Showing posts with label Lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lifestyle. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

The 25 Richest People of All Time

Who are the richest human beings ever?
The 25 people on this list are the wealthiest human beings to ever walk the earth.
The top 25 were chosen after adjusting for inflation to convert the fortunes into 2013 dollars. For example, the annual rate of inflation change between 1913 and 2013 is 2199.6% so $100 million in 1913 would be equal to $2.299.63 billion in 2013 dollars. We also used the most recent price for an ounce of gold which is roughly $1330 as of October 10, 2013.

This list provides an inflation adjusted list of rich people:
#1 Mansa Musa I – Net Worth $400 Billion

#2 The Rothschild Family – $350 Billion

#3 John D. Rockefeller – Net Worth $340 Billion

#4 Andrew Carnegie – Net Worth $310 Billion

#5 Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov – Net Worth $300 Billion

#6 Mir Osman Ali Khan – Net Worth $230 billion

#7 William The Conqueror – Net Worth $229.5 Billion

#8 Muammar Gaddafi – Net Worth $200 Billion

#9 Henry Ford – Net Worth $199 Billion

#10 Cornelius Vanderbilt – Net Worth $185 Billion

#11 Alan Rufus – $178.65 billion

#12 Bill Gates – Net Worth $136 Billion

#13 William de Warenne – Net Worth $147.13 Billion

#14 John Jacob Astor – Net Worth $121 Billion

#15 Richard Fitzalan 10th Earl of Arundel – Net Worth $118.6 Billion

#16 John of Gaunt – Net Worth $110 Billion

#17 Stephen Girard – Net Worth $105 Billion

#18 A.T. Stewart – Net Wort $90 Billion

#19 Henry Duke of Lancaster – Net Worth $85.1 Billion

#20 Friedrich Weyerhauser – Net Worth $80 Billion

#21 Jay Gould – Net Worth $71 Billion

#22 Carlos Slim Helu – Net Worth $68 Billion

#22 Stephen Van Rensselaer – Net Worth $68 Billion

#23 Marshall Field – Net Worth $66 Billion

#24 Sam Walton – Net Worth $65 Billion

#25 Warren Buffett – Net Worth $64 Billion 

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Monday, August 11, 2014

Teen Choice Awards: The Complete Winners List

The Teen Choice Awards — whose winners take home a full-size surfboard as their "trophy" — were handed out Sunday night at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. (The awards show moved from its original location at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion following a water main break earlier this month.)

Modern Family star Sarah Hyland and Teen Wolf star Tyler Posey hosted the awards, with performers including Demi Lovato with Cher Lloyd, Magic!, Rixton, Becky G and Jason Derulo.

Selena Gomez received the Ultimate Choice Award at the annual fan-voted awards show, which aired live on Fox (tape-delayed in the West Coast).

The list of winners is below. (Check out all the stars' fashions here.)

MOVIES

Choice Movie: Drama

"The Fault in Our Stars" (WINNER)

"American Hustle"

"Heaven Is for Real"

"Million Dollar Arm"

"Veronica Mars"

Choice Movie Chemistry

Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff and Shailene Woodley, "The Fault in Our Stars" (WINNER)

Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann and Kate Upton, "The Other Woman"

Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

Ice Cube and Kevin Hart, "Ride Along"

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, "22 Jump Street"

Choice Movie Liplock

Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, "The Fault In Our Stars" (WINNER)

Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

Emma Roberts, Jennifer Aniston and Will Poulter, "We're The Millers"

Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"

Choice Movie Scene Stealer

Nat Wolff, "The Fault In Our Stars" (WINNER)

Sam Claflin, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

Nicholas Hoult, "X-Men: Days of Future Past"

Anthony Mackie, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

Ellen Page, "X-Men: Days of Future Past"

Choice Movie Breakout Star

Ansel Elgort, "Divergent" and "The Fault in Our Stars" (WINNER)

Theo James, "Divergent"

Elizabeth Olsen, "Godzilla"

Nicola Peltz, "Transformers: Age of Extinction"

Wyatt Russell, "22 Jump Street"

Choice Movie Actor: Drama

Ansel Elgort, "The Fault in Our Stars" (WINNER)

Bradley Cooper, "American Hustle"

Russell Crowe, "Noah"

Jason Dohring, "Veronica Mars"

Jon Hamm, "Million Dollar Arm"

Choice Movie Actress: Action

Shailene Woodley, "Divergent" (WINNER)

Emily Blunt, "Edge of Tomorrow"

Lily Collins, "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones"

Elle Fanning, "Maleficent"

Angelina Jolie, "Maleficent"

Choice Movie Villain

Donald Sutherland, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" (WINNER)

Michael Fassbender, "X-Men: Days of Future Past"

Jamie Foxx, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"

Kelsey Grammer, "Transformers: Age of Extinction"

Kate Winslet, "Divergent"

Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Josh Hutcherson, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" (WINNER)

Chris Evans, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

Andrew Garfield, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"

Chris Hemsworth, "Thor: The Dark World"

Liam Hemsworth, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

Choice Movie: Action

"Divergent" (WINNER)

"Edge of Tomorrow"

"Godzilla"

"Maleficent"

"The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones"

Choice Movie Actor: Action

Theo James, "Divergent" (WINNER)

Jamie Campbell Bower, "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones"

Kellan Lutz, "The Legend of Hercules"

Mark Wahlberg, "Lone Survivor"

Tom Cruise, "Edge of Tomorrow"

Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" (WINNER)

"Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

"X-Men: Days of Future Past"

"The Amazing Spider-Man 2"

"Thor: The Dark World"

Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Jennifer Lawrence, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and "X-Men: Days of Future Past" (WINNER)

Halle Berry, "X-Men: Days of Future Past"

Scarlett Johansson, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"

Natalie Portman, "Thor: The Dark World"

Emma Stone, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"

Choice Movie Actress: Drama

Shailene Woodley, "The Fault in Our Stars" (WINNER)

Emma Watson, "Noah"

Jennifer Lawrence, "American Hustle"

Kristen Bell, "Veronica Mars"

Sandra Bullock, "Gravity"

Choice Movie: Comedy

"The Other Woman" (WINNER)

"Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues"

"Blended"

"Ride Along"

"Vampire Academy"

Choice Movie Actor: Comedy

Kevin Hart, "Ride Along" (WINNER)

Will Ferrell, "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues"

Johnny Knoxville, "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa"

Ice Cube, "Ride Along"

Adam Sandler, "Blended"

Choice Movie Actress: Comedy

Emma Roberts, "We're the Millers" (WINNER)

Christina Applegate, "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues"

Drew Barrymore, "Blended"

Zoey Deutch, "Vampire Academy"

Cameron Diaz, "The Other Woman"

Choice Summer Movie

"22 Jump Street" (WINNER)

"Dawn of the Planet of the Apes"

"Earth to Echo"

"Hercules"

"Think Like a Man Too"

"Transformers: Age of Extinction"

Choice Summer Movie Star

Channing Tatum, "22 Jump Street" (WINNER)

Jonah Hill, "22 Jump Street"

Dwayne Johnson, "Hercules"

Melissa McCarthy, "Tammy"

Mark Wahlberg, "Transformers: Age of Extinction"

Choice Movie Hissy Fit

Jonah Hill, "22 Jump Street" (WINNER)

Godzilla, "Godzilla"

Kevin Hart, "Ride Along"

Ice Cube, "22 Jump Street"

Jason Sudeikis, "We're The Millers"

TELEVISION

Choice TV Actress: Drama

Lucy Hale, "Pretty Little Liars" (WINNER)

Troian Bellisario, "Pretty Little Liars"

Rachel Bilson, "Hart of Dixie"

Maddie Hasson, "Twisted"

Maia Mitchell, "The Fosters"

Choice TV Actress: Comedy

Lea Michele, "Glee" (WINNER)

Debby Ryan, "Jessie"

Kaley Cuoco, "The Big Bang Theory"

Laura Marano, "Austin & Ally"

Mindy Kaling, “The Mindy Project”

Choice TV Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Nina Dobrev, "The Vampire Diaries" (WINNER)

Claire Holt, "The Originals"

Ginnifer Goodwin, "Once Upon a Time"

Kat Graham, "The Vampire Diaries"

Kristin Kreuk, "Beauty and the Beast"

Choice Summer TV Star: Male

Tyler Blackburn, "Pretty Little Liars" (WINNER)

Jean-Luc Bilodeau, "Baby Daddy"

David Lambert, "The Fosters"

Tyler Posey, "Teen Wolf"

Mike Vogel, "Under the Dome"

Choice TV Reality Personality: Female

Shakira, "The Voice" (WINNER)

Cat Deeley, "So You Think You Can Dance"

Abby Lee Miller, "Dance Moms"

Jennifer Lopez, "American Idol"

The Kardashians and Jenner Sisters, "Keeping Up With The Kardashians"

Choice TV Reality Personality: Male

Adam Levine, "The Voice" (WINNER)

Nick Cannon, "America's Got Talent"

Rob Dyrdek, "Ridiculousness"

Nev Schulman and Max Joseph, "Catfish: The TV Show"

Ryan Seacrest, "American Idol"

Choice TV Breakout Show

"Faking It" (WINNER)

"Being Mary Jane"

"Chasing Life"

"Reign"

"Sleepy Hollow"

Choice TV Show: Drama

"Pretty Little Liars" (WINNER)

"Hart of Dixie"

"Switched at Birth"

"The Fosters"

"Twisted"

Choice TV Actor: Drama

Ian Harding, "Pretty Little Liars" (WINNER)

Avan Jogia, "Twisted"

Jake T. Austin, "The Fosters"

Keegan Allen, "Pretty Little Liars"

Lucas Grabeel, "Switched at Birth"

Choice TV Reality Show

"Keeping Up With The Kardashians" (WINNER)

“Cosmos: A SpaceTime Odyssey”

"Dance Moms"

"Real Husbands of Hollywood"

"Total Divas"

Choice TV Show: Fantasy/Sci-Fi

"The Vampire Diaries" (WINNER)

"Arrow"

"Once Upon a Time"

“Sleepy Hollow”

"Teen Wolf"

Choice TV Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Ian Somerhalder, "The Vampire Diaries" (WINNER)

Joseph Morgan, "The Originals"

Josh Dallas, "Once Upon a Time"

Paul Wesley, "The Vampire Diaries"

Tyler Posey, "Teen Wolf"

Choice TV Show: Comedy

"The Big Bang Theory" (WINNER)

"Austin & Ally"

“Glee”

“New Girl”

"Sam & Cat"

Choice TV Actor: Comedy

Ross Lynch, "Austin & Ally" (WINNER)

Andy Samberg, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”

Ashton Kutcher, "Two and a Half Men"

Chord Overstreet, “Glee”

Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"

Choice TV Animated Show

"The Simpsons" (WINNER)

"Adventure Time"

“Family Guy”

"Gravity Falls"

"Regular Show"

Choice TV Reality Competition Show

"The Voice" (WINNER)

“American Idol 13”

“Masterchef Junior”

"Survivor"

"The Amazing Race"

Choice TV Villain

Dylan O'Brien, "Teen Wolf" (WINNER)

Robbie Kay, "Once Upon A Time"

Jane Lynch, "Glee"

Janel Parrish, "Pretty Little Liars"

Paul Wesley, "The Vampire Diaries"

Choice TV Male Scene Stealer

Tyler Hoechlin, "Teen Wolf" (WINNER)

Darren Criss, "Glee"

Adam DeVine, "Modern Family"

Tahj Mowry, "Baby Daddy"

Michael Trevino, "The Vampire Diaries"

Choice TV Female Scene Stealer

Candice Accola, "The Vampire Diaries" (WINNER)

Sarah Hyland, "Modern Family"

Eden Sher, "The Middle"

Naya Rivera, "Glee"

Mayim Bialik, "The Big Bang Theory"

Choice TV Female Breakout Star

Sasha Pieterse, "Pretty Little Liars" (WINNER)

Nicole Beharie, "Sleepy Hollow"

Dove Cameron, "Liv & Maddie"

Adelaide Kane, "Reign"

Emily Bett Rickards, "Arrow"

Choice TV Male Breakout Star

Brett Dalton, "Agents of SHIELD" (WINNER)

Richard Brancatisano, "Chasing Life"

Tom Mison, "Sleepy Hollow"

Miguel Pinzon, "Mystery Girls"

Toby Regbo, "Reign"

Choice Summer TV Show

"Wipeout" (WINNER)

"Baby Daddy"

"Girl Meets World"

"So You Think You Can Dance"

"Under The Dome"

"Young & Hungry"

Choice Summer TV Star: Female

Ashley Benson, "Pretty Little Liars" (WINNER)

Shay Mitchell, "Pretty Little Liars"

Emily Osment, "Young & Hungry"

Cierra Ramirez, "The Fosters"

Italia Ricci, "Chasing Life"

MUSIC

Choice Male Artist

Ed Sheeran (WINNER)


Jason Derulo

Pharrell Williams

Pitbull

Austin Mahone

Justin Timberlake

Choice Female Artist

Ariana Grande (WINNER)

Beyoncé

Miley Cyrus

Lorde

Katy Perry

Taylor Swift

Choice Music Group

One Direction (WINNER)

5 Seconds of Summer

Fifth Harmony

R5

Rixton

Choice Single: Female Artist

"Problem," Ariana Grande featuring Iggy Azalea (WINNER)

"Dark Horse," Katy Perry featuring Juicy J

"Fancy," Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX

"Let It Go," Idina Menzel

"Team," Lorde

Choice Single: Male Artist

"Sing," Ed Sheeran (WINNER)

"Happy," Pharrell Williams

"Mmm Yeah," Austin Mahone featuring Pitbull

"Stay With Me," Sam Smith

"Talk Dirty," Jason Derulo featuring 2 Chainz

Choice Single: Group

"Story of My Life," One Direction (WINNER)

"Bo$$," Fifth Harmony

"Me and My Broken Heart," Rixton

"Rude," Magic!

"She Looks So Perfect," 5 Seconds of Summer

Choice Break-Up Song

"Story of My Life," One Direction (WINNER)

"Amnesia," 5 Seconds of Summer

"Break Free," Ariana Grande featuring Zedd

"Miss Movin' On," Fifth Harmony

"Really Don't Care," Demi Lovato featuring Cher Lloyd

Choice Female Country Artist

Taylor Swift (WINNER)

Jana Kramer

Kacey Musgraves

Miranda Lambert

Carrie Underwood

Choice Summer Music Star: Female

Demi Lovato (WINNER)

Ariana Grande

Iggy Azalea

Becky G

Nicki Minaj

Choice Summer Song

"Really Don't Care," Demi Lovato featuring Cher Lloyd (WINNER)

"Fancy," Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX

"Rude," Magic!

"Summer," Calvin Harris

"Wiggle," Jason Derulo featuring Snoop Dogg

Choice Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Artist

Calvin Harris (WINNER)

Martin Garrix

Kaskade

Skrillex

Zedd

Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Artist

Iggy Azalea (WINNER)

Eminem

John Legend

Nicki Minaj

Justin Timberlake

Choice Rock Group

Imagine Dragons (WINNER)

Coldplay

One Republic

Paramore

The Black Keys

Choice Male Country Artist

Hunter Hayes (WINNER)

Luke Bryan

Jake Owen

Blake Shelton

Keith Urban

Choice Country Group

Lady Antebellum (WINNER)

Florida Georgia Line

Parmalee

The Band Perry

Zac Brown Band

Choice Country Song

"This is How We Roll," Florida Georgia Line featuring Luke Bryan (WINNER)

"Bartender," Lady Antebellum

"Beachin,'" Jake Owen

"Play It Again," Luke Bryan

"Somethin' Bad," Miranda Lambert with Carrie Underwood

Choice R&B/Hip-Hop Song

"Fancy," Iggy Azalea featuring Charli XCX (WINNER)

"All of Me," John Legend

"Na Na," Trey Songz

"Pills N Potions," Nicki Minaj

"Turn Down For What," DJ Snake & Lil Jon

Choice Rock Song

"Pompeii," Bastille (WINNER)

"Ain't It Fun," Paramore

"Love Runs Out," OneRepublic

"Maps," Maroon 5

"On Top of the World," Imagine Dragons

Choice EDM Song

"Wake Me Up," Avicii (WINNER)

"#Selfie," The Chainsmokers

"Animals," Martin Garrix

"Latch," Disclosure featuring Sam Smith

"Summer," Calvin Harris

Choice Love Song

"You & I," One Direction (WIINNER)

"All of Me," John Legend

"Boom Clap," Charli XCX

"Not a Bad Thing," Justin Timberlake

"Somebody to You," The Vamps featuring Demi Lovato

Choice Music Breakout Artist

Austin Mahone (WINNER)

Becky G

Rita Ora

Cody Simpson

Zendaya

Choice Music: Breakout Group

5 Seconds of Summer (WINNER)

Fifth Harmony

MKTO

Rixton

The Vamps

Choice Summer Music Star: Male

Jason Derulo (WINNER)

Luke Bryan

John Legend

Sam Smith

Pharrell Williams

Choice Summer Music Star: Group

5 Seconds of Summer (WINNER)

Fifth Harmony

Florida Georgia Line

Magic!

Rixton

Choice Summer Tour

One Direction, Where We Are Tour (WINNER)

Beyonce and Jay-Z, On The Run Tour

Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience World Tour

Katy Perry, The Prismatic World Tour

Luke Bryan, That's My Kind of Night Tour

SPORTS

Choice Male Athlete

LeBron James (WINNER)

Kevin Durant

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Tim Howard

Johnny Manziel

Russell Wilson

Choice Female Athlete

Serena Williams (WINNER)

Meryl Davis

Lucy Li

Candace Parker

Danica Patrick

Amy Purdy

DIGITAL

Choice Twit

One Direction (WINNER)

Justin Bieber

Demi Lovato

Katy Perry

Ian Somerhalder

Choice Web Star: Female

Bethany Mota (WINNER)

Grace Helbig

iJustine

Michelle Phan

Andrea Russett

Zoe Sugg ("Zoella")

Choice Web Star: Male

Tyler Oakley (WINNER)

Cameron Dallas

Connor Franta

Joey Graceffa

Shawn Mendes

Troye Sivan

Choice Web Star: Music

Shawn Mendes (WINNER)

Boyce Avenue

Cimorelli

Christina Grimmie

Megan and Liz

Lindsey Stirling

Choice Web Star: Comedy

Our2ndLife (WINNER)

Colleen Ballinger ("Miranda Sings")

Hannah Hart

Jenn McAllister ("Jennxpenn")

Anthony Quintal ("Lohanthony")

Brittani Louise Taylor

Choice Web Star: Fashion/Beauty

Zoe Sugg ("Zoella") (WINNER)

Elle and Blaire Fowler

Bunny Meyer ("Grav3yardgirl")

Bethany Mota

Ingrid Nilsen ("Missglamorazzi")

Michelle Phan

Choice Viner

Cameron Dallas (WINNER)

Matt Espinosa

Jack and Jack

Shawn Mendes

Lele Pons

Choice Web Collaboration

Troye Sivan & Tyler Oakley - The "Boyfriend" Tag (WINNER)

Danisnotonfire & AmazingPhil - The Photo Booth Challenge

Alfie Deyes ("Pointless Blog") and Ariana Grande - Ariana Does My Makeup

PrankvsPrank and Jack & Finn Harries ("Jacksgap") - Twin Teleport Prank

Anthony Quintal ("Lohanthony"), Jack Baran ("Thatsojack), Andrew Lowe, Jenn McAllister ("Jennxpenn) and Rebecca

Black - Fab Five in Real Life

Choice Social Media King

One Direction (WINNER)

Justin Bieber

Ashton Kutcher

Ian Somerhalder

Justin Timberlake

Choice Social Media Queen

Katy Perry (WINNER)

Lady Gaga

Rihanna

Britney Spears

Taylor Swift

Choice Instagrammer

Miley Cyrus (WINNER)

Justin Bieber

Selena Gomez

Rihanna

Taylor Swift

Choice Fanatic Fans

#Directioners (WINNER)

#Arianators

#Harmonizers

#Lovatics

#Swifties

Choice Web Star: Gaming

PewDiePie (WINNER)

Tiffany Garcia( "IHasCupquake")

Joey Graceffa

iJustine

Toby Turner

FASHION

Candie's Choice Style Icon

Zendaya (WINNER)

Iggy Azalea

Ashley Benson

Kendall Jenner

Emma Roberts

Choice Female Hottie

Selena Gomez (WINNER)

Beyoncé

Ariana Grande

Kendall Jenner

Rihanna

Bella Thorne

Choice Male Hottie

One Direction (WINNER)

Zac Efron

Ryan Gosling

Liam Hemsworth

Austin Mahone

Ian Somerhalder

Choice Smile

Harry Styles (WINNER)

Selena Gomez

Austin Mahone

Demi Lovato

Taylor Swift

OTHER

Choice Comedian

Kevin Hart (WINNER)

Jimmy Fallon

Mindy Kaling

Andy Samberg

Kenan Thompson

Olay Fresh Effects Breakout Star Award

Odeya Rush (WINNER)

Saturday, July 26, 2014

DID YOU KNOW?...

Did You Know....?

1. Your shoes are the first thing people subconsciously notice about you. Wear nice shoes.

2. If you sit for more than 11 hours a day, there's a 50% chance you'll die within the next 3 years

3. There are at least 6 people in the world who look exactly like you. There's a 9% chance that you'll meet one of them in your lifetime.

4. Sleeping without a pillow reduces back pain and keeps your spine stronger.

5. A person's height is determined by their father, and their weight is determined by their mother.

6. If a part of your body "falls asleep",
you can almost always "wake it up" by shaking your head.

7. There are three things the human brain cannot resist noticing - Food, attractive people and danger

8. Right-handed people tend to chew food on their right side

9. Putting dry tea bags in gym bags or smelly shoes will absorb the unpleasant odour.

10. According to Albert Einstein, if honey bees were to disappear from earth, humans would be dead within 4 years.

11. There are so many kind of apples, that if you ate a new one everyday, it would take over 20 years to try them all.

12. You can survive without eating for weeks, but you will only live 11 days without sleeping.

13. People who laugh a lot are healthier than those who don't.

14. Laziness and inactivity kills just as many people as smoking.

15. A human brain has a capacity to store 5 times as much information as Wikipedia

16. Our brain uses same amount power as 10-watt light bulb!!

17. Our body gives enough heat in 30 mins to boil 1.5 litres of water!!

18. Stomach acid (conc. HCl) is strong enough to dissolve razor blades!!

19. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. & while you walk, SMILE. It is the ultimate antidepressant.

20. Share‬ this with everyone to help them live a happier life...

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Friday, July 25, 2014

Ebola virus disease

Ebola virus disease (EVD) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is the human disease caused by ebola viruses. Symptoms start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus with a fever, throat and muscle pains, and headaches. There is then nausea, vomiting and diarrhea along with decreased functioning of the liver and kidneys. At this point some people begin to have problems with bleeding.

The disease is first acquired by a population when a person comes into contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected animal such as a monkey or fruit bat. Fruit bats are believed to carry and spread the disease without being affected by it. Once infection occurs, the disease may be spread from one person to another. Men who survive may be able to transmit the disease sexually for nearly two months. To make the diagnosis, typically other diseases with similar symptoms such as malariacholera and other viral hemorrhagic fever are excluded. The blood may then be tested for either antibodies to the virus, the viral RNA, or the virus itself to confirm the diagnosis.

Prevention involves decreasing the spread of the disease from infected monkeys and pigs to humans. This may be done by checking these animals for infection and killing and properly disposing of the bodies if the disease is discovered. Properly cooking meat and wearing protective clothing when handling meat may be helpful, as may wearing protective clothing and washing hands when around someone sick with the disease. Samples from people with the disease should be handled with an extra degree of caution.

There is no specific treatment for the virus with efforts to help people including giving the person either oral rehydration therapy orintravenous fluids. The disease has a high death rate: often between 50% and 90%. It typically occurs in outbreaks in tropical regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. Between 1976, when it was first identified, and 2014, fewer than 1,000 people a year have been infected. The largest outbreak as of 2014 is the ongoing 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak, which is affecting GuineaSierra Leone and Liberia. The disease was first identified in the Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Efforts are ongoing to develop a vaccine; however, none exists as of 2014.

 

Signs and Symptoms

Manifestation of Ebola begins abruptly with a sudden onset of an influenza-like stage characterized by general malaise, fever with chills, sore throat, severe headache, weakness, joint pain, muscle pain, and chest pain. Respiratory tract involvement is characterized by pharyngitis with sore throat, cough, dyspnea, and hiccups. The central nervous systemis affected as judged by the development of severe headaches, agitation, confusion, fatigue, depression, seizures, and sometimes coma.

Cutaneous presentation may include: maculopapular rash, petechiae, purpura, ecchymoses, and hematomas (especially around needle injection sites). In general, development of hemorrhagic symptoms is indicative of a negative prognosis. However, contrary to popular belief, hemorrhage does not lead to hypovolemia and is not the cause of death (total blood loss is low except during labor). Instead, death occurs due to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) due to fluid redistribution, hypotension, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and focal tissue necroses.

The average time between contracting the infection and the onset of symptoms is 13 days, but can be as long as 25 days.

 

Causes

EVD is caused by four of five viruses classified in the genus Ebolavirus, family Filoviridae, order Mononegavirales: Bundibugyo virus (BDBV), Ebola virus (EBOV), Sudan virus(SUDV),Taï Forest virus (TAFV). The fifth virus, Reston virus (RESTV), is thought to be not disease causing for humans and therefore not discussed here.

 



Ebola virus disease

Ebola virus disease (EVD) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is the human disease caused by ebola viruses. Symptoms start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus with a fever, throat and muscle pains, and headaches. There is then nausea, vomiting and diarrhea along with decreased functioning of the liver and kidneys. At this point some people begin to have problems with bleeding.
The disease is first acquired by a population when a person comes into contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected animal such as a monkey or fruit bat. Fruit bats are believed to carry and spread the disease without being affected by it. Once infection occurs, the disease may be spread from one person to another. Men who survive may be able to transmit the disease sexually for nearly two months. To make the diagnosis, typically other diseases with similar symptoms such as malariacholera and other viral hemorrhagic fever are excluded. The blood may then be tested for either antibodies to the virus, the viral RNA, or the virus itself to confirm the diagnosis.
Prevention involves decreasing the spread of the disease from infected monkeys and pigs to humans. This may be done by checking these animals for infection and killing and properly disposing of the bodies if the disease is discovered. Properly cooking meat and wearing protective clothing when handling meat may be helpful, as may wearing protective clothing and washing hands when around someone sick with the disease. Samples from people with the disease should be handled with an extra degree of caution.
There is no specific treatment for the virus with efforts to help people including giving the person either oral rehydration therapy orintravenous fluids. The disease has a high death rate: often between 50% and 90%. It typically occurs in outbreaks in tropical regions of Sub-Saharan Africa. Between 1976, when it was first identified, and 2014, fewer than 1,000 people a year have been infected. The largest outbreak as of 2014 is the ongoing 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak, which is affecting GuineaSierra Leone and Liberia. The disease was first identified in the Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Efforts are ongoing to develop a vaccine; however, none exists as of 2014.


Signs and symptoms

Manifestation of Ebola begins abruptly with a sudden onset of an influenza-like stage characterized by general malaise, fever with chills, sore throat, severe headache, weakness, joint pain, muscle pain, and chest pain. Respiratory tract involvement is characterized by pharyngitis with sore throat, cough, dyspnea, and hiccups. The central nervous systemis affected as judged by the development of severe headaches, agitation, confusion, fatiguedepressionseizures, and sometimes coma.


Cutaneous presentation may include: maculopapular rash, petechiaepurpuraecchymoses, and hematomas (especially around needle injection sites). In general, development of hemorrhagic symptoms is indicative of a negative prognosis. However, contrary to popular belief, hemorrhage does not lead to hypovolemia and is not the cause of death (total blood loss is low except during labor). Instead, death occurs due to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) due to fluid redistribution, hypotensiondisseminated intravascular coagulation, and focal tissue necroses.


The average time between contracting the infection and the onset of symptoms is 13 days, but can be as long as 25 days.

Causes

EVD is caused by four of five viruses classified in the genus Ebolavirus, family Filoviridae, order MononegaviralesBundibugyo virus (BDBV), Ebola virus (EBOV), Sudan virus(SUDV),Taï Forest virus (TAFV). The fifth virus, Reston virus (RESTV), is thought to be not disease causing for humans and therefore not discussed here.




Saturday, July 19, 2014

10 Painfully Obvious Truths Everyone Forgets Too Soon!

“The truth does not cease to exist when it is ignored.”

You know how you can hear something a hundred times in a hundred different ways before it finally gets through to you?  The ten truths listed below fall firmly into that category – life lessons that many of us likely learned years ago, and have been reminded of ever since, but for whatever reason, haven’t fully grasped.

This, my friends, is my attempt at helping all of us, myself included, “get it” and “remember it” once and for all…

1.  THE AVERAGE HUMAN LIFE IS RELATIVELY SHORT.

We know deep down that life is short, and that death will happen to all of us eventually, and yet we are infinitely surprised when it happens to someone we know.  It’s like walking up a flight of stairs with a distracted mind, and misjudging the final step.  You expected there to be one more stair than there is, and so you find yourself off balance for a moment, before your mind shifts back to the present moment and how the world really is.

LIVE your life TODAY!  Don’t ignore death, but don’t be afraid of it either.  Be afraid of a life you never lived because you were too afraid to take action.  Death is not the greatest loss in life.  The greatest loss is what dies inside you while you’re still alive.  Be bold.  Be courageous.  Be scared to death, and then take the next step anyway.

2.  YOU WILL ONLY EVER LIVE THE LIFE YOU CREATE FOR YOURSELF.

Your life is yours alone.  Others can try to persuade you, but they can’t decide for you.  They can walk with you, but not in your shoes.  So make sure the path youdecide to walk aligns with your own intuition and desires, and don’t be scared to switch paths or pave a new one when it makes sense.

Remember, it’s always better to be at the bottom of the ladder you want to climb than the top of the one you don’t.  Be productive and patient.  And realize that patience is not about waiting, but the ability to keep a good attitude while working hard for what you believe in.  This is your life, and it is made up entirely of your choices.  May your actions speak louder than your words.  May your life preach louder than your lips.  May your success be your noise in the end.

And if life only teaches you one thing, let it be that taking a passionate leap is always worth it.  Even if you have no idea where you’re going to land, be brave enough to step up to the edge of the unknown, and listen to your heart.  (Angel and I discuss this in more detail in the “Passion and Growth” chapter of 1,000 Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently.)

3.  BEING BUSY DOES NOT MEAN BEING PRODUCTIVE.

Busyness isn’t a virtue, nor is it something to respect.  Though we all have seasons of crazy schedules, very few of us have a legitimate need to be busy ALL the time.  We simply don’t know how to live within our means, prioritize properly, and say no when we should.

Being busy rarely equates to productivity these days.  Just take a quick look around.  Busy people outnumber productive people by a wide margin.  Busy people are rushing all over the place, and running late half of the time.  They’re heading to work, conferences, meetings, social engagements, etc.  They barely have enough free time for family get-togethers and they rarely get enough sleep.  Yet, emails are shooting out of their smart phones like machine gun bullets, and their day planners are jammed to the brim with obligations.  Their busy schedule gives them an elevated sense of importance.  But it’s all an illusion.  They’re like hamsters running on a wheel.

Though being busy can make us feel more alive than anything else for a moment, the sensation is not sustainable long term.  We will inevitably, whether tomorrow or on our deathbed, come to wish that we spent less time in the buzz of busyness and more time actually living a purposeful life.

4.  SOME KIND OF FAILURE ALWAYS OCCURS BEFORE SUCCESS.

Most mistakes are unavoidable.  Learn to forgive yourself.  It’s not a problem to make them.  It’s only a problem if you never learn from them.

If you’re too afraid of failure, you can’t possibly do what needs to be done to be successful.  The solution to this problem is making friends with failure.  You want to know the difference between a master and a beginner?  The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.  Behind every great piece of art is a thousand failed attempts to make it, but these attempts are simply never shown to us.

Bottom line:  Just because it’s not happening now, doesn’t mean it never will.  Sometimes things have to go very wrong before they can be right.  (Read The Success Principles.)

5.  THINKING AND DOING ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT THINGS.

Success never comes to look for you while you wait around thinking about it.

You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.  Knowledge is basically useless without action.  Good things don’t come to those who wait; they come to those who work on meaningful goals.  Ask yourself what’s really important and then have the courage to build your life around your answer.

And remember, if you wait until you feel 100% ready to begin, you’ll likely be waiting the rest of your life.

6.  YOU DON’T HAVE TO WAIT FOR AN APOLOGY TO FORGIVE.

Life gets much easier when you learn to accept all the apologies you never got.  The key is to be thankful for every experience – positive or negative.  It’s taking a step back and saying, “Thank you for the lesson.”  It’s realizing that grudges from the past are a perfect waste of today’s happiness, and that holding one is like letting unwanted company live rent free in your head.

Forgiveness is a promise – one you want to keep.  When you forgive someone you are making a promise not to hold the unchangeable past against your present self.  It has nothing to do with freeing a criminal of his or her crime, and everything to do with freeing yourself of the burden of being an eternal victim.

7.  SOME PEOPLE ARE SIMPLY THE WRONG MATCH FOR YOU.

You will only ever be as great as the people you surround yourself with, so be brave enough to let go of those who keep bringing you down.  You shouldn’t force connections with people who constantly make you feel less than amazing.

If someone makes you feel uncomfortable and insecure every time you’re with them, for whatever reason, they’re probably not close friend material.  If they make you feel like you can’t be yourself, or if they make you “less than” in any way, don’t pursue a connection with them.  If you feel emotionally drained after hanging out with them or get a small hit of anxiety when you are reminded of them, listen to your intuition.  There are so many “right people” for you, who energize you and inspire you to be your best self.  It makes no sense to force it with people who are the wrong match for you.

8.  IT’S NOT OTHER PEOPLE’S JOB TO LOVE YOU; IT’S YOURS.

It’s important to be nice to others, but it’s even more important to be nice to yourself.  You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.  So make sure you don’t start seeing yourself through the eyes of those who don’t value you.  Know your worth, even if they don’t.

Today, let someone love you just the way you are – as flawed as you might be, as unattractive as you sometimes feel, and as incomplete as you think you are.  Yes, let someone love you despite all of this, and let that someone be YOU.  (ReadLove Yourself Like Your Life Depends On It.)

9.  WHAT YOU OWN IS NOT WHO YOU ARE.

Stuff really is just stuff, and it has absolutely no bearing on who you are as a person.  Most of us can make do with much less than we think we need.  That’s a valuable reminder, especially in a hugely consumer-driven culture that focuses more on material things than meaningful connections and experiences.

You have to create your own culture.  Don’t watch TV, don’t read every fashion magazine, and don’t consume too much of the evening news.  Find the strength to fill your time with meaningful experiences.  The space and time you are occupying at this very moment is LIFE, and if you’re worrying about Kim Kardashian or Lebron James or some other famous face, then you are disempowered.  You’re giving your life away to marketing and media trickery, which is created by big companies to ultimately motivate you to want to dress a certain way, look a certain way, and be a certain way.  This is tragic, this kind of thinking.  It’s all just Hollywood brainwashing.  What is real is YOU and your friends and your family, your loves, your highs, your hopes, your plans, your fears, etc.

Too often we’re told that we’re not important, we’re just peripheral to what is.  “Get a degree, get a job, get a car, get a house, and keep on getting.”  And it’s sad, because someday you’ll wake up and realize you’ve been tricked.  And all you’ll want then is to reclaim your mind by getting it out of the hands of the brainwashers who want to turn you into a drone that buys everything that isn’t needed to impress everyone that isn’t important.

10.  EVERYTHING CHANGES, EVERY SECOND.

Embrace change and realize it happens for a reason.  It won’t always be obvious at first, but in the end it will be worth it.

What you have today may become what you had by tomorrow.  You never know.  Things change, often spontaneously.  People and circumstances come and go.  Life doesn’t stop for anybody.  It moves rapidly and rushes from calm to chaos in a matter of seconds, and happens like this to people every day.  It’s likely happening to someone nearby right now.

Sometimes the shortest split second in time changes the direction of our lives.  A seemingly innocuous decision rattles our whole world like a meteorite striking Earth.  Entire lives have been swiveled and flipped upside down, for better or worse, on the strength of an unpredictable event.  And these events are always happening.

However good or bad a situation is now, it will change.  That’s the one thing you can count on.  So when life is good, enjoy it.  Don’t go looking for something better every second.  Happiness never comes to those who don’t appreciate what they have while they have it.

YOUR TURN…

What else would you add to this list?  What important life lessons do you often forget?  Leave a comment below and share your thoughts.

First Chikungunya Contracted in U.S.

mosquito

A Florida man becomes the first US resident who has not recently traveled outside the country to be diagnosed with an infection from the mosquito-borne virus.

Aedes aegypti, one of the mosquito vectors of the Chikungunya virusWIKIMEDIA, JAMES GATHANY, PHIL, CDCThe US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported yesterday (July 17) on the first locally acquired case of chikungunya virus in the United States. A Florida man who had not partaken in any recent international travel was diagnosed with the painful infection.

The virus was first documented in the Western Hemisphere seven months ago, when infections began popping up on the Caribbean island of St. Martin. Since then, more than 100,000 suspected cases have been recorded 17 countries of the Caribbean and South America, according to the CDC. A couple hundred cases of chikungunya have emerged in the U.S., but always in association with overseas travel. “[T]he newly reported case represents the first time that mosquitoes in the continental United States are thought to have spread the virus to a non-traveler,” a CDC press release read. 

Chikungunya is rarely fatal, but the virus can cause severe joint pain, and there is no specific treatment for infection. Along with the Florida Department of Health, the federal agency is currently investigating how the Florida man contracted the virus, and will continue to monitor for additional U.S. cases. “The arrival of chikungunya virus, first in the tropical Americas and now in the United States, underscores the risks posed by this and other exotic pathogens,” Roger Nasci, chief of CDC’s Arboviral Diseases Branch, said in the release. “This emphasizes the importance of CDC’s health security initiatives designed to maintain effective surveillance networks, diagnostic laboratories and mosquito control programs both in the United States and around the world.”

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Amazing Facts About Africa!

Africa is such a unique continent and over the decades there have been a lot of untruths, stereotypes and misconceptions about this beautiful continent.
It is surprising to learn that these stereotypes and misconceptions did not only come from outside the continent but also from its inhabitants.

Below is a list of some amazing things most people do not know about Africa. It includes the Good, the Bad and the Ugly things:

1.Africa has 54 Countries and one "non-self governing territory", which is
Western Sahara.

2.Only two countries were not colonised by foreign powers in Africa, they are Ethiopia (Abbysynia) and Liberia.

3.Africa, before colonial rule, comprised of up to 10,000 different states and autonomous groups with distinct languages and customs.

4.Over 25% of all the languages in the world are spoken in Africa alone.

5. With a population of over 1.1 billion people or 16% of the world's population, it is the second most populous continent.

6.The Second Congo War (1998-2003) is the deadliest conflict in the world since World War 2. It killed more than 5.4 Million people.
It involved more than eight other African countries on opposing sides. It is also known as "Africa's First World War".

7. Almost 90% of all worldwide malaria infection cases occur in Africa which also accounts for about 24% of all child deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa.

8. Africa is the second largest continent in the world with over 30 million square kilometres.

9.The largest country in Africa is Algeria. It is approximately the size of Western Europe.

10. The great Sahara Desert is bigger than Continental U.S.A. It is the largest desert in the world.

11. Africa is the world's hottest continent and has deserts and drylands covering about 60% of the land surface area e.g Kalahari, Sahara, Libya, Namib Deserts e.t.c.

12. It is the world's second driest continent. Australia is the first.

13.Africa has the world's largest natural reserves of precious minerals e.g It has 90% of the world's Platinum, over 40% of the Gold and more than 60% of the Cobalt.

14. There are more than 1 million Chinese citizens living in Africa and more are coming in every day. Angola alone has a population of more than 350,000 Chinese.

15. Lake Victoria is the second largest fresh water lake in the world and the largest lake in Africa. It is a major source of the River Nile.

16. Lake Malawi has more fish species than any other fresh water system on Earth.

17. The Nile River has has a total lenght of 6,650 kilometres. The longest river in the world.

18. More than 85% of the world's Elephants and more than 99% of the remaining Lions on Earth are on the African continent.

19. The largest wildlife migration on Earth happens on the Serengeti (in Tanzania) with more than 1.2 million Wildebeests marching behind 750,000 Zebras as they cross this amazing landscape. It is an awesome sight to behold.

20. Over 25% of the world's bird species live in Africa.

21. Close to the airport in Dakar (Senegal) is a massive sculpted statue, "The African Rennaisance Monument". It stands 49m tall on top of a 100m high hill. It is the tallest statue in Africa, and most of the world.

22. There are more Pyramids in Sudan than in Egypt. Sudan has 223 Pyramids which is double the number in Egypt but the Pyramids of Egypt are generally bigger in size than those in Sudan.

23. The name "Africa" was originally used by ancient Greeks and Romans for only the Northern region of the Continent. Africa in Latin means "sunny" and the word "Aphrike" in Greek means "without cold".

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Why Men Behave Better When Around Beautiful Women

In case you are wondering why some men behave nicely when women are around them and behave anyhow when they are alone or with friends, a study has revealed why this is so.
The study shows that men put in their best behaviour when attractive or beautiful ladies are close by, and that the number of kind acts showed by men relates with how attractive a female is.

The study, carried out by Dr. Wendy Iredale of Sheffield Hallam University and Mark Van Vugt of the VU University in Amsterdam and the University of Oxford, further shows that the extent of kind and selfless acts by men corresponds with the attractiveness of women who are around.
The study, published in the British Journal of Psychology, also found out that the behaviour of women remains the same, regardless of who was around.
In the first part of the research, 65 men and 65 women, with an average age of 21, anonymously played a cooperation game where they could donate money to a group fund via a computer programme. The donations were selfless acts.
The two groups comprising 65 persons each were placed under observation by two physically attractive observers, who were either of the same sex or opposite sex. Men were found to do more significant good deeds when observed by the opposite sex than when observed by men, while the number of good deeds made by women did not change, regardless of who observed.
For the second experiment, groups of males were formed and were asked to make a number of public donations. Their donation increased when observed by an attractive female, where they were found to actively compete with one another. However, when observed by a male, donations did not increase.
Iredale said, “The research shows that good deeds among men increase when presented with an opportunity to be joined together. Theoretically, this suggests that a good deed is the human equivalent of the peacock’s tail. Practically, this research shows how societies can encourage selfless acts.”
In an interaction with our correspondent, a 31-year-old civil servant, Olanrewaju Felix, described the study as a true reflection of his personal experience. “From my personal experience, the study is true because I have observed that when female friends, colleagues or even visitors are around, I tend to behave well and be less dramatic. It is more so when the lady is within the age range of someone I can befriend.
“I can’t really explain it but that is just the truth, and I think it is common among men. In fact, my friends tell me that my voice changes on the phone when I am talking to a lady, but I have settled it in my mind that I can’t change it because I believe it is my nature.”
It seems like a common testimony among men in their late teens upwards to behave in a more refined manner and do certain positive things they may naturally not do if there were no women around, especially the sexy and attractive ones.
Seun Ibigbami, a student in his mid 20s, told our correspondent that the best time for him to ask for money from his brother is when he had female friends or colleagues around him.
“I have learnt that if I need to get anything from my brother, I need to ask him when there is at least a female around him. It works faster because I think he seeks to impress the women, whereas, if he is with a man, nothing changes.
“In fact, he feels free to talk to me if the person is a man because he believes it is man to man, which gives me an impression that his nice disposition in the presence of women is actually to impress.”
However, a consultant psychologist, Prof. Makanju Ayobami, said men tend to do that because they become more self-conscious and put on their best behaviour or effort in order to make a good impression on the attractive or beautiful person around.
“It is the same reason why we all want to look good when we are going out than when we are inside.
“And that is why there are certain things we do at home that we cannot do in the presence of visitors. This could be because of the familiarity and maybe taking them for granted.”
Ayobami argued that it could even be more with women than men but that it occurs in both males and females.
Another psychiatrist, Dr. Kehinde Ayenibiowo, said a man would not need to behave in the best way he could in the presence of a woman if there is no ulterior motive.
She added that, in spite of the need for rational beings to behave well to get the best from every relationship or situation, it is when the man hopes to get something from the woman, either at the moment or later in the future, that he could seek to impress her specially.
“It depends on the motive. If you do not want to create impressions, why do you want to behave well when a woman is around? It is because such men have ulterior motives, especially if they are expecting something from her.
“Why don’t such men behave well in the presence of their mother, no matter how beautiful she is? So, there must be a reason. Moreover, it also depends on the relationship between the man and the woman. If there is no established relationship, since we are moved by first impression, an average person wants people to think well of him or her.
“Human beings are rational beings, especially men, who are not moved by intuition, but by rationality, so, when they hide what is bad and only show what is good, they want to be accepted, and for the likelihood of what they hope to get from her now or later,” she explained.
Ayenibiowo further questioned why men who try to impress women by their behaviour do not act likewise in the presence of their wives at home. She said they behave well in such special occasions knowing that they cannot get their best if they do not behave themselves.
“If a man is very rich, he doesn’t need to create impression because he knows that he is already accepted, unless he is after a particular woman. They are also aware that people believe women flock after rich men in this part of the world,” she added.

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The 10 Most Expensive Alcoholic Drinks

See pictures after the list!
#10 Vieille Bon Secours Ale – $1200
As we’ll soon see, the domain of ultra-expensive alcohol is dominated by liquor, but that doesn’t mean beer can’t hold a spot down. Vieille Bon Secours is an artisanal belgian beer produced by la Brasserie Caulier, a family brewery based in Péruwelz, Belgium. Don’t worry, for $1200 you get a lot more than a bottle. Each $1200 order of Vieille Bon Secours guarantees you 12 litres of the world’s greatest beer to your doorstep. Since opening in 1995 they’ve produced several yields of beer, but the most valuable is the one that’s been aged for 10 years. The beer has an 8% alcohol content and has a taste flavoured with toffee and anise.

9 The Winston Cocktail – $14,000
For $14,000 you don’t get a casket of rare beer or a bottle of aged scotch; you get a single cocktail. That’s right, a single cocktail can set you back $14,000 if you have the abundance of means and lack of sense to actually order it. Master bartender Salvatore Calabrese can take the credit for crafting the expensive – but almost surely delicious – cocktail. To mix ‘The Winston’, take 60ml of Cognac Croizet 1858 Cuvee Leonie, part Grand Marnier Quintessence, part Chartreuse Viellissement Exceptionellement Prolongé, with just a hint of Angostura Bitters. Elegant, refined, overpriced; it has all the ingredients of a drink for executives.

8 Legacy by Angostura – $25,000
Although the world is full of expensive drinks, it’s rare that they’re expensive for political reasons. Legacy by Angostura is one such drink. The rum mixture was crafted specifically to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Trinidad and Tobago’s independence. Only 20 decanters of the rum – composed of a mixture of several rums all aged for at least 17 years – were ever put up for sale. Each rum comes in a case and crystal decanter that was designed specifically by Asprey’s of London, the company that designs jewelry for none other than Prince Charles. For $25,000 a pop, you might as well make sure you’re in Trinidad and Tobago before you’re going to crack it open.

7 Château d’Yquem – $130,000
Château d’Yquem is a wine producer in the Bordeaux region of France that’s been crafting wine for 300 years. In 1711, a vineyard was established in the area that would survive several generations of owners and operators. They continue to produce a multitude of wines – including Château d’Yquem and Ygrec – but their most prestigious wine is a batch from 1811. The 1811 Château d’Yquem is one of very few wines to have been given a perfect 100 by wine critic Robert Parker, who sampled it in 1999 and described it as ‘drinking liquified crème brûlée’. High praise. Should you ever eancounter a bottle of this increasingly rare white vintage, expect to shell out a hefty $130,000.

6 Penfolds Ampoule – $170,000
If you aren’t interested in Château d’Yquem and prefer a fine red wine to a white wine, then look no further than Penfolds Ampoule, the most expensive red wine on the market. For only $170,000 you too can sample the best red wine money can buy! The glass blown ampoule holds enough of the Penfolds Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 vintage for one glass, proving once and for all that if you throw several keywords at people all at once you can override their common sense. Only 12 have ever been produced, and it comes with a wooden piece case designed by furniture craftsman Andrew Bartlett.

5 Armand de Brignac Midas – $215,000
Some drinks are expensive for their rarity, and others for the size of the bottle. Armand de Brignac Midas captures the best of both worlds. The champagne comes in a 30 litre bottle that is brightly, and rather awkwardly, painted gold. The bottle looks like it was designed by a 14-year-old Flavor Flav, and is a sure fire way to make that table of tracksuit-wearing aspiring rappers thoroughly jealous. After all, nothing screams class like ordering a bottle of distilled sugar that costs a quarter of a million dollars and has to be carried to the table by several staff members like a funeral dirge to the last shred of respect your grandfather has for you. He fought in the war for this?

4 Dalmore 62 – $215,000
Like Penfolds Ampoule, only 12 bottles of Dalmore 62 were ever produced. Unlike Penfolds Ampoule, it actually holds enough liquor for several drinks and not just one. The most recent transaction involving the vintage came from an anonymous man who purchased one of the bottles at Changai airport in Singapore, which brings us to the question of why such an exceedingly rare drink was being sold at an airport? Whatever the case, that transaction made the Dalmore 62 the world’s most expensive whiskey – not scotch, since it wasn’t produced in Scotland – a title that it will probably hold for the foreseeable future.

3 Diva Vodka – $1,000,000
You may be mistaken in assuming that a brand of vodka named ‘Diva Vodka’ would cost $24 and taste like expired nail polish remover; I know I was. Surprisingly someone, somewhere, gave the green light to this gaudy experiment. The vodka is triple filtered, first through ice and then through Nordic birch charcoal, and finally through sand containing precious gems. Because if there’s one thing that makes alcohol better, it’s knowing that at some point it came into contact with a shiny stone. The real cost of the bottles comes from the packaging though; there are Swarovski crystals stacked up in the middle of the bottle that can be taken out and used as a garnishment for your drink. You couldn’t make this up if you tried.

2 Henri IV Dudognon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne – $2,000,000
The Henri IV Dudognon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne doesn’t care what you think, maggot. The Henri IV Dudognon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne has more elaborate words in its name than any other alcohol. It’s a cognac for a king, which we kind of alluded to by naming it after Henri IV. The Henri IV Dudognon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne has been aged for 100 years.

1 Tequila Ley .925 – $3,500,000
Crafted by the same minds behind the Henry IV Dugonon Heritage Cognac Grande Champagne, the Tequila Ley .925 is a tequila that has a unique production process, in the sense that it’s been distilled specifically for terrible people. Like the Henry IV (…), the Tequila Ley .925 is in a bottle that contains 6,400 diamonds, which add to the which add to the taste of the tequila through…some kind of process. Look, there’s diamonds all over the bottle. Just buy it, don’t be so cheap. The bottle was unveiled in Mexico City in front of a crowd who applauded when it was revealed. Remarkably no one is really sure just how it tastes, considering that no one – at least to the public’s knowledge – has purchased it. The company behind Tequila Ley .925 must really be banking on the old adage ‘build it, and they will come’. For humanity’s sake, we hope they’re wrong.

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Monday, June 9, 2014

10 Places Around The World You Wouldn’t Want To Live

10.Cité-Soleil, Port au Prince
HaitiOn the outskirts of Port au Prince, Haiti is Cité-Soleil (“Sun City”), a foul slum ruled by gangs and sitting in a pool of its own squalor. Cite Soleil has no sewage system and is composed of hovels. Garbage and excrement sit in stagnant, mosquito-infested puddles. AIDS is prolific, and the life expectancy hovers in the low 50s. There is no police force, and for years, vicious drug lords and kidnappers controlled the streets. According to the Red Cross, “the shanty town of Cité-Soleil is a microcosm of all the ills in Haitian society: endemic unemployment, illiteracy, non-existent public services, insanitary conditions, rampant crime and armed violence.”
In 2004, the United Nations deployed thousands of troops to Cité-Soleil, where they engaged in numerous gun battles with the gangs. Some vague sense of order was restored, but the area remains a hotbed of violence. To this day, one must pass through an armed UN checkpoint to enter the slum. Cité-Soleil weathered Haiti’s devastating 2010 earthquake well, with many of its structures still standing, but the nearby National Penitentiary was damaged, and 3,000 deadly inmates flooded outin the resulting chaos. They returned to Cité-Soleil with a vengeance, riding motorcycles with assault rifles at the ready. They burned all their arrest records and took back the slum, setting back the progress made by the United Nations.

9.Favelas Of Rio de Janeiro
BrazilRio de Janeiro is a beautiful, sprawling city frequently visited by tourists for such events as Carnival and for the white sands of Copacabana Beach. But on the fringes of the city, there exist huge slums called favelas: piecemeal shacks built haphazardly atop each other. The dwellings are tacked together from odds and ends, cast-off bits of lumber, metal, and stone.
Of the approximately 1,000 favelas around the city, one of the most notorious is Rocinha. Rio is a major port for cocaine traffic traveling to Europe, and the favelas are often ruled by heartless drug lords. One of the more colorful characters from the area was Erismar Rodrigues Moreira(street name Bem-Te-Vi, after a Brazilian songbird). His gang carried gold-plated weapons and subjected enemies to “necklacing”— jamming a tire over a man’s head and then setting it aflame. In 2005, Ben was shot down in a police raid. The future of the favelas remains uncertain; since Rio de Janeiro has been accepted as the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics, the authorities have showed an increasing presence in the streets they once ignored.

8.Detroit, Michigan
USAOnce heralded as the “Motor City,” Detroit has more recently come to be known as one of the United States’ “Murder Capitals.” The decline of the American automotive industry has left this city reeling. The population has dropped 25 percent since 2000, and many areas have become a wasteland of foreclosed homes, boarded up and selling for pennies on the dollar— some for less than $100. Of course, this is an “as-is, buyer beware” situation if there ever was one. Many of these houses have been taken over by squatters, and the basements of abandoned buildings are a favorite haunt of dog fighters. Detroit has a huge problem with strays; tens of thousands roam the streets, most of them pit bulls.
On July 19, 2013, Detroit declared bankruptcy, approximately $18 billion in debt. Many residents of the city are also feeling the crunch—unemployment rates stand at around 16.3 percent, actually a marked improvement from 2009, when 24.9 percent were out of work. One need look no further to witness Detroit’s crippling poverty than truTV’s hit showHardcore Pawn, which takes place in the largest pawn shop in the city and often features lines of people out the door trying to peddle their valuables to make rent and keep the lights on. Data compiled from various sources including the FBI and the US Justice Department reveals that the top three most dangerous neighborhoods in America are all located in Detroit. The worst, the area surrounding West Chicago Street and Livernois Avenue is so bad that you have a one in seven chance of becoming the victim of a violent crimethere each year.

7.Ciudad Juárez
MexicoCiudad Juárez sits just south of El Paso, Texas, the two cities separated by the narrow stretch of the Rio Grande. And yet the difference between these two places is like night and day. In the last decade, Ciudad Juárez has become the epicenter of the Mexican drug war. Rival cartels visit horrifying violence upon each other as they battle for turf, corpses stacking up. In 2009, the city was crowned the murder capital of the world, with 130 murders per 100,000 inhabitants. In truth, the number is probably much higher, as many people simply vanish, buried in mass graves. Police officers are often either too corrupt or too afraid to leave the station.
It is particularly dangerous to be a woman in Ciudad Juárez; intimate assaults are prevalent, and hundreds of women, many just teenagers, have been murdered since the ’90s. Hundreds more remain missing, victims of domestic violence, the drug trade, or worse—some believe that serial killers roam the streetsin abundance, their crimes masked by
the chaos around them.

6.Medellin
ColombiaDuring the height of the cocaine trade in the late ’80s, Medellin was the most violent city in the world, with Pablo Escobar’s cartel and paramilitary groups running rampant. Escobar was killed by police forces in 1993 and crime declined significantly. Unfortunately, there are still thousands of murders here each year. In 2009, there were 2,899 homicides (down from an astonishing 6,500 in 1991), many tied to drug trafficking. Other schemes perpetrated by local criminals include extortion and kidnapping. Tourists are frequently targeted, held for ransom and forced to empty their bank accounts through visits to ATMs. Since 2012, there has been increasing violencebetween two rival cartels (the Office of Envigado and Los Urabeños) as they scrap over territory.

5.Brownsville, Brooklyn
USANew York City (and Brooklyn in particular) have some sordid corners if one looks hard enough, but Brownsville stands out among the rest. Most of the housing in the neighborhood is made up of projects run by the New York City Housing Authority—huge, low-income apartment buildings where crime is prevalent. While much of New York has been subject to gentrification and tumbling crime rates, Brownsville remains quite dangerous, and possibly the most violent place in the entire city. In this neighborhood, some UPS drivers make their deliveries in the company of an armed guard.
As in many rough areas, much of the crime is related to the drug trade. Luckily, the crack-cocaine epidemic of the ’80s and the ’90s is long over, and things have grown (relatively) more peaceful in the interim, with organized gangs fractured into small fragments of their former power. It can be tough to get by on the streets of Brownsville, and many are forced into making their way with their fists. It is no coincidence at all that this neighborhood was the home of a long list of championship boxers, including Riddick Bowe, Shannon Briggs, Zab Judah, and “Iron” Mike Tyson.

4.La Perla, San Juan
Puerto Rico, USALa Perla is a settlement on the outskirts of San Juan that was once home to a slaughterhouse. Today, it is a shantytown known for the proliferation of drugs, particularly heroin imported from suppliers in South America. About 15 square blocks, the streets of La Perla are often omitted from maps of San Juan to keep tourists from traveling there. Despite the abject poverty, La Perla is quite beautiful in many ways, with multicolored homes, breathtaking views, and its own expanse of Caribbean beach. In 2011, La Perla became the site of a massive police raid, netting 114 drug arrests based on an 18-month investigation by the DEA, the Puerto Rico Justice Department, and several other agencies.

3.Ferghana Valley
Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, TajikistanThe dissolution of the Soviet Union made for a great deal of tension as the world’s largest country was chopped into independent republics. More than 20 years later, these hostilities remain, some more bitter than ever before. Few places have seen more violence than the Ferghana Valley, an area split in three by the nations of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan. The Ferghana Valley is a center of Islamic fundamentalism and home to a patchwork of ethnicities who are known to clash viciously. The economy is deeply flawed, and the government corrupt. Hundreds of thousands of refugees wander the streets, and corpses litter the sidewalks.
Perhaps the most savage event in the area occurred on May 13, 2005, when the Uzbek town of Andijan became the site of a horrifying massacre as the military opened fire on a group of protesters massed in the main square, decrying the economy and the policies of Preident Islam Karimov. The government would later claim the body count at 187, but those present allege that over 1,000 were killed, including many women and children. They claim that many of the bodies were buried in secret mass graves as a way of downplaying the true scope of the carnage.

2.Kibera, Nairobi
KenyaNairobi is the capital of Kenya, founded by the British as a rail depot in 1899. Today, it is one of the most important cities in Africa, but it is not free from turmoil. On the outskirts of the city sits Kibera, one of the world’s worst slums. Like many such places, Kibera is forsaken by the government. Enterprising criminals tap into Nairobi’s power grid, bringing electricity to a few select places, but for the most part the area is dark. Homes are typically mud and concrete huts with dirt floors. The water is mostly polluted, causing typhoid and cholera, and toilet facilities consist of holes dug into the groundand used by hundreds. Women leaving their homes after dark are often Molested.
About half of Kibera’s population is unemployed, and to alleviate their crushing boredom, they often partake in cheap drugs—glue-sniffing is a big problem—or drink changaa, a powerful local brew. AIDS spreads like wildfire in Kibera, with women selling their bodies just to make enough money to eat, and orphaned children, often born with the disease, haunt the trash-choked streets.

1.Kowloon Walled City, Hong Kong
ChinaHong Kong’s Kowloon Walled City was demolished 20 years ago, but it certainly deserves mention. A former Chinese military fort, it became densely populated with squatters in the years following World War II. Inside the walls of the fort, ramshackle high-rises were built largely devoid of creature comforts like heat or running water. In 1987, a survey by the Chinese government indicated there were approximately 30,000 residents inside the tiny 6.5-acre territory—a population density of 3,250,000 people per square mile. As a means of comparison, the city with the highest population density today is Manila, with approximately 111,002 people per square mile.
Greater Hong Kong largely turned a blind eye to activities within Kowloon Walled City. For years, it was governed by the Triads, Chinese mafia members. Police would only enter in large groups. There were high rates of prostitution, gambling, drug use, murders, and opium dens. Only the faintest trace of sunlight filtered down to the muddy streets, and rats proliferated in the ruin. In the early ’90s, the government finally decided to destroy this anarchic slum. An evacuation was ordered, and in March 1993, the demolition began. Today, the area is occupied by Kowloon Walled City Park, a verdant expanse of gardens and monuments.

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