Amazing Facts

Huge Animals

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The giant animals — Strange project of a Chinese artist. More images after the break...

Facts about India

2010-12-20T00:46:00.002-08:00

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The official Sanskrit name for India is Bharat. INDIA has been called Bharat even in Satya yuga ( Golden Age ) More INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT India : -

The name `India’ is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.
The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name `Hindustan’ combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.
The number system was invented by India. Aryabhatta was the scientist who invented the digit zero. More facts after the break...

Sanskrit is considered as the mother of all higher languages. This is because it is the most precise, and therefore suitable language for computer software. ( a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987 ).
Chess was invented in India.
Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies which originated in India.
The' place value system' and the 'decimal system' were developed in 100 BC in India.
The first six Mogul Emperor's of India ruled in an unbroken succession from father to son for two hundred years, from 1526 to 1707.
The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara temple at Tanjavur in Tamil Nadu. The shikhara is made from a single ' 80-tonne ' piece of granite. Also, this magnificient temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola.
India is.......the Largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest country in the world AND one of the most ancient and living civilizations (at least 10, 000 years old).
The game of snakes & ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat.' The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. Later through time, the game underwent several modifications but the meaning is the same i.e good deeds take us to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.
The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after levelling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.
India has the most post offices in the world !
The largest employer in the world is the Indian railway system, employing over a million people !.
The World's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The father of medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
Although modern images & descriptions of India often show poverty, India was one of the richest countries till the time of British in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth and was looking for route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
The art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh 6000 over years ago. The very word 'Navigation' is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.
Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. His calculations was - Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: ( 5th century ) 365.258756484 days.
The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, which was long before the European mathematicians.
Algebra, trigonometry and calculus also orignated from India. Quadratic equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 ( i.e 10 to the power of 53 ) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C. during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera: 10*12( 10 to the power of 12 ).
Until 1896, India was the only source for diamonds to the world. ( Source . Gemological Institute of America )
The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.
Sushruta is regarded as the father of surgery. Over 2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones and also plastic surgery and brain surgeries.
Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism, physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many

Money Facts

2010-12-20T00:45:00.002-08:00

The word millionaire was first used by Benjamin Disraeli in his 1826 novel Vivian Grey.
If you stack one million US$1 bills, it would be 110m (361 ft) high and weight exactly 1 ton.
A million dollars' worth of $100 bills weighs only 10 kg (22 lb).
One million dollars' worth of once-cent coins (100 million coins) weigh 246 tons.
TIP is the acronym for "To Insure Promptness."
The term "Blue Chip" comes from the colour of the poker chip with the highest value, blue.
Nessie, the Loch Ness monster is protected by the 1912 Protection of Animals Acts of Scotland. With good reason - Nessie is worth $40 million annually to Scottish tourism.
Of the more than $50 billion worth of diet products sold every year, almost $20 billion are spent on imitation fats and sugar substitutes.
Annual global spending on education is $80 billion.
US and European expenditure on pet food is $17 billion per year.
The global expenditure on healthcare and nutrition is $13 billion.
Money notes are not made from paper, it is made mostly from a special blend of cotton and linen.
In 1932, when a shortage of cash occurred in Tenino, Washington, USA, notes were made out of wood for a brief period. The wood notes came in $1, $5 and $10 values.
The world's largest coins, in size and standard value, were copper plates used in Alaska around 1850. They were about a metre (3 ft) long, half-a-metre (about 2 ft) wide, weighed 40 kg (90 lb), and were worth $2,500.
The first credit card was issued by American Express in 1951.
About 30% of consumers use their credit card as their main means of buying Christmas goodies, 70% do not save to buy Christmas gifts and 86% of consumers do their Christmas shopping during December.
Excessive use of credit is cited as a major cause of non-business b@nkruptcy, second only to unemployment.
Statistics show that people with high, medium and low income groups spend about the same amount on Christmas gifts.
In the 1400s, global income rose only 0,1% per year; today it often tops 5%.
The average age of Forbes's 400 wealthiest individuals is 63.
In 1955 the richest woman in the world was Mrs Hetty Green Wilks, who left an estate of $95 million in a will that was found in a tin box with four pieces of soap.
In 2001 the richest woman was Liliane Bettencourt, the daughter of L'Oreal's founder. She has a net worth of $14 billion (depending on how the stock market did today).
In 2000, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands is the second wealthiest woman, with $5,2 billion.
Queen Elizabeth II is one of the 10th wealthiest women in the world.
The $ sign was designed in 1788 by Oliver Pollock.
The term "smart money" refers to g@mblers who have inside information or have arranged a fix, the g@mbling term for insuring the outcome of an event by illegal methods.
Small-time g@mblers who place small bet in order to prolong the excitement of a game are called "dead fish" by game operators because the longer the playing time, the greater the chances of losing.
In g@mbling language, for a g@mbling house a "sure-thing" is a wager that a player has little chance of winning; "easy money" is their profit from an inexperienced bettor, an unlucky player is called a "stiff."
Australians are the heaviest g@mblers in the world; an estimated 82% of Australians bet. That is twice as much per capita as Europeans or Americans. Yet, Australia, with less than 1% of the world population, has 20% of the world's poker machines.
There are more than 7 million millionaires in the world.
80% of millionaires drive second-hand cars.
In 1900, the price of gold was less than $40 per ounce. It reached $600 in 1930, now struggling to reach $400 per ounce.
If Los Angeles County was a country, it would be the 19th largest economy in the world.
If California was a country, it would be the 5th largest economy in the world.
Tobacc0 is a $200 billion industry, producing six trillion cig@rettes a year - about 1,000 cig@rettes for each person on earth.

In 1965, CEOs earned on average 44 times more than factory workers. In 1998, CEOs earned on average 326 times more than factory workers and in 1999, they earned 419 times more than factory workers.
The income gap between the richest fifth of the world's people and the poorest measured by average national income per head increased from 30 to one in 1960, to 74 to one in 1998.
A third of the world's people live on less than $2 a day, with 1,2 billion people living on less than $1 a day.
In the 17th century, wool fabrics accounted for about two-thirds of England's foreign trade. Today, the leading wool producers are Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and China.
The NASDAQ stock exchange was totally disabled in on day in December 1987 when a squirrel burrowed through a telephone line.
In 1990, the word "recession" appeared in 1,583 articles in The Wall Street Journal.
Global sales of pre-recorded music total more than $40 billion.
Tourism is the world's biggest industry, affecting 240 million jobs.
In 1865, Frederik Idestam founded a wood-pulp mill in southern Finland, naming it Nokia. It rapidly gained worldwide recognition, attracting a large number of workforce and the town Nokia was born. In 1898, the Finnish Rubber Works company opened in Nokia, taking on the town name in the 1920s. After WWII, the rubber company took a majority shareholding in the Finnish Cable Work. In 1967, the companies consolidated to become the Nokia Group. The recession of the 1990s led the group to focus on the mobile phone market.

Man of the Year by Time magazine was Mark Zuckerberg

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Time / AP

26-year-old founder of social online network Facebook and its executive director - the youngest billionaire in the world. December 15, 2010 Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, is depicted on the cover of Time magazine edition of "Man of the Year 2010". At 26, Zuckerberg - The youngest deserved this title after the aviator Charles Lindenberg, whom the status of "Man of the Year" was awarded in 1927, when he was 25 years old. More after the break...

2. December 14, 2010 Zuckerberg is the California Hall of Fame. He gained fame not only as the youngest billionaire in the world, but also as an outstanding newcomer in the world of philanthropy. This year, he vowed to donate $ 100 million on the development of public schools in Newark, New Jersey.

Pool / Reuters

3. October 5, 2010 In the main administration Facebook in Palo Alto, California. Zuckerberg commented on his page on Facebook: «The title of" Man of the Year "- it's a real honor and recognition of how our team is not numerous creates what hundreds of millions of people trying to use to make the world more open and more united. I am happy that I am a part of it. "

Paul Sakuma / AP

4. October 5, 2010 Zuckerberg launched the first version of Facebook from his dorm room at Harvard. Senior students have filed suit, claiming he stole their idea - a charge which was the main idea of the movie "Social Networks", published in 2010.

Paul Sakuma / AP

5. September 25, 2010 At a press conference on the donation of $ 100 million to develop public schools of Newark, to Zuckerberg joined Newark Mayor Cory A. Brooker (left) and Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie.

Gary He / AP

6. August 8, 2010 During a press conference in Palo Alto, Calif., Zuckerberg is watching as a software developer Ben Facebook Gertsfild beat the gong to mark start «Places» - a new social networking features based on location.

Tony Avelar / AP

7. April 21, 2010 Facebook, which began as a small network, available only for college students, has grown to the scale of the site, costing billions of dollars, and claims the attendance of 500 million regular users.

Marcio Jose Sanchez / AP

8. July 23, 2008 During a conference in San Francisco in 2008 to develop a Facebook f8, Zuckerberg shows option Facebook Connect. This technology allows Facebook users to start using any site on the Internet without additional registration.

Eric Risberg / AP

9. July 23, 2008 Editor of Time magazine, Richard Stengel called Zuckerberg a central figure in world development, which has caused "erosion of faith in authority, decentralization of power and at the same time, possibly growing faith in each other."

Eric Risberg / AP

10. November 6, 2007 "Man of the Year" according to "Time" - a person or event who are most influenced the development of culture and media in a given year, for better or for worse.

Craig Ruttle / AP

11. February 5, 2007 In the Personal Information page Zuckerberg on Facebook you can read the following words: "I try to make the world more open."

Paul Sakuma / AP

Most Expensive Perfumes

2010-12-17T20:49:00.001-08:00

Globally, the flavors and fragrances form a $17.8-billion industry of which the top five players are Givaudan, International Flavors & Fragrances, Firmenich, Symrise and Quest International.

These five companies have a substantial presence in the Indian market, along with competition from Indian F&F houses like SH Kelkar, Sachee Aromatics and Oriental Flavors & Fragrances. The Indian F&F market is estimated at around $225 million.

"The word 'perfume' comes from the Latin per fume 'through smoke'. One of the oldest uses of perfumes was in the form the burning of incense and aromatic herbs used in religious services, often the aromatic gums, frankincense and myrrh, gathered from trees.

The Egyptians were the first clan to use perfume followed by the ancient Chinese, Hindus, Israelites, Carthaginians, Arabs, Greeks, and Romans.

The Egyptians invented glass and perfume bottles were one of the first common uses for glass.

So which is the most expensive perfume brand available in the market? Which perfume bottle is adorned with a five-carat diamond? Read on to find out. . . (These perfumes have been ranked by www.perfumejuice.com.

1. Clive Christian's Imperial Majesty: Price $215,000
British designer Clive Christian's creation has recently been voted in the Guiness Book of World Records the most expensive perfume in the world. The 16.9-ounce perfume bottle is stuck into the 18-carat gold collar that is adorned with a five-carat diamond. Only five bottles are made annually, justifying the eye-popping price.

2. Clive Christian No. 1: Price $2,150 (2 oz.)
This perfume is an extravagant combination of Indian jasmine, mandarin and sandalwood. Its bottle is handmade from lead crystal, while the neck is 24-karat gold-plated sterling silver, set with a solitaire.

The stopper is designed after the original pattern granted by Queen Victoria.

3. Caron's Poivre: $2,000
The peppery unisex fragrance of Caron Poivre is a snip at $2,000 (for 2 oz).

This perfume is a concoction of lavender, jasmine, rose, Lily of the valley, carnation, cedar, sandalwood, Tonka and musk.

The maker of this perfume, Caron, is one of the last perfume houses to still have an in-house 'nose' (Monsieur Fraysse) -- also called a master perfumer.

4. Chanel No 5: Price $1,850
One of the world's most famous perfumes relies heavily on jasmine. It was the first fragrance from Parisian couturier, Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel.

History has it that Chanel commissioned renowned perfumer Ernest Beaux to make six perfumes. They were labelled No. 1, No. 2, etc. through No. 6. Chanel liked No. 5 the most and that became the chosen formula.

Initially, this perfume was given to some of Chanel's clients for free at her boutique.

5. Baccarats Les Larmes Sacrees de Thebe: Price $1,700
Baccarat, better known as the maker of high-quality crystal, entered the fragrance business in the late 1990s with three limited-edition fragrances of its own.

Baccarats Les Larmes Sacrees de Thebe combines frankincense and myrrh. The perfume comes in exquisite Baccarat crystal bottles.

6. Annick Goutal's Eau d'Hadrien: Price $1,500
Annick Goutal is a European perfumer, former model and prize-winning pianist. Her Eau d'Hadrien is a fresh, citrus blend of Sicilian lemons, grapefruit and cypress.

7. Hermes' 24 Faubourg: Price $1,500
This women's perfume, which comes in 1-oz bottles, is made by French fashion house Hermes International.

Hermes started its fragrance line in 1951. Over the past 57 years, the company has created several fragrances for both men and women.

8. Jean Patou's Joy: Price $800
This is quite a popular fragrance among Hollywood stars. It comes in 1-oz bottles and is a heavy floral scent, based on the most precious rose and jasmine, created by French fashion designer Jean Patou.

Other Patou perfumes are Amour Amour, Adieu Sagesse and Que Sais Je.
But 'Joy' is the most well known one.

Most Expensive Stadiums in the World

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Here’s a list of most expensive stadiums in the world. In the world of sports, the stadium is a very important element. Some club teams or even to spend money to several hundred billion just to build a stadium that big and majestic. They do not hesitate to spend a lot of money to build a stadium that big and grand, because with a big stadium, will be able to accommodate so many spectators will also indirectly provide positive for the club in terms of both technical and financial aspects.
10. ANZ Stadium – Sydney, Australia ($ 624 million)

ANZ Stadium

9. Safeco Field – Seattle, USA ($ 656 million)

Safeco field Stadium

8. Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, USA ($ 675 million)

Lucas Oil Stadium

7. Soldier Field – Chicago, USA ($ 714 million)

Soldier field Stadium

6. The Emirates Stadium – London, England ($ 770 million)

The Emirates Stadium

5. Roger Center – Toronto, Canada ( $ 930 million)

Roger Centre Stadium

4. State de France – Paris, France ( $ 974 million)

Stade de France Stadium

3. Madison square garden – New York, USA ($ 1.1 billion)

Madison Square Garden Stadium

2. Olympic Stadium – Montreal, Canada ($ 1.4 billion)

Olympic Stadium

1. Wembley Stadium – London, England ($ 1.5 billion)

Wembley Stadium

For all of you who loves football sport, do you interested to visit one of the most expensive stadiums above to watch your favorite clubs?

Most Expensive Coffees in the World

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Coffee Yauco Selecto AA, Puerto Rico: $24 per pound

Coming from Yauco area in Puerto Rico, This coffee is known for its excellence taste around the world. The Coffee is Produced in the Southwestern Mountains of Puerto Rico, the coffee is appreciated for its mild flavor. You can enjoy this coffee for a price of : $ 24 per pound.

Yauco Selecto AA

Starbucks Rwanda Blue Bourbon, Gatare/Karengera, Rwanda: $24 per pound

Starbucks found coffee bean in Gatare and Karengera from their visit to a coffee washing station in Rwanda in 2004. Now, The farmers there mainly plant Rwanda Blue Bourboncoffee beans as main crops. You can enjoy this coffee at a price of: $ 24 per pound. Maybe you can enjoy this coffee on your Personalized Stadium Cups. Isn’t it a good way to enjoy this expensive coffee?

Starbucks Rwanda Blue Bourbon Coffee

Hawaiian Kona Coffee: $34 per pound

Kona Coffee is a market name of the coffee that come from Kona Districts. The coffee is cultivated on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the South and North districts of the Big Island in Hawaii. This coffee is one of the most wanted and most expensive coffee in the world.

Hawaiian Kona Coffee

Los Planes Coffee, Citala, El Salvador: $40 per pound

Los Planes Coffee is best commercially grown crops in El Salvador. It ranked second in the Cup of Excellence in 2006 where It got 93.52 out of 100 from the international jury in the competition. You can enjoy this coffee at a price of $ 40 per pound.

Los Planes Coffee

Blue Mountain Coffee, Wallenford Estate, Jamaica: $49 per pound
Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is coffee grown in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. The best part of Blue Mountain coffee are their mild flavour and lack of bitterness. Over the last several decades, this coffee has developed a reputation that has made it one of the most expensive and sought-after coffees in the world. Maybe you have to know how Japanese love this coffee as over 80% of all Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is exported to Japan.You can enjoy this coffee at a price: $ 49 per pound

blue mountain coffee

Fazenda Santa Ines, Minas Gerais, Brazil: $50 per pound

This Coffee is the highest rated in the Cup of Excellence of Coffee in the 2006 Championship in Brazil. A renowned Cafe in Canada and 2 in Australia have bought this coffee for a rate of $50 per pound. Do you want to spend $50 for this coffee?

Fazenda Santa Ines

El Injerto – Huehuetenango, Guatemala: $50 per pound
El Injerto coffee is one of the most favorite coffee in the world. It’s coming from the Huehuetenango region in Guatemala. It achieve the first prize in the 2006 cup of excellence. It also took third place in 2002 followed by sixth in 2007. You can take this coffee home for just $50 per pound

Guatemala Fina El Injerto

St. Helena Coffee From St. Helena Coffee Company – St. Helena: $79
St. Helena Coffee is coffee that cultivated in St. Helena island 1,200 miles of the coast of Africa. The Island was getting popularity because of Napoleon Bonaparte that exiled until the rest of his life there. This coffee can be owned for $79 per pound. It’s a good idea to drink this coffee on your Personalized Plastic Cups.

St Helena Coffee

Hacienda La Esmeralda, Boquete, Panama: $104 per pound

This coffee is growing mainly in the shade of old Guava trees cultivated on Hacienda La Esmeralda in the slope of Mount Baru in Boquete, Western Panama. It’s very popular for the flavor and aroma. You can enjoy this coffee for just $104 per pound.

Hacienda La Esmeralda Coffee

Luwak Coffee, Indonesia: $160 per pound
Kopi Luwak or Civet coffee is coffee that produced from coffee beans that has eaten and passed through the digestive tract of civet. This coffee is originally coming from West Lampung in Sumatra Island in Indonesia. But nowadays you can find it in many part of Sumatra and Java in Indonesia. This coffee has been famous worldwide. Even in the United States, there are cafes or coffee shops that sells the civet coffee at a price which is quite expensive. This coffee can be as expensive as $ 160 per pound in price. This most expensive coffee is enjoyed by millions of rich people worldwide.

luwak coffee

Most Expensive Sunglasses Of World

2010-12-17T08:07:00.001-08:00

Chrome Hearts, Kufannaw II, $1,350

Moss Lipow, $3,800

Style 23, $65,000
.

D&G, $386,609

Amazing Market Of The World

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Amazing wedding cakes

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Abhishek's and Aishwarya's new home after their wedding.

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Amazing House

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Amazing House

Even if we've seen some houses with plastic bottles before, we gotta give some credit to this amazing construction. To contact Alfredo and his family, write to lacasaecologicadebotellas at hotmail dot com, and read more on the house at its website

Mobile Home — Motorcycle

2010-12-15T08:53:00.002-08:00

I’m not a fan of three wheeled motorcycles but this one is outrageous and the color red gives it a big plus!
Here is a motorcycle! Then you can easily travel - all the comforts behind. More images after the break...

World Longest Line of Human Mattress Dominoes Guinness Record 2010

2010-12-15T00:48:00.001-08:00

IT MIGHT be a town best known for having one of the world's biggest grain storage facilities, but Merredin broke a more unusual record on Saturday.

And to do so, it proved that the strength of a small community can outdo one of the world’s biggest and best-known cities.

At the Merredin and Districts Agricultural Show on Saturday, Merredin broke the world record for the longest line of human mattress dominoes.

In order to break the record, 374 people stood in a line, each holding single inner-spring mattresses, smashing the previous world record of 344 set by Dubai just weeks ago.

Federal MP for Kalgoorlie Barry Haase and City of Canning mayor Bruce Mason were honorary guests at the event and acted as the official judges.

GWN’s Doopa Dog started the domino effect by pushing the first person backwards onto the person behind and the rest toppled one after another.

The first person in the line was a representative from Collgar Wind Farm, which was a major sponsor of the event.

Organisers drove around in buggies to film the successful domino tumble and the video will be submitted to the Guinness World Records, with their official approval of the record expected to be confirmed within a week.

The record has been the subject of almost feverish activity in recent months.When Merredin Show organisers first floated the idea in September, the record was 122. But it reached almost stratospheric levels in February when a mattress company in Dubai got in on the act with 344 of its employees and mattresses setting the new record.

Luckily for Merredin and thanks to mattress suppliers from as far afield as Esperance and Perth, there were more than enough inner-springs to beat Dubai.China Southern Airlines, Merredin Residential College and various mattress retailers also donated mattresses to help achieve the amazing feat.

One of the show’s organisers Martin Morris said he was very happy with the achievement.“The good part was it wasn’t just one organisation doing it,” he said.

Most Number of Human Dominoes Toppled World Records set by Blue Peter

2010-12-15T00:47:00.002-08:00

Blue Peter presenter, Helen Skelton, BBC weather girl Laura Tobin and BBC News presenter Tim Willcox all took part in the record-breaking feat.

The game involves dominoes substituted with mattresses held by participants who each take it in turn to collapse backwards.

A team of Guinness World Record officials was also present to adjudicate. In order to break the record each mattress needed to "touch the one behind it and there needed to be a consecutive chain of toppling mattresses", a spokesman said.

The event began outside the BBC Television studios but ended inside. The mattresses were donated to Cancer Research following the record attempt.

The existing record was 80 mattresses set in Sydney by a mattress company in August earlier this year.

In July this year a video of staff at Bensons for Beds in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire, attempting to break the record became a big hit on YouTube .

The members of staff set up 41 mattresses across the warehouse.

Mattress dominoes is thought to have began as an American college pastime but has become increasingly popular in the UK.

Julie Flitter, administration manager at Tewkesbury Home Distribution Centre who organised the stunt, said: ‘We contacted the Guinness Book of Records, and apparently there is no official world record as yet – so we submitted details of our attempt and we’re just awaiting confirmation that we’ve set it.’

Inside The Tihar Jail - Largest Complex of Prisons in South Asia!

2010-12-15T00:46:00.002-08:00

Tihar Prisons, also called Tihar Jail and Tihar Ashram, is the largest complex of prisons in South Asia. It is located at Tihar village, approximately 7 km from Chanakya Puri, to the west of New Delhi, India. The surrounding area is called Hari Nagar.

The prison is maintained as a Correctional Institution. Its main objective is to convert its inmates into normal members of the society by providing them with useful skills, education and rules. It is meant to improve the inmates' self-esteem and strengthen their desire to improve. Items manufactured by the inmates bear the brand Tihar.

Asia's largest prison, Delhis Tihar Jail, has taken its first step into online retailing, offering goods over the Internet made by inmates including murderers and kidnappers. The Tihar Jail factory comprises units in baking, carpentry, weaving, tailoring, oil extraction, paper-making and shoe-making.

Inmates work in the furniture section of Tihar Jail in New Delhi.

Inmates work in the paper-making section.

An inmate stacks clothing at an outlet of Tihar Jail.

Inmates working in the bakery section.

An inmate stacks up some baked product on a shelf.

An inmate works at a metal-working section.

Inmates work in the tailoring section.

Inmates work in the furniture section of Tihar Jail in New Delhi.

Prisoners make branded food and art. Proceeds go to their victims. The Tihar Factory, which trains and employs convicts, raked in Rs 11 crore from sales of its TJ brand of products last year.

Budha Cats

2010-12-15T00:44:00.001-08:00

Temple in Burma

Temple Cat in Japan

Temple Cat in Thailand

Backyard Buddha Kittehs

Caochangdi, Beijing

Sri Lanka

Temple Kitteh, Thailand

Luang Prabang, Laos

Backyard Buddha Kitteh

I R Buddha, I R Enlightened

Temple Cat, Thailand

10 American Cities with the Most Millionaires

2010-12-14T07:51:00.002-08:00

New York’s millionaire population has now surpassed the boom times of 2007. According to the new Metro Wealth Index, created by consulting firm Capgemini, the New York Metropolitan area had 650,000 high-net worth individuals, or people with $1 million or more in investible assets in 2009. That is 18.7% higher than in 2008. More after the break...

Once again, the New York area topped the list of metro-area wealth centers. Its total was greater than the combined total of the next three runners up — Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington. Of the top 10, Houston posted the the fastest growth, at 28.9%. But all enjoyed strong growth. Here are the tallies of millionaires for the top 10, along with the percentage growth:

01. New York — 667,200, +18.7%

02. Los Angeles — 235,800, +13.3%

03. Chicago — 198,100, +15.1%

04. Washington, D.C. — 152,400 +19.3%

05. San Francisco — 138,300 +14.5%

06. Philadelphia — 104,100, +20.1%

07. Boston — 102,300, + 14.4%

08. Detroit — 89,100, +12.1%

09. Houston — 88,200, +28.9%

10. San Jose — 86,500, +24.5%

The World's Highest Climbing Wall

2010-12-14T07:49:00.001-08:00

The world's highest climbing wall is situated in the town of Groningen, The Netherlands. It is 37 metres (121 ft) high and is known as the Excalibur. More images after the break...

Top 25 Universities Of The World

2010-12-14T07:48:00.001-08:00

25. Kyoto University, Japan

Kyoto University rated as 25th best university in World University Rankings. Founded in 1897, Kyoto University has deeply considered its traditions of liberal and academic freedom, educating many. We continue to actively maintain these principles, which are the foundation of academic freedom. Kyoto University places top priority on basic research, develops advanced technology leading to the acquisition of intellectual property, and then returns this knowledge to society through education, social cooperation, and the opportunity for lifelong education. Kyoto University has 3 campuses nestled in a basin, which forms the main part of Kyoto, a city which in tradition and culture of which Kyoto University is a part. 24 More universities after the break...

24. University of Hong Kong

University of Hong Kong rated as 24th best university in World University Rankings . The University of Hong Kong is the territory’s oldest university, and with a history that stretches back more than 90 years, it has grown with and helped shape the city from which it takes its name. The University of Hong Kong, as a pre-eminent international university in Asia, seeks to sustain and enhance its excellence as an institution of higher learning through outstanding teaching and world-class research so as to produce well-rounded graduates with lifelong abilities to provide leadership within the societies they serve. HKU has won a proud reputation as a world-class comprehensive research university. It offers internationally recognized qualifications and it is renowned for its academic and research excellence worldwide. As an English-medium university in China, HKU also offers researchers unique opportunities to bridge cultures and continents, and to explore more on China-related studies.

23. King’s College London

King’s College London rated as 23rd best university in World University Rankings. King’s College London is a constituent college of the University of London in the United Kingdom. The college was founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and its royal charter is predated in England only by those of Oxford University and Cambridge University.. There are currently more than 19,000 students in nine Schools of study based at our five London campuses. We offer a vast range of undergraduate programmes, and whichever programme you choose to pursue, you will work with academics who are often national or international leaders in their field. As an undergraduate at King’s, you will become part of a vibrant and intellectually stimulating community. You will be inspired by researchers, discoverers and inventors who are pushing the boundaries of knowledge and will mix with students from across the UK, Europe and almost every country in the world. King’s has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe and is home to five Medical Research Council Centres â€“ more than any other university.

22. University of Tokyo

University of Tokyo rated as 22th best university in World University Rankings. The University of Tokyo abbreviated as Todai, is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongo-, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be one of the most prestigious universities in Japan.

21. University of Edinburgh

University of Edinburgh rated as 21st best university in World University Rankings. The University of Edinburgh was founded in 1583, making it one of Scotland’s ancient universities. The University offers over 600 first degree programmes, which includes over 300 joint degree combinations, spread across some 100 academic disciplines. More than 22,000 students study here, from all over the world and from a variety of backgrounds. The University has 22 Schools in three Colleges: Humanities & Social Science, Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, and Science & Engineering. World renowned and well respected, a degree from the University of Edinburgh will be recognised wherever you go. The University of Edinburgh’s success is not limited to Scotland, or even the UK. We have a well-deserved international reputation for excellence, as demonstrated in our partnerships with other key institutions worldwide, such as our work with Stanford University on Informatics. Many of our degree programmes offer the opportunity to spend some time studying abroad. Perhaps this international dimension helps explain why we have the largest proportion of international students of any Scottish university.

20. ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)

ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) rated as 20th best university in World University Rankings. ETH Zurich’s 16 departments offer Bachelor, Master and Doctoral programmes in engineering and natural sciences. The language of instruction in the Bachelor programmes is German, whereas English is the prime language on the graduate level. All degree programmes provide a solid scientific foundation combined with outstanding all-round skills, equipping ETH graduates with the abilities and flexibility needed for a career in industry, business or the public sector, as entrepreneur or scientist.

19. University of Michigan, United States

University of Michigan rated as 18th best university in World University Rankings. The University of Michigan, one of the world’s leading public universities, has 26,000 undergraduate and 15,000 graduate/professional students from all 50 states and 117 countries. Students may choose from over 200 undergraduate majors, over 90 master’s programs, and over 100 doctoral programs. Numerous research and study abroad opportunities are offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. A wide variety of social, cultural, and athletic activities are available. There is something for everyone here. The University is located in the culturally rich and exciting community of Ann Arbor. Distinct yet closely integrated with the University, Ann Arbor offers its own array of social and cultural offerings, to which University students are enthusiastically welcomed. The city is home to numerous parks and athletic facilities, and boasts an excellent public transportation system.

18. Mcgill University, Canada

Mcgill University rated as 18th best university in World University Rankings. Innovative research programs and cutting-edge facilities including our brand new Life Sciences Complex attract internationally respected faculty. Our faculty excel at research; in 2008, McGill professors Nahum Sonenberg and Charles Taylor took home, respectively, the Gairdner International Award and the Kyoto Prize, two of the world’s top research prizes. McGill’s faculty are committed to excellence in teaching, too, bringing their cutting-edge breakthroughs into the classroom. McGill’s 21 faculties and professional schools offer degrees in more than 300 fields of study. McGill offers a full range of bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral programs as well as professional degrees in law, dentistry, business and medicine. The world-renowned Faculty of Medicine has four affiliated teaching hospitals and graduates more than 1,000 health care professionals each year.

17. Australian National University

Australian National University rated as 17th best university in World University Rankings. The Australian National University is one of the world’s foremost research universities. Distinguished by its relentless pursuit of excellence, ANU attracts leading academics and outstanding students from Australia and around the world. The primary educational objective of ANU is to become the university of choice for talented students locally, nationally and internationally by offering a unique range of research-led degree programs. Graduate education continues as one of the major focuses of the University and about one quarter of the total enrolment is undertaking post-graduate study. Regardless of whether those students are enrolled in the Institute of Advanced Studies or the Faculties, the full resources of both and of University Centres are available to them through the Graduate School.

16. Stanford University, United States

Stanford University rated as 16th best university in World University Rankings. Stanford University, founded in 1885, is recognized as one of the world’s leading research and teaching institutions, with one of the most renowned faculties in the nation. Stanford students men and women of all races, ethnicities and ages are distinguished by their love of learning and desire to contribute to the greater community. Stanford University offers its students a remarkable range of academic and extracurricular activities. We are committed to offering an education that is unrivaled among research universities.

15. Cornell University, United States

Cornell University rated as 15th best university in World University Rankings. Once called “the first American university” by educational historian Frederick Rudolph, Cornell University represents a distinctive mix of eminent scholarship and democratic ideals. Adding practical subjects to the classics and admitting qualified students regardless of nationality, race, social circumstance, gender, or religion was quite a departure when Cornell was founded in 1865. Today’s Cornell reflects this heritage of egalitarian excellence. It is home to the nation’s first colleges devoted to hotel administration, industrial and labor relations, and veterinary medicine. Both a private university and the land-grant institution of New York State, Cornell University is the most educationally diverse member of the Ivy League.

14. Duke University, United States

Duke University rated as 14th best university in World University Rankings. Duke University was created in 1924 by James Buchanan Duke as a memorial to his father, Washington Duke. The Dukes, a Durham family that built a worldwide financial empire in the manufacture of tobacco and developed electricity production in the Carolinas, long had been interested in Trinity College. Trinity traced its roots to 1838 in nearby Randolph County when local Methodist and Quaker communities opened Union Institute. The school, then-named Trinity College, moved to Durham in 1892. In December 1924, the provisions of James B. Duke’s indenture created the family philanthropic foundation, The Duke Endowment, which provided for the expansion of Trinity College into Duke University.

13. Johns Hopkins University, United States

Johns Hopkins University rated as 13th best university in World University Rankings. The Johns Hopkins University, founded in Baltimore in 1876, was the first university in the Western Hemisphere founded on the model of the European research institution, where research and the advancement of knowledge were integrally linked to teaching. Its establishment began a revolution in U.S. higher education. The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university located in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Johns Hopkins also maintains full-time campuses elsewhere in Maryland, Washington, D.C., Italy, China, and Singapore. Johns Hopkins University has an affiliated hospital and medical school. It is one of fourteen founding members of the Association of American Universities.

12. University of Pennsylvania, United States

University of Pennsylvania rated as 12th best university in World University Rankings. The University of Pennsylvania (commonly referred to as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, and is one of several institutions that claims to have been the first university in America. Penn is a member of the Ivy League and is one of the Colonial Colleges. University of Pennsylvania has been committed to excellence in scholarship, research and service. From its highly regarded undergraduate, graduate and professional schools to its wide-ranging program of interdisciplinary research and scholarship, Penn takes pride in being a place where students and faculty can pursue knowledge without boundaries, a place where theory and practice combine to produce a better understanding of our world and ourselves.

11. Columbia University, United States

Columbia University rated as 11th best university in World University Rankings. Columbia University is one of the world’s most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.

10. California Institute of Technology (caltech)

California Institute of Technology (caltech) rated as 10th best university in World University Rankings. The mission of the California Institute of Technology is to expand human knowledge and benefit society through research integrated with education. We investigate the most challenging, fundamental problems in science and technology in a singularly collegial, interdisciplinary atmosphere, while educating outstanding students to become creative members of society.

09. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (mit), United States

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (mit) rated as 9th best university in World University Rankings. The Institute is committed to generating, disseminating, and preserving knowledge, and to working with others to bring this knowledge to bear on the world’s great challenges. MIT is dedicated to providing its students with an education that combines rigorous academic study and the excitement of discovery with the support and intellectual stimulation of a diverse campus community. We seek to develop in each member of the MIT community the ability and passion to work wisely, creatively, and effectively for the betterment of humankind.The mission of MIT is to advance knowledge and educate students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century.

08. PRINCETON University, United States

PRINCETON University rated as 8th best university in World University Rankings. Princeton is the fourth-oldest college in the United States. As a research university, it seeks to achieve the highest levels of distinction in the discovery and transmission of knowledge and understanding, and in the education of graduate students. At the same time, Princeton is distinctive among research universities in its commitment to undergraduate teaching. The University provides its students with academic, extracurricular and other resources — in a residential community committed to diversity in its student body, faculty and staff — that help them achieve at the highest scholarly levels and prepare them for positions of leadership and lives of service in many fields of human endeavor.

07. University of CHICAGO, United States

University of CHICAGO rated as the 7th best university in World University Rankings. The University of Chicago was founded in 1890 by the American Baptist Education Society and oil magnate John D. Rockefeller. The University of Chicago has had a profound impact on American higher education; curricula across the country have been influenced by the emphasis on broad humanistic and scientific undergraduate education. The University also has a well-deserved reputation as the teacher of teachers.

06. University of OXFORD, United Kingdom

University of OXFORD rated the sixth best university in World University Rankings. Oxford is the oldest university in the English-speaking world and lays claim to nine centuries of continuous existence. As an internationally renowned centre for teaching and research, Oxford attracts students and scholars from across the globe, with almost a quarter of our students from overseas. More than 130 nationalities are represented among a student population of over 18,000. Oxford is a collegiate university, with 39 self-governing colleges related to the University in a type of federal system. There are also seven Permanent Private Halls, founded by different Christian denominations. Thirty colleges and all halls admit students for both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Seven other colleges are for graduates only; one has Fellows only, and one specializes in part-time and continuing education.

05. IMPERIAL College London

Imperial College London, rated the fifth best university in the world for. Imperial College London is a university of world class scholarship, education and research in science, engineering and medicine, with particular regard to their application in industry, commerce and healthcare. The College has over 3,000 academic and research staff and almost 14,000 students from over 120 different countries. Our reputation for excellence in teaching and research in science, engineering, medicine and business attracts students and staff of the highest international calibre. Imperial College staff are frequently consulted by governments, and also act as members of professional bodies, advise industry, and offer informed comment to the media.

04. UCL (University College London)

UCL (University College London) rated the fourth best university in World University Rankings. UCL is a multidisciplinary university with an international reputation for the quality of its research and teaching across the academic spectrum, with subjects spanning the sciences, arts, social sciences and biomedicine. In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) UCL was rated the best research university in London, and third in the UK overall, for the number of its submissions which were considered of world-leading quality. The university is located on a compact site in the very heart of London and is surrounded by the greatest concentration of libraries, museums, archives, cultural institutions and professional bodies in Europe.

03. Yale University, United States

Yale University rated as third best university in the World University Rankings. Yale University is one of the most famous schools in the United States, with a long history of service and an alumni list that reads like a “Who’s Who” of successful people. Yale University is the fulfillment of a European vision of intellectual freedom that is aimed at the service of the community and country. It has championed over history and survived the most destructive calamities such as the American Revolution. Since then, the university has continually grown and progressed to a center for high quality education that is recognized by the global community. The university is considered one of the oldest institution of higher education in the US. It was founded in 1701 and is a proud member of the prestigious Ivy League.

02. University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

University of Cambridge rated the second best in World University Rankings. The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest universities in the world and one of the largest in the United Kingdom. Its reputation for outstanding academic achievement is known world-wide and reflects the intellectual achievement of its students, as well as the world-class original research carried out by the staff of the University and the Colleges. Its reputation is endorsed by the Quality Assurance Agency and by other external reviewers of learning and teaching, such as External Examiners. These high standards are the result of both the learning opportunities offered at Cambridge and by its extensive resources, including libraries, museums and other collections. Teaching consists not only of lectures, seminars and practical classes led by people who are world experts in their field, but also more personalised teaching arranged through the Colleges. Many opportunities exist for students to interact with scholars of all levels, both formally and informally.

01. Harvard University, United States

Harvard University rated as the number one university in World University Rankings. Harvard is America’s oldest institution of higher learning, founded 140 years before the Declaration of Independence was signed. The University has grown from nine students with a single master to an enrollment of more than 18,000 degree candidates, including undergraduates and students in 10 principal academic units. An additional 13,000 students are enrolled in one or more courses in the Harvard Extension School. Over 14,000 people work at Harvard, including more than 2,000 faculty. There are also 7,000 faculty appointments in affiliated teaching hospitals.

Smartest Man in China

2010-12-14T07:47:00.001-08:00

With nine educational diplomas under his belt, Zhou Baokuan can definitely claim the title of “smartest man in China.” When it comes to education, we all want the best for our kids, but I think Zhou Baokuan’s parents might have pushed him a little to far, when he was a child. I mean, the man started studying and even though he is now 53 years old, he has no intention of stopping. More images after the break...

In recognition of his incredible desire to study, an organization known as China World Records Association decided to award Zhou the title of “man with most diplomas in the world.” Over the course of 35 years of intense studying (sometimes without sleep) the man earned a total of nine diplomas, including three doctoral diplomas and two masters degrees. Zhou, a resident of Shenyang City, admits it wasn’t easy getting this many diplomas, and reckons he spent around 126,500 hours studying for them. Believe it or not, Zhou Baokuan is currently studying to get his fourth doctoral degree, at Fudan University.

Winners of Red Bull's Epic Photo Contest

2010-12-13T22:26:00.001-08:00

Overall Winner and Illumination Category Winner

Chris Burkard

Close Up Category Winner

Nathan Smith

Energy Winner

Stuart Gibson

Experimental Winner

Daniel Grund

Culture Winner

Vincent Perraud

New Creativity Winner

Eric Berger

Playground Winner

Tim Korbmacher

Sequence Winner

Miguel Angel Lopez Virgen

Spirit Winner

Adam Kokot

Wings Winner

Holy Cow

2010-12-11T04:23:00.001-08:00

It seems that a farmer by the name of Jia Kebing noticed a small bump on his cow’s forehead when it was born. Little did he know that the small bump would grow to become an 8” horn. It is truly a unicorn cow. More after the break...

The Most Expensive Book in the World

2010-12-11T04:21:00.001-08:00

A rare copy of "the most expensive book in the world" Fah Franco-American ornithologist John James Audubon and goes back to the nineteenth century recorded on Tuesday evening in London, a new record price, Which sold more than eight million euros, on the auction house said, "Sotheby's". More images after the break...

The sale of the book "Birds of America" (Birds of America) in exchange for 7.3 million pounds (8,6 million euros), a new world record price for the printed work is sold at auction, it said, "Sotheby's".
The estimated book value of between four and six million pounds.
The new owner is a dealer old books.

And return to the previous record price another version of "Birds of America" were sold in New York in 2000 to meet with seven million euros. There is no longer only about a hundred copies of the book "Birds of America." Large book size (length of 90 cm and of 60 cm) collected fees birds such as flamingos and Swan.

Jean-Jacques Audubon, known by his English John James Audubon, is the world of birds and the world of physics was born in Haiti the year 1785, the French colonial days of French and religion. And then received U.S. citizenship.

World’s Largest Solar-Powered Boat

2010-12-11T04:17:00.001-08:00

The TURANOR PlanetSolar, the world’s largest solar-powered boat, has just completed the first stage of its journey around the world – a trans-Atlantic journey from Monaco to Miami. The Swiss-designed solar-powered catamaran left Monaco on the 27th of September and docked in Miami just a few days ago, on the 28th of November. More after the break...

At 101.7ft (31 meters) long and 49.2ft (15 meters) wide, the TÛRANOR PlanetSolar is the world’s largest solar-powered boat. The vessel is completely fuelled by renewable energy, with its solar cells having a 22% efficiency rate. These are the highest rated cells available for purchase on the market, and the cells cover over 500 square meters of the ship. The solar cells are able to power two electric motors which are found in the hull, giving the ship at a top speed of 14 knots. Most notably, the large surface area of solar cells means that the catamaran can travel for up to three full days, even without direct sunlight – any excess energy is stored in a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery.

After this layover in Miami, the TÛRANOR PlanetSolar will head to Cancún, Mexico for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, where it will participate in activities organized by the Swiss government. The vessel is then expected to fully circumnavigate the world in the coming months, visiting San Francisco, Sydney, Singapore and Abu Dhabi, before returning home to Monaco.

The multi-national crew of the ship include Frenchman Patrick Marchesseau (Captain), Christian Ochsenbein (Bern, Switzerland), Michaela von Koskull (Finland), Jens Langwasser (Kiel, Germany) and project initiator Raphael Domjan (Yverdon-les Bain, Switzerland).