Never_land

Quick Facts about - 2O12 !!!

2012-07-04T12:28:00.001-07:00

NUMEROLOGY :

In numerology every number has a corresponding letter associated with it.
The date 12-21-12 reads as, A-B-B-A-A-B. When you consider that the Hebrew language is read from right to left, this date would read BA ABBA.
The Hebrew translation for BA ABBA is "Father comes / is coming"
2012 is claimed to be a great year of spiritual transformation (or apocalypse).

Many esoteric sources interpret the completion of the twelfth B'ak'tun cycle in the Long Count of the Maya calendar (which occurs on December 21 by the most widely held correlation) to mean there will be a major change in world order.
Several experts have predicted a special astrological/astronomical alignment between the Galactic center in the constellation of Sagittarius, the Winter Solstice point, and the open cluster of the Pleiades. Factually, the coincidence of the Winter Solstice point (due to the precession of the Equinoxes) and the galactic center is basically true.
-There are exactly 2012 days between the June 20 2007 Summer solstice and the December 21 2012 Winter solstice.

Albert Einstein said if the honey bees were suddenly gone mankind would have about 4 years left to live. Well, the honey bees are going extinct now and at the present rate in another year or so there will be no more honey bees left on earth. One year from now plus another 4 years gives us the year 2012

NASA predicts that the Sun will also reverse its own magnetic poles during 2012 as result of reaching the end of current 11-year sunspot cycle. Some believe this will amplify the effects of retarding magnetic field on earth, as harmful charged particles blasted away from the sun would more easily penetrate the earth's atmosphere.

In this final episode of the X-Files, it is revealed that on December 22 2012, aliens will invade and take over the world, one day after December 21 2012. It was like Chris Carter was saying to us that the aliens don't need to invade and conquer us, all they need to do is move in to a vacant earth .

The Vatican holds very closely to the Prophecy of St. Malachy. This Medieval Monk had detailed visions of 112 Popes until Doomsday, also known as The Biblical Apocalypse. The current Pope, Benedict XVI is the 111th named Pope, only one Pope remains.

On the Top !!

2012-05-25T07:32:00.002-07:00

World’s Longest Tree Top Walk in Bavaria Germany ;

Opened two years ago in Neuschonau, Bavaria, in Germany, the tree-top walk is the longest of it’s kind at 1300 meters that takes you to an impressive height of 25 meters above the tree tops. The walkway ends at an oval shaped dome, 44 meters high. The 360-degree spiral staircase around the dome offers breathtaking views of the surrounding nature. In clear weather you can even see the north ridge of the Alps. The tree-top walk is a part of the largest protected forest area in central Europe – Bavarian Forest National Park, which is also the first national park in Germany.

Several adventure stations are placed along the walkway including a narrow wooden plank enticing hardy trekkers to balance on the beam. These obstaclesare fully-enclosed with a safety net and offers a rewarding view of the earth 50 feet below. The observation dome is shaped like a giant egg. Once at the top, a spectacular view awaits the visitors.

T-Bags

2012-05-25T07:23:00.002-07:00

The origin of Tea Bags was an accident!
The tea bag was accidentally invented by a tea importer named Thomas Sullivan in 1908. To minimize the cost of transporting tea samples to customers, Sullivan sent the tea in small silk bags instead of the more expensive tin cans. The recipients mistakenly believed they were meant to be dunked and soon Sullivan was inundated with orders for his Tea Bags.

This method of brewing tea soon became popular, and by the 1920s, tea bags were being mass produced in the United States. Silk was replaced with gauze, then later paper.

Dead Stop

2012-05-19T23:02:00.002-07:00

Ever have so incredibly much to do that you just can't do anything? Dead stop! That's where I've been, where I still am, and where I'm trying to break free from! Even the little things are tripping me up!

So, I do what I love to do. I make lists! Then I do things, and if they aren't on the list, I write them down just so I can cross them off. This may be a sign of some illness, but it makes me happy.

1. Losing weight - I haven't been as strict as I should be, but I'm not doing too badly. But we ate ham last night and all that salt showed up on the scales this morning, so I won't announce it until I'm sure.

2. Exercise - Still avoiding this. My skinny friend suggested we do flights of stairs every day, so one day last week we started off with 3 flights. I was surprised I managed it without much trouble since I haven't been active. But since then, she has never mentioned it and I let it go. However, I have ordered an extra pair of walking shoes that I can keep in my back-pack, so I will start walking on my lunch hour. That's a bit of progress!

3. Organizing my stuff - I'm going through my dresser, armoire, and closet bit by bit to get rid of clothes that are ridiculously big on me. I'm almost done with the clothes, then I have to attack my shoes. It seems I've lost even more weight in my feet and have shoes that are too big yet again.

4. Self-esteem - Have a ton of work to do here. But I'm so far ahead of where I used to be!

5. Blog - I have to get serious like I said I would! I'm about to go scouting for more bloggy friends. I need to find some friends who have already lost a good bit of weight so I can ask them some personal questions!

Prolific Writer !!

2011-11-06T10:24:00.000-08:00

ENID BLYTON , was one of the most popular & prolific writers of children's books in english . In a 40-year, she wrote more than 700 books that have been translated into nearly 70 languages .
Enid Blyton was born on August 11, 1897 at East Dulwich in London . She was first child of Thomas Carey & Theresa Blyton. Enid inherited her father's love for books and the outdoors. She had two brother's, Hanley & Carey.
Some of her stories, aimed at young readers , featured pixels & elves, goblins & fairies . But among her adventure & mystery books for older children, the most famous is ,The famous five series which has lovable characters Julian, Dick, Anne, George & their dog Timmy.

Enid Blyton has the distinction of having introduced generations to the pleasure of books.

Poem indeed !!! is it fair ??

2011-11-01T09:12:00.001-07:00

What’s life like for a royal child?
Servants attending, all wishes come true!
The child comes to this world with a silver spoon,
Life is beautiful with complaints hardly few!

Go down the ladder to a normal lad,
The child leads an existence, ordinary yet joyful!
The extravagance is spared for all we know,
And the unfulfilled wishes may be plentiful.

But ever imagined life of a poor little child?
Living with the most minimum of resources.
There are hardly any wishes that might come true!
Lonely and alone, he fights life’s cruel and wretched forces!

The child himself earns the meagre meal he eats,
Sweating out every ounce of his ability!
Yet the child is discarded and shown the door,
And labelled openly a cheap liability!

What may I ask is the fault of that unlucky child?
Who works to survive each and every day!
Abused, exploited and cheaply treated,
when children like us live life the easy way!

What would the child grow up to be?
A misfit in society fighting social regressions!
What values would he be able to give his kids?
While hiding in the past of his own reflections!

So is it fair, the ordeal the child is inevitably putting himself through?
Is it fair that he’s made to face situations?
The treatment given is clearly unjustified,
The child clearly needs awareness and affection!

Does this child really have to suffer this way?
In the state of this disgraceful strife ?
We can help that child and we have to,
The child deserves another chance, to affection, to education, to a far better life...

My school

2011-11-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

I looked up at the board by which we used to swear : St. Ann’s High School – it read, it was now rusty and old but nevertheless it looked fine, I just silently stood there,
I realized I had completely forgotten how it looked and what it really meant as I walked around the gate kicking the sand – My School shined there brightly under the Sun’s glare.

Walking to the class saying “Good morning Teacher” to everyone who now were just a faded memory, we learnt to read and write, we learnt what a book was, we learnt to receive and give,
Amidst the broken buttons, amidst the untied shoe-laces, amidst the cute friends we had crushes on and amidst the half-full water bottles, we had learnt to live.

Learning swear words and using them in code while laughing at others’ foolishness felt amazing then, creating friend-groups and leaving a legacy; I realized we had made a mark,
Reciting movie dialogs that we had so proudly portrayed and heard was wonderful, the sounds we imitated included a teacher’s scolding or even the call of a dog’s bark.

Scolding a fellow mate for breaking my scale and then hugging him was heart-touching, teasing someone was good; saying “SORRY SORRY” when she felt bad was even better,
Cool air flew as my heart went back to the moment I had first played WRESTLING in school, my mind took me back to the day I had forged my first leave letter.

Telling friends to help us with our crushes and jumping out of joy when they smiled at us felt blissful; we were foolish enough to be happy thinking it was love,
Now I realized would we ever have known what we would have become – it didn’t matter then, all that we cared was the next cartoon episode or the number of pens in a pen-fight away we had to shove.

Showing everyone at home that we received a GOOD in our book was equal to an award, running around the house smiling whenever we received a star,
Throwing paper-rockets at people and then hiding while giggling non-stop, all those benches we scribbled our names on; everything was just a memory; everything we had left and walked afar.

The endless hours of great-thinkers’-discussions we had about Pokemon, the awesome Harry Potter duels we had with our own broken tree-branches and our very own Superhero Dream,
A silent tear slid down my cheek as I remembered the joy and the pride we had when we walked around the school wearing the uniform of the Scouts’-team.

Writing essays about our favorite festivals and building up letters to book-houses to complain was something we were never perfect at, yet at the tries I can’t help but smile,
Raising our hand proudly when we knew the answer to a question was Divine; when the teacher nodded in accordance, our hearts in happiness danced in style.

Sitting there, looking at that long-forgotten clock waiting for the bell to ring as teachers told us about Akbar and taught us how to add one with two,
We never realize what we have until we completely lose it and we never cry a river until we don’t know how to laugh completely – I now knew, it is all true.

I now looked at the time : I had to leave, just like everyone else who ever came, I turned around and began moving away -still dodging, out of habit, that small empty snake-hole,

As I slowly walked back into the wheels of time in the cycle of Life, I realized : Somewhere along those walls I left a part of my heart, somewhere among those School corridors still ran, my lost soul.

Revolution 2020 Review

2011-11-01T08:19:00.001-07:00

Finally…..the much hyped and awaited book of the year comes out and I just can’t wait to grab my copy! Further…. the story is given a political backdrop….something that we don’t expect from Chetan Bhagat!!

So how is it going to be?? Lots of drama?? suspense ??

These were the random thoughts that ran through my mind as I held the book!

Unable to stop myself after reading the prologue, I went on…! The story was quite predictable but what made it worth reading was the way the characters were portrayed…very real and somebody you could connect with!

The Plot:

The story revolves around Gopal (narrator), Aarthi and Raghav set in the holy town of Varanasi! Gopal and Raghav come from two completely different strata of the society and their views reflect the same. While one wants to use his intelligence for making money, the other wants to bring about a reform in the political system and society. Both of them fall in love with Aarthi! However their dreams, ambitions and dilemmas keep setting them apart and uniting time and again..!

So who will Aarthi choose in the end?? While one gives in to the corrupt system….the other fights it….so who will succeed finally??…..this forms the crux of the story

To sum it up…

Pros:

Chetan’s quirky one liners
The characterization

Cons:

The predictable plot

Final Verdict:

Its one of those stories where you know what is going to happen next but still want to read on! Not Chetan’s best….but definitely keeps you hooked till the last page!!

My rating 3/5!

SWEET MURMUR . . .

2011-11-01T08:18:00.000-07:00

Back then., when i was a kid, my world started with colors and ended with them. My mum always complained that I wasn’t behaving normal.! Can’t blame her. She only wanted her kid to just play in mud like the others do, but I was just too busy for that. I filled in my class notes with various cartoons and my favorite animated characters. I still find a pencil much comfortable when compared to a pen. A pencil and one book and I would ask for nothing else. I would be more than just happy if my mum happens to buy me a “drawing book” and a few “colours”. I saved a drawing book all to myself since my childhood where I drew all my master pieces. My heart almost broke when I realized that some one flicked that book. That being my first ever drawing book still makes me sad even I think about that devastating incident. Form then, I began putting my stuff every close to me. I dreamt of becoming an artist when I was a kid which made me want to become an Architect.. But as I grew up, I began realizing that my parents had altogether different plans for me. “My daughter will become an engineer”, said my dad really proud to everyone around. It was then that I realized that my dream of becoming an Designer was never meant to be fulfilled.

In my life, I put a few things or just say, I marked my own belongings and I trusted that god would never tamper with my stuff, but NO.! Everything I wished must stay with me began vanishing. Angry with my self, I threw away my favorite set of colours out in the garbage! I swore to myself I will never touch colours again in my life, that day. I thought that, he who called himself God, began to snatch everything that ever made me smile. I thought I was totally defeated by this so called HOPE..

But not anymore. I still want all that I desired the most in my life to just come upon me. And I’m sure I’ll wait all my life for it to come true. At present, I think I’m going through a phase where I only see things being taken away from me. Life is just playing a cruel game. But somewhere deep inside, I still have faith that I can do it. And then.,One night, when I was weeping, a dear fairy came up to me.

“ I’m really sorry, honey. I never realized what you wanted. I was just being selfish and I wanted a secured life for you”, she said. When I wiped my tears and looked at her, I saw tears in her eyes. I saw my mum cry for me that night. I was speechless. I felt horrible that day. It was then I decided that I would do engineering, for the dreams my mum carried for me.

“Mum I can do what I want anytime later. I can certainly to do a course in designing anytime mum, so you needn’t worry” I said wiping those precious tears off my mum’s check and trying to console my self that this is the best choice. When I saw a smile across her face, I realized that it was the best thing I ever did as a daughter. I hugged her tight, feeling secured in her arms. “And Mum, who knows. One day I may start loving engineering as well.” I said with a fake smile then which now, I know was the right thing to do. There is nothing more precious to see that smile on her face. Well, I haven’t accepted the defeat yet. Life is too huge for those who want to fulfill their dreams. And I’m certain that one day even I will.

child labor !

2011-11-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Would any of us have liked to be in the place of this child in our childhood days? I am sure students like us studying in schools and colleges are a very fortunate lot compared to so many children in our country who are into hard labor since childhood.

Children are the greatest gift to humanity and the same gift is being misused for personal gains as child labor. Their number is close to 36% of India’s population but a large majority of children in the age group of 5-14 years continue to remain in distress and turmoil. One in every five children below the age of 14 is a laborer. The flower (Child) withers before it blossoms.

“Child labor” is, generally speaking, work for children that harms them or exploits them in some way (physically, mentally, morally, or by blocking access to education).

It is a myth that child labor is only a problem in developing countries. But in fact, children routinely work in all industrialized countries, and hazardous forms of child labor can be found in many countries. It is also a myth that child labor will only disappear when poverty disappears. Yet another myth is that most child laborers work in sweatshops making goods for export, but in fact, only a very small proportion of all child workers are employed in export industries – probably less than 5 per cent. Most of the child laborers actually are to be found in the informal sector – selling on the street, at work in agriculture or engaged in domestic work– far from the reach of official labor inspectors and from media scrutiny.

Poverty is widely considered the top reason why children work at inappropriate jobs for their ages. But there are other reasons as well like family expectations and traditions, lack of good schools and day care, lack of other services, such as health care, public opinion that downplays the risk of early work for children etc.

In some cases, working and earning can be a positive experience in a child’s growing up. But it depends on the age of the child, the conditions in which the child works, and whether work prevents the child from going to school. It is not realistic to suggest banning all forms of child labor, because so many poor families depend on income their children earn. However there are steps that could be taken to protect children from exploitation and reduce the need for children to do paid work. Eliminate the most hazardous and exploitative forms of child labor; improve children’s working conditions and their right to appropriate healthcare and recreation; provide education services for working children; challenge discrimination like some girls are expected to work while their brothers attend schools.

We all have grown ahead of childhood stage. How does child labour bother us? This is the attitude towards this social ailment from the majority of us. But we, as sensitive and responsible citizens cannot remain mute to our youngsters being denied their gift of childhood and get exploited. Each one of us has some responsibility in addressing this issue in our own capacities. A beginning in addressing this issue can be, to create awareness on this issue and start a movement towards eradication of this social exploitation in our spheres of influence. Right awareness of the issue and a committed initiative from us will get the required support from the others and also the government agencies. So, let us make a beginning to contribute a small part of our energy and resources to get smiles on the many children who have been deprived of it.

So let us all join our hands and raise it against this evil and slowly kick it out of our world. Support us for this cause. Join The Walk with us....

You Know You Are A Student(Engg) When. . .

2011-11-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

1. You make elaborate timetables and plans to study but the only thing you forget to do is to start.

2. When 3-4 hours of sleep is considered to be good for health(provided you even get that much)

3. When the ‘f’ word dominates your mouth whenever you get an assignment.

4. When ‘GOD’ becomes an indispensable source of help during time of the exams and you don’t even know or care who he is otherwise.

5. When you walk into the class and wonder “Damn, who’s this guy teaching?? I’ve never see him before!!”

6. When you learn to say “present sir” in at least 10 different voices.

7. When you aren’t considered human if you haven’t slept once in class.

8. When you take dis note as yet another assignment and are already feeling bored..Aren’t you??

9. When library is used to check out girls rather than check books.

10. When you look at a girl and all kinds of permutations and combinations and probability equations start running in your mind, analyzing your chances with her

11. When you want to kill the professor when he says in an excited voice “EXTRA CLASS TMRO”

12. When you are surrounded by loads of books and the only things you wish to read are novels and comics.

13. When you always think to yourself that “ab next exams se pehle har din padhunga” but wait for the next exam to come and for you to repeat the same FALSE promises to yourself!

14. When night-outs are the ultimate last ditch survival tactics(assignments, exams, notes, etc..they cover a wide variety)

15. When you wake up at 10 am and sleep again realising it’s still early morning.

16. When the most important discussions in class are “Why India lost the match the day before or What colour nail polish Katrina Kaif was wearing in the award ceremony the day before.”

17. When you practically get prepared to digest anything in the world after having the inedible hostel food.

18. When you feel that the girls/guys in other colleges are way better than girls/guys in your college.

19. When your main concern for coming to college is to give a pen drive or movie cd to your friend.

20. When you are a successful leader only if you can initiate successful mass bunks.

21. When more movies are circulated in the class rather than assignments.

22. When after exam you realize in the post-mortem “Yaar ye kausa question hai?? Ye toh mainey likha hi nai !!”

23. When you have tons of assignments to submit and all you do is listen to music.

24. When late-maths assignments are being completed in the last benches of physics lectures.

25. When people sit in the first benches only to improve their studious appeal in the eyes of the teacher when they actually don’t give a damn about studies

26. When after the sems, the geeks run to the library to issue books for next sem and people like me run to the malls to enjoy!!

27. When the real deadline for assignments is at least 2 weeks after the actual deadline.

28. When you don’t know who’s pen is in your hand, or who’s pencil you are using.

29. When a C.S. engineer only thinks about making programs to reach the heart of the person he/she loves.

30. When a Civil engineer would love to make a high-rise building and love to push the principal from the top.

31. When you read the above and realize it has all happened with you and say “Yes I do that and I’m proud”.

Also noteworthy contributions by readers:

32. When you have micro-xerox of all text books, even if u don’t have the text books themselves :D

33. When you know all the programs in syllabus by heart, and you’ll be totally screwed if you get a new one in the exam

34. When you sit and code 100 lines of bullshit code in an AC room after studying civil engineering for 4 long yrs..

35. You spend more time in the canteen rather than in class.

36. When you fail in a paper and blame it on the evaluator.

37. When you go to the library to escape classes and get the assignment completed.

38. When you look at a hot guy and cross your fingers wishing he’s single.

39. When every Monday is a day to catch up on the endless amounts of gossip collected over the weekend :P

40. When you make sure to accumulate a lot of proxy attendance whenever possible.

41. When exercise means walking around the campus in the hope of spotting some cute guys.

42. When canteen becomes the perfect adda to b***h about some of the deserving girls.

43. When gaming becomes a way of life, in hostel rooms, in canteen, in classrooms! :P

ENGINEERS ROCK…..

/*you are free to add any more points*/

The day when god was fooled :p

2011-11-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

We moved to a new neighbourhood and the first day in my new house started off like this.

I woke up at five in the morning. I started brushing my teeth when my brother joined me.

DISHUM! DISHUM! Yes, my toothpaste has already started fighting germs.

“Good morning”, I wished him.

“Aaaah!!” he groaned in pain.

“What’s wrong? Do your teeth hurt? Does your toothpaste have salt?” I asked.

“Salt?” he asked with confused face. “Yes. Check mine. Salt makes your teeth strong”, I informed as I gave him my toothpaste.

I finished brushing my teeth and took a bath with a soap that can mesmerise the whole town with its fragments. My brother and I took our seats for breakfast. I noticed my father had already left for work.

“Mommy! Mommy! We are hungry!” we were taping the bowls with the spoon to make an uncanny sound as we said.

“Just two minutes”, my mother bought hot yellow spiral food. I made a face.”Hey, you will like this. It is healthy, tasty and makes you happy”. The door bell rang as we ate our breakfast. There stood a woman in her late thirties as my mother answered the door.

“Welcome to our colony. I live next door”, she greeted my mother with a smile.

She handed a welcome food in a casserole, “By the way, in which college do you study?” she asked.

“Me? In a college?” my mother laughed.”Mommy!” my brother and I said in unison as we came running to hug my mother. Aunty was shocked.

“How did you manage to look so young? Do you use a magic soap?” Mrs. Sharma asked.

My mother chuckled, “With aging the skin develops wrinkles and dark spots. Here, take my cream, it really works to fight the 7 signs of aging”, she informed as she handed her the cream.

“Why don’t you come in and check our house Aunty”, I invited her as I took the milk and news paper placed in front of our door.

“Mom, I am going out to make new friends”, my brother ran out quickly.Why should boys have all the fun?I argued in my head.

“Your son’s clothes might get dirty no if he plays in the ground?” Mrs. Sharma asked.

“That’s ok Sheela. If something good happens because of dirt then dirt is good” my mother poured her a cup of coffee, “Besides its summer and children’s activities tend to increase than usual. I am worried if they are getting proper nutrition” my mother added in worrisome. Happiness starts with a cup of coffee,or so they say.

I was getting bored. I took my bike and quietly left home. I came to a pause when I saw a small kirana store. I bought a chocolate, I was about to take a bite, the shop keeper stopped me and said, “Madam Ji, first you pay for the chocolate, else you might forget what you came for”.

I paid for the stuff and went to a park to relish my chocolate.If kids are reading this article, remember ,Chocolate is good for a new thoughts. I watched a guy drive the car in high speed. I had to catch my skirt and hat to stop it from flying. When was the last time I experienced something for the first time? I thought.

It was night by the time I came home. My father was back from his workplace.”Welcome home dad”, I greeted as I hugged him. The touch of his soft fabric made it feel like heaven.

We had our supper and were back in beds by nine.

“Are we forgetting something?” father asked before he switched off the lights.

“I cannot forget mother or incense sticks”, I replied.

Suddenly we heard a voice from nowhere, “You forgot to pray”, It said.

“Who is it?” my mother asked in trembling voice.

“Its God”, it replied. The voice continued, “Technology might increase to such an extent that you might have forgotten about me, but you cannot conquer death”.

“I took care of that too. I have insurance in life and after life. I live with my head raised”, my father said proudly.

The voice didn’t say anything for a minute. Then it said in a sad tone, “All are living happily. I am bored.I don’t know what to do”, it sobbed even more. I felt sad.

“Here take this” my brother handed him a phone as he said; “It uses 3G technology. You can play games, get connected to everyone and use various apps”

“Why do the done,do the new”, I said and it cheered Him.It really lits ones brain,I thought.

God wrote “Using New technology.No confusion great combination” on his wall, “Yeeew! I am getting all stupid comments” He asked in disbelief as he saw the comments for his post.

“But they are coming fast no?” my brother replied. After a few minutes I saw God status change to “Back in heaven “.

I switched off the lights and slept. Another day in my life ends and we lived happily ever after.

DISHUM! DISHUM! DISHUM! Yeah, that’s right .My toothpaste fights germs 24/7.

DISHUM!

pretty little one

2011-11-01T07:07:00.000-07:00

The delight at the wonderful moments she makes

And the sweet laughter in her unusual babbles

Her childish innocence sparkles in her smile

Her world is a haven of joy and surprises

She has no envy or feelings of dismay

There is the innocent rage though that takes control sometimes

She doesn’t hate anybody, she loves all

Her heart is pure and free from hatred of any kind

Her favourite things are as simple as chocolates and toys

It wouldn’t take someone much time to befriend her

She’s a bundle of energy packed with emotions of all kind

She runs around the house shouting just about anything

Her stories may have no begginning and sometimes no end either

But it would be harsh not to listen to her broken recollections

She doesn’t take things to the heart,

she may flare in rage a moment and love you the next

Her hugs are lovable and priceless

She wraps all her warm affection around you

She’s sweet, lovely and needs affection

Yet sometimes she’s rather neglected or forgotten

She’s as essential and important as any soul can be

She’s indeed a pretty little girl in this big wide world

. . . .

I write this poem for a reason. The reason is neglect of the girl child. Its prominent and rampant. Its heartening to see. Give the necessary importance to the girl child. She deserves it more than anybody !

EARLY FIRE-CRACKERS !

2011-10-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

It's not really known when and where firecrackers originated. Although both the Ramayana & the Mahabharata mention the bursting of firecrackers to celebrate victories, the common consensus is that to the use of firecrackers originated in the human province of China in 200 BC when the Han dynasty was in power .

A villager from Human threw chunks of green bamboo into the fire because he did not have sufficient dry fuel. The bamboo chunks sizzled, blackened & then exploded with a deafening sound, startling the man but giving him the idea of getting rid of evil spirits by exploding bamboos. It wasn't long before most people in China began to burn bamboo to keep evil spirits away.
In 600 AD, alchemist Sun Si Miao developed a gun-powder like mixture by mixing saltpetre, honey, sulphur and arsenic disulphide, which produced a hot, bright flame when heated over fire.
However, the first to use the mixture as firecracker was a chinese monk named Li Tian. When Prime -minister Wei Zhou of the Tang dynasty was plagued by the ghost of an evil dragon he had killed, Li Tian filled a bamboo with the gun powder like mixture and set it on fire. The loud explosion is said to have so frightened the ghost that it stopped haunting him. Li Tian came to be known as the 'father of the firecracker' in China and during the song dynasty, a temple was built to honor him. On 18 April every year, people offer sacrifices at the temple to commemorate the invention of the firecracker.
The bamboo was replaced by paper rolls after paper was invented. The firecracker or baozhu was made by rolling sheets of paper into small tube, stuffing it with gun powder and fixing it with a fuse.
Since the 18th century, the Human province has been the center of firecracker production in China. The world's largest manufacturer of fireworks today is China.

Fire crackers were so popular in Britain that Queen Elizabeth I is said to have created a position for a fire master. King James II was so fascinated with the display of fireworks at his coronation that he knighted his fie master.

How does a 'four-stroke' automobile engine work ?

2011-10-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

In an automobile, the engine's task is to burn fuel so that fuel energy is converted into motion . A for-stroke engine gets its name because it does this conversion in four stages called strokes- the intake stroke, the compression stroke, the combustion stroke and the exhaust stroke .

To understand the strokes, we must first know the structure of the engine. The engine consists of a hallow metal cylinder inside which fuel (petrol or diesel) is burned. The cylinder is fitted with a piston - a piece of metal that slides in and out of the cylinder like a plunger. The piston is attached to a rotating rod called the crankshaft which powers gears that turn the wheels of the automobile.
The cylinder is sealed except for two openings (called valves) at the top. One is the 'inlet valve' and the other is called 'outlet/exhaust valve'. At the top of the cylinder, there is an electrical device called spark plug that sets fire to the fuel.

The four strokes work in the following manner :-
1.Intake : The crankshaft rotates as the piston pushes downwards inside the cylinder. The inlet valve opens and lets in a mixture of air fuel.
2.Compression : The inlet valve closes and seals the cylinder, trapping the fuel and air mixture.As the piston is move upwards, the crankshaft and it squeezes(compresses) the mixture, making it more inflammable. As soon as the piston reaches the top of the cylinder, the spark plug fires.
3.Combustion : The spark ignites the fuel-air mixture causing it to burn rapidly. This creates hot gases that push the piston downwards with force & turn the crankshaft, causing the wheels(and the car, of course) to move.
4.Exhaust : The outlet valve opens. As the crankshaft continues its rotation, the piston moves upwards again, driving out the gases as exhaust.

Speed Up !! world facts ; edition (1)

2011-10-14T21:15:00.000-07:00

Suzuki Hayabusa.

The fastest motorcycle in the world.

A machine that captivates the gaze. I've long been fascinated by the the Suzuki Hayabusa. To those of us who saw the sportbike evolve over the last 15 years. From the '86 GSXR750 to where we stand today, this bike is by far the pinnacle of progress.

One of the most interesting things I ever read about the Hayabusa is instead of pulling wheelies when you grab a fistful of throttle, instead the bike will rocket forward and slowly pull the front tire off the ground.

When you sit upon this bike, it has a wondrous feel that occurs when your hands contact the handlebars. It's a tingle that flows through your wrists, arms, shoulders and causes a sensation of warmth to flow across your chest.

Torque is a wonderful thing.

Horsepower,
is a very wonderful thing.

Top 5 Fastest Bikes in the World

Here is the brand new list of the top 5 fastest bikes in the world! Includes the BMW K1200S, Ducati 1098s, Aprilia RSV 1000R Mille, Yamaha YZF R1 and the Honda CBR 1100XX!

5. BMW K1200S 167 mhh (268 km/h)

With enough raw power to shock even the most seasoned adrenaline junky, the K 1200 S hurls you from a dead stop to sixty mph in just 2.8 seconds. Once you're over the whiplash, you'll keep climbing, topping out at speeds that run neck-and-neck with the fastest production motorcycles in the world.

4. Ducati 1098s 169 mph (271 km/h)

The Ducati 1098 is a 1099 cc L-twin sport bike manufactured by Ducati. It was announced on November 8, 2006 for the 2007 model year and replaces the 999. The 1098 makes a manufacturer claimed 160 horsepower, 90.4 ft-lb torque, and weighs 173kg. These figures gives the 1098 the highest torque-to-weight ratio of any production sport bike ever made.

3. Aprilia RSV 1000R Mille 175mph (281 km/h)

The RSV Mille and limited-edition RSV Mille Factory are high performance V-twin powered motorcycles made by Aprilia with a 143 HP 998 cc engine built by the Austrian company Rotax. For 2006. the RSV Mille Factory won the Maxisport category for Masterbike 2006 and overall Masterbike of the year.

2. Yamaha YZF R1 176mph (283 km/h)

The Yamaha YZF-R1 motorcycle, introduced in 1998, was the first significant motorcycle in the true litre class (1,000 cc) "handling arms race" between the Japanese Big Four motorcycle manufacturers (Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha). When introduced, it took the class closer to a true racing motorcycle, and increased the handling capabilities.

1. Honda CBR 1100XX Super Blackbird 178mph (286 km/h)

Honda CBR 1100 XX Super Blackbird is a sport-touring motorcycle built by Honda. It combines big engine power, Easy operational error-tolerance with touring comfort. The Blackbird production started in 1997 and the last year of production was 2006. The Blackbird was the result of Honda's attempt to build the world's fastest production motorcycle, stealing the crown from Kawasaki.

Walt Disney

2011-10-14T04:40:00.000-07:00

Real name: Walter Elias Disney

Date of Birth (location): 5 December 1901, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Date of Death : 15 December 1966

. . . Try to imagine a world without Walt Disney. A world without his magic, whimsy, and optimism. Walt Disney transformed the entertainment industry, into what we know today. He pioneered the fields of animation, and found new ways to teach, and educate.

During a 43-year Hollywood career, which spanned the development of the motion picture medium as a modern American art, Walter Elias Disney, a modern Aesop, established himself and his product as a genuine part of Americana. David Low, the late British political cartoonist, called Disney "the most significant figure in graphic arts since Leonardo DaVinci." A pioneer and innovator, and the possessor of one of the most fertile imaginations the world has ever known, Walt Disney, along with members of his staff, received more than 950 honors and citations from every nation in the world, including 48 Academy Awards and 7 Emmys in his lifetime. Walt Disney's personal awards included honorary degrees from Harvard, Yale, the University of Southern California and UCLA; the Presidential Medal of Freedom; France's Legion of Honor and Officer d'Academie decorations; Thailand's Order of the Crown; Brazil's Order of the Southern Cross; Mexico's Order of the Aztec Eagle; and the Showman of the World Award from the National Association of Theatre Owners.

The creator of Mickey Mouse and founder of Disneyland and Walt Disney World was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 5, 1901. His father, Elias Disney, was an Irish-Canadian. His mother, Flora Call Disney, was of German-American descent. Walt was one of five children, four boys and a girl.

Raised on a farm near Marceline, Missouri, Walt became interested in drawing at an early age, selling his first sketches to neighbors when he was only seven years old. At McKinley High School in Chicago, Disney divided his attention between drawing and photography, contributing both to the school paper. At night he attended the Academy of Fine Arts.
During the fall of 1918, Disney attempted to enlist for military service. Rejected because he was only 16 years of age, Walt joined the Red Cross and was sent overseas, where he spent a year driving an ambulance and chauffeuring Red Cross officials. His ambulance was covered from stem to stem, not with stock camouflage, but with drawings and cartoons.
After the war, Walt returned to Kansas City, where he began his career as an advertising cartoonist. Here, in 1920, he created and marketed his first original animated cartoons, and later perfected a new method for combining live-action and animation.

In August of 1923, Walt Disney left Kansas City for Hollywood with nothing but a few drawing materials, $40 in his pocket and a completed animated and live-action film. Walt's brother, Roy 0. Disney, was already in California, with an immense amount of sympathy and encouragement, and $250. Pooling their resources, they borrowed an additional $500, and constructed a camera stand in their uncle's garage. Soon, they received an order from New York for the first "Alice Comedy" featurette, and the brothers began their production operation in the rear of a Hollywood real estate office two blocks away.

On July 13, 1925, Walt married one of his first employees, Lillian Bounds, in Lewiston, Idaho. They were blessed with two daughters: Diane, married to Ron Miller, former president and chief executive officer of Walt Disney Productions; and Sharon Disney Lund, who served as a member of Disney's Board of Directors and passed away in 1993. The Millers have seven children and Mrs. Lund had three.

Mickey Mouse was created in 1928, and his talents were first used in a silent cartoon entitled "Plane Crazy." However, before the cartoon could be released, sound burst upon the motion picture screen. Thus Mickey made his screen debut in "Steamboat Willie," the world's first fully-synchronized sound cartoon, which premiered at the Colony Theatre in New York on November 18, 1928.

Walt's drive to perfect the art of animation was endless. Technicolor was introduced to animation during the production of his "Silly Symphonies." In 1932, the film entitled "Flowers and Trees" won Walt the first of his 32 personal Academy Awards. In 1937, he released "The Old Mill," the first short subject to utilize the multiplane camera technique.
On December 21 of that same year, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," the first full-length animated musical feature, premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles. Produced at the unheard cost of $1,499,000 during the depths of the Depression, the film is still accounted as one of the great feats and imperishable monuments of the motion picture industry. During the next five years, Walt completed such other full-length animated classics as "Pinocchio," "Fantasia," "Dumbo," and "Bambi."
In 1940, construction was completed on Disney's Burbank studio. The staff swelled to more than 1,000 artists, animators, story men and technicians. During World War II, 94 percent of the Disney facilities were engaged in special government work, including the production of training and propaganda films for the armed services, as well as health films which are still shown throughout the world by the U.S. State Department. The remainder of his efforts were devoted to the production of comedy short subjects, deemed highly essential to civilian and military morale.
Disney's 1945 feature, the musical "The Three Caballeros," combined live action with the cartoon medium, a process he used successfully in such other features as "Song of the South" and the highly acclaimed "Mary Poppins." In all, 81 features were released by the studio during his lifetime.

Walt's inquisitive mind and keen sense for education through entertainment resulted in the award-winning "True-Life Adventure" series. Through such films as "The Living Desert," "The Vanishing Prairie," "The African Lion," and "White Wilderness," Disney brought fascinating insights into the world of wild animals and taught the importance of conserving our nation's outdoor heritage.
Disneyland, launched in 1955 as a fabulous $17 million Magic Kingdom, soon increased its investment tenfold. By its third decade, more than 250 million people were entertained, including presidents, kings and queens, and royalty from all over the globe.
A pioneer in the field of television programming, Disney began production in 1954, and was among the first to present full-color programming with his "Wonderful World of Color" in 1961. "The Mickey Mouse Club" and "Zorro" were popular favorites in the 1950s.
But that was only the beginning. In 1965, Walt Disney turned his attention toward the problem of improving the quality of urban life in America. He personally directed the design on an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, or EPCOT, planned as a living showcase for the creativity of American industry.
Said Disney, "I don't believe there is a challenge anywhere in the world that is more important to people everywhere than finding the solution to the problems of our cities. But where do we begin? Well, we're convinced we must start with the public need. And the need is not just for curing the old ills of old cities. We think the need is for starting from scratch on virgin land and building a community that will become a prototype for the future."
Thus, Disney directed the purchase of 43 square miles of virgin land -- twice the size of Manhattan Island -- in the center of the state of Florida. Here, he master planned a whole new Disney world of entertainment to include a new amusement theme park, motel-hotel resort vacation center and his Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. After more than seven years of master planning and preparation, including 52 months of actual construction, Walt Disney World opened to the public as scheduled on October 1, 1971. Epcot Center opened on October 1, 1982.

Prior to his death on December 15, 1966, Walt Disney took a deep interest in the establishment of California Institute of the Arts, a college level, professional school of all the creative and performing arts. Of Cal Arts, Walt once said, "It's the principal thing I hope to leave when I move on to greener pastures. If I can help provide a place to develop the talent of the future, I think I will have accomplished something."

California Institute of the Arts was founded in 1961 with the amalgamation of two schools, the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and Chouinard Art Institute. The campus is located in the city of Valencia, 32 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Walt Disney conceived the new school as a place where all the performing and creative arts would be taught under one roof in a "community of the arts" as a completely new approach to professional arts training.

Walt Disney is a legend and a folk hero of the 20th century. His worldwide popularity was based upon the ideas which his name represents: imagination, optimism and self-made success in the American tradition. Walt Disney did more to touch the hearts, minds, and emotions of millions of Americans than any other man in the past century. Through his work, he brought joy, happiness and a universal means of communication to the people of every nation. Certainly, our world shall know but one Walt Disney.

lots of effort+love=chocolate @ candy shop

2011-10-13T05:22:00.000-07:00

Chocolate comes from the seeds of the cacao plant, which is native to South America''s tropical rain forest. At least 3000 years ago,the Mesoamericans discovered how to process the beans to release the distinctive chocolate flavor, and drank it as a sacred beverage. Cacao is now grown all over the world, which annually consumes more than a million tons of processed chocolate. But cacao yields around the world are falling, because the pollination rate of commercially cultivated cacao plants is extremely low. Plantations are also plagued by diseases, expensive to run, and consume precious rain forest. Scientists have recently learned that cacao flowers are pollinated exclusively by midges--small, gnat-like flies--which prefer moist rain forest to sunny plantations. Eager to cultivate cacao more efficiently, farmers are now starting to grow cacao in small patches within the forest ecosystem, as the original Meso-americans did.

Chocolate invented 3,100 years ago by the Aztecs - but they were trying to make beer

Scientists have discovered that chocolate was invented at least 3,100 years ago in Central America and not as the sweet treat people now crave, but as a celebratory beer-like beverage and status symbol.

Researchers identified residue of a chemical compound that comes exclusively from the cacao plant - the source of chocolate - in pottery vessels dating from about 1100 BC in Puerto Escondido, Honduras.

Chocolate was originally invented as a celebratory beer-like beverage and status symbol for the Aztecs and the Maya

This pushed back by at least 500 years the earliest documented use of cacao, an important luxury commodity in Mesoamerica before European invaders arrived and now the basis of the modern chocolate industry.

Cacao (pronounced cah-COW) seeds were used to make ceremonial beverages consumed by elites of the Aztecs and other civilizations, while also being used as a form of currency.

The Spanish conquistadors who shattered the Aztec empire in the 16th century were smitten with a chocolate beverage made from cacao seeds served in the palace of the emperor.

However, this was not the form in which cacao had its beginnings.

"The earliest cacao beverages consumed at Puerto Escondido were likely produced by fermenting the sweet pulp surrounding the seeds," the scientists wrote in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

One of the researchers, anthropologist John Henderson of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, said cacao beverages were being concocted far earlier than previously believed - and it was a beer-like drink that started the chocolate craze.

"What we're seeing in this early village is a very early stage in which serving cacao at fancy occasions is one of the strategies that upwardly mobile families are using to establish themselves, to accumulate social prestige.

"I think this is part of the process by which you eventually get stratified societies," Henderson said.

Steps involved in preparing this marvelous & tasty chocolate :

Making chocolate from the bean isn't easy. Chocolate companies invest millions of dollars into tools and machinery to turn bitter cacao beans into delicious chocolate bars. But with many hours -- or possibly days -- of hard work and dedication to detail, along with some equipment of your own, you can turn your kitchen into a miniature chocolate factory! By following these instructions and techniques, you'll be able to make your very own brand of chocolate.

1. Roast the cocoa beans. The process is similar to roasting coffee beans, except with gentler requirements: 5-35 minutes at temperatures between 120-160 degrees C(250-325 degrees F). You must generally expose the beans to an initial high temperature, lower the temperature gradually, and stop roasting when the beans start to crack (but not burn). The first image shows the cocoa beans before roasting, and the second image shows the after-result. You can accomplish this in your oven or by using a store-bought roaster.

If roasting in your oven, you will need to do a bit of experimenting because roasting times depend on the type of bean you're using. Lay the beans in a single layer across a cookie sheet. Start off with an 18 minute roast in a preheated oven at 120 degrees C (250 F). They'll be ready when they start to crack and when they actually taste like chocolate (let them cool before tasting!).
For roasting larger quantities of cocoa beans, you may want to invest in a drum, which is rotated over a gas grill.

For roasting larger quantities of cocoa beans, you may want to invest in a drum, which is rotated over a gas grill.

2. Crack and winnow the beans.

You can crack the beans with a hammer and remove the husks (which should be loose after proper roasting) by hand if you are working with a small batch.For larger batches, you can use a very coarse, Corona type mill or purchase .a specialized mill (shown here, also see Citations below) to crack the beans into nibs. (In case you were wondering, a meat grinder doesn't work.
3. Grind the nibs into a cocoa liqueur.
You will need equipment strong enough to liquefy the nibs and separate the remaining husks. General food processors, Vita-Mix, coffee grinders (burr and blade), meat grinders (manual and electric) mortar and pestles, and most juicers will not work. You may need to experiment to find equipment that gets the job done. Many home chocolatiers find success with a "Champion Juicer"^[(see Citations below). Feed the nibs into the juicer one handful at a time, being sure to push them in gently (not forcefully) or else the motor may overheat. Cocoa liqueur will come through the screen and a mixture of husks and liqueur will find its way through the spout. Feed this mixture through the juicer again until only the husk comes through the spout.
4. Conch and refine the chocolate.
By definition, conching affects the characteristic taste, smell and texture of the chocolate, while refiningreduces the size of the cocoa solids and sugar crystals. Both processes can be applied at the same time with a powerful wet grinder (success has been reported with a Spectra 10 melanger, also called the "Stone Chocolate Melanger"^[ see Citations below). How you conch and refine the chocolate will depend on what equipment you use, but here are guidelines for the Spectra 10 melanger:
- Melt the chocolate and the cocoa butter in the oven to about 120 degrees F.
- Combine with non-fat dry milk powder, sugar, lecithin and a vanilla pod (split and soaked in the cocoa butter 1 hour; this is an optional flavoring).
- Pour the chocolate mixture in the grinder, periodically pointing a hair dryer at it for 2-3 minutes to keep the chocolate melted during the first hour (until the friction created by grinding keeps the chocolate liquid without additional heat being needed).
- Continue refining for at least 10 hours and no more than 36 hours, until the chocolate tastes smooth and balanced, but be sure not to over-refine (or it will get gummy).

To take a break from refining (e.g. at night while you're sleeping, see Warnings), turn off the grinder, put the covered bowl into an oven that's preheated to 150 degrees F but turned off, and leave it there overnight. It shouldn't solidify but if it does, take the cover off and turn the oven on to about 150-175 degrees F until the chocolate melts (be careful not to let the bowl itself melt, though).

5. Temper the chocolate.
This is likely the most difficult part of the process, but it ensures that the chocolate will be shiny and have a "snap" to it, rather than being matte and soft enough to melt in your hands. However, the great thing about tempering is you can do it as many times as you like and the chocolate won't be ruined. Alternatively, you can purchase a tempering machine on the Internet for $300-400 (US). The most important thing is that you do not let any moisture in the chocolate, or it will be ruined.

Melt your chocolate carefully.

Melt your chocolate carefully. You can accomplish this in the oven if you are using larger quantities of chocolate, or you can use a double broiler on the stove. It's your choice, just make sure that the chocolate does not burn (keep stirring) and you melt more than 1.5 pounds of chocolate. Any less and tempering could prove difficult. When the chocolate is melted to a temperature of around 110 or 120 degrees F, transfer it to a dry, cool bowl and stir until the chocolate temperature drops to about 100 degrees F. Use a candy thermometer to gauge the temperature. The chocolate in the bowl should remain at the same temperature while you work with chocolate outside of the bowl.
Pour about one third of the contents of the bowl onto a hard, non-porous counter top or other surface (granite or marble works best).

Pour about one third of the contents of the bowl onto a hard, non-porous counter top or other surface (granite or marble works best). Spread the chocolate out with the spatula, and then bring it all back together.
Continue doing this (for about 10-15 minutes) until the chocolate is about 85 degrees F.

Continue doing this (for about 10-15 minutes) until the chocolate is about 85 degrees F. By the time the chocolate cools down to that point, the chocolate should be a thick, gooey mass.
Add some of the 100 degree F chocolate from the bowl to get the chocolate workable again.

Add some of the 100 degree F chocolate from the bowl to get the chocolate workable again. Gently work the chocolate around.
Return the chocolate back into the bowl with the 100 degree chocolate.

Return the chocolate back into the bowl with the 100 degree chocolate. Stir it gently, and try not to create bubbles.
Check the chocolate's temperature. You want it around 90 degrees F, but never over 92 degrees F. Anything higher than this and you may need to temper the chocolate again.

6. Mold the chocolate while it is still at about 90 degrees F. Pour the chocolate into the molds, careful not to spill. Some people find it effective to use a large syringe to place chocolate in the mold, but it is all about personal preference. When all of the chocolate has been added to the molds, you may either freeze, refrigerate, or let them harden at room temperature. Again, it's all about personal preference, and there is no right way to do it.

7. Remove the chocolate from the molds when the chocolate is hardened. The molded chocolate should have a glossy appearance and should snap cleanly in two. If you are unsatisfied with your chocolate, you may re-temper the chocolate as long as the chocolate remains dry and you haven't burned it.

Brutal !

2011-10-13T03:19:00.000-07:00

JUNKO FURUTA

I was utterly shocked at what they did to her. It was unimaginable a human being can be so cruel. the following was an excerpt from a group dedicated to remember this poor girl on facebook . Her killers are free men. I think all her 4 killers should be stripped off their limbs. so they would not harm another life. ever.

Don’t read this if you can’t handle reading about violence.

This is a true story that happened in Japan in 1988.

A 17 year old girl named Furuta Junko, was kidnapped and then tortured by 4 boys with very unimaginable way and finally death after 44 days.

For you who can`t stand read something that is so cruel, don’t read this. Please join the Facebook Group, that was made in her honor.

*******
The crime:

In November of 1988, Boy A (18), Boy B (J o Kamisaku, 17; Kamisaku was a new family name he took after being released from prison), Boy C (16) and Boy D (17) from Tokyo abducted Furuta, a second year high school (grade 11) student from Saitama Prefecture in Misato, for 44 days. They kept her captive in the house owned by the parents of Boy C.

To forestall a manhunt, Boy A forced Furuta into calling her own parents and telling them that she had run away from home, but was with “a friend” and was not in danger. He also browbeat her into posing as one of the boys’ girlfriends when the parents of the house where she was held were around, but when it became clear that the parents would not call the police, he dropped this pretext.

Furuta tried to escape several times, begging the parents of Boy C more than once to help her, but they did nothing, apparently out of fear that Boy A would hurt them. Boy A was at the time a low-level yakuza leader and had bragged that he could use his connections to kill anyone who interfered.

According to their statements at their trial, the four of them raped her, beat her,introduced foreign objects including an iron rod into her vagina, made her drink her own urine and was fed cockroaches, inserted fireworks into her anus, and set them off, forced Furuta to masturbate, cut her nipple with pliers, dropped dumbbells onto her stomach, and burned her with cigarettes and lighters. (One of the burnings was punishment for attempting to call the police.)

At one point her injuries were so severe that according to one of the boys it took more than an hour for her to crawl downstairs to use the bathroom. They also related that “possibly a hundred different people” knew that Furuta had been imprisoned there, but it is not clear if this means they visited the house at different times while she was imprisoned there, or themselves either raped or abused her.

When the boys refused to let her leave, she begged them on several occasions to “kill (her) and get it over with“.

On January 4, 1989, using one of the boys’ loss at mah-jongg as a pretext, the four beat her with an iron barbell, poured lighter fluid on her legs, arms, face and stomach, and set her on fire. She died later that day of shock.
The four boys claimed that they were not aware of how badly injured she was, and that they believed she had been malingering.
The killers hid her corpse in an 55-gallon drum filled with cement; the perpetrators disposed the drum in a tract of reclaimed land in Koto, Tokyo.
*****
Arrest and punishment

The boys were arrested and tried as adults; but, because of Japanese handling of crimes committed by juveniles, their identities were sealed by the court. However, a weekly magazine Shukan Bunshun reported their real names, claiming “Human rights aren’t needed for brutes.” Furuta’s real name and details about her personal life were reported exhaustively in the media. Kamisaku was judged as a sub leader, at least according to the official trial.

The four boys pled guilty to a reduced charge of “committing bodily injury that resulted in death“, rather than murder. Boy A’sparents sold their house for approximately 50 million yen and paid this as compensation to Furuta’s family.

For his participation in the crime, Kamisaku served eight years in a juvenile prison before he was released, in August 1999. In July 2004, he was arrested for assaulting an acquaintance, whom he believed to be luring a girlfriend away from him, and allegedly bragged about his earlier infamy. Kamisaku was sentenced to seven years in prison for the beating.

Junko’s parents were dismayed by the sentences received by their daughter’s killers, and enjoined a civil suit against the parents of the boy in whose home the crimes were committed. When some of the convictions were overturned on the basis of problematic physical evidence (the semen and pubic hair recovered from the body did not match those of the boys who were arrested), the lawyer handling the civil suit decided there was no case to be made and refused to represent them further. (There is speculation that the evidence may have been contaminated—for example, by unidentified persons who raped Furuta.)

One of the most disturbing parts of this true story is that her killers are now free. After putting Junko Furuta through all that suffering, they are free men!!! And only have 8 years in prison.

==

“A high-school girl was abducted by four teenaged hooligans while she was on her way to work. They took her to the house of a friend, held her in his bedroom, and for the next forty-five days enacted every imaginable form of abuse on her (and some you wouldn’t want to imagine). They gang-raped her—both with their own bodies and with an assortment of foreign objects—beat her, kicked her, doused her extremities with lighter fluid and set her on fire, and probably did many other things to her that went undocumented by either her tormentors or the police. They mocked her pain. They held her down and dropped barbells on her stomach. This last bit of torture was more than she could withstand, and after going into convulsions she apparently either strangled on her own vomit or simply died from her beatings. When the boys were questioned later about why they didn’t do anything during her seizure, they replied, “We assumed she was faking it.”

“She tried to escape, more than once. The first time, she was caught in the process of making a phone call. The second time, she ran into the parents of the boy who lived there; apparently they had known all along what was gong on. She begged them to help her, but they refused; his friend had criminal connections, and they didn’t want to get into trouble, too. After her death, they taped her arms and legs together, threw her into a 55-gallon drum, filled it with cement, and dumped it in an empty lot. The body wasn’t recovered until almost a year later. The ringleader of the whole incident served seven years in prison and is now a free man.”
*******
What they did to her and the suffering

These horrifying things done to Junko Furuta had been collected through the Japanese court trial of the case, and blogs from 1989. They show the pain that Junko Furuta had to endure before she was finally dead. All this had happened to her while she was still alive. They are disturbing, but the truth.

All of this had happened.

-
DAY 1: November 22, 1988: KidnappedKept captive in house, and posed as one of boy’s girlfriendRaped (over 400 times in total)Forced to call her parents and tell them she had run awayStarved and malnutritionedFed cockroaches to eat and urine to drinkForced to masturbateForced to strip in front of othersBurned with cigarette lighters
Foreign objects inserted into her vagina/anus
DAY 11: December 1, 1988: Severely beat up countless timesFace held against concrete ground and jumped onHands tied to ceiling and body used as a punching bagNose filled with so much blood that she can only breath through her mouthDumbbells dropped onto her stomachVomited when tried to drink water (her stomach couldn’t accept it)Tried to escape and punished by cigarette burning on armsFlammable liquid poured on her feet and legs, then lit on fire
Bottle inserted into her anus, causing injury
DAY 20: December10, 1989: Unable to walk properly due to severe leg burnsBeat with bamboo sticksFireworks inserted into anus and litHands smashed by weights and fingernails krackedBeaten with golf clubCigarettes inserted into vaginaBeaten with iron rods repeatedlyWinter; forced outside to sleep in balcony
Skewers of grilled chicken inserted into her vagina and anus, causing bleeding
DAY 30: Hot wax dripped onto faceEyelids burned by cigarette lighterStabbed with sewing needles in chest areaLeft nipple cut and destroyed with pliersHot light bulb inserted into her vaginaHeavy bleeding from vagina due to scissors insertionUnable to urinate properlyInjuries were so severe that it took over an hour for her to crawl downstairs and use the bathroomEardrums severely damaged
Extreme reduced brain size

DAY 40: Begged her torturers to “kill her and get it over with”
January 1, 1989: Junko greets the New Years Day aloneBody mutilated
Unable to move from the ground

DAY 44: January 4, 1989: The four boys beat her mutilated body with an iron barbell, using a loss at the game of Mah-jongg as a pretext. She is profusely bleeding from her mouth and nose. They put a candle’s flame to her face and eyes.

Then, lighter fluid was poured onto her legs, arms, face and stomach, and then lit on fire. This final torture lasted for a time of two hours.

Junko Furuta died later that day, in pain and alone. Nothing could compare 44 days of suffering she had to go through.

When her mother heard the news and details of what had happened to her daughter, she fainted. She had to undergo a psychiatric outpatient treatment . Imagine her endless pain.

This story from 1989 is true. Please spread her story around. Everyone should know about the existence of Junko Furuta’s unimaginable and incomprehensible suffering

amazing Teens

2011-10-13T02:34:00.000-07:00

Emma Watson, 19yrs

Enrolled for her course in English Literature at Brown University, Emma Watson could have been like other student. If any other student had £12 million in the bank. Still not out of her teens the actress-come-student can expect to keep on raking in the money after being signed as the face of Burberry’s 2009 autumn/winter collection.

Nick Jonas, 17yrs

Young, sweet, clean-living and extremely rich, Nick is one third of the teen phenomenon that is The Jonas Brothers. The brothers, who range in age from 16 to 22, have earned $12 million so far. Nick is the youngest member and the lead singer along with his older brother Joe, he also plays the guitar, piano and drums. He enjoys playing baseball and golf and his hobbies include collecting baseball cards and songwriting.

Miley Cyrus, 17yrs

Estimates that teen star Miley Cyrus could well be a billionaire by the time she turns 18. With two Hannah Montana films, a TV series, her first animated movie, Bolt, and a hit recording career, including three number one albums, Miley is undisputed queen of the teen world. Her concert tour in 2008 netted her $17 million on its own.

India Rose James, 18years

Along with her half-sister Fawn, India Rose James, the granddaughter of the late Soho pornography tycoon and property magnate Paul Raymond, was left half of his £75 million fortune. The family empire is worth £500 million, and the sisters’ share of the wealth is said to be £120 million, placing them 438th in Britain’s richest 1,000.

Tyler James Williams, 17yrs

US TV actor Williams is best known from TV series Everyone Hates Chris, playing a young Chris Rock. But he’s also appeared in Sesame Street and is going to be a huge name, according to the US media bigwigs. Having raked in an estimated $1.2 million a year since 2007 – this child star looks set to climb the ranks rapidly over the coming years.

Dakota Fanning, 16yrs

At just 16 Dakota Fanning, known to her friends as Kota, has already appeared in about 28 films,12 TV appearances. Her credits includes War of the Worlds with Tom Cruise, Charlotte’s Web with Julia Roberts and I Am Sam with Sean Penn. At 13, she was earning $4 million a year and was ranked number three on Forbes rich list, thanks in part to her role in The Secret Life of Bees and her voice-over in Coraline.

Abigail Breslin, 13yrs

Having received a pay cheque of $1.5 million for her role as Olive in Little Miss Sunshine, an alternative road movie about one family’s 700-mile trip to a beauty pageant, the diminutive actress is one big earner. And remember, she was only 10 at the time. Now she’s said to be earning more than $3 million a film. Only just a teenager, and already nominated for an Oscar, she should be all sunshine and smiles with a career and a bank balance like that.

Ianthe Fullagar, 19yrs

Ianthe Fullagar, now 19, became the youngest EuroMillions winner at the age of 18 when she won just over £7 million with her lucky dip ticket. She said: “My mum called the national lottery line and it was only then that I realised I had won a share of the jackpot. We were both screaming so loudly that my dog Brock did not know what was happening and bit me on the bottom.”

Caroline Wozniacki, 19yrs

Currently the sixth best female tennis player on the planet, Caroline Wozniaki has six tournament wins and more than $2.9 million in prize money to her name – not counting sponsorships and endorsements. At 19, Wozniaki is also the youngest woman in the ATP Top 10 tennis rankings and has years ahead of her to win more.

Angus Turner Jones 16yrs

Starting his career at just four-years-old, Angus T. Jones is now a successful child actor. He is currrently co-starring in the hit CBS show, “Two and a Half Men”, alongside Charlie Sheen, where he plays the role of Jake Harper. In the May 2008, People Magazine named him one of the “World’s Richest Teens” with earnings of $1.2 million dollars a season.

According to 11' survey ! Miley Cyrus Age: 18 Est. Net Worth: $120. 2. Justin Bieber Age: 17 Est. Net Worth: $65.5. 3. Nick Jonas Age: 18 Est. Net Worth: $18 million. 4. Dakota Fanning Age: 17 Est. Net Worth: $16 million. 5. Abigail Breslin Age: 15
Est. Net Worth: $12. 6. Angus T. Jones Age: 17 Est. Net Worth: $10 million. 7. Miranda Cosgrove Age: 17 Est. Net Worth: $7 million. 8. Tyler James Williams Age: 18 Est. Net Worth: $4.8 million. 9. Selena Gomez Age: 18 Est. Net Worth: $4 million. 10. Demi Lovato Age: 18 Est. Net Worth: $3 million.

do leave a comment !

lil' things made them rich !! but how ? I'll tell you ;))

2011-10-12T23:06:00.000-07:00

You don’t have to be an adult to have an entrepreneurial mind, let alone a millionaire mind. Young adults like Fraser Doherty, Cameron Johnson, as well as Catherine and Dave Cook have become entrepreneurs and millionaires at an early age and they are continuing to prosper and do extremely well. Even though their names have not yet appeared on the front of Forbes magazine, it is clear that they have chosen the right path towards becoming wealthy and independent individuals. They were confident with their ideas right from the start, made it a business reality, and now they are all earning a fortune.

A 9-year old entrepreneur

Cameron Johnson is probably the most outstanding example of all of them. When he was only nine years old, he used Photoshop for creating birthday invitation designs. This was his first project which soon became famous in his neighborhood and he started receiving orders. Two years later, he used the money he saved to officially launch a proper business which he called Cheers and Tears. Later on, his younger sister offered him her Ty Beanie Babies, a stylish doll collection that was very much in demand at that time, for $100. He sold the dolls through eBay for 1,000. Because of this huge return on investment he decided to make bulk purchases from the manufacturer and re-sell them on eBay and on his website; Cheers and Tears as well.

In less than a year he was able to save up $ 50,000 which he used to finance his new undertaking, the My EZ Mail. This business deals with a service of forwarding emails – a venture which gave him $ 3,000 per month in advertising revenue.

He mentioned in an interview with Forbes, “As a 15 year old I received checks of between $300,000 and $400,000 per month,” and added “Before my high school graduation, my fortune was valued at more than $ 1 million.” He is now 23 years and has a lot of business plans in mind. He spends his time on lectures and on the promotion of his new book. He also wants to encourage other young individuals by saying, “Do not be afraid of rejection. Do not be afraid to ask.”

A “sweet” fortune

Another young successful entrepreneur is Fraser Doherty. Unlike Cameron, Fraser got famous for a recipe from his grandmother, SuperJam jams in 2002. He started his business at his parents’ house in Edinburgh, Scotland. His first customers were also his friends and neighbors, but later on he had too many orders which led him to rent a food processing factory for a few days every month.

He left school when he was 16 to focus on his business. In 2007, his products were displayed in chain supermarkets found in United Kingdom; Waitrose, and Tesco. He had to borrow $900,000 from the bank to support the business. He used the money to rent new factories to be able to produce new flavors and hire 200 employees. Doherty’s company continues to grow. According to him, the secret to his success is having fun in what you do, and that is what he wishes to share as encouragement to other young entrepreneurs.

There’s money on the Internet

Siblings Catherine and Dave Cook made money online at the age of 15 and 17. Their older brother Geoff is a web developer and with his help and $250,000, they launched MyYearbook.com. It is like an online yearbook, similar to Facebook and MySpace, which has more than three million users and has a market value of over a million dollars.

Still another teenage millionaire is the boy behind Dubit Limited, Adam Hildreth Ashley Qualls. Dubit Limited is an online marketing page which is committed to position companies like Coca Cola among British youngsters. Before he reached 20, the project had already accumulated about six million dollars. At age 14, he started Whateverlife.com. He also made templates, icons, and images for MySpace. Many investors have been interested in buying his business but he keeps turning down the offers.

These young people serve as an inspiration to others. Opportunities are made available to anyone, but only a few take it. Make use of your fresh ideas, start a business of your own at an early age, and hopefully become a millionaire like these boys and girls, before the age of 20 .

THE HAUNTED !!!

2011-10-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

Do you believe in ghosts . . . haunting houses , woods , dolls , techno or haunting you itself ! Are you doubtful then wt to do :/ guess what ! I've got some real stuff . . . in here i placed some pics , experiences and many more explanations ! Who are you waiting for ? Lets start our journey to the haunted house

Real Haunted house Its a real experience shared by . . .

I use to live in a haunted house. I was living there for over 20 years.. It was a weird and eery place i must admit. I never believed in Ghost before but now i do. Your probably thinking.. "oh my god this girl is crazy" well let me tell you this.. I'm not crazy and this is no lie.. i wish it wasn't true.. but it is true.. My house was so possessed.. I was living with my brothers, and sister and my parents at the time.. Weird things would happen.. The razor (mens shaver)use to turn on its self.. my brother saw that happening.. he looked at the razor and he was like what the???? so he saw the razor and he turned it off !! 2 seconds later it turned on again.. once again he turned it off again.. so he decided to take the battery out................ what happen, it was still on!! you probably think that something is wrong with the razor.. well that is impossible if you ask me.. my brothers room was the most coldest place.. i was too scared to go in there!!! i get goose bumps thinking about it seriously!! Ok one night my other brother.. i have 2 brothers who were sharing rooms.. they had a bunk bed... My youngest brother, different to the other one.. he couldn't sleep in the middle of the night... he was always scared to turn off the light so he would leave his lamp light on......... suddenly in the middle of the night.. his computer was off!!! and what happen was..... he heard noise! he looked at his computer... it was the keypad........... it looked like someone was typing but the computer was off and no one was there!!!! some kind of force kept hitting the button.......... it continued on and on and on... ever since then, i was like so scared to go past the room....... I also so with my own bare eyes, the radio turning on and off by its self, the window opening and closing by its self, the bath towel getting pulled of the shelf, the blinds opening flipping up its self, hearing noises.............. I was walking past my broters and my parents room to go to the bathroom.. and i looked in my parents room...... i saw a black figure in the room, it looked like me dad or something but it was black.. so i knew it wasnt him, and i heard soft sounding music coming out of the room.........which totally freaked me out because there was no radio there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i quickly called my brothers and sister, and my parents......... when they went to look, there was nothing there......... plus no music was on, no radio.. nada!!!! I also have experienced my bed shaking.. it was shaking from the top!! oh god i nearly had a heart attack when it happen.. i also felt like someone was choking me.......... and every night i always here footsteps, and weird erry noises, and shadows of people walking............... but one day something extradinary happen to me!!! i was trying to sleep and i felt a force go in to me.. i was sleeping.. and suddenly saw a vision of dead bodies, and heard laughter.. i got up, and didnt feel like myself at all... it was a bad experience!! i felt like something was there.. i wanted to kill myself but it didnt happen, but seriously everytime i close my eyes.. i keep having visions and voices in my head.. and im not crazy......... We had to seek help, and now our house is nice and quiet!!

And here we continue... seeking glimpses of the truth... sharing our thoughts and experiences... pondering questions like, "Is there an invisible world around us which includes beings and entities we cannot see?" and "Is there something else beyond this life we see? What lies beyond the Grave?"

Most people know of at least one ghost story that has been told as being true within their family. Many of us even remember living near a haunted house when we were young. As children we tend to believe these ghost stories are real, but by the time we grow up we often consider ghosts to be as mythical as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny or the Great Pumpkin.

Humans have always been both fascinated and afraid of the unknown. Even during ancient times people experienced encounters with the paranormal and shared their stories with others.

Hook up ! We aren't done yet ;)

At True Ghost Tales we delve into the supernatural with visitor submitted true ghost stories, ghost pictures, haunting articles, EVPs, poltergeists, werewolves and more paranormal topics. We have a lot of resources for ghost hunters and everyone interested in the paranormal world. The blog is updated every day with new ghost stuff. We also have an archived section of ghost stories and for those of you who like to interact with others who are into the paranormal we have a forum

However we may explain the supernatural world, nothing prevents us from being intensely interested in real true ghost stories, haunted houses, and the realm of the supernaturalIn different stories, ghosts have been described as being benevolent, benign, or malevolent. A benevolent ghost seems to want to help or protect in some way while a malevolent spirit will seek to inflict harm. Benign ghosts are usually indifferent to, or unaware of, the living.

Types of Hauntings

Residual Haunting

The most prevalent type of haunting, by far, is referred to as a residual haunting. In this type of haunting the ghostly energy goes through a cycle of actions over and over again. It's like a video clip that repeats itself in a loop. Oftentimes this plays out at a specific time as though it were following a schedule. Most commonly the scene played out will be that of a tragic event, such as a death. This type of haunting is more like a psychic impression of energy than an actual haunting by a presence or entity. Many true stories seem to describe this type of occurrence.

Intelligent Haunting

The second classification of haunting is known as the Classic or Intelligent Haunting. In an Intelligent Haunting the spirit, or ghost, demonstrates an intelligence and an awareness of its surroundings. These ghosts have been known to communicate with humans and to interact with their environment. In this type of haunting it is common for objects to be moved. There have been reports of ghosts making noises, such as rapping or banging on walls, slamming doors, or making footsteps. Ghosts have been known to move things around, or even to hide objects. They may even turn light switches on and off. This type of ghost will often manifest the personality of someone who has died. Smells and odors that were commonly present with the person when they were still living, such as tobacco, perfume, or flowers, often occur in these hauntings.

Paranormal Investigation Techniques & Equipment

More and more people are wanting to do their own paranormal investigating. The popularity of shows such as "Ghost Hunters" has everyone wanting to find their own proof of the paranormal. If one is seriously wanting to investigate a haunting, there are several things that are important to know... and many misconceptions that need to be clarified.

Read Paranormal Investigation Techniques & Equipment

There are many aspects to paranormal investigating - client interviews, walk-through of the property, understanding the equipment that is being used ( Paranormal Investigation Techniques and Equipment ) and what naturally causes certain anomalies or sounds to show up, and hours of reviewing any video or audio data for every hour of investigation time, just to name a few.

Read How to Conduct Research for a Paranormal Investigation

i got many more stories to tell but it will take me awhile to type it up.. but i hope this wasn't too boring..

MJ foreva. . .

2011-10-12T10:55:00.000-07:00

Considered one of the top pop stars of all time, Michael Jackson has been known for various music recordings such as Bad and Dangerous. Numerous other songs would push Jackson into the fame that few will ever own as their own but his best selling album Thriller would be remembered as a Jackson hit that made music video history.
Michael Jackson is pop culture and in the eighties, there wasn’t anyone who could claim the kind of success that Michael Jackson possessed. His dance and moves were talked about throughout the world by every teenager that loved his music. The moonwalk and the robot became exciting moves that made it to the hip hop clubs throughout the country while his music blared through radios and car stereos around the globe.
Jackson would move on to claim thirteen Grammy Awards and the World Music Awards would later announce in 2006 that Michael Jackson sold over 750 million music units worldwide. With his charitable contributions and his active pursuits for humanitarian movements Jackson even earned a Nobel Peace Prize Nomination.
Michael Jackson was one of ten children and would later become the brother who would carry the early work of the Jackson Five to fame in 1966. It was in 1968 that the band gained the attention of Berry Gordy and Motown Records.
Michael Jackson took the lead with the Jackson Five until they departed Gordy’s Motown. After turning to CBS Records, Michael Jackson stepped out entirely on his own choosing a solo career that truly launched with his album Off the Wall. The album would later win Michael his first awards as a stand alone artist at the American Music Awards in 1980.

Michael Jackson’s career has been one of trials and tribulations covered with career highs and lows. He’s faced scrutiny with documentaries like Living with Michael Jackson while the media has followed his every move including a baby dangling incident when he held one of his children off of a balcony in Berlin.

Michael Jackson is said to be the biggest musical success since Elvis Presley which is ironic because Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis Presley’s only child, did marry Michael Jackson and remained his wife for two years. After the Presley-Jackson divorce, Jackson married Debbie Rowe who he later divorced in 1999.

Michael Jackson was accused of child molestation in 1993 and in 2003. Jackson was acquitted on all child molestation charges brought against him in 2005. Still, the stigma follows Michael Jackson who is a hands-on parent but ready to step back into the music business with a new entertainment project in the works. Unfortunately, his beloved California Neverland Ranch faces foreclosure while he remained at his rented home in Washington DC.

Michael died of suspected cardiac arrest on 25 June 2009. He was living in a rented home in Los Angeles when authorities were notified that Jackson was unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the UCLA Medical Center after medical personnel tried to rescucitate him for an hour. He was preparing for a grueling schedule of over fifty concerts in an upcoming revival tour. Jackson leaves behind three young children and over $400 million in debt.

Miss you MJ <3

Science That'll Take You on the Ride of Your Life !

2011-10-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

Did you know that a roller coaster is more than just a scary – or fun – ride in an amusement park? That's right. While roller coasters are fun to ride, they are also very carefully designed using the science of physics.

Do you know physics is all about?
Physics is the scientific study of many things, such as motion, force, energy, light and sound. It includes gravity, friction and speed – all things that contribute to the way roller coasters operate.
Let's look a bit closer at how roller coasters came to be and what causes them to do the things they do.
The First Roller Coaster :

The very first roller coaster wasn't like the ones we ride today – sleek metal cars travelling upside down and sideways at high speeds over water and way up in the sky. Instead, the original "scream machines" (as they are sometimes called) were huge wooden sleds that slid down ice-covered mountains !

Roller Coaster Rides Get More Daring – and Faster!

In the 1920s, roller coasters were a big draw at many large amusement parks, including ones in Chicago and on the beaches. Some reached speeds of well over 60 miles per hour. At this time, roller coasters were made out of wood.

IN DISNEY LAND ;

Roller coasters and amusement parks in general had a rough time of it. Many closed. But then, a man named Walt Disney had a dream – he wanted to build an amusement park that would be the greatest one of them all – and he did: Disneyland.

Theme Parks – and Coasters, Everywhere!

Many followed Disney's lead and now there are theme, or amusement, parks everywhere. And, as new parks opened, new types of roller coasters were developed. Today, many roller coaster rides are much different from the original free-fall down a frozen slope comprising the first coaster.

The Scientific Theory Behind the Coasters

Roller coasters usually don't have engines. Surprised? Seems hard to believe, but most of them travel safely around the track strictly by using gravity, friction and speed.

How does that work?

It converts potential energy to kinetic energy – all of the energy a roller coaster needs to run around the tracks.

Huh?

Potential energy is easy to understand. It's the amount of energy an object possesses relative to it's mass and how high it is from the ground. Take a chapter from Issac Newton and drop an apple to the ground from a height of one foot, then two, then three and so on. Each time you drop the apple, you will have a more forceful landing because the apple's potential energy increases each time.

Fastest Roller Coasters

Two of the fastest roller coasters are Steel Force and the Desperado. The Desperado is in Buffalo Bills Resort, and Steel Force is in Dorney Park. They both go 80 miles per hour. They are the fastest coasters out of steel and wooden roller coasters. The fastest looping roller coaster is the Viper. It goes 70 miles per hour.

Tallest Roller Coasters

The two tallest roller coasters are Steel Force and the Desperado. They are 225 feet tall. They are the tallest out of wooden and steel roller coasters. The tallest wooden coaster is Hercules. It is 175 feet tall. The first coaster to top 200 feet was Magnum XL-200. There are only seven roller coasters currently operating that reach 200 ft. tall. They are Magnum XL-200, The Pepsi Max Big One, The Desperado, Fujiyama, Wild Thing, Manhattan Express, and Steel Force.

Weird Things About Coasters

There once was a man who did not talk for six years because of shell shock, but after a ride on the Coney Island Cyclone, he told his friend, "I feel sick." There used to be a roller coaster track that people could drive their car on. A long time ago there was a roller coaster that jumped a gap, but it was banned because the jump would vary according to the weight of the people. Some of the items people find under roller coasters besides wallets, change, and keys are glass eyes, fake legs, brassieres and false teeth.

Best Theme Parks

The park with the best and most roller coasters is Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California and Six Flags AstroWorld in Houston, Texas each have ten roller coasters. Six Flags Over Georgia in Atlanta, Georgia, Six Flags Over Great America in Gurnee, Illinois, Paramount Kings Island on Kings Island, Ohio, and Paramount Canada`s Wonderland in Vaughan, Ontario each have eight coasters.

o l

So lets catch our ride ;)

Is social media a marketing dream?

2011-10-12T01:49:00.000-07:00

If you don't know what social networking is, chances are you're not a member of a site! Synovate looked into who were members of sites, or not, and which sites they belonged to. Perhaps the biggest out-take here is the debunking of myth number two. Social networking is definitely not US-centric.
Overall, 26% across the markets surveyed are members of social networking sites. This peaked with the Netherlands at 49%, United Arab Emirates (UAE) at 46%, Canada at 44% and the US at 40% (though keep in mind that's 40% of a huge population).

Sites of choice
The survey then asked social networkers to name the sites they belong to. Some markets seemed to favour multiple memberships and some seemed to stick to one or two major ones. The markets where social networking aficionados favour signed up for many sites are UAE, India, Indonesia, and Bulgaria.

Now while coming to particular social networking sites , so far as I could gather the info .. is here !
As social media continues to gain acceptance as a communications platform, I thought it might be fun to have a cool fact about it for every week of the year .So, here are ten facts about the five most well-known social media outlets – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and blogging – with two more bonus facts thrown in just for fun :

Facebook

1. The average Facebook user has 130 friends.

2. More than 25 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) is shared each month.

3. Over 300,000 users helped translate the site through the translations application.

4. More than 150 million people engage with Facebook on external websites every month.

5. Two-thirds of comScore’s U.S. Top 100 websites and half of comScore’s Global Top 100 websites have integrated with Facebook.

6. There are more than 100 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices.

7. People that access Facebook via mobile are twice as active than non-mobile users (think about that when designing your Facebook page).

8. The average Facebook user is connected to 60 pages, groups and events.

9. People spend over 500 billion minutes per month on Facebook.

10. There are more than 1 million entrepreneurs and developers from 180 countries on Facebook.

Twitter

11. Twitter’s web platform only accounts for a quarter of its users – 75% use third-party apps.
12. Twitter gets more than 300,000 new users every day.
13. There are currently 110 million users of Twitter’s services.
14. Twitter receives 180 million unique visits each month.
15. There are more than 600 million searches on Twitter every day.
16. Twitter started as a simple SMS-text service.
17. Over 60% of Twitter use is outside the U.S.
18. There are more than 50,000 third-party apps for Twitter.
19. Twitter has donated access to all of its tweets to the Library of Congress for research and preservation.
20. More than a third of users access Twitter via their mobile phone.

LinkedIn

21. LinkedIn is the oldest of the four sites in this post, having been created on May 5 2003.
22. There are more than 70 million users worldwide.
23. Members of LinkedIn come from more than 200 countries from every continent.
24. LinkedIn is available in six native languages – English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.
25. Oracle’s Chief Financial Officer, Jeff Epstein, was headhunted for the position via his LinkedIn profile.
26. 80% of companies use LinkedIn as a recruitment tool.
27. A new member joins LinkedIn every second.
28. LinkedIn receives almost 12 million unique visitors per day.
29. Executives from all Fortune 500 companies are on LinkedIn.
30. Recruiters account for 1-in-20 LinkedIn profiles.

YouTube

31. The very first video uploaded was called “Me at the Zoo”, on 23rd April 2005.
32. By June 2006, more than 65,000 videos were being uploaded every day.
33. YouTube receives more than 2 billion viewers per day.
34. Every minute, 24 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube.
35. The U.S. accounts for 70% of YouTube users.
36. Over half of YouTube’s users are under 20 years old.
37. You would need to live for around 1,000 years to watch all the videos currently on YouTube.
38. YouTube is available in 19 countries and 12 languages.
39. Music videos account for 20% of uploads.
40. YouTube uses the same amount of bandwidth as the entire Internet used in 2000.

Blogging

41. 77% of Internet users read blogs.
42. There are currently 133 million blogs listed on leading blog directory Technorati.
43. 60% of bloggers are between the ages 18-44.
44. One in five bloggers update their blogs daily.
45. Two thirds of bloggers are male.
46. Corporate blogging accounts for 14% of blogs.
47. 15% of bloggers spend 10 hours a week blogging.
48. More than half of all bloggers are married and/or parents.
49. More than 50% of bloggers have more than one blog.
50. Bloggers use an average of five different social sites to drive traffic to their blog.

Bonus Facts

51. 90% of Internet users know at least one social network.
52. The average social user has 195 friends.

Privacy and predators
But the survey was not all about debunking myths. It also confirmed facts. Like, privacy concerns and fear of strangers remain barriers to complete online comfort for a great many of our respondents.
Overall, just over half our respondents who are members of social networking sites (51%) agreed that online social networking has its dangers.

"Online communication is as meaningful as face-to-face communication."