confident we have a lot of data capacity
now, that we have all these links, and that was one of the major objectives of
that first part of the mission," mission manager Jennifer Trosper told
reporters at a press conference at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena,
California.

The four main pieces of hardware that arrived on Mars with
NASA's Curiosity rover were spotted by NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The
High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera captured this image about 24
hours after landing.

She added that a pair of cameras -- set like two large eyes
on the newly extended remote sensing mast -- will be used Thursday to give
scientists their first full-color panoramic 360-degree view around the rover.

"The first impression you get is how earth-like this
seems," commented John Grotzinger, a scientist for the mission.

"All those materials are derived from the erosion of
those mountains," he added, explaining that the sediments were brought
down into the crater by water that once pooled there.

 This image comparison shows a view through a
Hazard-Avoidance camera on NASA's Curiosity rover before and after the clear
dust cover was removed. Both images were taken by a camera at the front of the
rover. Mount Sharp, the mission's ultimate destination, looms ahead.

 NASA released a low resolution black and white panoramic
Wednesday that shows a vast sediment-covered plain, with low mountains in the
distance. 

These signs of water on Red Planet hint that some form of
life was once likely -- even though Mars is now a dry place with a thin
atmosphere, extreme winters and dust storms -- and they're Curiosity's reason
for being.

The color image captured by NASA's Mars rover Curiosity on
Tuesday, August 7, has been rendered about 10% transparent so that scientists
can see how it matches the simulated terrain in the background.

The nuclear-powered rover is designed to hunt for soil-based
signatures of life on the Earth's nearest neighbor and send back data to prepare
for a future human mission.

It is the biggest robot ever built for planetary exploration
-- weighing in at a ton, about the size of a small car -- and carries a complex
chemistry kit to zap rocks, drill soil and test for radiation.

 This first image taken by the Navigation cameras on
Curiosity shows the rover's shadow on the surface of Mars.

Grotzinger noted that the images show the rover's harrowing
and complex descent on Monday "did more than give us a great ride, it gave
our science team an amazing freebie."

"The thrust from the rockets actually dug 0.5 meter
(1.6 feet) trench in the surface," he said. "It appears we can see Martian
bedrock on the bottom."

Knowing how far the bedrock lies beneath the surface is
"valuable data we can use going forward," he explained.

 
This color full-resolution image showing the heat shield of
NASA's Curiosity rover was obtained during descent to the surface of Mars on
Monday, August 13. The image was obtained by the Mars Descent Imager instrument
known as MARDI and shows the 15-foot diameter heat shield when it was about 50
feet from the spacecraft.

In other good news, Trosper said the indications are that
Curiosity's electricity generator is making "more power that was
expected."

That's going to keep the rover operating longer, she
explained, and added that the team was also able to resolve an anomaly that had
been hindering the rover's weather-sensing equipment.

She noted that the data shows temperatures around Curiosity
are a little warmer than predicted, but they "are still looking at
why."

She did not give any specific temperature readings, but NASA
had initially predicted frigid temperatures at Curiosity's landing site of
between -90 and zero degrees Celsius.

  
 A close-up view of an area at the NASA Curiosity landing
site where the soil was blown away by the thrusters during the rover's descent
on August 6. The excavation of the soil reveals probable bedrock outcrop, which
shows the shallow depth of the soil in this area.

(NEWS) Curiosity To Foreign Planet Mars Day 1

2012-08-15T13:52:00.000-07:00

b.a#15

First Day On Mars

Curiosity has woken for its first day on a foreign planet.
On the cool and crisp surface of Mars, the NASA rover began its first solar
day, Sol 1, about 9.45am Mars time (10.45am AEST).


  

Another of the first images beamed back from NASA's
Curiosity rover on August 6 is the shadow cast by the rover on the surface of
Mars

"What's really exciting is the rover is in this new place
and is going to teach us about this new landing site," Jennifer Trosper, a
mission manager with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, said.

This image shows Curiosity's main science target, Mount
Sharp. The rover's shadow can be seen in the foreground. The dark bands in the
distances are dunes.

The rover's day one tasks include instrument "health
checks" and communications tests with two of the rover's antennae.
"We want to make sure we have as many communications links as
possible," Ms Trosper said.

The rover communicates with Earth by relaying data through
the Mars Odyssey and Mars Reconnaissance Orbiters, but it also has the capacity
to listen and talk directly to Earth. 

Another
of the first images taken by the rover. The clear dust cover that protected the
camera during landing has popped open. Part of the spring that released the
dust cover can be seen at the bottom right, near the rover's wheel

This morning NASA will send a command into the rover's
low-gain antenna, an "omni-directional" antenna that will be used
primarily for receiving signals. "That command is going to start the
activities for the day," Ms Trosper said.

This is one of the first pictures taken by Curiosity after
it landed. It shows the rover's shadow on the Martian soil.

One of those activities will be deploying the high-gain
antenna, which will be used to receive commands for the mission team back on
Earth.

As Earth rises, the high-gain antenna will track the Earth
from about 11.45am local Mars time for about 75 minutes.

"If that all goes well then we will have confirmed all
our communications links work perfectly and that would be fantastic," she
said.


This view of the landscape to the north of NASA's Mars rover
Curiosity was acquired by the Mars Hand Lens Imager on Monday afternoon, the
first day after landing.

"That's one of the main engineering objectives that
we're trying out on the first few Sols."


After that, Curiosity will conduct checks on two of its 10
scientific instruments including the RAD, which measured high-energy radiation
during the spacecraft's flight, but was turned off during descent and REMS, the
rover's Martian weather station.


The rover has already used its descent imager, MARDI.




This image is a 3-D view in front of NASA's Curiosity rover.
The anaglyph was made from a stereo pair of Hazard-Avoidance Cameras on the
front of the rover. Mount Sharp, a peak that is about 3.4 miles high, is
visible rising above the terrain, though in one "eye" a box on the
rover holding the drill bits obscures the view.

Isn't she lovely ... Mars, as pictured by the Hubble
telescope in 2003. Photo: NASA/AP

(NEWS) Hidden Egyptian Pyramids Found?

2012-08-15T09:31:00.001-07:00

b.a#14

Pyramids Form

Two possible pyramid complexes might have
been found in Egypt, according to a Google Earth satellite imagery survey.

Located about 90 miles apart, the sites
contain unusual grouping of mounds with intriguing features and orientations,
said satellite archaeology researcher Angela Micol of Maiden, N.C.

One site in Upper Egypt, just 12 miles from
the city of Abu Sidhum along the Nile, features four mounds each with a larger,
triangular-shaped plateau.

The two larger mounds at this site are
approximately 250 feet in width, with two smaller mounds approximately 100 feet
in width.

NEWS: Egyptian Pyramids Found With NASA Satellite

The site complex is arranged in a very clear
formation with the large mound extending a width of approximately 620 feet --
almost three times the size of the Great Pyramid.

"Upon closer examination of the
formation, this mound appears to have a very flat top and a curiously
symmetrical triangular shape that has been heavily eroded with time,"
Micol wrote in her website Google Earth Anomalies.

Intriguingly, when zooming in on the top of
the triangular formation, two circular, 20-foot-wide features appear almost in
the very center of the triangle.

Some 90
miles north near the Fayoum oasis, the second possible pyramid complex contains
a four-sided, truncated mound that is approximately 150 feet wide.

ANALYSIS:
Satellite Views Reveal Early Human Settlements

"It has a distinct square center which is very unusual for a mound
of this size and it almost seems pyramidal when seen from above," Micol
wrote.

Located just 1.5 miles south east of the ancient town of Dimai, the site
also contains three smaller mounds in a very clear formation, "similar to
the diagonal alignment of the Giza Plateau pyramids," Micol stated in a
press release.

"The color of the mounds is dark and similar to the material
composition of Dimai's walls which are made of mudbrick and stone," the
researcher wrote.

HOWSTUFFWORKS: Building the Pyramids

Founded in the third century B.C. under the Ptolemaic king Ptolemy II
Philadelphus (309 B.C.–246 B.C.), Dimai was built on top of an earlier
neolithic settlement.

Also known as Dimeh al-Siba, Dimeh of the Lions, the town is surrounded
by a mudbrick wall that stretches up to 32 feet high and 16 feet thick, and
features at its center a ruined stone temple dedicated to the crocodile god
Soknopaios.

Indeed,
the town's Greek name, Soknopaiou Nesos, means "Island of
Soknopaios."

Well known to scholars for the amount of papyri and other inscribed
material found among its ruins, Dimai reached its peak during the first and
second century A.D. thanks to a major trade route. It was abandoned during the
mid-third century A.D.

According to Micol, both sites have been verified as undiscovered by
Egyptologist and pyramid expert Nabil Selim, whose findings include the pyramid
called Sinki at Abydos and the Dry Moat surrounding the Step pyramid complex at
Saqqara.

Selim found that the smaller 100-foot mounds at the site near Abu Sidhum
are a similar size as the 13th Dynasty Egyptian pyramids, if a square base can
be discovered.

BIG PIC: Man Etches Name in Sand, Visible from Space

"The images speak for themselves. It's very obvious what the sites
may contain but field research is needed to verify they are, in fact,
pyramids," Micol said.

The researcher has previously located several possible archaeological
sites with Google Earth, including a potential underwater city off the coast of
the Yucatan peninsula.

She believes the use of infrared imagery will allow scientists to see the
extent of the complexes in greater detail.

The sites have been sent to Egyptologists and researchers for further
investigation and "ground truthing," she said.

Photos: The site near Abu Sidhum contains four mounds with a larger,
triangular-shaped plateau. Credit: Angela Micol;

-- Enhanced image of the 150 foot wide, four-sided mound near the ancient
town of Dimai. Credit: Angela Micol;

-- The site also contains three smaller mounds in a formation similar to
the diagonal alignment of the Giza Plateau pyramids. Credit: Angela Micol.The
sites have been sent to Egyptologists and researchers for further investigation
and "ground truthing," she said.

(FAST FACTS) Top 10 Discoveries Of The Decade

2012-08-15T08:51:00.001-07:00

b.a#13 

10. Pluto-Sized Eris Rocks Solar System

In January 2005, Mike Brown and his team at Palomar
Observatory, Calif. discovered 136199 Eris, a minor body that is 27 percent
bigger than Pluto. Eris had trumped Pluto and become the 9th largest body known
to orbit the sun. 

In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) decided
that the likelihood of finding more small rocky bodies in the outer solar
system was so high that the definition "a planet" needed to be
reconsidered. The end result: Pluto was reclassified as a dwarf planet. Pluto
acquired a "minor planet designator" in front of its name:
"134340 Pluto."

Mike Brown's 2005 discovery of Eris was the trigger that
changed the face of our solar system, defining the planets and adding Pluto to
a growing family of dwarf planets.

9. T. rex Tissue Dug from Bone

In 2005, Mary Higby Schweitzer and her colleagues reported
in Science the discovery of what appeared to be soft tissues -– blood vessels,
bone matrix and other cells –- inside the fossilized femur of a small T. rex.

Since then, the bones have revealed amino acids that
resemble those of modern chickens, firming the link between dinosaurs and
birds.

Schweitzer's discovery comes in a decade of other stunning
revelations about the soft parts of dinosaurs.

In 2004, one of the few mummified dinosaurs ever found -- an
amazingly well-preserved 

66-million-year-old hadrosaur with intact, mostly mineralized
skin -- was excavated from a ranch in North Dakota.

Then, in June 2009, researchers announced they had isolated
molecules related to soft skin tissues from that hadrosaur.

8. Dark Matter's Existence Confirmed Directly

In the summer of 2006, astronomers made an announcement that
helped humans understand the cosmos a little better: They had direct evidence
confirming the existence of dark matter -- even though they still can't say
what exactly the stuff is.

The unprecedented evidence came from the careful weighing of
gas and stars flung about in the head-on smash-up between two great clusters of
galaxies in the Bullet Cluster.

Until then, the existence of dark matter was inferred by the
fact that galaxies have only one-fifth of the visible matter needed to create
the gravity that keeps them intact. So the rest must be invisible to telescopes:
That unseen matter is "dark."

The observations of the Bullet Cluster, officially known as
galaxy cluster 1E0657-56, did not explain what dark matter is. They did,
however, give researchers hints that dark matter particles act a certain way,
which future research can build on.

7. New Human Ancestors Emerge

In 2002, researchers in northern Chad unearthed the 6- to
7-million-year-old skull of Sahelanthropus tchadensis -- known as Toumai. Only
skull bones have been discovered, so it's not confirmed whether Toumai walked
upright on two feet. But other Toumai remains make a stronger case that it
greatly extends the human family timeline.

Then along came Ardi. In 2009, the nearly complete skeleton
of  Ardipithecus ramidus, a.k.a. “Ardi,”
in northeastern Ethiopia bumped the famous “Lucy” as the earliest, most
complete skeleton of a human ancestor ever found.

The 4.4-million-year-old Ardi could walk on two legs, but
was also a skilled tree-climber. Her teeth suggest she ate many different types
of food. And scientists theorize that males and females may have paired off at
this time, significantly boosting survival, since females could intensify their
parenting while males provided food.

If the studies prove true, Ardi marks the closest we have
come to discovering the last common ancestor of chimpanzees and humans.

6. Alien Planets Seen Directly

The first alien planets -- called exoplanets -- were being
detected in the early 1990s, but not directly. In 2000, astronomers detected a
handful by looking for a star's "wobble," or a star's slight dimming
as the exoplanet passed in front of it. Today we know of 400 exoplanets.

The Keck observation was the infrared detection of three
exoplanets orbiting a star called HR8799, 150 light-years from Earth. Hubble
spotted one massive exoplanet orbiting the star Fomalhaut, 25 light-years from
Earth.

These finds pose a profound question: How long will it be
until we spot an Earth-like world with an extraterrestrial civilization looking
back at us?

5. Humans Meld with Machines

 Cyborgs are becoming reality. In the last decade, much
progress has been made with people controlling robotic limbs and computers with
their minds.

In 2000, researchers at Duke University Medical Center
implanted electrodes in monkeys’ brains and then trained them to reach for food
using a robotic arm. Such a neurochip could one day restore motor function in
paralyzed patients.

A team from the MIT Media Lab Europe developed a
non-invasive method for picking up brain waves and, in 2004, used those signals
for the first time to control the movements of a video game character.

Robotic limbs operated with nerve signals debuted in 2001 at
the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. There, Jesse Sullivan, a double
amputee, used the method to control both of his robotic arms.

And in 2009, amputee Pierpaolo Petruzziello learned to
control a biomechanical hand connected to his arm nerves with just wires and
electrodes. Petruzziello became the first person to make complex movements --
finger wiggling, a fist, grabbing objects -- with a robotic limb, using just
his thoughts.

4. Stem Cells Found in New Sources

In 2001, President George W. Bush cut federal funding to
scientists working with embryonic stem cells -- found in a tiny, hollow ball of
about 70-100 human cells that could become anything in the human body --
because of ethical concerns.

Embryonic stem cells were one of the most promising medical
advances in years, with the potential to cure diseases from diabetes to cancer
to genetic disorders, and more.

In 2007, scientists from Kyoto University and the University
of Wisconsin-Madison, working separately, essentially turned back the clock for
adult skin cells, allowing these mature cells, which were preprogrammed to
become skin, to act like embryonic stem cells. The adult cells became
pluripotent cells, or cells that could end up being virtually any other kind of
cell.

These pluripotent adult cells solved two big problems.
Ethical concerns and financial restrictions could be avoided, and doctors could
ultimately use cells with a person's own DNA to grow replacement organs that a
patient would be less likely to reject.

3. Mars Surface Gives up Signs of Water

In 2008, NASA's Mars Phoenix lander touched down on the Red
Planet to confirm the presence of water and seek out signs of organic
compounds.

Eight years before, the Mars Global Surveyor spotted what
appeared to be gullies carved into the landscape by flowing water. More
recently, the Mars Exploration Rovers have uncovered minerals that also
indicated the presence of ancient water. But proof of modern-day water was elusive.

Then Phoenix, planted on the ground near the North Pole, did
some digging for samples to analyze. During one dig, the onboard cameras
spotted a white powder in the freshly dug soil. In comparison images taken over
the coming days, the powder slowly vanished. After intense analysis, the white
powder was confirmed as water ice.

This discovery not only confirmed the presence of water on
the Red Planet, it reenergized the hope that some kind of microbial life might
be using this water supply to survive.

2. Human Genome Mapped

Coiled up inside every human cell sit 23 molecules that, if
unwound and placed end to end, would stretch about three feet. Those molecules,
known as chromosomes, contain all the instructions necessary to build an entire
human being.

The publicly funded Human Genome Project and its private
competitor, Celera Genomics, constitutes one of the largest scientific
endeavors in history, one that revealed in intimate detail just what makes up a
human being.

With the information from individual genome maps, scientists
can uncover new clues about everything from a person's body odor to mental
disease.

Since decoding the human genome, dozens of other species
have had their genomes sequenced, including pigs, dogs, bees, mosquitoes,
puffer fish, chimpanzees, yeast, corn, and rice. With these maps in hand,
scientists can and will discover new ways to heal diseases or improve crop
yields.

1. Glaciers Melting Fast

When
the 21st century began, scientists studying Earth’s climate thought the
gigantic ice caps on Greenland and Antarctica would melt slowly around the
edges and lag behind the overall global warming of climate.

But this past decade, the warmest on record, proved the climate modelers
wrong.

Glaciers have been melting much faster than ever expected and researchers
have been trying to understand why.

The uptick in melting ice has not been restricted to the 

Arctic and Antarctic. Europe’s glaciers are now thought to be 

entering their final decades.

The famous snows of Kilimanjaro and other low-latitude mountains could
disappear completely. The thick, perennial sea ice of the Arctic is fast
disappearing, which will likely bring ice-free summers to the Arctic Ocean.

There
are global consequences to this melting. Rising seas will make more cities and
islands vulnerable to catastrophic flooding like that which nearly killed New
Orleans. Mountain glaciers around the world bring fresh water to billions. Any
way you slice it, an Earth with less ice is a less hospitable planet.

(FAST FACTS) Strange Fish You Didn't Know About

2012-08-13T13:35:00.003-07:00

b.a#12

Here are some odd looking fishes that you may not happen to see everyday! Looks like monster but still a beauty!

 Atlantic Wolffish

The
 Atlantic wolffish (Anarhichas lupus), also known as the Seawolf, 
Atlantic catfish, ocean catfish, wolf eel (the common name for its 
Pacific relative), or sea cat, is a marine fish, the largest of the 
wolffish family Anarhichadidae. They are commonly sighted throughout 
Asia. The numbers of the Atlantic wolffish are rapidly depleting due to 
overfishing and by-catch, and is currently a Species of Concern according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration's (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). 
Although it looks fearsome, the Atlantic wolffish is only a threat to 
humans when defending itself out of the water. Apart from their unique 
appearance wolffish are distinguished by the natural antifreeze they 
produce to keep their blood moving fluidly in their very cold habitat, 
involvement by both the male and female in brood bearing, and the large 
size of their eggs. They are also an important factor in controlling 
green crab and sea urchin populations, which can become overly 
disruptive to habitats if left unchecked. Wolffish population success is
 also an important indicator of the health of other bottom dweller 
populations, such as cod.

Basking Shark

The
 basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) is the second largest living fish, 
after the whale shark. It is a cosmopolitan migratory species, found in 
all the world's temperate oceans. It is a slow moving and generally 
harmless filter feeder and has anatomical adaptations to filter feeding,
 such as a greatly enlarged mouth and highly developed gill rakers. The 
shape of its snout is conical and the gill

slits extend around the top and bottom of its head. The gill rakers are
 dark and bristle-like and are used to catch plankton as water filters 
through the mouth and over the gills. The basking shark is usually 
grayish-brown in colour and often seems to have a mottled appearance. 
The caudal (tail) fin has a strong lateral keel and a crescent shape. 
The teeth of the basking shark are very small and numerous and often 
number one hundred per row. The teeth themselves have a single conical 
cusp, are curved backwards and are the same on both the upper and lower 
jaws.

 Blobfish

The
 blobfish (Psychrolutes marcidus) is a deep sea fish of the family 
Psychrolutidae. Inhabiting the deep waters off the coasts of mainland 
Australia and Tasmania, it is rarely seen by humans.
Blobfish live 
at depths between 600–1,200 m (2,000–3,900 ft) where the pressure is 
several dozen times higher than at sea level, which would likely make 
gas bladders inefficient for maintaining buoyancy. Ins
tead,
 the flesh of the blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density
 slightly less than water; this allows the fish to float above the sea 
floor without expending energy on swimming. Its relative lack of muscle 
is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats
 in front of it. Blobfish eat invertebrates like crabs and sea pens.

  Frilled Shark 

The
 frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus) is one of two extant species
 of shark in the family Chlamydoselachidae, with a wide but patchy 
distribution in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. This uncommon species 
is found over the outer continental shelf and upper continental slope, 
generally near the bottom though there is evidence of substantial upward
 movements. It has been caught as deep as 1,

570
 m (5,150 ft), whereas in Suruga Bay, Japan it is most common at depths 
of 50–200 m (160–660 ft). Exhibiting several "primitive" features, the 
frilled shark has often been termed a "living fossil". It reaches a 
length of 2 m (6.6 ft) and has a dark brown, eel-like body with the 
dorsal, pelvic, and anal fins placed far back. Its common name comes 
from the frilly or fringed appearance of the gill slits, of which there 
are six pairs with the first pair meeting across the throat.

  Goblin Shark

The goblin shark, Mitsukurina owstoni, is a 
deep-sea shark, the sole living species in the family Mitsukurinidae.The
 most distinctive characteristic of the goblin shark is the unusual 
shape of its head. It has a long, trowel-shaped, beak-like rostrum or 
snout, much longer than other sharks' snouts. Some other distinguishing 
characteristics of the shark are the color of its body, which is mostly 
pi

nk, and its long, protrusible jaws. 
When the jaws are retracted, the shark resembles a pink grey nurse 
shark, Carcharias taurus, with an unusually long nose.
 Mitsukurina 
owstoni is found in the deep ocean, far below where the sun's light can 
reach at depths greater than 200 m. They can be found throughout the 
world, from Australia in the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico in the 
Atlantic Ocean. They are best known from the waters around Japan, where 
the species was first discovered.
 Goblin sharks feed on a variety of
 organisms that live in deep waters. Among some of their known prey are 
deep-sea squid, crabs and deep-sea fish. Very little is known about the 
species' life history and reproductive habits, as encounters with them 
have been relatively rare. As seemingly rare as they are however, there 
seems to be no real threat to their populations and so they are not 
classified as endangered species by the IUCN.

 Hydrocynus Goliath

 Hydrocynus goliath, also known as the goliath 
tigerfish, giant tigerfish or mbenga, is a very large African predatory 
freshwater fish.
 
 This large-toothed, highly predatory fish grows to a length of 1.5-metre (4.9 ft) and a weight of 50 kilograms (110 lb).

 Lampreys

 Lampreys (sometimes also called lamprey eels) 
are a family of jaw less fish, whose adults are characterized by a 
toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth. Translated from a mixture of Latin 
and Greek, lamprey means stone lickers (lambere: to lick, and petra: 
stone). While lampreys are well-known for those species which bore into 
the flesh of other fish to suck their blood, most species of lamprey are
 not parasitic and never feed on other fish. In zoology, lampreys are 
sometimes not considered to be true fish because of their distinctive 
morphology and physiology. The lampreys are the basal group of 
Vertebrata (hag fishes are actually not vertebrates, but craniates).

(WONDERS) 10 Interesting Place To Visit

2012-08-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

b.a#11

1. Sri Lanka

 "Sri Lanka could be described as one of the 
most beautiful islands around the world. There is strong evidence that 
human civilization has existed in this tiny island nation for over 2000 
years now. Those who love examining ancient worlds, the serenity of 
nature and going through the excitement of life will always want to be 
part of Sri Lanka holidays.

 2. Kyoto, Japan

  
 "Among posters, calendars or pamphlets 
printed by Japanese travel agencies, Kyoto gardens became truly “The 
cover face” of Japan…Anyway, you visit these gardens, you can find your 
own “relaxing place” in Kyoto, but enjoying evening garden relax in the 
middle of Kyoto is one of the most beautiful experience you can get in 
this city.

 3. Las Vegas, US

"Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city
for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The
Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous for its consolidated
casino–hotels and associated entertainment."

 4. Venice, Italy

 “This
 was Venice, the flattering and suspect beauty - this city, half fairy 
tale and half tourist trap, in whose insalubrious air the arts once 
rankly and voluptuously blossomed, where composers have been inspired to
 lulling tones of coniferous eroticism.”

 5. Paris, France

 "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris
 as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life it stays
 with you, for Paris is a moveable feast."

 6. India

 "If there is one place on the face of earth 
where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very 
earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India!"

 7. Rio, Brazil

"Carnival was incredible, albeit intense, 5 
days of partying with a little sleep thrown in. After Carnival it was 
time to see some sights... First thing was to experience the world 
famous Ipanema and Copcabana beaches. Rio is such a unique city, it has 
beautiful beaches, a huge metropolitan area, and rugged terrain."

 8. Hawaii

 "Hawaii is a Paradise - and I can never cease 
proclaiming it; but I must append one word of qualification: Hawaii is a
 Paradise for the well-to-do." 

 9. Cairo, Egypt

 "Egypt is a land of contrasts, surprises and wonderment and it's really hard to convey the experience..."

 10. Lhasa, Tibet

 “There is an old Tibetan saying: wherever you 
feel at home, you are at home. If your surroundings are pleasant, you 
are at home.”

(FAST FACTS) What The World Eats

2012-08-13T11:28:00.000-07:00

b.a#10



 In 2005 Menzel took a photographic survey of 
the diets of families around the world, documenting what they purchased 
and ate in the course of a week. The results are visually striking – 
Menzel has cleverly remade the classic family portrait as an intimate 
archive of consumption and metabolism – and they also reveal a 
remarkable range in the quantity, quality, and variety of foods that 
families across the world take as quotidian. 

  

Australia: The Browns of River View

Food expenditure for one week: 481.14 Australian dollars or US$376.45
 Family Recipe: Marge Brown's Quandong (an Australian peach) Pie, Yogurt

 India: The Patkars of Ujjain

 Food expenditure for one week: 1,636.25 rupees or $39.27
 Family Recipe: Sangeeta Patkar's Poha (Rice Flakes)

France: The Le Moines of Montreuil

 Food expenditure for one week: 315.17 euros or $419.95
 Favorite foods: Delphine Le Moine's Apricot Tarts, pasta carbonara, Thai food

 Mali: The Natomos of Kouakourou

 Food expenditure for one week: 17,670 francs or $26.39
 Family Recipe: Natomo Family Rice Dish

Poland: The Sobczynscy family of Konstancin-Jeziorna

 Food expenditure for one week: 582.48 Zlotys or $151.27
 Family recipe: Pig's knuckles with carrots, celery and parsnips

 Egypt: The Ahmed family of Cairo

 Food expenditure for one week: 387.85 Egyptian Pounds or $68.53
 Family recipe: Okra and mutton

Bhutan: The Namgay family of Shingkhey Village

 Food expenditure for one week: 224.93 ngultrum or $5.03
 Family recipe: Mushroom, cheese and pork

 Japan: The Ukita family of Kodaira City

 Food expenditure for one week: 37,699 Yen or $317.25
 Favorite foods: sashimi, fruit, cake, potato chips

 China: The Dong family of Beijing

Food expenditure for one week: 1,233.76 Yuan or $155.06
 Favorite foods: fried shredded pork with sweet and sour sauce

 Kuwait: The Al Haggan family of Kuwait City

 Food expenditure for one week: 63.63 dinar or $221.45 
 Family recipe: Chicken biryani with basmati rice

Italy: The Manzo family of Sicily

Food expenditure for one week: 214.36 Euros or $260.11
 Favorite foods: fish, pasta with ragu, hot dogs, frozen fish sticks

 Mexico: The Casales family of Cuernavaca

Food expenditure for one week: 1,862.78 Mexican Pesos or $189.09
 Favorite foods: pizza, crab, pasta, chicken

Canada: The Melansons of Iqaluit, Nunavut Territory

Food expenditure for one week: US$345
 Favorite foods: narwhal, polar bear, extra cheese stuffed crust pizza, watermelon

Mongolia: The Batsuuri family of Ulaanbaatar

 Food expenditure for one week: 41,985.85 togrogs or $40.02
 Family recipe: Mutton dumplings

 Great Britain: The Bainton family of Cllingbourne Ducis

 Food expenditure for one week: 155.54 British Pounds or $253.15
 Favorite foods: avocado, mayonnaise sandwich, prawn cocktail, chocolate fudge cake with cream

 Turkey: The Celiks of Istanbul

 Food expenditure for one week: 198.48 New Turkish liras or $145.88
 Favorite foods: Melahat's Puffed Pastries

Greenland: The Madsens of Cap Hope

Food expenditure for one week: 1,928.80 Danish krone or $277.12
 Favorite foods: polar bear, narwhal skin, seal stew

United States: The Caven family of California

Food expenditure for one week: $159.18
 Favorite foods: beef stew, berry yogurt sundae, clam chowder, ice cream

 Chad: The Aboubakar family of Breidjing Camp

Food expenditure for one week: 685 CFA Francs or $1.23
 Favorite foods: soup with fresh sheep meat

 United States: The Fernandezes of Texas

 Food expenditure for one week: $242.48
 Favorite foods: Shrimp with Alfredo sauce, chicken mole, barbecue ribs, pizza

Germany: The Melander family of Bargteheide

 Food expenditure for one week: 375.39 Euros or $500.07
 Favorite foods: fried potatoes with onions, bacon and herring, fried noodles with eggs and cheese, pizza, vanilla pudding

 Ecuador: The Ayme family of Tingo

Food expenditure for one week: $31.55
 Family recipe: Potato soup with cabbage

 United States: The Revis family of North Carolina

 Food expenditure for one week: $341.98
 Favorite foods: spaghetti, potatoes, sesame chicken

 Guatemala: The Mendozas of Todos Santos

 Food expenditure for one week: 573 Quetzales or $75.70
 Family Recipe: Turkey Stew and Susana Perez Matias's Sheep Soup

Luxembourg: The Kuttan-Kasses of Erpeldange

 Food expenditure for one week: 347.64 Euros or $465.84
 Favorite foods: Shrimp pizza, Chicken in wine sauce, Turkish kebabs

(FAST FACTS) 10 Most Hunted Places In The World

2012-08-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

b.a#9 

 10. Berry Pomeroy Castle, Totness 

There are a number of legends associated with this 14th-century castle,
 and it has a reputation of being haunted. It has 2 famous female 
ghosts; the White Lady and the Blue Lady. According to legend the White 
Lady is the spirit of Margaret Pomeroy, who starved to death while 
imprisoned in the dungeons by her jealous sister. Apparently she haunts 
the dark dungeons, and rises from St Margaret’s Tower to the castle 
walls. The Blue Lady is not confined to specific areas and is supposed 
to lure people into parts of the ruin. Apparently it’s a very bad idea 
to follow her!

9. Dominican Hill, Baguio City, Philippines.

According
 to some people the ghosts of people who were killed during the war 
haunt this place. Some say the patients who died here despite having the
 hope to be alive turned into ghosts. Hearing the banging of doors, 
windows, clattering of dishes and screaming voices during night are 
reported by people.

8. Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland

This
 magnificent castle is typically medieval, perched atop a rocky crag, 
giving it an amazing vista of  Scottish hills. But inside the empty 
halls and narrow streets of Edinburgh, there are the echoes of the dead.
 At least, that’s what has been reported. Hot spots for specters include
 the castle’s prison cells, the South Bridge vaults and Mary’s King 
Close, a disused street used to quarantine and eventually entomb victims
 of the plague. There are also reports of ghost dogs, a headless 
drummer, and the bodies of prisoners taken during the French seven-year 
war and the American War of Independence.

 7. Monte Cristo, New South Wales, Australia
 

 Monte
 Cristo, Australia’s most haunted mansion is located in Junee, New South
 Wales. Mrs Crawley, the owner of the house never came out of her home 
after the death of her husband in 23 years of her remaining life except 
for two times. After her death her ghost haunts the place particularly 
her former room. Bodiless ghost, phantom face in the window, floating 
apparition, strange and ghostly voices, automatic turning on and off 
lights are some haunting experiences of the people. Some people reported
 that when they entered the boy’s bed room they were breathless and 
turned purple and almost died, they became normal after coming out from 
the room.

 6. Ancient Ram Inn, Gloucestershire, England  

 Whether
 you believe in ghosts or not, a trip to the Ancient Ram Inn is an 
unsettling experience. Its creaky floorboards, cold bare walls, musty 
smells and dimly lit nooks and crannies epitomize everything a haunted 
house should be. And the stories attached to this creepy building are 
not for the fainthearted: Murder, satanism and child sacrifice are just a
 few of the dark deeds said to have occurred here, oh and did we mention
 apparently it’s built on a pagan burial ground?

 5. Highgate Cemetery, North London, England

By
 night, Highgate Cemetery is like something out of a horror movie. Eerie
 crooked gravestones, headless angles covered in ivy, dark overgrown 
passages between the tombs, it’s no wonder this is Britain’s number-one 
ghost spot. Despite it’s chilling atmosphere, by day Highgate Cemetery 
showcases some of the Britain’s most spectacular Gothic architecture, 
offers fascinating guided tours. It’s also the burial place of Karl 
Marx.

 
4. Bhangarh Fort, India

 Bhangarh Fort is on way from Jaipur to Alwar in
 Rajasthan, India. According to a legend, Singhia, a black magic tantrik
 cursed the palace that everybody would die in the palace and their 
souls will stay there for centuries without rebirth. Another interesting
 point is, all the houses in this area are without roofs because 
whenever a house is built with roof, the roof colla
pses.
 This is the called most haunting place in India. People who visit this 
place experience anxiety and restlessness. It is said that nobody 
returns from this place that stays there after dark. Government 
prohibited this area from staying after sunset. You will find a board 
installed by Archaeological Survey of India displaying “Staying after 
sunset is strictly prohibited in this area”.

 

 

 3. Screaming Tunnel, Niagara Falls, Ontario

 The haunting of the Screaming Tunnel is one of 
Niagara Falls’ most enduring legends. Located off Warner Road, the 
tunnel runs under the railway tracks that link Niagara Falls to Toronto 
and New York City. According to local legend, over a century ago, a farm
 house located just past the south entrance to the tunnel caught fire 
one night. A young girl, he
r clothes 
engulfed in flames, fled screaming from the house. She ran through the 
tunnel in an attempt to extinguish her garments but collapsed and died 
on the tunnel floor. A variation of this story has the girl set ablaze 
in the tunnel by her enraged father when he learned his wife had won 
custody of their children during an nasty divorce battle. Another 
version tells of a young girl who was raped inside the tunnel and her 
body burned to cover the evidence. All these stories allege that if you 
stand in the middle of the dark tunnel at midnight and light a match, 
the flame will go out and a girl’s screams will be heard.

 

 

 2. Ohio University,  Athens, America

 

Ohio University is known in state folklore as 
the most haunted college campus. A large number of places on campus are 
said to be haunted, and numerous other popular tales are told about the 
university across Athens county. The British Society for Psychical 
Research claims that Athens, Ohio, is one of the most haunted places in 
the world. Wilson Hall, famous fo
r a girl
 (a supposed witch)who killed herself moments after writing satanic and 
supernatural things on the wall in her own blood. The five cemetaries 
that form a pentagram that surrounds the campus, with the administrative
 building being in the center of the devil’s sign. Washington Hall, 
which is famous for housing a team of basketball players who all died in
 a terrible crashm their ghosts still haunt the hall, and you can 
sometimes hear them dribbling. The catacombs of Jefferson Hall, where 
numerous ghost sightings have occurred. And finally, for The Ridges, an 
abandoned insane asylum that was known for thousands of labotamies and 
electro shock treatments. Also, a patient who disappeared, and was found
 five weeks later, her body decomposed onto the floor and left a stain 
that outlines her body. This stain can still be seen today.

 

1. Changi Beach, Singapore 

 Changi
 Beach served as a popular killing ground for the Japanese during the 
Sook Ching massacre of The Second World War. Thousands of Chinese were 
tortured and killed during this Operation as they were suspected of 
being anti-Japanese. Strange crying and screaming are reported by 
people. The heads of the Chinese dead bodies are sometimes seen flying 
everywhere and headless bodies walk around the beach. The scariest thing
 is that the ghosts leave blood stains. During nights people observe dug
 holes that appear as if they were used for burying bodies.
 

(WONDERS) Facts About Niagara Falls

2012-08-12T13:00:00.001-07:00

b.a#8

Niagara Falls 

Collectively they are called "Niagara Falls"

 Categorized by these
three names:

     American Falls 
(between Prospect Point and Luna Island) far left

 Bridal Veil Falls (between Luna Island and Goat Island) mid
left

  Canadian Falls (between Goat Island and Table
Rock) right

American Falls & Bridal Veil Falls

 Length of brink:  1060 feet /323.08 meters

Height:  176 feet /
53.6 meters (due to rocks at the base actual fall is 70 feet/ 21.3 meters)

Volume of water: 150,000 U.S. Gallons / 567,811 Liters per
second

Actual amount varies, there are two hydroelectric plants
which draw water into their reservoirs prior to the Falls. Their intake greatly
affects the volume of water flowing over the falls.

The amount of water being siphoned away depends on  two variables. The time of year, and the time
of the day.  Flow is greatest in the
daytime during peak tourist season (June, July, and August). In the event of an
emergency  the flow can be somewhat
reduced  by the hydroelectric companies
increasing their intake.

The Bridal Veil Falls is named for its
appearance. It is located next to the American falls, separated by a small
piece of land called Luna Island.

Canadian "Horseshoe" Falls

Length of brink: 2600 feet / 792.4 meters

Height: 167 feet / 50.9 meters

Volume of water: 600,000 U.S. gallons / 2,271,247 liters per
second 

Interesting fact: According to the U.S.G.S. (United States
Geological Survey) of Niagara Falls, it appears that almost 1/3 of the Canadian
Falls lies within US Territory.

Do the Falls Freeze over in the Winter?

Yes and No...... We'll try to explain

The tremendous volume of water never stops flowing,  However, the falling water and mist create
ice formations along the banks of the falls and river. This can result in
mounds of ice as thick as fifty feet. If the winter is cold for long enough,
the ice will completely stretch across the river and form what is known as the
"ice bridge".  This ice bridge
can extend for several miles down river until it reaches the area known as the
lower rapids.  

Until 1912,visitors were allowed to actually walk out on the
ice bridge and view the Falls from below. February 24th of 1888 the local
newspaper reported that at least 20,000 people watched or tobogganed on the
ice. Shanties selling liquor, photographs and curiosities abounded. On February
4th 1912 the ice bridge broke up and three tourists lives were lost.

There can also be a great deal of  "mini-icebergs" which flow down the
Niagara River from frozen Lake Erie. The flow of ice has been reduced
considerably by the yearly installation of the "ice-boom" on Lake
Erie. The ice-boom is a long floating chain (2miles- 3.2 KM) of steel floats
strung across the Niagara River from Buffalo New York to Fort Erie Ontario. It
is set in place during the month of December and  removed during the month of March or April.
It is maintained by the New York State Power Authority. The ice boom helps
prevent the ice from clogging the river and most importantly the hydroelectric
companies water intakes.

Spring Ice flowing underneath the
North Grand Island Bridge 

HOWEVER.... The flow of water was stopped completely over both falls on March 29th 1848 due to an ice jam in the upper river for several hours. This is the only known time to have occurred. The Falls did not actually freeze over, but the flow was stopped to the point where people actually walked out and recovered artifacts from the riverbed!

The "Ice Bridge" underneath the Rainbow Bridge.
1997

Interesting facts about Niagara
Falls

The
flow over the American Falls was stopped completely for several months in 1969.
The idea was to determine the feasibility of removing the large amount of loose
rock from the base of the falls to enhance it's appearance. In the end the
final decision was that the expense would be too great 

The
word "Niagara" is derived from the Iroquois Indian word
"Onguiaahra" meaning "the strait" 

    There is an international boundary
between the United States and Canada.

    Before
the invention of film, tourists would sketch pictures of the Falls.

    The flow was also halted over both
falls on March 30th 1848 due to an ice jam in the upper river.

    The movies Niagara and Superman were
filmed in part at the Falls.

    In the past ten years, two
daredevils lost their lives trying to conquer Niagara.

    In the evenings, intense spotlights
bathe the falls with different shades of colors.

The first  person to go over the Falls in a barrel and
survive was a  63 year old female
schoolteacher

 High wire tightrope acts used to be
performed across the river. Most notably was "Blondin" who once actually
carried his manager across on his back, stopping midway to rest !

 The Falls make a tremendous sound as
the water goes over and lands at the bottom.

Twenty percent of the worlds
freshwater lies in the Great Lakes, and most flows over Niagara Falls.

Is there more mist at the Falls? Is
it man made or natural coincidence?

(WONDERS) The World's Most Perfect Cone Volcano

2012-08-12T09:43:00.000-07:00

b.a#7

Mayon Volcano

       Mayon
 Volcano, also known as Mount Mayon, is an active volcano located in 
Legaspi City Albay, on the island of Luzon in the PHILIPPINES. Renowned 
as the "perfect cone" because of its almost symmetric conical shape. The
 cone is considered to be the world's most perfectly-formed volcano for 
its symmetry. It is the most active volcano in the Philippines having 
erupted over 48 times in the past 400 years.

   Mayon
Volcano is the main landmark of Albay Province, Philippines, rising 2,462
meters (8,077 ft) from the shores of the Gulf of Albay about 10 kilometers (6.2
mi) away. The most destructive eruption of Mayon occurred on February 1, 1814.
Lava flowed but not as compared to the 1766 eruption. Instead, the volcano was
belching dark ash and eventually bombarding the town with tephra that buried
the town of Cagsawa. Trees were burned; rivers were certainly damaged. 

   



  Proximate
areas were also devastated by the eruption with ash accumulating to 9 m (30 ft)
in depth. 2,200 Albay locals perished in what is considered to be the most
lethal eruption in Mayon’s history. Estimates by PHIVOLKS and list the casualties
at about 1200. The eruption is believed to have contributed to the accumulation
of atmospheric ash, capped off by the catastrophic eruption of Mount Tambora in
1815, that led to the Year Without a Summer in 1816.

(WONDERS) Hell's Door Turkmenistan

2012-08-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

b.a#6

The Giant Fire Crater Of Darvas

     It is most impressive at night and the glow from its flames can be seen miles away.

 The inside of the crater is black from carbon build up and the heat is 
so intense that it is only possible to stay near the edge for a few 
minutes.

       Located in 
the Kara-Kum desert of Turkmenistan is the village of Darvaza (Derweze) 
near to where, in 1971, a team of Soviet prospectors allegedly drilled 
into a large chamber filled with natural gas. The roof of the cavern 
collapsed leaving a crater-like sinkhole some 25 metres deep with a 
diameter of approximately 60 - 70 metres.

          It
 soon became evident that natural gas was still rising into the crater 
from even deeper sources and the story goes that the decision was made 
to ignite the emissions rather than risk either a concentrated build-up 
of gas or local poisoning. 

         According to various sources it has burned 
continuously since then and has apparently been named “The Gate to Hell”
 by the local people. However, another source that spoke with the guides
 from the region claims that it is a wholly natural phenomenon. 

(WONDERS) Cave of Shallows

2012-08-12T07:27:00.000-07:00

b.a#5

Cave of Swallows

Cave of Swallows is a natural abyss located in 
the state of San Luis Potosi. This cave of karst origin was formed by 
the water of limestone plain. The entrance measures approximately 205 
feet. The entrance provides a free fall of 1220 feet to the cave’s 
bottom. Its interior is conical in shape; the bottom has 990 feet in 
diameter. These measurements make it the second deepest cave in Mexico and the 11th in the world. 

The
 vertical position of this cave makes it very popular for those who 
enjoy rapell, which takes a few minutes to the bottom and more than an 
hour to ascend back to the surface. Inside the cave temperature are cold
 and during raining season, the entrance of the cave is flooded by 
waterfalls. 

Descending to the cave requires experience, special 
equipment and permits. However, people enjoy the extraordinary ritual of
 the sparrows and conures when they return at dawn; visiting the 
surrounding and photography, observing the flora and fauna in its 
habitat.

(FAST FACTS) Most Expensive Car The Bugatti Veyron

2012-08-12T01:54:00.001-07:00

b.a#4

The Bugatti Veyron is a truly extraordinary car
 - here is the low down on the key facts about this £840,000 super car...
 Here's what you need to know about the car:

Fact 1: The waste energy from running the 16.4 litre engine at full whack could heat 10 family homes in the winter. 

Fact 2: It takes 15 hours to build one radiator for the Veyron – each car has a total of 10.

Fact 3: The brakes can withstand heat of up to 1800°C

Fact 4: When the air brake is at an angle of 55 degrees it generates 70% of the braking force of an average car.

Fact 5: The Bugatti Veyron is split into three parts and only held together with 14 bolts.

 

 Fact 6: The Veyron uses special Michelin PAX tires found on no other 
car. The rear wheels are 14.5 inches wide, twice as wide as a normal 
car. If you require replacements the car needs to be shipped to France, a
 process that costs $70,000.

 Fact 7: It takes 8 days to weld a Bugatti Veyron fuel tank.

 Fact 8: In a Veyron it is quicker to decelerate from 60mph to 0 than it
 is to accelerate there. (It only takes 2.8 seconds to get to 60)
 
 Fact 9: Once being road tested for 500 kilometres, each car is put in a
 light tunnel and inspected and polished for two days solid.
 
 Fact 10: A Bugatti Veyron uses fuel pumps that can pump fuel eight times faster than a normal car.

(FAST FACT) Red Tibetan Mastiff Is The World's Most Expensive Dog

2012-08-12T00:26:00.001-07:00

b.a#3

And now, the priced red Tibetan mastiff, thought to be one of the world’s oldest and most venerable breeds, has another distinction: One of the massive, fluffy dogs has become the most expensive dog ever sold.

An 11-month old pup named Big Splash (“Hong Dong” in Chinese) recently sold in the Chinese city of Qingdao for 10 million yuan — about $1.5 million in U.S. dollars.

The 3-foot-tall, 180-pound dog is one of a breed that has been around since time immemorial. Tibetan mastiffs are said to have guarded nomad camps and monasteries, and are rarely seen outside of Tibet.

They say money can't buy love – but $1.5 million will get you man's most expensive best friend.

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(WONDERS) Facts About Niagara Falls

(WONDERS) The World's Most Perfect Cone Volcano

(WONDERS) Hell's Door Turkmenistan

(WONDERS) Cave of Shallows

(FAST FACTS) Most Expensive Car The Bugatti Veyron

The Bugatti Veyron is a truly extraordinary car - here is the low down on the key facts about this £840,000 super car... Here's what you need to know about the car:

(FAST FACT) Red Tibetan Mastiff Is The World's Most Expensive Dog

b.a#3