Fun, Entertainment, Life Style, Informative and Technology

Glamorous Shriya Saran at Audio Release Function

2011-07-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

Glamorous Shriya Saran at Audio Release Function

Shriya Saran Glamorous Look at Audio Release Function — Shriya Saran latest hot looking photos at her upcoming Tamil movie 'Rowthiram' with Jeeva, Audio release function. Glamorous Shriya's new stills at Tamil movie audio release.

New York Streets – Tours and Travel Special

2011-04-01T11:37:00.000-07:00

New York Streets – Tours and Travel Special

Charming Miniature Horse Koda

2011-04-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

Charming Miniature Horse Koda

Concordia – Research Station at the End of the World

2011-04-01T11:25:00.000-07:00

Concordia – Research Station at the End of the World

These pictures could easily be publicity stills from a new science fiction blockbuster set on an ice bound planet circling a distant sun. It is, however, the Concordia Research Station which is located on the Antarctic Plateau in Antartcica – the largest desert in the world. It is one of only three research stations on the plateau to operate permanently on a year round basis.

Opened in 2005, the station which is run jointly by France and Italy is over 500 kilometers away from the nearest human presence on the plateau, those who reside in the Russian station Vostok.

It is over 1000 kilometers away from all other permanent and semi-permanent stations in Antarctica which means that this may well be the most isolated human outpost on the planet.

It sits atop Dome Charlie (otherwise known as Dome C or Dome Circe) which is a naturally occurring dome (or summit) of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. It is a staggering 3233 meters above sea level. One of the coldest places on earth, Dome C has an average summer temperature of −25°C. In the winter the temperature often goes below −80°C and it is also incredibly dry. The humidity is low and there is hardly and precipitation at all.

The project goes back to 1992 when the French decided that a new station should be built on Dome C – they were later joined by Italy and formed a summer camp there. Fully operational by 2005 the research station saw its first 13 person winter-over the same year.

The actual construction and running of the facility was one of the two primary objectives – enough of a labor in itself to qualify. The other was to provide support in logistics for the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica – otherwise known as EPICA. EPICA aims to fully document the atmospheric and climatic record which this unique place has naturally archived in its core. Atronomy has more recently been introduced as a third objective.

Two ice cores are to be fully drilled and these will be compared to two similar projects in Greenland. It is hoped that the information within the cores will give a vast insight in to what extent our climate has a natural variability. Additionally – and extremely relevant today – the research station is discovering vast new swathes of information about the mechanisms of rapid climatic change – as it happened during the earth’s last glacial epoch. The core goes back quite a time – 740,000 years and has revealed information about the last 8 glacial cycles.

So how do people (and equipment) get to Concordia (named incidentally after the Greek goddess of agreement and harmony)? The heavy cargo arrives by traverse from its first point at the Dumont d’Urville Station – a mere 1,100 kilometers away. The journey takes between seven and twelve days – very much dependent on what the weather is like at the time.

Personnel and lighter cargo are somewhat luckier. A few hours in the air and they arrive either from Dumont d’Urville or the similarly distanced Mario Zuchelli Station. The Twin Otter aircraft used need to be thoroughly checked for flight capability before they take off on their return journey.

Why astronomy on the Antarctic Plateau? To begin with there is hardly any light pollution at Dome C – and there is of course the additional benefit of continuous night for three months of the year. Then there is the natural stability of the atmosphere. We have already mentioned the low humidity at the site – and this is the third feature which makes Dome C an excellent place for astronomy.

As the world’s largest desert, the Antarctic Plateau is a formidable and difficult environment. There are absolutely no plants or animals (multi cellular at least) after around twenty kilometers in from the Southern Ocean. The occasional skua (a long distance migratory seabird pictured above) has been spotted above the station however. The scientists believe that the birds have somehow discovered a way to cross the continent rather than circumnavigating it. Other than an infrequent visit from a skua the people at Concordia are completely isolated from other life.

Cute Megan Fox New Latest Photos in Stylish Dress

2011-04-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

Cute Megan Fox New Latest Photos in Stylish Dress

Tamil Actress Priyamani Latest New Photoshoot At Beach

2011-04-01T11:07:00.000-07:00

Tamil Actress Priyamani Latest New Photoshoot At Beach

Travel and Tourism - Top 5 Beaches in Tenerife

2011-03-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

Travel and Tourism - Top 5 Beaches in Tenerife

Tenerife, possibly the most popular of the Canary Islands, sits serenely off the coast of exotic Morocco and boasts year round sunshine with warm temperatures. Known for their picturesque beauty, Tenerife’s beaches come in all sorts of variations from pebbles and black sand to the fine golden stuff. The island serves as a haven for holidaymakers to revel in both relaxation and recreation, so those looking for fun in the sun should have towels and beach brollies at the ready as Nadine Hallak outlines the Top 5 Beaches in Tenerife.

For vacationers who dream of privacy and tranquillity, the pale golden sands of El Puertito, set along the bay of a sleepy fishing village, are perfect. This bucolic stretch of beach, located on the western side of the island, surprisingly lies just a stone’s throw away from popular resorts like Playa de Las Américas and Costa Adeje. Nevertheless, if you’re worried these tourist meccas may interrupt your serenity at El Puertito, rest assured that they won’t. This beach remains a sanctuary where you can enjoy nature at its purest, and relaxing days spent sunbathing transition into cool, languid evenings.

Regarded as one of the most beautiful beaches in Tenerife, Playa de las Teresitas lives up to the hype. Originally created as a means of recreation for the people of Santa Cruz, the beach is a year-long destination for swimming and water activities. Its 1.5 kilometres of golden sands come straight from the Sahara desert, but the source of its sand is not the beach’s only alluring aspect. Its magnificent landscape includes the impressive Anaga Mountains as well as the whitewashed houses in San Andrés, one of the oldest villages in the Canary Islands.

With easy access to and from Tenerife airport, Los Cristianos is a fantastic family beach and provides countless fun-in-the-sun activities for both children and adults. You can revel in sunbathing, fishing, water sports, and sailing in glass bottom boats. There are more family-friendly attractions nearby including the Octopus Aquapark featuring water slides, water rides, swimming pools and aquatic performance shows starring some very talented dolphins. Monkey Park, a nearby zoo, is also popular with children and features lemurs, iguanas, different varieties of birds and chimpanzees, among other animals.

This beach in northern Tenerife is a secluded haven beside a fishing hamlet, set inside a protected bay. It’s usually calm location is well suited for families, who can stay in one of the many apartments and rental condominiums nearby. Lined with black, volcanic sand, Playa San Marcos offers beachgoers a great location for swimming and enjoying water activities as well as other amenities including showers and changing rooms. This beach’s laidback charm and wonderful conditions make for a great day out – something of a hidden gem despite cheap flights to Tenerife available from around the UK.

Aside from azure waters and stunning volcanic black sand beaches, Playa Jardin features many gardens for which it is so aptly named. Trees such as palm, fig and laurel as well as hibiscus and frangipani flowers make up this lush oasis, admired for its overwhelming natural beauty. Apart from offering great sunbathing, this northern Tenerife beach is an excellent starting point for enjoying recreational activities at Puerto de la Cruz resort and Loro Park, a wildlife sanctuary and zoo. This post was written by Nadine Hallak, Travel Expert at leading airline ticket deals website Cheapflights.co.uk.

10 Most Beautiful and Amazing Doll Houses

2011-03-28T12:31:00.000-07:00

10 Most Beautiful and Amazing Doll Houses

Frida Khalo Doll House

Cuban-American artist Elsa Mora created this lovely miniature doll house featuring artist Frida Kahlo.

$82,000 English Doll House

A dollhouse selling for a big sum of $82,000 is bound to create waves in the news world. We hear that the exquisiteness of this stunning toy is such that it will capture the heart of anyone who lays their eyes on it. Complete with the tiniest of detail been taken care of, the scale down version of a well-furnished home took 15 years of labour to be completed.

The doll house resembles a traditional English house complete with all the regular fixtures of a bath, bedroom, dining room, hallway and a living room. Little extravagances like the chandeliers also find their way in here. The maker of this small splendor has made more money than those selling several real homes in the UK.

Kaleidoscope Doll House

The Bozart Kaleidoscope Dollhouse designed by PMW Architects in 2001 was perhaps the coolest doll house ever. A 1:12 scale multi-level modernist dream, it featured colorful sliding transparent walls that changed cover when overlapped. In addition, modern furniture collections and action figures from well-known designers could be purchased. Now available only on auction sites, they sell quickly for upwards of a $1000.

Dust Doll House

Dust bunnies yes, but dust houses? I don't know about you but this sure is too cool for me!

“Save those dust!” — Maria Adelaida Lopez, a Master's degree in art school, cleaned houses to support herself through the art school, intricately created this unique series of ‘Dust Houses' that are doll houses & are covered over in vacuum cleaner lint. At present she is an artist & educator in Miami, no longer cleans houses for others. Well, the dust sure helped!

Henry Colbert's Doll House

Henry Colbert is the designer of this 1930's Art Deco master piece. He makes a few houses a year and there's a way to get on a waiting list. I've heard that they cost about $6,000 but I'm not sure if that's true. All sold houses have been unique since the customers always wanted to make changes on his design. He's also making bathroom furniture in 1930's style in various colors.

Bosdyk Doll House

Let me introduce you to one of the latest objects to join the Powerhouse Museum collection, the Bosdyk Dolls House, a unique example of the art of the miniature. The house was built and decorated by Frans and Christina Bosdyk over a period from 1997 to 2006. They estimated that they spent 15,000 hours and many thousands of dollars of materials on the work. Frans is a skilled electrical instrument maker who can turn his hand to any material with great precision, in fact he made most of the furniture inside the doll's house. Christina was closely involved with all construction decisions, sourced miniature items, decided where everything went and chose interior decor, wallpaper and dolls.

The Bosdyk dolls house competes with the very best in the tradition of Dutch dolls' houses, renowned in the seventeenth century for their style and extraordinary attention to detail. That this should have been made in Australia is unusual and the Bosdyk's eight years' dedication to the project is an extraordinary achievement. The story is one of Dutch migrants bringing the very best of their traditional culture and skills to Australia.

Eco-friendly Doll House

Design company Brinca Dada has an amazing new dollhouse up their sleeve. Set to debut in Spring 2011, the Bennett House is so impressive you'll want to box up your belongings and move in — but, of course in order to do that you'd have to be a mini-you. This breathtaking townhouse-style miniature is influenced by the De Stijl movement of the early 20th century and features lines, squares and rectangles in asymmetrical patterns along with a minimal color scheme.

Eco-friendly Doll House

Maddie Chambers went and built herself a super impressive looking Bag End hobbit hole dollhouse. It's amazing. It has so many details you won't believe it.

18th Century French Chateau Doll House

This 18th Century French Chateau is only 1:12 scale (your 6 foot tall liveried footman would be represented as 6 inches tall here). The chateau was the central display in the 2009 South Australian Miniatures Enthusiasts (SAME) Dollhouse and Miniatures Festival. Each room was made separately by club members and put together for the weekend. It represents a year's work. The chateau features servant's quarters, two chapels, bedrooms, music rooms, sitting rooms, dining rooms, a library, and more! A lot of effort went into this group project.

Hostel Doll House

The name of all this "Hostel" is U Ulitki. "Size 37 x 15 x 21 cm. It is a painstaking and accurate work! At the same time - the charm and magic of every detail.

Amazing Photography of Morning Mists

2011-03-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

Amazing Photography of Morning Mists

Mist is a phenomenon of small droplets suspended in air. It can occur as part of natural weather or volcanic activity, and is common in cold air above warmer water, in exhaled air in the cold, and in a steam room of a sauna. It can also be created artificially with aerosol canisters if the humidity conditions are right.

Jennifer Hawkins Stylish Photoshoot at Beach

2011-03-28T12:15:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Hawkins Stylish Photoshoot at Beach

Eva Mendes New Latest Photographs

2011-03-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

Eva Mendes New Latest Photographs

Speedriven Mercedes SL 600 CNG Powered-Detail and Photos

2011-03-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Speedriven Mercedes SL 600 CNG Powered-Detail and Photos

An environment friendly engineer in Texas has decided to make his Mercedes SL 600 green and clean for some odd reason. Honestly, he should just buy an electric car, but his name is Bernie Towns, and he has turned his 2007 SL600 Mercedes into a compressed natural gas (CNG) fueled sports car. He hopes that it will be able to break the record for the fastest natural gas car around. Bernie has partnered with the Chicago tuning company Speedriven, who have pushed 800 bhp and more than 1,000 ft-lbs of torque out of the Mercedes SL. Breaking the record will difficult, since the title is currently held by the Hohenester Audi A4 that was able to reach 364.6 km/h in 2009 with 700 bhp.

Speedriven and Bernie Towns hope that with a new aero kit fitted on the Mercedes SL 600, it will be able to top speeds of 386 km/h or 240 mph. Next month, the tuners will install a new turbo system on the car, and finish the natural gas conversion. Town plans to debut the modified Mercedes at the Texas Mile event in March, and hopes to break the speed record at that time in his CNG car. “I admit it. I’m a horsepower addict. I love speed, I love power, and I love my Mercedes-Benz,” says Towns.

Taking a Much Needed Mini-Vacation

2011-03-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

Taking a Much Needed Mini-Vacation

People in the UK call them Mini-breaks; Americans call them weekend vacations. Whichever the names, if you’re planning a trip for you and your spouse or for the whole family, it can be a great way to blow off steam without an expensive budget. Finding the right way to spend your few days off can be tough, especially if you try to pack too many activities into one trip. You may end up having the opposite of desired effect – the need for a vacation from your vacation.

When planning your weekend getaway don’t invest more money or time then necessary. The key to the weekend getaway is relaxation. If you’re only leaving for a few days don’t travel too far. Consider your local options. The tendency, when vacationing, is to travel further from home, but you can have a vacation without spending money on expensive plane tickets. For example, if you live in the city, check out a bed and breakfast that’s in a scenic area within a maximum couple hours drive. It’s ideal if the spot is away from home, but not too far that you’ll exhaust yourself from driving.

Go on a camping trip. There’s tons of national parks just an hour or two away where you can set up camp and take in a bit of nature without exhausting yourself. Just remember not to plan too much. Make sure this is a fun experience for you and your kids. Just go and set up camp and sit back and enjoy the sunsets and stars while your kids are free to run and play.

If it’s just you and your spouse taking some time away from the family, do something special. Look for deals on Vacation Packages and plan a weekend trip to a spa where relaxation is mandatory. Leave the trip feeling pampered and refreshed after a weekend of massages and leisurely walks, while taking in the local sights. Treat yourself to some fine dining as well at one of the local restaurants or, even better, look for spa retreats that offer this feature as a part of their package. You probably don’t get many chances to have romantic evenings, especially if you have a family.

Don’t over think the vacation. Try to stay away from too much preplanning. Don’t be afraid of picking something spur of the moment. All of these options offer affordable ways to vacation if you find yourself in need of a little R&R. Consider some of these trip options and try to stick close to home. You’ll thank yourself in the end.

Beautiful Hawaii Kona Residence Architecture by Belzberg

2011-03-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Hawaii Kona Residence Architecture by Belzberg

Completed in 2010, this stunning 8,000 sq ft (743 sq m) residence by Belzberg Architects is one of the finest the Sifter has seen. Located in Kona, Hawaii, the property is situated between volcanic mountain ranges to the east and ocean horizons to the west. Photographed beautifully by Benny Chan, my only wish was that there were more images of this residence!

Description from Belzberg Architects

Nestled between cooled lava flows, the Kona residence situates its axis not with the linearity of the property but rather with the axiality of predominant views available to the site. Within the dichotomy of natural elements and geometric hardscape the residence attempts to integrate both the surrounding views of volcanic mountain ranges to the east and ocean horizons westward.

The program is arranged as a series of pods distributed throughout the property, each having its own unique features and view opportunities. The pods are programmatically assigned as two sleeping pods with common areas, media, master suite and main living space. A central axis becomes the organizational and focal feature for the entire house, connecting each of the pods through an exterior gallery corridor.

Together with stacked and cut lava rock, the two materials form a historically driven medium embedded in Hawaiian tradition. 3-D modeling and digital fabrication through CNC machinery was incorporated to further enhance traditional elements in a contemporary arrangement. Local basket weaving culture was the inspiration for the entry pavilion which reenacts the traditional gift upon arrival ceremony. CNC milled ceilings and screens throughout the house continue the abstract approach to traditional Hawaiian wood carving.

South Side TV Anchor & Model Medha Raghunathan Latest Photoshoot

2011-03-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

South Side TV Anchor & Model Medha Raghunathan Latest Photoshoot

Cute Model Apoorva Photoshoot by Rahul Dutta

2011-03-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

Cute Model Apoorva Photoshoot by Rahul Dutta

Marketing Writing - Five Ideas to Help You Write to Attract Your Target Market

2011-03-06T11:14:00.000-08:00

Marketing Writing - Five Ideas to Help You Write to Attract Your Target Market

There are specific written business materials you need so that your business will attract your target market, and there are ways to write those pieces that are most effective. Before we detail those facts though, let's examine your knowledge of your target market. Most business owners are quite vague when they are asked about their target market, or when they have to put together a written target market description. If you have this problem in your marketing writing, realize that it's hard to attract a market unless you're clear on who they are. Before you do your marketing writing, do the work to get clear on your target market. There are no shortcuts to that process.

When you are clear on your target market, here are some ideas on how to write your business materials to attract your target market.

1) Clearly define the specific prospects you want to have as clients. The best place to start is by detailing the problems they have that you can solve. What are their lives like and what struggles do these issues cause them? What emotions do they experience, and what words and phrases do they use to describe those experiences? Your objective is to make these specific prospects and their problematic experiences as real, emotional, and authentic. You want to present a description that causes self-recognition in the exact segment of the market you are targeting.

2) Next, contrast that problem image with a clear picture of how things could be for them - once they have the solution you offer. What is different, and how do they feel about it? What are the new circumstances? What are they free from, and what does that make them feel? This is a place where you want to clearly demonstrate your depth of knowledge by using the words and phrases past clients have used. Describe how changed their lives have been and how changed your prospects' lives could be. Your objective is to make this so real that a prospect can "inhabit" the possibility. Make it tangible, believable, and exciting.

3) Keep your writing prospect-centric. One of the biggest challenges in doing your marketing writing is remembering that this is not about you, but rather about the target market you want to attract. You are talking about your prospect - what they feel and what they want. You may have to revisit your writing repeatedly to strip out language that's all about you, and refocus it on the prospect. Think about it this way, the prospect will gradually become interested in you - and your ability to deliver - once they've become convinced that you "know" them, their problems and the solutions they need.

4) Leave the jargon out. Such language drives a wedge between you and your prospect. If it took you years of study and specialized training to learn your skill, get help in eliminating "too technical" language from your business writing. Confine such language to "white paper" type writing that has specialized, in-depth information. In general, keep your marketing writing simple, easy to understand, and low tech.

5) Keep your target market in mind in all the business writing you do. Don't just have a little bit of prospect-centric information and veer back into "me, me, me" language. Think like your target market. In fact, if you once were your target market, that story can be very compelling. Prospects feel immediate trust when they know that you have struggled with the same issues. It's obvious that you truly do understand what it feels like to have those problems. If your story tells about the influences and experiences that led to your creating your solution, that's even more effective marketing writing. They can see and understand your path and the logic that led to the solution you provide. It's also inspiring to know that SOMEONE has freed themselves from the struggle.

To attract your target market, be clear on who they are and think and write - like your target market. When you're doing his effectively, attracting targeted prospects becomes easy.

Belgrade Science Center From Off Architecture - Amazing Design

2011-03-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

Belgrade Science Center From Off Architecture - Amazing Design

This artificial mountain proposed for the center of Belgrade dubbed “Sciencescape” is the innovative vision of OFF Architecture. OFF entered their proposal for the Center for Promotion of Science Competition, but bad weather delayed their efforts and unfortunately it missed the deadline. While it leaves us to wonder if such a radical melding of mountain and building would be well received, if the recent winning proposal of BIG’s Urban Ski Slope tells us anything, it is that this concept would have bode well amongst the competition. Standing tall, the iconic design by OFF is an immersion of natural elements and the built environment, ready to envelop its visitors.

The French design company OFF Architecture announced the project of the Center for Science in Belgrade. Serbia, according OFF Architecture inherent connection to the beautiful landscapes, amazing countryside and ancient castles.

The project was created precisely with notions of Serbia. Therefore, the building looks like and at the same time on the hill, and a mushroom and fortifications. The architects propose to build it on the green island in Block 39. In addition to the building in its territory assumes the existence of the park and waterfall.

Top 10 Beautiful Destinations to Rush your Adrenaline

2011-03-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Beautiful Destinations to Rush your Adrenaline

Images of James Bond jumping from an airplane and free falling in a tuxedo seem very appealing. But it’s easy to forget that this is a movie stunt, and every precaution is taken to make something that looks dangerous actually be as safe as possible. In fact, your probably more likely to get hurt walking to the shop or up and down stairs. In the real world there are no retakes or directors shouting ‘cut’! So whilst some of us are content on taking our usual yearly virgin flights to Spain but others aren’t as willing to lay on a beach for 7 days. Instead, they look danger in the eye and laugh. In fact, the more dangerous the better! And they probably consider themselves real life James Bond’s.

So what do they do instead of soaking up the Marbella rays? The first man to climb Mount Everest is credited with explaining his reason as, because it’s there. And he’s still there – he died on that mountain and his body was never found. Yet this doesn’t act as a deterrent it seems. The popularity of extreme sports plays into the thrill seeker’s desire for risk. They push themselves to the limit and beyond because they get an extreme high from the adrenaline rush. The risk high is as addictive as alcohol or drugs. So what are the latest extreme sporting addictions?

Lets take a look….

Cage of Death, Darwin

Fancy Plunging into the ‘Cage of Death’ and swimming with some of Australia’s largest saltwater crocodiles!? This latest attraction is perfect for those who dare to get up close and personal with these amazing prehistoric creatures.

Theme park Crocosaurus Cove offers tourists the chance to come face to face with saltwater crocodiles from the safety of the “Cage of Death”. Tourists spend 15 minutes inside the 2.8m high acrylic cage while Choppa the croc tryies to take a bite out of them.

Covert Ops Training, Arizona

Live the life you have only seen in movies or read about in novels. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to train for a covert mission in hostile territory!

Each trainee at the covert ops spy camp will experience all the thrills and excitement of the clandestine life. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to train for a covert mission in hostile territory. At a not-so secret training base in Arizona Airport, a hand-picked group of Green Berets and contract mercenaries from the world’s toughest special operations will train you in high speed evasive driving, combat pistol shooting, unarmed self-defence, explosives, espionage techniques, counter-surveillance, and booby traps.

Everest Skydive

Everest Skydive is entering its third year of extreme aerial adventure. October’s 2011 Everest Skydive Expedition will be made from Tara Air’s Pilatus Porter aircraft at Syangboche.

British adventure firm High and Wild offers skydiving trips over Mount Everest. Skydivers jump out of the plane at around 8848 metres high, the same height as the summit of Everest. So do you fancy freefalling past some of the world’s highest mountain peaks and landing on the highest drop zone in the world whilst Experiencing the Himalayas from above and below?! I’m not sure I do. The trek alone to the camp takes 9 days!

Snake Massage

For a mere 300 shekels (US$70) you can walk into Ada Barak’s health and beauty spa in Northern Israel and have a few snakes slither across your body.

Performed in Northern Israel by therapist Ada Barak, a therapeutic snake massage involves having six non-venomous serpents slip and slide down you spine to release your tensions and relieve your aching muscles. The snakes used in the treatment are a mixture of corn snakes, milk snakes and California and Florida King snakes. According to Barak if people can get over their revulsion of serpents they usually find the sensation very soothing. Errrm…no!

Cocaine Tours, Columbia

Imagine a six-day trek through the Colombian jungle, crossing eight rivers and 40 km of treacherous terrain and climbing 1,200 ancient steps to reach the Lost City (Ciudad Perdida in Spanish), an archaeological site in Sierra Nevada, Columbia?

It is becoming the destination of choice amongst backpackers who are taking in guided tours of the cocaine making process. These take you along the Caribbean coast to La Ciudad Perdida – The Lost City. On the trail, the guide points out the many coca plants used to make cocaine, then it’s off to a cocaine lab to learn how the drug is made.They get to see the whole process from The Coca Leaf to Cocaine Base which is then usually sold on to Traffickers! Details of these tours are spreading by word-of-mouth almost as quick as the drugs are being exported.

Terror Trek China
Mt. Huashan is famous for its breath-taking cliffs and the dangerous 12-kilometer-long winding path up to the top. Mt Huashan has only one path and it doesn’t help when the path looks like this.

Described as the most dangerous tourist route in the world, the sacred Mt. Huashan in Huayin City, China sees people clinging to rusty iron chains, whilst dangling over a 2090 metre cliff face with no safety barrier. The path doesn’t become precipitous until Qing Ke Ping, where there is a huge rock engraved with Chinese characters meaning “the point where the horses turn back”. It warns that the challenges ahead and those who are not well prepared both mentally and physically should retreat.

KGB Torture, Lithuania

A Soviet Union theme park, located in an old bunker, offers tourists the first-hand experience of a KGB interrogation.Visitors pay to be beaten, interrogated and shouted at by tour leaders dressed as agents of the Russian secret police.

That’s just far too weird for words!!

Enough said.

Human Remains, Belize

Trek through the Belize jungle, wade through rivers and explore the claustrophobic cave of Actun Tunichil Muknal to witness the skeleton of a teenage girl. The famous human remains, known as The Crystal Maiden, are believed to be those of a young Mayan princess.

This experience involves a full day of exploration. But here’s the thing: you don’t just walk into this cave. You have to swim. After a jungle hike that involves sloshing through rivers and streams, and being shown all the incredible plant life around and being told what everything is used for, you swim into the cave, in trainers and helmet with a headlamp, and start the long wade/swim/hike into the darkness!

Free Running Paris
Parkour involves running, jumping and vaulting over urban objects, leaping from walls, swinging from buildings and the like in a fluid and graceful combination of movements.

In the spirit of the James Bond flick Casino Royale, every last weekend of the month thrill-seekers can undertake a Free Running training session at the Dame du Lac monument in Lisses, Paris, with coaches offering tips on how to run, jump and vault over urban objects.

Jallikatu, India

So, if you think that running with bulls is dangerous enough then you haven’t heard of Jallikatu.

The bull taming game that dates back 3,500 years. In ancient Tamil Nadu, the sport was known as “hugging the bull” (Yeru Thaluvudu), though there’s nothing loving about it. “Be gored or be spared” is the mantra of many a brave/stupid man at the Harvest Festival of Pongal, held every year in January. The goal of the main event is to chase down a pissed-off bull unarmed and grab the bundles of money tied to its horns.

Highly Creative Self-Portraits Images

2011-03-06T10:57:00.000-08:00

Highly Creative Self-Portraits Images

Jennifer Aniston Looking Beautiful In Black Dress At Event

2011-03-06T10:50:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Aniston Looking Beautiful In Black Dress At Event

What Your Face Says About Your Health

2011-03-02T11:13:00.000-08:00

What Your Face Says About Your Health

Your body’s unique intelligence has a way of telling you when something is wrong and it needs help. Not understanding this language makes it difficult to know when your body is talking to you. In Eastern medicine a doctor will read what is written in your face, tongue, eyes, skin, and pulse. The signs of depletion are all there and may have been for some time.

Visual diagnosis is an ancient tool used by traditional healers to discover the strengths and weaknesses, and health (or lack of health), within the body. Once awareness of what’s happening inside the body becomes evident, it can be used to diagnose an illness or prevent an illness from fully manifesting. Awareness of your body is the key to figuring out the necessary diet and lifestyle adjustments to obtain vibrant health. In Oriental diagnosis each organ is seen in relation to all the others, with energy flowing in one continuous circuit.

This energy, called ki (Japanese), chi (Chinese) or prana (Indian), runs through the body in pathways called meridians that are associated with each organ: liver, gallbladder, heart, small intestine, stomach, spleen/pancreas, lung, large intestine, kidney, and bladder. Your face is the most revealing part of your body and provides insight into the larger internal body systems. According to Oriental diagnosis each area of your face manifests a corresponding organ and how it is functioning in the body. For example:

    * The mouth is the entrance to the digestive tract.
    * The nose is the entrance to the respiratory system.
    * The eyes are connected to the optic nerve, brain and nervous system.
    * The ears are the auditory system.

How this looks on your face:

    * Your cheeks represent lungs and their condition.
    * Tip of the nose is heart.
    * Nostrils represent the bronchi of the lungs.
    * Middle part of the nose is stomach.
    * Upper part of the nose is pancreas.
    * Under the eyes reflect your kidneys.
    * Between the eyebrows shows liver condition.
    * The temples reflect your spleen.
    * Your forehead represents small intestines.
    * Peripheral forehead the large intestine.
    * Upper forehead shows the bladder.
    * Ears can reflect kidney function.
    * Your mouth reflects the condition of your entire digestive tract.
    * Around the mouth indicates the condition of your sexual organs.

You can easily apply these guidelines to your personal health:

* Women tend to break out under their lower lip when approaching their monthly menstruation or with hormone fluctuations.

* Gum and tooth infections are related to the condition of the intestines and much of this can be resolved by improving your diet and allowing the organs to detoxify naturally.

* Someone with a large bulbous nose shows a heart straining against clogged arteries.

* Swollen under-eyes reflect kidneys unable to work properly, and a retention of fluid from eating too much salt and fatty foods.

* The classic lines between the eyebrows shows your liver working hard to keep up with your lifestyle.

* Yellowing of the whites of the eyes can indicate liver jaundice.

Basically, the condition of your health is all right there, each morning, in front of your eyes. Your face never lies. It shows us when energy becomes blocked in any part of the body, it affects us both internally and externally. According to visual diagnosis every blemish, mole, and discoloration has a deeper meaning. Pay attention, watch and listen to your body and it will let you know when your health condition changes from day to day.

Life Insurance Information - Private Placement Life Insurance

2011-03-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

Life Insurance Information - Private Placement Life Insurance

Life insurance is a crucial safeguard for several people. It's an extremely essential safe guard that is needed for families, as it ensures financial well being of the family. Of recent though, there have been policies that are often viewed as good investments with a significant volume of growth and return. The common structure of such life insurance policies is that the person insured goes on paying premiums to the insurance company, which are then invested and reinvested into well underwritten and fantastically analyzed investment destinations which include anything and everything, right form stock markets to currency markets or money markets. The returns are then shared with the insured people, over a time period with payments being made at specified time intervals. Often, you might come across news such as some rock star got his voice insured, or some millionaire got a life insurance cover of a few billion dollars, etc. Well, this is exactly what is private placement life insurance. Such an insurance policy is connoted to be a variable universal life insurance.

About Variable Universal Life Insurance

In order to know more about private placement life insurance, it is essential to know more about variable universal life insurance. A variable universal life insurance policy, often shortened to VUL, is exactly like a mutual fund. That is the premium paid by the insured person, is invested into various investment destinations by financial experts to obtain maximum rates of return. The word universal signifies that the investment can be anything under the sun, right from gold markets and mines to oil wells. Secondly, the word variable holds a greater significance. In case of any standard and normal policy, the insurance coverage, premium and periodic returns are fixed and disciplined by a legally bonding document. However, in case of variable universal life insurance, the monthly and yearly payments can be quite flexible, with the company demanding a maximum and minimum coverage. The coverage and the periodic returns on the other hand depends, and is calculated, on the basis of cash value that has accumulated in the policies account. This policy is a whole life insurance policy with the coverage extending for a lifetime. Apart from that, the death benefit that is given to the family is also in proportion to the cash value. In some cases, the death benefit and returns also depend on the performance of the cash value.

What is Private Placement Life Insurance

The private placement life insurance definition is exactly like the variable universal insurance, the only difference being that the private placement life insurance, is the nobility of life insurance policies. These policies usually, have no formal securities' registration and are granted to customers who provide massive annual or one time premium, and in return have unimaginable death benefit plus huge return rate, making it almost a quasi-investment fund. This is basically a custom made policy of the variable universal life insurance policies. The agreement of the policy is often independently drafted out, hence the coverage, premium, returns and other such features are decided within the company and the insured client. In several cases such insurance coverages run over a couple of million dollars. The potential of the private placement life insurance policy is such that it is often made to be an offshore investment, leading to two types of private placement life insurance policies, namely, offshore and domestic. The offshore ones are often connoted to be more profitable by the virtue of rate of returns. However, there is bit of debate with regards to statutory implications and even the profitability of the same.I hope that the elaboration on private placement life insurance is resourceful. Good luck.

Fictional world of Jim Kazanjian-Amazing Photos

2011-03-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

Fictional world of Jim Kazanjian-Amazing Photos

Jim Kazanyan: 16 years of running CGI-specialist in television and computer games industry. In his pleasure, Jim creates apocalyptic paintings with whimsical architectural constructions. Looking at his work, it remains to be glad that it’s just a fantasy.

Naqsh-i Rustam - Incredible Reliefs of Persian Empires

2011-03-02T10:57:00.000-08:00

Naqsh-i Rustam - Incredible Reliefs of Persian Empires

Most people have heard of the ancient city of Persepolis in Iran. Yet just north of the metropolis of antiquity is a sheer cliff, known as Naqsh-i Rustam. Here, in the second millennium BCE, work began on a quite staggering series of rock reliefs which – even today – have the ability to awe in terms of their size and the staggering amount of work which must have been involved in their creation.

The oldest of the reliefs was mostly obliterated by work done later but is thought to date from around 1000 BCE. The faint image of a man can still be made out and it is thought that it is a remnant of the great civilisation of Elam – a major player in Middle Eastern power in the copper age. Yet the almost eradicated icon gives the place its name. With his unusual headgear still visible it is called the Picture of Rostam in English. Rostam was a Persian champion of champions and it is the headgear which is reminiscent of later images of the hero that led the name to be given.

High above the ground there are four crosses carved in to the sheer rock face. Known locally as the Persian Crosses, these are the tombs of Achaemenid monarchs. This realm, also known as the Persian Empire, persisted until the third century BCE and its rulers included names we still recognise today, such as Cyrus, Xerxes and Darius (all referred to as The Great). At the center of each of the crosses the entrance to each of the tombs is still visible.

The entrance leads in to a small chamber in which the king would be laid in his sarcophagus. To indicate that it was a king’s tomb, the horizontal arch at the top of the relief is thought to be a reproduction of the one which lay above the entrance to the palace located in Persepolis. Yet the tombs are empty now – and have been for a considerable time. When the Persian Empire was defeated by Alexander the Great they were desecrated and their precious contents stolen. Perhaps they were too obvious a target to remain unspoiled for long.

We only know for sure the identity of one of the kings who were entombed at Naqsh-i Rustam and that is Darius I who ruled from 522 – 486 BCE. The others are likely to be those of Artaxerxes I (r. 465 - 424 BC) and his son Xerxes I who reigned after his death until 404 BCE). The other us thought to be of Darius III who ruled for six years from 336 – 330 BC.

One of the oddest sights at Naqsh-i Rustam is the Ka'ba-ye Zartosht. Looking to all intents and purposes as if a certain Star Trek: The Next Generation species had influenced copper age culture, the Cube of Zoroaster is a 5th century BCE tower-like edifice.

Yet even though it is most certainly not a vestigial trace of a Borg incursion, no one is entirely sure what the building’s purpose was. Some think it was a fire altar – a kind of eternal flame to the emperors of the Sassanid era. However, most seem to think it was another tomb or possible an enormous chest, to carry the paraphernalia of royal rule in to the next life.

The supersized reliefs which surround the tombs are from a slightly later period, the last pre-Islamic Persian Empire, known as the Sassanid. We are not to expect depictions of ordinary people, of course – these are the monarchs of the period in all of their glory. We can still clearly see the investiture of Ardashir I, who died in 242 CE.