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Leona Helmsley's Millionaire Dog Dies

2011-06-17T07:22:00.000-07:00

By AFP News June 09, 2011 at 02:26PM

NEW YORK - "Trouble," the pooch who inherited $12 million from hotel mogul Leona Helmsley, has died, heading to the hunting grounds in the sky and leaving a trail of money and legal disputes behind.

The pampered Maltese bitch with a curly off-white coat died December 13, spokeswoman Eileen Sullivan said, but news only emerged Thursday.

She was 12 in human years, or 84 in doggie years, just shy of the 87 years at which her eccentric mistress and benefactor Helmsley died in 2007.

"She was cremated, and her remains are being privately retained," Sullivan said. The remaining funds held in trust for "Trouble" have gone to The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

When Helmsley died she left her adored companion $12 million, but a New York judge agreed she had been mentally incompetent and knocked down that fortune to a mere $2 million, while boosting the inheritance left to Helmsley's human family and to charity.

"Trouble," known for snapping nastily at just about anyone except Helmsley, retired to Florida, living and finally dying in luxury at the Helmsley Sandcastle hotel in Sarasota.

According to the New York Daily News, which broke the story, "Trouble" chewed through $100,000 a year, with $8,000 for grooming, $1,200 for food and the rest for security against dozens of kidnapping and death threats.

For "Trouble," mealtime was never a question of canned meat in a plastic bowl, but fresh chicken and vegetables prepared by a Helmsley hotel chef and served on silver and china plates -- for the diamond-collar canine, the New York Times reported.

Despite lavishing love on Helmsley, "Trouble" lived up to her name where the real estate billionaire's other entourage was concerned.

At Helmsley's death, outraged relatives went to court to complain that the matriarch's will was barking mad -- a final insult from a woman long dubbed "Queen of Mean" for her bad temper, penny pinching and tax evasion.

In the original will, the dog got more than the humans. Two grandsons were told they could receive $5 million provided they promised to visit their late father's grave annually, while two other grandchildren were cut out "for reasons which are known to them."

Most of Helmsley's wealth, worth some $8 billion, went to charity.

A judge agreed to cut "Trouble's" part of the will to millionaire-style scraps and gave $6 million to the grandchildren who had been left out.

Helmsley, who served 18 months in prison for tax dodging and once declared that "only the little people pay taxes," had another of her last wishes thwarted: to be reunited in death with little "Trouble."

Her hope to have the dog buried alongside her in a spacious family mausoleum in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery outside New York was forbidden under rules barring animals.

Image: Jennifer Graylock / AP

Source: AFP

The Most Painful Sport Fails

2011-06-17T07:13:00.001-07:00

From professional tennis players to the average person having a good time, these hilarious and downright weird faces will make your day. At some point all of us have made funny faces in the mirror or in a photo, we just didn’t end up on an Internet blog post.

OMG! Kids React to Lady Gaga! A must-see video

2011-06-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

Look how they react to her

Who Threw The Egg At Justin Bieber?! with video

2011-06-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

You may remember we reported a little while back that Justin Bieber got egged on stage by an unknown assailant. Well, the Australian police have been right onto this one and have managed to apprehend the little blighter (the person throwing eggs…not Justin). It turns out it was just a 17 year old boy!
If you missed the assault, here it is again:

What surprised us was how Justin Bieber seemed to dodge these with ease, and even turn it into a jaunty little dance. As if this wasn’t embarrassing enough for the kid responsible, he has now been hauled to court and has pleaded guilty (the Australians have never been known for their clement legal system) in front of the nation.
The assailant is not just up charges of throwing the eggs though, he also broke into the Sydney Acer Arena which means he could be in quite a lot of trouble.
Maybe he should be given a break though. If we were 17 year old boys, we’d be pretty pissed at J-Bieb too.

Do you really need a tablet?

2011-06-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sure, the iPad is one tricked-out device, but do you really need a tablet - Apple or otherwise?
Well, don't worry if you can't justify purchasing one, because you certainly aren't alone.   Indeed, a recent survey conducted by ABI Research claims that only 27% of respondents rated themselves "extremely" or "very" interested in acquiring a media tablet.
Interestingly enough, nearly half of those surveyed reported they were either "not very" or "not at all" interested in buying such a device.
"The most common reason for the lack of interest is 'I don't see the need,' selected by 60%. Although media tablets are grabbing today's headlines, they [clearly] still face some challenges to adoption," ABI Research analyst Jeff Orr told TG Daily in an e-mailed statement.
"[For example], what activities can media tablets perform that are not already well-addressed by laptop/netbook PCs or smartphones? This remains the single largest barrier to consumer interest."
According to Orr, a little more than half of those surveyed believe the primary use for a media tablet would be entertainment.   In line with this result, entertainment-related apps are the ones most people report they would likely use on the media tablet, such as watching TV/downloading movies (57%), social networking (56%) and playing games (55%).
Meanwhile, only 25% of respondents said they were either "extremely" or "very" interested in acquiring a netbook.
"[We] conducted a similar survey on netbooks in 2009, when interest levels were shown to be higher," said Orr.
"The netbook use-case appears to be changing, from a focus on productivity apps towards the consumption of entertainment content. This change is consistent with potential buyers realigning expectations to match modern netbook capabilities."

Lady Gaga: Fans pay tribute to Clarence Clemons

2011-06-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

Shortly after news got out that the E Street Band's Clarence Clemons had suffered a stroke, Lady Gaga rallied her Little Monsters on Twitter to send messages of support to the ailing sax legend. In a video released this morning, Gaga introduces a selection of these incredibly sweet clips, which feature fans from around the world wishing him well while blasting the new Gaga tunes "Hair" and "The Edge of Glory," both of which feature the Big Man on saxophone.

Source: http://www.rollingstone.com/videos/new-and-hot/lady-gaga-fans-pay-tribute-to-clarence-clemons-20110615

Unique Watch Design For People With Elaborate Style..

2011-06-16T08:40:00.000-07:00

Beautiful watch on his arm will always create the perfect mood and attract attention!
David Alejandro Gonzalez and Solis-developed digital watches that look super and dubbed them Chro.mo. It looks like a bacelet and has a very attractive facade. This digital watch would be made in stainless steel and powered with miniature photovoltaic cells. It was designed in Alias Studio Tools. The watch shows the hours in roman numerals and the minutes in a circle that fills as time passes.

Reading time is as interesting as its styling. Hours are displayed in roman numbers on the left, while minutes will blink in a green colored circle placed on the right. As the time moves ahead the circle gets filled, just like the moon grows with each passing day. The timepiece has silver colored edges giving it a royal appeal. Adding to the whole appearance is the delicate design placed both above and below the time reading zone. Chro.mo digital watch is like a delicate piece of jewelry. Adorning one around your wrist is bound to fetch a lot of admiration.

Strangest Motorbike You Have Ever Seen!

2011-06-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

Some people simply have way too much time on their hands. We salute (some) these people, especially Barend Hemmes, an avid motorcycle enthusiast who designed and built a motorcycle in the shape of the classic Jaguar logo. There have been several attempts by individuals and big-time car manufacturers to have a motorcycle produced in the style of a car. These include Audi, Volkswagen and Dodge. Dodge produced the Tomahawk motorcycle based on their Viper.

The beautiful two-wheeled beast was created as a tribute to the legendary car makers, by a die hard Jaguar fan from the comfort of his own garage. Designed by the artist Barend Hemmes and built by Massow Concept Cycles, the Jaguar leaping cat motorcycle is a 1200cc one-of-a-kind bike based on the British car brand’s “leaper” cat logo. We first heard the news about the Jaguar Motorcycle way back in 2008, but now it has been completed, photographed and captured on video. The leaping cat is rechristened the NightShadow and is perfectly street legal.
The bike’s basic structure is made of high-grad stainless steel and finished in high glossy ebony lacquer. The beast is powered by the Buell 97 S3 Thunderbolt with a top speed which is of about 50mph and sports stingray skin seats. The bike is priced at £320,000 (about $567,000), and Hemmes is currently in talks with Jaguar about using the motorcycle for branding purposes. The leaping cat is the first of the artist’s concept drawings based on automaker trademarks to be brought to life.
The engine has a soothing purr, but we will need superior cat-like reflexes to handle this magnificent beast. The only problem is that it appears that it will be difficult to see the road ahead of us over the bodywork! Whether you like it or you hate it, you have got to be impressed by the workmanship. And as it turns out, the builders of the bike were so pleased with their creation that Hemmes is currently working on a new concept, a bull shaped motorcycle that the Red Bull Energy drink lovers would certainly love.
Here’s the video of the Nightshadow’s maiden voyage.

Below you can check out the video of the conception of the idea.

Most Loved Phones in the Market

2011-06-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

There are a lot of things to look forward to in the New Year. Some phones have generated more interest than others. The phones have been particularly talked about because their features that have set them apart from other possible phones. Here’s a list of some of the phones and their corresponding features that have been generating a lot of interest amongst mobile enthusiasts and experts.
1. Samsung Galaxy S2

Expected Features of Samsung Galaxy S2:

Operating system: Gingerbread Android 2.3
Camera : 8 Megapixels, 720p and 1080p full HD video recording, Geo-tagging, touch focus, face and smile detection
Display : 4.3-inch Super AMOLED touch screen display, Gorilla Glass display, 16M colors
Dimensions : 9mm thickness
Processor : 2 GHz
Internal/External Memory : 32GB flash storage, 16 GB storage, 1GB of RAM, 4GB of ROM
Battery : Standard battery, Li-Ion
Colors : Black
Officially launched believed to be in February at the MWC 2011 in Barcelona

2. Motorola ATRIX

Expected Features of Motorola ATRIX:

Operating system: Android OS, v2.2 (Froyo)
Camera : 5 Megapixels, 2592х1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, Geo-tagging, image stabilization
Display : TFT capacitive touch screen, 16M colors, Gorilla Glass display, Multi-touch input method, Biometric fingerprint reader
Dimensions : 117.8 x 63.5 x 10.1 mm, 135 grams
Processor : 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 AP20H Dual Core processor
Internal/External Memory : 16 GB storage, 1 GB RAM, microSD, up to 32GB
Battery : Standard battery, Lithium 1930 mAh
Standby Time : Up to 264 h (2G) / Up to 250 h (3G)
Talk Time : Up to 8 h 40 min (2G) / Up to 9 h (3G)
Colors : Black
Official launch believed to be in first half of 2011

3. Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc

Expected Features of Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc:

Operating system: Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread).
Camera : 8 Megapixels, 3264×2448 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, Touch focus, image stabilization, geo-tagging, face and smile detection.
Display : LED-backlit LCD, capacitive touch screen, 16M colors, Scratch-resistant surface, Accelerometer sensor for auto-rotate, Multi-touch input method, Proximity sensor for auto turn-off, Timescape UI.
Dimensions : 125 x 63 x 8.7 mm, 117 grams.
Processor : Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon 1 GHz processor; Adreno 205 GPU.
Internal/External Memory : 512 MB RAM, microSD, up to 32GB, 8 GB included.
Battery : Standard battery, Lithium 1500 mAh.
Standby Time : Up to 430 h (2G) / Up to 400 h (3G).
Talk Time : Up to 7 h (2G) / Up to 7 h (3G).
Colors : Midnight Blue, Misty Silver.
Official launch believed to be in first quarter of 2011.

4. Apple iPhone 5

Expected Features of Apple iPhone 5:

Camera : 10.2 megapixel.
Display : OLED screen, Scratch proof and shatter proof screen.
Dimensions : 9.3 mm thick.
Processor : may have A8 Processor, Qualcomm Radio Chip.
Internal/External Memory : 32G and 64G memory.
Battery : Extended and new age battery life.
Standby Time : 600 hours.
Talk Time : 14 hours talk time on 3G and 7 hours on 4G.
Official launch believed to be in second quarter of 2011.

5. HTC 7 Pro

Expected Features of HTC 7 Pro

Operating system: Microsoft Windows Phone 7.
Camera : 5 Megapixels, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash, Geo-tagging, face detection.
Display : Capacitive touch screen, Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, Proximity sensor for auto turn-off, Multi-touch input method, QWERTY keyboard.
Dimensions : 117.5 x 59 x 15.5 mm, 185 grams.
Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 1 GHz processor.
Internal/External Memory : 8/16 GB storage, 448 MB RAM, 512 MB ROM.
Battery : Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh.
Standby Time : Up to 360 h (2G) / Up to 420 h (3G).
Talk Time : Up to 5 h 30 min (2G) / Up to 7 h (3G).
Colors : Black.
Official launch believed to be in first quarter of 2011.

6. Nokia E7

Expected Features of Nokia E7

Operating system: Symbian^3 OS.
Camera : 8 Megapixels, 3264×2448 pixels, fixed focus, dual-LED flash, Geo-tagging, face detection.
Display : AMOLED capacitive touchscreen,16M colors, Nokia ClearBlack display, QWERTY keyboard, Multi-touch input method, Proximity sensor for auto turn-off, Scratch resistant Gorilla glass display.
Dimensions : 123.7 x 62.4 x 13.6 mm, 104.9 cc, 176 grams.
Processor : ARM 11 680 MHz processor, 3D Graphics HW accelerator.
Internal/External Memory : 16 GB storage, 256 MB RAM, 1 GB ROM.
Battery : Standard battery, Li-Ion 1200 mAh (BL-4D).
Standby Time : Up to 432 h (2G) / Up to 480 h (3G).
Talk Time : Up to 9 h (2G) / Up to 5 h (3G).
Colors : Dark Grey, Silver White, Green, Blue, Orange.
Officially launched believed to be in first quarter of 2011.

7. LG Optimus Black

Expected Features of LG Optimum Black:

Operating system: Android OS, v2.2 Froyo, upgradable to v2.3.
Camera : 2Megapixels front-facing camera, Geo-tagging.
Display : Capacitive touch screen, 16M colors, Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, Optimus UI 2.0, Proximity sensor for auto turn-off.
Dimensions : 121 x 63.5 x 9.2 mm, 109 grams.
Processor : TI OMAP 3630, 1 GHz.
Internal/External Memory : 2 GB, microSD, up to 32GB.
Battery : Standard battery, Lithium 1500 mAh.
Colors : Black.
Official launch believed to be in first half of 2011.

8. Sony Ericsson Xperia Play

Expected Features of Sony Ericsson Xperia Play:

Operating system: Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread).
Camera : 5 Megapixels, 2592х1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash.
Display : LED-backlit LCD, capacitive touch screen, 16M colors, Touch sensitive gaming controls, PSP like gaming buttons, Proximity sensor for auto turn-off, Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate.
Processor : 1 GHz processor.
Internal/External Memory : 315 MB, 378 MB RAM, microSD, up to 32GB.
Battery : Standard battery, Li-Ion 1500 mAh (BST-41).
Colors : Black.
Official launch believed to be in Feb – March of 2011.

9. Samsung Galaxy Ace

Expected Features of Samsung Galaxy Ace:

Operating System: Android 2.2.1 Froyo.
Camera: 5-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash.
Display: 3.5-inch HVGA TFT display.
Processor : 800MHz processor.
Social Hub, TouchWiz interface, Swype; document viewer/editor.
Connection : Quad-band GSM, HSDPA, A-GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi.
Official launch believed to be in first half of 2011.

10. Nokia N9

Image credit: Baidu
Expected Features of Nokia N9:

Operating system: MeeGo OS
Camera : 12 Megapixels, autofocus, dual-LED flash, Geo-tagging, face detection
Display : 4.0 inches super AMOLED capacitive touch screen with 16M colors. Sliding FULL QWERTY Keyboard, multi-touch input method and scratch-resistant surface
Dimensions : 160 grams
Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8250 1 GHz
Internal/External Memory : 64 GB storage, 512 MB RAM, 1 GB ROM
Battery : Standard battery, Li-Ion 1320 mAh
Standby Time : 430 hours
Talk Time : 540 mins
Colors : Black, Silver, Blue
Officially launched believed to be in February at the MWC 2011 in Barcelona

Bridges You Have To Avoid! (Top 7)

2011-06-14T09:51:00.000-07:00

For the most part, bridges offer people an easier way to commute from one place to another and are truly a blessing. These incredible and outrageously scary bridges from around the world shown here might be helpful in a sense, but if you have a fear of heights or any sort of the manner, these bridges will haunt you in your sleep. An unbelievable list of sky high vehicular bridges, super high suspension bridges, and creepy rope bridges; there is surely something here to cause you some chills or thrills.

Aiguille du Midi Bridge, France

A very, very small short bridge that connects two mountains might not seem scary at first glance, but take a larger exterior examination and you truly might just have a panic attack seeing how high up this structure really is. Aiguille du Midi in the French Alps is most certainly the most incredible connection in the world sitting at approximately 3842 m high. While delivering breathtaking views of the Mont Blanc Mountain, this observational platform allows you to truly reach the stars.

Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado, US

The Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado in the United States holds the record for the tallest suspension bridge in the world with its roadbed towering at 1,053 feet (321 meters) above the ground below. You can walk or drive this bridge, at approximately 1,270 feet long it makes for a breathless journey. Built in 1929 for $350,000 weighing roughly 1500 tons, the cost today would easily exceed $15 million. Taking care of this aged bridge is no small feat either- the walkway alone is made of 1,270 planks of deck; about 250 are replaced annually.

Trift Suspension Bridge, Switzerland

One of the most beautiful places in the world is home to one of the most spectacular and intimidating bridges ever. The Trift Bridge sits directly above the Trift Glacier at 100 meters high, 170 meters long, and is considered to be one of the longest and highest pedestrian suspension bridges in the Alps. You can hike or take the cable car to get to this impressive bridge which often times looks out to raging frozen waters and spectacular views.

Millau Bridge, France

One of the world’s tallest vehicular bridges elevated 1,125-ft above the Tarn Valley in southern France is the Millau Bridge. Driving over this bridge has got to be one most thrilling experiences of a lifetime and not a ride for those afraid of heights or bridges! Just somewhat taller than the Eiffel Tower, The Millau Bridge has a total length of 8,071-ft and extends 885.8 feet (270 meters) above the river below. Recently built and opened to the public in 2004 this bridge provides unimaginative views that pictures alone just can’t capture.

Capilano Suspension Bridge, Canada

A true tourist attraction, this long and incredibly high up suspension bridge has me very thankful I don’t have an extreme fear of heights. Noted as Vancouver’s oldest tourist attraction, this bridge stretches 450 feet (137m) across and 230 feet (70m) above the Capilano River. Beautiful views abound here, yet the height is incredibly overwhelming.

Canopy Walk in Kakum Nat’l Park, Ghana

The Kakum National Park offers a long sequence of hanging bridges throughout the forests covering known as the Canopy Walk. There are over 7 bridges that expand to a length of over 330 meters or 1,080 ft long and 40 meters or 130 feet high. The Canopy is made out of netting and wires and maintains safety inspection, however with the large number of visitors and incredible heights it just screams out scary to me. It does, however offer an incredible view of the forest if you can handle the heights and daring nature of walking high up in the trees.

Hussaini Hanging Bridge, Pakistan

Perhaps the most dangerous of all the bridges in the world is the Hussaini- Borit Lake Bridge. There is absolutely no way this is safe but is actually used on a regular basis by those attempting to travel to the larger cities in northern Pakistan. The bridge (if you can even call it that) is very old, missing planks, extremely narrow, and high above the lake. If you are searching for extreme thrills then this bridge might be a delight for you, however for the majority of visitors and locals alike the bridge is truly death-defying and fearful. It is not known exactly how many people may have become a casualty while crossing this treacherous structure, but more than enough so take heed.

Via: it THING

Top 10 Most Strange Unusual Animal Friendships

2011-06-14T09:41:00.000-07:00

In this world, some people are still fighting among the same races, different races to satisfy their� desire. As we know, the human race is the most intelligent living creature in this world. However, most of the time we are not showing humanness love to each other and causing lots of unnecessary quarrels and the worst scenario is the war between the different countries. It caused the dead of millions of innocent human life and bring a disastrous damages to the environment and civilization.

Today, I would like to showcase the top ten most strange unusual animal friendships. This is to remind everyone of us that even the different species of animals also can get along together without killing each other.
Let us think about the human being who claimed as the most intelligent living creature in the world? Can we love each other with the pure heart to make this world a better world to stay? Let’s pray for the peace of the world.

Tiger and Pig

sheep and two dogs

orang utan and roscoe the blue tick hound

mother dog and lion cubs

lewd lemur and parrot

kitten and dog

giraffe and ostrich

elephant and sheep

baby pelican and dachshund

chimpanzee and white tiger
(Photo Source: CCTV.com)

Unique USB Flash Drivers! ( Video included )

2011-06-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

LaCie has rolled out a new designer flash drive in association with with Christofle -- the Galet, designed by Christofle. With its beautiful pebble shape and magnificent silver-plating, the Galet is a conversation piece that proves beauty and functionality can easily co-exist in our daily lives. Like a designer watch or a luxury pen, the Galet is an accessory. Hand-crafted in France, each piece is individually plated with precious silver through Christofle's 150 year-old silvering process. Then it is carefully inspected for a smooth finish and radiant polish, which guarantees its excellence.
The Galet comes in 4GB and includes LaCie's Private-Public software with password protection. It is available for $130 in Christofle boutiques worldwide, as well as the LaCie Online Store.

The World’s 7 Strangest Airports

2011-06-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

Engineers tasked with building an airport are faced with countless challenges: The ideal location needs ample space, endless flat ground, favorable winds and great visibility. But spots in the real world are rarely ideal, and engineers are forced to work with what they have, making sure that the end product is the safest possible structure for pilots. A survey of airports around the world turns up a mixed bag, ranging from dangerous and rugged landing strips to mega-size facilities that operate like small cities. Here, 7CL explores the world's most remarkable airports and why they stand out.

7. Courchevel International Airport (Courchevel, France)

Background:
Getting to the iconic ski resort of Courchevel requires navigating the formidable French Alps before making a hair-raising landing at Courchevel International Airport. The runway is about 1700 feet long, but the real surprise is the large hill toward the middle of the strip.

Why It's Unique:
"You take off downhill and you land going uphill," Schreckengast says. He adds that the hill, which has an 18.5 percent grade, is so steep that small planes could probably gain enough momentum rolling down it with no engines to safely glide off the edge. Landing at Courchevel is obviously no easy task, so pilots are required to obtain certification before attempting to conquer the dangerous runway.

6. Congonhas Airport (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

Background:
Most major cities have an airport, but rarely are they built just 5 miles from the city center, especially in metropolises like Sao Paulo. Congonhas' close proximity to downtown can be attributed in part to the fact that it was completed in 1936, with the city experiencing rapid development in the following decades.

Why It's Unique:
While having an airport only 5 miles from the city center may be a convenience for commuters, it places a strain on both pilots and air traffic control crews. "It becomes a challenge in terms of safety to just get the plane in there," Schreckengast says. "Then you throw on noise restrictions and these terribly awkward arrival and departure routes that are needed to minimize your noise-print and it becomes quite challenging for pilots." Fortunately, Sao Paulo's many high-rise buildings are far enough away from the airport that they aren't an immediate obstacle for pilots landing or taking off.

5. Ice Runway (Antarctica)

Background:
The Ice Runway is one of three major airstrips used to haul supplies and researchers to Antarctica's McMurdo Station. As its name implies, there are no paved runways here—just long stretches of ice and snow that are meticulously groomed.

Why It's Unique:
There is no shortage of space on the Ice Runway, so super-size aircraft like the C-130 Hercules and the C-17 Globemaster III can land with relative ease. The real challenge is making sure that the weight of the aircraft and cargo doesn't bust the ice or get the plane stuck in soft snow. As the ice of the runway begins to break up, planes are redirected to Pegasus Field or Williams Field, the two other airstrips servicing the continent.

4. Don Mueang International Airport (Bangkok, Thailand)

Background:
From a distance Don Mueang International looks like any other midsize airport. However, smack-dab in the middle of the two runways is an 18-hole golf course.

Why It's Unique:
Schreckengast, who has worked on consulting projects at this airport, says one of the major problems is that the only taxiways were located at the end of the runways. "We recommended that they build an additional taxiway in the middle, from side to side, and they said ‘absolutely not, that will take out a green and one fairway.'" The airport and the course were originally an all-military operation, but have since opened up to commercial traffic. Security threats, however, have limited the public's access to the greens.

3. Madeira International Airport (Madeira, Portugal)

Background:
Madeira is a small island far off the coast of Portugal, which makes an airport that is capable of landing commercial-size aircraft vital to its development. This airport's original runway was only about 5000 feet long, posing a huge risk to even the most experienced pilots and limiting imports and tourism.

Why It's Unique:
Engineers extended the runway to more than 9000 feet by building a massive girder bridge atop about 200 pillars. The bridge, which itself is over 3000 feet long and 590 feet wide, is strong enough to handle the weight of 747s and similar jets. In 2004, the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering selected the expansion project for its Outstanding Structure Award, noting that the design and construction was both "sensitive to environmental and aesthetic considerations."

2. Gibraltar Airport (Gibraltar)

Background:
Between Morocco and Spain sits the tiny British territory of Gibraltar. Construction of the airport dates back to World War II, and it continues to serve as a base for the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force, though commercial flights land on a daily basis.

Why It's Unique:
Winston Churchill Avenue, Gibraltar's busiest road, cuts directly across the runway. Railroad-style crossing gates hold cars back every time a plane lands or departs. "There's essentially a mountain on one side of the island and a town on the other," Schreckengast says. "The runway goes from side to side on the island because it's the only flat space there, so it's the best they can do. It's a fairly safe operation as far as keeping people away," he says, "It just happens to be the best place to land, so sometimes it's a road and sometimes it's a runway."

1. Kansai International Airport (Osaka, Japan)

Background:
Land is a scarce resource in Japan, so engineers headed roughly 3 miles offshore into Osaka Bay to build this colossal structure. Work on the manmade island started in 1987, and by 1994 jumbo jets were touching down. Travelers can get from the airport to the main island of Honshu via car, railroad or even a high-speed ferry.

Why It's Unique:
Kansai's artificial island is 2.5 miles long and 1.6 miles wide—so large that it's visible from space. Earthquakes, dangerous cyclones, an unstable seabed, and sabotage attempts from protestors are just some of the variables engineers were forced to account for. As impressive as the airport is, Stewart Schreckengast, a professor of aviation technology at Purdue University and a former aviation consultant with MITRE, cautions that climate change and rising sea levels pose a very real threat to the airport's existence. "When this was built, [engineers] probably didn't account for global warming," he says. "In 50 years or so, this might be underwater."

Via: Popular Mechanics

Top 10 Animals With Incredible Eyes!

2011-06-14T09:18:00.000-07:00

According to scientists, eyes evolved around 540 million years ago as simple light detecting organs. Today, vision is the most important sense for many animals, humans included, and they have became incredibly varied and complex. Take a look at some of the strangest and most incredible eyes in the animal kingdom.

10 Tarsier

The tarsier is a small (about squirrel sized) nocturnal primate, found in the rainforests of South Eastern Asia. It is the only fully predatory primate in the world, feeding on lizards and insects and is even known to catch birds in mid flight. It’s most remarkable feature; however, are its enormous eyes, the largest of any mammal, relative to body size. If your eyes were proportionally as big as those of the tarsier, they would be the size of grapefruits. These enormous eyes are fixed in the skull, and can´t be turn in their sockets. To compensate for this, the tarsier has a very flexible neck, and can rotate its head 180 degrees, just like an owl, to scan for potential prey or predators.
With each eye weighing more than its brain, the tarsier has extremely acute eyesight and superb night vision; it has even been suggested that they may be able to see ultraviolet light. On the other hand, they seem to have very poor color vision, as is the case with many nocturnal animals (including house cats and owls, for example).

9 Chameleon

Chameleons are famous for their ability to change color, an ability that helps them communicate and express their intentions, or mood, to other chameleons (only a few species use color-changing as camouflage). These lizards also have very unusual eyes; their eyelids are fused, and cover almost the entire eyeball, except for a small hole to let the pupil see through; each eye can be moved independently from the other, and so the chameleon can scan for prey and potential threats at the same time. This also means that the chameleon has a full 360 degree field of vision.
When the chameleon sees a potential prey (usually an insect, although the largest species are known to devour mice and other small vertebrates), it focuses both eyes in the same direction, gaining stereoscopic vision – very important if we consider that the chameleon captures prey by shooting out its tongue at high speed, a technique that requires a very precise distance and depth perception. Chameleons have very sharp eyesight, being able to see an insect several meters away, and just like the tarsier, they can see ultraviolet light.

8 Dragonfly

The dragonfly, possibly the most formidable aerial hunter among insects, also has some of the most amazing eyes in the animal world. They are so big that they cover almost the entire head, giving it a helmeted appearance, and a full 360 degree field of vision. These eyes are made up of 30,000 visual units called ommatidia, each one containing a lens and a series of light sensitive cells. Their eyesight is superb; they can detect colors and polarized light, and are particularly sensitive to movement, allowing them to quickly discover any potential prey or enemy.
Some dragonfly species that hunt at dusk can see perfectly in low light conditions, when we humans can barely see anything. Not only that; dragonflies also have three smaller eyes named ocelli which can detect movement faster than the huge compound eyes can; these ocelli quickly send visual information to the dragonflies’ motor centers, allowing it to react in a fraction of a second and perhaps explaining the insect’s formidable acrobatic skills. Although dragonflies are not the only insects with ocelli (some wasps and flies have them too), they do have the most developed ones.

7 Leaf tailed gecko

Leaf tailed geckos have pretty surreal-looking eyes; their pupils are vertical and have a series of “pinholes” which widen at night, allowing these lizards to pick up as much light as possible. These eyes also have many more light sensitive cells than human eyes, giving the animal the ability to detect objects and even to see colors at night.
To give you an idea of the gecko’s amazing night vision, let us just say that, while cats and sharks can see six and ten times better than humans, respectively, the Leaf Tailed gecko and other nocturnal gecko species can see up to 350 times better than we can in dim light!
Leaf tailed geckos also have a series of strange, intricate eye patterns, which provide camouflage. These lizards lack eyelids; their eyes are protected by a transparent membrane, and geckos are often seen cleaning this membrane with their tongue.

6 Colossal squid

Not to be confused with the better known, but smaller Giant Squid, the Colossal Squid is the largest invertebrate known to science; it also has the largest eyes in the animal kingdom. Each one of the Colossal squid’s eyes can be up to 30 cms across, being bigger than a dinner plate and having a lense the size of an orange. These huge eyes allow the squid to see in dim light conditions, very useful for an animal that spends most of its time hunting at 2000 meters below the surface.
It must be mentioned that only sub adult colossal squid have been captured and studied thus far; full grown Colossal squid may grow up to 15 meters long. These giants would have even bigger eyes. Unlike the Giant Squid, the Colossal squid has stereoscopic vision, having a greater ability to judge distances. Even more amazing, each eye has a built-in “headlight”, an organ known as a photophore which can produce light so that whenever the Colossal squid focuses its eyes to the front, the photophores produce enough light for the squid to see its prey in the dark.

5 Four eyed fish

Found in Mexico and Central America, as well as Northern South America, these are small fish measuring up to 32 cm and usually found in fresh or brackish water (although they have also been seen in marine coasts). They feed mostly on insects, so they spend most of their time swimming at the surface. Despite their name, four eyed fish have only two eyes. However, these eyes are divided by a band of tissue and each half of the eye has a pupil of its own. This bizarre adaptation allows the four eyed fish to see perfectly (and at the same time) both above and below the waterline, scanning for both prey and predators.
The upper half of the eyeball is adapted to vision in air, while the lower half is adapted to underwater vision. Although both halves of the eye use the same lens, the thickness and curve of the lens is different in the upper and lower eye halves, thus correcting for the different behavior of light in air and water. This means that when the four eyed fish is completely submerged, the upper halves of the eyes are out of focus. Fortunately, the fish spends almost its entire life in the surface, and it only has to dive completely once in a while to prevent the upper halves of the eyes from dehydrating.

4 Stalk eyed fly

These small but spectacular creatures are mostly found in the jungles of South East Asia and Africa, with a few species also found in Europe and North America. They get their name from the long projections from the sides of the head with the eyes and antennae at the end. Male flies usually have much longer stalks than females and it has been confirmed that females prefer males with long eyestalks. Males during mating season often stand face to face and measure their eyestalk’s length; the one with the greatest “eye span” is recognized as the winner.
Male stalk eyed flies also have the extraordinary ability to enlarge their eyestalks by ingesting air through their mouth and pumping it through ducts in the head to the eyestalks. They do this mostly during mating season. Here’s an amazing video of the male stalk eyed fly, newly emerged from its cocoon, actively enlarging his eyestalks:

3 Spookfish

The spookfish is a deep water, ghostly-looking fish that has some of the most bizarre eye structures known to science; each eye has a lateral swelling called a diverticulum, separated from the main eye by a septum. While the main part of the eye has a lens and functions in a similar way to other animal eyes, the diverticulum has a curved, composite mirror composed of many layers of what seem to be guanine crystals. This “mirror” is superior at gathering light than the normal eye; the diverticulum reflects light and focuses it onto the retina allowing the fish to see both up at down at the same time.
The spookfish is the only vertebrate known to use a mirror eye structure to see, as well as the usual lens. Spookfish are found worldwide but are rare to see, since they spend most of their lives at a depth of 1000-2000 meters. They feed on small crustaceans and plankton, and measure about 18 cm in length.

2 Ogre faced spider

Spiders are popularly known for having many eyes (although this varies greatly among the different species, with some having two, four, six or eight eyes). The Ogre-faced spider has six eyes, but it looks as if it only had two because the middle pair is greatly enlarged. This is an adaptation for a nocturnal lifestyle; ogre faced spiders have superb night vision not only because of their huge eyes, but because of an extremely light sensitive layer of cells covering them.
This membrane is so sensitive in fact, that it is destroyed at dawn and a new one is produced every night. Ogre faced spiders are unusual because they can see perfectly at night even though they lack tapetum lucidum, a reflective membrane that helps others spiders (and other predators such as cats) to see in low light conditions. As a matter of facts, scientists believe that ogre faced spiders have better night vision than cats, sharks, or even owls (which can see up to 100 times better than humans at night!).

1 Mantis shrimp

And finally, we get to the animal with the weirdest and most amazing eyes in the world. The mantis shrimp is not actually a shrimp, but a different kind of crustacean from the Stomatopoda order. Known for its aggressiveness and formidable weaponry (they have an extremely sharp and powerful claw and can split a human finger in two or even break a glass aquarium with one single strike), mantis shrimp are voracious predators found mostly in tropical waters.
Their eyes are compound, like those of the dragonfly, although they have a far smaller number of ommatidia (about 10.000 per eye); however, in the mantis shrimp each ommatidia row has a particular function. For example, some of them are used to detect light, others to detect color, etc.
Mantis shrimp have much better color vision than humans (their eyes having 12 types of color receptors, whereas humans have only three), as well as ultraviolet, infrared and polarized light vision, thus having the most complex eyesight of any animal known. The eyes are located at the end of stalks, and can be moved independently from each other, rotating up to 70 degrees. Interestingly, the visual information is processed by the eyes themselves, not the brain.
Even more bizarre; each of the mantis shrimp’s eyes is divided in three sections allowing the creature to see objects with three different parts of the same eye. In other words, each eye has “trinocular vision” and complete depth perception, meaning that if a mantis shrimp lost an eye, its remaining eye would still be able to judge depth and distance as well as a human with his two eyes. Scientists are only starting to understand the mysteries of Stomatopod vision; for the moment, we can only imagine what the world really looks like to a mantis shrimp.

+Trilobite

Trilobites were one of the most successful animal groups of all times, thriving for almost 300 million years long before dinosaurs appeared on Earth. Although some species were eyeless, most of them had compound eyes similar to those of insects. The weird thing about trilobite eyes is that their lenses were made of inorganic calcite crystal, a mineral that is also the main component of limestone and chalk. In its purest form, calcite is clear, thus being an adequate if unorthodox material for an eye lens.
These crystal eyes are unique to trilobites, with the compound eyes of modern invertebrates being made of chitin, an organic substance. Due to their unusual composition, trilobite eyes were completely rigid and could not be adjusted to focus; instead, the trilobite corrected its focus with an internal eye mechanism which not only solved any potential problems caused by the mineral lens, but also gave the trilobite such good vision, that it could keep both close and distant objects in focus at the same time.
As if that wasn´t bizarre enough, some trilobites had really weird looking eyes; a few had their eyes at the end of long projections, just like the Stalk Eyed Fly, while others had overhanging “eyeshades” on top of the eye, protecting it from bright sunlight. Being made of calcite, trilobite eyes fossilized easily, and therefore we probably know more about trilobite eyes and vision than about those of any other prehistoric creature.

++ Goats

We all imagine pupils to be round – as they are the type we see most often (on humans) – but goats (and most other animals with hooves) have horizontal slits which are nearly rectangular when dilated. This gives goats vision covering 320 – 340 degrees; this means they can see virtually all around them without having to move (humans have vision covering 160 – 210 degrees). Consequently, animals with rectangular eyes can see better at night due to having larger pupils that can be closed more tightly during the day to restrict light. Interestingly, octopuses also have rectangular pupils.

The Truth Behind the Peace Sign!

2011-06-14T08:56:00.000-07:00

50 years had passed. Another 100 will pass and there is always going to be someone who is wondering what is that mark standing for. It started life as the emblem of the British anti-nuclear movement but it has become an international sign for peace, and arguably the most widely used protest symbol in the world. It has also been adapted, attacked and commercialised.Many people have speculated on just what the symbol represents; some religious zealots even claim it signifies Christ on the cross with arms broken, or a Teutonic rune representing death and despair. But the truth is not so mysterious.

What does it mean?

One of the most widely known symbols in the world, in Britain it is recognised as standing for nuclear disarmament —and in particular as the logo of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). It was designed from the naval code of semaphore, and the symbol represents the code letters for ND which means Nuclear Disarmament.The circle, representing the concept of total or complete, surrounds the N and D signifying total or complete nuclear disarmament.
In the United States and much of the rest of the world it is known more broadly as the peace symbol. It was designed in 1958 by Gerald Holtom, a professional designer and artist and a graduate of the Royal College of Arts. He showed his preliminary sketches to a small group of people in the Peace News office in North London and to the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War, one of several smaller organisations that came together to set up CND.
The Direct Action Committee had already planned what was to be the first major anti-nuclear march, from London to Aldermaston, where British nuclear weapons were and still are manufactured. It was on that march, over the 1958 Easter weekend that the symbol first appeared in public. Five hundred cardboard lollipops on sticks were produced. Half were black on white and half white on green. Just as the church’s liturgical colours change over Easter, so the colours were to change, “from Winter to Spring, from Death to Life.” Black and white would be displayed on Good Friday and Saturday, green and white on Easter Sunday and Monday.
The first badges were made by Eric Austin of Kensington CND using white clay with the symbol painted black. Again there was a conscious symbolism. They were distributed with a note explaining that in the event of a nuclear war, these fired pottery badges would be among the few human artifacts to survive the nuclear inferno. These early ceramic badges can still be found and one, lent by CND, was included in the Imperial War Museum’s 1999/2000 exhibition ”From the Bomb to the Beatles”.

Later, in a letter, Holtom also admitted that the symbol reflected his mood at the time. “I was in despair,” he wrote. “Deep despair. I drew myself: the representative of an individual in despair, with hands palm outstretched outwards and downwards in the manner of Goya’s peasant before the firing squad. I formalized the drawing into a line and put a circle around it.”
American journalist and playwright Herb Greer adds support for the Holtom explanation. He reported, “I was actually there on and before the first Aldermaston march for which it was created. I visited Holtom, I saw the original sketches and discussed it with him.”
Ken Kolsbun, author of the book Peace: The Biography of a Symbol, reported that Holtom expressed regret in not designing the peace symbol with the joyful lifting of arms towards the sky. For most of Holtom’s life he would draw only the upright peace symbol. Holtom requested that the upright peace symbol be placed on his tombstone in Kent, England. If we take a look on the picture of his tombstone, we’ll see that his wish was unfortunately ignored.

While it appears reasonable that the modern day peace symbol comes from Gerald Holtom, this logic fails to address the fact that the symbol has been used for evil both in modern times and for thousands of years.
This same symbol was used by Hitler’s 3rd Panzer Division from 1941 to 1945. The image on the left is the regimental 3rd Panzer Division symbol. Soviet, Polish, and Hungarian citizens, having suffered from the Nazi massacres, undoubtedly struggled with Holtom’s use of the symbol as a thoughtful way to communicate peace. The symbol can also be found on some of Hitler’s SS soldiers’ tombstones.
Another flaw in the Holtom creation story is the use of the symbol as an anti-Christian symbol by the Saracens as early as 711 A.D.For the Saracens, the image placed on their shields symbolized the breaking of the Christian cross. For some the broken cross was equated to a satanic symbol known as the raven’s craw or witch’s foot. While Holtom may not have known the historical meaning of the peace symbol, Bertrand Russell was a historian and member of the Fabian Society. A 1970 article in the American Opinion magazine claimed Russell knew the historical occult meaning and intentionally selected an “anti-Christian design long associated with Satanism.”
The fifth and final Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Nero (born Lucius Domitius Ahenabarbus 37 – 68 AD), is remembered in history for persecuting Christians. Nero’s rule was so wicked he even had his mother executed. The First Roman-Jewish War (66 – 70 AD) started during his reign and today the term “Nero Cross” is the symbol of the “broken Jew” or “broken cross.” The most famous person believed to be crucified by Nero was the Apostle Peter. To symbolize humility and unworthiness in comparison to Christ, Peter requested that he be crucified with his head toward the ground. As a result of Peter’s death the upside down cross was used by early Christians as a positive symbol for peace.

The symbol of the upside down cross changes its meaning when the person on the upside down cross is no longer Peter but Jesus. Anti-religious and satanic groups use the “Nero Cross” or inverted “Latin Cross” to symbolize everything opposite of Christianity. Today this is clearly illustrated by “black metal” or heavy metal music lyrics and imagery that communicate anti-Christian sentiments. In addition to musicians, film makers have reinforced the notion that the upside down cross is an anti-Christian symbol as illustrated by The Omen in 1976 and The Exorcism of Emily Rose in 2005.
The symbol has also been used to communicate support for communism. Bertrand Russell once said: “There is no hope in anything but the Soviet way.” Governments–both those who supported communism and those opposed to it–have perceived benefits in aligning the peace symbol with communist ideology. For people like Bertrand Russell, the author of the 1927 essay Why I Am Not Christian, the symbol represented not only a pro-communism meaning but peace without God.

CND has never registered the sign as a trademark, arguing that “a symbol of freedom, it is free for all”. It has now appeared on millions of mugs, T-shirts, rings and nose-studs. Bizarrely, it has also made an appearance on packets of Lucky Strike cigarettes.A decade ago, the sign was chosen during a public vote to appear on a US commemorative postage stamp saluting the 1960s.The symbol that helped define a generation of baby boomers may not be as widely used today as in the past. It is in danger of becoming to many people a retro fashion item, although the Iraq war has seen it re-emerge with something like its original purpose.
“It is still the dominant peace sign,” argues Lawrence Wittner, an expert on peace movements at the University at Albany in New York.”Part of that is down to its simplicity. It can be used as a shorthand for many causes because it can be reproduced really quickly – on walls on floors, which is important, in say, repressive societies.”
And can its success be measured? Fifty years on, wars have continued to be waged and the list of nuclear-armed states has steadily lengthened.But the cup is half-full as well as half empty.
“There are many ways in which nuclear war has been prevented,” says Mr Wittner. “The hawks say that the reason nuclear weapons have not been used is because of the deterrent. But I believe popular pressure has restrained powers from using them and helped curbed the arms race.And the symbol of and inspiration for that popular pressure, says Mr Wittner, is Mr Holtom’s graphic.

“Today because many people carry the symbol without understanding the history, we miss an opportunity to address historical uses and move forward to reclaim the symbol for good.When you see the peace symbol, I encourage you to see the person displaying it as communicating a message of love.If you display the peace symbol, my recommendation is point the arms of the peace symbol toward the sky to honor Holtom’s wish, address historical objections, and communicate love of all people.”Dave Dionisi, Teach Peace Foundation

10 Common English Language Errors

2011-06-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

Because English is such a complex language, it is fraught with traps that we all frequently fall into. With this list I hope to clear up at least a few of the confusing words we use every day. This is a list of some of the more common errors people make with English.

1. Practice / Practise
In US English, practice is used as either a verb (doing word), or noun (naming word). Hence, a doctor has a practice, and a person practices the violin. In UK english, practice is a noun, and practise is a verb. A doctor has a practice, but his daughter practises the piano.

2. Bought / Brought
Bought relates to buying something. Brought relates to bringing something. For example, I bought a bottle of wine which had been brought over from France. The easy way to remember which is which is that bring start with ‘br’ and brought also does. Buy and bought start with ‘b’ only. This is one of those difficult ones that a spelling checker won’t catch.

3. Your / You’re
Your means “belonging to you”. You’re means “you are”. The simplest way to work out the correct one to use is to read out your sentence. For example, if you say “you’re jeans look nice” expand the apostrophe. The expanded sentence would read “you are jeans look nice” – obviously nonsensical. Remember, in English, the apostrophe often denotes an abbreviation.

4. Its / It’s
As in the case above, the apostrophe denotes an abbreviation: it’s = it is. Its means “belongs to it”. The confusion arises here because we also use an apostrophe in English to denote possession – except in this case; if you want to say “the cat’s bag” you say “its bag” not “it’s bag”. “It’s” always means “it is” or “it has”. “It’s a hot day.” “it’s been fun seeing you.”

5. Two / To / Too
With a ‘w’ it means the number 2. With one ‘o’ it refers to direction: ‘to France’. With two ‘o’s it means “also” or refers to quantity – for example: “There is too much money”. A good way to remember this one is that too has two ‘o’s – ie, it has more ‘o’s than ‘to’ – therefore it refers to quantity.

6. Desert / Dessert

This is a confusing one because in English an ‘s’ on its own is frequently pronounced like a ‘z’ and two ‘s’s are usually pronounced as a n ‘s’ (for example: prise, prissy). In this case, desert follow the rule – it means a large stretch of sand. However, dessert is pronounced “dez-urt” with the emphasis on the second syllable – ie, something we eat as part of our meal. To make matters worse, when a person leaves the army without permission, it is spelt desert. So, let’s sum up:
desert (pronounced dez’-it): dry land
desert (pronounced dez-urt’): abandon
dessert (pronounced dez-urt’): yum yum! – remember, two ‘s’s because you want second helpings!
Oh – one more thing – another very common mistake is using the word dessert (two ‘s’s) to mean pudding – pudding is a sweet course, often consisting of some kind of cake or icecream. Dessert is fruit or cheese – normally taken after the pudding course.

7. Dryer / Drier
If your clothes are wet, put them in a clothes dryer. That will make them drier. A hair dryer also makes hair drier.

8. Chose / Choose
This is actually quite an easy one to remember – in English we generally pronounce ‘oo’ as it is written – such as “moo”. The same rule applies here: choose is pronounced as it is written (with a ‘z’ sound for the ‘s’) – and chose is said like “nose”. Therefore, if you had to choose to visit Timbuktu, chances are you chose to fly there. Chose is the past tense, choose is the present tense.

9. Lose / Loose
This one is confusing. In this case, contrary to normal rules of English, the single ‘s’ in loose is pronounced like an ‘s’ – as in wearing trousers that are too loose. Lose on the other hand, relates to loss – for example: “I hope we don’t lose this game”. A good way to remember this is that in the word “lose” you have lost the second ‘o’ from loose. If you can’t remember a rule that simple, you are a loser!

10. Literally
This one is not only often used in error, it is incredibly annoying when it is used in the wrong way. Literally means “it really happened” – therefore, unless you live on a parallel universe with different rules of physics, you can not say “he literally flew out the door”. Saying someone “flew out the door” is speaking figuratively – you could say “he figuratively flew out the door” but figuratively is generally implied when you describe something impossible. Literally can only be used in the case of facts – for example: he literally exploded after swallowing the grenade. If he did, indeed, swallow the grenade and explode – that last sentence is perfectly correct. It would not be correct to say “she annoyed him and he literally exploded” unless she is Wonder Woman and her anger can cause people to blow up.

Bonus: I could care less

I have to add this one as a bonus because it is one I especially hate. When you say “I could care less” you are saying “I care a little so I could care less”. Most people when using this horrific sentence mean to say “I couldn’t care less” which means “I care so little I could not care less”.

Bonus 2: Ironic

Isn’t it ironic? Actually, no, most of the time it is not. Irony, in its true form, is when you state something to a person who does not understand what you truly mean, but another person does. Essentially, it makes the hearer the brunt of the joke without their being aware of it. This is called dramatic or tragic irony because it originated on the stage where the audience knew what was happening but the victim on stage did not. The most sustained example of dramatic irony is undoubtedly Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, in which Oedipus searches to find the murderer of the former king of Thebes, only to discover that it is himself, a fact the audience has known all along.
Another form of irony is Socratic irony, in which the person pretends to be ignorant of a subject in order to truly show the ignorance of the person with whom he is arguing.
Unfortunately, poor Alanis Morissette had no clue when she said “it’s a free ride when you’ve already paid” or “it’s like rain on your wedding day”. This is not irony – it is misfortune or coincidence.
To sum it up, basically Irony is a figure of speech in which what is stated is not what is meant. Sarcasm can be a type of Irony.

Source: http://listverse.com/2007/09/19/10-common-english-language-errors/

In Streets Only In 2013!

2011-06-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

Yes! It is true! The amazing concept from BMW called the Vision Efficient Dynamics will go on sale starting 2013 and this is one of the best news lately.

This concept accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 sec. and emits 99 g CO2 /km. This car has upwards doors and 3-cylinder diesel engine supplied by 2 electric engines.
We don’t know its price, but I think that if you have the money, this is the perfect car to drive!

Top Amazing Art You Should Not Miss!

2011-06-14T08:20:00.000-07:00

If anything is abstract it has 6 dimensions in it this is said by a master professional digital abstract art creator. And it will not be wrong to say that a digital abstract always embodied the portrayal of imagery in arts. Many times it is a sign of ultimate liberty and form of independent expression as well.

Here in this post we have gathered a unique variety of digital abstract wallpapers to garnish your thoughts and desktop as well. We are much hopeful that you will appreciate this effort at all.

Glowing Abstract Light

Gazebos

Botanical Dimensions

Kraft

Requiem Wallpaper

Nvlyh

Synaesthesia

More Illustrations & Mixed Media Projects

RaiMta

L’ete

Sunset

COLLAPSE

Love at first sight

Dream

Abstract High Definition Wallpaper

The Dopeshow

petal-22

Tiny World

Blue Web Pattern

Wallpaper

The Space is Mine

The Ghost of the Shape

IDWallpack

Abstract fun Wallpaper

Tangy

I am Not

Stabilis Wallpaper

Top 10 Of The World’s Special Forces

2011-06-14T08:10:00.000-07:00

In honor of a recent list of cheesy 80s actioners, here is a list for us James Bond wannabes. This list looks at 10 of the special forces from around the world that have the honor of being the most elite and – consequently – badass. Feel free to mention your own favorites in the comments which will no doubt include a lot that are not listed here.

10 Spetsnaz

Whereas most of the training regimens of militaries around the world are designed to teach, Russia’s Special Purpose Regiments, equivalent to the U. S. Green Berets, endure punishment daily throughout their training. They may quit anytime they want. The Spetsnaz want only the best, pain-hardened, battle-loving killers.
They spar with the express goal of injuring each other, breaking ribs, fingers, vertebrae, healing only long enough to get back on their feet and complete the training. They are typically deployed for reconnaissance or house-to-house close quarters combat, but are also employed as extremely formidable bodyguards for high-ranking politicians.
They claim that they are not taught to ignore pain, since that is impossible. They are instead taught to enjoy it.

9 French Naval Commandos

They call themselves “berets verts,” or “green berets,” and consist of 6 units: Hubert, Trepel, de Montfort, de Penfentenyo, Jaubert, and Kieffer. Each unit is trained for special tasks, whether combat diving, close quarters sea combat, exfiltration, canine units, or long range fire support, including snipers and missile launchers. They were established much at the behest of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who was a naval officer in WWII.

8 MARSOC

Currently, only men are allowed to try out for the U. S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command. It’s primary missions are typically special reconnaissance, direct action, and internal defense within foreign nations.
Their training regimen is comprised of 4 phases, increasing in strenuousness. Phase 1 is SERE training, survival, evasion, resistance, escape. They are trained to make fire by friction, fire by mirrors, even fire by ice, depending on the location to which they are deployed. You mold the ice with the heat of your hands into the shape of a lens, which works just like a magnifying glass.
Of course, they take matches and Zippos with them. After this, they begin physical fitness training, and hand-to-hand combat, practicing a hybrid of the most functional martial arts: Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chun, Karate, Jiu-Jitsu, even Pankration. Then, Sayoc Kali, which is Filipino knife fighting.
This is just phase 1. Phase 2 is marksmanship, amphibious demolitions, reconnaissance. Phase 3 is a contrinuation of 2, but with the addition of field radioes and satellite data-uplink systems. Phase 4 is “irregular warfare” instruction, which is a euphemism for “anything goes.” This phase consists primarily of the Derna Bridge operation, which forces the recruits to use all skills acquired during the course.

7 MI-6

The closest thing to James Bond can be found in the personnel of the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service, or Security Service, section 6. It works in close partnership with section 5 (MI-5), the latter which is more of a pure spy agency, dedicated to counter-intelligence and counter-espionage.
MI-6, however, is the unit which deploys its agents all over the world to detect international intelligence threats and “neutralize” them before they become truly dangerous. Their headquarters is at Vauxhall Cross, London, and they will be quick to tell you there that there is no James Bond among them, and that their assignments and missions are quite boring.
They do, however, have an agent very similar to “Q,” who is in charge of all equipment and weaponry deployed for each operation. They also have indoor firing ranges, dojos, and a gym.

6 U. S. Army Rangers

After basic Army training, voluntary enlistment into the 75th Ranger Regiment will train the recruit for the HALO parachute jump, SERE, languages, elite combatives expert, mountain warfare, combat diving, in addition to all the weapons qualification training.
After nine weeks of this, they enroll in Advanced Individual Training, to become masters of their chosen fields, then immediately enroll in the Army Airborne School, then in Ranger Indoctrination or Orientation Programs.
By the time they’ve graduated, they’re so well trained that members have reported waking up screaming from nightmares about Ranger school to be relieved that they are only in Vietnam.
But then, they lose a few points for an incident a Ranger told me about: he was the captain of a tank regiment on maneuvers in the Amazon jungle. Just an exercise, but because of the sweltering heat, they had to open their tank hatches. This captain, who shall remain nameless, heard a thump behind him, and turned to see a Goliath Bird-eating Spider crawling toward him, raising its front legs and hissing.
He admits to screaming like a girl, knifing the tarantula, jumping out of the tank and running off into the jungle for a mile and a half. His buddies still rib him about it.

5 U. S. Army Green Berets

That’s their nickname. Technically they are the U. S. Army Special Forces, as opposed to the special forces of other countries, many of which also wear green berets.
Typically, the Green Berets are trained to administer “unconventional warfare,” which entails infiltrating a hostile area in anticipation of a large-scale military engagement, and training the local resistance populations to fight back against the enemy. This was done in South Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan, among others.
In the event that there is no local resistance to the enemy, the Green Berets infiltrate and soften up the enemy by “neutralizing” as many of its officers as possible. This usually involved sniping and throat cutting.
Training is very extensive and begins with the Army’s assessment of the recruit’s possession of 12 attributes: intelligence, physical fitness, motivation, trustworthiness, accountability, maturity, stability, judgment, decisiveness, teamwork, influence, and communications. 40% of applicants satisfy the Army that they have these attributes.
Final training consists of various endurance courses, carrying heavy backpacks over 40 miles of rugged terrain, with nothing but a live chicken and a knife, day and night. If the recruit can make a fire, he can eat the chicken cooked. He is not given matches or a lighter. He is allowed only a compass and his own hand-drawn map, completed from earlier reconnaissance courses.

4 The Delta Force

The only official United States counter-terrorism unit, dedicated to hostage rescues, counter-insurgency, and general counter-terrorism. They’re full name is 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta, managed by the Army. Selection is done according to a physical fitness test: situps, pushups, followed by a 3-mile run, in an undisclosed time limit.
Then an all-night, 18-mile hike over mountainous terrain with a 35 lb backpack and a compass, no map. This finally culminated with a 40-mile hike with a 45 lb backpack, in a shorter time limit.
Then psychologists conduct a grueling battery of mental exams on the recruit to try to break him into confusion. If he passes this, he actually gets to begin Delta Force training, for 6 months. Firearms, heavy weaponry, elite hand-to-hand training.

3 Shayetet 13

The name means “Flotilla 13,” and their official motto is the same as the Israeli military: “Never Again,” in reference to the Holocaust. Their unofficial motto, as they like to joke, is “When the going gets tough, the Jews get pissed.”
They are 1 of the 3 most elite Israeli special forces units, but Shayetet 13 is the unit most similar to the Delta Force. They specialize in hostage rescue and counter-terrorism, and because they live so close to a host of nations that seem bent on eradicating them, they are at all times ready in an instant to travel abroad and kill. They are very secretive, but of their missions publicized, the most notable include Operation Spring of Youth, in which they hunted down members of Black September in Beirut Lebanon and killed them, in revenge for the 1972 Munich massacre.
Apart from their firearms and heavy weapons training, they train extensively in Krav Maga, the national martial art of Israel, to which they endearingly refer as “Jew-jitsu.” It’s philosophy is based on the principle that in a real street fight no quarter will be asked or given. Fight to kill. Groin strikes are quite prevalent.

2 Navy SEALs

You might think there are a lot of them, given the number of action movies dedicated to the plot device of an invincible warrior, but there are only about 2,000 of them. They are the Unites States’s most elite special warfare combatants. They are trained in all the fields in which the other U. S. special forces are trained, but to an even higher degree of competency.
SEAL training lasts over a year, and requires an age of between 17 and 28 years, male, incorrect vision no worse than 20/200 in either eye, and correctable to 20/20, and the physical screening test, which is beyond belief.
500 yd (460 m) swim using breast or combat sidestroke in under 12:30 with a competitive time of under 10:30.
At least 42 push-ups in 2 minutes with a competitive count of 79 or more.
At least 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes with a competitive count of 79 or more.
At least 6 pull-ups from a dead hang (no time limit) with a competitive count of 11 or more.
Run 1.5 mi (2.4 km) in boots and trousers in under 11:30 with a competitive time of 10:20 or less.
Then training begins. Physical conditioning, diving, land warfare, for 24 weeks, then 26 more weeks of SEAL qualification training. Then specialization in whatever fields a SEAL team needs expertise in: anything from sniper to language specialist, rope climbing, diving, jumpmaster, surreptitious entry, dynamic entry (door breacher), etc.

1 British SAS

The Special Air Service is trained to perform equally well in all the fields listed for the SEALs, but is also trained by MI-5 and MI-6 for in-depth counter-espionage, more so than the SEALs. Physical competency must be of equal stature to the SEALs, to the degree that both special forces work closely together when necessary (Iraq and Afghanistan) and have good camaraderie.
They wear a tan beret, just as the U. S. Army Rangers, and both the SAS and SEALs are trained in knife fighting by experts in Apache Indian knife techniques, as well as Sayoc Kali, Krav Maga, Jeet Kune Do, and for the last 3 years or so, the Keysi Fighting Method, made famous by the Chris Nolan “Batman” films.
They have the distinction of being the model on which almost all national commando units are based today, including every other entry on this list.

by FlameHorse, Source: http://listverse.com/2010/01/11/top-10-badasses-of-the-worlds-special-forces/

Top 10 Bedroom Ideas

2011-06-14T07:47:00.000-07:00

IDEAS

French-style bedroom
Number 10 French style painted furniture, like the Feather & Black bed, looks pretty and makes a room feel cool, calm and elegant. Combine with crisp, white bed linen from The White Company and a few floral cushions for a truly romantic feel.

More Images Inside Post

Leather furniture bedroom
A neutral colour scheme, deep mahogany furniture and a sturdy leather bed with a subtle pink-striped bedspread from Lee Longlands make this master bedroom appeal to both sexes. The bedside table, lamps and mirror frame, also in soft brown leather, add a tactile element to the room.

Boudoir-chic bedroom
Indulge your love of the girly boudoir by choosing antique-style, delicate furniture and embossed metal pieces. A traditional-style dressing table from French Style Company sets the tone and is teamed with boudoir-chic accessories like the dressmaker's dummy from Velvet. Stick to a neutral colour scheme to keep the room looking grown-up.

Bedroom storage
Box shelves from B&Q are hung symmetrically above the bed provide storage that?s as practical as it is eye-catching. The seven-drawer chest from New Heights is great for clearing clutter ,and the wall light is handily located on the wall, freeing up the bedside table.

Formal bedroom
This bedroom is a great place to unwind. This ultra calm space is given a touch of glamour with a sophisticated colour scheme of midnight blue, deep plum and grey, with luxurious bed linen from Marks & Spencer. Floating shelves from Dwell are a great way to display accessories without taking up too much space. Matching pendant lights add a formal touch.

Vibrant purple bedroom
This bedroom uses a vibrant purple so the scheme doesn?t feel gloomy, and combines a patterned wallpaper from Osborne & Little in a corresponding tone. Matching purple accessories, like the cushions, continue the palette, and plush velvets and silks add to the opulent feel that purple creates.

Traditional bedroom
Neutral coir carpets balance the patterned Laura Ashley wallpaper so the bedroom doesn?t seem too busy, and TK Maxx bedding perfectly merges two colours. A large basket at the foot of the bed is a softer alternative to a wooden trunk.

Contemporary bedroom
Mixing smooth neutrals with aqua and a hint of pink in a bedroom design gives a relaxed atmosphere with a modern edge. Walls painted in aqua starts of the theme, and are mirrored in accents like the matching cushion made in fabric from Sansderson and the pink mohair throw from Cologne & Cotton. The dark wood furniture from New Heights lends a strong base for these fresh colours within the bedroom design.

Modern minimalist bedroom
White walls and curtains are a backdrop to the black kingsize platform bed, which complements the wenge wood floor. A huge pleated lampshade from Edge Interiors mirrors the folds of the curtains. Fresh white bed linen from John Lewis is dramatic against the glossy wood.

French-style bedroom
An ornate antique bed bought at Gloucester Antiques Centre and distressed side tables blend into the neutral background of this light-filled, French-inspired loft bedroom. Handmade decorative Roman blinds and small flower arrangements add just a hint of colour. A chandelier provides glamorous lighting.

You have better ideas or you didnt liked one, You can post it in a comment just bellow this post .

Real Proof Of UFOs & Aliens Video

2011-06-14T05:36:00.000-07:00

This can't Be Fake...

You Built What?! A Real Iron Man Suit ( + video )

2011-06-14T04:42:00.000-07:00

Suit Up : Le wore one of his suits to the Children’s Hospital in Aurora, Colorado, to cheer up the kids, and the staff was so pleased that they made him his own ID card. The name listed? Iron Man. Tyler Stableford

How It Works

Time: 1 Month
Cost: $4,000+
WEAPONRY
Le built a replica of the machine gun on the suit’s shoulder out of PVC pipes and other materials. He added a small motor and belt drive to make the cylindrical gun spin like the real thing. To activate it, he presses a button in the palm of the suit’s glove. He says the gun could also be converted into a paintball shooter.
POWER
Le built an LED-based replica of Iron Man alter ego Tony Stark’s arc reactor for the chest, but unlike the movie version, it doesn’t actually power the suit. Instead, all the LEDs and the motors that drive the gun and the faceplate have their own batteries hidden within the suit’s large frame. CONTROLS
Inside the chestplate, Le added a hands-free button that activates the helmet. When the faceplate is open, he just stands up and points his arm forward, causing his chest to press against the button, triggering the servo motors in the helmet to close the mask. This, in turn, switches on the red LEDs set inside the eye openings, which are large enough for him to also see out of. To open the mask up again, he presses another button.
BACKUP
Le says he focused on the War Machine suit, donned by Stark’s buddy Jim Rhodes in Iron Man 2, in part because “it just looks more hardcore.” But he also built a new-and-improved replica of the suit that Iron Man himself wears in the film, the Mark VI. That version also has the LEDs and motorized faceplate but, alas, no cannon.

5 Useful Facebook Trend and Search Services

2011-06-13T16:19:00.000-07:00

As the world’s largest social network, Facebook is a fascinating place to find out what’s hot, what’s news, and discover the latest meme.
Despite recent improvements, Facebook’s () in-site search doesn’t necessarily offer the best way to see such data. However, there are various services that provide a dedicated way to either search Facebook’s 500 million-strong data stream (at least what’s made public), or see what’s “trending” on the site in a way that’s similar to Twitter ().

While we can’t overlook the fact that search engines like Google () and Bing () have begun offering “social search,” we think the five services listed below offer a more useful way to find out what people are saying about a particular topic, or even find out what’s being “Liked” in your social circle.

1. Kurrently

Kurrently is a dedicated search engine for both Twitter and Facebook, but you can narrow down the options to see results from one service or the other.
Kurrently’s great selling point is that the search results continue to refresh after you’ve looked up a word or phrase, so you can experience the kind of auto-updating hashtag search we’re already familiar with on Twitter.
Kurrently’s programmer Gilbert Leung said he started the site because he wanted to get a sense of the global sentiment on a certain issue.
“Twitter Search was the obvious tool at the time,” says Leung, “but my immediate question was, ‘What about Facebook?’ Why am I searching through a community of around 60 million when a network of around 500 million exists?’”

2. It’s Trending

Right now It’s Trending offers a non-searchable, real-time feed of the most shared content across Facebook, which is useful for anyone who wants a snapshot glimpse of the social web’s current zeitgeist in an incredibly simple and uncomplicated way.
Giving you a new way to see hot topics across categories (video, news, sports, tech, gaming, comedy, etc) and across popular sites (Cracked, YouTube, Vimeo (), DailyMotion, TechCrunch, Huffington Post, NY Times, CNN and yes, Mashable ()) it’s a good-looking service that has big plans for the future — so definitely one to watch.

3. Openbook

While many of you may already be familiar with Openbook, it’s worthy of a place on this list for how simple it is to search, or see what others are searching for.
Also worth mentioning for marketeers or researchers is Openbook’s unique ability to see search results from just male or female Facebookers — something that’s an incredibly useful tool if you need to narrow down data on a gender basis.

4. Booshaka

Recent startup Booshaka offers a real-time look at what’s trending on Facebook based on open search keywords, as well as via topic if you’re interested in more a general browse.
Main channel topics include news, music, sports, politics, gossip, TV, fashion, movies, deals, travel, brands and games (with each broken down into further sub-topics). Clicking on one of these will give you a stream of updates from relevant accounts.
Once you’ve carried out a topic search, you can see how many “Likes” and comments a Facebook post has received, and narrow down the results by what’s trending now, what’s most popular, what’s most recent, and what has the biggest “buzz.”
These further options could potentially help identify up-and-coming trends, as well as find out what folks are saying about established ones.

5. Facepinch

Facepinch promises to let you know popular “Likes” (as well as create your own “Like”), view hot trending topics, and see what’s being sought after on Facebook with its top 100 most popular searches list. There is also the option to see recent searches if you’re more interested in what’s happening right now.
While there’s no data to be gleaned from it, you can also browse recently updated profile pics with a gallery of random Facebook users’ names and thumbnails. The site’s default is the U.S., but you can select specific countries if you’ve an interest in a particular geographical area.
The service’s creator, London-based Andrew Webb, states that besides the more obvious voyeuristic uses, he sees value in the site for brands:
“[C]ompanies and marketing professionals [can] see an unfiltered glimpse of how their products are being really perceived by the public.”

BONUS: Like Button

More aimed at finding out what’s hot in your own social circle, Like Button shows you “what people you know like on the Internet () right now.”
If you’re signed in via Facebook, you can see what your buddies have “Liked” on popular pre-loaded sites such as YouTube (), CNN, The Huffington Post, etc, and via categories including news, social media, tech, Apple, etc. But there is the infinitely useful option to add sites of your choosing too, making the Like Button site a personalized social window on the web.
You can also click to view a brief overview of what’s hot on Facebook with the nine top trends displayed and refreshed every 15 minutes.
In addition, and on the fun side of things, Like Button lets you create your very own “Like” and “Dislike” buttons, the former of which looks like this when posted to your Facebook wall:

Top 5 Highest Paid Female Celebrities

2011-06-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

The highest paid celebrities list for the year 2010 was recently released by Forbes. Though male celebrities mostly dominated the list but there were quite a few female celebrities too. The top 5 female celebrities as per the Forbes list are:

1. Oprah Winfrey: American television host, actress, producer, and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey is the highest paid female celebrity yet again. She was the highest paid celebrity including both male and female with a massive pay of $290M as per Forbes. However, the 57 year old Oprah lost her top spot in the "Powerful Celebrities List" to pop sensation Lady Gaga. Oprah's net worth as of March 2011 is assumed to be 2.7 billion and she is ranked 420 on the world's richest list and 135th richest in the United States. Oprah Winfrey is best known for "The Oprah Winfrey Show" which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011. Her rise from abject poverty to the richest African American has touched the hearts of millions of Americans and people around the world. She was not only a celebrity but a way of life according to many and it was not a surprised that Barack Obama, by one estimate, is said to have received over a million votes in the close 2008 Democratic primary race due to Oprah's support. However, the series finale of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" aired on May 25, 2011 and Americans are still struggling to come to terms with the end of an era.

2. Lady Gaga: Lady Gaga is second highest paid female celebrity with a pay of $90 M in 2010. Though she ranks behind Oprah in Money rank and TV/Radio rank but she tops the celebrity list in new age media ranks such as web rank and social rank. Lady Gaga also ranked no.2 in press rank and she has replaced talk-show queen Oprah Winfrey as the most powerful celebrity in this year's Forbes list. The 25 year old was also involved in a lot of controversies in the last year too which seems to have worked in her favor and increased her popularity even further.

3. Bethenny Frankel: The third female celebrity in the highest paid list is the American natural foods chef, television personality and author Bethenny Frankel. She makes her entry into the list this year with a bang as she is ranked as the 3rd richest female celebrity as per Forbes with a pay of $55 M in the last year. She might not as big as Oprah or Lady Gaga or even Gisele in terms of overall popularity but nonetheless she has manages her money rank is comparable to many top celebrities. She is on the rise both in terms of popularity as well as earning and in April 2011, Frankel sold her Skinnygirl cocktail line to Fortune Brands' Beam Global for an estimated $120 million. On June 10, 2010, her series "Bethenny Ever After..." became the highest rated series premiere in the Bravo network's history.

4. Gisele Bündchen: Gisele Bündchen is the fourth highest paid female celebrity and it is not at all surprising as she has been the highest-paid model in the world since 2004. According to Forbes, the 30 year old Brazilian supermodel earned $45 million in the last year though modeling and product endorsements.Her earnings climbed $20 million over the previous year and according to an April 2011 report Proctor & Gamble's Pantene shampoo sales exploded 40% in Latin America after Bündchen started endorsing it.

5. Ellen DeGeneres: American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress Ellen DeGeneres is the fourth highest paid female celebrity as per Forbes. The 53 year old talk show host is best known for "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and has also earned $45 million in the last year as per Forbes. She has also hosted both the Academy Awards and the Primetime Emmys and was a judge on American Idol for one year too.
It might be a big surprising that none of the top Hollywood actresses make it to the top 5 highest paid female celebrity list. It is quite notable that most of female celebrities in the above list have built a sort of brand around themselves resulting in more earnings and popularity compared to Hollywood actresses who are lagging behind in that field.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6320751