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Topics - SonnenKinder
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« on: October 23, 2011, 12:28:15 AM »
Bill and Bob, two children, were sitting outside a clinic. Bill happened to be crying very loudly.
"Why are you crying?" Bob asked.
"I came here for a blood test," sobbed Bill.
"So? Are you afraid?"
"No. For the blood test, they cut my finger.
As Bob heard this, he immediately began crying profusely.
Astonished, Bill stopped his tears and asked Bob, "Why are you crying now?"
To which Bob replied, "I came for a urine test!
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« on: October 23, 2011, 12:24:26 AM »
Q. Your riding a horse at full speed, a giraffe is beside you, an elephant in front of you and a lion behind you! What do you do??? A. You get your drunk ass off of the carousel !!!
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« on: October 21, 2011, 11:42:09 PM »
1.Q: What did one math book say to the other? A: Man I got a lot of problems!
2.A dog thinks: Hey, these people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me... They must be Gods! A cat thinks: Hey, these people I live with feed me, love me, provide me with a nice warm, dry house, pet me, and take good care of me... I must be a God!
3.A family went to a hospital, where one of their relatives would be having a brain transplant. One of the relatives asked, "What will the cost of a new brain be?" The doctor replied, "A male brain costs $25,000 and a female brain costs $50,000." The women smirked, but one of the males asked, "Why is that, doctor?" "Well," the doctor replied,” the male brain is less because it has been used."
4.Q: What do you call cheese that's not yours? A: Nacho cheese!
5."Cash, check or charge?" the cashier asked after folding items the woman wished to purchase. As the woman fumbled for her wallet, the cashier noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse. "Do you always carry your TV remote?" the cashier asked. "No," she replied. "But my husband refused to come shopping with me, so I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him."
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« on: March 05, 2011, 01:57:43 AM »
Guaranteed to make u smile.....especially since its a true story On July 20, 1969, as Commander of Apollo 11 Lunar Module, Neil Armstrong was the first person to set foot on the Moon. His first words after stepping on the moon " Thats one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind", were televised to Earth and heard by millions.
But before he just re-entered the Lander, he made an enigmatic remark "GOOD LUCK MR. GORSKY".
Many people at Nasa thought it was a casual remark concerning some rival Soviet Cosmonaut,however upon checking, there was no Gorsky either in Russian or American Space Programs.
Over the years many people questioned Armstrong as to what the "Good Luck Mr. Gorsky" statement meant, but Armstrong always just smiled.
On july 5, 1995 in Tampa Bay, Florida while answering questions, following a speech, a Reporter brought up the 26 years old question to Armstrong.
This time he finally responded, Mr Gorsky had died, so Armstrong felt he could answer the question.
In 1938 when he was a kid in a small midwest town, he was playing baseball with a friend in backyard. His friend hit the ball, which landed in his neighbor's yard by the bedroom windows.
His neighbors were Mrs. and Mr. Gorsky. As he leaned down to pick up the ball, young Armstrong heard Mrs. Gorsky shouting at Mr. Gorsky. "Sex! You want sex? You'll get sex when the kid next door walks on the moon. TRUE STORY
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« on: March 04, 2011, 09:42:30 PM »
1) - This is a picture of an octopus. It has eight testicles.
(Kelly, age 6)
2) - Oysters' balls are called pearls. (Jerry, age 6)
3) - If you are surrounded by ocean, you are an island. If you don't have ocean all round you, you are incontinent. (Age 7)
4) - Sharks are ugly and mean, and have big teeth, just like Emily Richardson. She's not my friend anymore. (Kylie, age 6)
5) - A dolphin breaths through an asshole on the top of its head. (Billy, age 8)
6) - My uncle goes out in his boat with 2 other men and a woman and pots and comes back with crabs. (Millie, age 6)
7) - When ships had sails, they used to use the trade winds to cross the ocean. Sometimes when the wind didn't blow the sailors would whistle to make the wind come. My brother said they would have been better off eating beans. (William, age 7)
8) - Mermaids live in the ocean. I like mermaids. They are beautiful and I like their shiny tails, but how on earth do mermaids get pregnant? Like, really? (Helen, age 6)
9) - I'm not going to write about the ocean. My baby brother is always crying, my Dad keeps yelling at my Mom and my big sister has just got pregnant, so I can't think what to write. (Amy, age 6)
10) - Some fish are dangerous. Jellyfish can sting. Electric eels can give you a shock. They have to live in caves under the sea where I think they have to plug themselves in to chargers. (Christopher, age 7)
11) - When you go swimming in the ocean, it is very cold, and it makes my willy small. (Kevin, age 6)
12) - Divers have to be safe when they go under the water. Divers can't go down alone, so they have to go down on each other. (Becky, age 8)
13) - On vacation my Mom went water skiing. She fell off when she was going very fast. She says she won't do it again because water fired right up her big fat ass. (Julie, age 7)
14) - The ocean is made up of water and fish. Why the fish don't drown I don’t know. (Bobby, age 6)
15) - My dad was a sailor on the ocean. He knows all about the ocean. What he doesn't know is why he quit being a sailor and married my mom. (James, age 7)
If you didn't smile at at least one of these, you need to find a better sense of humor. Ignore if u find some words offensive but i wanted to put down exact words said by Kids.
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« on: March 04, 2011, 03:08:13 AM »
To the citizens of the United States of America from Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately.
(You should look up 'revocation' in the Oxford English Dictionary.)
Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy).
Your new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections.
Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:
1. The letter 'U' will be reinstated in words such as 'colour,' 'favour,' 'labour' and 'neighbour.' Likewise, you will learn to spell 'doughnut' without skipping half the letters, and the suffix '-ize' will be replaced by the suffix '-ise.' Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (look up 'vocabulary').
2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as ''like' and 'you know' is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U.S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter 'u'' and the elimination of '-ize.'
3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.
4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse.
5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler. Although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public. 6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.
7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.
8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.
9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. South African beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.
10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie Macdowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.
11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full kevlar body armour like a bunch of nancies).
12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the South Africans first to take the sting out of their deliveries.
13. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.
14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).
15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.
God Save the Queen! PS: Only share this with friends who have a good sense of humour (NOT humor)!
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« on: March 04, 2011, 02:43:49 AM »
Who Wants to be a Millionaire? A contestant Sally, on 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?' had reached the final plateau. If she answered the next question correctly, she would win $1,000,000. If she answered incorrectly, she would pocket only the $25,000 milestone money. And as she suspected the Million Dollar Question was no pushover. It was, 'Which of the following species of birds does not build its own nest but instead lays its eggs in the nests of other birds? Is it:
A) the condor
B) the buzzard
C) the cuckoo
D) the vulture
The woman was on the spot. She did not know the answer. She had used up her 50/50 Lifeline and her Ask the Audience Lifeline. All that remained was her Phone-a-Friend Lifeline. She hoped she would not have to use it because........ Her friend was, well, a blonde. But she had no alternative. She called her friend and gave her the question and the four choices. The blonde responded unhesitatingly: 'That's easy. The answer is C: the cuckoo.' The contestant had to make a decision and make it fast. She considered employing a reverse strategy and giving any answer except the one that her friend had given her. And considering her friend was a blonde that would seem to be the logical thing to do. But her friend had responded with such confidence, such certitude, that the contestant could not help but be convinced. Crossing her fingers, the contestant said, 'C: The cuckoo.'
'Is that your final answer?'
'Yes, that is my final answer.'
'That answer is Absolutely correct!
You are now a millionaire!' Three days later, the contestant hosted a party for her family and friends, including the blonde who had helped her win the million dollars. 'Jeni, I just do not know how to thank you, ' said the contestant. 'How did you happen to know the right answer?' 'Oh, come on,' said the blonde 'Everybody knows that cuckoos don't build nests. They live in clocks.'
Sally fainted
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« on: March 04, 2011, 02:28:21 AM »
Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions. "How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!"
You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key. You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16!
And then the greatest day of your life . . . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . . YOU BECOME 21. . . YEAS!!!
But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk. He TURNED, we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?
You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40.
Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 . . . and your dreams are gone.
But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!
So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.
You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday! You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime.
And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I was JUST 92." Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!"
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1.
Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her. 2.
Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. 3.
Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. " An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's. 4.
Enjoy the simple things. 5.
Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. 6.
The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive. 7.
Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, friends, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 8.
Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 9.
Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is. 10.
Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
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« on: February 26, 2011, 03:58:29 AM »
People are illogical, self centered and unreasonable. Love them anyway. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway. If you are successful, you will have false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway. The good u do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Honesty and frankness make u vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway. The biggest men and women with biggest ideas can be shot down by smallest men and women with smallest minds. Think big anyway. People favor underdogs but always follow top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway. What u spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway. People really need help but may attack you if u do help them. Help people anyway. Give the world best you have and you get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.
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« on: August 06, 2010, 09:35:27 PM »
Blue Whale in Antartica It has been estimated that during the feeding season in Antarctica, a full grown blue whale eats about 4 million krill per day (krill are small shrimp-like creatures), that’s 3600 kg or 4 tons – every day for 6 months. Having laid down a layer of fat from this feeding activity in Antarctica, they then starve for several months; this daily intake would feed a human for about 4 years.
It is estimated at the height of the feeding season in Antarctica an adult blue whale consumes 3-4% of their own body weight in krill per day.Antarctica Sea-ice When the Antarctic sea-ice begins to expand at the beginning of winter, it advances by around 40,000 square miles (100,000 square kilometres) per day, and it eventually doubles the size of Antarctica, which adds up to an extra 20 million square kilometers of ice around the land mass,that’s one and a half USA’s, two Australia’s or 50 UK’s worth of ice e area that forms, then breaks up and melts each year. According to research ,sea ice around Antarctica has expanded at a rate of around 100,000 sq kms (38,610 sq miles) a decade since the 1970s and it is due to hole in the ozone.Antarctica and Meteorites Antarctica is the best place in the world to find meteorites. Dark meteorites show up against the white expanse of ice and snow and don’t get covered by vegetation. In some places, the way the ice flows concentrates meteorites there. The ice makes them gather in one place,it is believed that the first meteorites were discovered by a Japanese science team sent to Antarctica to study glaciers.
According to scientists, (meteorite found in Antarctica contains Martian fossils and organic chemicals) and it is believed that it contains important traces of life on mars.Ice Cap at Antarctica Ninety per cent of the world’s ice and approximately 80 per cent of its fresh water is locked up in the Antarctic ice sheet; the ice cap at Antarctic contains 29 million cubic kilometers of ice. This constitutes nearly between 60 – 70% of all of the fresh water in the world. If all the ice were to melt, the level of the world’s oceans would rise by nearly 60 m. However, the response of the ice sheet to global warming is the largest unknown in projecting future sea level over the next 100–1000 years.Weight of the Ice at Antarctica If the weight of the ice were removed it is estimated that the underlying rock would rise on average by 1000 m. This process – known as isostatic uplift – would take many tens of thousands of years. Without the ice we would see the single mass of East Antarctica and a smaller archipelago of rugged mountainous islands – West Antarctica.
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« on: July 23, 2010, 08:47:47 PM »
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« on: July 21, 2010, 11:46:23 PM »
1. In the U.S., over one million gallons of cosmetics, drinks, and lotions are sold that contain aloe in them per year. 2. On average, 749 pounds of paper products is used by an American individual annually. 3. On average, a Canadian girl owns seven Barbie dolls, whereas an American girl owns eight. 4. Annually Americans eat 45 million turkeys at Thanksgiving. 5. There are more than 40 million Americans that have “chronic halitosis,” which is bad breath that never goes away. 6. In an year, an average American kid eats 46 slices of pizza. 7. Americans write approximately 50 billion checks a year making it the second most frequent payment method used after cash. 8. One out of four American households own a cat. 9. The world’s tallest battle monument is found in Houston, Texas. 10. One in every 4 Americans has appeared on television. 11. An average American child watches approximately 28 hours of television in one week. 12. Every year, kids in North America spend close to half a billion dollars on chewing gum. 13. The Mall of America, located in Bloomington, Minnesota is so big that it can hold 24,336 school buses. 14. Annually, fires that occur at home kill more Americans than all natural disasters combined. 15. Only 55 percent of all Americans know that the sun is a star. 16. In America, the most common mental illness is Anxiety Disorders. 17. Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that US Supreme Court justices have to be lawyers or have any legal training. In fact, several justices in the court’s history had never attendedlaw school. James Byrnes, on the court from 1941 to 1942, had little formal education and never attended college. 18. The 8 billion U.S. notes printed each year are enough to wrap around the earth’s equator over 30 times. 19. You would have to double-fold a U.S. currency note about 4,000 times before it would tear. 20. The wettest place in the world is Mountain Waialeale in Hawaii.
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« on: July 19, 2010, 09:15:02 PM »
Hitler and Homosexuality Hitler always kept his private life very secret, but some people say that they know very much about his private life i.e. He was Homosexual, he had love affairs with lot of women such as his niece Geli Raubal and, of course, Eva Braun, Adolf Hitler’s homosexuality has been proven beyond question by German historian Lothar Machtan’s massively researched new book, The Hidden Hitler, which shows homosexuality’s central role in Hitler’s personal life.Hitler and Porn Hitler's staff secretly made films for him of torture and execution of political prisoners, which he very much enjoyed viewing. His executive assistants also secured pornographic pictures and movies for him.Hitler’s Handwriting Hitler’s handwriting was impeccable. When famous psychologist Carl Jung saw Hitler’s handwriting in 1937, he remarked: “Behind this handwriting I recognize the typical characteristics of a man with essentially feminine instinct.” After comparing different samples of Hitler’s Handwriting , physiologists found very interesting patterns,they can easily see emotional collapse in his later signatures.Hitler and his Bitch Hitler was very proud of his German Shepherd named Blondi. He spent countless hours training her, and would even interrupt meetings with generals to practice her tricks. The generals realized that if Blondi did well, Hitler was in a better mood, and more likely to take their advice. If she did poorly, he would become sullen and stubborn. One of the officers later said, “I sometimes had the impression that the outcome of the Russian campaign depended more on Blondi than the German general staff.Hitler with great sense of humor Everyone know Hitler as a furious and ruthless general, but not many people know he loved to crack jokes with his close associates whenever he had free time; Rochus Misch, who is now 90 years old and who served as telephonist in the Berlin bunker says ” Hitler, the mass killer, “had a small fund of jokes,“ Several instances of Hitler‘s humor ended up in a dossier called simply “The Hitler Book” which was compiled for Soviet leader Joseph Stalin at the end of WW2,It relates how Joseph Goebbels, the evil propaganda minister, told Hitler a latest scurrilous rumor: that the immensely vain Goering went to bed wearing medals on his pajamas.
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« on: June 21, 2010, 11:33:02 PM »
Russian special forces in Dagestan are searching for the relatives of a 17-year-old female suicide bomber who blew herself up a week ago in the Moscow Metro.
Teenager Djennet Abdurakhmanova was the widow of a Dagestani militant killed by federal security services during a raid there last year.
The second female Moscow Metro suicide bomber has allegedly been identified by her father, a resident of the Republic of Dagestan, after seeing pictures of her posted on the Internet.
Rasul Magomedov identified the woman as his 28-year-old daughter Maryam Sharipova, who committed the first terror attack in the Moscow Metro on March 29, Novaya Gazeta reports.
The explosion in the Moscow Metro may have been carried out by Maryam Sharipova, confirms the senior Prosecutor’s assistant from the Dagestani Prosecutor’s Office, RIA Novosti reports.“Sharipova’s father told the Prosecutor’s Office on Monday that he saw pictures of his daughter on the Internet,” the spokesperson said. “He specified that the last time he saw his daughter was March 26. On March 28 she was in Makhachkala, from where she called her mother and said she was going to visit her friend. After that she disappeared.”[/color Only the forensic investigation will confirm or deny the information, added the source. The information that Maryam Sharipova was married to a militant leader cannot be officially confirmed yet, he added.
Maryam Sharipova, who worked as a teacher in a village school, was very responsible, told the head of the local administration to RIA Novosti, noting that she was a good student at university. “I saw her in the picture, that’s surely her. Everybody recognized her. But I don’t know what she did it for,” he added.
Rasul Magomedov said that his daughter was religious but not radical. “I exclude the possibility that she could have been psychologically treated. She had a psychology diploma herself,” he emphasized.Doomed faithThere are many chilling examples of how women under a strong militant influence are encouraged to sacrifice everything, even their lives, in the name of terrorism. Aisha's case is one of them.
During a typical special operation in Dagestan the police had trapped and surrounded a militant and his wife Aisha in their home. Security forces then told them to lay down their arms and leave the house.
A desperate phone call was then made from inside the house; Aisha called her husband’s sister.
“I am pregnant. I was praying and I thought: should I surrender?” Aisha said.
“Please, don’t!” implored the sister. “What's good about this life? Be strong until the last moment! Ask Allah not to let you stay alive.”
Regions like the North Caucasus, with a predominantly Muslim population, seem more vulnerable to the recruiting methods of extremism.
Militants from abroad go there in search of carriers for their lethal weapons before unleashing them on public targets. And it is this influence that likely made 17-year-old Djennet blow herself up in the Moscow Metro.
Malaysian student Sim Eih-Xing who survived the blast believes he may have seen the girl just moments before the explosion.Djennet Abdurakhmanova RT went to the village where Djennet lived, but people were reluctant to talk on camera. Many were worried that her actions had damaged the village’s reputation. However, away from the camera we learned that a year ago she married a 30-year-old militant leader. Several months later he was killed in a special operation, which, according to the extremist code, left the teenager with two options: marry another militant or become a suicide bomber. She opted for the latter.
Security sources say militants have changed tactics. While before they mainly attacked police in the region, now female suicide bombers are being trained to later be spread across the country. This method, widely employed by extremists in the Middle East, is now becoming a powerful tool for militants in Russia’s South.
“Terrorism in the Caucasus comes from the outside and is funded from the outside,” stated Viktor Nadein-Raevsky from the Institute of World Economy and International Relations. “The terror attacks are characteristic of Al-Qaeda: the first blast attracts crowds of people, then the second blast hits.”
The method of the two recent double attacks in Southern Russia has been almost identical. On March 31 in Dagestan 12 were people killed, and in Ingushetia on Monday, April 5, two police officers were killed and two injured.
International terrorists use many different tactics to recruit female suicide bombers.
“For example, they try to disgrace women, to rape them to deprive them of any hope for a better future – such things do matter in the Caucasus, just like for any other Muslims,” Nadein-Raevsky explains. “Such women are psychologically shattered, broken. They are prepared to become gun fodder.”
That was supposed to happen with another 22-year-old woman who walked into a shop in Dagestan’s capital, with a bag full of explosives, ready to kill herself and innocent people. Luckily, the attack was averted that time.
Female suicide bombings are not yet a widespread phenomenon in Russia, but it is clear that the authorities need to take a firm grip on the problem to avoid a repeat of the tragic events in the Moscow Metro last week.~courtsy Novaya Gazeta
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« on: June 21, 2010, 10:54:15 PM »
Wouldn’t it be great if you could pick any building in the world and sell it with out having to own it?
Well, that’s what Victor Lustig did in 1925. He sold the Eiffel tower, not just once, but twice within two months!!!To understand how he did that, we have to know a bit about Victor Lustig.
Victor discovered his talents to charm and persuade while still a young man. He spoke multiple languages and people liked him. Pretty soon he could talk his way into almost anything. He started with small scams for pocket change and quickly developed a taste for it. He sharpened his skills to the point where he evolved into a smooth talking, confidence man. In order associate himself with wealthy people, he began frequenting the same places as they did. One of which was on the ocean liners between Europe and America. Onboard, he would pose as a free spending, wealthy businessman.Victor Lustig He would quickly make friends among the passengers and seek out the wealthiest and most vulnerable to his scams. When his new friends felt comfortable with him and the talk turned to money, he would grudgingly reveal the secret of his wealth, his “money box”. The money box was a skilfully crafted mahogany box with brass dials and internal rollers which he claimed could duplicate hundred dollar bills. He demonstrated by inserting a real bill along with a paper blank into slots at one end of the box and then, after a six hour “chemical reaction” time, he would pull two real bills out of the other end.Victor Lustig's Money Box This kind of scam requires a lot of psychology and Victor was excellent at sizing up his marks.
He felt it was much better to soak one sucker for a lot then many suckers for a little. By the end of the voyage he could tell which people were vulnerable to his charms and easier to scam. Then he would offer the box for sale and, as they had seen the ships purser accept the bills and vouch for their authenticity, a bidding war would usually ensue. He would inevitably part with the box just before disembarking from the ship for about $10,000 but one time he reaped an enormous profit of $25,000, about $250,000 in today’s money value.
How did the trick work? He had loaded several real bills into the box for demonstration purposes and the six hour time for the chemical reaction was simply to provide enough time for a clean getaway. By the time the victim discovered the truth, Victor was long gone.
Growing bored with this scam or perhaps sensing an end to the easy pickings, he went to Paris to formulate another scam. At the time, Paris was the center of the civilized world, buoyed with a new sense of optimism and opportunity as it emerged from the dark years following world war one.
One morning, while enjoying a cup of coffee at his favourite sidewalk café, Victor read a newspaper article regarding the debate raging around the maintenance costs of the 36 year old Eiffel tower.The tower was constructed in 1889 for the Paris Exposition and was 11 years past its projected lifespan. It was so different from the other historic buildings in Paris that it stuck out on the skyline like, well, a rusty, metal tower. Parisians were polarized about its future. Many Parisians felt it was an eyesore and out of place with the great classical buildings of the city and should be torn down, others saw it as an icon. Another problem was that the tower was beginning to rust and the maintenance bill was a drain on the cities coffers. Paris city council was torn and the citizenry divided. And when opinions divided, Victor saw a chance to conquer.
Thinking as only a conman can, he devised a scheme to make a bit of money and do the impossible, sell the tower.
He forged some business cards and stationary and called himself “Deputy Director of the Ministere de Postes et Telegraphes”. Then he sent out letters to six of the cities largest scrap dealers and invited them to a meeting to discuss confidential business. He picked one of the fanciest hotels and wined and dined them to the standard that Victor himself had become accustomed. Stressing the need to maintain silence and keep the discussion out of a public forum, he disclosed to the dealers that the decision to scrap the tower had been made. Their bids were required so the city could determine the true cost of the savings and make the case for the demolition to the public. One of them would obtain the contract to dismantle and sell the tower if they presented their bid within four days.He was very convincing as he took the contractors on a limousine tour of the site. Then, Victor discussed the details with each one separately. He wanted to make sure they all had the same opportunity and more importantly, which one was most likely to take the bait. One man stood out among the others as a bit of a rube. Andre Poisson was fairly new to the Paris business scene and wanted to earn a reputation. Victor judged him as the most vulnerable to be scammed. When Andre asked questions and seemed suspicions, he took him aside and confessed how the paltry wages he made as a public servant didn’t match his responsibilities and hinted at a bribe. Surprisingly, this put Andre at ease as bribery was common in these types of deals in Paris, and, after all, no con man would ask for a bribe would he? A few not so subtle hints later and Andre was offering a bribe of $20,000 to obtain the contract. The next day, Andre delivered to Victor $20,000 cash plus $50,000 for the Eiffel tower itself. Within an hour Victor was on a train to Vienna with his suitcase full of money.
Victor watched the Paris papers for the story of his fraud to break but to his amazement, after a month, it had not been reported. Apparently, Andre was too embarrassed to mention the episode and reveal it for public scrutiny and ridicule. Never one to rest on his laurels, Victor decided to give it another spin and returned to Paris. He called six different scrap dealers and tried the same scam. Unfortunately, this time one, of the dealers did a bit of investigating and alerted the police.Victor escaped by the skin of his teeth and fled back to America where he contented himself to scamming Americans of all classes and occupations, including a crooked sheriff in Oklahoma which purchased one of his money boxes. Of course, the box quickly ceased to deliver money and the sheriff realized he had been scammed. The sheriff tracked Victor to Chicago and stuck a gun in his face and arrested him. Ever the smooth talker, he blamed the machine’s failure on the sheriff’s inexperience and incorrect settings. To gain his freedom though, he gave back the sheriff’s $10,000 and was released. Unfortunately for the sheriff, the money was counterfeit and the sheriff was arrested on Bourbon Street in New Orleans for passing phoney hundred dollar bills. The sheriff spent several years in jail and never got to extract his vengeance on Victor Lustig, but like most scam artists, Victor was eventually caught and sentenced to jail.
In 1947 he died while incarcerated in Alcatraz prison.
So how do you sell the Eiffel tower? Well, first you have to have unshakable confidence. Then you have to make up a lie so preposterous, crazy and over the top that no one would think it’s a scam, then you have to appeal to their greedy nature and stick to your story while picking their pocket.
It’s just that easy!
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« on: June 09, 2010, 10:15:07 PM »
French photojournalist Guillaume Herbaut spent some time with an unusual and tough group of 150 Ukrainian women who call themselves “Asgarda.” These women live in the Carpathian Mountains and follow a rigorous routine of fighting and boxing, often with medieval weaponry.
The women idolize Yulia Tymoshenko, the icon of the Orange Revolution and leader of the Ukrainian Fatherland party.
The portraits are inspiring, bizarre, and strangely beautiful.
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« on: June 09, 2010, 09:48:24 PM »
the world it is changing it doesnt seem the same all because of warming thats causing global blame everything is different not like it used to be natures now in turmoil and no longer free the winds are getting stronger bringing up a storm the sun it has changed. and getting far too warm nothings quite the same its changing everyday changing very quickly in every single way icebergs getting smaller melting in the sea turning in to water where it used to be this is global warming changing the planet fast we really just dont know how long its going to last.
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« on: June 09, 2010, 09:34:47 PM »
With critics from many parts of the world claiming that the swine flu threat was blown out of proportion, World Health Organisation (WHO) director general Margaret Chan has ruled out commercial interests in declaring the influenza a pandemic.
"At no time, not for one second, did commercial interests enter my decision-making," Chan said in a statement on Tuesday.
The statement comes almost a year after H1N1 was declared a pandemic June 11 last year.
A British journal last week claimed that WHO's stand on the flu was influenced by pharmaceutical companies hoping to make profits.
The article in British Medical Journal (BMJ) claimed three scientists out of 22 who worked on the guidelines for pandemic flu preparations received some money from pharmaceutical companies. The journal said the scientists were paid for things like speaking at meetings sponsored by the companies.
The article also recommended countries to consider buying vaccines to combat a pandemic. India is among the countries which imported large stocks of swine flu vaccines for health workers before launching its indigenous vaccine last week.
"The implication that WHO provoked unjustified fear also needs to be addressed. The record is otherwise, and not a matter of interpretation," the WHO director-general said in the statement addressed to the BMJ editors.
"On June 11, 2009, when I announced the start of the pandemic, I drew attention to the fact that the worldwide number of deaths was small, and clearly stated that we did not expect to see a sudden and dramatic jump in the number of severe or fatal infections," Chan said.
"In every assessment of the pandemic, WHO consistently reminded the public that the overwhelming majority of patients experienced mild symptoms and made a rapid and full recovery, even without medical treatment," Chan said.
She also pointed out that an independent review committee under the International Health Regulations will evaluate WHO's performance in handling the pandemic.
"The committee agreed to address criticism currently being levelled at WHO as part of its evaluation. I have publicly expressed my desire to see a critical, independent and transparent assessment of WHO's performance," she said.
The evaluation process started April 10. "Decisions to raise the level of pandemic alert were based on clearly defined virological and epidemiological criteria. It is hard to bend these criteria, no matter what the motive," said the director general.
Allegations of the swine flu threat being blown out of proportion are being raised against the WHO globally. According to reports, more than 15,000 people died of the deadly virus last year.
In India, 31,934 people have so far been affected by the H1N1 flu. The casualties from the flu reached 1,531 by May 31.
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« on: June 09, 2010, 06:01:15 AM »
When it comes right down to it, how much do we really know about our beloved furry friends? We may know what kinds of treats they prefer, their favorite spot for an afternoon nap, and where they want us to scratch them, but many things about dogs and cats are still a mystery to their human companions. If we took just a bit more time getting to know about the bodies and minds of the pets that share our lives, we’d learn that they’re full of interesting surprises.Cats are lactose intolerant.Like most mammals, cats lose the ability to digest dairy after infancy. Feeding milk to a cat can encourage stomach upset and diarrhea.Dogs with “squashed” faces have more health problems.The structure of the faces of pugs, boxers, and bulldogs makes them more prone to respiratory problems, dental problems, and other health issues.Cats are capable of about one hundred distinct vocalizations;dogs are capable of about ten.All Dalmatians are born white. Their spots develop within the first few weeks of life.Hunting is not an instinctive cat behavior. If a kitten doesn’t learn to hunt from its mother or other cats, it’s unlikely that it ever will.A dog’s sense of smell is up to one hundred thousand times more sensitive than a human’s.. While humans have about five million scent receptors in their noses, a bloodhound has up to three hundred million.Domestic cats sleep an average of sixteen hours per day.In the wild, big cats that expend lots of energy hunting sleep even longer. Only sloths spend more of their lives asleep.Dogs’ only sweat glands are between the pads of their feet.They dissipate the majority of their heat by panting, a method far more effective than allowing moisture to evaporate from the skin.Cats are either lefties or righties.Psychologists at Queen’s University in Belfast discovered that female cats were more likely to favor their right paws, while male cats were more likely to favor their left. As with humans, some cats are ambidextrous, too.Calico cats are almost always female.The gene for coat color is sex-linked, so to express both orange and black coloring, the cat must have two copies of the X chromosome. Rarely, an abnormality produces a male cat with XXY chromosomes and calico coloring; these cats are always sterile.Dogs aren’t really color-blind.They do see colors, just not as well as humans.All kittens are born with blue eyes.They begin to change color about two weeks after their eyes open.Dogs’ wet noses help them smell better.The mucus attracts and “catches” more chemical scent particles in the air.Most blue-eyed white cats are born deafabout 65 to 85 percent, says the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine.The only dog breed that doesn’t bark is the Basenji. However, Basenjis do make other noises, such as growls, whines, and even yodels.Cats don’t meow at other cats.They reserve this sound for getting attention (not to mention food) from humans.Dogs have no clavicles.Their disconnected shoulder blades allow them a greater range of motion for running and jumping.When cats walk, their left front leg moves in tandem with their left back leg, and their right legs do the same. The only other animals that walk this way are giraffes and camels.Domestic dogs can breed with wolves.Domestic dogs can breed with wolves.The proper name for a group of cats is a clowder.A group of kittens is called a kindle.It takes eighteen muscles to move a dog’s ear.This specificity of motion helps the dog pinpoint the origins of sounds much faster than a human can.Both cats’ and dogs’ noses are unique, like human fingerprints. It’s becoming more and more common to take nose prints of dogs in case they’re ever lost or stolen.
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« on: June 08, 2010, 08:13:39 AM »
1. Genetically Modified FoodsAlthough the E.U. is continuously coming under attack for policies banning genetically modified (GM) foods, the community is highly suspicious of them, as well as the agro-industrial pressures that drive their use. The problem with GM foods is that there is simply not sufficient research and understanding to inform good public policy. In spite of widespread GM use without apparent negative impacts in other countries, the recent public reaction to trans-fats are reason enough to support a precautionary principle for the food supply chain.
2. Stevia, the Natural SweetenerThe U.S. recently approved this “natural” sweetener as a food additive. Previously, it was sold in the U.S. under the less stringent dietary supplement laws. It has been embraced in Japan for over three decades, but E.U. bans still stand, pointing to potential disturbances in fertility and other negative health impacts. But the sweetener is credited with potentially positive health effects, too. Is this a case where consumer choice should prevail?
3. Bovine Growth HormoneThis drug, known as rBGH for short, is not allowed in Europe. In contrast, U.S. citizens struggle even for laws that allow hormone-free labeling so that consumers have a choice. This should be an easy black-and-white decision for all regulators and any corporation that’s really concerned about sustainability: give consumers the information. We deserve control over our food choices.
4. Chlorinated ChickensAmid cries that eating American chickens would degrade European citizens to the status of guinea pigs, the E.U. continued a ban on chickens washed in chlorine. The ban effectively prevents all import of chickens from the U.S. into Europe. If chicken chlorination is “totally absurd” and “outrageous” for Europeans, what does that mean for Americans?
5. Food Contact ChemicalsPhthalates and bisphenols in plastic are really beneficial. They help manufacturers create plastic products with the softness and moldability needed to fulfill consumer needs. But when the food contact additives are found in the food and liquids contained by those plastics, trouble starts. Both the U.S. and Europe stringently regulate food contact use of chemicals. However, the standard of approval is different. In Europe, the precautionary principle requires that the suppliers of chemicals prove their additives safe, or they will be banned. Of course, although the E.U. has banned phthalates in toys, both phthalates and bisphenol-A remain approved for food contact uses—subject to strict regulations on their use.
6. Herbicides, Fungicides and InsecticidesThe E.U. has acted against the worst pesticides, typically found as residuals in the food chain. A ban on twenty-two pesticides was passed at the E.U. level, and is pending approval by the Member States. Critics claim the ban will raise prices and may harm malaria control, but advocates of the ban say action must be taken against the pesticides, which are known to cause harm to health but nevertheless consistently found in studies of food consumption.
7. Planned Ban: Food DyesMany food dyes previously recognized as safe are suspected of contributing to attention deficit disorder. Action is afoot as the UK evaluates a ban on synthetic food colors. Regulation in the E.U. often starts through the leadership of one Member State, which pushes the concepts up to Brussels after a proof-of-concept pilot phase. Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Orange B, and Red 3 are among the food colors associated with hyperactivity.
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