ABC bus (Abuja to PH) left yesterday morning by 7.15am. After some
questionable stops, it got to Owerri by midnight - usually it should
have arrived PH much earlier. Despite pleas by passengers that the
driver should wait till day break before proceeding, especially as the
route was not safe at that time of day, the driver ignored security
warnings and proceeded at 1.30am 28th Dec. Within an hour from Owerri,
they were ambushed and robbed by armed robbers who requested the
passengers to march into the bush leaving their luggage behind. After
the robbery operation and the departure of the robbers, the bus
continued to PH and finally arrived about 5am - almost 24hrs after
leaving Abuja.
The passengers narrated their ordeal to the ABC
management and the driver's obstinacy that got them into the problem.
Rather, the passengers were informed that there was nothing ABC could do
and the driver was exonerated.
If you are travelling by ABC, esp on
the east west route, you are on your own o. The purported insurance
cover is a joke. ABC is a rip off and when the chips are down, customer
service is thrown out of the window.
Saturday, 29 December 2012
Monday, 17 December 2012
Top 10 Ridiculous Things Parents Tell Their Kids
ridiculous things parents tell their kids
No, it doesn’t. But, it does come from plants. Today’s dollar bills are made from a crane paper pulp, which is approximately 75% cotton and 25% linen. So no, money doesn’t come from a tree — but it apparently doesn’t come from parents either, given that a study by GFK Roper found that 22% of men say that their divorces were caused primarily by money.
Sure, that makes sense if you have nothing at all to say. But, sometimes there are things that need to be said that aren’t defined as “nice”. Is it “nice” to be the person who has to tell a family that a loved one has died in an accident? No — but it needs to be said. Or, maybe it’s just better that they find that out themselves? Okay, to be fair, that may sound like a bit of a stretch. However, if we’re talking about an angry remark here, it might be worth noting that suppressing anger has been shown to increase the chances of stomach trouble, headaches, and heart attacks. So, next time it may be better to say what needs to be said — after all, isn’t “honesty the best policy”?
I can’t be the only person who took this advice as “Oh, my words won’t hurt anyone? I’ll have to get some sticks and stones, then”. Sociopathic childhood aside, this piece of advice also encourages kids to not take words seriously, which could make a child socially inept or give them a blatant disregard for rules. So, either you have a loose-cannon kid running around by his own rules, or you have a kid who isn’t afraid to beat other kids to near death.
Considering that the majority of the people who use this phrase seriously are older folk who wake up before 5:00am, I would like to offer a question. Outside of the home, what legitimate business operates that early? You can’t go to work. You can’t do any errands. You are confined to your own home. Beyond that, this phrase also encourages less sleep, of which nearly 1/3rd of Americans already get less than the recommended 6 hours. Remember — the slow turtle wins the race.
On the contrary! Here’s a question to you adults out there that you may not want to answer: Have you ever felt like kids these days are a lot smarter than you were at their age? Now, the terrifying answer: They are. Scientist James R. Flynn, who coined “The Flynn Effect” found in his study that IQ levels have been consistently increasing with each new generation.
Absolutely! There’s also starving kids in every other region of the world — and if that’s the case, why are parents forcing their kids to overeat? Why isn’t the food budget cut down, and some of the savings being sent to these starving kids in Africa? It may be because a lot of the food aid given to Africa is lost or stolen — sometimes by pirates or warlords, and sometimes by thieving businessmen. But don’t worry, your parents probably weren’t actually considering giving any relief funds to Africa.
One of the earliest cited sources using this phrase is a 1860 Novel by Mary Ann Evans (better known by her pen name, George Eliot) by the name of The Mill on the Floss, which coincidentally had a pretty boring cover. To understand this in terms of judging people by appearances, why is it then that it is so important to not wear sweatpants and 2-week old socks to job interviews? Like it or not, good first impressions – even if superficial – are essential for survival in the professional world today.
Yes, but these days you’re certainly young for much longer. The New York Times recently conducted a poll on perceptions of age. The results showed that on average, people believe that old age begins around 68. However, those over 65 years old felt that old age began at 75. I’m willing to bet, too, that people over 75 think they are still young and that people over 85 are old. You are only young once — but you are young forever if you are a stubborn old man.
If that’s the case, the best must not be all that great. The CDC reports anywhere between 11%-18% of women report depressive symptoms after becoming mothers — symptoms that include feeling that life is not worth living. To be honest, I haven’t heard this saying in a while — maybe mothers figured out that it was best to drop it while it was hot.
This term originally comes from the Aviation community — a pilot was “grounded” if he was deemed unfit for flying. Though I’m sure there’s a lot more trouble a pilot could get in while confined to solid earth.
In any case: these days there isn’t much point grounding kids. Most of the time they’re in their rooms anyway — playing video games, looking up silly cat videos on the internet, or posting every boring detail of their life on social media. Besides, is it really worth grounding a kid when there’s a chance that you could be taken to court? In a 2009 court case in Quebec, a 12-year-old daughter sued her father for grounding her from going on a school trip… and won. Parents, it may be time to consider coming up with more creative punishments than locking your kids up in their rooms.
—-
Rue Lazzaro is an award winning poet and fiction author. He presently works as a freelance writer for american-ghostwriter.com and is currently working on a novel, a collection of short stories, and a poetry collection. Like all other writers in this position, he is starving and likely eating rats on the street.
10
Money doesn’t grow on trees
No, it doesn’t. But, it does come from plants. Today’s dollar bills are made from a crane paper pulp, which is approximately 75% cotton and 25% linen. So no, money doesn’t come from a tree — but it apparently doesn’t come from parents either, given that a study by GFK Roper found that 22% of men say that their divorces were caused primarily by money.
9
If you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all
Sure, that makes sense if you have nothing at all to say. But, sometimes there are things that need to be said that aren’t defined as “nice”. Is it “nice” to be the person who has to tell a family that a loved one has died in an accident? No — but it needs to be said. Or, maybe it’s just better that they find that out themselves? Okay, to be fair, that may sound like a bit of a stretch. However, if we’re talking about an angry remark here, it might be worth noting that suppressing anger has been shown to increase the chances of stomach trouble, headaches, and heart attacks. So, next time it may be better to say what needs to be said — after all, isn’t “honesty the best policy”?
8
Sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you
I can’t be the only person who took this advice as “Oh, my words won’t hurt anyone? I’ll have to get some sticks and stones, then”. Sociopathic childhood aside, this piece of advice also encourages kids to not take words seriously, which could make a child socially inept or give them a blatant disregard for rules. So, either you have a loose-cannon kid running around by his own rules, or you have a kid who isn’t afraid to beat other kids to near death.
7
The early bird gets the worm
Considering that the majority of the people who use this phrase seriously are older folk who wake up before 5:00am, I would like to offer a question. Outside of the home, what legitimate business operates that early? You can’t go to work. You can’t do any errands. You are confined to your own home. Beyond that, this phrase also encourages less sleep, of which nearly 1/3rd of Americans already get less than the recommended 6 hours. Remember — the slow turtle wins the race.
6
You’re too young to understand
On the contrary! Here’s a question to you adults out there that you may not want to answer: Have you ever felt like kids these days are a lot smarter than you were at their age? Now, the terrifying answer: They are. Scientist James R. Flynn, who coined “The Flynn Effect” found in his study that IQ levels have been consistently increasing with each new generation.
5
Finish your dinner, there are starving kids in Africa!
Absolutely! There’s also starving kids in every other region of the world — and if that’s the case, why are parents forcing their kids to overeat? Why isn’t the food budget cut down, and some of the savings being sent to these starving kids in Africa? It may be because a lot of the food aid given to Africa is lost or stolen — sometimes by pirates or warlords, and sometimes by thieving businessmen. But don’t worry, your parents probably weren’t actually considering giving any relief funds to Africa.
4
You can’t judge a book by its cover
One of the earliest cited sources using this phrase is a 1860 Novel by Mary Ann Evans (better known by her pen name, George Eliot) by the name of The Mill on the Floss, which coincidentally had a pretty boring cover. To understand this in terms of judging people by appearances, why is it then that it is so important to not wear sweatpants and 2-week old socks to job interviews? Like it or not, good first impressions – even if superficial – are essential for survival in the professional world today.
3
You’re only young once
Yes, but these days you’re certainly young for much longer. The New York Times recently conducted a poll on perceptions of age. The results showed that on average, people believe that old age begins around 68. However, those over 65 years old felt that old age began at 75. I’m willing to bet, too, that people over 75 think they are still young and that people over 85 are old. You are only young once — but you are young forever if you are a stubborn old man.
2
Mother knows best
If that’s the case, the best must not be all that great. The CDC reports anywhere between 11%-18% of women report depressive symptoms after becoming mothers — symptoms that include feeling that life is not worth living. To be honest, I haven’t heard this saying in a while — maybe mothers figured out that it was best to drop it while it was hot.
1
You’re grounded!
This term originally comes from the Aviation community — a pilot was “grounded” if he was deemed unfit for flying. Though I’m sure there’s a lot more trouble a pilot could get in while confined to solid earth.
In any case: these days there isn’t much point grounding kids. Most of the time they’re in their rooms anyway — playing video games, looking up silly cat videos on the internet, or posting every boring detail of their life on social media. Besides, is it really worth grounding a kid when there’s a chance that you could be taken to court? In a 2009 court case in Quebec, a 12-year-old daughter sued her father for grounding her from going on a school trip… and won. Parents, it may be time to consider coming up with more creative punishments than locking your kids up in their rooms.
—-
Rue Lazzaro is an award winning poet and fiction author. He presently works as a freelance writer for american-ghostwriter.com and is currently working on a novel, a collection of short stories, and a poetry collection. Like all other writers in this position, he is starving and likely eating rats on the street.
Who Killed Governor Yakowa; Why Are Muslim Youths Jubilating?
So apparently, the Governor's helicopter had exploded
in the skies even before crash landing; which clearly prove the fact
that the 'accident' was as a matter of fact not an accident, the
question that linger now is, Who is responsible for the plot of his
death? Seems strange that muslim youths have taken to the streets in
Kaduna state to celebrate the death of their christian leader, as his
muslim deputy assumes office.
Politics has always been a dirty game, however should there be a limit to playing this dirty game? should coup-de-dat go unpunished? Is it a case of having a president that cannot truly govern a stubborn nation like Nigeria? let us discuss this please
New Governor RIP: Gov Yakowa
Politics has always been a dirty game, however should there be a limit to playing this dirty game? should coup-de-dat go unpunished? Is it a case of having a president that cannot truly govern a stubborn nation like Nigeria? let us discuss this please
New Governor RIP: Gov Yakowa
Diezani In London For Cancer Treatment - SaharaReporters -
Nigeria’s controversial Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani
Allison-Madueke, has returned to a London hospital to continue treatment
for an undisclosed ailment that is believed to be cancer.
Saharareporters sources said today that Mrs. Allison-Madueke made the journey last week, and began a daily therapy. She is yet to return to Abuja.
Her one-week absence from Abuja has emboldened those Nigerians who have been calling for her removal to further pressure President Goodluck Jonathan to sack her as Minister of Petroleum Resources. She is frequently cited on allegations of corruption and mismanagement, but is also known to be a close friend of the President’s.
Saharareporters sources said today that Mrs. Allison-Madueke made the journey last week, and began a daily therapy. She is yet to return to Abuja.
Her one-week absence from Abuja has emboldened those Nigerians who have been calling for her removal to further pressure President Goodluck Jonathan to sack her as Minister of Petroleum Resources. She is frequently cited on allegations of corruption and mismanagement, but is also known to be a close friend of the President’s.
Saturday, 15 December 2012
Top 11 Worst School Massacres(naijavigilance.blogspot.com)
It is always tragic when a large number of people lose their lives,
but it is worse when the deaths are of children. the latest of this kind of devilish act occurred yesterday at a Connecticut school where over 26 lives including 20 children. This is a list of eleven
of the worst massacres at schools.
11 Cologne school massacre 11 killed | 22 injured | Walter Seifert
June 11, 1964: Cologne school massacre. Armed with an insecticide sprayer converted into a flamethrower, a lance and a homebuilt mace, 42-year-old Walter Seifert entered the Katholische Volksschule and opened fire on the girls playing in the courtyard. He then knocked in classroom windows with his mace and fired inside. Eight children and two teachers died, twenty children and two teachers survived with very severe burns. After taking a cyanide pill, Seifert died the following day, in custody.
10The École Polytechnique Massacre 15 killed 14 injured | Marc Lépine | the worst school massacre in Canada’s history.
December 6, 1989 : Twenty-five-year-old Marc Lepine killed 14 women and wounded a further 13 people at the École Polytechnique at the University of Montreal in the worst school massacre in Canada’s history. He then took his own life. In a letter he left behind, he indicated a hate for feminists as a motive for the shooting. It remains to this day the worst massacre in Canadian history.
9 Columbine High School Massacre 15 died | 24 injured | Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold
April 20, 1999 : Two students stormed Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado and murdered 12 other students aged 14 to 18 as well as a teacher. A further 24 people were injured before the attackers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, killed themselves.
8. University of Texas Clock Tower Shootings 18 killed | 31 injured | Charles Whitman
August 1, 1966 : University of Texas Clock Tower Shootings. After killing his wife and mother, Charles Whitman pointed a rifle from the observation deck of the University of Texas at Austin’s Tower and began shooting in a homicidal rampage that went on for 96 minutes. He killed fifteen people and wounded 31 others before being shot dead by police. David Gunby was wounded in the shooting but died 35 years later after ceasing dialysis
7 Dunblane massacre 18 killed | Thomas Hamilton | (the deadliest attack on children in United Kingdom history)
March 13, 1996 : Dunblane massacre. Unemployed former shopkeeper and Scout leader Thomas Hamilton walked into Dunblane Primary School armed with two 9 mm pistols and two .357 Magnum revolvers. He killed sixteen small children and a teacher. The subsequent police investigation revealed that Hamilton had loaded the magazines for his Browning with an alternating combination of fully metal jacketed and hollow point ammunition. This event led to the banning of handguns in the UK.
6 Erfurt massacre 17 killed | 7 injured | Robert Steinhäuser (Worst German Rampage)
April 26, 2002 : Eighteen people died when an expelled former pupil went on a shooting spree at his school in the eastern German city of Erfurt. Masked and dressed in black, the gunman walked through classrooms killing 14 teachers, two schoolgirls and one of the first policemen on the scene before taking his own life.
5 Ma’alot massacre 26 killed | 60 wounded | DFLP, PLO | Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Palestine Liberation Organization
May 15, 1974: The Ma’alot massacre was an attack, carried out in Ma’alot, Israel by members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, that occurred on May 15, 1974, the 26th anniversary of Israeli independence. In this massacre members of the DFLP murdered 22 religious high school students from the city of Safed. Ma’alot, located on a plateau in the hills of the Western Galilee region of Israel, some six miles south of the Lebanese border, was a development town founded in 1957 by Jewish refugees, mainly from Morocco and other Arab countries such as Tunisia. The terrorist attack was perpetrated by three members of the Popular Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PDFLP), al-Jabha al-Dimuqratiyya li-Tahrir Filastin.
4. Virginia Tech 32 killed, many more injured | Seung-Hui Cho
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting comprising two separate attacks about two hours apart on April 16, 2007, on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. The perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people and wounded many more, before committing suicide, making it the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history.
3 Bath School disaster 45 died | 58 injured | Andrew Kehoe
May 18, 1927 : In the deadliest mass school murder in United States history, former school board member Andrew Kehoe set off three bombs in Bath Township, Michigan killing 45 people and wounding 58. Kehoe killed himself and the superintendent by blowing up his own vehicle.
2 Beslan school hostage crisis At least 386 dead, including 31 hostage takers | Over 700 injured | Shamil Basayev’s Riyadus Salihiin group
1 September 2004: A group of pro-Chechen armed rebels took more than 1,200 school children and adults hostage on September 1, 2004, at School Number One (SNO) in the town of Beslan, North Ossetia. On the third day of the standoff, gunfire broke out between the hostage-takers and Russian security forces.
Addendum: Red Lake High School massacre 10 killed | 12 injured | Jeff Weise
March 21, 2005 : At Red Lake Senior High School in Minnesota, 16-year-old student Jeff Weise opened fire, killing five fellow students, a teacher and a security guard. Prior to the rampage, he had shot his grandfather and his grandfather’s girlfriend. It later became apparent that Weise had visited neo-Nazi Web sites prior to the shooting.
Photos: Connecticut school shooting
Suspected shooter's brother questioned
How the school shooting unfolded
Student: I saw bullets going past
11 Cologne school massacre 11 killed | 22 injured | Walter Seifert
June 11, 1964: Cologne school massacre. Armed with an insecticide sprayer converted into a flamethrower, a lance and a homebuilt mace, 42-year-old Walter Seifert entered the Katholische Volksschule and opened fire on the girls playing in the courtyard. He then knocked in classroom windows with his mace and fired inside. Eight children and two teachers died, twenty children and two teachers survived with very severe burns. After taking a cyanide pill, Seifert died the following day, in custody.
10The École Polytechnique Massacre 15 killed 14 injured | Marc Lépine | the worst school massacre in Canada’s history.
December 6, 1989 : Twenty-five-year-old Marc Lepine killed 14 women and wounded a further 13 people at the École Polytechnique at the University of Montreal in the worst school massacre in Canada’s history. He then took his own life. In a letter he left behind, he indicated a hate for feminists as a motive for the shooting. It remains to this day the worst massacre in Canadian history.
9 Columbine High School Massacre 15 died | 24 injured | Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold
April 20, 1999 : Two students stormed Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado and murdered 12 other students aged 14 to 18 as well as a teacher. A further 24 people were injured before the attackers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, killed themselves.
8. University of Texas Clock Tower Shootings 18 killed | 31 injured | Charles Whitman
August 1, 1966 : University of Texas Clock Tower Shootings. After killing his wife and mother, Charles Whitman pointed a rifle from the observation deck of the University of Texas at Austin’s Tower and began shooting in a homicidal rampage that went on for 96 minutes. He killed fifteen people and wounded 31 others before being shot dead by police. David Gunby was wounded in the shooting but died 35 years later after ceasing dialysis
7 Dunblane massacre 18 killed | Thomas Hamilton | (the deadliest attack on children in United Kingdom history)
March 13, 1996 : Dunblane massacre. Unemployed former shopkeeper and Scout leader Thomas Hamilton walked into Dunblane Primary School armed with two 9 mm pistols and two .357 Magnum revolvers. He killed sixteen small children and a teacher. The subsequent police investigation revealed that Hamilton had loaded the magazines for his Browning with an alternating combination of fully metal jacketed and hollow point ammunition. This event led to the banning of handguns in the UK.
April 26, 2002 : Eighteen people died when an expelled former pupil went on a shooting spree at his school in the eastern German city of Erfurt. Masked and dressed in black, the gunman walked through classrooms killing 14 teachers, two schoolgirls and one of the first policemen on the scene before taking his own life.
5 Ma’alot massacre 26 killed | 60 wounded | DFLP, PLO | Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Palestine Liberation Organization
May 15, 1974: The Ma’alot massacre was an attack, carried out in Ma’alot, Israel by members of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, that occurred on May 15, 1974, the 26th anniversary of Israeli independence. In this massacre members of the DFLP murdered 22 religious high school students from the city of Safed. Ma’alot, located on a plateau in the hills of the Western Galilee region of Israel, some six miles south of the Lebanese border, was a development town founded in 1957 by Jewish refugees, mainly from Morocco and other Arab countries such as Tunisia. The terrorist attack was perpetrated by three members of the Popular Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PDFLP), al-Jabha al-Dimuqratiyya li-Tahrir Filastin.
4. Virginia Tech 32 killed, many more injured | Seung-Hui Cho
The Virginia Tech massacre was a school shooting comprising two separate attacks about two hours apart on April 16, 2007, on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, United States. The perpetrator, Seung-Hui Cho, killed 32 people and wounded many more, before committing suicide, making it the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history.
3 Bath School disaster 45 died | 58 injured | Andrew Kehoe
May 18, 1927 : In the deadliest mass school murder in United States history, former school board member Andrew Kehoe set off three bombs in Bath Township, Michigan killing 45 people and wounding 58. Kehoe killed himself and the superintendent by blowing up his own vehicle.
2 Beslan school hostage crisis At least 386 dead, including 31 hostage takers | Over 700 injured | Shamil Basayev’s Riyadus Salihiin group
1 September 2004: A group of pro-Chechen armed rebels took more than 1,200 school children and adults hostage on September 1, 2004, at School Number One (SNO) in the town of Beslan, North Ossetia. On the third day of the standoff, gunfire broke out between the hostage-takers and Russian security forces.
Addendum: Red Lake High School massacre 10 killed | 12 injured | Jeff Weise
March 21, 2005 : At Red Lake Senior High School in Minnesota, 16-year-old student Jeff Weise opened fire, killing five fellow students, a teacher and a security guard. Prior to the rampage, he had shot his grandfather and his grandfather’s girlfriend. It later became apparent that Weise had visited neo-Nazi Web sites prior to the shooting.
1. 20 children among 26 victims of Connecticut school shooting
Newtown, Connecticut (CNN) -- Dressed in black fatigues and a military vest, a heavily armed man walked into a Connecticut elementary school Friday and opened fire, shattering the quiet of this southern New England town and leaving the nation reeling at the number of young lives lost.
Within minutes, 26 people
were dead at Sandy Hook Elementary School -- 20 of them children. Among
the six adults killed were Dawn Hochsprung, the school's beloved
principal, and school psychologist Mary Sherlach.
The shooter, identified by three law enforcement officials as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, also was killed, apparently by his own hand. Separately, his mother's body was found at a Newtown residence.
"Stuff like this does not
happen in Newtown," a tight-knit community of about 27,000 just outside
Danbury, said Renee Burn, a local teacher at another school in town. In
the past 10 years, only one homicide had previously been reported.
Photos: Connecticut school shooting
Suspected shooter's brother questioned
How the school shooting unfolded
Student: I saw bullets going past
With the death toll at
26, the Newtown shooting is the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S.
history, behind only the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech that left 32
people dead.
"Evil visited this community today," Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy said of Friday's massacre.
Young students described
being ushered into bathrooms and closets by teachers as the first shots
rang out. Janet Vollmer, a kindergarten teacher, locked her classroom
doors, covered the windows and read a story to her 19 students to keep
them calm.
Third-grader Alexis Wasik said police and teachers barged into her classroom and told students to hide in the corner.
"Everybody was crying," she said. "And I just heard the police officers yelling."
One parent who was in
the school at the time of the shooting said she heard a "pop, pop, pop,"
sound around 9:30 a.m. In the room with her were Hochsprung, the vice
principal and Sherlach. All three left the room and went into the hall
to see what was happening. The parent ducked under the table and called
911.
"I cowered," she told CNN's Meredith Artley. The shooter "must have shot a hundred rounds."
Responding police
officers helped evacuate the children, telling them to hold hands and
keep their eyes closed to the carnage as they exited the building.
As reports of the shooting surfaced, frantic parents descended on a nearby firehouse where the children had been taken.
"Why? Why?" one woman wailed as she walked up a wooded roadway leading from the school.
Police declined to
speculate on a motive Friday evening, citing the ongoing investigation.
Lanza had no known criminal record, a law enforcement official said.
Alex Israel, a former classmate of Lanza's, described him as "quiet" and "reserved."
"You could definitely
tell he was a genius," Israel told CNN, adding she hadn't talked with
him since middle school. "He was really quiet, he kept to himself."
Three weapons were
recovered from the school: a semi-automatic .223 Bushmaster found in a
car in the school parking lot, and a Glock and a Sig Sauer found with
Lanza's body, a law enforcement official familiar with the investigation
said. The weapons were legally purchased by Lanza's mother, the
official said.
The official said Lanza died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Lt.
J. Paul Vance of the Connecticut State Police said that the medical
examiner will determine the cause of death for the gunman, though he
noted that police never discharged their weapons.
In addition to the
killings at Sandy Hook, another adult was found dead at a second
location in Newtown, Vance said. A law enforcement source with detailed
knowledge of the investigation identified that person as Lanza's mother,
Nancy.
Despite earlier reports
that said she was a teacher, Nancy Lanza was not a teacher at the school
where the killings took place, said Janet Vollmer, a kindergarten
teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Meanwhile, authorities
in Hoboken, New Jersey, were questioning Ryan Lanza, the suspect's older
brother, law enforcement sources said, though they did not label him a
suspect. Lanza's father, who lives in Connecticut, was similarly
questioned, one of the law enforcement officials said.
Earlier, investigators had identified Ryan Lanza as the shooter. It was not clear what caused the confusion among investigators.
The fact that so many of
those killed were young children -- Sandy Hook serves students in
kindergarten through fourth grade -- touched a nerve across the world
Friday, from U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders
expressing grief to regular folks reacting with horror on social media
as the news unfolded. The overwhelming sentiment: Hug your kids closely.
Obama, a father of two
girls, wiped away tears while delivering a statement about the shooting,
saying, "Our hearts are broken today."
"The majority of those who died today were children. Beautiful little kids between the ages of 5 and 10 years old," he said.
The bodies of the young victims remained where they fell Friday night, as authorities worked to positively identify them.
Flags were ordered to
fly at half-staff nationwide in tribute to the victims, and candlelight
vigils were planned across the country as Americans came together to try
to comprehend the tragedy.
At a vigil in Newtown,
just a mile away from the school, mourners spilled from St. Rose of Lima
Roman Catholic Church, which was filled to capacity.
"This is most definitely the worst thing we've experienced in town," Newtown Police Lt. George Sinko said.
Parents, meanwhile, struggled to come up with answers for their children who were among those safely evacuated Friday.
Aimee Seaver's daughter is a first-grader at Sandy Hook.
"It's a very rough night
here," she told "AC 360." "When your first-grader goes to bed and says,
'Mommy, is anyone from my class last year -- are they all OK?' and you
look at them and say, 'I'm not really sure,' it's a rough night to tell
that to your 7-year-old."
It is not yet known how the gunman entered the school.
Hochsprung, the slain principal, had recently installed a new security system to ensure student safety.
Under the new system,
every visitor was required to ring a doorbell at the front entrance
after the doors locked at 9:30 a.m. and report to the main office to
sign in.
Police began receiving reports of shots fired around 9:40 a.m. Friday.
In 1999, at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, two students shot 13 people to death before killing themselves.
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Difference Between Debit and ATM Card
Debit vs ATM Card
Debit and ATM cards are cards used in the
realm of banking. Both ATM cards and debit cards are issued by a bank
or a credit union to their clients when they make a bank account with
these institutions.
Both ATM and debit cards work by linking
and accessing the cardholder’s account electronically with a plastic
card. The plastic card is used to execute the cardholder’s transactions
via an ATM machine at any time of the day or a POS (point of service)
system of selected merchants.
The main requirements to have a debit
card or an ATM card are to have an existing bank account and a personal
identification number to secure a transaction. Both the debit card, and
in special circumstances the ATM card, can be used as alternative
methods for making purchases. These actions can only be done if there is
a sufficient balance in the cardholder’s account.
The ATM card is mostly used for
electronic transactions like cash deposits and withdrawals, balance
information, and other types of transactions using an ATM (automated
teller machine). Cardholders usually use the ATM card and machine to
make cash withdrawals. This convenience leads to 24-hour banking service
for banks and a solution for emergency withdrawals.
ATM cards can also be used to make
purchases like the debit card, but not all merchants accept the cards as
an alternative to cash or other types of cards (debit or credit cards).
The ATM card lacks the logo of MasterCard or Visa (or other transaction
processing companies). The deduction from the checking account, whether
for withdrawal or purchasing purposes, is also immediate and
automatically updates in the transaction.
There are also two ways to make purchase with an ATM card. In–store purchases have to be made in person while online transactions like payments of telephone or electricity bills (and other services) as well as online banking and online purchases can be done from the ATM machine.
There are also two ways to make purchase with an ATM card. In–store purchases have to be made in person while online transactions like payments of telephone or electricity bills (and other services) as well as online banking and online purchases can be done from the ATM machine.
On the other hand, the debit card doesn’t
need an ATM machine to function. In fact, a debit card is an extension
of the ATM card. It can be used to make cash withdrawals but also be
honored to use for purchases without using cash. A debit card can act as
a credit card in making purchases due to the logo on the debit card.
The logo is usually of a transaction processing company (MasterCard or
Visa). The logo enables the debit card to function as a credit card at
merchants who honor the transaction processing company.
If the debit card is used for purchases,
the amount of expenses is a deducted from the account of the cardholder.
In contrast to credit card processing, expenses incurred during debit
card processing can take days to authenticate a transaction. Debit cards
as an alternative payment method can occur as debit processing or
credit processing. If debit processing is used, there is a need to input
the PIN number. If used as credit processing, there is no need to input
the PIN number. There is also no grace period in the billing system
when it comes to the credit processing system using a debit card.
Summary:
1.ATM cards and debit cards have the same
elements: a bank account, a PIN number, and the ability to be used for
cash transactions like withdrawals and deposits. Both cards can also be
used in making purchases. However, the debit cards are usually honored
more compared to ATM cards.
2.Both ATM cards and debit cards are reliant on the remaining balance of the cardholder’s accounts.
3.The debit card has more functions than an ATM card. It can be used for the ATM functions as well as a credit card for purchases.
4.The debit card and the ATM card are also different in terms of appearances. The debit card has a logo of an international transaction company that allows it to be used as a credit card. The ATM card doesn’t have this logo.
2.Both ATM cards and debit cards are reliant on the remaining balance of the cardholder’s accounts.
3.The debit card has more functions than an ATM card. It can be used for the ATM functions as well as a credit card for purchases.
4.The debit card and the ATM card are also different in terms of appearances. The debit card has a logo of an international transaction company that allows it to be used as a credit card. The ATM card doesn’t have this logo.
Difference Between Anime and Cartoon
Anime vs Cartoon
A cartoon is a visual art in the form of a
painting or a drawing for the purpose of satire and humor. During the
Middle Ages, it was used to refer to the drawings which were done in
preparation for a painting, tapestry, fresco, or stained glass.
In the 19th century it came to refer to
the funny drawings and illustrations in newspapers and magazines.
Today, it is used to refer to comic strips and animated television
programs and films. A cartoon is usually an animated television program
or film for children that feature superheroes, animals, and the
adventures and travails of the child who is the main character of the
cartoon together with his friends.
Most cartoon programs are humorous, but
there are some which have more serious themes usually involving the
protagonist’s saving the world from evil forces. The illusion of
movement is achieved through projecting a series of photographed
drawings in rapid sequence.
The success and popularity of cartoons
has inspired Japanese animators leading to the development of “manga,”
which is the Japanese word for “comics” and “print cartoons” which are
later turned into animated cartoons.
The English word “animation” is
abbreviated in Japan as “anime” which some people thought to have come
from the French words “dessin anime.” It is spoken with an acute accent
in the last “e.” It is a type of animated cartoon which features
spirited and colorful characters with plots that are action filled and
very captivating. Its storyline usually has an awesome and futuristic
theme.
Anime is geared towards a more mature
audience because it has a more complex and a longer storyline than a
cartoon. Most cartoon programs are short and simpler than anime
programs. Anime or Japanese animated cartoons gained international
popularity during the 1980s although Japanese animation has been in
existence since the early 1900s. Today, its popularity surpasses that
of the cartoons because it not only attracts adults but children as
well.
Anime can be made by drawing the scenes
by hand or the scenes can be computer generated. Its genre is diverse,
and they are shown in films, television, video games, and the Internet.
Summary:
1.A cartoon is an animated film or
television program that features superheroes, animals, and child
protagonists while anime is a type of cartoon which was developed and
made in Japan.
2.Both use the projection of photographed drawings in a fast sequence to give the illusion of movement; while a cartoon is usually aimed at young children anime is aimed at an older audience and adults although children also watch it.
3.The storyline of an anime is more complex while that of a cartoon is simpler.
4.Both a cartoon and an anime may be created by drawing scenes and characters by hand or through generating them from a computer. While cartoon programs enjoy great popularity, anime has surpassed it in later years.
5.Cartoons have existed since the Middle Ages in the form of drawings made in preparation for other works of art while anime was developed and gained popularity in the 1980s.
2.Both use the projection of photographed drawings in a fast sequence to give the illusion of movement; while a cartoon is usually aimed at young children anime is aimed at an older audience and adults although children also watch it.
3.The storyline of an anime is more complex while that of a cartoon is simpler.
4.Both a cartoon and an anime may be created by drawing scenes and characters by hand or through generating them from a computer. While cartoon programs enjoy great popularity, anime has surpassed it in later years.
5.Cartoons have existed since the Middle Ages in the form of drawings made in preparation for other works of art while anime was developed and gained popularity in the 1980s.
8 Ways Your Résumé Can Be Unprofessional
The job market is tough, applications fly out everyday for only few job
opportunities, must be an obsolete discussion to you already. But a fact
remains that one of the few things that’ll keep you from the running in
the job market is a résumé that stands out from the park; something
that’s worth a few glances.
I’d love to tell you recruiters love spending time going through résumés but I’d be lying. The truth is the more applicants there are, the slimmer your chances of a thorough read, so really if you want your résumé to be looked at, you should avoid all these faux pas
Tacky email addresses: M2hot4u@domain.com- it may be romantic to you but recruiters only think of individuals with such slushy email addresses as immature and as people who lack an understanding for the rudiments of business. Having a pretty email address is not professional and that means no job. Get a more formal email address, and make sure it’s yours only.
Picture on your résumé: Pictures are good in many places; your photo album, year book, phone, social networking profiles, wallet, anywhere else but your résumé. It’s not a good way to distract recruiters. No pictures please.
Spelling and grammatical errors- There’s a simple maths application to this; if you can’t proof a two-page document for yourself, how would you write a report or draft a proposal for a huge project? dis practically scrims “am unprofessional” to recruiters because it distorts their flow of reading, just like this sentences does.
Using spouse or sibling as reference: Just because you want someone to put you in the best light possible, using your spouse or sibling as a reference is a far cry from professionalism. A preferred reference would be your former employer, your mentor, head(s) of department in the school(s) you attended.
Wrong phone number or contact details: congratulations, you've just discovered an easy way to stay unemployed. It still boils down to proofing your work properly to be sure all numbers and letters are in the right places. Before you press the ‘send’ button, try a new set of eyes to look at your résumé and be sure the contact number(s) and email addresses on the résumé are reachable.
Very lengthy résumé:[color=#990000][/color] nobody has the time for that. If you can’t summarise all your experiences into 2 pages, it shows how unstable you could be. Truth is; the longer the résumé, the more diversified it gets and the more likely you go out of context. Get a professional résumé expert to help you.
Wordiness: nothing could be more frustrating to a recruiter than reading a biography instead of a résumé, recruiters don’t care if you've been a yes man to all your former employers or you handled 10 responsibilities in every single role you've ever occupied. What matters to them is how your work experience relates to the particular role you are applying for. Your résumé shouldn't just be a list of responsibilities but a list of “quantified” accomplishments. Co-led a team that cut company marginal cost by 20% in 3 months makes a lot more sense than worked with a team on company project for 3 months. There are several ways you can quantify your experience, spend ample time figuring out how you performed in your previous role(s). And if you think you don’t have work experience, read this and this.
Terrible formatting: unprofessional font type and size, no structure or organisation- these aren't good ways to present your qualifications. It doesn't matter if you are qualified for a job, what matters is if your résumé says so. Ensure to use professional font types and appropriate sizes, use bullet points to list your accomplishments, italicise your roles for emphasis and you don’t need to give your résumé a title (e.g Curriculum Vitae of James Bond).
I’d love to tell you recruiters love spending time going through résumés but I’d be lying. The truth is the more applicants there are, the slimmer your chances of a thorough read, so really if you want your résumé to be looked at, you should avoid all these faux pas
Tacky email addresses: M2hot4u@domain.com- it may be romantic to you but recruiters only think of individuals with such slushy email addresses as immature and as people who lack an understanding for the rudiments of business. Having a pretty email address is not professional and that means no job. Get a more formal email address, and make sure it’s yours only.
Picture on your résumé: Pictures are good in many places; your photo album, year book, phone, social networking profiles, wallet, anywhere else but your résumé. It’s not a good way to distract recruiters. No pictures please.
Spelling and grammatical errors- There’s a simple maths application to this; if you can’t proof a two-page document for yourself, how would you write a report or draft a proposal for a huge project? dis practically scrims “am unprofessional” to recruiters because it distorts their flow of reading, just like this sentences does.
Using spouse or sibling as reference: Just because you want someone to put you in the best light possible, using your spouse or sibling as a reference is a far cry from professionalism. A preferred reference would be your former employer, your mentor, head(s) of department in the school(s) you attended.
Wrong phone number or contact details: congratulations, you've just discovered an easy way to stay unemployed. It still boils down to proofing your work properly to be sure all numbers and letters are in the right places. Before you press the ‘send’ button, try a new set of eyes to look at your résumé and be sure the contact number(s) and email addresses on the résumé are reachable.
Very lengthy résumé:[color=#990000][/color] nobody has the time for that. If you can’t summarise all your experiences into 2 pages, it shows how unstable you could be. Truth is; the longer the résumé, the more diversified it gets and the more likely you go out of context. Get a professional résumé expert to help you.
Wordiness: nothing could be more frustrating to a recruiter than reading a biography instead of a résumé, recruiters don’t care if you've been a yes man to all your former employers or you handled 10 responsibilities in every single role you've ever occupied. What matters to them is how your work experience relates to the particular role you are applying for. Your résumé shouldn't just be a list of responsibilities but a list of “quantified” accomplishments. Co-led a team that cut company marginal cost by 20% in 3 months makes a lot more sense than worked with a team on company project for 3 months. There are several ways you can quantify your experience, spend ample time figuring out how you performed in your previous role(s). And if you think you don’t have work experience, read this and this.
Terrible formatting: unprofessional font type and size, no structure or organisation- these aren't good ways to present your qualifications. It doesn't matter if you are qualified for a job, what matters is if your résumé says so. Ensure to use professional font types and appropriate sizes, use bullet points to list your accomplishments, italicise your roles for emphasis and you don’t need to give your résumé a title (e.g Curriculum Vitae of James Bond).
Monday, 10 December 2012
10 Ridiculously Stupid World Records
World records inspire us to strive harder,
and make something more of ourselves. But in the last several years,
they have degenerated into freak shows – obscure records that few people
remember, feats that have no serious bearing on the advancement of any
aspect of our culture. In the end, they just give already-dumb people
very bad ideas to beat boredom.
These stupid world records are compiled
based on inherent danger, and are in no particular order.
Jackie Bibby holds this record as of 2009, having held 11 full-grown snakes by their rattling tails for 10 seconds. He then spat them out and dashed away without being bitten. It goes without saying that if the snakes are rattling, they’re not happy.
The risk involved is obvious. Snakes don’t care if you’re breaking a record. Sooner or later, some numbskull is going to try this with black mambas. Why? Because they’re famously deadly, of course. You can train almost any animal to be somewhat more tame than it would be in the wild, but you must never forget that it is still a wild and unpredictable animal, and if it simply isn’t in the mood to be around you, it may attack. But some fool somewhere around the world is working up the nerve as we speak, on the notion that 11 snakes really isn’t all that many.
This is also a record for the only airplane eaten. Michel Lotito is a legend in the realm of weird records and abilities. He was able to chew up almost anything and eat it. He demonstrated his ability to chew up light bulbs, razor blades, glass bottles, and lots of other sharp, not-so-nutritious objects. He still had to eat regular food to live, and his hobby wore his teeth down to nubs, but he refused to stop. He was born with a stomach lining over twice as thick as normal, which is why he did not die of peritonitis.
His most famous feat came in the 1990s, when he spent two years eating a Cessna 150. He first had to break it up with a sledgehammer, acetylene torch, and bolt cutter, but did bite most of the glass parts directly off the plane, chew them up, and swallow them. He passed every single metal and glass part through his system in the normal way, including the engine. He even ate the upholstered leather seats, and the tires. He died “of natural causes” in 2007 at 57 years old. Perhaps no one would dare attempt to eat a larger plane, but there are plenty of raisin cakes out there who think they might have what it takes to chew up a razor blade and swallow it without harm.
This one we may blame on the Guinness Book authors themselves, as well as Dr. Eric Brader, since Matthew McKnight would probably have chosen not to be involved if he’d had the choice. McKnight was struck by a car traveling 70 miles per hour on the night of 26 October 2001, outside Monroeville, Pennsylvania. He had exited his ambulance to help victims of another accident on Interstate highway 376, at the peak of a sharp curve, when another motorist negotiated the curve too quickly, found McKnight in his headlights, and could not stop fast enough.
McKnight was struck in the left side and hurled over the highway, the median, the other highway, and a wire fence before landing like a rag doll in a freshly plowed cornfield. The impact shattered his pelvis, tailbone, and left leg, and the landing broke his right shoulder and dislocated both. He spent 2 weeks in a body cast in intensive care, and 80 days in rehab, during which time, Brader, an emergency room physician, brought him paperwork to sign, attesting to having been found 118 feet away from the point of impact.
You don’t get a nickname like “the Village Idiot” for no reason. Todd DeFazio enjoys setting and breaking world records, and is determined to set and/or break more than anyone else, which would be another record (one that could not be reliably proven). His most idiotic display occurred on 6 July 2010, when he taped bottle rockets and roman candles, 15 total, around his clothed legs, chest, and bare head, and then had them all lighted at once.
The fireworks were fairly low-powered, and he lost no appendages, nor did he suffer any burns. But this is not an expensive record to try for, and tons of imbeciles every year around Halloween, Christmas, New Years, and July 4th get drunk and try holding onto firecrackers. These are still manufactured with sufficient power to blow off a finger, or at least cause 2nd and 3rd degree burns, and it’s only a matter of time before someone tries to break DeFazio’s record with more powerful fireworks.
This moronic record currently belongs to Donna Simpson, of New Jersey, USA. She weighed 602 pounds (273.5 kg) in 2010, when she set up a website where people could pay money to watch her eat junk food. She determined to break the record for world’s heaviest woman within 2 years, and proceeded to eat 20,000 calories a day while moving as little as possible. Her 2010 Christmas dinner alone was 30,000 calories and consisted on 2 whole turkeys, 2 hams, a roast, and over 30 pounds of vegetables. She was aiming for a weight of 1,000 lbs, and her weekly grocery bills ranged from $580 to $750.
She has given up the record as of 2011 (probably for financial reasons), and gone on a diet so she won’t die before raising her children. There is no need to explain why breaking her record is a bad idea.
Losing weight, preferably fast, is something we’d all like to do, and it’s definitely a healthy decision – but you must not try to set a speed record in the process. Rosalie Bradford is legendary for her world record weight loss of 917 pounds in less than 3 years. She lost the first 420 pounds in the first year. She began her diet and exercise regimen on the personal advice of Richard Simmons, and at the time she weighed 1,199 pounds (544 kg). She finally reached a weight of 282 pounds, but died at the ripe old age of 63 from heart failure. This is also what happened to Oliver Hardy, of Laurel and Hardy fame, though he exacerbated his bad health with cigarettes.
Losing weight this quickly requires starving oneself to begin with, then exercising without proper energy consumption. Fat is burned off, but so is muscle. This places inordinate stress on the heart – more stress, even, than it suffers during obesity. The best diet and exercise plans put a person on a slower but very consistent pace of weight loss: 10 to 20 pounds per month until you reach your desired figure is ideal. Forget this record, and set a different one.
John Evans of England is now famous for his balancing car stunt. He has set the record many times over for balancing an entire car on his head for various lengths of time. His record is 33 seconds, and he offers 1,000 GBP to anyone who can top it. Money talks, and there are lots of people around the world intent on besting him. The car he held up was a 352 pound (160 kg) Mini. Evans is 6 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 343 pounds, and has a neck 24 inches in circumference. His neck strength is the only key to his freak ability, but even if someone else has a sufficiently strong neck, the weight of the car can fracture the skull. Evans uses a folded up towel as padding, but the slightest tip in any direction could bring the car down on top of him. So far, that hasn’t happened, but given enough chances, it will to someone.
Olivier Favre has dived from 177 feet above the surface of the water, and currently holds the record for the highest pool dive. Dana Kunze, who is regarded by many as the greatest high diver ever, set and broke the record several times, achieving a personal best of 172 feet. The diver climbs a guy-wired ladder, jumps off, and performs somersaults and other acrobatics before landing feet first in the pool. Randy Dickinson broke his left leg diving from 174 feet 8 inches. The pool he jumped into was 15 feet deep, and he still struck the bottom.
All anyone would need to set this record is the stupidity required to jump off a roof. Alcohol could easily remove any acrophobia. People have died performing much dumber stunts. In short, “defying death” is personification at its least intelligent. And on the subject of alcohol consumption, read on.
The record for highest measured BAC is believed to belong to an unidentified man from Wroclaw, Poland, who mortally injured himself when he crashed his car headfirst into a tree in 1995. There is very little information on him to be found on the Internet, but he was taken to a hospital, where the triage unit recorded a BAC of 1.48%. Death is possible at about 0.3%, while 0.08% is the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle in the United States. Death is likely after 0.5% BAC, and when the medics saw the reading, they thought their equipment had malfunctioned. They performed the test five times, always receiving about the same number. The man died after 2 hours from exsanguination, but not alcohol poisoning. The doctors could not stop his blood loss because the alcohol had dilated his vessels and thinned his blood.
Many people don’t need their arms twisted to be willing to take a drink. Alcoholism is a disease, and any alcoholic sufficiently depressed to consider suicide may well try for this record. The record’s existence is a highly dangerous influence on those whose mindsets are already volatile. The tree, however, is still doing fine.
This video will make anyone cringe, man or woman. You’re probably asking yourself, “Why in the world would anyone even think of this as a record that needs to be set?” Kirby Roy is a high-ranking black belt (or red belt) in a karate discipline that emphasizes “combat ki.” Combat ki is not a mystery. Boxers are famously resilient to punches, precisely because they withstand them day after day for years. Football players are well known to tackle and become injured, then heal, and do it again, until they’re very difficult to injure further.
The most well known example of combat ki is displayed by muay thai kickboxers who roll glass bottles or baseball bats up and down their shins hours a day for years. This pulverizes the nerve fibers between the shinbone and the skin, and causes microfractures to the bone. These fractures are not large enough to disable the leg, and when they heal, the body compensates by adding extra calcium to the break site. Over time, the bone becomes harder than concrete, and without functioning nerves in front of it, the kickboxer is able to kick through a baseball bat and walk it off.
The same principle works for Roy’s pelvis, which has endured thousands of full-force groin kicks over the years, and is now thicker and harder than a normal pelvis. His testicles have suffered as much damage as the nerves in front of kickboxers’ shins, and now no longer register pain to his brain. The television program “Sports Science” put him to the test via Jesse “Justice’ Smith, a 6 foot, 8 inch martial artist, who proceeded to shin-kick Roy in the groin with 1,100 pounds of force, lifting him completely off the floor. An untrained target would suffer a broken pelvis from a strike this powerful.
Roy took the kick without any apparent indication of pain, and was given a clean bill of health at the hospital. Nevertheless, organ tissue does not toughen like bones or callused skin. Roy could easily have suffered testicular ruptures, which can kill by pain and shock, or blood loss. This is not to mention that shattered testicles cannot be put back together, and must be removed. Roy is married with children, and claims an active sex life. You might think no one would dare try to top this record, but you must never underestimate the breadth of human stupidity. It would be relatively difficult to set up a record-breaking kick, since few people can kick so powerfully, but you can rest assured that some idiot somewhere is thinking about it.
10
Most Live Rattlesnakes Held in Mouth
Jackie Bibby holds this record as of 2009, having held 11 full-grown snakes by their rattling tails for 10 seconds. He then spat them out and dashed away without being bitten. It goes without saying that if the snakes are rattling, they’re not happy.
The risk involved is obvious. Snakes don’t care if you’re breaking a record. Sooner or later, some numbskull is going to try this with black mambas. Why? Because they’re famously deadly, of course. You can train almost any animal to be somewhat more tame than it would be in the wild, but you must never forget that it is still a wild and unpredictable animal, and if it simply isn’t in the mood to be around you, it may attack. But some fool somewhere around the world is working up the nerve as we speak, on the notion that 11 snakes really isn’t all that many.
9
Largest Airplane Eaten
This is also a record for the only airplane eaten. Michel Lotito is a legend in the realm of weird records and abilities. He was able to chew up almost anything and eat it. He demonstrated his ability to chew up light bulbs, razor blades, glass bottles, and lots of other sharp, not-so-nutritious objects. He still had to eat regular food to live, and his hobby wore his teeth down to nubs, but he refused to stop. He was born with a stomach lining over twice as thick as normal, which is why he did not die of peritonitis.
His most famous feat came in the 1990s, when he spent two years eating a Cessna 150. He first had to break it up with a sledgehammer, acetylene torch, and bolt cutter, but did bite most of the glass parts directly off the plane, chew them up, and swallow them. He passed every single metal and glass part through his system in the normal way, including the engine. He even ate the upholstered leather seats, and the tires. He died “of natural causes” in 2007 at 57 years old. Perhaps no one would dare attempt to eat a larger plane, but there are plenty of raisin cakes out there who think they might have what it takes to chew up a razor blade and swallow it without harm.
8
Farthest Thrown by a Car Accident
This one we may blame on the Guinness Book authors themselves, as well as Dr. Eric Brader, since Matthew McKnight would probably have chosen not to be involved if he’d had the choice. McKnight was struck by a car traveling 70 miles per hour on the night of 26 October 2001, outside Monroeville, Pennsylvania. He had exited his ambulance to help victims of another accident on Interstate highway 376, at the peak of a sharp curve, when another motorist negotiated the curve too quickly, found McKnight in his headlights, and could not stop fast enough.
McKnight was struck in the left side and hurled over the highway, the median, the other highway, and a wire fence before landing like a rag doll in a freshly plowed cornfield. The impact shattered his pelvis, tailbone, and left leg, and the landing broke his right shoulder and dislocated both. He spent 2 weeks in a body cast in intensive care, and 80 days in rehab, during which time, Brader, an emergency room physician, brought him paperwork to sign, attesting to having been found 118 feet away from the point of impact.
7
Most Lighted Fireworks Strapped to the Body
You don’t get a nickname like “the Village Idiot” for no reason. Todd DeFazio enjoys setting and breaking world records, and is determined to set and/or break more than anyone else, which would be another record (one that could not be reliably proven). His most idiotic display occurred on 6 July 2010, when he taped bottle rockets and roman candles, 15 total, around his clothed legs, chest, and bare head, and then had them all lighted at once.
The fireworks were fairly low-powered, and he lost no appendages, nor did he suffer any burns. But this is not an expensive record to try for, and tons of imbeciles every year around Halloween, Christmas, New Years, and July 4th get drunk and try holding onto firecrackers. These are still manufactured with sufficient power to blow off a finger, or at least cause 2nd and 3rd degree burns, and it’s only a matter of time before someone tries to break DeFazio’s record with more powerful fireworks.
6
Fastest Weight Gained
This moronic record currently belongs to Donna Simpson, of New Jersey, USA. She weighed 602 pounds (273.5 kg) in 2010, when she set up a website where people could pay money to watch her eat junk food. She determined to break the record for world’s heaviest woman within 2 years, and proceeded to eat 20,000 calories a day while moving as little as possible. Her 2010 Christmas dinner alone was 30,000 calories and consisted on 2 whole turkeys, 2 hams, a roast, and over 30 pounds of vegetables. She was aiming for a weight of 1,000 lbs, and her weekly grocery bills ranged from $580 to $750.
She has given up the record as of 2011 (probably for financial reasons), and gone on a diet so she won’t die before raising her children. There is no need to explain why breaking her record is a bad idea.
5
Fastest Weight Lost
Losing weight, preferably fast, is something we’d all like to do, and it’s definitely a healthy decision – but you must not try to set a speed record in the process. Rosalie Bradford is legendary for her world record weight loss of 917 pounds in less than 3 years. She lost the first 420 pounds in the first year. She began her diet and exercise regimen on the personal advice of Richard Simmons, and at the time she weighed 1,199 pounds (544 kg). She finally reached a weight of 282 pounds, but died at the ripe old age of 63 from heart failure. This is also what happened to Oliver Hardy, of Laurel and Hardy fame, though he exacerbated his bad health with cigarettes.
Losing weight this quickly requires starving oneself to begin with, then exercising without proper energy consumption. Fat is burned off, but so is muscle. This places inordinate stress on the heart – more stress, even, than it suffers during obesity. The best diet and exercise plans put a person on a slower but very consistent pace of weight loss: 10 to 20 pounds per month until you reach your desired figure is ideal. Forget this record, and set a different one.
4
Heaviest Car Balanced on Head
John Evans of England is now famous for his balancing car stunt. He has set the record many times over for balancing an entire car on his head for various lengths of time. His record is 33 seconds, and he offers 1,000 GBP to anyone who can top it. Money talks, and there are lots of people around the world intent on besting him. The car he held up was a 352 pound (160 kg) Mini. Evans is 6 feet 6 inches tall, weighs 343 pounds, and has a neck 24 inches in circumference. His neck strength is the only key to his freak ability, but even if someone else has a sufficiently strong neck, the weight of the car can fracture the skull. Evans uses a folded up towel as padding, but the slightest tip in any direction could bring the car down on top of him. So far, that hasn’t happened, but given enough chances, it will to someone.
3
Highest Pool Dive
Olivier Favre has dived from 177 feet above the surface of the water, and currently holds the record for the highest pool dive. Dana Kunze, who is regarded by many as the greatest high diver ever, set and broke the record several times, achieving a personal best of 172 feet. The diver climbs a guy-wired ladder, jumps off, and performs somersaults and other acrobatics before landing feet first in the pool. Randy Dickinson broke his left leg diving from 174 feet 8 inches. The pool he jumped into was 15 feet deep, and he still struck the bottom.
All anyone would need to set this record is the stupidity required to jump off a roof. Alcohol could easily remove any acrophobia. People have died performing much dumber stunts. In short, “defying death” is personification at its least intelligent. And on the subject of alcohol consumption, read on.
2
Highest Blood Alcohol Content
The record for highest measured BAC is believed to belong to an unidentified man from Wroclaw, Poland, who mortally injured himself when he crashed his car headfirst into a tree in 1995. There is very little information on him to be found on the Internet, but he was taken to a hospital, where the triage unit recorded a BAC of 1.48%. Death is possible at about 0.3%, while 0.08% is the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle in the United States. Death is likely after 0.5% BAC, and when the medics saw the reading, they thought their equipment had malfunctioned. They performed the test five times, always receiving about the same number. The man died after 2 hours from exsanguination, but not alcohol poisoning. The doctors could not stop his blood loss because the alcohol had dilated his vessels and thinned his blood.
Many people don’t need their arms twisted to be willing to take a drink. Alcoholism is a disease, and any alcoholic sufficiently depressed to consider suicide may well try for this record. The record’s existence is a highly dangerous influence on those whose mindsets are already volatile. The tree, however, is still doing fine.
1
Strongest Kick to the Groin
This video will make anyone cringe, man or woman. You’re probably asking yourself, “Why in the world would anyone even think of this as a record that needs to be set?” Kirby Roy is a high-ranking black belt (or red belt) in a karate discipline that emphasizes “combat ki.” Combat ki is not a mystery. Boxers are famously resilient to punches, precisely because they withstand them day after day for years. Football players are well known to tackle and become injured, then heal, and do it again, until they’re very difficult to injure further.
The most well known example of combat ki is displayed by muay thai kickboxers who roll glass bottles or baseball bats up and down their shins hours a day for years. This pulverizes the nerve fibers between the shinbone and the skin, and causes microfractures to the bone. These fractures are not large enough to disable the leg, and when they heal, the body compensates by adding extra calcium to the break site. Over time, the bone becomes harder than concrete, and without functioning nerves in front of it, the kickboxer is able to kick through a baseball bat and walk it off.
The same principle works for Roy’s pelvis, which has endured thousands of full-force groin kicks over the years, and is now thicker and harder than a normal pelvis. His testicles have suffered as much damage as the nerves in front of kickboxers’ shins, and now no longer register pain to his brain. The television program “Sports Science” put him to the test via Jesse “Justice’ Smith, a 6 foot, 8 inch martial artist, who proceeded to shin-kick Roy in the groin with 1,100 pounds of force, lifting him completely off the floor. An untrained target would suffer a broken pelvis from a strike this powerful.
Roy took the kick without any apparent indication of pain, and was given a clean bill of health at the hospital. Nevertheless, organ tissue does not toughen like bones or callused skin. Roy could easily have suffered testicular ruptures, which can kill by pain and shock, or blood loss. This is not to mention that shattered testicles cannot be put back together, and must be removed. Roy is married with children, and claims an active sex life. You might think no one would dare try to top this record, but you must never underestimate the breadth of human stupidity. It would be relatively difficult to set up a record-breaking kick, since few people can kick so powerfully, but you can rest assured that some idiot somewhere is thinking about it.
Covenant University Was Built With No Collection Of Offering, Donation Or Tithe
Bishop David Oyedepo slammed his critics last night [Dec. 8] at the
Shiloh 2012 ministration when he revealed that the last time the church
paid him any salary was in 1987.
Quote
He
said: ”The last time Church paid my salary was December 1987, nobody
heard it, not even the Ministers in the church until 1997 and church
members didn’t hear this until 2007″.
“In January of 1988 my wife asked me of money for feeding and I told her I had give my salary to God, and that was the last time she ever had to ask for feeding till date”.
Bishop Oyedepo said his commitment to Kingdom principles of sowing had made him never to be indebted to any individual or organization anywhere in the world.
Again he shocked the people accusing him and church of using poor people’s money to build universities that themselves can’t afford to send their kid when he said, ”Covenant university was built within 7 months without any collection of any one Naira tithes and offerings or donation of any kind from anywhere”.
”I have personal accountants managing funds from my businesses so that I don’t miscalculate my tithe”, he explained.
“In January of 1988 my wife asked me of money for feeding and I told her I had give my salary to God, and that was the last time she ever had to ask for feeding till date”.
Bishop Oyedepo said his commitment to Kingdom principles of sowing had made him never to be indebted to any individual or organization anywhere in the world.
Again he shocked the people accusing him and church of using poor people’s money to build universities that themselves can’t afford to send their kid when he said, ”Covenant university was built within 7 months without any collection of any one Naira tithes and offerings or donation of any kind from anywhere”.
”I have personal accountants managing funds from my businesses so that I don’t miscalculate my tithe”, he explained.
Banks To Start Zero ATM Charges On Dec 17.
Banks have agreed to commence effective implementation of zero Automated
Teller Machine (ATM) charges Monday, December 17, through out the
country.
The agreement was sealed at the fourth annual Bankers’ committee meeting held in Calabar this week end. The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Chairman of the Bankers’ committee, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who confirmed this development said the CBN would monitor the effective implementation of the removal of bank charges associated with the use of other banks’ ATMs by customers, adding that the delay all along was to enable some banks to put their house in order as far as information technology is concern.
“We have agreed on a final date of Monday 17 December, 2012 for the kick-off, which every bank will take-off the charges. We allowed some time for banks that have not configured their IT to do so and stop charging and hopefully by 17th of December, you are not going to have any customer pay additional charges,” Sanusi said.
He also informed that the banking sect or lending to the agriculture sector has increased remarkably from 1.5 per cent of total industry portfolio to 3.5 per cent in 2012.
At the Bankers’ committee Retreat titled: “Towards Economic Development and Sustainable Transformation,” Sanusi said banks have outlined strategy to attain 7 per cent agric sector lending by next year and 10 per cent by 2017.
“With a vision for a better future for Nigerians, the Bankers’ Committee is committed to a lead role as catalyst for economic development, improving access to finance by the unbanked and under-banked population and growth of the real sector.
The agreement was sealed at the fourth annual Bankers’ committee meeting held in Calabar this week end. The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Chairman of the Bankers’ committee, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who confirmed this development said the CBN would monitor the effective implementation of the removal of bank charges associated with the use of other banks’ ATMs by customers, adding that the delay all along was to enable some banks to put their house in order as far as information technology is concern.
“We have agreed on a final date of Monday 17 December, 2012 for the kick-off, which every bank will take-off the charges. We allowed some time for banks that have not configured their IT to do so and stop charging and hopefully by 17th of December, you are not going to have any customer pay additional charges,” Sanusi said.
He also informed that the banking sect or lending to the agriculture sector has increased remarkably from 1.5 per cent of total industry portfolio to 3.5 per cent in 2012.
At the Bankers’ committee Retreat titled: “Towards Economic Development and Sustainable Transformation,” Sanusi said banks have outlined strategy to attain 7 per cent agric sector lending by next year and 10 per cent by 2017.
“With a vision for a better future for Nigerians, the Bankers’ Committee is committed to a lead role as catalyst for economic development, improving access to finance by the unbanked and under-banked population and growth of the real sector.
Tuesday, 4 December 2012
Top Ten Signs You Are Not a City Person
It’s very easy to recognize someone who doesn’t quite have city
life down. The city is definitely a beast that requires careful
examination and acquaintanceship before you just up and mount the thing.
For those who ride the beast as per a daily routine, the interface is
smooth, but for those who stare with a cocked head at it for too long,
might very well get sucked up by its invisible mystique. For the
former, the easily-overwhelmed latter can’t be missed, and here are ten
signs that the bearers of such perpetually-tilted heads are in fact not
from the city.
Sign: You Wait For the Crosswalk.
Everything is neat and orderly in the outer-lying suburbs. You are used to things like school zones and crossing guards and courteous drivers, whatever those are. In the city, it’s every man for himself. You will see that to be 100% the case as a blind man attempts to cross the street by himself, while oncoming traffic just barely misses decapitating him as soon as the crosswalk signal turns red (true story). Patience is not a virtue in the city, it’s a rare ore that might as well be imaginary. Everyone is in way too big of a hurry to not believe in traffic law anarchy.
Sign: You Pay Attention to Crazy People.
After about the 800th woman with a shopping cart yelling at herself or middle aged man calling for his mom as if they got separated at a Toys R Us, you start to just not see all these invisible friend-havers. They simply are blotted out of your conscious perception. Vicious obscenities and nonsense rantings become a soothing sort of white noise that simply reminds you that you have officially arrived in the city. But for anyone used to social functionality, these individuals are alarming, and make the city feel like a circus full of freaks. They have not yet been pushed to the periphery. Just give it time, and the insanity should start to become oddly comforting; who else makes it their duty to remind you how absolutely alienating the city can be, as well as how much worse it could be.
Sign: You’re Shocked at How Overpriced Everything Is.
It sounds like pure insanity that a bottle of water could cost $3, and a cup of coffee could be almost twice that (depending on how extravagant you insist your coffee be). But that’s the city. If you actually work in the city, you wages/salary might rationalize the heavily inflated cost of living, but to any commuter it feels like you just stepped into some giant movie theater concession stand. Smart commuters, however, know better than to actually buy anything, but rather pack a lunch and water bottle that will last you the day. It’s like sneaking your own snacks into the movie theater. Except the only thing you’re sneaking in is some effective husbandry.
Sign: You Take Pictures of Everything.
After enough walks down the same boulevard, the buildings and marquees and distinctive landmarks become too familiar to be excited by. But to the big city day-tripper, stepping off the train feels like Dorothy’s first step into Oz, whereupon everything is rendered in technicolor. Such a bedazzling experience much be captured in a thousand photographs, thinks the tourist, so the magic can never be eroded, the memories-turned-scrapbook never lost. This unfortunately is to the great dismay of anyone and everyone with which this eager beaver insists on sharing his/her slideshow/seemingly endless photo album of pigeons and lampposts.
Sign: You Think Bikes Belong Only on Sidewalks and Bike Paths.
If you think of biking as solely a recreational activity or form of exercise, you’ve failed to see how much of a city presence this two-wheeled arrogance-factory has claimed. While driving in the city, it is no rare occurrence to be stuck behind a bicycle which insists that it is actually a car, or some other proper form of transportation streets should be accommodating with welcoming arms. In the city, somehow vehicles with the potential to reach 100 MPH must eat at the same dinner table as bikes that only go as fast as how in shape the cyclist is. City bikes become the single exception to a brand of street that otherwise loathes the concept of a casual stroll. Then again a heavily congested city is the only place where a bike messenger can possibly be more efficient than any delivery driver.
Sign: You Feed Squirrels and Pigeons Because They’re “Cute.”
In forests, as in Disney cartoons, squirrels and birds are the most ideal symbol of purity, of God’s most innocent creations. But in the city, and in reality, these creatures are incredibly feral. Who knows what diseases and filth lurks beneath the beaded eyes and clucking gaits of these animals which make a habit of occupying trash cans, sewers, and city excrement. But to those in desperate need of a reality check, its oh so adorable to see these arrogant city-dwellers stare you in the eye with unnatural expectations and nip at your feet for loose crumbs. Also someone needs to inform these people that making these creatures depend on human pity for survival–as opposed to digging out insects and acorns on their own merit–can very well be destructive for their ecosystem.
Sign: You Wait for the Next Subway Car, Because “This One is Crowded.”
In the city you get incredibly used to strange intimacy fast. This is best illustrated by a crowded subway which pits two individuals within kissing range of each other, with a matter-of-fact lack of eye contact or recognizance of one another’s existence. Comfort zones and bubbles are fantastical concepts only someone who can afford the luxury of personal space, or a car, can tote around. People in the city know instinctively that if you want to get home on time, during rush hour especially, you might just have to do some upright spooning.
Sign: You Expect Everyone To Murder/Rob/Sexually Assault You.
Yes, statistically more murders/robberies/rapes occur in major cities, but cities also contain an uneven majority of the world’s population, so of course those that’s are going to represent that fact. But don’t let the news, with its disproportionately high mayhem index, convince you that urban areas are hotbeds of danger and depravity. You can have a fantastically pleasant time in the city uninterrupted by your own sudden demise. All it takes is a little detachment, and an ability to maneuver around anything that feels slightly shady. And of course, you should never indulge or make eye contact who fit such a description. Otherwise where else are you going to find such great dining, concert venues, and other assorted forms of entertaining nightlife?
Sign: You Actually Give Change to Homeless People.
Homeless people can be cunning. They often establish strategic outposts in key change-ensuring locales: in front of coffee shops (where they’ll even hold the door open), on the medians of crowded intersections, outside of train and bus stations, etc. It gets to be a form of harassment. After you’ve endured such persistent city fixtures, who ask for only one thing (all the time), for long enough, they start to become as taken for granted as mailboxes or parking meters…or crazy people. And with the fact that some obviously just spend the money on booze and drugs, to continually indulge the begging masses would ultimately render you broke. But to the untraveled and unwise, all they see is a human being in need, and want to help. As if a few quarters could possibly make a dent in the current level of global poverty, let alone get one homeless person back on his duct-taped feet.
Sign: You Aren’t Jaded (Yet).
The one trait true of most city-regulars is a deep feeling of ennui. Nothing is particularly shocking anymore after you’ve roamed the uneven streets of a city and seen all that it has to bear, for better or worse. And with that lack of curiosity also comes a lack of that starry eyed excitement tourists take with them everywhere they go for the first time, an enviable something long gone and corrupted by sickening over-familiarity. It’s easy to condescend upon those who don’t know how to navigate or cope with the pressures and unspoken understandings buried beneath the soiled concrete of any major city. But it’s also easy to mistake condescension for outright jealousy
10
Crosswalks
Sign: You Wait For the Crosswalk.
Everything is neat and orderly in the outer-lying suburbs. You are used to things like school zones and crossing guards and courteous drivers, whatever those are. In the city, it’s every man for himself. You will see that to be 100% the case as a blind man attempts to cross the street by himself, while oncoming traffic just barely misses decapitating him as soon as the crosswalk signal turns red (true story). Patience is not a virtue in the city, it’s a rare ore that might as well be imaginary. Everyone is in way too big of a hurry to not believe in traffic law anarchy.
9
Crazy People
Sign: You Pay Attention to Crazy People.
After about the 800th woman with a shopping cart yelling at herself or middle aged man calling for his mom as if they got separated at a Toys R Us, you start to just not see all these invisible friend-havers. They simply are blotted out of your conscious perception. Vicious obscenities and nonsense rantings become a soothing sort of white noise that simply reminds you that you have officially arrived in the city. But for anyone used to social functionality, these individuals are alarming, and make the city feel like a circus full of freaks. They have not yet been pushed to the periphery. Just give it time, and the insanity should start to become oddly comforting; who else makes it their duty to remind you how absolutely alienating the city can be, as well as how much worse it could be.
8
High Prices
Sign: You’re Shocked at How Overpriced Everything Is.
It sounds like pure insanity that a bottle of water could cost $3, and a cup of coffee could be almost twice that (depending on how extravagant you insist your coffee be). But that’s the city. If you actually work in the city, you wages/salary might rationalize the heavily inflated cost of living, but to any commuter it feels like you just stepped into some giant movie theater concession stand. Smart commuters, however, know better than to actually buy anything, but rather pack a lunch and water bottle that will last you the day. It’s like sneaking your own snacks into the movie theater. Except the only thing you’re sneaking in is some effective husbandry.
7
Pictures
Sign: You Take Pictures of Everything.
After enough walks down the same boulevard, the buildings and marquees and distinctive landmarks become too familiar to be excited by. But to the big city day-tripper, stepping off the train feels like Dorothy’s first step into Oz, whereupon everything is rendered in technicolor. Such a bedazzling experience much be captured in a thousand photographs, thinks the tourist, so the magic can never be eroded, the memories-turned-scrapbook never lost. This unfortunately is to the great dismay of anyone and everyone with which this eager beaver insists on sharing his/her slideshow/seemingly endless photo album of pigeons and lampposts.
6
Cycling
Sign: You Think Bikes Belong Only on Sidewalks and Bike Paths.
If you think of biking as solely a recreational activity or form of exercise, you’ve failed to see how much of a city presence this two-wheeled arrogance-factory has claimed. While driving in the city, it is no rare occurrence to be stuck behind a bicycle which insists that it is actually a car, or some other proper form of transportation streets should be accommodating with welcoming arms. In the city, somehow vehicles with the potential to reach 100 MPH must eat at the same dinner table as bikes that only go as fast as how in shape the cyclist is. City bikes become the single exception to a brand of street that otherwise loathes the concept of a casual stroll. Then again a heavily congested city is the only place where a bike messenger can possibly be more efficient than any delivery driver.
5
Wildlife
Sign: You Feed Squirrels and Pigeons Because They’re “Cute.”
In forests, as in Disney cartoons, squirrels and birds are the most ideal symbol of purity, of God’s most innocent creations. But in the city, and in reality, these creatures are incredibly feral. Who knows what diseases and filth lurks beneath the beaded eyes and clucking gaits of these animals which make a habit of occupying trash cans, sewers, and city excrement. But to those in desperate need of a reality check, its oh so adorable to see these arrogant city-dwellers stare you in the eye with unnatural expectations and nip at your feet for loose crumbs. Also someone needs to inform these people that making these creatures depend on human pity for survival–as opposed to digging out insects and acorns on their own merit–can very well be destructive for their ecosystem.
4
Crowded Trains
Sign: You Wait for the Next Subway Car, Because “This One is Crowded.”
In the city you get incredibly used to strange intimacy fast. This is best illustrated by a crowded subway which pits two individuals within kissing range of each other, with a matter-of-fact lack of eye contact or recognizance of one another’s existence. Comfort zones and bubbles are fantastical concepts only someone who can afford the luxury of personal space, or a car, can tote around. People in the city know instinctively that if you want to get home on time, during rush hour especially, you might just have to do some upright spooning.
3
Fear
Sign: You Expect Everyone To Murder/Rob/Sexually Assault You.
Yes, statistically more murders/robberies/rapes occur in major cities, but cities also contain an uneven majority of the world’s population, so of course those that’s are going to represent that fact. But don’t let the news, with its disproportionately high mayhem index, convince you that urban areas are hotbeds of danger and depravity. You can have a fantastically pleasant time in the city uninterrupted by your own sudden demise. All it takes is a little detachment, and an ability to maneuver around anything that feels slightly shady. And of course, you should never indulge or make eye contact who fit such a description. Otherwise where else are you going to find such great dining, concert venues, and other assorted forms of entertaining nightlife?
2
Homeless
Sign: You Actually Give Change to Homeless People.
Homeless people can be cunning. They often establish strategic outposts in key change-ensuring locales: in front of coffee shops (where they’ll even hold the door open), on the medians of crowded intersections, outside of train and bus stations, etc. It gets to be a form of harassment. After you’ve endured such persistent city fixtures, who ask for only one thing (all the time), for long enough, they start to become as taken for granted as mailboxes or parking meters…or crazy people. And with the fact that some obviously just spend the money on booze and drugs, to continually indulge the begging masses would ultimately render you broke. But to the untraveled and unwise, all they see is a human being in need, and want to help. As if a few quarters could possibly make a dent in the current level of global poverty, let alone get one homeless person back on his duct-taped feet.
1
Blasé
Sign: You Aren’t Jaded (Yet).
The one trait true of most city-regulars is a deep feeling of ennui. Nothing is particularly shocking anymore after you’ve roamed the uneven streets of a city and seen all that it has to bear, for better or worse. And with that lack of curiosity also comes a lack of that starry eyed excitement tourists take with them everywhere they go for the first time, an enviable something long gone and corrupted by sickening over-familiarity. It’s easy to condescend upon those who don’t know how to navigate or cope with the pressures and unspoken understandings buried beneath the soiled concrete of any major city. But it’s also easy to mistake condescension for outright jealousy
Hidden Dangers Of Cosmetics
Dangerous Ingredients to Watch Out For in Cosmetics
The manufacturing and selling of cosmetics is a multi-billion dollar industry. Although cosmetics manufacturing has improved greatly over time and fewer toxic compounds are utilized, many products still contain lead, mercury, and other hazardous chemicals. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not fully regulate safety of either U.S.- or foreign-made cosmetic products. This slideshow covers a few chemicals that you should look out for in your cosmetics
Lead Acetate
Lead is a highly toxic metal associated with neurological and organ toxicity. It also can play a role in cancer development. Lead poisoning is exceptionally dangerous for children. Although the FDA has requirements with regards to lead in certain dyes, it does not have stringent regulations on lead found in other cosmetics, such as lipstick. Imported cosmetics may also have high lead content. For safety, keep all cosmetics away from children
Mercury Compounds
The FDA regulates the use of mercury compounds for use as a preservative in eye shadow and other eye makeup. Certain skin-whitening creams may also be contaminated with mercury. Mercury is a very toxic element that can be absorbed through the skin, which in turn can cause damage to the brain. There is some controversial scientific evidence that links mercury exposure to autism in children
Triclosan
Triclosan is a compound commonly found in anti-bacterial products such as soap, lotions, and toothpaste. Triclosan overuse in society is thought to be one cause of the increased rise in antibiotic resistant bacteria. Triclosan is considered safe for humans, but the FDA is presently reviewing animal research that supports potentially harmful effects of triclosan, including altering hormone levels in the body, potentially affecting reproduction, child development, and cancer.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that occurs naturally at low levels, but is commonly used as embalming fluid to preserve bodies after death. Higher levels of this compound can be irritating to the skin and exacerbate asthma. Formaldehyde is also found in certain cosmetics, particularly nail-hardeners. Use products with formaldehyde in a well-ventilated room, and keep them away from children
1,4-dioxane
Low levels of 1,4-dioxane, a byproduct of chemical manufacturing, are found in many cosmetics. 1,4-dioxane induces cancer in rats, and exceptionally high levels may cause organ damage in humans. The FDA assures the level of 1,4-dioxane in cosmetics poses no harm to humans, but the actual health effects of 1,4-dioxane are not fully understood. Avoiding products with these ingredients: PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, polyethoxyethylene, and polyoxynolethylene. They may reduce your 1,4-dioxane exposure.
Coal Tar
Used in anti-dandruff shampoos, hair dyes, and treatments for psoriasis, coal tar is a known human carcinogen. By causing DNA damage, exposure to coal tar can increase the likelihood of cancer development. Coal tar can also increase the sensitivity of your skin to sunlight, increasing your susceptibility to sunburns, and potentially increase your chance for contracting skin cancer. Products with coal tar should be used cautiously or avoided all together.
Diethanolamine
Diethanolamine (DEA) is a compound often used in shampoos, lotions, and other cosmetics as an emulsifier and a foaming agent. There is some fear that DEA is a carcinognen. Although animal studies from the US Department of Human Health services did show that DEA could induce tumors, the overall results were actually inconclusive. DEA is not considered a human carcinogen, but it still perhaps should be used cautiously
Phthalates
Dibutylphthalate (DBP), dimethylphthalate (DMP), and diethylphthalate (DEP) belong to a class of chemicals known as phthalates: common cosmetic additives found in hairspray, nail polish, soap, shampoo, and perfume. According to the FDA, phthalate exposure from cosmetics is safe for humans, but others feel exposure may cause health risks, including potential harm to an unborn child. Cosmetic products must declare all ingredients on their packaging, except for perfumes, which may contain phthalate.
How to Avoid Using Cosmetics with Dangerous Chemicals?
Avoiding cosmetics with unsafe compounds is difficult because cosmetic companies are not required to ensure a product is safe. Furthermore, most scientific studies are based on worst-case scenarios and certain “dangerous” compounds may not greatly affect your health if used as directed. The best advice is to do your research and purchase cosmetics from a reputable company that you trust.
You can learn more about dangerous chemicals in cosmetics at the The Center of Disease Control, Food And Drug Administration, and ToxNet.
http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/dangerous-ingredients-in-cosmetics?utm_medium=yahhp#10
The manufacturing and selling of cosmetics is a multi-billion dollar industry. Although cosmetics manufacturing has improved greatly over time and fewer toxic compounds are utilized, many products still contain lead, mercury, and other hazardous chemicals. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not fully regulate safety of either U.S.- or foreign-made cosmetic products. This slideshow covers a few chemicals that you should look out for in your cosmetics
Lead Acetate
Lead is a highly toxic metal associated with neurological and organ toxicity. It also can play a role in cancer development. Lead poisoning is exceptionally dangerous for children. Although the FDA has requirements with regards to lead in certain dyes, it does not have stringent regulations on lead found in other cosmetics, such as lipstick. Imported cosmetics may also have high lead content. For safety, keep all cosmetics away from children
Mercury Compounds
The FDA regulates the use of mercury compounds for use as a preservative in eye shadow and other eye makeup. Certain skin-whitening creams may also be contaminated with mercury. Mercury is a very toxic element that can be absorbed through the skin, which in turn can cause damage to the brain. There is some controversial scientific evidence that links mercury exposure to autism in children
Triclosan
Triclosan is a compound commonly found in anti-bacterial products such as soap, lotions, and toothpaste. Triclosan overuse in society is thought to be one cause of the increased rise in antibiotic resistant bacteria. Triclosan is considered safe for humans, but the FDA is presently reviewing animal research that supports potentially harmful effects of triclosan, including altering hormone levels in the body, potentially affecting reproduction, child development, and cancer.
Formaldehyde
Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that occurs naturally at low levels, but is commonly used as embalming fluid to preserve bodies after death. Higher levels of this compound can be irritating to the skin and exacerbate asthma. Formaldehyde is also found in certain cosmetics, particularly nail-hardeners. Use products with formaldehyde in a well-ventilated room, and keep them away from children
1,4-dioxane
Low levels of 1,4-dioxane, a byproduct of chemical manufacturing, are found in many cosmetics. 1,4-dioxane induces cancer in rats, and exceptionally high levels may cause organ damage in humans. The FDA assures the level of 1,4-dioxane in cosmetics poses no harm to humans, but the actual health effects of 1,4-dioxane are not fully understood. Avoiding products with these ingredients: PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, polyethoxyethylene, and polyoxynolethylene. They may reduce your 1,4-dioxane exposure.
Coal Tar
Used in anti-dandruff shampoos, hair dyes, and treatments for psoriasis, coal tar is a known human carcinogen. By causing DNA damage, exposure to coal tar can increase the likelihood of cancer development. Coal tar can also increase the sensitivity of your skin to sunlight, increasing your susceptibility to sunburns, and potentially increase your chance for contracting skin cancer. Products with coal tar should be used cautiously or avoided all together.
Diethanolamine
Diethanolamine (DEA) is a compound often used in shampoos, lotions, and other cosmetics as an emulsifier and a foaming agent. There is some fear that DEA is a carcinognen. Although animal studies from the US Department of Human Health services did show that DEA could induce tumors, the overall results were actually inconclusive. DEA is not considered a human carcinogen, but it still perhaps should be used cautiously
Phthalates
Dibutylphthalate (DBP), dimethylphthalate (DMP), and diethylphthalate (DEP) belong to a class of chemicals known as phthalates: common cosmetic additives found in hairspray, nail polish, soap, shampoo, and perfume. According to the FDA, phthalate exposure from cosmetics is safe for humans, but others feel exposure may cause health risks, including potential harm to an unborn child. Cosmetic products must declare all ingredients on their packaging, except for perfumes, which may contain phthalate.
How to Avoid Using Cosmetics with Dangerous Chemicals?
Avoiding cosmetics with unsafe compounds is difficult because cosmetic companies are not required to ensure a product is safe. Furthermore, most scientific studies are based on worst-case scenarios and certain “dangerous” compounds may not greatly affect your health if used as directed. The best advice is to do your research and purchase cosmetics from a reputable company that you trust.
You can learn more about dangerous chemicals in cosmetics at the The Center of Disease Control, Food And Drug Administration, and ToxNet.
http://www.healthline.com/health-slideshow/dangerous-ingredients-in-cosmetics?utm_medium=yahhp#10
10 Signs of Online Scams!
1. Too much marketing terms
Home business opportunity: No experience required. No work involved. Earn $2000 in one week! It's easy to spot these kinds of scams because they're full of too good to be true promises. And, exclamation points, too. What job will earn you that much money in a week without having to have experience and NOT having to work at all? None. Nada. Zilch!
2. Too friendly email
I mean the intro part of the email. If an email from someone you don't know starts with “Hello my friend”, “Dear friend”, and they weren't filtered by your spam box, consider these emails not so trustworthy. This method of scamming is known as phishing or fishing for details or information that will put your financial security in danger.
3. Money Matters
It promises that you can make money online. But you have to pay that upfront, one-time fee first for some training materials. Shady!
4. Assembled Jobs
If a home based business opportunity requires you to assemble furniture or stuff envelops, these are generic but often overlooked signs of a true blue scam.
5. Country Representative Job Offer
Coupled with sign no. 2, if an email offers you a job as a payment receiver requiring you to deposit a check on their behalf or anything similar to that job description, you're doomed if you reply.
6. Job Offer that Requires Your Picture to Get Hired
Unless you are applying as a model, which is not a form of online money making venture, someone who's looking for, say, a virtual assistant and asks that she sends a picture is offering something suspicious. Lots of free job listing sites have these types of job posts. Be very, very careful.
7. Employer has no online presence
If you are trying to win an online job but when you researched about the online presence of your would-be employer and there's no trace of his name or his company, ask your employer about his company or his business first.
8. Presence of Pressure Tactics
If the online business opportunity tells you that you will get a chance to win a anti-scam book if you sign up now or you can avail of an early bird discount, walk! Unless they're coaching or consultancy services which are not direct ways to earn money online, you should not be subjected to these kinds of pressuring if the opportunity will really make you money.
9. Request from Employer or Sponsor that You Keep the Offer a Secret
Coupled with scam sign no. 2 and 5, if the email sender asks you to keep your transactions confidential just for any reason at all, red flag, red flag, red flag! They don't want you to inform others that you are about to get scammed, of course.
10. Emails from Someone in Nigeria
Although many Nigerians who use Internet scamming as past time, have already figured out that lots of Westerners already know that they should not trust any email from someone in Nigeria, there are still those who are gullible enough to fall for these frauds.
Educate your friends and family who love to use the Internet. They can still be too busy checking their emails or MySpace pages to know these signs.
Home business opportunity: No experience required. No work involved. Earn $2000 in one week! It's easy to spot these kinds of scams because they're full of too good to be true promises. And, exclamation points, too. What job will earn you that much money in a week without having to have experience and NOT having to work at all? None. Nada. Zilch!
2. Too friendly email
I mean the intro part of the email. If an email from someone you don't know starts with “Hello my friend”, “Dear friend”, and they weren't filtered by your spam box, consider these emails not so trustworthy. This method of scamming is known as phishing or fishing for details or information that will put your financial security in danger.
3. Money Matters
It promises that you can make money online. But you have to pay that upfront, one-time fee first for some training materials. Shady!
4. Assembled Jobs
If a home based business opportunity requires you to assemble furniture or stuff envelops, these are generic but often overlooked signs of a true blue scam.
5. Country Representative Job Offer
Coupled with sign no. 2, if an email offers you a job as a payment receiver requiring you to deposit a check on their behalf or anything similar to that job description, you're doomed if you reply.
6. Job Offer that Requires Your Picture to Get Hired
Unless you are applying as a model, which is not a form of online money making venture, someone who's looking for, say, a virtual assistant and asks that she sends a picture is offering something suspicious. Lots of free job listing sites have these types of job posts. Be very, very careful.
7. Employer has no online presence
If you are trying to win an online job but when you researched about the online presence of your would-be employer and there's no trace of his name or his company, ask your employer about his company or his business first.
8. Presence of Pressure Tactics
If the online business opportunity tells you that you will get a chance to win a anti-scam book if you sign up now or you can avail of an early bird discount, walk! Unless they're coaching or consultancy services which are not direct ways to earn money online, you should not be subjected to these kinds of pressuring if the opportunity will really make you money.
9. Request from Employer or Sponsor that You Keep the Offer a Secret
Coupled with scam sign no. 2 and 5, if the email sender asks you to keep your transactions confidential just for any reason at all, red flag, red flag, red flag! They don't want you to inform others that you are about to get scammed, of course.
10. Emails from Someone in Nigeria
Although many Nigerians who use Internet scamming as past time, have already figured out that lots of Westerners already know that they should not trust any email from someone in Nigeria, there are still those who are gullible enough to fall for these frauds.
Educate your friends and family who love to use the Internet. They can still be too busy checking their emails or MySpace pages to know these signs.
Nigerians Own 200 Private Jets
Nigerians have invested about N1.3 trillion in the acquisition of
private jets in the last three years, according to the Nigerian
Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV). The institute
disclosed this in Lagos recently at an international seminar on plants
and machinery valuation with focus on aircraft, oil and gas
installations. The NIESV said that the number of privately-owned jets in the country has jumped from 50 in the last three years to 200
The coordinator of the seminar, Paul Osuji, said that because of time constraints and other factors, the number of private jets would continue to be on the increase. He said that the seminar was organized to train their members on plant and machinery valuation, noting that at times, people purchase properties without knowing their real worth. According to him, professionals in Estate Surveying and Valuation are trained to value aircraft before they are paid for and brought into the country.
Osuji said that they have valued most of the private jets that are plying the Nigerian airspace "We are mandated by our profession to constantly train and retrain our members. After the last Dana Airlines crash, a lot of attention had been drawn to the aviation sector. People now want to know the airworthiness of the aircraft they want to pay for or they want to fly in. That is why we organize this seminar and most often, we bring our colleagues from other parts of the world to come and share their knowledge with us.
We are the only profession that is authorized by law to place value on any property .We are professionally trained to value properties and there is a world of difference between assessing a machinery and placing value on it. When the engineers assess a machine, what they are trying to find out is its workability. That has nothing to do with the value of the machine .It is the surveyors and valuers that have the requisite knowledge as well as the expertise to place values on items,"Osuji said.
In his opening remarks, NIESV president, Emeka Eleh, said that it is only by constant training that the members could differentiate themselves from quacks. He said if the members become proficient in their professions, when outsiders deal with them and the quacks, they would have no cause to patronize the quacks.
The coordinator of the seminar, Paul Osuji, said that because of time constraints and other factors, the number of private jets would continue to be on the increase. He said that the seminar was organized to train their members on plant and machinery valuation, noting that at times, people purchase properties without knowing their real worth. According to him, professionals in Estate Surveying and Valuation are trained to value aircraft before they are paid for and brought into the country.
Osuji said that they have valued most of the private jets that are plying the Nigerian airspace "We are mandated by our profession to constantly train and retrain our members. After the last Dana Airlines crash, a lot of attention had been drawn to the aviation sector. People now want to know the airworthiness of the aircraft they want to pay for or they want to fly in. That is why we organize this seminar and most often, we bring our colleagues from other parts of the world to come and share their knowledge with us.
We are the only profession that is authorized by law to place value on any property .We are professionally trained to value properties and there is a world of difference between assessing a machinery and placing value on it. When the engineers assess a machine, what they are trying to find out is its workability. That has nothing to do with the value of the machine .It is the surveyors and valuers that have the requisite knowledge as well as the expertise to place values on items,"Osuji said.
In his opening remarks, NIESV president, Emeka Eleh, said that it is only by constant training that the members could differentiate themselves from quacks. He said if the members become proficient in their professions, when outsiders deal with them and the quacks, they would have no cause to patronize the quacks.
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