Interesting Blog

Marine Life in sea

2014-10-20T16:22:00.001-07:00

Bee Facts

2014-10-20T16:20:00.001-07:00

10 Amazing Bee Facts

10 most favourite animal in America

2014-10-20T16:17:00.000-07:00

10 most favourite animal in America

How Dolphins communicate

2014-10-20T16:14:00.001-07:00

Life cycle of penguin

2014-10-20T16:12:00.001-07:00

Empire of the ants

2014-10-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

Ask the sexpert

2013-09-03T16:10:00.000-07:00

Breaking News Horse DNA Now Found In Pork

2013-02-12T16:30:00.001-08:00

As you all know there was horse DNA in Beef and Lamb but as per new reports there is pork DNA found in Halal meat in prison. And what piss me off more i like lamb donor but not sure should i eat that or not because i do not want to eat horse meat, as now days you have to see is it really what you are buying. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-21302925

Three engineers in a car

2013-02-02T17:49:00.000-08:00

1) There were three engineers in a car; an electrical engineer, a chemical engineer, and a Microsoft engineer.

Suddenly, the car stops running and they pull off to the side of the road wondering what could be wrong.

The electrical engineer suggests stripping down the electronics of the car and trying to trace where a fault may have occurred.

The chemical engineer, not knowing much about cars, suggests maybe the fuel is becoming emulsified and getting blocked somewhere.

The Microsoft engineer, not knowing much about anything, came up with a suggestion. "Why don't we close all the windows, get out, get back in, and open all the windows and see if it works?

2) Washington, D. C. A tour guide was showing a tourist around Washington, D. C. The guide pointed out the place where George Washington supposedly threw a dollar across the Potomac River.

"That's impossible," said the tourist. "No one could throw a coin that far!"

"You have to remember," answered the guide. "A dollar went a lot farther in those days."

Through a scheduling mix up, a man and a woman who have never met before find themselves in the same sleeping carriage of a train. It's late, the train is full, and everyone else is already asleep. After the initial embarrassment, they both manage to get to sleep; the woman on the top bunk, the man on the lower.

In the middle of the night the woman leans over and says, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm awfully cold and I was wondering if you could possibly pass me another blanket."

The man leans out and, with a glint in his eye, says, "I've got a better idea ... let's pretend we're married."

"Why not," giggles the woman.

"Good," he replies. "Get your own blanket."

Understanding of pay day loans

2013-02-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

Understand that you happen to be supplying a cash advance use of your personal financial information. That would be amazing when you notice the money put in! Having said that, they'll even be generating withdrawals from your account. Ensure you feel comfortable with a company obtaining that type connected with admission to your. Recognize that is expected that they will utilize that access.

For folks who need revenue promptly and also have no chance to be; pay day loans is usually a answer. Young people need to know what they're undergoing before you sign in place and receiving the amount of money. The interest rate fees are extremely substantial, and also the expenses connected with this type of loan tends to make these difficult to settle.

Bear in mind your money that you simply access by way of a pay day loan, is going to need returned promptly. You've got to be certain that you are likely to have the funds to pay off the credit inside 14 days. The only real conditions becoming, in case your up coming pay day advance countries one 7 days when you finally take out the borrowed funds. Therefore it can become expected a salaryday and then.

Usually out a payday loan, in case you have not any other solutions. Payday loan suppliers frequently cost debtors huge interest levels, as well as current administration rates. As a result, you'll want to investigate additional methods of obtaining speedy cash just before, relying on a quick payday loan. You might, such as, use money by good friends, as well as loved ones.

Research before you buy. Don't be satisfied with the first bank that you obtain. Always check out several areas, to find out whether anyone features a reduce pace. Even as it usually takes which you tiny an extension box, it may save you quite a bit of money in the long term. You may even be able to locate an website, that can help the thing is this review instantly.

There are various companies that offer payday advances. If you believe feel free to use such a program, investigate firm prior to taking out your personal loan. Ensure that other clients happen to be contented. Carrying out a very simple on-line research, and reading reviews with the loan service.

If you don't recognize considerably in regards to payday cash advance but they are within anxious demand of 1, you ought to consult mortgage skilled. This could always be a pal, co-worker, or perhaps loved one. You would like to be certain that you're enough sleep . conned, so that you know what you're getting into.

Exploration several payday advance organizations before determining to a single. There are many organizations available. Most of which charge you actually considerable premiums, and charges when compared with other alternatives. Actually, quite a few can have temporary packages, that basically change lives from the price tag. Do your current persistence, make certain you receive the great offer feasible.

Pay day loans is a good idea in a desperate, but be aware that you'll probably be recharged finance costs which will equal just about 50 percent curiosity. This massive rate will make paying these plans not possible. The amount of money will probably be taken off from the comfort of your current pay and might power you back into the cash advance loan company for more revenue.

Don't just join your vehicle and also push towards the best payday loan middle for any fill bank loan. Even though you might specifically wherever these are, confirm the item listings all-around your community for others which could have decrease costs. Just a couple a few minutes with research could save you large sums of money.

Have knowledge of your deceiving costs you are introduced. It might appear to become cost-effective along with appropriate to get priced 15 dollars for every one-hundred you acquire, but it really will quickly tally up. The particular costs is going to read to become with regards to Three hundred and ninety per-cent of your loan. Know exactly the amount of you will end up required to fork out throughout charges along with desire at the start.

If you think maybe you have been cheated by way of a pay day loan business, survey this quickly on your state. For those who delay, you will be suffering your own possibilities for any sort of compensation. Also, there are lots of folks that you that authentic enable. Ones revealing of those weak corporations are able to keep other people through having similar situations.

Megan Fox: A Starlet Which Stands on Her Own

2013-01-31T12:12:00.001-08:00

Inside some sort of world where Lindsays, Hillarys, Kristins, and Blakes participate against one another for those top jobs, Megan Fox makes it apparent that she’d like to be completely different when compared with her motion picture industry colleagues. When ever Megan speaks of her Hollywood influences, she clarifies that it's well known that she came to be empowered to become an actress by Judy Garland in The Wizard of Oz, and admits a fascination along with the psychology with the manner Marilyn Monroe approached a new personality. These types of references to mega-stars among the glory days of Old Hollywood, permit it to be comprehensible that Megan Fox is without a doubt aiming for long lasting longevity through this career.
Her very own styling is surely an added key to exactly how she’d like to establish her image as a star. Her collection of slinky, mature night gowns in addition to hairstyles, is a visible indication of famous actors that include Rita Hayworth, Veronica Lake, Hedy Lamarr and Elizabeth Taylor, who all experienced formidable careers as leading ladies.

Yet, while she puts quite a lot of care based on how she looks, Megan Fox will not want her beauty to eclipse her career. Some may perhaps liken her to current day pin-up girl, however in 2009, she told Maggie Bullock of Elle Magazine, "I definitely have things to say...I have a pretty wonderful personality, and i am pretty intelligent. Don't merely write me off as a pinup."
Whilst she would like to build a name for herself based on her talent alone, her exotic multi-ethnic physical appearance, a unique blend of Irish, French along with Native American, reminds audiences of another exotic looking and highly outspoken actress: Angelina Jolie. The media takes delight in drawing comparisons between Fox and the Academy Award nominated Jolie, who as well appears to be put off by just being well-known for her good looks.
Still, on an October 2009 interview with Cosmopolitan, Megan didn't appear flattered by way of the forced parallels concerning her and Angelina. She said, "People see a dark-haired girl with tattoos who's in an action movie...But I have nothing in common with her." She continued to further vocalize her disdain, kidding that Angelina looked the same as she did in the Tomb Raider films because she is "...actually a "900-year-old vampire."
Having spent significant amounts of her years as a child being grounded for quite a few rebellious actions, Megan Fox even now resists authority as an adult. She admits the fact that she hates to be bossed around, and also shared with Cosmopolitan that, "As soon as you tell me to do one thing, I do the opposite."
It is also been noted that Ms. Fox is normally assigned the roles of the villain to play opposite of the blond heroine, and ought to be careful of becoming typecast as the bad girl. During a video interview with The New Your Times' Lynn Hirschberg, Megan takes it in stride, noting that a dark haired antagonist is really a great visual contrast to a blond character.
Megan Fox addionally enjoys an amiable rapport with the media, on condition that the subject of conversation is her career, and not her private relationships. She maintains her personal life under wraps in interviews, telling Elle Magazine in June 2009, "No, I do not want to comment on my personal relationship, period. It is private. It does not belong to the world."
Even with her coy relationship with the press, Megan Fox doesn't seem to be ready to get out of the spotlight at this time and definately will in all probability continue to surprise and entertain audiences for a long time.
Selecting the right Megan Fox fit will be easy. What you need to do is visit our videos of Megan Fox Web site for freely available info on a vast choice of pics and videos of Megan Fox

Countries with large terrorism presence

2013-01-27T13:23:00.002-08:00

Terrorists have long found refuge in countries and in many cases worked hand in hand with the local governments. Today several countries continue to attract terrorists for training and consipiring their attacks. The host countries do not try to disassociate themselves fully from their ties to terrorism and in some cases continue to provide tacit support and use terror to accomplish broader objectives. Some of the countries with significant terrorist operations include:

Afghanistan

Afghanistan became the hotbed of Islamic terror activities in the mid-1990s. With the radical Taliban government establishing control, several radical Islamic (mostly Sunni) terror organizations used Afghanistan as their training and operational base. Al Qaeda was the broad umbrella organization that recruited terrorists from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Central Asia and around the world, training them in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Some of the terrosist groups still operating in the region include Al Qaeda, Al-Jihad, Lashkar-i-Jhangvi, Islamic Group, Armed Islamic Group, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

Iran

Iran has long been an active sponsor of Islamic terrorism, including accusations of it supporting subversive activities in Iraq. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Ministry of Intelligence and Security were involved in the planning of and support for terrorist acts and continued to exhort a variety of groups that use terrorism to pursue their goals. Several terrorist groups including Lebanese Hizballah, HAMAS, the Palestine Islamic Jihad, and Ahmad Jibril's PFLP-GC have been provided funding, safehaven, training, and weapons in Iran

Iraq

Since the US led invasion of Iraq, the country has fallen into a violent spiral. The presence of US troops has attracted Islamic terrorists from the Middle-East and around the world. Al-Qaeda is believed to have established a toe-hold in the country along with various splinter groups. Some of the other terror organizations active in Iraq include Ansar al-Islam, Al-Faruq Brigades, Al-Mahdi Army, Iraqi Resistance Islamic Front (JAMI), Jamaat al-Tawhid wa'l-Jihad, Jaysh Muhammad and Kurdistan People’s Congress (KHK).

Pakistan

Pakistan has long been a staging ground and planning centre for Islamic terrorists operating in South Asia. After the launch of Operation Enduring Freedom, thousands of terrorists were either killed or driven out of Afghansistan, mostly finding refuge in Pakistan. Pakistan and its secret service (ISI) have also been accused of training and funding several terrorist groups operating in Indian Kashmir and the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. The links have long been clear, since the the terrorist groups based in Pakistan operate in plain sight and have a distinct Afghan and Indian focus. The massive leak of U.S. Intelligence data on the Wikileaks website further showed the complicity of the Pakistani state with terrorist groups, used to establish a (false) state of deniability.

Pakistani groups have been aligned with Al Qaeda, based in Pakistan and have been responsbile for numerous terrorist attacks in Afghanistan and have expanded their sights to Europe and North America. Some of these terror groups include Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Al Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Jaferia, Sipah-e-Sahaba, Al Badr, Harkat ul-Ansar, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e-Mohammadi, Jamaat ul-Fuqra and Muslim United Army

Syria

Even as Syria continues to reduce its presence in Lebanaon, it also continues to fund and host Palestinian and possibly Iraqi terrorist organizations. HAMAS, the PIJ, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine continue to operate from Syria.

Sudan

The African country of Sudan been a training hub and safe haven for members of several of the more violent international terrorist and radical Islamic groups of the last decade. Among the terror groups known to have operated from Sudan are Hezbollah (Party of God), Palestine Islamic Jihad, Abu Nidal Organization, HAMAS (Islamic Resistance Movement) and several smaller Islamic insurgent groups operating regionally in Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda, and Tunisia.

Difference Between Music Genres

2013-01-08T10:33:00.000-08:00

Greatest Tattoo Ideas for Men

2013-01-07T12:54:00.001-08:00

The popularity of tattoos is increasing day by day and both men and women across the globe prefer to have tattoos on their body. There are several reasons why men want to have tattoos. Body art as we all know is a form of expressing yourself and men try to express themselves with the help of these rightly placed tattoos. Earlier days, only men who were rock stars, jail inmates, sailors or rebels had tattoos on them. But currently tattoos are the latest trends in the fashion world. There are several tattoo ideas for men and they have tattoos for reasons like affiliations, for memories and for religion.
There are several famous celebrities who have tattoos placed on their body including the name of their family members, memories and much more as a fashion statement. There are many tattoo ideas for men that give them that distinct and specific look. In olden days, specific tattoo designs were placed only for specific group of people like sailors had their own designs to be identified as a group. Some tattoos are even considered to be evergreen that will remain popular forever. If you want to have a distinct but ever green tattoo on your body then check for some great tattoo ideas for men which is never to become outdated.
For anyone who is new to the concept of body art the below mentioned ideas can be of great help.
1. Bluebirds - This tattoo is linked with sailors. A sailor once he completes five thousand miles of sea journey he used to get a bluebird tattoo on his chest. Later on the completion of ten thousand miles he gets another bluebird on the other side of the chest. The birds are painted in blue facing towards each other but there can be combinations of blue and red tattoo. This is one of the varied tattoo ideas for men especially for the one who want to go back to their roots.
2. Nautical star - This star is a five pointed star and is normally drawn in the form of pairs on either part of the chest, inside the fore arms or sometimes on the elbows. It can either be of a single colour or of two colours depending on the personal preference. Earlier days, this star was mainly used for representing as North Star which was critical for the navigation. But now this represents coming back to one's home or to their roots.
3. Dragons - This tattoo idea for men the oriental dragon mainly depicts strength, power, wisdom and also immense will. It is normally placed on a large scale and men who want things to happen on the wider side of their life generally go for this on their shoulder, forearms or on chest.
4. Sanskrit and Latin Scripts - Men usually enjoy the feeling of having mythical phrases or sayings with in depth meaning as their body art design. They get these kind of tattoos placed mostly on their shoulder blades.
If you want to go with a unique tattoo placed on the right place of your body then get wonderful tattoo ideas designed for men.

Mark Alen is the publisher of Tattoo Set, where you can find most exciting and amazing

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/7396184

Dear Mom

2013-01-01T13:36:00.004-08:00

10 Bizarre Indian Rituals

2012-12-26T13:46:00.000-08:00

India is a place of many contrasts – as the cliche goes. It has a booming modern economy with a particular strength in IT, as well as ancient bustling markets which looked exactly the same five hundred years ago – minus the cellphones and DVDs.
Some Indians, fiercely embracing exactly the same modernity that those in the West take for granted, resent that their country is still known for its sacred cows and its bizarre rituals. Stereotypes can be difficult to swallow. But they shouldn’t resent this list: it reflects only one small and fascinating shade of the enormous, incredible, multi-faceted country that is India.

10 Fire-Walking

People from South India ‘celebrate’ the Theemithi festival by walking barefoot across a pit filled with burning hot firewood, or sometimes glowing charcoal. The fire walking is done in honour of the Hindu goddess Draupati Amman – so rather than hurrying across the pit, the devotees have to sdo it slowly, as though it’s a walk in the park.
The ritual begins when the head priest traverses the pit with a pot on his head, filled with sacred water. He is then followed by other men, who seek to prove their piety by withstanding the pain. Participants suffer from burns on their feet – and sometimes worse injuries, on the all-too-common occasions when they fall into the burning pit.

9 Hooking

The thookam festival sees the backs of devoted Hindus pierced by sharp hooks; the men are then lifted off the ground onto a scaffold using ropes. Sometimes, children are even tied to the hands of the participants. Originating from southern parts of India, the festival has now been banned by the Indian Government after continued pressure from human rights organizations.

8 Bull Fighting

Unlike its Spanish counterpart, Indian bull-fighting, or Jallikattu, is done without the help of any rope or weapons. Thankfully, the bull’s life is also spared afterwards, bovines being famously sacred in India. Celebrated during Pongal (harvest thanksgiving), this is one of the most dangerous sports played in India. Youth, ardent for some desperate glory, usually strive either to tame the bull or at least to hang on to the bull for a reward – usually money.
More than a hundred people have been killed in southern India over the past two decades. A case against Jallikattu is ongoing in the Supreme Court of India, which is considering an outright ban on the sport. The bulls are force-fed alcohol; their eyes are sprinkled with chili powder, and their testicles are pinched in an effort to infuriate them.

7 Self-flagellation

Muharram is the first month in the Islamic Calendar, and this was the month which marks the anniversary of the Battle of Karbala, when Imam Hussein ibn Ali was killed, followed by 72 warriors who were killed over the next ten days. Shi’a Muslims in India, and also other countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, mourn this event by flogging their naked bodies with a bunch of chains known as ‘Matam’. Sometimes, these Matams also contain razor blades or knives.

6 Widow-burning

Practiced extensively in the 17th century, Sati was a ritual whereby a widow – voluntarily or involuntarily – would lie down next to her dead husband before being burned alive along with the corpse. The widows who were caught trying to escape this fate, despite the intense social pressure to self-immolate, would be tied to the burning structure, or their limbs would be broken in order to prevent more attempts to flee. Sometimes, they would even be pushed back with bamboo sticks into the burning funeral pyre. Even though it was banned by the British colonial government in 1859, it was still practiced in some parts of India. It is still banned under the current Indian government, with harsh penalties for those few who still insist on forcing innocent women to their deaths.

5 Baby Tossing

Every year in the month of December, more than a hundred babies are tossed from a temple roof into a crowd below. They plummet 200 feet, to where a group of men stand waiting with a cloth meant to catch them. The reason? Married couples – looking to be blessed with, perhaps ironically, more babies – take part in this event. It is also said to bring good health and luck to the family. The Indian government is looking to set a ban on the jaw-dropping ritual, which takes place in the southern state of Karnataka.

4 Food Rolling

Enter certain temples in Karnataka, and you’ll be ordered to stop, drop and roll. Supplicants roll their bodies over scraps of food discarded by Brahmins – the highest, priestly caste in India. The act of rolling is practiced by all of the castes lower than Brahmin, and is said to cure skin disease.
Made snana has been in practice for over 500 years, but it is now on the verge of being banned. Though restrictions in certain temples had been put up in recent years, these restricitions were lifted after protests from devout Hindus. Members of the Indian government have therefore decided to educate, rather than impose their will upon the people. Good luck to them.

3 Chicken-shredding Exorcisms

In Hinduism, exorcisms are carried out by various means, according to the traditions of different regions. One of these methods involves the slaughter of a white chicken: the bloody parts are strewn around the house by the Pandit or priest, who is usually in charge of performing the exorcism. The possessed person in question is then addressed as a demon, or by the name of a dead relative who may have become a demon within them. These demons, or spirits, are said to be afraid of white chickens. In some cases, the demon is reported to have screamed ‘I go! I go!’ through the possessed body, before apparently leaving. Supposedly, this is followed by the immediate revival of the exorcised person, who appears to wake from something like a trance, with no memory of the events or of the chicken.

2 Tongue Piercing

Not studs, but long and sharp needles are used to puncture the tongue. The needles – usually made from wood or steel – can be so long that the tongue is forced to stick out of the mouth permanently, unable to retract. The piercing is common a number of religious festivals. In some regions, young boys and sometimes girls take part in the ritual piercing. The ones who are going to pierce their tongues wear a garland around their necks for a day before the ceremony. The piercing ceremony is usually followed by dancing and merrymaking. These practices are also seen in countries other than India, in southern parts of Asia.

1 Female Infanticide

This social evil exists not only in India, but also in many other parts of the world whose populations see male children as more desirable than female children. Preference for a male child can be so extreme that female infants might be killed, or set afloat in the river. Illegitimate girls, especially, were vulnerable to murder prompted by shame: only if a man agreed to marry the mother-to-be could the child often be saved – but this hardly ever happened. Infanticide was banned in the 19th century.

The Greatest Prison Escapes

2012-12-23T12:37:00.004-08:00

You may be surprised to find out that many inmates escape prison every year. Though they are confined to a small area with no freedom, it is worrisome that these getaways occur with success. The prison population has increased by 340% from 1980 to 2010. For every 11.2 prisoners, there are 2 guards. Since this is a low ratio, it is one indication of how the escapes occur. The most famous prison escapes have been by John Dillinger, Anglin Bros. and Morris, and Frank W. Abagnale. Approximately 3% of all inmates escapes at some point during their prison and 89% are made from minimum security facilities. Should there be more security?

Why Auctioneers Talk So Fast

2012-12-23T09:56:00.000-08:00

Whether you have been to an auction yourself, or seen one of the many auction programs on TV, I guarantee you will all be asking yourselves just one question: Why do the auctioneers talk so fast?

I originally thought it was because the faster they sold an item, the more money they would earn; however I have not found any evidence of this... What I did find is that they talk so fast to keep the bidding alive and interesting, because people would lose interest if it was slow and boring.

It's not always the case that they talk fast too, most auctioneers don't exactly talk fast, they just shorten and join the words together, an example of this that I have found would be "Will you give" = "Illyagive". So it's kind of like when we’re talking and say "gonna" instead of "going to", but auctioneers do it with all their words.

Talking like an auctioneer isn’t easy too, they actually spend a lot of time on practising this. Here's a link on how to talk like an auctioneer, let me know how it goes for you, Good luck
!

Why Do We Eat Turkey on Christmas Day?

2012-12-19T15:14:00.002-08:00

Christmas is full of old traditions, like eating turkey on Christmas day, sending out Christmas cards, hanging tinsel around the house... but why do we do it and how did it originate?

Turkeys were first bought into Britain in 1526, before this time, for Christmas meals people used to eat geese, boars' head and even peacocks.

Turkeys were eaten instead of cows and chickens because the farmers needed their cows more for their milk, and needed their chickens for the eggs, which back then were more expensive than they are today. So instead of killing off one of their livestock for Christmas, they'd have a turkey as it was something different and they could save their livestock to produce more milk and eggs.

Henry VIII was the first person to eat a turkey on Christmas Day, however it wasn't until the 1950's that the turkey was a more popular Christmas meal choice than the goose.

The good thing about Christmas Day and turkeys is that Christmas is a family time, and turkeys are family size!

87% of British people believe that Christmas would not be the same without a traditional roast turkey.

Today in the UK, we eat around 10 million turkeys every year for Christmas time.

25% of British people buy their turkeys months in advance.

A survey shows that the top three most popular ways to serve leftover Christmas turkey are: sandwiches, soups/stews or salads.

Delhi's horror: Girl gangraped in moving bus

2012-12-19T11:52:00.002-08:00

Hi All

Small request to all Human's, Please sign the below petition and share as much as you can.

PETITION: delhi bus gangrape case.Demanding death penalty

In a shocking incident, a 23-year-old para-medical student travelling in a bus along with her male friend was allegedly gang-raped by four men inside the moving vehicle and they were thrown out after being brutally assaulted with an iron rod. The victim, who hails from Uttarakhand and pursues the course in the hill state, is in a critical condition at the Safdarjung Hospital where she was rushed along with her friend late Sunday night after the incident which sparked outrage.

Both the girl and her male friend, who had boarded the chartered bus with tinted glass windows from Munirka in south Delhi around 9:45 pm to Palam, were thrashed badly with an iron rod by the men after the two resisted before they were dumped on the road side near Mahipalpur flyover, police said today. Read more

History Of Advent Calendars

2012-12-18T14:57:00.002-08:00

Advent is the start of the Christmas season in Britain, it begins four Sundays before Christmas. Advent calendars are a countdown to Christmas Day, they start on the 1st December. The windows of the calendar are opened every day leading up to Christmas where you can see a pretty picture or find some chocolate inside.

The very first advent calendars were produced in the early 1800’s in Germany although not the cardboard type we get these days. Christians thought of different ways of counting down the days from the start of Advent to Christmas Day. At first Christians kept track of the days by making chalk marks on their door, which were rubbed off one by one as Christmas got closer. Advent Candles and putting up a small religious picture to mark each day were other ways of counting down the days.

The first actual advent calendar which we still buy today was produced in the early 1900’s, although first mass produced in 1908 by Gerhard Lang who worked at the Reichhold & Lang printing office in Munich, Germany. The business produced over thirty different calendar patterns until the 1930’s. These calendars had 24 doors and were a lot better decorated than the advent calendars we have these days.

Before long, advent calendars had doors which when opened contained religious pictures, and some had chocolate in to keep the children’s attention. This was proving to be popular over the years but had to be put on hold when World War Two started, because paper, cardboard and chocolate was limited. However, once the war was over the production of advent calendars soon picked back up in 1946, not containing chocolates though.

Towards the end of the 1950's, chocolate advent calendars re-appeared and started to spread across the world. Ten years later, many countries were using the advent calendar to count the days to Christmas Day.

Advent calendars are still very popular all across the world and now come in thousands of different varieties, some with just pictures in, others with just chocolate. The religiousness of the advent calendars has been lost though. Also they don't stop on Christmas Eve, normally they have a bigger door for Christmas Day.

Just remember, you’re never too old for an advent calendar, I got a Thornton's Advent Calendar this year, you can see it in the picture above!

19 Ways To Maintain A Healthy Level Of Insanity the first of our mental health jokes:

2012-12-16T11:04:00.001-08:00

At Lunch Time, Sit In Your Parked Car With Sunglasses on and point a Hair Dryer At Passing Cars. See If They Slow Down.

Page Yourself Over The Intercom. Don't Disguise Your Voice.

Every Time Someone Asks You To Do Something, ask If They Want Fries with that.

Put Your Garbage Can On Your Desk And Label it 'In'.

Put Decaf In The Coffee Maker For 3 Weeks. Once Everyone has Gotten Over Their Caffeine Addictions, Switch to Espresso.

In The Memo Field Of All Your Checks, Write ' For ***ual Favors' .

Finish All Your sentences with 'In Accordance With The Prophecy'.

Don't use any punctuation.

As Often As Possible, Skip Rather Than Walk.

Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat, with a serious face.

Specify That Your Drive-through Order Is 'To Go'.

Sing Along At The Opera.

Go To A Poetry Recital. And Ask Why The Poems Don't Rhyme?

Put Mosquito Netting Around Your Work Area and Play tropical Sounds All Day.

Five Days In Advance, Tell Your Friends You Can't Attend Their Party Because You're Not In the Mood.

Have Your Co-workers Address You By Your Wrestling Name, Rock Bottom.

When The Money Comes Out The ATM, Scream 'I Won! I Won!'

When Leaving The Zoo, Start Running Towards The Parking lot, Yelling 'Run For Your Lives! They're Loose!'

Tell Your Children Over Dinner, 'Due To The Economy, We Are Going To Have To Let One Of You Go.

Santa Claus Jokes

2012-12-16T08:30:00.001-08:00

Our Santa Claus Jokes start here:

As a little girl climbed onto Santa's lap, Santa asked theusual, "And what would you like for Christmas?"

The child stared at him open mouthed and horrified for a minute, then gasped: "Didn't you get my E-mail?"

What nationality is Santa Claus?
North Polish.

What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus?
Claustrophobic.

Why does Scrooge love all of Santa's reindeer?
Because every buck is dear to him.

Why does Santa have a garden?
So he can HO!HO!HO!

Where do elves go to vote?
The North Poll.

Why did the elf put his bed into the fireplace?
He wanted to sleep like a log.

What did Santa Claus to all the toys on Christmas Eve?
"Okay everybody! Time to hit the sack!"

Fifteen Festive Father Christmas Facts

2012-12-15T19:02:00.004-08:00

Father Christmas is a figure associated with Christmas-time.

One of the most common names for him today is Santa Claus.

He has had various names all over the globe, such as Père Noël in France, and Papá Noel in Spain.

In England, he has had three names: Lord Christmas, Old Father Christmas and Sir Christmas.

In English folklore, people used to believe that he was associated with the god Wodan, the carrier of the dead.

Saint Nicholas was the original model for Father Christmas, as he used to leave secret gifts for people, or put coins in shoes if they were left outside.

The original idea of Father Christmas was that he brought good cheer – not gifts.

In the Tudor and Victorian Era’s, Father Christmas wore a green suit.

Nowadays, Europe sees him as a jolly old man in a red suit, lined with white fur and matching hat. He also wears a black belt and boots.

He is usually depicted with a long white beard and a sack of toys.

Some people believe that the suit became red after he was featured on a Coca Cola advertisement, that has nowadays become the symbol of Christmas-time.

Father Christmas has a "Naughty List" and a "Nice List", which children’s names are upon. He checks this when he receives wish letters from those children.

Children are told to leave a glass of sherry and a mince pie for Father Christmas, and a carrot for his reindeer, as a sign of thanks.

He delivers presents on a magical sleigh, pulled by flying reindeer. He slips down the chimney (or uses a magic key) to leave presents under the tree or in stockings.

He is one of the most popular characters in fiction and film alike, examples being the Raymond Briggs children’s book Father Christmas, and in the 2012 Dreamworks animated film, Rise of the Guardians.

Facts About Graffiti

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The word graffiti comes from the Greek word 'graphein' which means 'to write'. Graffiti was first found on ancient Roman architecture, although back in them days there was no such thing as spray paint, they calved images out on walls.

Spray cans are commonly used for creating graffiti as they have different nozzles for different coverage.

Most graffiti artists prefer to be called 'writers' and each have their own unique 'tag'. Artists who are into graffiti have a desire for public recognition and want to see their work around town, this is why each artists tag is different... it's kind of like a unique signature.

Graffiti can be very artistic and colourful or as simple as writing your name in black paint.

Graffiti artists who are new or inexperienced to an area are known as 'toys'.

Graffiti is popular and can be seen in many museums and art galleries, although in many countries it is still illegal and you could be fined. It is illegal in most countries without getting the property owner’s permission first.

The Longest Graffiti Scroll was created in Greece on the 15th December 2008 and it measured at 700.92 metres long, where 2503 people participated to help the charity of "Smile of the Child". This is an official record and can be found in the Guinness World Record
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