The most impressive statues in the world!

Every one of course knows and admires the Statue of Liberty in New York, however it is not the only magnificent statue in the world. Some statues are more advertised than others; that is why here we will see some not widely known, great statues. 

"Mother Motherland" is located in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev. It has stood there for over 40 years and when it was built it was the tallest statue in the world, being 102 metres tall and weighing 530 tones. 

"Lord Shiva" located in Murudeshwar, India. The statue has been built out of a single stone found right there in the sea. Detail is evident, emphasising the long shapely fingers, intricately knotted hair, the serpent coiled around its neck and the tiger skin he's seated on. It is 37 metres high and needed two years for it to be completed. 

"The Motherland Calls" located in Volgograd, Russia commemorates the Battle of Stalingrad. It was declared the largest statue in the world in 1967, being the last non-religious statue to be declared the largest, every record holder since has been a Buddhism related sculpture. It is 85 metres high and weighs 8.000 tones.

"Gundam Robot" in Tokyo is the most modern looking statue in this category, being 18 meters high. It was inspired by a Japanese comic series. 

Cities, then and now!

Cities change, in many cases, rapidly. Alterations to the scenery within a big megalopolis are evident in a very small period of time. Imagine the changes which have taken place in a space of 30, 40, 50 years. Sometimes I imagine how metropolises of our epoch will be in a century, or even 500 years? I am sure we would not recognise the majority of the buildings and scenery. Some paradigms are shown here. Enjoy!

Tokyo, 1945 and 1995

Dubai, 1998 and 2011

Athens, 1870 and 2005

New York, 1931 and 2003

Melbourne, 1920 and 2010

Great Jobs

Here I will show some examples of people with great jobs, probably a few of the best jobs in the world. However this is a subjective matter, since everyone has different interests. Nevertheless these few paradigms are, I believe, objectively (up to a point) good jobs. 

Ben Southall managed to stand out among 35.000 people around the world for one of the finest works in the world. This job involved him swimming, exploring and relaxing on the island Hamilton, whilst simultaneously having to write on the island's blog. However this could seem ideal, he will eventually receive $111.000 for the six months working on the island.

The girl depicted here found the job of her dreams. Roisin Madigan is paid 1.200 euros a day for sleeping in designer beds. From 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. she spends her time in a company room that makes the beds. At the end of it she writes her experiences in a related to her work blog. 

The perfect job for a 6 year old. Little Sam Pointon wanted to become the director of the National Railway Museum in New York, after the resignation of the previous director. He even sent the museum a letter, which was entitled "Application for Director", requesting an appointment for an interview. The staff were very enthusiastic with this application and took little Sam on board, making him Director of Entertainment. His work description is to advise the "adults" how he believes the museum can become the most amusing one for young kids.    

Weirdest taxes in history

- Tsar Peter the Great of Russia taxed those who had a beard and required them to carry medals, admitting that their beards were ridiculous. 

- This next tax seems ridiculous and quite impossible for a government to convince its citizens to declare all their income to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). That is why it seems crazy telling citizens to declare money earned from drug trafficking. The instructions for completing the tax return from the U.S. IRS claim that "illegal income, such as money from illicit drug trafficking should be included in the income statement form 1040, line 21".

- In ancient Rome a tax known as the release tax, which essentially required money from someone who was no longer a slave. There are some paradigms where the owners were forced to pay this amount, but normally the former slave had to pay 10% of his "slave" value. 

- Oliver Cromwell established a tax which concerned any dispute with the king, although he wasn't a king himself, in 1655 mainly referring to the nobles within England, after he took power. Cromwell used part of this money in order to fight against several nobles. 

- In England in the 14th century several taxes and poll taxes were introduced. This led to the establishment of a crazy one, imposed on everyone since it taxed everyones' existence, i.e. just because they were alive they had to pay tax for it. Many peasants revolted, making it the beginning of the highly destructive revolt of the peasants. 

- The Nobel Tax. The financial rewards of a Nobel Prize are taxed by the U.S. IRS. This sounds strange, since Alfred Nobel has stated that the prize is awarded to those who have provided the greatest benefit to mankind.  Someone is exempt of this tax only if the money is donated to a charitable organisation or to the government. 

- Taxes on immigrants and foreigners are not at all uncommon, even in the 20th century. Canada began to tax the Chinese immigrants in 1885 and ceased in 1923. This was done in order to ban the entry of Chinese immigrants in the North American state and not because they had a sudden change of heart. 

- Salt tax. This is one of the greatest examples of a problematic and reckless idea and tax in history. The tax on salt is partially responsible for the decline of the Chinese Empire, the French salt tax contributed towards the French Revolution and Gandhi took part in a protest against such a tax in 1930, laying the groundwork for a movement of independence of India from British rule. 

Αν φαίνεται ακατόρθωτο για μια κυβέρνηση να πείσει τους πολίτες να δηλώνουν όλα τα εισοδήματα τους στην εφορία, φανταστείτε πόσο τρελό είναι να τους λέει να δηλώσουν τα χρήματα που κέρδισαν από διακίνηση ναρκωτικών. Κι όμως, οι οδηγίες για την συμπλήρωση της φορολογικής δήλωσης από την Αμερικανική IRS (Internal Revenue Service)επιμένουν ότι "παράνομο εισόδημα, όπως χρήματα από την διακίνηση παράνομων ναρκωτικών, πρέπει να συμπεριλαμβάνεται στην φόρμα δήλωσης εισοδήματος 1040, γραμμή 21" !!!.



ΠΗΓΗ!: ...Anoixtomualos...: Οι 10 πιο παράξενοι φόροι στην ιστορία http://www.anoixtomualos.gr/2011/04/10_28.html#ixzz1TABjQpT

Αν φαίνεται ακατόρθωτο για μια κυβέρνηση να πείσει τους πολίτες να δηλώνουν όλα τα εισοδήματα τους στην εφορία, φανταστείτε πόσο τρελό είναι να τους λέει να δηλώσουν τα χρήματα που κέρδισαν από διακίνηση ναρκωτικών. Κι όμως, οι οδηγίες για την συμπλήρωση της φορολογικής δήλωσης από την Αμερικανική IRS (Internal Revenue Service)επιμένουν ότι "παράνομο εισόδημα, όπως χρήματα από την διακίνηση παράνομων ναρκωτικών, πρέπει να συμπεριλαμβάνεται στην φόρμα δήλωσης εισοδήματος 1040, γραμμή 21" !!!.



ΠΗΓΗ!: ...Anoixtomualos...: Οι 10 πιο παράξενοι φόροι στην ιστορία http://www.anoixtomualos.gr/2011/04/10_28.html#ixzz1TABjQpTq

Winged Sandals

Want to learn more about Classical mythology, ancient Greek history and the main heroes who formed the ancient world? A site created by the Melbourne University and ABC staff is the "Winged Sandals". 

Here one can find stories and games which were deliberately chosen to represent three realms: the Gods who live on Olympus, the mortals and monsters who occupy the Earthly Realm and the dead who live in the Underworld. Hermes, who is the navigator and messenger God, is the only character who flies between the realms. 

The ultimate vision was to create a website which would inform, educate and entertain. Winged Sandals has animated stories, interactive games and an on-line version of the Delphic Oracle all presented with a focus on entertaining and engaging young audience. Although being primarily targeted for children aged 6-12, it is a site which adults can also enjoy and learn a plethora of facts about the Classical World. 

Daily air travel

This is a very interesting video showing the daily global air travel. Its fascinating to see where most aeroplanes travel too and which countries cater for most of the air traffic in the world, on a daily basis.!

Coffee helps women, not men, in stressful situations

Caffeine enhances the performance of women in stressful situations, but has the opposite effect on men, according to a new study. Psychologists from the University of Bristol in Great Britain found that only a few cups of coffee are enough to throw down the confidence of men, while reducing their ability to solve problems. 

Caffeine is a stimulant drug known to counteract the drowsiness and fatigue. Furthermore previous studies have shown that it offers protection against diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, gout and diseases that attack the liver. 

This time researchers wished to study the effect of coffee drinking in both sexes, whilst they are in stressful situations, such as being in an important meeting in the office. For this purpose they separated men and women in to 64 groups in same sex pairs, giving them coffee with and without caffeine. After each pair was asked to complete a series of tests, for example carrying out negotiations or solving puzzles and memory problems. It was found that the ability of men to perform in stressful situations significantly reduced when they consumed caffeine. It took them an average of 20 seconds longer to complete puzzles, compared with those who had drunk decaffeinated coffee. On the other hand women who consumed caffeine completed the tests 100 seconds faster than the rest. The survey results can be found in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology. 

The most famous toys ever!

Everyone has played with toys, at least during the 20th century where mass production of toys was a worldwide phenomenon. They have become a part of our lives. Children enjoy them immensely, although even when they grow up they remember the years where all they did was play. They are, inevitably, imprinted within our minds and thoughts, taking us back to a happy and relaxed time of our life. 

All of the toys are timeless. Many from different generations have played with them. Some of the most famous toys in the world are:

The Yo-yo, one of the oldest toy and gadget. it was even used in the 5th century B.C. However in the 1920's it received its current form. The first yo-yo factory was founded in the U.S. in 1928 and began selling 300.000 yo-yos daily. 

Viewmaster, everyone has looked through the viewmaster in order to see Disney cartoon characters or historical monuments. 

Slinger, the colourful spiral which excites children and adults, although I think there is a limit to the time you can play with it. Yet again it is an exciting thing to have around the house.

Barbie, the ultimate toy for girls. The Barbie empire exists since 1959. Ken was later introduced showing girls, from a young age, about relationships. 

Hula Hoop, is probably the most pro-fitness toy, invented in the 1950's. It isn't only used by children; adults use them in gyms and at home for exercise. The first months of its launch 25 million hula hoops were sold. 

Lego, everyone has played with them, building houses, cars, trains, walls. Lego has even got a Legoland, near London.  

Rubik cube, a colourful riddle is widely known. It was invented by a Hungarian inventor during the 1970's. It is a difficult toy to solve. Last year a second version of the Rubik was sold in all major toy stores.

My Little Pony, "The Toy" of the 1980's, being not only a toy but also a T.V. series. This was a girl's toy, with its wonderful and various colours, with cute names, hearts and glitter. 

Buzz Lightyear, this toy actually received its name from a real astronaut, who was awarded by NASA, being a member of the Discovery project in Space. Buzz is one of the most famous toy due to the 3 Toy Story films. 

Transformers, alien machines which can transform into various vehicles, planes and weapons. Although they were introduced years ago, the idea excites every boy who acquires one, even to this day.

Fountain of Youth

Man from different cultures and eras has tried to find a solution to the ageing process. Many have tried to find the so called "Fountain of Youth". Youth is what everyone wishes for. American author Mark Twain used to say, life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of 80 and gradually approach 18.   William Shakespear called old age "hideous winter" and Greek poet Homer "loathsome".  

That is why a mythological story was created, in order to give hope to people wanting to remain young for ever. It is believed that even Alexander the Great, who conquered most of the known world, may have been searching for a river that healed the devastations of old age. The most famous paradigm, nonetheless, is Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon who lived during the 16th century and who allegedly thought he would find the "Fountain of Youth" in Florida. This myth is appealing for everyone, just like the Holy Grail. The fountain is located as a tourist attraction in St. Augustine, the oldest city in the USA. Although now many believe that this fact is false and that Ponce did not arrive in St. Augustine, it is still a tourist attraction.   

What would happen if we actually found the Fountain of Youth? Is it so important that we remain young? It is fundamental we learn to accept and live our life with its ups and downs and learn to gain knowledge from every period of our lives. Through this experience we endure life in its totality. Also if we are to understand life from a platonic and Christian point of view then we can understand that the true life and truth is not found here, in this world, but in the next or as Plato stated in the World of Ideas.  

Travelling to the centre of the earth

Jules Verne's story will soon be realised by a team of British and French scientists, who will try to travel as close to the earth's core as possible. Their goal is to conduct drilling for the first time towards the earth's core, specifically reaching the mantle layer. The scientists come from Southampton and Montpelier. 

The excavation of rocks from this region will greatly help the scientists understand the way with which our planet was created. The project is programmed to commence in 2018, at some point in the depths of the Pacific Ocean, where the external layer is thinner, making the process easier to achieve. The specimens found at the mantle layer will most probably contain most if not all of the rocks found on our planet. The results found from this research will help understand the Earth's past and seismic activities. 

Geologists in past eras tried to achieve this goal, of reaching the mantle, but with no luck. The main reason being that the technology used was not strong enough to withstand the enormous pressure and temperature, which was about 300 C. However any myth or false fact which has existed for decades will cease to exist, after and if this project is successful.

Adverts on Benches

Now anyone can see advertisements everywhere. One example is advertising on benches, which evidently are unique. Where else will they find to advertise in the future? Enjoy the nice and weird adverts.

Birds nests

Its incredible to think that we humans dream and try to acquire a big, luxurious house in a posh area, where our neighbours will be friendly and ideal. However the birds depicted here show how anywhere could become a home.

Its good to see though that some people take care and respect the nests, found in various places. 

The Alphabet Building

A very interesting architectural innovative building has been designed by Dutch architects MVRDV. It is a perfect square (30X30). On one side it has the alphabet, minus the letters I and Q (IQ?) and on the other the number 52. 

This building shows, for me, how important it is to be able to read. Literacy is a requirement for the modern world. However the Evening Standard had an article emphasising how 11 year old kids in state schools in Britain read like a 7 year old. Children cannot recognise the letters of the alphabet. Maybe the pupils should be inspired by projects like the one built by the Dutch architects in order to enter the modern literate world, which is becoming more and more competitive. 

Why does the heart have the shape we all know?

Nobody knows where the original source of the shape of the heart lies, which symbolises love and affection. The 'commercial' heart, only partially, does it resemble the anatomical heart within the human body.

The shape in the first picture is akin to the Egyptian hieroglyph for the heart, which was (for the Egyptians) of paramount importance not only for the body but also for the soul. That is why it was the only organ not removed during the process of embalming, which had to weigh exactly like a feather in order to enable the soul of the deceased to obtain permission to enter the underworld.
Another ancient form, that looks like the heart known to us all, is the fruit of the herb Silphium. It is a kind of fennel which grew in the coastal town of Cyrene, located in Libya. The heart maybe took the shape from the fruit, that was engraved on coins. This plant was to Cyrene a lucrative export product.

The silphium was used as a vegetable and a condiment. But according to the geographer Strabo it had therapeutic properties. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder says that it was used also as an antidote for unwanted pregnancies. It is this use, according to many historians, which highlighted this specific symbol to a symbol of love and romance.

Abandoned Buildings

One thing that in a way annoys me when I see them are abandoned buildings which are left to the mercy of time, which will eventually destroy them. I just believe that they can either be used for various purposes or should easily be demolished in order to build new and usable buildings or allow for nature to take over. Some buildings around the world look like the ones depicted here. 

However in no way am I referring to historical or religious buildings such as old monasteries or palaces. The buildings I am referring to are normally houses, old hospitals or government buildings which are merely abandoned.   

A man marries a portrait

Tomasz Urynowicz from Poland is in love with a woman depicted in a portait from 1955. Due to the fact that he could not find the woman he decided to marry the portrait. The woman is young, brunnet and  is shown carrying a basket with clothes. Tomasz first saw this painting in 2001 in a gallery. Without any delay he bought it and tried, for ten years, to find the depicted woman. Seeing that his search was fruitless he then tried to find the painter, Antoni Maria Kwiek. Tomasz claimed that he was just trying to find her in order to speak to her and find out more about her life. 

However he will find it difficult to find a priest to marry him with the portrait. Although this is not a unique paradigm of crazy weddings it is still wierd to even consider it. Other unusual examples are, for instance, an Australian who in 2010 wanted to marry his dog or a woman in Taiwan who wanted to marry herself.