Photos from Mumbai

The recent terrorist attacks on Mumbai, India filled Thanksgiving dinner conversations around the world. However, with the FCC regulating the mainstream media, many are unaware of the reality of these unfortunate events. Sometimes a photo can say so much more than Anderson Cooper can. Here’s a collection of photos documenting the ordeal as the story unfolded (Warning: Contains graphic content)… [Read more]

How to say “I love you” in over 100 different languages

As the international community moves towards a unified vision of one world, we should each take the next step in expanding our knowledge of foreign languages. Let’s begin with the basics.

Here’s a list of ways to say “I love you” in over 100 languages: [Read more]

What’s This Tell You About The Way The World Sees Our Bush?

You give America a bad name, Jorge. Good riddance. Try not to fall on ‘the button’ on your way out. Thanks for never once representing anything I believe in while in office. Nice work, douche. (Sorry, venting after 8 years of biting my tongue)

Whale Wars: Eco-terrorism meets reality TV?

Greenpeace co-founder Paul Watson established the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in an effort to end the destruction of habitat and slaughter of wildlife in the world’s oceans. Each winter the Sea Shepherd team and a group of volunteers head out to sea to protect these animals. Through innovative direct-action tactics, Watson and his fellow conservationists expose and confront illegal activities on the high seas. Their most recent campaign focused on protecting the illegally hunted whales of the Antarctic. However, this time Discovery Channel was on board to capture it all in an action-packed seven part series called Whale Wars.

From stink bombs to flash grenades and hostages to capsized boats, Whale Wars captures the battles and the controversy surrounding not only the whaling industry but the Sea Shepherd’s “no holds barred” strategy. International whaling laws are interpreted by various countries and organizations in different ways. Over 20 years ago, Japan withdrew its opposition to the International Whaling Commission’s (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling. Just one year later, the Japanese announced a large-scale scientific whaling program designed to “assess” whale stocks.

Many conservationists like Watson don’t buy it and question the scientific validity of Japan’s research program. Is it nothing more than a front for whaling? Activist groups like Watson’s Sea Shepherd Conservation Society claim that Japan’s whaling practices violate international law. On the other hand, Japan claims the direct-action tactics of Sea Shepherd are illegal, in essence a form of eco-terrorism.

So who’s more in the wrong and less in the right? The Japanese or the “radical” Sea Shepherds? You be the judge. Tune-in to Animal Planet Friday nights at 9PM ET or head over to iTunes and watch the first episode for free. Warning: this show is addicting!

Climate change… A headache of global proportions

PBS/Frontline documentary HEAT is for all you haters who don’t believe in climate change. Experts say that we’ve experienced climate change before, but not with 6.5 billion people living on Earth. By 2035 the Himalayan glaciers will have lost 80 percent of their ice, drying up rivers which millions depend on. What can we do to prevent this? Reduce carbon emissions by 60 to 80 percent before mid-century. The task is quite daunting considering the process of creating cement is the 3rd largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions! With our government courting oil tycoons, the rapid growth of developing nations, our addiction to fossil fuels and the need for standard resources such as cement, the reversal process is a headache fever of global proportions.

Watch the entire program over at… http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/heat/

XXXL-Chocolate

Last Saturday, 15,000 people celebrated the Schoggifest, a chocolate festival in Bern (Switzerland), in honor of the biggest and heaviest piece of chocolate in the world.

A 100 kilo world-record Toblerone chocolate was distributed by Alex Tschäppät, Mayor of Bern, and Daniel Meyer, CEO Kraft Food Schweiz.

Say Hello to The World’s Highest Earning Author!

The world famous author JK Rowling is the world’s highest-earning author, making more than $8.00 every second over the past year. Can you believe that?! $8.00 a second… Geezus..

The “Harry Potter” writer, who made a total of $300 Million last year, wrote the first of her best-selling books about the boy wizard in 1997. Her income was six times more than literature’s next-biggest earner, James Patterson, of “Along Came A Spider” fame.

And who would of thought a story about a boy wizard would lead to this much success.

The books have sold more than 400 million copies and been translated into 67 languages!!!

Forbes magazine described her work as “a children’s literary sensation”.

According to Forbes magazine these are the top 10 best paid authors: [Read more]

Like Father Like Pole Dancer?

Omar Bakri Mohammed was a British immigrant before being banned from country for his radical violent views. The Syrian born preacher first made waves when praising the 9/11 terrorists as the “Magnificent 19.” Bakri is a strict Muslim who requires his family to obey the laws of his religion, including the women wearing a veil and “cover all” clothes.

When his daughter was 16 he arranged a marriage for her with a Turkish man. But, whoops, that didn’t work out. Not only did Yasmin Fostok leave her arranged life to raise her son on her own but, she got on the pole. That’s right, Yasmin is a pole dancer. And, a drinker. And, is “willing to go topless if the venue is right.” And, as far as I can tell, none of these escapades are being done in her veil. [Read more]

New Ben and Jerry’s Flavor… Arctic Areola!

Yes, as sad and disgusting it may seem, breast milk seems to be the up and coming trend when it comes to the things we eat. So should we blame or thank PETA?

You might of heard that recently a Swiss restaurant was praised by PETA for serving meals cooked with breast milk. The restaurant’s stews, soups and sauces are all made with 75% breast milk. You might be thinking, is this even legal? Well, apparently there was a slight loop hole in the local Swiss legislation regulating the use of breast milk and they were confused if the owner could be banned or not. But because human breast milk isn’t on the list of animals milk that is banned, there is nothing that they can do.

PETA being the strange-tastic people they are of course LOVED the idea of using human breast milk instead of dairy cows. So what do they do? They write a letter to the co-founders of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream suggesting that the company use human breast milk to make their ice cream! [Read more]

President, PM of Pakistan condoled on demise of Czech Republic

ISLAMABAD: The government on Monday condoled with the Czech Republic on the tragic demise of its ambassador Ivo Zdarek, who was killed in a recent terrorist attack at the Marriott Hotel. President Asif Ali Zardari in his message to Czech President Vaclav Klaus expressed deep sorrow and grief over the death of the Czech envoy saying: [Read more]

President Zardari of Pakistan to meet with President Bush

Since the widower of slain Pakistani Prime Minister Ms. Benazir Bhutto has taken the oath on September 9, 2008, he has been criticized for not addressing the issues confronting Pakistan but emphasizing on meeting heads of states and visiting countries. Since he secured the office of president of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, he has met President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom to discuss their bilateral ties and threats in the region.

President Asif Ali Zardari will be in New York on September 22 to lead Pakistan’s delegation at the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. It is expected that he will meet with President Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines as well. [Read more]

At least 60 dead in car bomb explosion at Islamabad’s Marriot Hotel

According to authorities, the popular Marriot Hotel received threats two days ago and had “taken all security measures” to prevent an attack. The deadly blast has killed at least 34 people with over 200 injured. Fire rapidly spread throughout the hotel, fueled by a gas leak following the explosion. The Marriot Hotel in Islamabad is considered to be one of the safest destinations in the area. The hotel houses many Western journalists and is a popular local dining spot. More details as the story develops.

Will the World Really End on Wednesday?

Europeans switch on the ‘Big Bang Machine’.

Scientists on the French/Swiss border are about to embark on a mammoth experiment which sceptics say could spell the end of the world.

The particle accelerator experiment, due to be launched on Wednesday, September 10^th, is hoped to reveal amazing new secrets about the birth of our universe, allowing us to understand more about how we came to be by smashing particles into one another in what can almost be described as a re-enactment of the ‘Big Bang’.

However, those opposed to the test say there’s every chance that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), also informally known as ‘The Big Bang Machine’, the device at the centre of all this, could effectively bring about a rather unwelcome apocalypse.

A small-yet-vocal minority of pessimists worry that the experiment isn’t completely safe, and that the LHC could potentially spew out the odd micro black hole with the potential to swallow the earth.

But is this likely? [Read more]

Slow Your Roll with “Drank” - The first ANTI-Energy drink?

I never fully understood the whole energy drink craze but with today’s NYC launch of anti-energy beverage, Drank, market leaders like RedBull and Sparks might have to make room for this mass-produced version of “purple drank.”

Most of us up north are virgins to “purple drank” which is described as “a recreational drug popular in the hip-hop community of the southern United States. Its main ingredient is prescription-strength cough syrup containing codeine and promethazine.”

However, this commercialized counterpart dropped the robo-tripping ingredients to concoct Drank, a non-alcoholic, grape flavored drink containing melatonin, valerian root and rose hips. Of course it’s packaged in a purple theme colored can. This newest addition to the beverage industry is “the first EXTREME RELAXATION drink to hit the market” and is “designed to calm and relax you.”

Store availablity listings are unavailable so it’s hit or miss if you’re looking for a new downer to calm your nerves. I wonder if Drank awaits the same fate as that red canned upper Cocaine?

(Via Gothamist)

This is why you don’t kite surf during a tropical storm…

Watch this Miami Beach kite surfer at the mercy of Mother Nature and tropical storm Fay. While much of the state is evacuating, this guy hits the beach. Literally.

Update 08/21/08:

According to CNN, the 28-year old kite-surfer’s condition has been lowered from critical to serious but is still suffering from “spinal fractures, brain swelling, a broken rib and a broken ankle, among other injuries.” The injured kite-surfer has no recollection of what happened nor has he seen the footage. Good vibes to Kevin Kearney.

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