Playboy Hefner gets knotty again

LOVE, the true variety or otherwise, knows no age barriers — and Playboy chief Hugh Hefner is living proof of this. The 84- year- old has apparently got engaged to his 24- year- old girlfriend Crystal Harris.

Hefner tweeted that he has gifted Harris a ring on Christmas eve, the celebrity gossip website TMZ. com reported. “ After the movie ( The Tourist ) tonight ( Friday), Crystal and I exchanged gifts. I gave Crystal a ring. A truly memorable Christmas Eve,” he posted.

While Harris may well have jumped at the chance to be Mrs Hugh Hefner, her happiness could be tempered by Hefner’s marriage history. He has tied the knot twice before; with Mildred Williams, their marriage lasting from 1949 to 1959, and later with model- actress Kimberly Conrad with whom he split earlier this year.

He met Mildred or Milly, with whom he shared his first sexual experience, in college. Of the marriage, Hefner has said: “ I think the relationship was probably held together by two years of foreplay. That wasn’t unusual for our time. In fact, most of my immediate friends didn’t have sex until they married. Milly and I had it just before.”

“ I had literally saved myself for my wife, but after we had sex, she told me that she’d had an affair. That was the most devastating moment in my life. My wife was more sexually experienced than I was. After that, I always felt in a sense that the other guy was in bed with us, too.”

Nonetheless, he and Milly remained married for ten years and had two children, Christie, was has been chairman and chief executive officer of Playboy since the mid- 80s, while Hefner has remained the magazine's editor- in- chief.

In September 2009, Hefner asked for his marriage to former playmate Kimberly Conrad, 47, to be ended because the two were feuding about money. Hefner wanted his support payments for Conrad to be cut by half to $ 20,000 a month, saying he has already given his estranged wife close to $ 12 million since their separation in 1998.

At the time, Hefner had told TMZ : “ I am happy to be out of the marriage. I only remained married for the sake of the children, at her request.”

In recent years, Hefner has had numerous girlfriends — including Holly Madison, Kendra Wilkinson and Bridget Marquardt, who starred alongside him in the reality show The Girls Next Door.

Read More Six decades apart! Playboy Hefner gets ‘ knotty’ again

Cool facts about Space !!

There is still so little known about outer space by modern science, but of that little we do know, there are some extraordinarily amazing things. This is a list of the top 10 cool facts about Space.

10. Lightweight

Saturn's Rings

Fact: If you put Saturn in water it would float

The density of Saturn is so low that if you were to put it in a giant glass of water it would float. The actual density of Saturn is 0.687 g/cm3 while the density of water is 0.998 g/cm3. At the equator Saturn has a radius of 60,268 ± 4 km – which means you would need an extremely large glass of water to test this out.

9. Constantly Moving

Milkyway Pan1

Fact: We are moving through space at the rate of 530km a second

Our Galaxy – the Milky Way is spinning at a rate of 225 kilometers per second. In addition, the galaxy is travelling through space at the rate of 305 kilometers per second. This means that we are traveling at a total speed of 530 kilometers (330 miles) per second. That means that in one minute you are about 19 thousand kilometers away from where you were. Scientists do not all agree on the speed with which the Milky Way is travelling – estimates range from 130 – 1,000 km/s. It should be said that Einstein’s theory of relativity, the velocity of any object through space is not meaningful.

8. Farewell old friend!

600Px-Moon Pia00302

Fact: The moon is drifting away from Earth

Every year the moon moves about 3.8cm further away from the Earth. This is caused by tidal effects. Consequently, the earth is slowing in rotation by about 0.002 seconds per day per century. Scientists do not know how the moon was created, but the generally accepted theory suggests that a large Mars sized object hit the earth causing the Moon to splinter off.

7. Ancient Light

800Px-The Sun1

Fact: The light hitting the earth right now is 30 thousand years old

The energy in the sunlight we see today started out in the core of the Sun 30,000 years ago – it spent most of this time passing through the dense atoms that make the sun and just 8 minutes to reach us once it had left the Sun! The temperature at the core of the sun is 13,600,000 kelvins. All of the energy produced by fusion in the core must travel through many successive layers to the solar photosphere before it escapes into space as sunlight or kinetic energy of particles.

6. Solar Diet

800Px-171879Main Limbflarejan12 Lg

Fact: The Sun loses up to a billion kilograms a second due to solar winds

Solar winds are charged particles that are ejected from the upper surface of the sun due to the high temperature of the corona and the high kinetic energy particles gain through a process that is not well understood at this time. Also, did you know that 1 pinhead of the sun’s energy is enough to kill a person at a distance of 160 kilometers? [Sourced from Planet Science]




5. The Big Dipper is not a constellation

637Px-Ursa Major Constellation Map

Fact: The Big Dipper is not a constellation, it is an asterism

Many people consider the big dipper to be a constellation but, in fact, it is an asterism. An asterism is a pattern of stars in the sky which is not one of the official 88 constellations; they are also composed of stars which are not physically related to each other and can be vast distances apart. An asterism can be composed of stars from one or more constellations – in the case of the Big Dipper, it is composed entirely of the seven brightest stars in the Ursa Major (Great Bear) constellation.

4. George’s Star

602Px-Uranus Voyager 2

Fact: Uranus was originally called George’s Star

When Sir William Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781, he was given the honor of naming it. He chose to name it Georgium Sidus (George’s Star) after his new patron, King George III (Mad King George). This is what he said:

In the fabulous ages of ancient times the appellations of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were given to the Planets, as being the names of their principal heroes and divinities. In the present more philosophical era it would hardly be allowable to have recourse to the same method and call it Juno, Pallas, Apollo or Minerva, for a name to our new heavenly body. The first consideration of any particular event, or remarkable incident, seems to be its chronology: if in any future age it should be asked, when this last-found Planet was discovered? It would be a very satisfactory answer to say, ‘In the reign of King George the Third.’

Uranus was also the first planet to be discovered with the use of a telescope.

3. Extra Moons

S3753 2

Fact: Earth has at least 4 moons

Okay – that is not actually true – but it is very close. In 1986, Duncan Waldron discovered a asteroid (5km across) that is in an elliptic orbit around the sun with a period of revolution virtually identical to that of Earth. For this reason the planetoid and earth appear to be following each other. The periodic planetoid is named Cruithne (pronounced krin-yə) after an ancient group of Scottish people (also known as the Picts). Because of its unusual relationship with Earth, it is sometimes referred to as Earth’s second moon. Cruithne, is fainter than Pluto and would require at least a 12.5 inch reflecting telescope to attempt to be seen. Since its discovery, at least three other similar asteroids have been discovered. These types of objects are also found in similar relationships to other planets in our Solar System. In the image above (courtesy of Paul Wiegert), the earth is the blue circle with a cross in it, and Cruithne’s orbit is shown in yellow.

2. Sunspot Music

Messiah-Mosaic-1

Fact: Sunspot activity may be the primary reason for the beautiful sound of Stradivarius violins

Antonio Stradivari is considered to be the greatest violin maker ever. He lived in Italy in the 17th and 18th centuries. Scientists have been unable to work out what it is about his violins that makes them so incredible, but they do know that the timber used to make them is a very important contributing factor. From the 1500s to 1800s, the earth underwent a little ice age mostly due to increased volcanic activity and decreased solar activity (this is called the Maunder Minimum). As a result of this cooling, the types of trees that Stradivari used for his violins were particularly hard (due to slow growth). Hard timber is especially good when making violins. It is very probable that had Stradivari lived in a different age, his violins would not be prized as they are today. This picture above is made of three overlapping photos. It shows the rings in the spruce tree used to make the most famous Stradivarius violin, the “Messiah.” The first row of numbers gives the width of each ring in millimeters (one mm is about the thickness of a fingernail). The bottom row gives the years in which each ring grew.

1. Cold Welding

Space Station 0614

Fact: If two pieces of metal touch in space, they become permanently stuck together

This may sound unbelievable, but it is true. Two pieces of metal without any coating on them will form in to one piece in the vacuum of space. This doesn’t happen on earth because the atmosphere puts a layer of oxidized material between the surfaces. This might seem like it would be a big problem on the space station

Read more: Cool facts about Space

Some facts about Brain !!

Women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with depression than men in the United States.

The human brain has about 100,000,000,000 (100 billion) neurons.

From all the oxygen that a human breathes, twenty percent goes to the brain.

People who ride on roller coasters have a higher chance of having a blood clot in the brain.

Once a human reaches the age of 35, he/she will start losing approximately 7,000 brain cells a day. The cells will never be replaced.

It is not possible to tickle yourself. The cerebellum, a part of the brain, warns the rest of the brain that you are about to tickle yourself. Since your brain knows this, it ignores the resulting sensation.

A women from Berlin Germany has had 3,110 gallstones taken out of her gall bladder.

In America, the most common mental illness is Anxiety Disorders.

Your brain is 80% water.

Your brain is move active and thinks more at night than during the day.

Read more: Some facts about Brain

Some Facts About the Sun !!

Our sun has an expected lifetime of about 11 billion years.

Our sun and the surrounding planets orbit around the center of the Milky Way galaxy once every 250 million years.

Only 55% of all Americans know that the sun is a star.

On its trip around the sun, the earth travels over a million and a half miles per day.

No solar eclipse can last longer than 7 minutes 58 seconds because of the speed at which the sun moves.

Lightning bolts can sometimes be hotter than the sun. (about 50 000º F)

It takes only 8 minutes for sunlight to travel from the sun to the earth, which also means, if you see the sun go out, it actually went out 8 minutes ago.

In Spit Bergen, Norway at one time of the year the sun shines continuously for three and a half months.

In Newport, Rhode Island it is illegal to smoke from a pipe after sunset.

In Devon, Connecticut, it is unlawful to walk backwards after sunset.

If the sun stopped shining suddenly, it would take eight minutes for people on earth to be aware of the fact.

For 186 days you can not see the sun in the North Pole.

Every eleven years the magnetic poles of the sun switch. This cycle is called"Solarmax".

Because of the speed at which the sun moves, it is impossible for a solar eclipse to last more than 7 minutes and 58 seconds.

Aztecs believed that the sun died every night and needed human blood to give it strength to rise the next day. So they sacrificed 15,000 men a year to appease their sun god, Huitzilopochtli. Most of the victims were prisoners taken in wars, which were sometimes started solely to round up sacrificial victims.

Read more: Some Facts About the Sun

Interesting Facts About China !!

1. The modern word “China” most likely derives from the name of the Qin (pronounced “chin”) dynasty. First Emperor Qin Shi Huang (260-210 B.C.) of the Qin dynasty first unified China in 221 B.C., beginning an Imperial period which would last until A.D. 1912.k
2. China is often considered the longest continuous civilization, with some historians marking 6000 B.C. as the dawn of Chinese civilization. It also has the world’s longest continuously used written language.c
3. China is the fourth largest country in the world (after Russia, Canada, and the U.S.). It has an area of 3,719,275 square miles (slightly smaller than the U.S.) and its borders with other countries total more than 117,445 miles. Approximately 5,000 islands lie off the Chinese coast.a
4. One in every five people in the world is Chinese. China’s population is estimated to reach a whopping 1,338,612,968 by July 2009. China’s population is four times that of the United States.a
5. Fortune cookies are not a traditional Chinese custom. They were invented in 1920 by a worker in the Key Heong Noodle Factory in San Francisco.i
6. China is also known as the “Flowery Kingdom” and many of the fruits and flowers (such as the orange and orchid) are now grown all over the world.i

toilet paper
Invented in China, toilet paper was initially only for emperors
7. Toilet paper was invented in China in the late 1300s. It was for emperors only.m
8. The Chinese invented paper, the compass, gunpowder, and printing.c
9. The Chinese invented kites (“paper birds” or “Aeolian harps”) about 3,000 years ago. They were used to frighten the enemies in battle, and Marco Polo (1254-1324) noted that kites were also used to predict the success of a voyage. It was considered bad luck to purposely let a kite go.i
10. Cricket fighting is a popular amusement in China. Many Chinese children keep crickets as pets.m
11. Despite its size, all of China is in one time zone.h
12. Many historians believe soccer originated in China around 1000 B.C.f
13. Ping-pong is one of the most popular games in China, but it was not invented in China. It originated in Britain, where it is called table tennis.m

stamp collecting
Viewed as a status symbol, stamp collecting is China’s number one hobby
14. The number one hobby in China is stamp collecting.m
15. Giant Pandas (“bear cat”) date back two to three million years. The early Chinese emperors kept pandas to ward off evil spirits and natural disasters. Pandas also were considered symbols of might and bravery.i
16. White, rather than black, is the Chinese color for mourning and funerals.i
17. Though Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) is credited with designing the first parachute, Chinese alchemists successfully used man-carrying tethered kites by the fourth century A.D. Parachutes were not used safely and effectively in Europe until the late 1700s.m
18. The custom of binding feet (euphemistically called “golden lilies”) began among female entertainers and members of the Chinese court during the Song dynasty (A.D. 960-1279). Tightly wrapped bandages gradually broke the arch of the foot and caused the woman's toes and heel to grow inward toward one another. Her leg muscles would also atrophy and become very thin. Bound feet were seen as highly sexual.m
19. Historians speculate that as the Chinese population grew, people had to conserve cooking fuel by chopping food into small pieces so that it could cook faster. These bite-sized foods eliminated the need for knives and, hence, chopsticks were invented.c
20. In A.D. 130, Zhang Heng, an astronomer and literary scholar, invented the first instrument for monitoring earthquakes. The machine could detect and indicate the direction of an earthquake.c

ice cream
The Chinese invented ice cream by packing a milk mixture and rice into snow
21. China invented ice cream, and Marco Polo is rumored to have taken the recipe (along with the recipe for noodles) back with him to Europe.i
22. A civil servant named Su Song built the first mechanical clock between A.D 1088 and 1092. It could tell the time of day and also track the constellations so that accurate horoscopes could be determined.c
23. On September 27, 2008, Zhai Zhigang made the first spacewalk by a Chinese astronaut.l
24. The Chinese were the first to invent the waterwheel to harness water in A.D. 31—1,200 years before the Europeans. China was also the first country in the world to use an iron plow. Europe didn’t begin using the iron plow until the seventeenth century.m
25. The name of China’s capital has changed over the centuries. At one time or another it has been known as Yanjing, Dadu, and Beiping. Peking or “Beijing means “Northern Capital.” Beijing is the officially sanctioned pinyin spelling based on the Mandarin dialect. Beijing is the second largest city after Shanghai.h
26. It was customary for wealthy men and women in the late empire to grow the nails of their little fingers extremely long as a sign of their rank. They often wore decorative gold and silver nail guards to protect their nails.c
27. By the fourth century B.C., the Chinese were drilling for natural gas and using it as a heat source, preceding Western natural gas drilling by about 2,300 years.m
28. By the second century B.C., the Chinese discovered that blood circulated throughout the body and that the heart pumped the blood. In Europe, circulation wasn’t discovered until the early seventeenth century by William Harvey (1578-1657).m
29. The Chinese were using the decimal system as early as the fourteenth century B.C., nearly 2,300 years before the first known use of the system in European mathematics. The Chinese were also the first to use a place for zero.m
30. The crossbow was invented and first used by the Chinese. They were also the first in the world to use chemical and gas weapons, 2,000 years before gas was used in Europe during WWI.m
31. The Three Gorges Hydroelectric Dam spans the Yangtze River and is the largest dam in the world. It is also the most controversial dam in the world because it has been plagued by corruption, human rights violations, technological difficulties, and has caused dramatic environmental changes.e

chinese tea
Tea was supposedly discovered when a tea leaf fell into a Chinese emperor’s boiling water
32. According to popular legend, tea was discovered by the Chinese emperor Shennong in 2737 B.C. when a tea leaf fell into his boiling water. The Chinese consider tea to be a necessity of life.i
33. Martial arts are practiced throughout China and were largely developed from ancient farming and hunting methods.i
34. The most important holiday in China is the Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year. Chinese traditionally believe that every person turns one year older on the New Year and, thus, that day is considered to be everyone’s birthday.i
35. Chinese is spoken by 92% of China’s population. There are at least seven major families of the Chinese language, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Wu, Hakka, Gan, Xiang, and Min.i
36. Red symbolizes happiness for the Chinese and is commonly used at Chinese festivals and other happy occasions such as birthdays and weddings.i
37. In ancient China, the lotus was seen as a symbol of purity and was sacred to both the Buddhists and Daoists. The peony (“King of Flowers”) symbolized spring, the chrysanthemum symbolized long life, and the narcissus was thought to bring good luck.i

silk
Anyone caught smuggling the secrets of silk making out of ancient China were put to death
38. The Chinese have made silk since at least 3,000 B.C. The Romans knew China as “Serica,” which means “Land of Silk.” The Chinese fiercely guarded the secrets of silk making, and anyone caught smuggling silkworm eggs or cocoons outside of China was put to death.i
39. According to a Chinese legend, silk was discovered in 3000 B.C. by Lady Xi Ling Sui, wife of the Emperor Huang Di. When a silk worm cocoon accidentally dropped into her hot tea, fine threads from the cocoon unraveled in the hot water and silk was born.i
40. The oldest piece of paper in the world was found in China and dates back to the second or first century B.C. Paper was so durable, it was sometimes used for clothing and even light body armor.m
41. The Chinese were the first in the world to use stirrups in the third century A.D.m
42. China’s “one child” policy has contributed to female infanticide and has created a significant gender imbalance. There are currently 32 million more boys than girls in China. In the future, tens of millions of men will be unable to find wives, prompting some scholars to suggest that this imbalance could lead to a threat to world security.m
43. The first known species of Homo erectus, the Peking Man, was found in China and lived between 300,000-550,000 years ago. It is thought that he knew how to manipulate fire.c
44. During the first half the twentieth century, Shanghai was the only port in the world to accept Jews fleeing the Holocaust without an entry visa.i
45. Chinese mathematics evolved independently of Greek mathematics and is consequently of great interest to historians of mathematics.m
46. Originating as far back as 250 B.C., Chinese lanterns were an important symbol of long life. Lanterns were once symbols of a family’s wealth, and the richest families had lanterns so large, it required several people with poles to hoist them into place.i
47. In the Tang dynasty, anyone with an education was expected to greet as well as say goodbye to another person in poetic verse composed on the spot.i
48. In 1974, a group of farmers digging for a well in the Shaanxi province uncovered some bits of very old pottery. They discovered the tomb of Qin (259-210 B.C.) the first emperor who united China. The tomb contained thousands of amazing life-sized soldiers, horses, and chariots.c

grand canal China
The Grand Canal of China is the world’s longest canal
49. China’s Grand Canal is the world’s oldest and longest canal at 1,114 miles (1,795 km) long with 24 locks and around 60 bridges.e
50. The bat is a traditional good luck symbol that is frequently depicted in designs for porcelain, textiles, and other crafts.i
51. The bicycle was introduced into China around 1891 by two American travelers named Allen and Sachtleben. The bicycle is now the primary transportation for millions of Chinese. The last Qing emperor (Puyi) rode a bicycle around the Forbidden City in Beijing. China is currently the leading bicycle manufacturer.i
52. The Boxer Rebellion between 1898 and 1901 in northern China was against Christian missionaries, foreign diplomats, and technology by a secret group called the “Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists” (Yihequan or I-ho-ch’uan) so named because its members practiced weaponless martial arts as well as secret rituals. Westerns called it “shadow boxing” and the members “Boxers.”m
53. Suspension bridges were invented in China in 25 B.C, 1,800 years before such bridges were known in the West.m
54. The first American woman to win the Nobel Prize was Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973) for her novels about China, most notably The Good Earth (1931). Amy Tan (1952-) is a best-selling Chinese-American author of The Joy Luck Club.i
55. The Chinese word for civilization (wen) is pronounced the same as the word for script, pattern, or calligraphy. In fact, calligraphy was thought to reveal the calligrapher’s moral and spiritual self-cultivation as a type of “heart print.”i
56. The carp is a symbol of strength and perseverance. The scales and whiskers of the fish make it resemble a dragon, the greatest symbol of power in China. Fish in general play a large role in Chinese culture and the words for “fish” and “abundance” are pronounced the same in Chinese (yu).i

pigtails
In some regions of ancient China, pigtails were indicative of girl’s marital status
57. In some parts of China, “pigtails” were associated with a girl’s marital status. A young girl would wear two pigtails, and when she married, she would wear just one. This may have contributed to the Western view that pigtails are associated with children and young girls.i
58. In ancient China, mirrors were believed to protect their owners from evil, making hidden spirits visible and revealing the secrets of the future. A person who had been scared by a ghost could be healed by looking in the mirror. Mirrors were often hung on the ceilings of burial chambers.i
59. The longest river in China is the 3,494-mile Yangtze (Changjian) River and the 2,903-mile-long Yellow (Huanghe) River.e
60. The Chinese developed a theory of three levels of heaven—Heaven, Earth, and man—which has been influential in landscape painting and flower arrangements.e
61. The horse most likely originated in Central Asia and became very important in China. A horse is considered to be associated with the masculine symbol, yang, and with the element of fire. A person born in the Year of the Horse is considered cheerful, independent, clever, talkative, quick to anger, and able to handle money.i
62. Because the cicada (katydid) has the longest life span of any insect (up to 17 years) and sheds its skin, it has long been a symbol of regeneration and rebirth for the Chinese. In ancient China, the Chinese would place jade cicadas in the mouths of the dead because they were thought to slow down the decay process and speed up the rebirth in another world.i
63. Concubinage has been practiced throughout Chinese history, primarily by wealthy men who could afford it. Chinese emperors had large harems with hundreds of concubines.j
64. The phoenix is the most important bird in Chinese legend and represents the feminine power of the empress. The graceful crane, which is a symbol of long life, is the second most important bird in Chinese legend. Ducks are also important symbols and represent happiness and marital faithfulness.i
65. The Cultural Revolution (the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution) from1966-1976 resulted in severe famine, thousands of deaths, and the erosion of thousands of acres of farmland.m
66. While the dragon is typically seen as an evil creature in Western culture, it holds first place among the four greatest creatures in Chinese mythology, including the phoenix, tiger, and tortoise. It is typically associated with the emperor.i
67. The highest mountain in the world (29,028 feet) is named in the honor the Englishman Sir George Everest who was the first surveyor of India. The Chinese call Mount Everest Qomolangma, which means “Mother Goddess of the Earth.”e

chinese flag
The position of the stars on the Chinese flag represents the people’s unity under Communism
68. China’s national flag was adopted in September 1949 and first flown in Tiananmen Square (the world’s largest public gathering place) on October 1, 1949, the day the People’s Republic of China was formed. The red in the flag symbolizes revolution. The large star symbolizes communism and the little stars represent the Chinese people. The position of the stars represents the unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party.i
69. China has the world’s oldest calendar. This lunar calendar originated in 2600 B.C. and has 12 zodiac signs. It takes 60 years to complete.i
70. The number of birth defects in China continues to rise. Environmentalist and officials blame China’s severe pollution.d
71. The consumption of mushrooms was recorded in Chinese historical documents more than 3,000 years ago. In 1996, China produced 600,000 tons of mushrooms, making it the world’s leading producer, and it has 60% of the world’s mushroom varieties.i
72. In 2007, dog food and toothpaste products made in China were recalled because they contained poisonous ingredients. In July, China’s head of the State Food and Drug Administration was found to have accepted bribes from pharmaceutical companies. He was executed.g
73. Famous Chinese and Chinese-American actors include Jackie Chan (Hong Kong), Chow Yun Fat (Hong Kong), Bruce Lee (San Francisco), Jet Li (Beijing), Zhang Ziyi (Beijing), and Lucy Lui (New York).e
74. The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing were the most expensive games in history.b While the 2004 Athens Games were estimated to cost around $15 billion, the Beijing Games were estimated to cost a whopping $40 billion.j

source: Interesting Facts About China

61 Interesting Facts About India !!

1. India is about 1/3 the size of the United States, yet it is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of 1,166,079,217. India is the seventh largest country in the world, at 1.27 million square miles.g
2. India is the largest democracy in the world.i
3. The Kumbh Mela (or Grand Pitcher Festival) is a huge Hindu religious festival that takes place in India every 12 years. In 2001, 60 million people attended, breaking the record for the world’s biggest gathering. The mass of people was photographed from space by a satellite.c
4. Many Indians find toilet paper repellent and consider it cleaner to splash water with the left hand in the appropriate direction. Consequently, the left hand is considered unclean and is never used for eating.f
5. To avoid polluting the elements (fire, earth, water, air), followers of Zoroastrianism in India don’t bury their dead, but instead leave bodies in buildings called “Towers of Silence” for the vultures to pick clean. After the bones dry, they are swept into a central well.f

rupee
It is illegal for foreigners to import or export Indian currency (rupees)
6. It is illegal to take Indian currency (rupees) out of India.f
7. India leads the world with the most murders (32,719), with Russia taking second at 28,904 murders per year.j
8. India has one of the world’s highest rates of abortion.e
9. More than a million Indians are millionaires, yet most Indians live on less than two dollars a day. An estimated 35% of India’s population lives below the poverty line.l
10. Cows can be found freely wandering the streets of India’s cities. They are considered sacred and will often wear a tilak, a Hindu symbol of good fortune. Cows are considered one of humankind’s seven mothers because she offers milk as does one’s natural mother.k
11. Dancing is one of India’s most highly developed arts and was an integral part of worship in the inner shrines of every temple. It is notable for its expressive hand movements.f
12. Rabies is endemic in India. Additionally, “Delhi Belly” or diarrhea is commonplace due to contaminated drinking water.f
13. Many Indian wives will never say her husband’s name aloud, as it is a sign of disrespect. When addressing him, the wife will use several indirect references, such as “ji” or “look here” or “hello,” or even refer to him as the father of her child.f
14. A widow is considered bad luck—otherwise, her husband wouldn’t have died. Elderly women in the village might call a widow “the one who ate her husband.” In some orthodox families, widows are not allowed near newlyweds or welcomed at social gatherings.b
15. India is the birthplace of chess.l The original word for “chess” is the Sanskrit chaturanga, meaning “four members of an army”—which were mostly likely elephants, horses, chariots, and foot soldiers.d
16. The Indian flag has three horizontal bands of color: saffron for courage and sacrifice, white for truth and peace, and green for faith, fertility, and chivalry. An emblem of a wheel spinning used to be in the center of the white band, but when India gained independence, a Buddhist dharma chakra, or wheel of life, replaced the spinning wheel.m

Khajuraho erotic sculptures
Khajuraho’s exotic art may suggest that sex was a step for attaining ultimate liberation or moksha
17. The temples of Khajuraho are famous for their erotic sculptures and are one of the most popular tourist attractions in India. Scholars still debate the purpose of such explicit portrayals of sexual intercourse, which sometimes involves animals.a
18. The earliest cotton in the world was spun and woven in India. Roman emperors would wear delicate cotton from India that they would call “woven winds.” Mogul emperors called the fabrics “morning dew” and “cloth of running water.”i
19. In ancient and medieval India, suttees, in which a recently widowed woman would immolate herself on her husband’s funeral pyre, were common.b
20. The Himalayas—from the Sanskrit hima, meaning “snow,” and alaya, meaning “abode”—are found in the north of India. They extend 1,500 miles and are slowly growing taller, by almost an inch (2.5 cm) a year. Several ancient Indian monasteries are found nestled in the grandeur of these mountains.m
21. India is the world’s largest producer of dried beans, such as kidney beans and chickpeas. It also leads the world in banana exports; Brazil is second.l
22. In India, the fold and color of clothing are viewed as important markers of social classification. Additionally, women will be viewed as either a prostitute or a holy person depending on the manner in which she parts her hair.k
23. With 150,000 post offices, India has the largest postal network in the world. However, it is not unusual for a letter to take two weeks to travel just 30 miles.f
24. In India, grasping one’s ears signifies repentance or sincerity.f
25. The Bengal tiger is India’s national animal. It was once ubiquitous throughout the country, but now there are fewer than 4,000 wild tigers left.m
26. Indians hold prominent places both internationally and in the United States. For example, the co-founder of Sun Microsystems (Vinod Khosla), the creator of the Pentium chip (Vinod Dahm), the founder/creator of Hotmail (Sabeer Bhatia), and the GM of Hewlett-Packard (Rajiv Gupta) are all Indian.h
27. Alexander the Great of Macedon (356-323 B.C.) was one of the first important figures to bring India into contact with the West. After his death, a link between Europe and the East would not be restored until Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama (1460-1524) landed in Calicut, India, in 1498.l
28. The British Raj, or British rule, lasted from 1858 to 1947 (although they had a strong presence in India since the 1700s). British influence is still seen in Indian architecture, education system, transportation, and politics. Many of India’s worst famines are associated with British rule in India.i
29. Every major world religion is represented in India. Additionally, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism all originated in India.f
30. About 80% of Indians are Hindu. Muslims are the largest minority in India and form approximately 13% of the country’s population. In fact, India has the third largest population of Muslims in the world, after Indonesia and Pakistan.i
31. India has the world’s largest movie industry, based in the city of Mumbai (known as the “City of Dreams”). The B in “Bollywood” comes from Bombay, the former name for Mumbai. Almost all Bollywood movies are musicals.l
32. Mumbai (Bombay) is India’s largest city, with a population of 15 million. In 1661, British engineers built a causeway uniting all seven original islands of Bombay into a single landmass.l
33. Mohandas K. Gandhi (1869-1948) is known around the world as Mahatma, which is an honorific title meaning “Great Soul” in the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. He devoted his life to free India from British rule peacefully and based his campaign on civil disobedience. His birthday, October 2, is a national holiday. He was assassinated in 1948.m

Lotus Temple
The Lotus temple is one of the most visited temples in the world, with over 50 million visitors per year
34. The lotus is sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists. The Bahá'í house of worship in Delhi, known as the “Lotus Temple,” is shaped like a lotus flower with 27 gigantic “petals” that are covered in marble.i
35. The banyan, or Indian fig tree, is considered a symbol of immortality and is mentioned in many Indian myths and legends. This self-renewing plant is India’s national tree.m
36. Marigold flowers are used as decoration for Hindu marriages and are a symbol of good fortune and happiness.i
37. The official name of India is the Republic of India. The name “India” derives from the River Indus, which most likely is derived from the Sanskrit sindhu, meaning “river.” The official Sanskrit name of India is Bharat, after the legendary king in the epic Mahabharata.m
38. Introduced by the British, cricket is India’s most popular sport. Hockey is considered the national sport, and the Indian field hockey team proudly won Olympic gold in 1928.i
39. Indians made significant contributions to calculus, trigonometry, and algebra. The decimal system was invented in India in 100 B.C. The concept of zero as a number is also attributed to India.m
40. The national fruit of India is the mango. The national bird is the peacock, which was initially bred for food.m
41. Most historians agree that the first recorded account of plastic surgery is found in ancient Indian Sanskrit texts.b
42. Hindi and English are the official languages of India. The government also recognizes 17 other languages (Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Nepali, Manipuri, Konkani, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu). Apart from these languages, about 1,652 dialects are spoken in the country.l
43. India’s pastoral communities are largely dependent on dairy and have made India the largest milk-producing country in the world.l
44. India has the world’s third largest road network at 1.9 million miles. It also has the world’s second largest rail network, which is the world’s largest civilian employer with 16 million workers.f

Ganges
Though the Ganges is one of the dirtiest rivers in the world, bathing in the river is thought to wash away one’s sins
45. Rivers have played a vital role in India’s popular culture and folklore—they have been worshipped as goddesses because they bring water to an otherwise dry land. Bathing in the Ganges in particular is thought to take away a person’s sins. It is not unusual to spread a loved one’s ashes in the Ganges.f
46. Raziya Sultana (1205-1240) was the first woman leader of India. She was considered a great leader, though she ruled for only three years before being murdered.b
47. Most Indians rinse their hands, legs, and face before eating a meal. It is considered polite to eat with the right hand, and women eat after everyone is finished. Wasting food is considered a sin.i
48. During the Vedic era in India, horse sacrifice sanctioned the sovereignty of the king.a
49. It is traditional to wear white, not black, to a funeral in India. Widows will often wear white in contrast to the colorful clothes of married or single women.k
50. All of India is under a single time zone.g
51. On India’s Independence Day, August 15, 1947, the country was split into India and Pakistan. The partition displaced 1.27 million people and resulted in the death of several hundred thousand to a million people.g
52. In recent years, Indian authors have made a mark on the world with such novels as Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses (1988), Vikram Seth’s Suitable Boy (1993), and Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things (1997).i
53. India experiences six seasons: summer, autumn, winter, spring, summer monsoon, and winter monsoon.m
54. India is the world’s largest tea producer, and tea (chai) is its most popular beverage.f

Taj Mahal
According to legend, to prevent the builders from ever replicating the beauty of the Taj Mahal, their hands were cut off
55. The Taj Mahal (“crown palace”) was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1592-1666) for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631). This architectural beauty has been called “marbled embroidery” for its intricate workmanship. It took 22,000 workmen 22 years to complete it.m
56. The first and greatest civilization in ancient India developed around the valley of the Indus River (now Pakistan) around 3000 B.C. Called the Indus Valley civilization, this early empire was larger than any other empire, including Egypt and Mesopotamia.l
57. After the great Indus Civilization collapsed in 2000 B.C., groups of Indo-Europeans called Aryans (“noble ones”) traveled to northwest India and reigned during what is called the Vedic age. Aryans spoke and imported Sanskrit into India, which is the mother of all European languages. The mingling of ideas from the Aryan and Indus Valley religions formed the basis of Hinduism, and the gods Shiva, Kali, and Brahma all have their roots in Aryan civilization. The Aryans also recorded the Vedas, the first Hindu scriptures, and introduced a caste system based on ethnicity and occupation.l
58. Alexander the Great invaded India partly because he wanted to solve the mystery of the “ocean,” which he had been told was a huge, continuous sea that flowed in a circle around the land. When he reached the Indian Ocean, he sacrificed some bulls to Poseidon for leading him to his goal.m
59. Greek sculpture strongly influenced many portrayals of Indian gods and goddess, particularly after the conquest of Alexander the Great around 330B.C. In fact, early Indian gods had Greek features and only later did distinct Indian styles emerge.m
60. Chandragupta Maurya (340-290 B.C.), a leader in India who established the Mauryan Empire (321-185 B.C.), was guarded by a band of women on horseback.a
61. When the first independent prime minister of India, pacifist Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), was featured in Vogue, his distinctive close fitting, single-breasted jacket briefly became an important fashion statement for the Mod movement in the West. Named the Nehru jacket, the prime minister’s coat was popularized by the Beatles and worn by such famous people as Johnny Carson (1925-2005) and Sammy Davis Jr. (1925-1990).n

61 Interesting Facts About India

How to be rich by 40 !!

Couples who score well on a simple test of numeracy ability are more likely to earn more wealth by middle age than those who score poorly, suggests a study.

Researchers found that when both spouses answered three numeracy-related questions correctly, family wealth averaged 1.7 million dollars, while among couples where neither spouse answered any questions correctly the average household wealth was 200,000 pounds.

Numeracy is the ability to reason with numbers and other mathematical concepts, and are skills typically learned during school.

"We examined several cognitive skills and found that a simple test that checks a person's numeracy skills was a good predictor of who would be a better family financial decision maker," said James P. Smith, of the Labor Markets and Demographic Studies at the RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization.

Researchers found that choosing the wrong person as a family's primary financial decision maker can have consequences.

While families choose the less-numerate spouse less than 20 percent of the time, when this does happen total household wealth is lower.

Researchers said the skills needed to make successful investment choices are among the most cognitively demanding that a family has to make, especially as they get older and assume greater control of decisions about their wealth, pensions and health care.

Source: Being good with numbers 'can make you rich'

Tata's Nano catches world's most powerful man's eyes !!

President Barack Obama , who heads the world's richest economy, today checked out the world's cheapest car -- Nano.

No sooner the powerful US couple was introduced to Ratan Tata, who heads the USD 72 billion conglomerate, President Obama told the first lady Michelle that this is the person who created the USD 2,500 wonder car.

Eyewitnesses said that Michelle immediately expressed the desire to see the car that revolutionised the auto industry and put India prominently on the global map.

After the discussion last evening, Tata immediately organised a gleaming Nano along with a chauffeur, right at the porch of luxurious Taj Mahal Palace hotel in front of Gateway of India, where Obama and entourage was camping since yesterday.

The couple stepped out in the morning to have a good look at the car, with Michelle even sitting in the small Nano and admiring the engineering marvel.

When contacted, a Tata spokesperson confirmed. "Yes, we showcased the Nano at the Taj Mahal hotel."

After years of hard work, Tata fulfilled his commitment to bring the world's cheapest car on road for Rs one lakh last year.

source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/auto/automobiles/Tatas-Nano-catches-worlds-most-powerful-mans-eyes/articleshow/6883681.cms

50 Amazing Facts !!

The word "queue" is the only word in the English language that is still pronounced the same way when the last four letters are removed.

Beetles taste like apples, wasps like pine nuts, and worms like fried bacon.

Of all the words in the English language, the word 'set' has the most definitions!

What is called a "French kiss" in the English speaking world is known as an "English kiss" in France.

"Almost" is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order.

"Rhythm" is the longest English word without a vowel.

In 1386, a pig in France was executed by public hanging for the murder of a child

A cockroach can live several weeks with its head cut off!

Human thigh bones are stronger than concrete.

You can't kill yourself by holding your breath

There is a city called Rome on every continent.

It's against the law to have a pet dog in Iceland!

Your heart beats over 100,000 times a day!

Horatio Nelson, one of England's most illustrious admirals was throughout his life, never able to find a cure for his sea-sickness.

The skeleton of Jeremy Bentham is present at all important meetings of the University of London

Right handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people

Your ribs move about 5 million times a year, everytime you breathe!

The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump!

One quarter of the bones in your body, are in your feet!

Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different!

The first known transfusion of blood was performed as early as 1667, when Jean-Baptiste, transfused two pints of blood from a sheep to a young man

Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails!

Most dust particles in your house are made from dead skin!

The present population of 5 billion plus people of the world is predicted to become 15 billion by 2080.

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

Adolf Hitler was a vegetarian, and had only ONE testicle.

Honey is the only food that does not spoil. Honey found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs has been tasted by archaeologists and found edible.

Months that begin on a Sunday will always have a "Friday the 13th."

Coca-Cola would be green if colouring weren’t added to it.

On average a hedgehog's heart beats 300 times a minute.

More people are killed each year from bees than from snakes.

The average lead pencil will draw a line 35 miles long or write approximately 50,000 English words.

More people are allergic to cow's milk than any other food.

Camels have three eyelids to protect themselves from blowing sand.

The placement of a donkey's eyes in its' heads enables it to see all four feet at all times!

The six official languages of the United Nations are: English, French, Arabic, Chinese, Russian and Spanish.

Earth is the only planet not named after a god.

It's against the law to burp, or sneeze in a church in Nebraska, USA.

You're born with 300 bones, but by the time you become an adult, you only have 206.

Some worms will eat themselves if they can't find any food!

Dolphins sleep with one eye open!

It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open

The worlds oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000 years old!

The longest recorded flight of a chicken is 13 seconds

Queen Elizabeth I regarded herself as a paragon of cleanliness. She declared that she bathed once every three months, whether she needed it or not

Slugs have 4 noses.

Owls are the only birds who can see the colour blue.

A man named Charles Osborne had the hiccups for 69 years!

A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue!

The average person laughs 10 times a day!

An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain

source: http://www.world-english.org/facts.htm

Dawood, Osama on Forbes' most powerful list !!

Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden are among the most powerful people in the world, according to Forbes magazine.

Putting Ibrahim on 63rd place, Forbes said 'Ibrahim, a prime suspect in 1993 Mumbai blasts, is now India's most wanted man and is the boss of Mumbai-based 5,000-member organised crime syndicate D-Company'.

'The US declares him a global terrorist. US government says he shares smuggling routes with Al Qaeda and has collaborated with both Al Qaeda and its South Asian affiliate, Lashkar-e-Taiba, which carried out November 2008 Mumbai attacks, possibly with Ibrahim's help,' the magazine said on its website.

About bin Laden, who is ranked 57th, Forbes said: 'Despite infrequent communications, persistent rumours of his death, symbolic power undiminished: Impressionable youths continue to self-detonate in his name.'

According to the magazine, the list comprises 'the 68 who matter' of the 6.8 billion people on the planet.

Yoga boosts heart health !!

Want to have a healthy heart? Practice yoga daily as Indian researchers have claimed that breathing exercises, stretching, relaxation and meditation improve heart health .

According to the researchers at IIT-Roorkee in Uttarakhand, heart rate variability, a sign of a healthy heart, has been shown to be higher in yoga practitioners than in non-practitioners.

Ramesh Kumar Sunkaria, Vinod Kumar and Suresh Chandra Saxena of the Electrical Engineering Department evaluated two small groups of men in order to see whether yoga can improve heart health.

The team said that in their preliminary study of 84 volunteers, there was strengthening of parasympathetic (vagal) control in subjects who regularly practice yoga, which is indicative of better autonomic control over heart rate and so a healthier heart.

They analysed the "HRV spectra" of the electrocardiograms (ECG) of 42 healthy male volunteers who were non-yogic practitioners, and 42 who are experienced practitioners, all volunteers were aged between 18 and 48 years.

The spectral analysis of HRV is an important tool in exploring heart health and the mechanisms of heart rate regulation, according to the team.

What is worrying Indian CEOs ??

Is it time for India Inc. to pursue new business opportunities after recovery from the slowdown? Perhaps not. Caution still remains the buzzword, or at least that is what CEO Views 2010 India, a survey of 30 CEOs carried out by executive search firm BTI Consultants, reveals.

"The clear signals to emerge from the survey are that growth is not assured; that threats linger, and the focus will be largely on existing markets and customers," says James Agrawal, Consulting Director and Head of BTI Consultants in India. Leading global search firm Kelly Services, the holding company of BTI Consultants, has been studying the views of CEOs in India for the last 15 years.

This CEO survey is the first of its kind. "After the recovery, business confidence was perceived to be positive and growing. But when we would meet business leaders, they would sound cautious and hence we decided to understand their concerns," says Agrawal.

According to the survey, there are both near term business concerns as well as more deep-seated labour market issues confronting corporate leaders. The nervousness about the global economy and a shortage of skilled personnel are the key concerns in terms of immediate outlook for business activity.

Also, the CEOs plan to focus on existing customers and markets, and will avoid higher-risk expansion strategies. Their key challenge is to maintain profitable growth. "With one eye turned to the financial crisis in Europe and the other on the tentative recovery in the United States, Indian CEOs are not yet ready to splurge on new ventures in such an uncertain market," says Agrawal.

Ideally, The single biggest HR issue facing the CEOs, however, is talent retention and acquisition. Skills shortage is another top of the mind concern with the industry and is considered a longterm obstacle to national development. Over a third of the CEOs surveyed rank it as the most pressing workforce issue.

The next critical issue is "disruption of workforce". "The mismatch between the industry's needs and the output of skilled workers remains chronic, and one that impacts productivity and profitability," says Agrawal, adding that lack of employable talent is hurting the plans of the CEOs.

10-10-10: An auspicious day to tie the knot !!

For Chinese people, the number 10 means 'perfection in everything'. So, a huge number of betrothed couples are planning to tie the knot on Oct 10, 2010, or 10-10-10, in a bid to make their marriage a success.

Aug 8, 2008 or 8-8-8, which means 'making fortune', and Sep 9, 2009, or 9-9-9, which means 'everlasting', had seen a surge in the number of weddings that took place in China.

The marriage registry office in Shanghai said it has seen huge online bookings for marriage certificates.

Many young people view the date as auspicious because it implies the Chinese idiom, 'perfection in everything', officials told the Shanghai Daily.

Even time slots - from 10 a.m. to 10.20 a.m. - have been booked, according to the Shanghai Civil Affairs Bureau.

'A good beginning is half the success,' said Alice Huo, who will be a bride on that day. 'We believe that a good date will allow us a good beginning.'

Seven heart-friendly foods !!

When it comes to eating, a little bit of everything is the key, say experts. Our body needs all foods in moderation. Some help cure bowel problems, some help control diabetes and some keep eye problems at bay. Here are seven foods you should include in your diet to have a healthy heart.

Apples:-

Apples are a good source of vitamins and minerals like iron, phosphorus, potassium, calcium as well as vitamins A, B and C. "These help in strengthening blood vessels," says Nutritionist Sneha Trivedi, . They also have a low glycemic index, making it safe for diabetics to consume.

Garlic:-

Garlic contains aicin, a powerful antioxidant. Other than that, "It helps lower the bad cholesterol," says Trivedi. This means it prevents your arteries from getting clogged. So use this condiment in your curries, stir-fries and more.

Fish:-

"Oily fish contains omega-3 fatty acids that help to maintain the integrity of blood vessels by keeping them healthy and elastic," says Nutritionist Sushila Sharangdhar. These acids also improve our immune system and help in increasing the good cholesterol or HDL levels. "It also reduces the chances of blood clots," Trivedi adds.



Olive oil
Due to the mono-saturated fats present, olive oil helps in lowering the amount of bad cholesterol. "It is also rich in antioxidants that increase the elasticity of arterial walls," says Trivedi. This in turn prevents heart-related problems.

Wheat
"Wheat is a very good source of fibre, vitamins and minerals," says Trivedi. It helps in reducing the amount of bad cholesterol. Fibre binds with the cholesterol and helps in eliminating it from our body. Other sources of fibre are: oats, barely, bajra, ragi, jowar and other whole grains.

Dairy
Milk and milk products are a good source of fatty acids. They are also a good source of antioxidants and polyphenols. "Polyphenols protect blood vessels and lower blood pressure, thus preventing cardiovascular diseases," says Sushila.

Greens
Green leafy vegetables like spinach and fenugreek are a good source of vitamin B-complex and niacin. "These protect the blood vessels from clots and prevent hardening of arteries," Sushila says. Other sources of B-complex vitamins are berries, citrus fruits and bell peppers.

Ideally, A healthy diet and moderate exercise will go a long way in maintaining a healthier heart and a happier you!

CEO Salaries Need to be Fix !!

Salaries of chief executives should be capped and shareholders should have a say in managerial remunerations, a parliamentary panel on the new Companies Bill has suggested. It has asked the Corporate Affairs Ministry to develop a "rational formula" for managerial remunerations.

"The committee are of the view that an overall outer ceiling on managerial remuneration may be prescribed," said the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, which last week presented its report on Companies Bill 2009 in the Lok Sabha. "The Ministry may evolve a rational formula for this purpose.

The remuneration payable within this overall ceiling may be decided by the remuneration committee of board or shareholders as already proposed in the Bill," it added. Currently, according to section 198 of the Companies Act 1956, total remuneration paid to managerial personnel cannot be more than 11 per cent of net profit, while an individual manager''s compensation is capped at 5 per cent of net profit.

If a company wishes to break the ceiling, it requires a go ahead from the Corporate Affairs Ministry. Besides, in case a company fails to garner profit or the profit is not adequate, it requires the Central Government''s approval to dole out salaries.

The panel has further suggested that in the event of established fraud or fudging of profits by the company, remuneration paid to the key managerial personnel may be recovered. The Committee''s report has came after almost eight months of deliberation.

Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid had tabled the new Companies Bill in Parliament in August last year. Responding to the suggestions on this provision in the Companies Bill 2009, the Ministry has favoured an "umbrella limit (similar to limits depending on net profits of the company as is provided in existing section 198 of the Act) for remuneration".

The revised Companies Bill, which seeks to replace the half-a-century old Act, is expected to be tabled in Parliament in the winter session, or latest by the Budget session, according to Khurshid. He has exuded confidence that the new Act would be enacted by the end of this fiscal.

5 Most Expensive Houses in the World !!

Here’s the list of top 5 most expensive houses around the world, You should be super duper rich to own one of them . Maybe for now, just enjoy how beautiful is them:

5. Three Ponds : $75,000,000

In Bridgehampton, New York, there sits a $75,000,000 estate that has its own golf course! Called “Three Ponds” due to the fact that it has, er, three ponds (each stocks with an ample supply of fish, which are hopefully included in the home insurance), and the expansive grounds also house 14 different gardens, each with their own theme!

Three Ponds

4. Donald Trump Palace : $125,000,000

Donald Trump owns this 18-bedroom waterfront palace, which is listed as costing $125,000,000. Situated in Florida, Trump says it’s location in Palm Beach is “the richest community in the world” and it doesn’t seem like he’s joking! We also doubt that he’s one to settle for cheap building insurance, either.

Donald Trump Palace

3. Updown Court in Surrey, UK : $140,000,000

With neighbors like Elton John and the Queen of England, Updown Court in Surrey, UK is going to be a rather decadent household. Launched with a price of £70,000,000 (roughly $140,000,000) and still unsold as of May this year. Containing 24 bedrooms, each with a marble en-suite bathroom, and an underground garage, the property is estimated to cost around £250,000 ($500,000) a month to run, not to mention the cost of the house insurance! Since this property located in the UK, the homeowner need to know about Conveyancing information under the UK law. In the UK, London is considered one of the most expensive places to own a house besides Surrey (and of course Chelsea). There recommended property portals designed to help you search for the top most expensive houses in London, UK and enable you to determine whether or not the flats for sale in London are an accommodating alternative to the traditional house buy. There’s a rumor that this house is up for sale. The new homeowner needed to make sure that He can afford this house, rather than have to Stop Repossession because of high debt.

Updown Court in Surrey UK

2. Ira Rennert Mansion : $180,000,000.

The billionaire found of the Renco Group, Ira Rennert, owns a place in Sagaponack, New York, and at 63 acres of grounds, is considered by many to be the largest residential compound in the whole of America. The house itself has 29 bedrooms, 39 bathrooms, as well as the usual gigantic dining room, sport courts and bowling alley and contents insurance to cover it all. The property is valued at roughly $170,000,000-180,000,000.

Ira Rennert Mansion

1. The Villa La Leopolda in Nice, France: $ 398,350,000

Formerly the home of Bill Gates, but now belonging to really rather rich Roman Abramovich, the Villa La Leopolda in Nice, France would set you back roughly £250,000,000 ($ 398,350,000 ). Its 10 acres of lush, garden-filled grounds require an astounding 50 gardeners to look after it along with the best home insurance that money can buy.

The Villa La Leopolda in Nice, France

Just Wondering, How Much those home owners have to pay for the insurance of those most expensive house in the world only .

Golden rules to keep romance alive in relationships!!

Getting into a relationship is easy, but keeping it alive is the difficult part.

There are plenty of things, big or small, that can wreck an otherwise great relationship. Now, Dr Barton Goldsmith, a California-based psychotherapist and the author of '100 Ways to Boost Your Self-Confidence - Believe in Yourself and Others Will Too' reveals what all can kill romantic relationships and how to save it from falling apart.

1. Money: It's the root of all evils, as they say. If a partner has been unscrupulous, getting the trust back can be a challenge, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

2. Sex/infidelity: A sexless marriage or unfaithfulness can extinguish love quicker than blowing out a candle. Don't let the flame burn out and try to renew your sex life.

3. Disrespect: Research shows that belittling, insulting or yelling at your partner can cut the chances of your relationship's survival.

4. Children: Some live for them, others would rather kill themselves. Make sure to keep things in balance with your partner, so you have the energy to deal with any child issues.

5. Opposite-sex friends: If you don't want your spouse/partner to dine out and have drinks with a member of the opposite sex, then you need to follow the same guidelines.

. Resentments: Don't hold your pain, hurt or anger inside. If you are harbouring some resentment talk it out and put the matter to rest, so you can enjoy your relationship.

7. Lying/broken promises: Even if you're afraid of getting in trouble, tell the whole truth and don't break promises, and find a way to make up for past mistakes.

8. Laziness: Keeping a relationship is hard work, and if you are unwilling to do it, your connection will diminish and you will begin to resent your partner.

9. Being mean: If you punish your partner when you don't get your way, or if the two of you give each other the silent treatment, you are headed for a lifetime of emotional pain. Stop the nastiness and learn to talk about it.

10. Discomfort/remodelling. If you are living in a construction zone, it's pretty hard to feel comfortable. Injury or illness can create a similar situation. Your home should be a place of serenity, so if you are remodelling or are dealing with physical issues, make your comfort a priority.

source: http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20100903/385/ten-10-golden-rules-to-keep-romance-aliv_1.html

Top 10 in the World Most Expensive Cars 2010 !!

Everyone love these most expensive cars in the world 2010. Expensive cars is one of the most favorite men’s toy. It’s the richest men pride. In this recession era, still quite a lot of persons have enough money to buy these most expensive cars. These cars is very expensive because of their detailing in production, speed also features they have. So let’s take a look at those most expensive cars one by one begin with the 10th:

10. SSC Ultimate Aero: $740,000
New model with 270 mph top speed, spiller made from carbon, a temperature sensor and tire pressure to optimize driving conditions.

SSC ultimate aero

9. Leblanc Mirabeau: $765,000

Designed with 24 hours resilience test at Le mans. It can be driven on the road legally. Mirabeau is using 4.7-liter V8 engine, 700 hp, and can reach average speed of 230 mile / hours. Specially made to order, including for semi automatic transmission system version.

Leblanc Mirabeau

8. Koenigsegg CCX: $1.1 Millions

This car used V8 engines and only 806 units produced. It only takes 3.2 seconds to reach 100 Kms / hour. Top speed can be reach easily is 245 mph. The car tire use rim carbon, with 6 speed, and ceramic brakes.

Koenigsegg CCX

7. Koenigsegg CCXR : $1.3 Millions
Koenigsegg CCXR is another variant from Koenigsegg CCX that signed in environmentally friendly cars. This car use biofuels, need 3.1 seconds to reach 100km/hours, with top speed 250mph.

Koenigsegg CCXR

6. Maybach Landaulet: $1.4 Millions

This car is most expensive cars brand from Germany. Landaulet is the most expensive saloon car. This car have 604 HP, with top speed 155 miles / h, and using 12 twin turbo engine.

Maybach Landaulet

5. Lamborghini Reventón: $1.42 Millions

Not yet clear whether this old version of Reventon is still available. Only 20 units have made, This car created using black aluminum rim, like the newer version of roadster, the design is inspired by fighter aircraft.

Lamborghini Reventon

4. Lamborghini Reventón Roadster: $1.56 Millions

The car design is inspired by Stealth aircraft display. This car using V12 650 HP Engine. Can reach top speed of 340kms/hours.The car is very Light in weight because the body is made using carbon fiber materials.

Lamborghini Reventon Roadster

3. Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster: $1.8 Millions

There are only 5 units available, and go on sale. Chassis made from carbon titanium. Powered by 678 HP Mercedes AMG V12, only 3.4 seconds to reach 100 kms/hours. Can reach 217 mph top speed. The body carbon and suspension is using titanium and magnesium.

Pagani Zonda Cinque Roadster

2. Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport $2 Millions / $1.67 Millions for coupe version

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport use 1001 hp, 16-cylinder engine, and has been developed so there will be no draft inside, even when exploring the upper reaches of the car’s 217 mph top speed. Traits with 2.7 inch LCD mirror. This car is the world’s fastest roadster.

Bugatti Veyron 16 4 Grand Sport 57

1. Koenigsegg Trevita: $2.21 Millions

Just three units to be produced. Koenigsegg Trevita is designed based on Koenigsegg CCXR and added with new shimmering diamond carbon fiber, named “Trevita” in Swedish means “three whites”.

Those three cars fully equipped with Koenigsegg Shimmering Diamond Weave bodywork, using double carbon wing, paddle-shift, inconell exhaust system, carbon ceramic brakes with ABS, hydraulic lifting system, infotainment system, tyre monitoring system, chrono instrument cluster and special airbags.The navigation system is also developed custom just for this model

For the Machine Koenigsegg placed the same 1018bhp engine. Special for this model, the exterior paint fully developed in Sweden, at Koenigsegg headquarters.

Koenigsegg Trevita

Do You plan to buy one of those most expensive cars this year? ?

source http://www.worldinterestingfacts.com/

Most Expensive Projects in The World !!

These most expensive projects in the world belong to several projects in the world that cost a lot of money to make amazing results. Those projects become masterpiece of the human civilizations. Here’s 10 most expensive projects in the world. Those projects is like a parameter of how advanced human technology is. So here’s the list that maybe will make You inspired to make something more amazing

The Pearl Bridge : $ 5 Billions

This bridge has a longest center span from other suspension bridges, at 1991 meters (6532 feet). Located in Japan and completed in 1998. Connecting the mainland city of Kobe on Honshu to Iwaya on Awaji Island crossing a busy Akashi Strait.

The Pearl bridge

9. The Large Hadron Collider : $ 6 Billions

LHC is the world’s largest energy particle accelerator. LHC is located in a 27 kilometers (17 miles) tunnel and 175 meters (570 feet) below the French-Swiss border near Geneva, Switzerland.

The Large Hadron Collider

8. The James “Sunny Jim” Rolph Bridge : $ 6.3 Billions

A series of bridges in San Francisco Bay Area of California, in the United States. Establish a direct route between San Francisco and Oakland. Able to carry about 270,000 vehicles per day on two decks.

The James "Sunny Jim" Rolph Bridge

7. International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER): $6,5 Billions

ITER is a research / engineering project that could help to make the transition of plasma physics to future electricity generation mix (fusion power plant).

International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor

6. Trans-Alaska Pipeline System : $ 8 Billions

The Project consists of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, 11 gas stations, several hundred miles of feeder pipelines, and the Valdez Marine Terminal. Total length of 800.302 miles (1,287.961 km) and wide 48-inch (122 cm) pipeline delivering oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez, Alaska. Private property of the Alaska Pipeline Service Company.

Trans Alaska pipeline system

Trans Alaska Pipeline System in Snow

5. PCU Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78): $8.1 Billions

PCU Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) is to be the lead ship of her class of United States Navy supercarriers. As announced by the U.S. Navy on 16 January 2007, the ship will be named after the 38th President of the United States, the late Gerald R. Ford, whose World War II naval service included combat duty aboard the light aircraft carrier Monterey in the Pacific Theater.

Gerald R. Ford was laid down on 13 November 2009. Construction work began on 11 August 2005, when Northrop Grumman held a ceremonial steel cut for a 15-ton plate that will form part of a side shell unit of the carrier. The schedule calls for the ship to join the U.S. Navy’s fleet in 2015. Gerald R. Ford is slated to replace the current USS Enterprise, ending her then 50-plus years of service with the United States Navy.

PCU Gerald R Ford CVN 78

4. Le tunnel sous la Manche: $8.31 Billions

The Channel Tunnel (French: Le tunnel sous la Manche), known colloquially as the Chunnel, is a 50.5-kilometre (31.4 mi) undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent near Dover in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point it is 75 metres (250 ft) deep.At 37.9 kilometres (23.5 mi), the Channel Tunnel has the longest undersea portion of any tunnel in the world although the Seikan Tunnel in Japan is both longer overall, at 53.85 kilometres (33.46 mi) and deeper, at 240 metres (790 ft) below sea level.

The tunnel carries high-speed Eurostar passenger trains, Eurotunnel Shuttle roll-on/roll-off vehicle transport—the largest in the world—and international rail freight trains. The tunnel connects end-to-end with the LGV Nord and Channel Tunnel Rail Link high-speed railway lines. In 1996 the American Society of Civil Engineers identified the tunnel as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

Ideas for a cross-Channel fixed link appeared as early as 1802, but British political and press pressure over compromised national security stalled attempts to construct a tunnel. However, the eventual successful project, organised by Eurotunnel, began construction in 1988 and opened in 1994. The project came in 80% over its predicted budget. Since its construction, the tunnel has faced several problems. Fires have disrupted operation of the tunnel. Illegal immigrants and asylum seekers have used the tunnel to enter Britain, causing a minor diplomatic disagreement over the siting of the Sangatte refugee camp, which was eventually closed in 2002

Le tunnel sous la Manche

3. The Big Dig Boston: $14.6 Billions

A route of mega project main highway tunnel through the heart of Boston along the 3.5 miles (5.6 km). Initially, the plan was also to include the relationship between Boston with two major railway.

The Big Dig Boston

2. Three Gorges Dam : $ 26 Billions

Dam of the Yangtze River in the town of Sandouping, which is located in Yiling District Yichang, Hubei province, China. is the world’s largest power plants. Body of the dam was completed in 2006. contains 32 main generators, each with a capacity of 700 MW. Additional six generators at the power plant being installed underground.
the total electricity generating capacity of the dam will eventually reach 22,500 MW. Generate hydroelectric power projects, increasing the capacity of river navigation, and reduce the potential for flooding downstream floods by providing storage space. Until September 2009 the dam has produced 348.4 TWh of electricity.

Three Gorges Dam

1.International Space Center : $157 Billions

International Space Station (ISS) is a research facility developed internationally are currently located in low Earth orbit. On-orbit construction of the station began in 1998 and is scheduled for completion in 2011, with operations continuing until at least until 2015. just like the moon, the station can be seen from Earth with the naked eye, this is the largest man-made orbiting ever in history. ISS serves as a long-term research in the laboratory, and is the site of daily experiments in the fields, including biology, human biology, physics, astronomy and meteorology, conducted in the microgravity environment. The station provides a safe location for testing the efficient, reliable spacecraft systems that will be needed for long-term missions to the Moon and Mars.

International Space Center