This Happens only in India
These pictures go a long way in showing why India is the second fastest growing economy in the world. Things which would be unimaginable anywhere else are routine matter here. How we deal with this is an amazing aspect of being Indian.
This is an incredible performance by the Italian police bikers. The performance and the choreography of these motorbike daredevils is amazing. This requires the precision of a surgeon and the courageous heart. One wrong move by any one rider could have caused an accident. There timing and precision defy words. Only seeing is believing.
Whoever said "its was a dogs life" had no clue about Leona Helmsley and her billions.
She is the billionaire New York hotelier and real estate magnate and she left millions to her beloved dog, Trouble, not only that, she left billions for the care of dogs in general.
Helmsley left instructions that an entire charitable trust valued at close to $8 billion and amounting to virtually all of her estate, be used for the care and welfare of dogs.
She had two goals set in her will when she made it in 2003. The two goals set in her will were to help indigent people and the to provide for the care and welfare of dogs. But a year later, she deleted the first goal. Don't you wish you were a dog rather than destitute.
Helmsley, was known as "the Queen of Mean" because of the way she dealt with her employees, but she had a soft spot for her dog. But a New York court last month lowered the dog's inheritance to $2 million from $12 million on grounds that Helmsley was mentally unfit when she made her will.
Helmsley died in August 2007 at age 87. She amassed a fortune in real estate and hotels with her husband, Harry Helmsley, who died in 1997.
Famously quoted as having said "only the little people pay taxes," Helmsley spent 18 months in federal prison for evading $1.7 million in taxes in 1989. Now taxes are used for human welfare and she was a dog person.
I think we will have to change the quote from "its a dogs life" "to its a destitute's life".
All of our society's gender issues stem from the fact that fathers once used their daughters as currency to a) pay off a debt to a wealthier land owner, b) symbolize a sacrificial, monetary peace offering to an opposing tribe or c) buy their way into a higher social strata.
So next time your tears well up watching a beaming father walk his little girl down the aisle, remember that it's just a tiny, barbaric little custom over from the days when daughters were nothing but commodity for dad to trade with. (he had to make sure she reached the aisle)
And that veil she's wearing? Yeah, that was so the groom wouldn't know what he was getting until it was time to kiss the bride and too late to back out on the transaction. (There is also some superstitious B.S. about warding off evil spirits, but we think you'll agree that hiding a busted grill from the husband-to-be is a more practical purpose.)
The white wedding dress
Technically, today's wedding gowns aren't white. They are "Candlelight," "Warm Ivory," "Ecru" or "Frost." But there was a time when a bride's wedding attire was simply the best thing in her closet (talk about "off the rack"), and could be any color, even black.
To convince her groom that she came from a wealthy family, brides would also pile on layers of fur, silk and velvet, as apparently grooms didn't care if his wife-to-be reeked of sweaty body odor as long as she was loaded.
It was Queen Victoria (whose reign lasted from 1837-1901) who made white fashionable. She wore a pale gown trimmed in orange blossoms for her 1840 wedding to her first cousin, Prince Albert.
Hordes of royal-crazed commoners immediately began to copy her.
The wedding party
The orignal duty of a "Best Man" was to serve as armed backup for the groom in case he had to resort to kidnapping his intended bride away from disapproving parents. The "best" part of that title refers to his skill with a sword, should the need arise.
The best man stands guard next to the groom right up through the exchange of vows (and later, outside the newlyweds' bedroom door), just in case anyone should attack or if a non-acquiescent bride should try to make a run for it.
It's said that feisty groups like the Huns, Goths and Visigoths took so many brides by force that they kept a cache of weapons stored beneath the floorboards of churches for convenience. Modern-day best men are more likely to store an emergency six-pack at the ceremony for convenience, but the title remains an apt one.
Ladies -- believe it or not -- the concept of the bridesmaid's gown was not invented to inflict painful dowdiness upon the bride's friends and female relatives thus making the bride look hotter by comparison.
Historically, that dress you'll never wear again was actually selected with the purpose of tricking the eye of evil spirits and jealous ex-lovers (spicy!). Brides' faithful attendants were instructed to wear a dress similar to that of the bride so that during their group stroll to the church it would be hard for any ill-willed spirits or former lovers to spot the bride and curse/kidnap/throw rocks at her. (Ditto for the boys in matching penguin suits, saving the groom from a similar fate.)
Garter and bouquet toss
This pair of rituals has long been the scourge of the modern wedding guest. What could possibly be more humiliating than being forced out to the center of a parquet dance floor and being expected to demonstrate your desperation by diving for flying flowers?
How about grasping in the air for a lacy piece of undergarment that until moments ago resided uncomfortably close to the crotch of your buddy's wife? At any other point in time, that would make you seem wildly creepy. So why is it acceptable at a wedding?
It used to be that after the bride and groom said, "I do," they were to go immediately into a nearby room and consummate the marriage. Obviously, to really make it official, there would need to be witnesses, which basically led to hordes of wedding guests crowding around the bed, pushing and shoving to get a good view and hopefully to get their hands on a lucky piece of the bride's dress as it was ripped from her body.
Sometimes the greedy guests helped get the process going by grabbing at the bride's dress as she walked by, hoping for a few threads of good fortune. In time, it seems, people realized that this was all a bit, well... creepy, and it was decided that for modesty's sake the bride could toss her bouquet as a diversion as she made her getaway and the groom could simply remove an item of the bride's undergarments and then toss it back outside to the waiting throngs to prove that he was about to, uh, seal the deal.
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue (and a sixpence in my shoe?)
A common theme that you've no doubt noticed throughout this post: humans used to be a superstitious bunch. This rhyming phrase neatly lists a number of English customs dating back to the Victorian age which, when worn in combination, should bring the bride oodles of fabulous good luck.
The something old was meant to tie the bride to her family and her past, while the something new represented her new life as the property of a new family. The item borrowed was supposed to be taken from someone who was already a successfully married wife, so as to pass on a bit of her good fortune to the new bride. The color blue stood for all sorts of super fun things like faithfulness, loyalty, and purity. The sixpence, of course, was meant to bring the bride and her new groom actual, cold, hard fortune.
Just in case that wasn't enough, brides of yore also carried bunches of herbs (which most brides now replace with expensive, out-of-season peonies) to ward off evil spirits. Mental Floss: More bizarre customs
Saving the wedding cake
Why do couples eat freezer-burned wedding cake on their one-year anniversary? To answer this, we must look to the lyrics of a schoolyard classic: First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a baby in a baby carriage! It used to be assumed that when there was a wedding, a christening would follow shortly. So, rather than bake two cakes for the occasions, they'd just bake one big one and save a part of it to be eaten at a later date when the squealing bundle of joy arrived.
Eventually folks warmed to the idea of giving the poor kid his own, newly baked cake, but the custom of saving a portion of the wedding cake far longer than it should be saved and then eating it and deluding oneself to believe that it actually tastes good is one that persists to this day.
Once they had stocked themselves with other life saving essential survival supplies, one of the last things to reach the U.S. research base in Antarctica before the onset of winter darkness was a year's supply of condoms. (they are lying. That supply would last an average householder a couple of life times and some to spare)
Bill Henriksen, the manager of the McMurdo base station, said nearly 16,500 condoms were delivered last month and would be made available, free of charge, to staff throughout the year to avoid the potential embarrassment of having to buy them. (they could have kept one person busy at the sales counter)
The base only has a skeleton staff of 125 persons through the long winter. Lets do some simple maths here. Assuming there is an equal number of male and female ratio on the base that makes roughly 62 couples. 16500 condoms divided by 62 is approximately 266 (give or take a torn condom :) ) and 6 months have 180 days. WOW...Everyone who wishes he/she was on that base raise your hand.
This simple maths means that on average they will be having sex 1.5 times a day. Heyyyy... aren't those guys going to do any research and stuff!!
"Since everybody knows everyone, it becomes a little bit uncomfortable," said Henriksen, the manager. I can tell he uses (misuses) maximum condoms. I just have a gut feeling dude.
About 125 scientists and staff are stationed at McMurdo base, the largest community in Antarctica, during the winter months when there is constant darkness. (What are they researching? Durability of the condom in darkness!!!)
The first sunrise will occur on August 20 and McMurdo's population will start to increase again in September when supply flights resume, peaking at more than 1,000 during the summer period.
If there is any condom malfunction maybe the population rise will be more than expected. ;)
Did you say you love a beautiful sunset! How far are you willing to go to take a picture of the sunset? A mile! In which direction?
A U.S. Marine Charged with rape and other violations of the Uniform Code of Military Justice in the alleged sexual assault of 14-year old girl in Okinawa pleaded guilty.
The U.S. Marine pleaded guilty Friday to abusive sexual contact with a child under 16, bringing to a close a criminal case that caused outrage in Japan.
The Offender Staff. Sgt. Tyrone L. Hadnott was sentenced to four years of confinement, said First Lt. Judd Wilson, a Marine spokesman in Okinawa, Japan.
The Marine Corps withdrew several other charges, including rape of a child, kidnapping and making a false official statement, Wilson said.
Japanese police arrested Hadnott in February on charges alleging that he raped a 14-year-old junior-high school student. He saw her while riding his motorcycle, offered to give her a ride and later assaulted her at a park, the police said then.
The case stirred outrage at the highest levels of the Japanese government.
Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda deplored the incident as "unforgivable." The Japanese Foreign Ministry lodged an official protest with the U.S. government. And Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima said the offense "violates the rights of women" and that "this is a crime that we should not accept."
The Japanese authorities released Hadnott after the girl withdrew her allegations, but the Marine Corps conducted its own investigation. The Marines charged Hadnott with rape of a child, abusive sexual contact, making a false official statement, adultery and kidnapping.
The U.S. military presence has at times bred resentment among locals, who have long complained about crime, noise and accidents. Anti-American sentiments boiled over in 1995, after three American servicemen kidnapped and gang-raped a 12-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl. Two years ago, a U.S. civilian military employee was jailed for nine years for raping two women.
The Marine Corps said in a statement on Friday that it does not tolerate sexual assault.
"We remain committed to maintaining an environment that rejects sexual assault and attitudes that promote such behaviors," the statement said.
Are your kids flunking their class? You better worry because a man ordered by a judge to make sure his daughter hit the books and passed her grades, has found himself in jail because she failed to earn a high school diploma.
Brian Gegner, of Fairfield, was sentenced last week to 180 days in jail for contributing to the unruliness or delinquency of a minor.
He was ordered months ago to make sure his 18-year-old daughter Brittany Gegner, who has a history of truancy, received her GED - something that hasn't happened yet.
Brittany Gegner, who said Monday that she plans to take a required GED test this month, said her father shouldn't be blamed for her failure because she has been living with her mother.
"It was my wrongdoing, not his," said Brittany Gegner, whose fiance and 18-month-old daughter also live at her mother's home in nearby Hamilton. "He shouldn't have to go to jail for something I did."
Her mother agrees. "Brittany is almost 19 years old now and I think it's unfair to put her father in jail," said Shana Roach. "She's an adult now, and it's not right to rip an innocent man from his home."
Butler County Juvenile Court administrator Rob Clevenger Jr. said Monday that the court still has jurisdiction in the case because Brittany Gegner was a juvenile when the truancy problems began and when the charge against Brian Gegner was filed in 2007.
A hearing on a motion filed by Brian Gegner's attorney to reconsider the sentence is scheduled for Friday. Messages seeking comment were not returned Monday at the offices of defense attorney Tamara Sack and the Butler County prosecutor.
Brian Gegner's wife, Stephanie Gegner, said she and her husband are afraid he will lose his job if he remains in jail. She said they tried to keep his daughter in school.
"You'd take her to school and she'd go out the other door," Stephanie Gegner said.
What are Crop Circles?
Crop circles is a term used to describe patterns created by the flattening of crops such as wheat, barley, rapeseed, rye, corn, linseed and soy. The term was first used by researcher Colin Andrews to describe simple circles he was researching.
Since 1990 the crop circles evolved into complex geometries, but by then the term had stuck. Examples can be found worldwide. Various hypotheses have been offered to explain their formation, ranging from the naturalistic to the paranormal. Naturalistic explanations include man-made hoaxes or geological anomalies, while paranormal explanations include formation by UFOs. Many circles are known to be man-made, as those created by Doug Bower, Dave Chorley, and John Lundberg, and a 2000 study into circle hoaxing concluded that 80 percent of UK circles were definitely man-made
Tennessee Crop Circles
Man-made or alien-aligned? For the second time in two years, a crop circle's appeared in Monroe County.
Does anyone know what made this? Not just yet, but everyone has their own theory. This new designs just down the road from the first crop circle. That appeared last May also in a wheat field. Neighbors say whoever, or whatever did it worked quickly and quietly. Beyond still-standing blades, there are others pushed in a perfect pattern.
"I don't know whether it's man-made or not," resident Johnnie Helm said.
It's the second Monroe County Crop Circle in two years. These lines and curves appeared in Johnnie Helm's 50-acre wheat field Monday morning.
"I didn't hear nothing. And I'm up and down all night," Helm said.
Her neighbor, Jean Merrell first spotted the bent blades.
"I always look out the window, and I thought, my goodness, what's in the field? What's happened?" resident Jean Merrell said.
The "what"? Well, the crushed crops form a triangle. At each corner a pair of circles, but "how" and "who" wilted the wheat is a crop quandary.
"I really don't think it's man-made. I don't believe anyone could do that, that quick and so perfect," Merrell said.
These thin lines are the only paths in and out. Helms says they're from crop fertilization and they've been here months. The new field phenomena's less than a half mile from last May's Crop Circle just outside Madisonville. Investigators ruled that design "non man-made." Crop circle researches came to investigate last year's design. As for this one, they want to come back.
"They'd have to be very careful, cause I ain't talked to the man I rent it to," Helm said.
"I think it's something fantastic myself," Merrell said.
"If it's aliens and they want me, they'll come and get me. Will you put up a fight? No. Why? I'll talk to them. What if you don't speak Alien? They better speak English," Helm said.
And Helm wants to know...why her backyard?
Investigators with the independent crop circle researchers organizations plan to scientifically test this design next week, but they still have to get helm's permission.
We've haven't revealed the exact location on purpose. Her land's private property. She doesn't want strangers trampling the crops. So public visits are off-limits, for now.
You and I search the travel brochure for peaceful, beautiful and maybe cheap holiday Getaways, but these two English cousins search the news for the strife torn areas on the globe. Two English cousins travel to war zones across the globe for adventure travel. They seek dangerous holidays for fun.
When asked where they would be heading next? They said they were keen on
Good luck fellas, as for me I would take a peaceful beach holiday over an all paid for Iraqi sight seeing trip. To each his own I guess.
