Month: December 2013

Highest Grossing Meryl Streep Movies

5. THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA

$152,735,700

Andrea “Andy” Sachs (Anne Hathaway) is a bright young woman from the Midwest who has just graduated from college and wants to work as a magazine writer. Andy has applied for a job at “Runway,” America’s most prestigious fashion journal; though Andy has little to no interest in the garment trade, they are one of the only magazines in New York with a job opening — second assistant to editor Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep). As Andy quickly learns, Miranda is a diva with plenty of power within the magazine business and she isn’t afraid to use it, and though Andy lands the job (primarily by being in the right place at the right time), she soon learns that working for Miranda could test the patience of a saint thanks to her endless demands and refusal to acknowledge the end of a work day.

4. MAMMA MIA!

$160,992,100

Longing to discover the identity of her true father before she exchanges her wedding vows, the daughter of a once-rebellious single mother secretly invites a trio of paternal candidates to her upcoming wedding in this feature adaptation of the beloved stage musical. Independent-minded single mother Donna (Meryl Streep) has always done her best to raise her spirited daughter, Sophie (Amanda Seyfried), while simultaneously running a successful hotel on a small Greek island, but now the time has come for this hardworking mom to finally let go. In just a few days, Sophie will be married, and Donna will stand by bittersweetly as her little girl takes flight

3. THE DEER HUNTER

$167,869,300

The Deer Hunter was both renowned for its tough portrayal of the war’s effect on American working class steel workers and notorious for its ahistorical use of Russian roulette in the Vietnam sequences. Structured in five sections contrasting home and war, the film opens in Clairton, PA, as Mike (Robert De Niro), Nick (Christopher Walken), and Stan (John Cazale, in his last film) celebrate the wedding of their friend Steve (John Savage) and go on a final deer hunt before the men leave for Vietnam. Mike treats hunting as a test of skill, lecturing Stan about the value of “one shot” deer slaying and brushing off Nick’s urgings to appreciate nature’s beauty. As Mike ruminates post-hunt, the film cuts to the horror of Vietnam, where the men are captured by Vietcong soldiers who force Mike and Nick to play Russian roulette for the V.C.’s amusement.

2. OUT OF AFRICA

$188,970,100

Out of Africa is drawn from the life and writings of Danish author Isak Dinesen, who during the time that the film’s events occured was known by her married name, Karen Blixen-Flecke. For convenience’s sake, Karen (Meryl Streep) has married Baron Bor Blixen-Flecke (Klaus Maria Brandauer). In 1914, the Baron moves himself and his wife to a plantation in Nairobi, then leaves Karen to her own devices as he returns to his womanizing and drinking. Soon, Karen has fallen in love with charming white hunter Denys Finch Hatton (Robert Redford), who prefers a no-strings relationship.

1. KRAMER VS. KRAMER

$345,022,300

Joanna Kramer (Meryl Streep) walks out on her workaholic ad man husband Ted (Dustin Hoffman), leaving their young son Billy (Justin Henry) in Ted’s less than capable hands. Through trial and error, Ted learns how to take care of Billy, devoting more energy to his family than to his work, and finally losing his high-powered job because of his new priorities. When Joanna returns with her own lucrative job and the intent to take custody of Billy, Ted finds employment that won’t interfere with his paternal duties. Even though he proves that he can do it all, Joanna still wins in court.

December 28, 2013
Top 10 Tips for Learning a Foreign Language

Learning a second language can be fun as well as challenging. And most people want to learn one for different reasons. Some people do it for self-gratification while others do it to better adapt to their cultural surroundings. Whatever their reason may be, there are specific ways to go about doing it. Below, we are going to show you the top 10 tips for learning a foreign language.

10. Don’t Strive for Perfection

First and foremost, realize that perfection is an illusion. As bad as you want to “perfect” a language, realize that it is going to take time. You may learn a phrase or two one day and then forget it the next. That’s okay. You should expect mistakes as this is part of the language learning process. Look towards mistakes as a form of feedback: you are only getting better with every mistake that you make.

9. Develop an “Ear” for that Language

With whatever language you’re learning, try to develop an “ear” for it. Basically, this means that you are really listening to what your training program or teacher is saying. Realize that most of our language learning as children had to do with “listening” to what others said and then repeating it. We had very little involvement in reading or writing until we got older. Take this mindset and apply it towards whatever language you’re trying to learn. On the same note, watch television or movies in what language as well.

8. Practice Speaking

While this may sound obvious, the truth is that speaking your new language will reinforce what you already know. Some people study for years, learn all of the grammar, but are very poor when it comes to pronouncing words. Just remember, when you are speaking, try to use a normal conversational tone. You can even do this without other people. Simply stand in front of the mirror and pretend as though you’re speaking to someone else. This can make all the difference in the world in terms of your progress in this department.

7. Be Consistent

Like with any new skill that you are trying to acquire, consistence is key when learning a new language. Do realize that there will be moments when you feel as though you aren’t learning anything. This is the time when you want to stay committed. Language learning is something that takes time. On the same note, keep your training sessions relatively consistent as well. For example, if you have been training for at least 20 minutes every day then you should continue this process. If something is working then there is no sense in changing it.

6. Talk to Yourself

As odd as it may sound, try talking to yourself on occasion. For example, start by saying “Hello” (in your new language) and answer back with “Hi, how are you”. You can continue the conversation for as long as you want. Just make sure that you are pushing yourself and trying to use as many words as you can. The reason this works is because since there is nobody around you, there won’t be any inhibitions that will cause you to forget or act differently.

5. Use Flashcards

Flashcards are probably one of the best methods that you can use to learn any new language. You should begin by carrying a pack with you and writing down every word or phrase that you’re having trouble with. And the reason we say carry them with you is because then you can practice in areas where your time would otherwise be “wasted”. For example, if you are riding the bus or waiting for class to start, you can pull out your flashcards and take that time to be productive and learn your new language.

4. Label Your Surroundings

For whatever item you have in your house, label it with its respective name but in the foreign language. For example, if you have a wall then you would label in “La Pared”, assuming that Spanish was the language you were learning. Make sure that you place these labels in bathrooms, kitchen, and even the wash room. You would be surprised by how quickly you pick up random vocabulary by utilizing this method.

3. Patience is Key

Progress with language learning will not be a steady or straight line. Quite the contrary actually- it will have many turns, twists, and curves. Some days it may feel as though you are making huge progress while on other days, it may feel like you’re moving backwards. Realize that things won’t happen as you predict but don’t let this discourage you. If you find yourself “stuck” then try taking a break for a few days before jumping back on board. Above anything, have patience and know that you aren’t getting worse at your new language.

2. Find a Partner

One of the best ways to learn a new language is to practice it with people who are already fluent in it. For example, if you’re trying to learn French then you should be spending time speaking and interacting with people who know French. It will help you absorb more information as well as concrete in what you already know. And finding a partner doesn’t have to be difficult. Begin by checking your social circle and moving outward until you find a partner who can help you.

1. Take Formal Classes

When all else fails, take some formal classes. While they may cost a little bit of money, they can really take your language learning to a whole new level. Language learning classes provide a structured environment that you can utilize to learn any language that you want. There are usually curriculums involved that will help you stay on course and you’ll always have a teacher there to guide you. Not to mention, there will probably be other students there as well. This means that you can take tip number two and ask them to be your practice partner outside of the classroom.

December 26, 2013
Top 10 Most Awesome Lego Models

5. Pharaoh

Another London-themed model, as this giant Egyptian King floated down the Thames in 2009 to promote Legoland Windsor’s new “Kingdom of the Pharaohs” exhibit. He weighed a ton and, at the time, was the largest Lego model ever built, at an impressive 16 feet tall.

The giant boy-king apparently brought river traffic “to a standstill” as he completed the last section of a 1395-mile journey from the Czech Republic to Windsor and made even seasoned Londoners stare as he made his stately way down the river (and Londoners are used to seeing all kinds of strange things). It’s clearly amazing workmanship to survive a tidal river journey like that, and the Pharaoh himself also seems to have enviable muscle definition on those abs. Sadly eclipsed in size fairly quickly, but a worthy holder of the largest model title for a while there.

4. Droid Control Ship

As demonstrated with NASA, it’s a beautiful thing when two geeky worlds collide, and that’s the case with Lego and Star Wars. There’s a huge crossover between the two fanbases, and Lego brought out a number of expensive model kits around the time of “The Phantom Menace” release, so that fans could spend up to $150 on a model of the Millenium Falcon (although thanks to the crazy automated pricing on Amazon.com, it’s currently retailing at an eye-watering $5899.99) But even this level of complexity is not enough for some enthusiasts, who have created their own Lego Star Wars models, such as this amazingly intricate Droid Control Ship. It was the work of one man – Paul Yperman – who was working from a book of Star Wars cross-sections and used 30,000 Lego pieces over a period of two years. That’s quite some dedication!

3. Hogwarts Castle

Another geeky crossover, another Lego masterpiece. This time, the inspiration is Harry Potter, and specifically the magical castle where the majority of the books are set. This model is remarkable in many ways, but I’m most amazed by the smooth curves on those towers. It’s hard to make Lego look elegant, and indeed anything but blocky, but this model seems to manage it. It was the work of Alice Finch, who won “Best in Show” at BlockCon with it in 2012. It uses 400,000 bricks and inside are scenes from the books and movies, such as Dumbledore giving a welcome address and the Harry and Ron in the Chamber of Secrets, all done with minifigs. A wealth of detail and a beautiful looking exterior shows why this model was an award winner.

2. The Czech Tower

All records are made to be broken, and the record for highest Lego tower is one that’s changed hands a few times over the years. Last year, the British thought they had reclaimed it with a 32m high tower at Legoland Windsor (Windsor previously held the record in 2008). And they had indeed broken the record, snatching it from Seoul whose tower had been built just a few months previously and a few centimetres shorter. But then in September 2012, another tower was built in Prague, with Olympic medallist Miroslava Knapkova putting the final brick into place. At 32.5m, it just pipped the British effort and, to date, no-one seems to have topped it. But the record changes more quickly than the internet updates, so by the time you read this there could be a new top dog.

1. X-Wing Starfighter

And here’s another record that has been smashed – the one previously held by the Pharaoh, as largest model ever constructed. As another example of the harmonious relationship between Lego and Star Wars, this X-Wing was built on a 1:1 scale and could fit Luke Skywalker happily inside. It’s made up of 5,335,200 bricks and took a team of 32 people 4 months to complete. It appeared in new York’s Times Square in May 2013 and was instantly popular, with excited fans of both Lego and Star Wars flocking to see it. It was built to launch the kids’ TV series “The Yoda Chronicles” but something tells me the model will be remembered long after the show has faded into obscurity (because really, do we need another Star Wars spin-off?) An awesome model indeed, and a deserving winner of our best Lego model award.

December 23, 2013
10 Examples of Artwork Done Using Fingers

If you have landed on this page looking for finger paint art we recommend you to check out the uber awesome finger paint artist Guido Daniele. This isn’t a paint art compilation (though we have featured a few). Here we feature the 10 amazing examples of artwork done using fingers. We haven’t limited the post to certain kind of artwork. It includes structures and objects made of fingers, paint art and some more cool stuff.

1. Aku Face

Image Source: Unknown

2. Finger Food

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3. Face

Image Source: Unknown

4. Finger Love

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5. AT&T Commercial Series

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6. Soccer Players

Image Source: Unknown

7.Race

Image Source: Unknown

8. Finger Smash

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9. Finger Framed Heaven

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December 21, 2013
10 Unexplained Sounds

We have mysteries around us and they leave us head scratching everytime, just taking the sound’s category, we have these ten.

10. Slow Down

” Slow Down” is a sound recorded on May 19, 1997, in the Equatorial Pacific ocean by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The source of the sound remains unknown. The name was given because the sound slowly decreases in frequency over about 7 minutes. The sound was detected at 15°S 115°W / 15°S 115°W / -15; -115. It was recorded using an autonomous hydrophone array. The sound has been picked up several times each year since 1997. One of the hypotheses on the origin of the sound is moving ice in Antarctica. Sound spectrograms of friction closely resemble the spectrogram of the Slow Down. This suggests the source of the sound could be a friction phenomenon of ice rubbing over land. More of similar to this were recorded but later in different areas and different frequencies namely; Julia, Upsweep, and Train.

9. Electronic voice phenomenon

Download and listen to the Phantom Words

Caution: the recording is violent and may be too intense for some listeners.

“Electronic Voice Phenomenon” or the Phantom Words are electronically generated noises that resemble speech, but may or may not be the result of intentional voice recordings or renderings. Some have claimed these sounds are of paranormal origin, while others give explanations such as apophenia (finding significance in insignificant phenomena), auditory pareidolia (interpreting random sounds as voices in their own language) but no explanation is generally accepted. Now thousands of people across world spend their free time in wandering around haunted locations and installing recorders and video cameras in hopes of spooks and apparition. The evidence could be found at City of Dundee in Scotland, a city packed full of dead people, really a huge part of this city is formed over a massive ancient graveyard. It’s here wondering among the deceased, many EVP investigators have recorded strange findings.

8. Quacker

” Quackers” are mysterious sounds, similar to a frog noise, widely reported by the crews of Soviet Navy submarines from various parts of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans during the peak of the Cold War, as well as their assumed sources. They are an example of Unidentified Submerged Objects. During the Cold War, when Soviet ballistic missile submarines went to patrol northern seas, their crews started reporting the mysterious frog-like sounds, which soon were dubbed “quackers”, from the Russian rendition of a frog noise. These sounds appeared when submarines passed certain zones in the sea, and behaved as if they were emitted by some moving underwater object, which, however, failed to register on the active sonar. When the sub left their “patrol zone”, the objects disappeared after emitting one final “quack”. These objects exhibited behavior not unlike some living being or manned vessel, showing obvious interest in the passing submarine, circling around it, trying to actively avoid sonar pulses, and so on.The speed of some of these objects (estimated from Doppler shift of their sound frequency) was in the range of 200 km/h, much higher than any then-known man-made vessel. Contact was attempted on several occasions, but, apart from some obvious reactions to these attempts such as changing the pitch of the sounds or movement of the apparent sound source), nothing came of it.

7. Sounds from Planets in Vaccum

For obvious reasons we know sound needs a medium to be transmitted then how come these sounds are possible from space where there is just vacuum, this remains unexplained. May be the scientists should reconsider the definition of sound and explain that sounds exist as electromagnetic too or may be they should redefine “space” which literally means empty? huh? And if they explain that they’re still eerie and otherworldly.

6. The Brown Note

The “Brown Note” is a theoretical infrasound frequency that would cause humans to lose control of their bowels due to resonance. During many shows on Science Channel, they broadcast the note over the air (and into the living rooms of viewers) in an attempt to cause bowel movements among those who had chosen to stay in the room despite repeated warnings and opportunities to leave. It should be noted, however, that sound at this frequency at a significant volume cannot be generated by television speakers, so you might feel only slight movements in your tummy but don’t poo. However sub-woofers might help which were used on the test subject. The explanation for this note which causes subject’s bowls to loose is not known.

December 21, 2013

10 Best Intelligence Agencies in the World

5. MSS – China

chinese-MSS

Jurisdiction	People’s Republic of China
Headquarters	Beijing
Agency executive	Geng Huichang, Minister of State Security
Parent agency	State Council

Ministry of State Security is the security agency of the People’s Republic of China. It is also probably the Chinese government’s largest and most active foreign intelligence agency, though it is also involved in domestic security matters. Article 4 of the Criminal Procedure Law gives the MSS the same authority to arrest or detain people as regular police for crimes involving state security with identical supervision by the procuratorates and the courts. It is headquartered near the Ministry of Public Security of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing. According to Liu Fuzhi, Secretary-General of the Commission for Politics and Law under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Minister of Public Security, the mission of the MSS is to ensure “the security of the state through effective measures against enemy agents, spies, and counter-revolutionary activities designed to sabotage or overthrow China’s socialist system.” One of the primary missions of the MSS is undoubtedly to gather foreign intelligence from targets in various countries overseas. Many MSS agents are said to have operated in the Greater China region (Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan) and to have integrated themselves into the world’s numerous overseas Chinese communities. At one point, nearly 120 agents who had been operating under non-official cover in the U.S., Canada, Western and Northern Europe, and Japan as businessmen, bankers, scholars, and journalists were recalled to China, a fact that demonstrates the broad geographical scope of MSS agent coverage.

4. Mossad – Israel

Formed	December 13, 1949 as the Central Institute for Coordination
Employees	1,200 (est)
Agency executive	Meir Dagan, Director
Parent agency	Office of the Prime Minister

The Mossad is responsible for intelligence collection and covert operations including paramilitary activities. It is one of the main entities in the Israeli Intelligence Community, along with Aman (military intelligence) and Shin Bet (internal security), but its director reports directly to the Prime Minister. The list of its successes is long. Israel’s intelligence agency is most famous for having taken out a number of PLO operatives in retaliation for the attack that killed eleven Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic games in Munich. However, this agency has other success to its name, including the acquisition of a MiG-21 prior to the Six-Day war of 1967 and the theft of the plans for the Mirage 5 after the deal with France went sour. Mossad also assisted the United States in supporting Solidarity in Poland during the 1980s.

3. ISI – Pakistan

Pakistan ISI

Formed	1948
Jurisdiction	Government of Pakistan
Headquarters	Islamabad, Pakistan
Agency executive	Lieutenant General Ahmad Shuja Pasha, PA Director General

With the lengthiest track record of success, the best know Intelligence so far on the scale of records is ISI. The Inter-Services Intelligence was created as an independent unit in 1948 in order to strengthen the performance of Pakistan’s Military Intelligence during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. Its success in achieving its goal without leading to a full scale invasion of Pakistan by the Soviets is a feat unmatched by any other through out the intelligence world. KGB, The best of its time, failed to counter ISI and protect Soviet interests in Central Asia. It has had 0 double agents or Defectors through out its history, considering that in light of the whole war campaign it carried out from money earned by selling drugs bought from the very people it was bleeding, The Soviets. It has protected its Nuclear Weapons since formed and it has foiled Indian attempts to attain ultimate supremacy in the South-Asian theatres through internal destabilization of India. It is above All laws in its host country Pakistan ‘A State, with in a State’. Its policies are made ‘outside’ of all other institutions with the exception of The Army. Its personnel have never been caught on camera. Its is believed to have the highest number of agents worldwide, close to 10,000. The most striking thing is that its one of the least funded Intelligence agency out of the top 10.

2. M1-6 – United Kingdom

Formed	1909 as the Secret Service Bureau
Jurisdiction	Government of the United Kingdom
Headquarters	Vauxhall Cross, London
Minister responsible	The Rt Hon. William Hague MP, Foreign Secretary
Agency executive	Sir John Sawers KCMG, Director General
Parent agency	Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The British have had a long public perception of an effective intelligence agency (due to the success of the unrealistic, yet entertaining, James Bond movies). This perception matches reality. MI6, the British equivalent to the CIA, has had two big advantages in staying effective: The British Official Secrets Act and D notices can often prevent leaks (which have been the bane of the CIA’s existence). Some stories have emerged. In the Cold War, MI6 recruited Oleg Penkovsky, who played a key part in the favorable resolution of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and Oleg Gordievski, who operated for a decade before MI6 extracted him via Finland. The British were even aware of Norwood’s activities, but made the decision not to tip their hand. MI6 also is rumored to have sabotaged the Tu-144 supersonic airliner program by altering documents and making sure they fell into the hands of the KGB.

1. CIA – America

american-cia

Formed	September 18, 1947
Employees	20,000
Agency executive	Leon Panetta, Director
Parent agency	Central Intelligence Group

CIA is the largest of the intelligence agencies and is responsible for gathering data from other countries that could impact U.S. policy. It is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government responsible for providing national security intelligence to senior United States policymakers. The CIA also engages in covert activities at the request of the President of the United States of America. The CIA’s primary function is to collect information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and to advise public policymakers. The agency conducts covert operations and paramilitary actions, and exerts foreign political influence through its Special Activities Division. It has failed to control terrorism activities including 9/11, Not even a single top level Al-Queda leader captured own its own in the past 9 years – ‘they missed 1 Million’ Soviet troops marching into Afghanistan’. Iraq’s Weapons of Mass Destruction, Have the found them yet? -Number of defectors/ double agents numbers close to a thousand. On 50th anniversary of CIA, President Clinton said ”By necessity, the American people will never know the full story of your courage. Indeed, no one knows that what CIA really does”. Highly funded and technologically most advanced Intelligence set-up in the world.

December 20, 2013

10 Highest Grossing Will Smith Movies – Page 2 of 2

5. HANCOCK

$251,439,400

A hard-drinking lush finds himself thrust into superhero mode in director Peter Berg’s unconventional look at the private life of a crime-fighter. Will Smith stars as the embittered do-gooder whose lifestyle is more akin to a rock star than a role model, and who has grown as disillusioned with his once-admiring public as they have of him.

4. MEN IN BLACK II

$259,572,600

Agent Jay (Will Smith) has become a high-ranking member of the Men in Black, the secret government task force designed to deal with unruly visitors from other worlds, while his former cohort, Agent Kay (Tommy Lee Jones), had his memory wiped clean and now lives a simple but contented life as a mailman. However, an especially nasty alien threat has reared its not-so-ugly head; Serleena (Lara Flynn Boyle) is a shape-shifting Kylothian alien who is in pursuit of another escaped visitor who holds the key to powers that would allow her to destroy the world.

3. I AM LEGEND

$290,854,000

A brilliant scientist who raced to discover a cure for the man-made virus as humanity came crumbling down all around him, Robert Neville (Will Smith) was inexplicably immune to the highly contagious superbug. Now the entire population of New York City — and perhaps the world — has been transformed into carnivorous bloodsuckers that fear the light and live solely to spread their contagion to any remaining living creature that crosses their path. It’s been three years since civilization came to an end, and the loneliness has taken a devastating toll on Neville.

2. MEN IN BLACK

$432,564,100

Will Smith stars as James Darrel Edwards, a New York City cop with an athletic physique and a flippant, anti-authoritarian attitude toward law enforcement. After chasing down a mysterious perpetrator one night who turns out to be an alien, James is recruited by “K” (Tommy Lee Jones), a veteran of a clandestine government agency secretly policing the comings and goings of aliens on planet Earth. Nicknamed the “men in black” for their nondescript uniform of black suit, shoes, tie, and sunglasses, the agents are assigned to recover a bauble that’s been stolen by an intergalactic terrorist (Vincent D’Onofrio). It seems the item is none other than the galaxy itself, and its theft has plunged humanity into the center of what’s shaping up to become an interstellar war, unless K and his new wisecracking partner, now renamed “J,” can stop the bad guy.

1. INDEPENDENCE DAY

$548,609,500

The story begins with the approach of a series of massive spaceships, which many on Earth greet with open arms, looking forward to the first contact with alien life. Unfortunately, these extraterrestrials have not come in peace, and they unleash powerful weapons that destroy most of the world’s major cities. Thrown into chaos, the survivors struggle to band together and put up a last-ditch resistance in order to save the human race.

December 17, 2013
Top 10 Historical Places to Visit

I like to travel and I am sure you guys do too. Travel is a means to educate you with different cultures and societies. Travelling serves as a very important learning tool. This particular list talks about ten of the most amazing historical places for you to visit. Being at these places will definitely take you back in time and you will get to learn a lot. If you ever get a chance to travel to one of the cities, please take time out to visit the historical attractions that particular city has to offer. It will be worth your time, I can vouch for that. I have recently had the pleasure to travel to Europe and it was fantastic. Enjoy the read.

10. EUROPEAN CASTLES

We recently posted an article about castles and here we are again. If you happen to visit Europe or live there, please visit countries with famous castles. The castles in Europe are truly a marvel with a beautiful architecture. They were not only built to serve as fortresses, many of the castles were purpose built for feudal lords to live in and they make such lovely homes. Some of the best castles to visit would be Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, Palace of Versailles in France, Prague Castle in Czech Republic and Leeds Castle in England. Hope you have fun.

9. STONEHENGE

There is uncertainty about the usage of these ancient runes. They remain quite a mystery to date and I am sure you are familiar with that. No one has been able to figure out their purpose to the dot. The most famous theory is that it was built as an astronomical observatory and others state that it had some religious purpose. But too bad, I guess we will never know. Nevertheless, the construction began around 3000BC. How do you think it was constructed? Do you have any idea what it was used for?

8. ANGKOR WAT

It is the most famous temple in Cambodia and also one of the most beautiful ones. It was built in the twelfth century under King Suryavarman II. It was to serve as the state temple. This structure is the best possible example of the Khmer architecture. The uniqueness of this particular temple lies in the fact that it is the only temple of its sort that is oriented towards the west.

7. THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA

This happens to be one of the Wonders of the world and I am sure it does not need any introduction. It is such a remarkable piece by the engineers. The wall that stands today is a product of 21 centuries of building and building. It began in the 5^th century BC and was built to protect the Empire of China from Xiongnu attacks. There are sections of the wall that are in real bad shape and they age back to the times of the Ming Dynasty. Overall, however, the wall has been well preserved and is a popular tourism spot; something definitely worth seeing if you are in the country.

6. MACHU PICCHU

Many of you might know this place as ‘The Lost City of the Incas’. This is the most amazing piece of legacy left by the Incas Empire and was built around 1462 AD. It was abandoned around 1562 and therefore was saved a lot of destruction at the hands of Spaniards. Hiram Bingham rediscovered this place in the year 1911. There are three structures primarily and they are thus named; Temple of the Sun, Room of the Three Windows and the Intihuatana Stone. This is a must-visit on my list, what about yours?

5. THE PARTHENON

The Parthenon does not represent the Ancient Greece only, it is also a symbol of democracy. It was built by Pericles in the 5^th Century BC as a temple to the Goddess Athena. It was used as the treasury for the Delian League as well. There were many sculptures in the building referred to as marbles that were removed. They are now resting in the British Museum, the Louvre and many other big museums around the world. The Greek government has tried to restore them to their actual place but that has proven unsuccessful.

4. THE TAJ MAHAL

This place should not be a mystery to anyone. It is most definitely one of the most amazing structures from the ancient times and the story behind it is just as beautiful. It was built between 1632 and 1653. The man behind the structure is Emperor Shah Jahan who built it as a monument to his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The construction employed around twenty thousand workers. The structure uses many marbles and precious stones and the beauty of it at a full moon night is a sight to behold. The Taj Mahal is in Agra, India.

3. PETRA

The residents of this particular locality are generally very rich because in the ancient times many trade routes converged to this very spot. It was built around 100 BC. If you happen to visit this place, here are some attractions for you to consider; Theatre and the Monastery. The most famous one of them all is Al Khazneh, which is usually referred to as the treasury. The use of the treasury was a mystery until it was discovered that the place is actually a tomb. It possibly belongs to the royal family but we cannot be certain as yet.

2. ROME

Rome is known as the Eternal City and it is home to some of the most beautiful architecture. Buildings from Ancient Roman, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque times can be seen at every corner. If you do happen to go to Rome, please make sure you visit the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, the Circus Maximus, the Pantheon and the Arch of Constantine because without that the trip will be a waste. Only recently I went to see these places and believe me, it is a sight to behold. The mere architecture literally blows you away. It’s just said that the modern architecture is nothing like that.

1. EGYPT

This is a country that is rich in culture and one of the most ancient tourist spots around the world. The place has served as a host to many visitors from ancient Greece and Rome especially. I am sure you know what places I have in mind right now; the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx. If you happen to go to Egypt, be sure to visit the Valley of the Kings, Abu Simbel, the Egyptian Museum, Saqqara and Karnak. Those places will to take you to the ancient times and it is a feeling to experience at least once. It is hot as hell though; just a heads up.

December 16, 2013
10 Ways to Control your Dreams

Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not yet understood, though they have been a topic of speculation and interest throughout recorded history. The scientific study of dreams is known as oneirology. Throughout history, people have sought meaning in dreams or divination through dreams. Dreams have also been described physiologically as a response to neural processes during sleep; psychologically as reflections of the subconscious; and spiritually as messages from gods, the deceased, predictions of the future, or from the Soul. Many cultures practice dream incubation with the intention of cultivating dreams that are prophetic or contain messages from the divine. Recent studies indicate that dreams could be controlled by a learning response. Just imagine that for an instant. It looks feels and sounds exactly the same as ‘normal’ reality, except that you know that it isn’t. You know that you are perfectly safe; you cannot die or get injured, that is Lucid Dreaming. There are no normal rules and regulations about what you get up to! It is truly your own ‘Individual Virtual Reality’, with a depth of realism far beyond the most sophisticated computer imitation. Let’s see how.

10. Motivation & Set the Intention

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Lucid Dreaming is the ability to have vivid self-awareness while dreaming. On entering this scientifically proven state of heightened consciousness, you can experience and control your dreams with surprising richness and intensity. Imagine waking up in your dreams with the ability to do anything, meet anyone, go anywhere… and all in vivid detail with your five senses fully alive. It is an exhilarating experience where all your dreams vividly come true. Everybody has the capacity to learn how to have lucid dreams – it just takes motivation and practice. The more skilled you become at meditation and entering altered states of awareness on demand, the easier it is to go lucid at will. And once you make the decision to become conscious in your dreams, it has the potential to completely change your relationship with your inner self forever.

9. Your Sleep Posture and Relaxation

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Close your eyes and lie on your back. Take three deep breaths in and out. Feel your body sinking into the bed, and let go of all the tension in your muscles. Enjoy the feeling of relaxation, and focus on your intention to control your dreams. Allow any thoughts to pass you by, without interacting with them. Keep your body totally relaxed and still. Repeat over in your mind: “One. The next scene will be a dream. Two. The next scene will be a dream. Three…” etc. This will set your intention and keep your mind alert while your body slowly drifts back to sleep.

You can have more success with certain sleep postures over others. Best would be the common fetal position (on side, with knees and elbows tucked in) as well as flat on back. It can be strange to be walking around in a lucid dream one moment, then lying curled up in bed the next. Sometimes you even wake yourself up because you’ve moved your arm in the lucid dream and accidentally triggered real life arm to move and hit the bed. This can be disorienting and cause a sudden shift in awareness from one body to the next, but if you stay still and close eyes again, you can often return to the same lucid dream from the exact same place you left off.

8. Spontaneous Lucidity

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Until you have your first lucid dream, the whole concept may seem too elusive, causing people to give up before they’ve begun. So I thought it would be helpful to define exactly how to enter the lucid dream state. This is the most common kind of lucid dream in beginners. In fact, your first lucid dream was probably caused by spontaneously lucidity. This occurs when you suddenly realize “I’m dreaming!” for no apparent reason. Or perhaps your dream became so strange that your conscious self awareness kicked in. Spontaneous lucidity relies mostly on luck. However, by increasing your self awareness during the day time you can train yourself to recognize the dream state better, and thereby learn how to become lucid in dreams with ease. Through regular meditation and lucid dreaming, you can become a lot more self aware. This helps to recognize the dream state even when it is mimicking real life, because you can pick up on more subtler clues.

7. Dream Characters

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The prevailing wisdom says that dream characters are part of your unconscious psyche (as opposed to conscious beings interacting with your dream). So this method relies on your subconscious mind helping you out. Here’s how it works. I set the intention to lucid dream by meditating before I go to sleep and firmly telling my subconscious “I will lucid dream tonight.” I wake up around 5am (naturally, or with an alarm clock) and repeat my intention. For the next 2-3 hours I’ll have long periods of REM sleep with vivid dreams. This is when I’m most likely to lucid dream, and if I’m lucky, a dream character will tell me so. For instance, once a psychology professor came up to me in a dream and said “let’s try some lucid dreaming now.” It worked! The professor triggered my conscious self awareness into action and my dream became lucid.

6. Dream Themes

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This is similar to the concept described above. Simply do some lucid dream incubation before you go to sleep (meaning, tell your subconscious that you want to recognize the next time you are dreaming). Then go to sleep thinking about what you might do inside your next lucid dream. When a dream event triggers you, it’s usually because you are dreaming about lucid dreaming! You may not have this kind of self awareness in dreams yet, but as you improve your dream recall and have more conscious dream experiences, you’ll find this is a neat way to become lucid in dreams.

December 15, 2013