More intelligent than Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking... the schoolgirl, 11, with an IQ of 162
She is 11 years old and enjoys swimming and playing the recorder. But while Victoria Cowie insists she is just like any other girl her age, in one respect she is very different.
The schoolgirl has just been admitted to Mensa after scoring 162 in an IQ test – better than the 160 thought to have been achieved by Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking and Bill Gates.
The result puts her in the top 1 per cent of the British population in terms of intelligence.
Victoria, who has been offered scholarships to four prestigious fee-paying schools, said: ‘When I got the results, I was really surprised.
‘It’s quite daunting to be compared to great minds, but it feels good also to be thought of as that clever.
‘I really enjoy puzzles and working things out and I think I’ll go on to study sciences, especially biology, when I’m older.’
Victoria took the adult admission tests for Mensa, the society for people with a high IQ.
As well as surpassing brilliant scientists and Microsoft founder Mr Gates, her score gives her a higher IQ than Sigmund Freud, who is thought to have had an IQ of 156, Napoleon Bonaparte, with 145, and Hillary Clinton, with 140.
Only those with an IQ of 148 and above – the top 2 per cent of the population – qualify for Mensa. The average IQ is 100.
Victoria, an only child, said she hadn’t yet told her friends about her astonishing results.
She said: ‘I really enjoy science and doing experiments, but I also love acting and dancing and playing musical instruments.
‘I do theatre workshops and loads of sports like swimming and I really enjoy creative subjects.
‘But my favourite subject is biology and I want to be a vet when I’m older because I love animals and I don’t mind blood and things like that.’ Victoria’s parents, who live in Claverley, near Wolverhampton, and run a health and safety consultancy, said they had always known their daughter was bright, but had not quite realised she was at genius level.
Her mother Alison, 44, said she was proud of her daughter. ‘When she was at nursery she had the reading ability of a child twice her age and she won science awards at school,’ Mrs Cowie added.
‘We always knew she was clever – she was always in the top sets and her teachers always praised her – but we never quite thought she’d be in Mensa.
BIG BRAIN: WHO VICTORIA BEATS FOR IQ
Napoleon - 145
Stephen Hawking - 160
Albert Einstein - 160
Bill Gates - 160
Sigmund Freud - 156
Arnold Schwarzenegger - 135
Madonna - 140
Quentin Tarantino - 160
Hillary Clinton - 140
Bill Clinton - 135
Nicole Kidman - 132
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Senin, 09 Desember 2013
Rabu, 17 April 2013
The World's Most Brutal College Hazing Rituals
The 14 Most Brutal College Hazing Rituals
What's the worst sorority/fraternity hazing rituals? From being sexually assaulted using knives, pens and household tools, to being forced to consume deadly amounts of controlled substances, to being locked in a room with excrement, here are the worst, most brutal college hazing rituals reported from all around the United States. These are 14 scary hazing stories indeed.
1. Boob Ranking
In a story run by ABC News, author and researcher Alexandra Robbins reported that the worst kind of emotional hazing she saw in sororities was "boob ranking."
In this procedure, the sisters forced pledges to strip off their shirts and bras in a cold room, and then line up in order of breast size.
This is mostly because what this did was reinforce insecurities that the girls were probably already saying to themselves.
The older "sisters" would then make fun of them and play mental games with their vulnerable and helpless victims.
2. The Elephant Walk
Vermont passed an anti-hazing law in 1999 due to an incident at University of Vermont where members of the hockey team forced freshman players to drink warm beer until they vomited and perform something called an "Elephant Walk", which is horrible and a form of rape, if forced upon someone.
ELEPHANT WALK: Definition
According to the Urban Dictionary, there are many forms of the "Elephant Walk".
1) A group of males walks in a straight line, each person putting one thumb in their mouth and the other thumb inside the anus of the male in front of them.
2) A group of males walks in a straight line holding onto the (erect) penis of the males behind and in front of them.
3) A group of males walks in a straight line holding onto the (erect) penis of the males in behind them while putting one thumb into the anus of the males in front of them.
Any of these iterations does NOT sound like an effective mode of transportation, or a fun way to spend any afternoon.
3. Cocaine or Dildo: Your Choice
Sororities are just as sexually cruel, if not infinitely moreso, than Fraternities. Looking at this list, it's apparent that the women in Sororities are more interested in emotional and social humiliation than the males. Males tend to angle towards the physical feats of strength or disgustingness. Both (freely) exercise public humiliation, but the levels of both differ and definitely run deeper in female circles. FOR EXAMPLE...
The Hazing Prevention Center, one of the leading non-profit organizations working to eradicate hazing, receives hundred of emails from traumatized victims of sorority and fraternity hazing. One e-mail was from a girl who reported that she had to either use a d***o in front of all her "sisters" or take a hit of cocaine.
So it's either your morals... or your morals? Or your common sense vs... your common sense? It's a toss-up, but an elicit drug that can cause permanent brain damage and is HIGHLY illegal or sexual, social, public humiliation? Which would you choose?
4. Paddling (It's Worse Than It Sounds)
Paddling is what some may think a classic. Though it's what's most commonly associated with the ancient tradition of hazing. Paddling sounds funny, but is still one of the worst. In fact, many have gone to the hospital with severe bodily injuries due to the violent act.
This infliction of harm upon each other is often meant to strengthen the bonds between the victim and group (don't ask how that works), but often it's just plain harm. One girl reported to The Star-Ledger that she was told the beatings would "humble" her and build love and trust between the sorority sisters.
However, after seven nights of beatings and being struck a total of 201 times, the pledge went to the hospital because she was no longer able to sit due to the blood clots and welts all over her buttocks.
Another paddling incident that resulted in the victim in a hospital took place in 2007.
Two Florida A&M fraternity brothers were given two years in prison for paddling a pledge with wooden canes.
One of the Kappa Alpha Psi members was paddling the pledge while the other member was an encourager (in the grimmest sense), urging the pledge to take the paddling and reviving him when he passed out. Aw, what a good brother.
5. Raped by a Sharpie Marker
No, this isn't the kind of " Sharpie rape " you see in most schools that really just means getting marked on by a Sharpie (a permanent marker) unexpectedly. This is actual, sexual, penetration; using a Sharpie.
In 2002, seven football players from Methodist College in North Carolina were arrested on hazing charges for restraining a freshman, stripping him of his underwear, writing all over his butt and smacking it numerous times.
The worst part is that to "seal the deal", as it were, the player with the most ironic position-name, Antonio Wilkerson (wide receiver for the team) sexually assaulted the freshman athlete with a Sharpie marker after everything had been said and done.
He, along with the other Methodist players involved, were suspended after their November 14 arrests and did not partake in the team's final game; unfortunately because getting benched, or even sitting down, was probably the last thing on the victim's mind.
6. All the Alcohol You Can('t) Take in 90 Minutes
Adam Marszal and Russell Taylor, two former students at California Polytechnic State University, were sentenced to jail after hazing a freshman who died of alcohol poisoning while pledging Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
The boy, 18, died after drinking large amounts of alcohol in 90 minutes. There was no afterparty.
The boy, at his time of death, had a Blood Alcohol Level of .44. Just to put it into perspective, that is more than 5 times the legal limit for driving and actually exceeds the levels of the effects of surgical anesthesia.
7. Drinking Two Gallons of A Drink Called "Death"
A brother known as the "pledge father" says, "We want to see you down this stuff, balls to the wall."
And then you start chugging a spicy and thick drink known as "Death" before you don't-die-but-almost-feel-like-dying for about 5 hours.
Each pledge of Lambda Phi Epsilon, a historically Asian fraternity, must drink about two gallons worth of this time-honored concoction (probably a mixture of ketchup and Tabasco sauce).
This usually takes about 4 to 5 hours for everyone to finishing drinking, then puking, then drinking some more. Click here for more information on this delicious, popular, new drink.
8. Exercises in Feces and Urine
There's nothing that says brotherly love more than feces and urine. Although it is said that many frats force their pledges to drink urine, few documented examples beyond just hearsay have surfaced with discreet details (at least as far as college hazing rituals go... military hazing rituals are a whole OTHER can of worms).
An incident took place at Hartwick College where pledges of Alpha Chi Ro were forced to carry feces-covered rocks through a forest and do push-ups and up downs in urine-soaked garbage. It's worse than it sounds.
The garbage also contained glass and dirty diapers.
The basement was in the house of Peter Torabkhan, who along with two other guys were charged by state police at Oneonta with first-degree hazing (a criminal offense nowadays).
Another man, Yury Pertsovsky, who was not a student at Hartwick, was also charged with second-degree aggravated harassment for making threatening phone calls to the freshman who reported the incident.
9. Trivia Questions: Choose Your Object
Alexandra Robbins, author of the book "Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities," spent a year undercover and witnessed one incident where the pledge class had to answer trivia questions and drink straight vodka when they got the question wrong. Not too bad, right? Just a normal, run-of-the-mill drinking game (involving minors), right?
If they got enough wrong, though, they were presented with a Sharpie (what is it with these things), a knife, a hammer and a dildoo, with the threat that one of those objects would violate them.
10. Raw Liver, No Teeth
This is a vintage piece with about as much panache as any modern-day hazing ritual.
In 1959, the pledges of Kappa Sigma had to swallow pieces of raw liver (each as big as a club sandwich) soaked in oil without chewing.
Richard Swanson was not successful in swallowing the liver and after his fourth try, the liver lodged in his throat forcing him to be taken to the hospital.
The attendant in the ambulance, however, did not know about the liver and Swanson died at the hospital less than two hours after he began choking.
I repeat: two hours of choking. Needless to say this liver-swallowing is not so widely practiced anymore; instead people just stick to ruining theirs.
11. Water Overdoses
When somebody goes to college and dies from a WATER overdose, you know they've really missed out on the whole college experience. This is exactly what happens at a fraternity hazing ritual at the State University of New York.
In March 2003, Walter Dean Jennings III was pledging Psi Epsilon Chi when he was forced to drink numerous pitchers of water, often to the point of vomiting. He ended up drinking so much that his brain swelled and he died from water intoxication. That's right, there's such a thing.
21 students were punished by the university and 13 were charged with crimes that included criminally negligent homicide.
Another incident of water intoxication took place in 2005 at California State University Chico (the classiest of the CSUs).
Matthew Carrington and a friend were pledging the Chi Tau fraternity when they were doused with gallons of cold water and powerful fans blew cold air on them.
If that wasn't enough, they were forced to do calisthenics while standing on one foot and drink several gallons of cold water. As any normal human being would do under such extreme conditions, Carrington collapsed.
He unsurprisingly had hypothermia and brain swelling from water intoxication, and died two hours later. Oh, and this was during the Winter semester.
After all was said and done, no need to worry as the cold-hearted "brothers" were brought to justice.
12. Boiling Hot Water On Back, Chest, Genitals
At Tulane University, pledges for Pi Alpha Kappa were put under boiling water for the most physically enduring pain they'd ever had. Fraternity brothers used boiling water containing pepper spray and a "crab boil" seasoning mixture containing cayenne pepper to pour over their victims' backs.
Oddly enough, the ones who screamed didn't get burned as badly, but those who held it in got the worst of it. As the evening went on the water get hotter and the burns get deeper.
One pledge suffered second- and third-degree burns to his back, chest, buttocks and genitals and was subjected to twice-daily burn treatments by doctor's orders.
He was also not able to take his exams or travel that semester.
10 of the "brothers" faced charges of aggravated second-degree battery; so needless to say, justice was served as they seemed to end up in some pretty hot water.
13. Circling the Fat on Your Body
As if they didn't already have to endure this enough as an awkward teen in high school, body critiquing STILL exists in the university "Greek" system as a heinous part of the hazing process for many sororities.
Because what's more humiliating than being told you're "ugly" and "fat" in front of a new set of peers you want so badly to impress? Well... nothing. So, often times what happens is that they get one of the pledges to walk across a table in their underwear so that the rest of the sisters can draw on her body to circle the parts of her that need physical improvement.
This form of hazing and psychological warfare is one of the more (physically) benign, but surprisingly common practices found in hazing rituals around the U.S.
14. Public Body-Critiquing Assembly
Another humiliating case reported by Alexandra Robbins was a woman who was forced to stand on a bench in front of an entire fraternity, completely exposed.
When she got up onto the bench, the fraternity would give public critiques by yelling out the parts of her body that needed "work".
After talking to one of the women that endured this type of scrutiny and humiliation just to become a part of some social group, she said, "This happened in the '90s and almost a decade later she still had emotional scars."
1. Boob Ranking
In a story run by ABC News, author and researcher Alexandra Robbins reported that the worst kind of emotional hazing she saw in sororities was "boob ranking."
In this procedure, the sisters forced pledges to strip off their shirts and bras in a cold room, and then line up in order of breast size.
This is mostly because what this did was reinforce insecurities that the girls were probably already saying to themselves.
The older "sisters" would then make fun of them and play mental games with their vulnerable and helpless victims.
2. The Elephant Walk
Vermont passed an anti-hazing law in 1999 due to an incident at University of Vermont where members of the hockey team forced freshman players to drink warm beer until they vomited and perform something called an "Elephant Walk", which is horrible and a form of rape, if forced upon someone.
ELEPHANT WALK: Definition
According to the Urban Dictionary, there are many forms of the "Elephant Walk".
1) A group of males walks in a straight line, each person putting one thumb in their mouth and the other thumb inside the anus of the male in front of them.
2) A group of males walks in a straight line holding onto the (erect) penis of the males behind and in front of them.
3) A group of males walks in a straight line holding onto the (erect) penis of the males in behind them while putting one thumb into the anus of the males in front of them.
Any of these iterations does NOT sound like an effective mode of transportation, or a fun way to spend any afternoon.
3. Cocaine or Dildo: Your Choice
Sororities are just as sexually cruel, if not infinitely moreso, than Fraternities. Looking at this list, it's apparent that the women in Sororities are more interested in emotional and social humiliation than the males. Males tend to angle towards the physical feats of strength or disgustingness. Both (freely) exercise public humiliation, but the levels of both differ and definitely run deeper in female circles. FOR EXAMPLE...
The Hazing Prevention Center, one of the leading non-profit organizations working to eradicate hazing, receives hundred of emails from traumatized victims of sorority and fraternity hazing. One e-mail was from a girl who reported that she had to either use a d***o in front of all her "sisters" or take a hit of cocaine.
So it's either your morals... or your morals? Or your common sense vs... your common sense? It's a toss-up, but an elicit drug that can cause permanent brain damage and is HIGHLY illegal or sexual, social, public humiliation? Which would you choose?
4. Paddling (It's Worse Than It Sounds)
Paddling is what some may think a classic. Though it's what's most commonly associated with the ancient tradition of hazing. Paddling sounds funny, but is still one of the worst. In fact, many have gone to the hospital with severe bodily injuries due to the violent act.
This infliction of harm upon each other is often meant to strengthen the bonds between the victim and group (don't ask how that works), but often it's just plain harm. One girl reported to The Star-Ledger that she was told the beatings would "humble" her and build love and trust between the sorority sisters.
However, after seven nights of beatings and being struck a total of 201 times, the pledge went to the hospital because she was no longer able to sit due to the blood clots and welts all over her buttocks.
Another paddling incident that resulted in the victim in a hospital took place in 2007.
Two Florida A&M fraternity brothers were given two years in prison for paddling a pledge with wooden canes.
One of the Kappa Alpha Psi members was paddling the pledge while the other member was an encourager (in the grimmest sense), urging the pledge to take the paddling and reviving him when he passed out. Aw, what a good brother.
5. Raped by a Sharpie Marker
No, this isn't the kind of " Sharpie rape " you see in most schools that really just means getting marked on by a Sharpie (a permanent marker) unexpectedly. This is actual, sexual, penetration; using a Sharpie.
In 2002, seven football players from Methodist College in North Carolina were arrested on hazing charges for restraining a freshman, stripping him of his underwear, writing all over his butt and smacking it numerous times.
The worst part is that to "seal the deal", as it were, the player with the most ironic position-name, Antonio Wilkerson (wide receiver for the team) sexually assaulted the freshman athlete with a Sharpie marker after everything had been said and done.
He, along with the other Methodist players involved, were suspended after their November 14 arrests and did not partake in the team's final game; unfortunately because getting benched, or even sitting down, was probably the last thing on the victim's mind.
6. All the Alcohol You Can('t) Take in 90 Minutes
Adam Marszal and Russell Taylor, two former students at California Polytechnic State University, were sentenced to jail after hazing a freshman who died of alcohol poisoning while pledging Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
The boy, 18, died after drinking large amounts of alcohol in 90 minutes. There was no afterparty.
The boy, at his time of death, had a Blood Alcohol Level of .44. Just to put it into perspective, that is more than 5 times the legal limit for driving and actually exceeds the levels of the effects of surgical anesthesia.
7. Drinking Two Gallons of A Drink Called "Death"
A brother known as the "pledge father" says, "We want to see you down this stuff, balls to the wall."
And then you start chugging a spicy and thick drink known as "Death" before you don't-die-but-almost-feel-like-dying for about 5 hours.
Each pledge of Lambda Phi Epsilon, a historically Asian fraternity, must drink about two gallons worth of this time-honored concoction (probably a mixture of ketchup and Tabasco sauce).
This usually takes about 4 to 5 hours for everyone to finishing drinking, then puking, then drinking some more. Click here for more information on this delicious, popular, new drink.
8. Exercises in Feces and Urine
There's nothing that says brotherly love more than feces and urine. Although it is said that many frats force their pledges to drink urine, few documented examples beyond just hearsay have surfaced with discreet details (at least as far as college hazing rituals go... military hazing rituals are a whole OTHER can of worms).
An incident took place at Hartwick College where pledges of Alpha Chi Ro were forced to carry feces-covered rocks through a forest and do push-ups and up downs in urine-soaked garbage. It's worse than it sounds.
The garbage also contained glass and dirty diapers.
The basement was in the house of Peter Torabkhan, who along with two other guys were charged by state police at Oneonta with first-degree hazing (a criminal offense nowadays).
Another man, Yury Pertsovsky, who was not a student at Hartwick, was also charged with second-degree aggravated harassment for making threatening phone calls to the freshman who reported the incident.
9. Trivia Questions: Choose Your Object
Alexandra Robbins, author of the book "Pledged: The Secret Life of Sororities," spent a year undercover and witnessed one incident where the pledge class had to answer trivia questions and drink straight vodka when they got the question wrong. Not too bad, right? Just a normal, run-of-the-mill drinking game (involving minors), right?
If they got enough wrong, though, they were presented with a Sharpie (what is it with these things), a knife, a hammer and a dildoo, with the threat that one of those objects would violate them.
10. Raw Liver, No Teeth
This is a vintage piece with about as much panache as any modern-day hazing ritual.
In 1959, the pledges of Kappa Sigma had to swallow pieces of raw liver (each as big as a club sandwich) soaked in oil without chewing.
Richard Swanson was not successful in swallowing the liver and after his fourth try, the liver lodged in his throat forcing him to be taken to the hospital.
The attendant in the ambulance, however, did not know about the liver and Swanson died at the hospital less than two hours after he began choking.
I repeat: two hours of choking. Needless to say this liver-swallowing is not so widely practiced anymore; instead people just stick to ruining theirs.
11. Water Overdoses
When somebody goes to college and dies from a WATER overdose, you know they've really missed out on the whole college experience. This is exactly what happens at a fraternity hazing ritual at the State University of New York.
In March 2003, Walter Dean Jennings III was pledging Psi Epsilon Chi when he was forced to drink numerous pitchers of water, often to the point of vomiting. He ended up drinking so much that his brain swelled and he died from water intoxication. That's right, there's such a thing.
21 students were punished by the university and 13 were charged with crimes that included criminally negligent homicide.
Another incident of water intoxication took place in 2005 at California State University Chico (the classiest of the CSUs).
Matthew Carrington and a friend were pledging the Chi Tau fraternity when they were doused with gallons of cold water and powerful fans blew cold air on them.
If that wasn't enough, they were forced to do calisthenics while standing on one foot and drink several gallons of cold water. As any normal human being would do under such extreme conditions, Carrington collapsed.
He unsurprisingly had hypothermia and brain swelling from water intoxication, and died two hours later. Oh, and this was during the Winter semester.
After all was said and done, no need to worry as the cold-hearted "brothers" were brought to justice.
12. Boiling Hot Water On Back, Chest, Genitals
At Tulane University, pledges for Pi Alpha Kappa were put under boiling water for the most physically enduring pain they'd ever had. Fraternity brothers used boiling water containing pepper spray and a "crab boil" seasoning mixture containing cayenne pepper to pour over their victims' backs.
Oddly enough, the ones who screamed didn't get burned as badly, but those who held it in got the worst of it. As the evening went on the water get hotter and the burns get deeper.
One pledge suffered second- and third-degree burns to his back, chest, buttocks and genitals and was subjected to twice-daily burn treatments by doctor's orders.
He was also not able to take his exams or travel that semester.
10 of the "brothers" faced charges of aggravated second-degree battery; so needless to say, justice was served as they seemed to end up in some pretty hot water.
13. Circling the Fat on Your Body
As if they didn't already have to endure this enough as an awkward teen in high school, body critiquing STILL exists in the university "Greek" system as a heinous part of the hazing process for many sororities.
Because what's more humiliating than being told you're "ugly" and "fat" in front of a new set of peers you want so badly to impress? Well... nothing. So, often times what happens is that they get one of the pledges to walk across a table in their underwear so that the rest of the sisters can draw on her body to circle the parts of her that need physical improvement.
This form of hazing and psychological warfare is one of the more (physically) benign, but surprisingly common practices found in hazing rituals around the U.S.
14. Public Body-Critiquing Assembly
Another humiliating case reported by Alexandra Robbins was a woman who was forced to stand on a bench in front of an entire fraternity, completely exposed.
When she got up onto the bench, the fraternity would give public critiques by yelling out the parts of her body that needed "work".
After talking to one of the women that endured this type of scrutiny and humiliation just to become a part of some social group, she said, "This happened in the '90s and almost a decade later she still had emotional scars."
Senin, 15 April 2013
Top 10 Tech Billionaires
Zuckerberg, Gates, Bezos, Page, and Brin (but no women) among world’s top 10 tech billionaires
Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Apple are not just engines of technological innovation in America — they’re also the path to Forbes’ World’s Billionaires list, which was just updated. But there is a little catch.
You gotta be a man.
Eleven of the world’s richest billionaires are wealthy primarily because they founded a technology company or own a significant stake in a technology company. That includes people like Bill Gates, who founded Microsoft and is worth $67 billion (and would probably still be the world’s richest man if he had not given away so much of his wealth). And CEOs like Larry Ellison, who founded Oracle and is currently the owner of not just a small Hawaiian island but also a fortune valued at $43 billion.
One problem?
Not a single woman is on the top 10 billionaires list, and just one woman is in the top 11. And that is due to inheritance more than founding a company:
Bill Gates: $67 billion
Larry Ellison: $43 billion
Jeff Bezos: $25 billion
Larry Page: $23 billion
Sergey Brin: $22.8 billion
Michael Dell: $15.3 billion
Steve Ballmer: $15.2 billion
Paul Allen: $15 billion
Mark Zuckerberg: $13.3 billion
Azim Premji: $11.2 billion
Laurene Powell Jobs and family: $10.7 billion
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest top tech billionaire, at just 28, followed not all that closely by Google’s Page and Brin, both of whom are still thirtysomething but will only be able to say that for one more year.
An interesting question: Who will be the first woman to make it on the list due to her standing as a tech founder or CEO?
Yahoo CEO Marissa Meyer might be a top candidate, but her potentially $60 million compensation first-year package at Yahoo is only a drop in the billionaire’s bucket. She’s only like to make it if she gets a lot more stock-based compensation and Yahoo’s value goes through the roof.
That’s something that women like Change.org president and COO (and former Google exec) Jennifer Dulski is trying to change, as we reported a month ago. But given the 10-15 years it takes a company to attain the kind of scale that supports multibillion-dollar valuations, it may take us some time to see who successful they will be.
Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and Apple are not just engines of technological innovation in America — they’re also the path to Forbes’ World’s Billionaires list, which was just updated. But there is a little catch.
You gotta be a man.
Eleven of the world’s richest billionaires are wealthy primarily because they founded a technology company or own a significant stake in a technology company. That includes people like Bill Gates, who founded Microsoft and is worth $67 billion (and would probably still be the world’s richest man if he had not given away so much of his wealth). And CEOs like Larry Ellison, who founded Oracle and is currently the owner of not just a small Hawaiian island but also a fortune valued at $43 billion.
One problem?
Not a single woman is on the top 10 billionaires list, and just one woman is in the top 11. And that is due to inheritance more than founding a company:
Bill Gates: $67 billion
Larry Ellison: $43 billion
Jeff Bezos: $25 billion
Larry Page: $23 billion
Sergey Brin: $22.8 billion
Michael Dell: $15.3 billion
Steve Ballmer: $15.2 billion
Paul Allen: $15 billion
Mark Zuckerberg: $13.3 billion
Azim Premji: $11.2 billion
Laurene Powell Jobs and family: $10.7 billion
Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is the youngest top tech billionaire, at just 28, followed not all that closely by Google’s Page and Brin, both of whom are still thirtysomething but will only be able to say that for one more year.
An interesting question: Who will be the first woman to make it on the list due to her standing as a tech founder or CEO?
Yahoo CEO Marissa Meyer might be a top candidate, but her potentially $60 million compensation first-year package at Yahoo is only a drop in the billionaire’s bucket. She’s only like to make it if she gets a lot more stock-based compensation and Yahoo’s value goes through the roof.
That’s something that women like Change.org president and COO (and former Google exec) Jennifer Dulski is trying to change, as we reported a month ago. But given the 10-15 years it takes a company to attain the kind of scale that supports multibillion-dollar valuations, it may take us some time to see who successful they will be.
Kamis, 11 April 2013
Selasa, 09 April 2013
The World's Most Magical Cave
Is this the most magical cave in the world? The chambers carved through Kamchatka's glaciers by volcano-fed hot springs
These incredible pictures were taken by photographers on expedition in the eastern Siberian peninsula
The caves have been carved into glacial ice by a hot spring gushing from the regions Mutnovsky volcano
Local guide Denis Budkov says he came across them by chance - and may not be able to find them again
Treasures Of The Dwarfs: This breathtaking picture taken by Russian photographer Natalia Balentsova of a cave carved out of the ice in Kamchatka by a hot spring near the Mutnovsky volcano won the 2012 Russian Wild Nature competition
Subterranean world: Ms Balentsova and her local guide Denis Budkov, also a photographer, came across the magical caves by chance while on expedition near the Mutnovsky volcano, some 45 miles south of the regional capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
Natural wonder: The cave has been carved out of the glacier by an underground river that is sourced in a hot spring gushing from the Mutnovsky volcano itself
Entrance to the underworld: The expedition members lit flares in the cave to highlight the undulating erosion caused by the warm water as it flows through
With multicoloured lights gently glowing from a translucent ceiling, a stream rippling through rocks beneath and a bright light in the distance, this tunnel looks like a passage to fairytale world.
But this breathtaking photograph was taken in cave carved out of the living rock and ice of this world - albeit on a remote fringe little visited by outsiders.
These incredible pictures show ice caves carved by volcano-fed hot springs through the glaciers of Kamchatka.
They were captured by local guide and photographer Denis Budkov, Natalia Balentsova, a photographer from Chelyabinsk, and others on the peninsula on the eastern edge of Russia's vast Siberian land mass.
The intrepid snappers came across the magical caves by chance while on expedition near the Mutnovsky volcano, some 45 miles south of the regional capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
The incredible lights shining purple, blue, green and yellow are no computer trickery - they are the result of sunlight streaming through the glacial ice into the hidden world below.
The cave was carved out of the glacier by an underground river that is sourced in a hot spring gushing from the Mutnovsky volcano itself.
Mr Budkov told the Siberian Times: 'Mutnovsky volcano is the heart of Kamchatka.
'This heart is literally beating and you can feel it while the earth is slightly moving under your feet'.
He added: 'We found the cave by chance in September 2012. It was not far away from a volcanologists' hut.
'I was taking some photographers for a tour and we saw a spring running from under the glacier. We came closer and saw that there was a hole so we went into this extraordinary cave.'
Ms Balentsova spent several hours inside working on photographs to record the incredible subterranean world they found themselves inside.
One her pictures - dubbed Treasures Of The Dwarfs - won the Russian Wild Nature competition last year.
She said: 'Outside, the glacier was very dirty and grey. But inside, everything was different.
'The snow was melting, and the light passed through the thin walls, reflecting surprisingly bright colours.'
The walls and ceiling of the frozen world are made up of layers of compacted snow, with the river softly gurgling through a long chamber illuminated by light glinting through windows made of ice,
'It's hard to find such places without a guide', said Budkov. 'Even me, being an experienced guide, didn't know about this cave as it is off the usual routes I normally take.
'Plus at the moment, it is impossible to get there as we have a metre and a half of snow covering everything.
'I'm not sure if it will even melt during the summer. So maybe the people who want to see the cave will have to wait until next year'.
These incredible pictures were taken by photographers on expedition in the eastern Siberian peninsula
The caves have been carved into glacial ice by a hot spring gushing from the regions Mutnovsky volcano
Local guide Denis Budkov says he came across them by chance - and may not be able to find them again
Treasures Of The Dwarfs: This breathtaking picture taken by Russian photographer Natalia Balentsova of a cave carved out of the ice in Kamchatka by a hot spring near the Mutnovsky volcano won the 2012 Russian Wild Nature competition
Natural wonder: The cave has been carved out of the glacier by an underground river that is sourced in a hot spring gushing from the Mutnovsky volcano itself
Entrance to the underworld: The expedition members lit flares in the cave to highlight the undulating erosion caused by the warm water as it flows through
With multicoloured lights gently glowing from a translucent ceiling, a stream rippling through rocks beneath and a bright light in the distance, this tunnel looks like a passage to fairytale world.
But this breathtaking photograph was taken in cave carved out of the living rock and ice of this world - albeit on a remote fringe little visited by outsiders.
These incredible pictures show ice caves carved by volcano-fed hot springs through the glaciers of Kamchatka.
They were captured by local guide and photographer Denis Budkov, Natalia Balentsova, a photographer from Chelyabinsk, and others on the peninsula on the eastern edge of Russia's vast Siberian land mass.
The intrepid snappers came across the magical caves by chance while on expedition near the Mutnovsky volcano, some 45 miles south of the regional capital of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
The incredible lights shining purple, blue, green and yellow are no computer trickery - they are the result of sunlight streaming through the glacial ice into the hidden world below.
The cave was carved out of the glacier by an underground river that is sourced in a hot spring gushing from the Mutnovsky volcano itself.
Mr Budkov told the Siberian Times: 'Mutnovsky volcano is the heart of Kamchatka.
'This heart is literally beating and you can feel it while the earth is slightly moving under your feet'.
He added: 'We found the cave by chance in September 2012. It was not far away from a volcanologists' hut.
'I was taking some photographers for a tour and we saw a spring running from under the glacier. We came closer and saw that there was a hole so we went into this extraordinary cave.'
Ms Balentsova spent several hours inside working on photographs to record the incredible subterranean world they found themselves inside.
One her pictures - dubbed Treasures Of The Dwarfs - won the Russian Wild Nature competition last year.
She said: 'Outside, the glacier was very dirty and grey. But inside, everything was different.
'The snow was melting, and the light passed through the thin walls, reflecting surprisingly bright colours.'
The walls and ceiling of the frozen world are made up of layers of compacted snow, with the river softly gurgling through a long chamber illuminated by light glinting through windows made of ice,
'It's hard to find such places without a guide', said Budkov. 'Even me, being an experienced guide, didn't know about this cave as it is off the usual routes I normally take.
'Plus at the moment, it is impossible to get there as we have a metre and a half of snow covering everything.
'I'm not sure if it will even melt during the summer. So maybe the people who want to see the cave will have to wait until next year'.
Kamis, 04 April 2013
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The World's Best Father - Teach Son How To Sex
Brisbane dad charged over son's holiday sex
A Brisbane man has faced court after allowing his 13-year-old son to visit a prostitute during a family holiday to Thailand.
The 45-year-old father, who cannot be named, appeared before Brisbane Magistrates Court yesterday on two charges related to child sex tourism offences.
The offences allegedly took place on the Thai resort island of Ko Samui in September last year.
The charges, which carry penalties of up to 20 years in jail, relate to Commonwealth laws designed to stop Australian pedophiles preying on foreign children.
This is believed to be the first time the laws have been used in such a way, the Courier-Mail reports.
The charges allege that the father caused a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual intercourse outside Australia and that he procured a child to engage in sexual activity outside his place of residence.
He was also charged with assaulting his son on Brisbane's bayside in February last year.
The 45-year-old father, who cannot be named, appeared before Brisbane Magistrates Court yesterday on two charges related to child sex tourism offences.
The offences allegedly took place on the Thai resort island of Ko Samui in September last year.
The charges, which carry penalties of up to 20 years in jail, relate to Commonwealth laws designed to stop Australian pedophiles preying on foreign children.
This is believed to be the first time the laws have been used in such a way, the Courier-Mail reports.
The charges allege that the father caused a child under the age of 16 to engage in sexual intercourse outside Australia and that he procured a child to engage in sexual activity outside his place of residence.
He was also charged with assaulting his son on Brisbane's bayside in February last year.
Selasa, 02 April 2013
The World's Best Drinking Water
Where does the world's best drinking water come from?
Bottled vs. tap: which waters have the best aroma, taste and "mouth feel"? A competition in the United States finds out
Judges taking part in the Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting event look, sniff and taste each sample according to guidelines similar to those in wine tasting.
Though all eyes were on the Academy Awards show in Hollywood, another exciting ceremony was taking place in the United States last weekend -– the 23rd annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting.
Held in the spa town of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, it's the largest water tasting competition in the world, according to organizers.
The "international" signifier is a bit misleading. Though the awards do encourage global entrants, U.S. water samples dominate.
On Saturday night, 11 judges spent hours tasting and selecting from among 82 waters sourced in 21 U.S. states and 10 foreign countries. There were 32 municipal waters -- straight from the tap -- from a dozen states, as well as Canada, South Korea and Thailand.
So who has the world's best tasting tap water?
At the end of a tough day of sipping, the town of Emporia, Kansas, was awarded the top prize for its municipal H2O.
A Canadian brand won best bottled still water in the world -- Canadian Gold from Marchand, Manitoba. A total of 30 bottled waters were tasted.
Two sparkling waters tied for first place: Touch Sparkling Mineral Water of Manitoba and Celvik Dobri Kiseljak of Bosnia. Ten sparkling waters entered the competition.
The purified category was won by Rain Fresh Oxygen Purified from Garland, Texas.
More on CNN: World's 50 most delicious drinks
The 11 media judges included representatives from regional and national media, who were instructed by organizers to look, sniff and taste each water according to guidelines similar to those in a wine tasting.
The waters were rated for each attribute including appearance (it should be clear -- or slightly opaque for glacial waters), aroma (there should be none), taste (it should taste clean), mouth feel (it should feel light), aftertaste (it should leave you thirsty for more).
Here's the full list of winners.
Best Municipal Water 2013
1. Emporia, Kansas
2. Independence, Missouri
3. Greenwood, British Columbia, Canada
4. Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Clearbrook, British Columbia, Canada (tie)
5. Keremeos, British Columbia, Canada
Best Bottled Water 2013
1. Canadian Gold Artesian Water (Marchand, Manitoba, Canada)
2. Agana Rainwater (Buda, Texas)
3. Denton Spring Water (North East, Maryland)
4. Eldorado Natural Spring Water (Eldorado, Colorado)
5. Kiowata (Longford, Kansas)
Best Sparkling Water 2013
1. Touch Sparkling Mineral Water (Marchand, Manitoba, Canada) and Celvik Dobri Kiseljak (Tesanj, Bosnia) (tie)
2. American Summits Natural Spring Water (Clark, Wyoming)
3. Puyehue (Osono, Chile)
4. Antipodes (Whakatane, New Zealand) and Jackson Springs Natural Premium Spring Water (Manitoba, Canada) (tie)
Best Packaging 2013
1. Lumen (Dallas, Texas)
2. Puyehue (Osono, Chile)
3. Bling H2O (Hollywood, California)
4. Antipodes (Whakatane, New Zealand)
5. American Summits Natural Spring Water (Clark, Wyoming)
Best Purified Drinking Water 2013
1. Rain Fresh Oxygen-Rich Purified Water (Garland, Texas)
2. Greenwood Gold, (Greenwood, British Columbia, Canada)
3. Indigo H2O (Elkhart, Indiana)
4. Berkeley Springs Purified Water (Berkeley Springs, West Virginia)
5. Bar H2O (Richmond, Michigan)
Bottled vs. tap: which waters have the best aroma, taste and "mouth feel"? A competition in the United States finds out
Though all eyes were on the Academy Awards show in Hollywood, another exciting ceremony was taking place in the United States last weekend -– the 23rd annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting.
Held in the spa town of Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, it's the largest water tasting competition in the world, according to organizers.
The "international" signifier is a bit misleading. Though the awards do encourage global entrants, U.S. water samples dominate.
On Saturday night, 11 judges spent hours tasting and selecting from among 82 waters sourced in 21 U.S. states and 10 foreign countries. There were 32 municipal waters -- straight from the tap -- from a dozen states, as well as Canada, South Korea and Thailand.
So who has the world's best tasting tap water?
At the end of a tough day of sipping, the town of Emporia, Kansas, was awarded the top prize for its municipal H2O.
A Canadian brand won best bottled still water in the world -- Canadian Gold from Marchand, Manitoba. A total of 30 bottled waters were tasted.
Two sparkling waters tied for first place: Touch Sparkling Mineral Water of Manitoba and Celvik Dobri Kiseljak of Bosnia. Ten sparkling waters entered the competition.
The purified category was won by Rain Fresh Oxygen Purified from Garland, Texas.
More on CNN: World's 50 most delicious drinks
The 11 media judges included representatives from regional and national media, who were instructed by organizers to look, sniff and taste each water according to guidelines similar to those in a wine tasting.
The waters were rated for each attribute including appearance (it should be clear -- or slightly opaque for glacial waters), aroma (there should be none), taste (it should taste clean), mouth feel (it should feel light), aftertaste (it should leave you thirsty for more).
Here's the full list of winners.
Best Municipal Water 2013
1. Emporia, Kansas
2. Independence, Missouri
3. Greenwood, British Columbia, Canada
4. Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Clearbrook, British Columbia, Canada (tie)
5. Keremeos, British Columbia, Canada
Best Bottled Water 2013
1. Canadian Gold Artesian Water (Marchand, Manitoba, Canada)
2. Agana Rainwater (Buda, Texas)
3. Denton Spring Water (North East, Maryland)
4. Eldorado Natural Spring Water (Eldorado, Colorado)
5. Kiowata (Longford, Kansas)
Best Sparkling Water 2013
1. Touch Sparkling Mineral Water (Marchand, Manitoba, Canada) and Celvik Dobri Kiseljak (Tesanj, Bosnia) (tie)
2. American Summits Natural Spring Water (Clark, Wyoming)
3. Puyehue (Osono, Chile)
4. Antipodes (Whakatane, New Zealand) and Jackson Springs Natural Premium Spring Water (Manitoba, Canada) (tie)
Best Packaging 2013
1. Lumen (Dallas, Texas)
2. Puyehue (Osono, Chile)
3. Bling H2O (Hollywood, California)
4. Antipodes (Whakatane, New Zealand)
5. American Summits Natural Spring Water (Clark, Wyoming)
Best Purified Drinking Water 2013
1. Rain Fresh Oxygen-Rich Purified Water (Garland, Texas)
2. Greenwood Gold, (Greenwood, British Columbia, Canada)
3. Indigo H2O (Elkhart, Indiana)
4. Berkeley Springs Purified Water (Berkeley Springs, West Virginia)
5. Bar H2O (Richmond, Michigan)
Senin, 01 April 2013
The Sexiest Football Coach in The World
The beautiful game: Part-time model takes charge of Croatian men's league side
Many talents: Nemcic is a former Croatia women's international and part-time model
It's a woman's game: Tihana Nemcic has taken over as coach of NK Vuktorija Vojakovac in Croatia
Tihana Nemcic wants to be treated just like any other head coach. The 24-year-old Nemcic, a former Croatia women's international and part-time model, just happens to be getting more attention than usual.
That's because she has taken over as coach of a Croatian men's football team - fifth division side NK Viktorija Vojakovac.
Nemcic, a former club player in Croatia, graduated in July from the country's Sporting University. Since taking over at NK Viktorija Vojakovac, she has asserted herself as the one in charge - not the center of a media stunt.
'I am the head coach and I have full liberty to create and plan the team's tactics,' Nemcic said. 'If a woman and a man have the same professional qualifications for a coaching job, I see no reason why I should not get into male football.'
The team is currently eighth in the 16-team league standings with four points after one win, one loss and one draw.
Tihomir Jagusic, one of of the club's players, described Nemcic as 'very good, focused and serious during training'.
'We listen to her,' Jagusic said. 'She is very strict at training.'
Nemcic got interested in the sport when she used to follow her boyfriend to training.
'I was watching him play, how he played... and then I started to play myself and it has become part of me to this very day,' she said. 'This is a big challenge for me. I have had some experience with kids, but with men's teams - no.'
Nemcic is finding life as a coach very different from her days as a player.
'When you are a player, you worry only about yourself and your personal performance,' she said. 'Now, when I am a coach, I have to think about more players. But both jobs are equally nice. Both have ups and downs.'
Nemcic, who was among 15 finalists for the beauty title of Croatia Miss Sport in 2008, does face a particular challenge in coaching the men.
'We have a rule,' she said. 'Boys go in to change. When they are finished, one of them comes out and calls me in. I would never put myself in the situation to walk in on them inside the dressing room.'
It's a woman's game: Tihana Nemcic has taken over as coach of NK Vuktorija Vojakovac in Croatia
Tihana Nemcic wants to be treated just like any other head coach. The 24-year-old Nemcic, a former Croatia women's international and part-time model, just happens to be getting more attention than usual.
That's because she has taken over as coach of a Croatian men's football team - fifth division side NK Viktorija Vojakovac.
Nemcic, a former club player in Croatia, graduated in July from the country's Sporting University. Since taking over at NK Viktorija Vojakovac, she has asserted herself as the one in charge - not the center of a media stunt.
'I am the head coach and I have full liberty to create and plan the team's tactics,' Nemcic said. 'If a woman and a man have the same professional qualifications for a coaching job, I see no reason why I should not get into male football.'
The team is currently eighth in the 16-team league standings with four points after one win, one loss and one draw.
Tihomir Jagusic, one of of the club's players, described Nemcic as 'very good, focused and serious during training'.
'We listen to her,' Jagusic said. 'She is very strict at training.'
Nemcic got interested in the sport when she used to follow her boyfriend to training.
'I was watching him play, how he played... and then I started to play myself and it has become part of me to this very day,' she said. 'This is a big challenge for me. I have had some experience with kids, but with men's teams - no.'
Nemcic is finding life as a coach very different from her days as a player.
'When you are a player, you worry only about yourself and your personal performance,' she said. 'Now, when I am a coach, I have to think about more players. But both jobs are equally nice. Both have ups and downs.'
Nemcic, who was among 15 finalists for the beauty title of Croatia Miss Sport in 2008, does face a particular challenge in coaching the men.
'We have a rule,' she said. 'Boys go in to change. When they are finished, one of them comes out and calls me in. I would never put myself in the situation to walk in on them inside the dressing room.'
Minggu, 31 Maret 2013
The World's Most Narrow House
Invigorating Narrow House by Fujiwaramuro Architects
Fujiwaramuro Architects recently finished the Narrow House, a residential downtown house measuring just 36.95 sqm in Nada, Kobe, Japan. This incredible residence demonstrates that you don’t need a vast amount of space for cozy comfort. The home contains two bedrooms, kitchen, a garage, a living and dining room, and an additional storage room. All are spread across three floors with an opening in the middle. Fujiwaramuro Architects have been working on challenging projects since 2002.
On a slight 37 square meter site in the hyogo prefecture, a timber-faced home by fujiwaramuro architects combats spatial narrowness with
dimensional gaps and holes within its interior field. the vertically oriented wood skin connects a multi-level single family home with a strikingly
grained exterior. by contrast, a large central atrium organizes the space in sectionally, while wooden grates dematerialize the lateral planes.
these two architectural gestures create a sunlit space that reaches the bottom of the house. the center void also serves as storage space and works
in conjunction with the asymmetric smattering of apertures that puncture the envelope. room spaces are layered with a network of ladders that
culminate in a rooftop loft.
Fujiwaramuro Architects recently finished the Narrow House, a residential downtown house measuring just 36.95 sqm in Nada, Kobe, Japan. This incredible residence demonstrates that you don’t need a vast amount of space for cozy comfort. The home contains two bedrooms, kitchen, a garage, a living and dining room, and an additional storage room. All are spread across three floors with an opening in the middle. Fujiwaramuro Architects have been working on challenging projects since 2002.
On a slight 37 square meter site in the hyogo prefecture, a timber-faced home by fujiwaramuro architects combats spatial narrowness with
dimensional gaps and holes within its interior field. the vertically oriented wood skin connects a multi-level single family home with a strikingly
grained exterior. by contrast, a large central atrium organizes the space in sectionally, while wooden grates dematerialize the lateral planes.
these two architectural gestures create a sunlit space that reaches the bottom of the house. the center void also serves as storage space and works
in conjunction with the asymmetric smattering of apertures that puncture the envelope. room spaces are layered with a network of ladders that
culminate in a rooftop loft.
Kamis, 28 Maret 2013
The Most Prolific Killer Bull
Mouse that gored, a popular star of Spanish bull runs, dies
Raton, a bull which became one of the most feared attractions of Spanish town festivals after killing three people, dies aged 12
Raton, shown here in action during a bull run in Valencia in 2011, reportedly attracted fees of up to $18,000 to appear at town festivals.
A fighting bull named "Mouse", which became one of the most popular and most feared beasts in Spanish town festivals after he killed three people, has died.
El País said the 12-year-old black-and-white bull, which weighed 550kg, died on Sunday on a ranch in the eastern town of Sueca.
Owner Gregorio de Jesus told the newspaper he planned to stuff the beast and put him on display at the ranch.
The bull, known as Raton (mouse in Spanish), was a leading attraction in bull-running events during summer festivals because of his lethal charges.
Town halls were reported to have paid up to $18,000 to have him in their festivals. Some 3,000 people turned out for his final run before he was retired in September 2011.
Raton, a bull which became one of the most feared attractions of Spanish town festivals after killing three people, dies aged 12
A fighting bull named "Mouse", which became one of the most popular and most feared beasts in Spanish town festivals after he killed three people, has died.
El País said the 12-year-old black-and-white bull, which weighed 550kg, died on Sunday on a ranch in the eastern town of Sueca.
Owner Gregorio de Jesus told the newspaper he planned to stuff the beast and put him on display at the ranch.
The bull, known as Raton (mouse in Spanish), was a leading attraction in bull-running events during summer festivals because of his lethal charges.
Town halls were reported to have paid up to $18,000 to have him in their festivals. Some 3,000 people turned out for his final run before he was retired in September 2011.
Rabu, 27 Maret 2013
The World's Rarest Horizontal Rainbow
Un grand horizontal: Rare FLAT rainbow photographed above the Paris skyline
Horizontal 'fire rainbows' rarely seen in northern Europe but common in U.S.
Appeared in Paris for just five minutes before disappearing again
A horizontal rainbow, known as a fire rainbow, is pictured above the Paris skyline by Parisian Bertrand Kulik
Horizontal rainbows, or circumhorizon arcs, occur when cirrus clouds are elevated enough to form plate-shaped ice crystals
The view of the Eiffel Tower against the Paris skyline is breathtaking on an ordinary day, but the French capital was recently bathed in a rare horizontal rainbow.
Across the city's horizon a clear spectrum of colours emerged for a short time, in a natural phenomenon known as a fire rainbow.
Parisian Bertrand Kulik, 33, spotted the unusual display out of the window of his apartment in France's capital on March 17.
Amateur photographer Mr Kulik said: ‘I have never seen a rainbow like that before. This light phenomenon looked like a rising aurora over Paris.
'When I saw it, I had to react very fast. I was very impressed by this beauty and I knew that I could not miss it.’
The display was only visible for a short time, but Mr Kulik quickly grabbed his camera and captured the rare sight.
He added: ‘It was only possible to see it for few minutes. Often I am waiting to catch some weather pictures. Every day I hope to see some atmospheric phenomenons like that.
‘The day was tormented with a stormy sky. Even in a big city it's possible to see some amazing natural phenomenon.
‘It was a very turbulent day and I will remember it for a long time.’
The horizontal rainbow was brought on by heavy rainstorms that lashed Paris last week.
Fire rainbows, known by the proper name of circumhorizon arc, occur when cirrus clouds are far enough up in the air to form plate-shaped ice crystals.
They are not actually rainbows, but a halo effect, although they are commonly referred to as fire rainbows.
When the sun is at the right angle it hits the top of these plates and splits into different colours that are viewable on the ground.
Although such fire rainbows are relatively common in the United States, they are a rarer sight in northern Europe where the sun less frequently has the required elevation needed for it to occur.
Horizontal 'fire rainbows' rarely seen in northern Europe but common in U.S.
Appeared in Paris for just five minutes before disappearing again
A horizontal rainbow, known as a fire rainbow, is pictured above the Paris skyline by Parisian Bertrand Kulik
Horizontal rainbows, or circumhorizon arcs, occur when cirrus clouds are elevated enough to form plate-shaped ice crystals
The view of the Eiffel Tower against the Paris skyline is breathtaking on an ordinary day, but the French capital was recently bathed in a rare horizontal rainbow.
Across the city's horizon a clear spectrum of colours emerged for a short time, in a natural phenomenon known as a fire rainbow.
Parisian Bertrand Kulik, 33, spotted the unusual display out of the window of his apartment in France's capital on March 17.
Amateur photographer Mr Kulik said: ‘I have never seen a rainbow like that before. This light phenomenon looked like a rising aurora over Paris.
'When I saw it, I had to react very fast. I was very impressed by this beauty and I knew that I could not miss it.’
The display was only visible for a short time, but Mr Kulik quickly grabbed his camera and captured the rare sight.
He added: ‘It was only possible to see it for few minutes. Often I am waiting to catch some weather pictures. Every day I hope to see some atmospheric phenomenons like that.
‘The day was tormented with a stormy sky. Even in a big city it's possible to see some amazing natural phenomenon.
‘It was a very turbulent day and I will remember it for a long time.’
The horizontal rainbow was brought on by heavy rainstorms that lashed Paris last week.
Fire rainbows, known by the proper name of circumhorizon arc, occur when cirrus clouds are far enough up in the air to form plate-shaped ice crystals.
They are not actually rainbows, but a halo effect, although they are commonly referred to as fire rainbows.
When the sun is at the right angle it hits the top of these plates and splits into different colours that are viewable on the ground.
Although such fire rainbows are relatively common in the United States, they are a rarer sight in northern Europe where the sun less frequently has the required elevation needed for it to occur.
Minggu, 24 Maret 2013
Jumat, 22 Maret 2013
Kamis, 21 Maret 2013
The Most Expensive Accident
The £2.5million motorway smash involving 8 Ferraris, 3 Mercedes, a Lamborghini, a Skyline and a humble Toyota Prius (which was in the wrong place at the wrong time)
Not so sporty now: Japanese police and rescue teams investigate damaged Ferrari cars at the site of a traffic accident on the Chugoku Expressway in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture
Tears: Ten people suffered mild injuries in the pile-up. But the damage to the owners' wallets could be worth somewhere in the region of £2.5million, according to estimate
Thirteen high-end sports car owners - and one driver of a Toyota Prius - were probably close to tears last night after a £2.5million motorway pile-up.
A single miscalculation from a Ferrari driver leading a convoy of sports car connoisseurs left a trail of twisted Italian and German metal trailing across this motorway in Japan.
Ten people were rushed to hospital after the smash on the Chugoku Expressway in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, yesterday afternoon, but none of their injuries were said to be serious.
But the damage to their wallets may be far more grievous. Among the wrecked vehicles were eight Ferraris, three Mercedes, a Lamborghini, and a Skyline, as well as a Prius hybrid that was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Police said the accident occurred on an uphill curve when the 60-year-old driver of the Ferrari leading the pack lost control while trying to overtake another vehicle.
The trailing cars then proceeded to crash one by one, with the ensuing carnage closing down the express way for six hours while emergency services cleared up the mess.
The cars involved in the epic smash included at least two Ferrari F430s, two Ferrari 360 Modenas, two Ferrari F355s and a Lamborghini Diablo.
There was also a Nissan Skyline GT-R - the only current Japanese supercar - and two Mercedes Benz, while the cheapest involved in the crash was the Toyota Prius hybrid.
Sports Nippon estimates the value of the vehicles to be 300million yen (£2.5million).
Tears: Ten people suffered mild injuries in the pile-up. But the damage to the owners' wallets could be worth somewhere in the region of £2.5million, according to estimate
Thirteen high-end sports car owners - and one driver of a Toyota Prius - were probably close to tears last night after a £2.5million motorway pile-up.
A single miscalculation from a Ferrari driver leading a convoy of sports car connoisseurs left a trail of twisted Italian and German metal trailing across this motorway in Japan.
Ten people were rushed to hospital after the smash on the Chugoku Expressway in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, yesterday afternoon, but none of their injuries were said to be serious.
But the damage to their wallets may be far more grievous. Among the wrecked vehicles were eight Ferraris, three Mercedes, a Lamborghini, and a Skyline, as well as a Prius hybrid that was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Police said the accident occurred on an uphill curve when the 60-year-old driver of the Ferrari leading the pack lost control while trying to overtake another vehicle.
The trailing cars then proceeded to crash one by one, with the ensuing carnage closing down the express way for six hours while emergency services cleared up the mess.
The cars involved in the epic smash included at least two Ferrari F430s, two Ferrari 360 Modenas, two Ferrari F355s and a Lamborghini Diablo.
There was also a Nissan Skyline GT-R - the only current Japanese supercar - and two Mercedes Benz, while the cheapest involved in the crash was the Toyota Prius hybrid.
Sports Nippon estimates the value of the vehicles to be 300million yen (£2.5million).
Senin, 18 Maret 2013
The World's Loudest Bark
A SOUTH Australian dog has claimed the Guinness World Record for the loudest bark.
Belinda Freebairn says her dog Charlie had a monster bark even as a puppy.
Charlie, a six-year-old golden retriever from Adelaide, clocked 113.1 decibels to displace Daz, a German shepherd from London who registered a bark of 108 decibels in 2009.
Belinda Freebairn told ABC her dog had a monster bark even as a puppy. Given that it is now as loud as a live rock show, Freebairn and her neighbours must be relieved he doesn't use it that often.
"He doesn't bark at home at all really," she said. "He's really quiet."
Charlie, a six-year-old golden retriever from Adelaide, clocked 113.1 decibels to displace Daz, a German shepherd from London who registered a bark of 108 decibels in 2009.
Belinda Freebairn told ABC her dog had a monster bark even as a puppy. Given that it is now as loud as a live rock show, Freebairn and her neighbours must be relieved he doesn't use it that often.
"He doesn't bark at home at all really," she said. "He's really quiet."
The Biggest Monster Mosquito
Gallinippers! Monster mosquitoes poised to strike Florida
One of the most ferocious insects you've ever heard of — it's the size of a quarter and its painful bite has been compared to being knifed — is set to invade Florida this summer.
The Sunshine State, already home to man-eating sinkholes, invading Burmese pythons, swarming sharks, tropical storms and other disasters, can expect to see an explosion of shaggy-haired gallinippers (Psorophora ciliata), a type of giant mosquito, according to entomologist Phil Kaufman of the University of Florida.
Gallinipper eggs hatch after a rainstorm or flood, and the state saw a big jump in the numbers of gallinippers last summer after Tropical Storm Debby dumped its load on Florida. Eggs laid last year could produce a bumper crop of the blood-sucking bugs this summer if Florida sees a soggy rainy season.
"I wouldn't be surprised, given the numbers we saw last year," Kaufman said in a statement. "When we hit the rainy cycle, we may see that again."
As insects go, gallinippers are particularly formidable. Their eggs lay dormant for years, awaiting the floodwaters that will enable them to hatch. Even in their larval stage, gallinippers are so tough they'll eat tadpoles and other small aquatic prey. [Ouch! Nature's 10 Biggest Pests]
And as adults, the voracious pests feed day and night (unlike everyday mosquitoes, which generally feed only at dawn and dusk). Their bodies are strong enough to bite through clothing, and they're known to go after pets, wild animals and even fish, MyFoxOrlando.com reports.
"It's about 20 times bigger than the sort of typical, Florida mosquito that you find," Anthony Pelaez of Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry told Fox Orlando. "And it's mean, and it goes after people, and it bites, and it hurts."
Pelaez described the gallinipper's bite as so painful it "feels like you're being stabbed."
The term "gallinipper" isn't recognized by most entomologists, but over the past century, the word — and the insect — entered popular legend through Southern folktales, minstrel shows and blues songs, according to a report from the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida.
The earliest description of the pest comes from 1897 by a writer who called the insect "the shyest, slyest, meanest and most venomous of them all." (Gallinipper bites don't actually contain any venom — they just feel that painful.)
Will insect repellents help to protect people from the dreaded gallinipper? Maybe, Kaufman said, though the pests may be more resistant to bug repellents — even those containing DEET — because of their large size.
If there's a silver lining to a possible invasion of gallinippers, it's the fact that their larvae are so ravenous they eat the larvae of other insects, including mosquitoes, thus reducing the populations of those pests. And they're not known to carry any diseases, though that may be small comfort to beleaguered Floridians.
The Sunshine State, already home to man-eating sinkholes, invading Burmese pythons, swarming sharks, tropical storms and other disasters, can expect to see an explosion of shaggy-haired gallinippers (Psorophora ciliata), a type of giant mosquito, according to entomologist Phil Kaufman of the University of Florida.
Gallinipper eggs hatch after a rainstorm or flood, and the state saw a big jump in the numbers of gallinippers last summer after Tropical Storm Debby dumped its load on Florida. Eggs laid last year could produce a bumper crop of the blood-sucking bugs this summer if Florida sees a soggy rainy season.
"I wouldn't be surprised, given the numbers we saw last year," Kaufman said in a statement. "When we hit the rainy cycle, we may see that again."
As insects go, gallinippers are particularly formidable. Their eggs lay dormant for years, awaiting the floodwaters that will enable them to hatch. Even in their larval stage, gallinippers are so tough they'll eat tadpoles and other small aquatic prey. [Ouch! Nature's 10 Biggest Pests]
And as adults, the voracious pests feed day and night (unlike everyday mosquitoes, which generally feed only at dawn and dusk). Their bodies are strong enough to bite through clothing, and they're known to go after pets, wild animals and even fish, MyFoxOrlando.com reports.
"It's about 20 times bigger than the sort of typical, Florida mosquito that you find," Anthony Pelaez of Tampa's Museum of Science and Industry told Fox Orlando. "And it's mean, and it goes after people, and it bites, and it hurts."
Pelaez described the gallinipper's bite as so painful it "feels like you're being stabbed."
The term "gallinipper" isn't recognized by most entomologists, but over the past century, the word — and the insect — entered popular legend through Southern folktales, minstrel shows and blues songs, according to a report from the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida.
The earliest description of the pest comes from 1897 by a writer who called the insect "the shyest, slyest, meanest and most venomous of them all." (Gallinipper bites don't actually contain any venom — they just feel that painful.)
Will insect repellents help to protect people from the dreaded gallinipper? Maybe, Kaufman said, though the pests may be more resistant to bug repellents — even those containing DEET — because of their large size.
If there's a silver lining to a possible invasion of gallinippers, it's the fact that their larvae are so ravenous they eat the larvae of other insects, including mosquitoes, thus reducing the populations of those pests. And they're not known to carry any diseases, though that may be small comfort to beleaguered Floridians.
Jumat, 15 Maret 2013
The World's Most Expensive Apartments
Guess who owns world's most expensive apartments? Naomi Campbell's boyfriend, naturally! Multimillionaires of London's One Hyde Park revealed for the first time
Many owners at One Hyde Park have been revealed for the first time
Owners include oil billionaires, Kazakh singers and Middle Eastern sheikhs
Property in the block is sold for as much as £6,000 per square foot
Exclusive: One Hyde Park apartments are owned by a roll call of the some of the world's richest people
It is a central London apartment block with a price tag that only the world's richest can afford to pay.
But owners of the lavish apartments at the Candy & Candy development One Hyde Park are notoriously shy about revealing their identities.
Now a six-month investigation has revealed that oil baronesses, Kazakh singers and Arab sheikhs are all members of the small and exclusive club of owners.
Scroll down for video
Exclusive: One Hyde Park apartments are owned by a roll call of the some of the world's richest people
The exclusive residential glass tower in Knightsbridge developed by property tycoons Christian and Nick Candy is believed to be the most expensive apartment block in the world.
Christian Candy owns separate flats worth £31million and £26.2million on the tenth floor.
His brother Nick, who recently married Holly Valance, also owns a penthouse in the block.
In total the Candy brothers and other members of the Project Grande consortium - the company that developed One Hyde Park - reportedly own eight apartments.
Among their neighbours is Project Grande partner and prime minister of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani.
He owns an apartment spread over the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth floors worth £12million.
The list reveals a diverse selection of the world's richest people including billionaires, the investigation by Vanity Fair has shown.
Other apartment owners are Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine's richest man, Kazakh singer Anar Aitzhanova and Sheikh Mohammed Saud Sultan al-Qasimi, a member of the ruling family of the Gulf emirate Sharjah, The Sunday Times reported.
Naomi Campbell's boyfriend Vladislav Doronin is reported to own an apartment there as well, although the supermodel is not believed to share the property.
The properties, which have magnificent panoramic views of Hyde Park and Knightsbridge enjoy some of the city's finest views from picture windows running the length of the property.
The apartment block may have the most eye-watering price tags, but the property has been branded a 'ghost town' in the past.
According to the investigation by tax haven expert Nicholas Shaxton, just 17 of the 76 sold apartments are primary residences.
Many of the owners use offshore companies to hide their identity.
According to The Sunday Times, five properties worth £81million are owned by companies on the Isle of Man.
Because the residents are so wealthy, many have other homes and do not use their exclusive address as their permanent home, it has been reported.
Many of the features of the block – iris recognition in the lifts, panic rooms, bomb-proof windows, all mail being X-rayed – point to a cocoon.
It has a 21-metre swimming pool which is said to be nearly always empty, a cinema, saunas, gym, golf simulator, wine cellar, valet service and room service – via a tunnel from the five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel next door.
But chefs there say they can go a week without an order from the complex.
THE RICHEST OWNERS OF EXCLUSIVE ONE HYDE PARK
Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine's richest man - estimated worth £143.8m
Folorunsho Alakija, Nigerian oil tycoon - estimated worth £81.9m
Sheikh Hamad bin Jasmin bin Jabr Al Thani - estimated worth £40.4m
Irina and Viktor Kharitonin, Russian pharmaceuticals, - estimated worth £33.1m
Professor Wong Wen Young, Taiwanese entrepreneur - estimated worth £29.1m
Many owners at One Hyde Park have been revealed for the first time
Owners include oil billionaires, Kazakh singers and Middle Eastern sheikhs
Property in the block is sold for as much as £6,000 per square foot
It is a central London apartment block with a price tag that only the world's richest can afford to pay.
But owners of the lavish apartments at the Candy & Candy development One Hyde Park are notoriously shy about revealing their identities.
Now a six-month investigation has revealed that oil baronesses, Kazakh singers and Arab sheikhs are all members of the small and exclusive club of owners.
Scroll down for video
Exclusive: One Hyde Park apartments are owned by a roll call of the some of the world's richest people
The exclusive residential glass tower in Knightsbridge developed by property tycoons Christian and Nick Candy is believed to be the most expensive apartment block in the world.
Christian Candy owns separate flats worth £31million and £26.2million on the tenth floor.
His brother Nick, who recently married Holly Valance, also owns a penthouse in the block.
In total the Candy brothers and other members of the Project Grande consortium - the company that developed One Hyde Park - reportedly own eight apartments.
Among their neighbours is Project Grande partner and prime minister of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani.
He owns an apartment spread over the eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth floors worth £12million.
The list reveals a diverse selection of the world's richest people including billionaires, the investigation by Vanity Fair has shown.
Other apartment owners are Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine's richest man, Kazakh singer Anar Aitzhanova and Sheikh Mohammed Saud Sultan al-Qasimi, a member of the ruling family of the Gulf emirate Sharjah, The Sunday Times reported.
Naomi Campbell's boyfriend Vladislav Doronin is reported to own an apartment there as well, although the supermodel is not believed to share the property.
The properties, which have magnificent panoramic views of Hyde Park and Knightsbridge enjoy some of the city's finest views from picture windows running the length of the property.
The apartment block may have the most eye-watering price tags, but the property has been branded a 'ghost town' in the past.
According to the investigation by tax haven expert Nicholas Shaxton, just 17 of the 76 sold apartments are primary residences.
Many of the owners use offshore companies to hide their identity.
According to The Sunday Times, five properties worth £81million are owned by companies on the Isle of Man.
Because the residents are so wealthy, many have other homes and do not use their exclusive address as their permanent home, it has been reported.
Many of the features of the block – iris recognition in the lifts, panic rooms, bomb-proof windows, all mail being X-rayed – point to a cocoon.
It has a 21-metre swimming pool which is said to be nearly always empty, a cinema, saunas, gym, golf simulator, wine cellar, valet service and room service – via a tunnel from the five-star Mandarin Oriental hotel next door.
But chefs there say they can go a week without an order from the complex.
THE RICHEST OWNERS OF EXCLUSIVE ONE HYDE PARK
Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine's richest man - estimated worth £143.8m
Folorunsho Alakija, Nigerian oil tycoon - estimated worth £81.9m
Sheikh Hamad bin Jasmin bin Jabr Al Thani - estimated worth £40.4m
Irina and Viktor Kharitonin, Russian pharmaceuticals, - estimated worth £33.1m
Professor Wong Wen Young, Taiwanese entrepreneur - estimated worth £29.1m
The Most Beautiful Girl in Congress
Media Attention on Pretty Interpreter at National People’s Congress
Beautiful Interpreter at National People’s Congress Press Center Attracts Attention
On March 11th, the Press Center for the First Session of the 12th National People’s Congress held a press conference in the multipurpose room of the Media Center regarding the “content and consideration related to the ‘State Council Reform and Transformation Plan’”. In the conference, this cool and pretty interpreter/translator attracted the attention of reporters. Her expression of concentration without a smile is said to resemble Zhao Wei. Hence the cameras of many media photographers were pointed at her.
On March 11th, the Press Center for the First Session of the 12th National People’s Congress held a press conference in the multipurpose room of the Media Center regarding the “content and consideration related to the ‘State Council Reform and Transformation Plan’”. In the conference, this cool and pretty interpreter/translator attracted the attention of reporters. Her expression of concentration without a smile is said to resemble Zhao Wei. Hence the cameras of many media photographers were pointed at her.
The Most Beautiful Street in the World
Rua Goncalo de Carvalho: Most Beautiful Street in the World
Rua Goncalo de Carvalho is a street located in Porto Alegre, the capital and largest city in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Flanked by trees on either side, the street became internationally known after a campaign for its preservation spread on the Internet leading it to be dubbed "the most beautiful street in the world".
Over a span of 500 meters the sidewalks are lined with more than one hundred Rosewood trees, going up to the seventh floor of the buildings in some cases. According to some elderly residents, the trees were planted in the 1930s by employees of German origin who worked in a brewery in the neighborhood.
In 2005, the construction of a mall nearby brought the risk of changes to this beautiful street, prompting residents to mobilize. The campaign was successful, and on June 5, 2006 the then mayor José Fogaça signed a decree making the street Gonçalo de Carvalho "historical, cultural and environmental development of the city."
Photographs of the street circulated among environmental groups, and the "tunnel of trees" become increasingly popular. In 2008, a Portuguese biologist saw the pictures and wrote in his blog that it was the most beautiful street in the world. The nickname caught and the street has thus been called by several publications ever since.
Over a span of 500 meters the sidewalks are lined with more than one hundred Rosewood trees, going up to the seventh floor of the buildings in some cases. According to some elderly residents, the trees were planted in the 1930s by employees of German origin who worked in a brewery in the neighborhood.
In 2005, the construction of a mall nearby brought the risk of changes to this beautiful street, prompting residents to mobilize. The campaign was successful, and on June 5, 2006 the then mayor José Fogaça signed a decree making the street Gonçalo de Carvalho "historical, cultural and environmental development of the city."
Photographs of the street circulated among environmental groups, and the "tunnel of trees" become increasingly popular. In 2008, a Portuguese biologist saw the pictures and wrote in his blog that it was the most beautiful street in the world. The nickname caught and the street has thus been called by several publications ever since.
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