Hilarious Quotes

A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.
-- Douglas Adams

An archaeologist is the best husband any woman can have; the older she gets, the more interested he is in her.
-- Agatha Christie

Always remember that true beauty comes from within — from within bottles, jars, compacts, and tubes.
-- Peter's Almanac

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them, and you have their shoes."
-- Frieda Norris

Behind every successful man stands a surprised mother-in-law.
-- Hubert Humphrey

Children really brighten up a household. They never turn the lights off.
-- Ralph Bus

Committee - a group of men who keep minutes and waste hours.
-- M. Berle

Every day I get up and look through the Forbes list of the richest people in America. If I'm not there, I go to work.
-- Robert Orben

Fashion is what you adopt when you don't know who you are.
-- Quentin Crisp

He taught me housekeeping; when I divorce I keep the house.
-- Zsa Zsa Gabor

I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.
-- Lily Tomlin

I am not a vegetarian because I love animals; I am a vegetarian because I hate plants.
-- A. Whitney Brown

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.
-- Douglas Adam

I never forget a face, but in your case I'll be glad to make an exception.
-- Groucho Marx

I used to sell furniture for a living. The trouble was, it was my own.
-- Les Dawson

I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman where the Self Help section was. She said if she told me it would defeat the purpose.
-- Dennis Miller

If at first you do not succeed, then skydiving is surely not meant for you.
-- Author Unknown

If at first you don't succeed, redefine success.
-- Author Unknown

If it weren't for the fact that the TV set and the refrigerator are so far apart, some of us wouldn't get any exercise at all.
-- Joey Adams

If you are not living life on the edge then you are taking up too much space.
-- Author Unknown

If you can't go over it or through it, you'd better negotiate with it.
-- Ashleigh Brilliant

If you have something to say and say nothing, you are really telling a lie.
-- Ashleigh Brilliant

I'm astounded by people who want to 'know' the universe when it's hard enough to find your way around Chinatown.
-- Woody Allen

I'm tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That's deep enough. What do you want—an adorable pancreas?
-- Jean Kerr

It is a scientific fact that your body will not absorb cholesterol if you take it from another person's plate.
-- Dave Barry

It is not necessary to understand, or believe, things in order to argue about them.
-- Pierce Caronde Beaumarchin

Lisa, Vampires are make-believe, like elves, gremlins, and eskimos.
-- Homer Simpson

Look how often the unexpected happens -- yet we still never expect it.
-- Ashleigh Brilliant

Love is temporary insanity curable by marriage.
-- Ambrose Bierce

My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe.
-- Jimmy Durante

No man is truly married until he understands every word his wife is NOT saying.
-- Author Unknown

Nobody goes where the crowds are anymore. It's too crowded.
-- Yogi Berra

One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important.
-- Bertrand Russell

One possible reason that I don't believe in fate is that I wasn't fated to.
-- Ashleigh Brilliant

No, I don't have a solution, but I certainly admire the problem.
-- Ashleigh Brilliant

Shopping is better than sex. At least if you’re not satisfied, you can exchange it for something you really like.
-- Adrienne Gusoff

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words ... words might hurt me deeply, causing great emotional, mental, and psychological damage leading to a lowered self-esteem and decreased work-related efficiency.
-- Anonymous

Strike while your employer has a big contract.
-- Author Unknown

Tact is the art of making guests feel at home when that’s really where you wish they were.
-- George E. Bergman

The conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking.
-- Arthur Bloc

The making of a journalist: no ideas and the ability to express them.
-- Karl Kraus

The trouble with children is that they're not returnable.
-- Quentin Crisp

The very purpose of existence is to reconcile the glowing opinion we hold of ourselves with the appalling things that other people think about us.
-- Quentin Crisp

This woman did not fly to extremes; she lived there.
-- Quentin Crisp

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.
-- Albert Einstein

When children are doing nothing, they are doing mischief.
-- Henry Fielding

Why do people say "no offense" when they're about to offend someone?
-- Author Unknown

Why is it when we talk to God we're praying, but when God talks to us, we're schizophrenic?
-- Lily Tomlin

You have to be careful if you don't know where you're going because you might not get there.
-- Yogi Berra

You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you're down there.
-- George Burns

Comical Words of Wisdom

1. I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good, either.
2. I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by.
3. I'd explain it to you, but your brain would explode.
4. Someday we'll look back on all this and plow into a parked car.
5. There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved by a suitable application of high explosives.
6. Tell me what you need and I'll tell you how to get along without it.
7. Accept that some days you're the pigeon and some days you're the statue.
8. Needing someone is like needing a parachute. If he isn't there the first time you need him, chances are you won't be needing him again.
9. I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.
10. Last night, I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and thought to myself, "Where the heck is the ceiling?"
11. My Reality Check bounced.
12. On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the Escape key.
13. I don't suffer from stress. I'm a carrier.
14. You're slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter.
15. Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons because, to them, you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
16. Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
17. Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level.
18. Am I getting smart with you? How would you know?
19. Always forgive your enemies - Nothing annoys them so much.
20. If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
21. When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
22. I used to have an open mind but my brains kept falling out.
23. I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.
24. For Sale: Parachute. Only used once, never opened, small stain.
25. Do you have trouble making up your mind? Well, yes or no?
26. If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
27. Many people quit looking for work when they find a job.
28. When I'm not in my right mind, my left mind gets pretty crowded.
29. Everyone has a photographic memory. Some just don't have film.
30. You know the speed of light, so what's the speed of dark?
31. Join The Army, Visit exotic places, meet strange people, then kill them.
32. I poured Spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.
33. Evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening', and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.
34. Before borrowing money from a friend, decide which you need more.(Friend or Money !)
35. Death is hereditary.
36. There are three sides to any argument: your side, my side and the right side.
37. An consultant is someone who takes a subject you understand and makes it sound confusing.
38. Never argue with a fool. People might not know the difference.
39. When you're right, no one remembers. When you're wrong, no one forgets.
40. Cheer up, the worst is yet to come.
41. Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.
42. Everyone makes mistakes. The trick is to make mistakes when nobody is looking.
43. They say hard work never hurts anybody, but why take the chance.
44. Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won't expect it back.
45. I like work. It fascinates me. I sit and look at it for hours.
46. If you can't see the bright side of life, polish the dull side.
47. Where there's a will, there are five hundred relatives.
48. Everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.

The significance of few words

The most destructive habit
Worry
The greatest joy
Giving
The most endangered species
Dedicated leaders
Our greatest natural resource
Our youth
The greatest “shot in the arm”
Encouragement
The greatest problem to overcome
Fear
The most effective sleeping pill
Peace of mind
The most crippling disease
Excuses
The most powerful force in life
Love
The most destructive pariah
Gossip
The most incredible computer
The human brain
The worst thing to be without
Hope
The deadliest weapon
The tongue
The two most powerful words
Can do
The greatest asset
Faith
The most worthless emotion
Self-pity
The worst thing you can lose
Self-respect
The most satisfying work
Helping others
The ugliest personality trait
Selfishness
The most beautiful attire
A smile!
The most prized possession
Integrity
The most contageous spirit
Enthusiasm
The most powerful communication
Prayer

Things to keep in mind before going for health insurance

Things to keep in mind before going for health insurance

1.       Don’t consider insurance as an investment option, it should be purely considered as a protection cover against any bad excegencies.

2.      Firstly recognize your needs, make a list of your needs before choosing any company or product for the best results. For instance:

Ø      Do you or a family member require specialists or specific treatments?

Ø      Does someone in your family need chronic care or costly medication?

Ø      Will the location of the doctors make transportation an issue?

Ø      Do you prefer to use a nearby hospital? Not every plan uses the nearest hospital.

Ø      Do you or family members require mental health benefits?

Ø      What other factors are important to you?

Ø      …a specific doctor?
…direct access to a specific gynecologist or pediatrician?
…a clinic that is open in the evenings?
…no or low drug co-payments?

Ø      Do you need ancillary services such as vision, dental or medical equipment? Will you require home health coverage?

3.      Check out for any genetic/hereditary diseases prevalent in your family tree that you may carry forward.. For ex: heart diseases, diabetes etc.

4.      Always try to buy a combo insurance plan which covers both your general insurance need as well as medical cover. If you are an only earning person in your family you need to check whether your elder ones in family are covered with medical expenses.

5.      Don’t think of ULIP plans unless you are covered in both general and medical insurance.

6.      Stick to your needs, there may be a case that the agent may cajole you.

7.      Don’t entertain any promotion call from call centers or agencies who are promoting product which u won’t require.

8.      Remember not to be carried away by persuasive agents and publicity.

9.      Once a product meets your requirements clarify all the doubts and match your specifications with the product. Although insurance agents would help you in choosing your insurance coverage plan, ultimately, you are the one who would have to select among the many plans offered to you.

10.   Do a thorough research on what other companies are offering for the same insurance plan. Investigating for the price of the same policy from different insurance companies will allow you to choose the cheapest one.

11.    Once you settle down on the product and vending company, investigate for its feedback through various sources like internet, peers experience etc.

12.   As far as possible meet the agent in person rather than having a telephonic conversation. Workout on all the possibilities and then agree on buying the policy.

13.   If you are in need of regular prescriptions, you must opt for policy which covers prescriptions also.

14.   If you wish to visit a any specialist, chiropractor or an acupuncturist or a psychiatrist in the future, you would have to check if that is included in the plan you are looking at. If visits to these types of doctors are not covered, you would have to pay for them from your own

15.    Check for emergency care. Would they cover only injury and broken bones during an accident or would they also cover health problems that can be treated in the emergency room? If you are required to stay in the hospital after the emergency, would the plan cover the medical expenses as well?

16.   It may be a pain, but scan and interpret the entire policy document to make sure nothing is overlooked.

17.   Cross verify your doubts and take immediate actions if the policy document varies with the verbal commitment by the agent.

The above mentioned things are from my personal experience and thanks to very good friend of mine vijay for his contribution to this post.

Beware of Any Insurance Vendor.............

It was October_09, I started getting repeated calls from TATA AIG for Health Insurance product Health First. The calls were so repetitive that I was compelled to purchase the policy, but they also sold me Health Investor by their coax which was not my requirement. The real story starts here, coz these polices were sold to me on false commitments. I was told that the policy covers all the surgeries and all the renowned hospitals in Mumbai (even though its not mentioned in the policy documents) but it was not so, also the the benefit period of Health Investor was wrongly conveyed. Secondly I didn't got any receipt of my premium payment from TATA after the first receipt. 

When I wanted to cancel my Health Investor Policy I didn't got any cooperation from your operation department. I was instructed by the customer care to meet Operation Manager who operates from Vashi office. I tried to call him multiple times, but he never responded to the calls. So I decided to visit personally to the office, but it was even more devastating experience. I waited there for one hour for the said Operation Manager, but he didn't took efforts to come and meet me personally. I was extremely disappointed and went back.

Thenafter I repeatedly kept calling the vashi office but they treated me badly. The security guard who handles the reception also, neither transferred the call to the Operation Head nor to any of person in operation department saying that there is only one person in the whole operation department and he has gone for launch (at 4.30 pm) and will be back by one hour. Then again I called after one hour and the security guard literally used bad words to me instead transferring the line to the Operation head. Even few of my friends had the same experience.

The most astonishing thing is that none of the executive neither any concerned person are available as first point of contact after selling the policy to the customers.I regret to say that I had extremely bad experience with TATA despite of its renowned status. 

 But I would also like to mention the working of such companies which is extremely awry. These big companies pass on their products to various call centers to sell their product without proper training and guidelines and they are the real culprits.They just sell the product by giving any commitment, and then the blame game starts.
But we should also take the responsibility of doing thorough research of any insurance product/company before getting tapped.

Below mentioned link can be useful for research/complaint before or after purchasing any product.

http://www.consumercourt.in/

 

History of Indian Flag

Every free nation of the world has its own flag. It is a symbol of a free country. The National Flag of India was designed by Pingali Venkayyaand and adopted in its present form during the meeting of Constituent Assembly held on the 22 July 1947, a few days before India's independence from the British on 15 August, 1947. It served as the national flag of the Dominion of India between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950 and that of the Republic of India thereafter. In India, the term "tricolour" refers to the Indian national flag.
The National flag of India is a horizontal tricolor of deep saffron (kesari) at the top, white in the middle and dark green at the bottom in equal proportion. The ratio of width of the flag to its length is two to three. In the centre of the white band is a navy blue wheel which represents the chakra. Its design is that of the wheel which appears on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. Its diameter approximates to the width of the white band and it has 24 spokes.

Evolution of the Tricolour

It is really amazing to see the various changes that our National Flag went through since its first inception. It was discovered or recognised during our national struggle for freedom. The evolution of the Indian National Flag sailed through many vicissitudes to arrive at what it is today. In one way it reflects the political developments in the nation. Some of the historical milestones in the evolution of our National Flag involve the following:

Unofficial flag of India
in 1906


The Berlin committee
flag, first raised by
Bhikaiji Cama in 1907


The flag used during the
Home Rule movement
in 1917


The flag unofficially
adopted in 1921


The flag adopted in 1931.
This flag was also the
battle ensign of the
Indian National Army


The present Tricolour
flag of India

The first national flag in India is said to have been hoisted on August 7, 1906, in the Parsee Bagan Square (Green Park) in Calcutta now Kolkata. The flag was composed of three horizontal strips of red, yellow and green.
The second flag was hoisted in Paris by Madame Cama and her band of exiled revolutionaries in 1907 (according to some inl9OS). This was very similar to the first flag except that the top strip had only one lotus but seven stars denoting the Saptarishi. This flag was also exhibited at a socialist conference in Berlin.
The third flag went up in 1917 when our political struggle had taken a definite turn. Dr. Annie Besant and Lokmanya Tilak hoisted it during the Home rule movement. This flag had five red and four green horizontal strips arranged alternately, with seven stars in the saptarishi configuration super-imposed on them. In the left-hand top corner (the pole end) was the Union Jack. There was also a white crescent and star in one corner.
During the session of the All India Congress Committee which met at Bezwada in 1921 (now Vijayawada) an Andhra youth prepared a flag and took it to Gandhiji. It was made up of two colours-red and green-representing the two major communities i.e. Hindus and Muslims. Gandhiji suggested the addition of a white strip to represent the remaining communities of India and the spinning wheel to symbolise progress of the Nation.
The year 1931 was a landmark in the history of the flag. A resolution was passed adopting a tricolor flag as our national flag. This flag, the forbear of the present one, was saffron, white and green with Mahatma Gandhi's spinning wheel at the center. It was, however, clearly stated that it bore no communal significance and was to be interpreted thus.
On July 22, 1947, the Constituent Assembly adopted it as Free India National Flag. After the advent of Independence, the colours and their significance remained the same. Only the Dharma Charkha of Emperor Asoka was adopted in place of the spinning wheel as the emblem on the flag. Thus, the tricolour flag of the Congress Party eventually became the tricolour flag of Independent India.

Colours of the Flag:

In the national flag of India the top band is of Saffron colour, indicating the strength and courage of the country. The white middle band indicates peace and truth with Dharma Chakra. The last band is green in colour shows the fertility, growth and auspiciousness of the land.

The Chakra:

This Dharma Chakra depicted the "wheel of the law" in the Sarnath Lion Capital made by the 3rd-century BC Mauryan Emperor Ashoka. The chakra intends to show that there is life in movement and death in stagnation.

Flag Code

On 26th January 2002, the Indian flag code was modified and after several years of independence, the citizens of India were finally allowed to hoist the Indian flag over their homes, offices and factories on any day and not just National days as was the case earlier. Now Indians can proudly display the national flag any where and any time, as long as the provisions of the Flag Code are strictly followed to avoid any disrespect to the tricolour. For the sake of convenience, Flag Code of India, 2002, has been divided into three parts. Part I of the Code contains general description of the National Flag. Part II of the Code is devoted to the display of the National Flag by members of public, private organizations, educational institutions, etc. Part III of the Code relates to display of the National Flag by Central and State governments and their organisations and agencies.
There are some rules and regulations upon how to fly the flag, based on the 26 January 2002 legislation. These include the following:

The Do's:

• The National Flag may be hoisted in educational institutions (schools, colleges, sports camps, scout camps, etc.) to inspire respect for the Flag. An oath of allegiance has been included in the flag hoisting in schools.
• A member of public, a private organization or an educational institution may hoist/display the National Flag on all days and occasions, ceremonial or otherwise consistent with the dignity and honour of the National Flag.
• Section 2 of the new code accepts the right of all private citizens to fly the flag on their premises.

The Don'ts

• The flag cannot be used for communal gains, drapery, or clothes. As far as possible, it should be flown from sunrise to sunset, irrespective of the weather.
• The flag cannot be intentionally allowed to touch the ground or the floor or trail in water. It cannot be draped over the hood, top, and sides or back of vehicles, trains, boats or aircraft.
• No other flag or bunting can be placed higher than the flag. Also, no object, including flowers or garlands or emblems can be placed on or above the flag. The tricolour cannot be used as a festoon, rosette or bunting.

The Indian National Flag represents the hopes and aspirations of the people of India. It is the symbol of our national pride. Over the last five decades, several people including members of armed forces have ungrudgingly laid down their lives to keep the tricolour flying in its full glory.

Constitution of India

India, also known as Bharat, is a Union of States. It is a Sovereign Socialist Democratic Republic with a parliamentary system of government. The Republic is governed in terms of the Constitution of India which was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26^th November 1949 and came into force on 26^th January 1950.
The Constitution provides for a Parliamentary form of government which is federal in structure with certain unitary features. The constitutional head of the Executive of the Union is the President. As per Article 79 of the Constitution of India, the council of the Parliament of the Union consists of the President and two Houses known as the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha). Article 74(1) of the Constitution provides that there shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as its head to aid and advise the President, who shall exercise his functions in accordance to the advice. The real executive power is thus vested in the Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister as its head.
The Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the House of the People (Lok Sabha). Every State has a Legislative Assembly. Certain States have an upper House also called State Legislative Council. There is a Governor for each state who is appointed by the President. Governor is the Head of the State and the executive power of the State is vested in him. The Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister as its head advises the Governor in the discharge of the executive functions. The Council of the Ministers of a state is collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the State.
The Constitution distributes legislative powers between Parliament and State legislatures as per the lists of entries in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution. The residuary powers vest in the Parliament. The centrally administered territories are called Union Territories.

The Journey of Indian Republic

 

Journey of Indian Republic

58 years back, a salute of 21 guns and the unfurling of the Indian National flag by Dr. Rajendra Prasad heralded the historic birth of the Indian Republic on January 26, 1950; 894 days after our country became a dominion following withdrawal of British Rule. Since then, every year the day is celebrated with great pride and happiness all over the nation.
The transition of India from a British colony to a sovereign, secular, and democratic nation was indeed historical. It was a long journey of around two decades that started with the conceptualisation of the dream in 1930 to its actual realization in 1950. A look into the journey that led to the birth of Indian Republic will make our celebrations more meaningful.

Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress

The seeds of a republican nation were sowed at the Lahore session of the Indian National Congress at the midnight of 31st December 1929. The session was held under the presidency of Pt. Jawarhar Lal Nehru. Those present in the meeting took a pledge to mark January 26 as "Independence Day" in order to march towards realizing the dream of complete independence from the British. The Lahore Session paved way to the Civil Disobedience movement. It was decided that January 26, 1930 would be observed as the Purna Swaraj (complete Independence) Day. Many Indian political parties and Indian revolutionaries from all over the country united to observe the day with honour and pride.

Indian Constituent Assembly Meetings

The Indian Constituent Assembly, which was constituted as a result of the negotiations between the Indian leaders and members of the British Cabinet Mission, had its first meeting on December 9, 1946. The Objective of the Assembly was to give India a constitution, which would serve a lasting purpose and hence appointed a number of committees to thoroughly research the various aspects of the proposed constitution. The recommendations were discussed, debated and revised many times before the Indian Constitution was finalized and officially adopted three years later on November 26, 1949.

Constitution came into force

Though India became a free nation on August 15, 1947, it enjoyed the true spirit of Independence on January 26, 1950 when the Constitution of India finally came into force. The Constitution gave the citizens of India the power to govern themselves by choosing their own government. Dr. Rajendra Prasad, took oath as the first President of India at the Durbar Hall in the Government House and this was followed by the Presidential drive along a five-mile route to the Irwin Stadium, where he unfurled the National Flag.
Ever since the historic day, January 26 is celebrated with festivities and patriotic fervor all around the country. The day owes its importance to the constitution of India that was adopted on this day. 

With 395 Articles and eight Schedules, the Indian Constitution is the largest written constitution in the world.

Indian Esteemed Awards

Bharat Ratna Award

India has produced a legacy of brave hearts since times immemorial. Probably there is not enough space to measure their sacrifices. However, we cannot close our eyes to those people who have made our country proud by excelling in their own fields and bringing us international recognition. Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian honour, given for exceptional service towards advancement of Art, Literature and Science, and in recognition of Public Service of the highest order.
The original specifications for the award called for a circular gold medal, 35 mm in diameter, with the sun and the Hindi legend "Bharat Ratna" above and a floral wreath below. The reverse was to carry the state emblem and motto. It was to be worn around the neck from a white ribbon. This design was altered after a year.

Bharat Ratna Award

Bharat Ratna Award
(Reverse Side)

The provision of Bharat Ratna was introduced in 1954. The first ever Indian to receive this award was the famous scientist, Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman. Since then, many dignitaries, each a whiz in varied aspects of their career has received this coveted award.
In fact, our former President, Shri A. P. J Abdul Kalam is also a recipient of this esteemed honour (1997). There is no written provision that Bharat Ratna should be awarded to Indian citizens only. The award has been awarded to a naturalized Indian citizen, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, better known as Mother Teresa (1980) and to two non-Indians – Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and Nelson Mandela (1990). It is also not mandatory that Bharat Ratna be awarded every year. The last time this award was given was in 2008, to Pandit Bhimsen Gururaj Joshi.

Lata Mangeshkar receiving
Bharat Ratna

Ustad Bismillah Khan receiving
Bharat Ratna

Padma Awards 

Padma Awards, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri are given for exceptional and distinguished service in any field including service rendered by Government servants. The recommendations for Padma Awards are received from the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations, Central Ministries/Departments, Institutions of Excellence, etc. which are considered by an Awards Committee. On the basis of the recommendations of the Awards Committee, and after approval of the Home Minister, Prime Minister and President, the Padma Awards are announced on the eve of the Republic Day.
View the list of Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri Awardees.

Padma Vibhushan Award:

Padma Bhushan Award:

Padma Shri Award:

 

Gallantry Awards

The art of appreciating the brave and gallant is not new. They form one of the most important constituents of a nation’s stability.  History defines gallantry as commanded respect and appreciation. The concept of emancipation of the brave is cognizant in our Epics too. In the Mahabharata, the merit of dying as a martyr in the cause of Dharma is all along appreciated as the easiest way to heaven. In fact, any kind of death on the battlefield was considered glorious.
Whether being the appointed head of a clan, raised memorials in honour of the martyrs/brave souls or granted titles, robe of honour, cash awards or medals etc., recognition of bravery has always been a very prestigious affair. The conclusion of British Rule in India saw the end of the old institution of British honours and awards. Independent India saw the introduction of awards such as Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra, Ashoka Chakra, Shaurya Chakra etc.

Param Vir Chakra (PVC)

This is the highest gallantry award for officers and other enlisted personnel of all military branches of India for the highest degree of valour in the presence of the enemy. Introduced on 26th January 1950, this award may be given posthumously. Literally, Param Vir Chakra means 'Wheel (or Cross) of the Ultimate Brave'. In Sanskrit, ‘Param’ means Ultimate, ‘Vir’ (Pronounced veer) means Brave and ‘Chakra’ means Wheel. The PVC is the equivalent award of the Medal of Honour in the United States, and the Victoria Cross in the United Kingdom.

Ashok Chakra

The Ashok Chakra series of awards are open to civilians also. Recommendations received in respect of civilians from the State Governments/Union territory Administra-tions and Ministries/Departments of the Central Government are processed by the Ministry of Defence for the consideration of the Central Honours and Awards Committee chaired by the Defence Minister. These awards are biannual and are given on the Republic Day and Independence Day.

Shaurya Chakra

This is awarded for gallantry other than in the face of the enemy. This award may be granted to civilians or to military personnel and may be awarded posthumously.

Bravery Awards 

 National Bravery Awards:
he national awards for bravery was started in 1957 by the Indian Council for Child Welfare (ICCW) to recognise and honour children who have performed outstanding deeds of bravery and selfless sacrifice. Every year the ICCW confers these awards to children below 16years of age.
Applications for these awards are acknowledged from Central/State government departments, Panchayats, Zila Parishads, school authorities as well as state and Union Territory councils for child welfare.
The selection is made by a committee constituted by the ICCW, comprising of representatives from the Secretariats of the President and the Vice-President, various ministries, as well as the Central Social Welfare Board, police, All India Radio, Doordarshan and leading NGOs such as the National Bal Bhavan, SOS, Children's Villages of India, R K Mission and experienced ICCW members.
The awards are announced on November 14 (Children's Day) and the Prime Minister presents the awards on the eve of Republic Day. The awardees receive a medal, certificate and cash as a token of their indispensable courage.
In addition to this, some of them are also granted financial assistance to complete their schooling (ICCW's sponsorship programme) and professional courses such as medical and engineering (under the Indira Gandhi scholarship scheme). Assistance is also provided to some till they complete their graduation.

Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of Awards

The Jeevan Raksha Padak Series of awards are given for courage and promptitude under circumstances of great danger to the life or bodily injury of the rescuer, displayed in an act or a series of acts of humane nature, in saving life from drowning, fire, rescue operations in mines, etc. Recommendations for Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are received from the State Government/Union Territory, Administrations and Ministries /Departments of the Government of India.

Interesting Facts About India

• India never invaded any country in her last 100000 years of history.
• When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization)
• The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu.
• The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name 'Hindustan' combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus.
• Chess was invented in India.
• Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India.
• The 'Place Value System' and the 'Decimal System' were developed in India in 100 B.C.
• The World's First Granite Temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The shikhara of the temple is made from a single 80-tonne piece of granite. This magnificent temple was built in just five years, (between 1004 AD and 1009 AD) during the reign of Rajaraja Chola.
• India is the largest democracy in the world, the 6th largest Country in the world, and one of the most ancient civilizations.
• The game of Snakes & Ladders was created by the 13th century poet saint Gyandev. It was originally called 'Mokshapat'. The ladders in the game represented virtues and the snakes indicated vices. The game was played with cowrie shells and dices. In time, the game underwent several modifications, but its meaning remained the same, i.e. good deeds take people to heaven and evil to a cycle of re-births.
• The world's highest cricket ground is in Chail, Himachal Pradesh. Built in 1893 after leveling a hilltop, this cricket pitch is 2444 meters above sea level.
• India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world.
• The largest employer in the world is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people.
• The world's first university was established in Takshila in 700 BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
• Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.
• India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.
• The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word 'NAVGATIH'. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word 'Nou'.
• Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days.
• The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians.
• Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus also originated in India.Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period.Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12).
• Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world
  (Source: Gemological Institute of America).
• The Baily Bridge is the highest bridge in the world. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains. It was built by the Indian Army in August 1982.
• Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries.
• Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism,physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.
• India exports software to 90 countries.
• The four religions born in India - Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.
• Jainism and Buddhism were founded in India in 600 B.C. and 500 B.C. respectively.
• Islam is India's and the world's second largest religion.
• There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world.
• The oldest European church and synagogue in India are in the city of Cochin. They were built in 1503 and 1568 respectively.
• Jews and Christians have lived continuously in India since 200 B.C. and 52 A.D. respectively
• The largest religious building in the world is Angkor Wat, a Hindu Temple in Cambodia built at the end of the 11th century.
• The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi built in the 10th century, is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday.
• Sikhism originated in the Holy city of Amritsar in Punjab. Famous for housing the Golden Temple, the city was founded in 1577.
• Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called "the Ancient City" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.
• India provides safety for more than 300,000 refugees originally from Sri Lanka, Tibet, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who escaped to flee religious and political persecution.
• His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists, runs his government in exile from Dharmashala in northern India.
• Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.
• Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.

History of India

India has a dynamic, unique and intriguing culture and history, shrouded in mysticism and romanticism. According to historians, it dates back to the commencement of human existence. Thus, it is amongst the first civilizations to have come into existence.The recorded beginnings of this great nations traces the existence of the Indus Valley Civilization – Harappa and Mohenjo Daro. It is one of the oldest known civilizations in the world, and one of marvel; as it was a planned town, with so much of modern day amenities, minus the tele-communication systems, information technology and electricity.
One of the most unique aspects of India history is that it is dotted with constant integrating of new cultures. In fact, it is regarded as one of the most invaded and plundered nations. And in spite of this, the people always welcomed new cultures, making it the most diverse nation.
Historians have been able to trace back the history of this nation to 3000 BC (Indus Valley Civilization). It is said that the history of India commences with the Indus Valley civilization (Mohenjo Daro, Harappa, Lothal). This was followed by the Aryan invasions. These two major events define the India’s history into the pre-Vedic era and the Vedic period, respectively.
It was the Vedic period that gave birth to Hinduism.
Later in the fifth century, emperor Ashoka united large parts of India. He also brought Buddhism to India, having spread it widely during his reign.
Islam entered India in the eighth century and by the eleventh century it became a part of the Indian cultural heritage.
Then came the European invasions that brought their cultures to be integrated into the Indian civilization. Thus, Christianity became a part of Indian society.
Through the ages India and her natives have witnessed and suffered at the hands of invaders and plunderers. The nation has been looted. But, still it never lost the very essence of their existence, which is being hospitable to their guests. While armies fought the enemies, the nation continued to intertwine the threads of a new culture into their existing quilt of diversity.
  

Interesting Facts Around the Globe

WORLD FACTS

Who Made The Marree Man?

60 km out of the town of Marree in South Australia, there is the figure of a man etched into the ground that is more than 4 km long. This geoglyph, popularly known as the Marree Man, is not only Australia's but also the world's biggest geoglyph, and had been created by scouring out the vegetation from the land and exposing the bar earth underneath. The main reason for this being hyped so much is that no one knows who, or why made this astounding drawing on the earth. Although there are only a few clues, a local version says that the eccentric Bardius Goldberg made this using a GPS and a bulldozer. satellite image of the Marree Man Marree Man: aerial view

Berlin Wall Facts

Among the many agonies of the Second World War, an often repeated name is that of the Berlin Wall. It shall doubtlessly be stated that the Berlin Wall is one of the most intriguing components of the German narrative. The wall had as much an ideological construct, as a physical divide, with bare fangs of democracy on the west, and those of communism on the east. Upon its inception, the wall was a guarded stretch of barbed wires, which was supposed to keep the east to the west human migration from taking place. Although, the soreness of separation was equal on both sides of the fence. By the recorded facts, despite all odds, around five thousand people managed to cross over the wall. There were some four hundred people who either died or were injured in an attempt to crossover. The movement of reconciliation came to the wall on the 23rd of August 1989. On this day, Hungary decided to cease its border limitations with its neighbor Austria. This way, around 13000 people managed to escape en route Hungary. As a result of this build up, mobbing started at the gate of the Berlin Wall, where people started to demand an entry into West Berlin. Following this, the Berlin wall was brought down.

Facts About France

Paris, the capital city of the country France is celebrated most for the Eiffel Tower, Napoleon's tomb and Notre Dame. This city is also known as the world's fashion capital. The very popular Statue of Liberty was created in France, and gifted to the United States of America. The face of the statue is sculpted similar to the face of Isabella Eugenie Boyer, wife of the manufacturer of the Parisian sewing machine, Isaac Singer. The official language in France, French was also the official language of England for more than 300 years. The 1st of April originated as the fools day from France. When the country switched over to the Gregorian calendar people unaware of the change considered 1st April as the New Year's Day. From that day onwards the fool's day originated to mock them.

Hollywood Facts

Are you aware of the interesting facts about Hollywood, the world renowned name in the motion picture industry? This district of Los Angeles has the well-known Hollywood sign. In reality, this sign was built in 1923 by one of the real estate agents and an investor, Harry Chandler, with a motive of advertisement. He spent around $21, 000 for this and wanted it to stay for 18 months. But at that stage he was not aware that this construction would become a legend in itself. Today, the famous Hollywood sign is more than 80 years old. Initially, the sign used to read "Hollywood Land". But in 1949, "Land" was removed and only "Hollywood" remained. Today, the sign is taken care of by "Hollywood Sign Trust" which was formed in the year of 1995. On September 18, 1932, Lillian Millicent "Peg" Entwistle after unsuccessful Hollywood carrier, jumped from the letter 'H' into her death. She was only 24 years old.

Interesting Bible Facts

Did you know that Bible was written over a period of 1600 years? 40 men were given inspiration by God to continue writing the Bible and it has 66 books which are related. There is an Old and New Testament and they are divided by the life of Jesus Christ. The Bible has been successfully translated to more than twelve hundred languages and dialects in part or whole. The Bible is still bestselling book of all time. Translation into English was first started by John Wycliffe and completed by John Purvey in 1388. This highest selling book is much revered and was first divided into chapter's paragraph in the Geneva Bible of 1560. Lots of data in Bible are prophecies and some of them have come true. Some theories say that Bible wasn't even written by its original authors. Some things sound like a child storytelling: "It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested. (From the NIV Bible, Exodus 31:17)." Our opinion is that Bible is like everything else on our planet with its good and bad sides. Usually bad things are the ones that are written by human hand. The bar graph that runs along the bottom represents all of the chapters in the Bible. Books alternate in color between white and light gray. The length of each bar denotes the number of verses in the chapter. Each of the 63,779 cross references found in the Bible is depicted by a single arc - the color corresponds to the distance between the two chapters, creating a rainbow-like effect.

Smallest Country Molossia

One of the oldest micronations, the republic of Molossia It is located in Dayton, Nevada. It is inhabited by only four citizens, one of whom, Kevin Baugh is the president. It was founded in May 1977 by Baugh when he was aged fourteen and was formerly known as the republic of Vuldnstein. It has its own space program, has a railway and issues currency (valora) as well. Relations with the neighboring Muchistan have been troubled of late. In 2000, Molassia staged the first ever Micronation Olympic games in tune with the Sydney Olympics.

IditaRod Facts

Spanning across Anchorage in south central Alaska and stretching to the Western coast of the Bering Sea, each team of twelve to sixteen huskies and their musher cover a huge distance of 1150 miles in ten to seventeen days. Rick Swenson of Alaska won Iditarod five times and Susan Butcher is the only woman to have won it on four occasions. It is organized by thousands of volunteers who make arrangements for medical equipments supplies, food stocks and veterinarians. The now historic Iditarod begun as a mail supply route from coastal towns like Seward and Knik to interior mining camps. Almost every year one dog dies on IditaRod. However, today dogs are equipped with microchips in order to track them easily. This is truly the toughest race on Earth.

Facts About Alaska

Juneau is capital of Alaska, and it is not accessible by road from any other state. Alaska has 17 of the 20 highest peaks in United States. Alaska has more than 3 million lakes. Kodiak bear found in Alaska is the largest in the world. The coastline of Alaska is greater than the combined coastline of United States. There are 29 volcanoes in Alaska. Alaska was first discovered in 1741. 25 % of the oil produced in US comes from Alaska. The official insect of this state is a four-spot skimmer dragonfly. The official flower of Alaska is forget-me-not. Transnational Corporation called "Russian-American Company" owned Alaska and in 1867, during the Russian difficult financial position, sold Alaska to United Sates for 7.2 million dollars.

Facts About India

The name India is derived from the river Indus. The game of chess originated from India. The decimal code along with the place value system was an original Indian development. The highest cricket ground of the world is in Chail, approximately 2444 meters above sea level. Budhayana an Indian mathematician was the first to calculate the value of "pi" mathematically and explained the concept of Pythagorean Theorem in the 6th century. The Indian railway is the largest employer in the world, over a million people work for it. The game of snake and ladders was discovered in India by Gyandev in the 13th century.

Caspian Sea Facts

Known as Qazvin in the ancient times, the Caspian sea is surrounded by southern Russia, Turkmenistan, Northern Iran, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Its surface area is 371,000 square kilometers and the volume is 78200 cubic kilometers. World's 40-44% of the lake water is accounted for by the Caspian Sea. Around 130 rivers are a source of water inflow for the sea and it is due to this inflow that the northern region of the sea acts like a fresh water lake. The Northern region comprises of a couple of islands accounting for a total land area of around 2000 square kilometers. Caspian Sea is often listed as the world's largest lake since it is the largest enclosed body of water on Earth. Caspian Sea is rich in oil fields and natural gases which results in great pollution from toxic wastes by countries like Russia and Azerbaijan.

Lorem Ipsum Facts

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum" (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC. This book is a treatise on the theory of ethics, very popular during the Renaissance. The first line of Lorem Ipsum, "Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..", comes from a line in section 1.10.32.

What's Weird In Wales?

Wales (country that is part of the United Kingdom), there is a village called Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (58 letters), which in English means "Saint Mary's Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of Saint Tysilio near the red cave." The locals call it Llanfairpwll. Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.com is the longest single word .com domain name in the world.

Bear Baiting

In England in the nineteenth century, bear baiting was a very common method of entertainment. Bear baiting is when there are highly trained hunting dogs set loose on a defenseless bear. The bear has no claws, no teeth, and is chained to a pole of some sort. Bellow is the sad and shocking video produced by WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals) exposing the disgusting, savage, and very cruel practice of bear baiting. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.

Longest Wave On The Planet

Love to surf? Then you have to visit Brazil to surf the longest wave on the planet Earth called Pororoca. Between February and March Atlantic ocean tides generate waves up to 12 feet high which can last for over half an hour. Pororoca in indigenous Tupi language means "great destructive noise" and it destroys everything in its path with the speed of 10 to 15 miles (16 to 24 km) per hour.

Interesting Facts About China

China, the new emerging power has been the oldest continuous civilization on Earth, for the last 4000 years. Chinese flag is red which represents the blood spilled during the communist revolution. On the flag there is one large star, representing leadership, and four small stars which represent four social classes: capitalists, bourgeoisie, workers and peasants all united under one Communist Party. Some of the China’s inventions: gunpowder, paper, printing, compass, porcelain, first paper currency, animal zodiac, cast iron, chopsticks, crossbow, toilet paper, collapsible umbrella, fork and many other cool inventions. Interesting fact about China is that in last three years growth of China’s economy was around 10% per year making China the country with largest world economy. The funny fact is that China was in dispute with WTO (World Trade Organization) because of the extremely low taxes on their exports. However, United States was in the dispute with WTO because of the high taxes on U.S. imports. "We are committed to challenging China's WTO-inconsistent practices that harm American workers and businesses," said U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab.

Hawaiian Alphabet

The Hawaiian Alphabet only contains 12 letters: a, e, i, o, u, h, k, l, m, n, p and w. Every word ends with a vowel. A glottal stop is also used, called an 'okina (meaning cutting, 'oki meaning cut and na meaning -ing). It used to be called an 'u'ina (meaning snap).

2012 Interesting Facts

2012 is expected to be year of great positive change. It is not the end of the world! Back in 1899 something was identified called Schumann Cavity Resonance. It is the heart beat or frequency of the Earth. Since its discovery till 1986 this heart beat frequency was constant 7.8 Hertz per second. From 1986 it started to raise dramatically and in 1998 it was reported to be 10 hertz per second. On other hand magnetics of the earth are dropping dramatically and it is expected they will reach zero point in 2012. Maya calendar and other calendars end in 2012, but it is not the end of the world just beginning of the new one since every 26000 years Earth goes through grand cycle of evolution.

The Blue Hole Facts

The Blue Hole is located just off of the coast of Belize, near the Ambergris Caye. The Blue Hole began as a limestone cave in our last Ice Age. After ages of erosion the cave collapsed leaving the scenic beauty we see today! The Blue Hole is almost perfectly circular reaching 300m (1000ft) across and 120m (400ft) deep. The blue cave is perfect spot for all divers because of its beauty and geological history.

The Pyramids Were White

The stereotypical vision of the Egyptian Pyramids are large mountain like brown piles of stone uprooting from the desert having a rough contour. Though when first constructed around 2500 BC. The pyramids were paper white and as smooth as glass, toping the pyramid was a golden capstone that gleamed in the desert sun. It was an amazing spectacle. The pyramids somewhat stayed in this state until the Arab invasion of Egypt around AD 500. The Arab invaders stripped the pyramid of it's smooth limestone and built a huge section of Cairo. Many of the Mosques and Palaces of Cairo consist of the Ancient stones of the pyramids. Quite sad actually.

Bachelors Leading 1 Billion

India which is one of the densely populated country had a bachelor (a man who has never been married) prime minister, president and defense minister in 2000. For 4-5 years when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the prime minister. Coincidence? India is the second country in the world after China to cross the one billion mark. India's population rose by 21.34 % between 1991 - 2001.

The First Marathon Facts

In 490 BCE, Pheidippides, a Greek soldier, ran from Marathon to Athens (about 25 miles) to inform the Athenians the outcome of the battle with invading Persians. The distance was filled with hills and other obstacles; thus Pheidippides arrived in Athens exhausted and with bleeding feet. After telling the townspeople of the Greeks' success in the battle, Pheidippides fell to the ground dead. In 1896, at the first modern Olympic Games, held a race of approximately the same length in commemoration of Pheidippides.

Earth's Record Holders

Highest mountain on Earth, Mt. Everest grows about 4 millimeters a year since two tectonic plates which collided millions of years ago to form the Himalayas, continue to press against each other. Earths highest waterfall is at Angel Falls in Venezuela which drops 3,212 feet (979 meters). Hottest place on earth is Azizia in Libya 136 degrees Fahrenheit (57.8 Celsius) and coldest was in Vostok, Antarctica -129 Fahrenheit (-89 Celsius). Pacific is the biggest ocean (32.6% of the Earth's surface). Interesting fact is that Amazon recently became longest river by a bit more than 100 meters. According to Guido Gelli (director of science at the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) "Today, we can consider the Amazon the longest river in the world". Amazon is 4,225 miles (6,800 kilometers) long and the Nile is 4,160 miles long (6,695 kilometers).

Number Thirteen Facts

The fear of number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia and it was derived from treiskaideka, the Greek word for thirteen and phobia. There were thirteen people at Christ's Last Supper before his captivity, it is recorder that Christ was crucified on Friday. Routine mission to the moon goes drastically wrong on Apollo 13. Some hotels skip number thirteen when numbering rooms. In Formula 1, there is no car with the number 13.

Dubai Facts

Dubai is the fastest growing city in the world. No taxes on income and there are no personal taxes either. In Dubai Emirates Mall you can ski indoors while shopping, measuring 400 meters and using 6000 tons of snow. Burj Dubai will become the world's tallest building, along with the world's tallest man-made structure when it is completed. Eighty percent of Dubai residents are foreigners.

Monopoly Facts

Monopoly was invented by Charles B. Darrow during the Depression in the 1934 and at first it was rejected by Parker Brothers due to "52 design errors"! Streets in Monopoly are taken from Atlantic City, New Jersey. Game was very popular in Cuba until Fidel Castro took power and burned all the Monopoly sets. Standard Monopoly bank starts with $15,140 and it is estimated that Monopoly has been sold 250 million times through out the world.

Maya Predicts Our Future

Maya people were masters of mathematics and calendars and they were keeping track of time using three separate calendars. For predictions about the beginning and end of the “world” they used “Long Count” calender. And on December 21st 2012, the Long Count will be at the point zero which Maya predicts as the end of time and beginning of the new world. The Mayas were very accurate in their predictions and they predicted invasions on their soil and the World Wars.

Testis Or Testify

The word "testis" dates from the Latin meaning to bear witness. In ancient Rome, only men could bear witness or testify in a public forum. In order to show importance to their testimony, they would hold their testicles as they spoke, and an oath was declared while holding another testicles. THIS FACT NEEDS TO BE RESEARCHED. It seems that word testis derives from word testificare 'to bear witness' and there is very little data to support original idea of holding testicles. However, in book of Genesis there are passages in which a man who is taking an oath puts his hand "under the thigh".

Is This The Last Pope?

St. Malachy, (d. 1148) Irish Bishop and Seer, produced an accurate list of future popes which began with Pope Celestine II in the year 1143. The prophecy is concerned with the succession of the Popes and there will be one more Pope after the current Pope Benedict XVI according to the prophecies of St. Malachy.

The Seven Wonders

The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World compiled by ancient Greek historians are: The Great Pyramid of Giza, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, The Colossus of Rhodes and The Lighthouse of Alexandria.

The Great Wall Myth

It is common mistake to say that The Great wall of China is visible from outer space. It is too thin to be noticed from such a great distance. There are no man made structures that are visible from space or moon. Man made objects start to disappear after 300 miles up. From that distance you can barely see the outline of the Great China Wall. If we consider that distance from Earth to Moon is around 384,403 kilometers/238,857 miles then we can draw reasonable conclusion that it would be impossible to see any man-made structures from such a distance. Astronaut Alan Bean said: "The only thing you can see from the moon is a beautiful sphere, mostly white (clouds), some blue (ocean), patches of yellow (deserts), and every once in a while some green vegetation. No man-made object is visible on this scale. In fact, when first leaving earth's orbit and only a few thousand miles away, no man-made object is visible at that point either."