My Chicago Rant

Archive for November, 2009

I am one of those people who are seldom shocked or startled. News alerts, angry barking dogs and people sneaking up on me just do have the same effect on me as most people. I am not sure if that is a positive thing or not, but it is factual.

At the age of fourteen for instance, I was hired as a Boy Scout camp counselor. Counselors were required to sleep in their campsites for a whole week before the campers arrived so they would be familiar with the camp and night sounds. At least that was the logic behind the explanation they gave me.

My campsite, unfortunately, was a half mile from the main camp, deep in the thick woods. I was not only required to sleep alone at the site on the ground every night, but also had to make the long journey on the dark trail to the campsite after dinner each evening. Admittedly, it was a little spooky, but I was a man of fourteen after all and I was not about to let anyone think that I was a sissy.

On the night before the campers arrived, the older, tenured counselors, apparently motivated by boredom, painted their faces in “Lord of the Flies” fashion and hid out on the trail to my campsite. How they arrived there ahead of me after we dismissed from dinner remains a mystery, but they somehow managed it without my hearing them. Then, at what seemed to me the darkest point in the woods, they jumped out, shaking their lights wildly and letting out blood-curdling screams.

I didn’t startle me. I didn’t flinch. I don’t know if the week of preparing the camp fatigued me to the point I couldn’t react or if somehow in my sub-conscience I had half-expected them to pull some hi-jinks like this. In any event, it didn’t startle me. I shook my head and walked by them, but not before giving them a whispered “grow up”.

Many years later as a seasoned believer, I was to experience one of the few true shocks in my life. In fact, it was a series of shocks. I was reading an article in a Christian periodical. I do not recall the title, but the topic was focused on a poll that had been conducted. The poll that was taken canvassed some 12,000 “Christians”. The question posed to them was “of all the miracles in the Bible, which one do you believe least of all?”

The premise of the article was shocking enough; to think that there were people who claimed to believe in God, but who did not believe what he said in his word. But it got worse, much worse. Sadly, only a handful of people said they believed all of the recorded miracles. Over 95% of those polled disbelieved at least one recorded miracle and some disbelieved several. Most surprising of all was the fact that the miracle that registered most skepticism was the virgin birth of Jesus.

I suppose as I read the article I should have been prepared for anything, but I simply did not see that coming. In my wildest dreams I could not have imagined that people who say they believe Jesus is the Son of God can also believe that he was not born in the miraculous way the Bible claims. As I read the results of the poll, it truly shocked me.

A close second was the story of Jonah and the whale (or great fish). This was not quite as startling a revelation. Somehow I perceived that if someone was a skeptic, this would be where their skepticism and faith collided. Still, it perplexes me how people can believe part of the Bible and not all. Where does one draw the line?

Meaning no irreverence to any of the other miraculous accounts (all of which this writer believes), the story of Jonah is one that should be believed above all other miracles, simply because modern history gives credence to it. The story that follows may seem unbelievable, but I assure you it is true.

On a whaling ship named “Star of the Sea” out of England at the end of the nineteenth century, an unbelievable series of events were about to unfold. A boat crew had harpooned a whale and drawn it up to the side of the main vessel, supposing it to be dead. Without warning, the mighty giant thrashed its tail, sending the entire boat crew into the deep. With another lunge of its muscular body, it broke free of the securing lines and sounded. All but one of the crew was rescued. The missing man was pronounced dead at sea and appropriate entries were made in the ship’s log.

Nearly three full days later another whale was harpooned and drawn up to the main vessel. This time it was dead and the crew began to process the great beast. Several hours into the process of stripping the blubber and meat from the creature, one of the crewmen screamed out with great alarm “there be a man inside”.

Sure enough, there in the throat of the great beast dangled the legs of their missing comrade. They had harpooned the same whale that had broken free days earlier. Apparently, in its haste to escape, it had inadvertently swallowed the crewmember, and he had become lodged in its throat cavity.

Sadly, shipmates began to cut away the blubber to get to their friend. After a few minutes another cry rang out “he be alive, he be alive”! To the astonishment of the crew, their shipmate was still alive. His hair and skin had been bleached white by the enzymes present in the whale’s gullet, but he had been so perfectly positioned that he was able to breathe by the great mammal’s air intake and it had been enough to sustain his life.

The man was finally freed from his fleshy prison, but he was unconscious and there was little hope of his surviving. Surprisingly, several days later he regained consciousness and eventually made a full recovery.

The account is documented by the ship’s own logs and preserved in British archives. That believers would discount the ability of God to do on purpose what a whale could do by accident is one of the few things that has truly shocked this writer.

Gary Kurz
http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/how-to-believe-in-miracles-110485.html

The monumental quality of the Amsterdam city centre is largely determined by numerous 17th and 18th century houses, once owned by wealthy merchants and prominent citizens. Moreover, the warehouses deserve mention. Amsterdam warehouse architecture is unique in the world. Most of the state controlled monuments, however, are dwellings. The ring of canals is the location of approx. 2,200 buildings, 1,550 of which are listed as historic buildings. Amsterdam’s beauty is largely determined by the style of these buildings, better described as “citizens’ architecture”. The choice of this style was a conscious one. The aim of the people of Amsterdam is to replace the Gothic style with its vertical accents and religious overtones by a profane Classicist style. The Royal Palace e.g. contains many supreme examples of symbolism derived from Classical Antiquity.

Amsterdam is not a city of churches and palaces, but of monumental mansions. The only two houses in Amsterdam worthy of the name palace are the Royal Palace in the Dam Square and the Trippenhuis. And even these two were not commissioned by royalty or aristocratic clientele. Originally, the Royal Palace was designed to serve as Amsterdam’s town hall and the Trippenhuis was built for wealthy citizens.

In the second half of the 19th century this monumental body of Amsterdam was severely threatened. Canals were filled in, streets were widened and bridges lowered. Many exceptional buildings were pulled down in the process of restructuring the city.

In the 1950s plans were made to fill in canals and pull down historical buildings. Fortunately, these plans were only partially realized. The Jodenbreestraat was widened and alike policy were made with respect to the Sint Antoniebreestraat. However, the successful restoration of the important Huis De Pinto proved a turning point.

Large-scale projects affecting the historical city centre in order to accommodate the needs of modern traffic are no longer to be anticipated. The monumental mansions which underwent drastic alterations during the 19th and 20th centuries, when many of them were turned into offices, are now being restored to their original residential functions. Since the Municipal Department for the Preservation and Restoration of Monuments and Sites was founded in 1953, over 4,000 premises underwent restoration. Almost 10% of these projects were completed.

About 20,000 buildings make up the historical city centre. One third was built before 1850. Approximately 6,700 “national monuments” (i.e. historic buildings preserved by the national government authority) are located in this area, whereas another 290 “municipal monuments” are preserved by the Amsterdam council. A further 1,160 buildings fall outside these categories. They are labeled “original premises” because of their intrinsic cultural historical interest. The Amsterdam city centre is eligible for a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List. After all, Amsterdam is the proud owner of one of the most important intact historical city centers of the world.

The historic buildings are lovingly restored and saved from destruction. The ring of canals is to become once more the stylish residential area it once was.

Rahul Viz
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/restoring-the-grandeur-of-amsterdam-54424.html

Xbox 360 was the number one smash hit for Christmas gifts last year. The reasons are obvious: great visual effects, better console, incredible action, and excellent games. This year again teens will be playing Xbox 360 games with their friends, comparing games at school, and buying or renting the new Xbox games. Here are some of our top picks for Christmas 2006.

1. Tom Chancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter – Shooter

The face of war has changed with Tom Chancy’s Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter. Enemy lines are blurred and there is no clear opponent. New enemies and threats require a new type of warfare and a new kind of soldier. Enter: the Ghosts. In 2013, the U.S. Army will implement its Integrated Warfighter System, which combines advanced weapon systems, satellite communication devices, and enhanced survivability features into a fully integrated warfare combat system. Equipped with cutting edge weapons and communications systems, you will find yourself, one of the Ghosts, immersed in a detailed universe of this futuristic warfare. One gamer exclaimed, “This game is a pure showcase of next gen gaming. the graphics are downright gorgeous and this actually helps to immerse you into the story. and the story is riveting enough to actually make you care about Mexico city… do your self a favor and buy this game.”

2. Gears of War – Shooter

Now this is what next-gen gaming is all about! Gears of War is one of those titles that comes around every couple of years and raises the bar so high that it almost spoils every game released in the next six months. This third-person shooter thrusts gamer’s into a deep and harrowing story of humankind’s epic battle for survival against the Locust Horde, a nightmarish race of creatures that surface from the bowels of the earth. Gears of War rewards teamwork in a big way. All game modes, levels and scenarios are designed specifically to encourage cooperative play.

3. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion – RPG

Like earlier games in the Elder Scrolls series, Oblivion is designed to present a living fantasy world that gamer’s experience on their own terms. The game is populated with over 1,000 NPCs, each leading a fully realized life, following regular schedules according to their individual wants, needs, and positions. Players are encouraged to interact in the world as they choose, as noble heroes, greedy villains, or anything in between. The game’s main story and its sidemissions provide plenty of fast-moving adventure. Advised one fan: “This Game Is Like Crack. Massive environment; Beautiful graphics; Great ambient music and sound; Totally engrossing gameplay. This game is unbelievable. If you like RPG’s in the SLIGHTEST, buy it.”

4. Fight Night Round 3 – Sports

Easily beating the competition, Fight Night Round 3 brings the most intense boxing videogame experience ever to the virtual boxing ring. Film-quality graphics establish Fight Night Round 3 as one of the best looking and playing Xbox 360 sports games ever produced. The graphics feature devastating punch impacts unparalleled in any game or film. Outside of the ring, gamer’s can establish intense rivalries through pre-fight events and trash talk, putting more purpose and passion behind their every hit. The visuals in Fight Night Round 3 are so excellent that they actually enhance the gameplay. The gameplay has been revamped from what was already an excellent experience in Round 2.

5. Tom Chancy’s Splinter Cell Double Agent – Action

The bestselling Tom Chancy’s “Splinter Cell” game takes on an entirely new direction. You play as a double agent for the first time ever in Splinter Cell Double Agent. You’ll take on the dual roles of covert operative and ruthless terrorist, where your choices of whom to betray and whom to protect actually affect the outcome of the game. Experience the relentless tension and gut-wrenching dilemmas of life as a double agent. Lie. Kill. Sabotage. Betray. But above all, save and protect the innocent. As a covert operative, you’ll infiltrate a vicious terrorist group and seek to destroy it from within. Carefully weigh the consequences of your actions–kill too many terrorists and blow your cover. Hesitate and millions will die. Do whatever it takes to complete your mission, but get out alive.

6. LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy – Action

The war between the Galactic Empire and the Rebel Alliance has left the galaxy far, far away in a huge mess! But luckily with LEGOs, rebuilding is easy! Play through the original Star Wars trilogy — Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi — as all three movies are re-created using LEGO bricks. You can play as one of 50 different characters, ride in various vehicles and even ride on several creatures. Our recommendation: If you liked the first Star Wars game, this one should definitely be on your list. If you’ve never played the first game, then this one must be on your list! So really, there isn’t any reason not to own and play this rewarding game.

7. Madden NFL 07 – Sports

With Madden NFL 07, innovative rushing controls allow you to control the running game like never before, with all-new jukes, cutbacks, and the distinct running styles of your favorite backs. For the first time, in a football video game, you can step up as the lead blocker to create a hole, and then take control of the tailback to smash through, jump over, or tear away from any would-be tackler as you head for the end zone. One fan raved, “Overall it was exactly what i was looking for, … the new features are all fun, and the individual camera view for every position in superstar mode gave u a feeling of really playing as the character. This will be a great game to play alone or with a group of friends.”

8. Dead Rising – Action

Dead Rising follows the harrowing saga of Frank West, an overly zealous freelance photojournalist. In pursuit of a clue, he makes his way to a small suburban town only to find that it has been overrun by zombies. He escapes to the local shopping mall, thinking it will be a bastion of safety, but it turns out to be anything but. In the intense struggle to survive the endless stream of zombies, players have full reign of a realistic shopping center, utilizing anything they find to fight off the flesh-hungry mob. The variety of stores in the mall offers players an endless supply of resources including vehicles, makeshift weapons and more. Players encounter other survivors along the way, and by helping them, acquire valuable clues as to what has happened and how to survive. I couldn’t say it better than this fan: “Thousands … of zombies to kill in a myriad of ridiculous ways; tons of things to see and try throughout the mall; great sense of style; a plot that manages to be intriguing without intruding too much on the action; and fantastic sound effects.”

9. Saints Row – Action

Welcome to Stillwater, an open-world city with attitude, a city controlled by rival gangs, a city you are about to take over in Saints Row. As a low-level thug in the Third Street Saints, you’ll do whatever it takes to get the money and build the respect and power you need to muscle your way to the top. Numerous vehicles are available to “borrow,” pedestrians can be slugged or robbed at gunpoint, and there are an assortment of missions to advance the game’s primarily storyline. Some features include: fun, responsive driving controls; excellent shooting action; impressive presentation, featuring amazing explosions and great audio; and a well-written, well-acted story to implement. 10. Hitman: Blood Money – Action On the run from rival assassins, Agent 47 hops a plane to take care of business in Hitman: Blood Money. Players will guide Agent 47 through a number of locales, including New Orleans, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas as he performs hits. It’s up to the player to determine the manner in which a hit is executed, but the “rookie training” mode can show amateur assassins how to help targets have “accidents,” by pushing the victim over a ledge, for example. The amount of money earned from completed jobs varies depending on the cleanliness and professionalism of the hit. Agent 47′s paychecks can be spent in a number of ways including bribing reporters, buying customized upgrades for weapons, or paying bystanders for information. Open-ended stealth action gameplay lets you sneak around, or run and gun; beautifully crafted mission set pieces seem appropriately big and complex; large variety of realistic weapons; and great combination of action and strategy.

Author
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/top-10-xbox-360-games-your-kids-want-for-christmas-this-year-73692.html

Bangalore or bangaluru is the capital of Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore has an estimated metropolitan population of 6.1 million (2006), making it India’s third largest city and fifth largest metropolitan area.
Bangalore Rs. 22,000 crore economy makes it a major economic centre in India.Bangalore is India’s fastest growing market. Bangalore’s per capita income of rs 2.9 lakh (US $ 6460) is the highest for any Indian City.
Bangalore is called the Silicon Valley of India because of the large number of Information Technology companies located in the city which contribute 38% of India’s Rs 100,000 crore ( US $ 22 billion) IT and Software export market.
Bangalore experienced a boom in its real estate market in the 1980s and 1990s, spurred by capital investors from other parts of the country who converted Bangalore’s large plots and colonial bunglows to multistorey apartments.

It is now a dream of many to own a piece of real estate in this city.You have to be very careful when you are planning to buy property in this city. According to a well known real estate consultant a lot no. of application for loans are rejected simply because of the title of properties cannot be traced at all.

Let us look at what are the legal formalities and authority which one has to go when buying a property in bangalore.The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) is the sanctioning authority for high rise buildings.The innermost circle falls under the jurisdiction of the Bangalore City Corporation (BCC) which permits construction of building.
Coming more closer we have seven City Muncipal Councils (CMCs) and Town Muncipal Council (TMC) that control the intermediate circle.Its overseen by BDA. The Bangalore Metropolitan and Rural Development Authority (BMRDA) looks over the rural district construction.
BDA Approved Property
These are site from land acquired by the BDA through a legal process and allotted to applicants. Legally these sites are the best and have all the relevant documents. For bankers to finance the property they need not trace the property beyond acquisition by the BDA.
BCC Approved Property
Generally owned by individuals through inheritance partition, gift etc, these are sites in the jurisdiction of the BCC. You will find very few vacant sites in this category.

Keep in mind this is your one time investment so you have to be very careful. More Info about Bangalore property
bangalore real estate

Gautam
http://www.articlesbase.com/real-estate-articles/bangalore-real-estate-legality-72106.html

If you want to learn how to make money online the right way, with no hype and no false promises, then you will have to make the effort to ignore all these seemingly unbelievable offers that are being made to you. If you have recently lost your job, then you are vulnerable, and prey to every shark in the internet waters – and there are lots of them.

I know what it is like because I was like you. I lost my job, and tried to make it online but found it very hard. I spent a lot of money trying to learn how to make money online: one lump sum of $6,500 to be taught what I now know was elementary stuff. I was taken for a ride, and when I eventually found out that the Corey Rudl that I paid for this was one of the most well respected internet millionaires online, I was disillusioned.

These guys have no shame. They are still at it. I have just been offered an unbelievable opportunity, only about 40 slots left, to learn how to make $300 a day that can expand to many times that. The guy selling his ideas that made him so much money is doing it because he wants to ‘give something back’. Why do I find it difficult to believe that?

Why not just carry on earning his ‘many times’ 300 bucks a day? Why go to the bother of having a website designed and everything else involved in marketing his offer when he is already earning at least $30,000 a month if we are to believe him? Personally I am sick of it all, and after a few years in this business trying to make a living have concluded that they are all in it together; there is a clique of well-known names, and I know them all; they help each other to screw the rest of us.

You won’t learn how to make money online from these guys. The way that I did it was to teach myself, and then to figure out what these guys were actually doing. Many of them were software engineers, designing software to carry out keyword research, or to enable you to check your website statistics or something else in that vein. Others were ex-sales guys who knew how to lie, and yet others would come up with a good idea, run it to death till it was no longer working, and the sell it to us showing how much money they made from it – only it couldn’t work any more because:

a) Google had banned it, or b) Clickbank had banned it, or c) Technology and rules had changed and it was no longer any good.

These are the only circumstances under which these guys are going to give you their internet secrets. That’s a fact. So what is the best way to learn how to make money online? Honest truth? There is no best way. I have found that there are several ways, and they can be made to work, but they won’t earn you 300 bucks a day.

Perhaps two or three together might, and if you used each of them you could make a good living online. It’s the old saying: make $20 a day from one website and all you need do is to do the same with another 50 websites and you have a grand a day. Sure – only the guys that say that aren’t doing it. So why not if it’s so easy?

You can learn how to make money online if you are prepared to accept that you won’t do it overnight. If you are prepared to learn the groundwork, and then build up from a solid foundation, it is possible to make a good living. That’s what I found, and part of the way that I do that is what I am doing right now: writing this article. Article writing, article marketing, call it what you want. It doesn’t matter. It lets me advertise free.

That might not seem a lot to you right now, but it will, believe me. Free advertising is worth every penny you pay for it, and that’s not all that there is to online success. It’s taking every opportunity that comes, knowing what to do with it and making the most of it. You don’t have to make a fortune from every opportunity, but you should remember what I said earlier: make $20 dollars from one website. . .

Suddenly it looked possible to me, and do you know what the major factor in all this was? Education! I don’t mean college education, though I have that. I mean learning how to get things working online. How the internet works. How the World Wide Web works, and how to use what I learned about marketing and advertising and designing websites to actually sell stuff online.

Not just my writing skills that I did as an article ghostwriter, but how to use the online tools that are available free to everybody, and the genuine information available, not that trash given to us by millionaires that feel like screwing us for another million. How to use all that to make money online.

It can be done. You can learn how to make money online. I had my fill of false promises and being sold redundant software and redundant ideas. I did it and so can you. You might just survive with your online home business, but you must learn the basics – that’s where the strength of your home business will come.

Peter Nisbet
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/learn-how-to-make-money-online-with-no-false-promises-1174003.html

Ford has something in store for this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show and its going to have extra equipment, zesty colors, and a new engine. The Ford Ranger Wildtrak is renowned for its strong towing power, and car-like comfort. For this year the new Ranger will sport additional style and capabilities to the range.

The new Ranger has a stylish, aerodynamic sports bar, rear box rail extensions, lower sports cladding and tail lamp protectors to enhance its appearance. Side intake ‘gills’ add to the visual effect although the addition of nerf bars may also do it good. Its new integrated door mirror indicators as well as puddle lamps provide additional differentiation and Wildtrak decals on the front, side and rear identify it as a special Ford Ranger.

To further boost the stylish features of the Ford Ranger Wildtrak, new alloy wheels, side steps, a new sports front grille, roof rails, an aluminum style front over rider, an integrated bedliner and a rear protection bar with integrated park distance control are added. The cabin also features all-new heated seats in leather and perforated alcantara with orange tricot backing, new sports steering wheel, floor mats with Wildtrak logo, dash-mounted off-road ‘information centre’, footwell lighting and premium interior. The new Wildtrak scuff plates complete the package.

The Ford Ranger Wildtrak is offered with an exclusive range of unique two-tone colours—- Chilli Orange or Passion Red combined with Titanium Grey on the lower part of the body for a truly striking appearance. The other body colors that can be combined with Titanium Grey are Storm Black, Andaman Blue, Steel Silver, and Strato Blue.

Under the hood is a new and powerful 3.0-litre TDCi engine that produces 156PS and 380Nm of torque. A five-speed manual transmission is modified to increase fuel economy while maintaining good overtaking ability.

According to Steve Kimber, commercial vehicles director, Ford of Britain, “The latest Ford Ranger is selling faster than the previous model. The new Wildtrak will take us deeper into the fiercely competitive pick-up market with a truck that really makes a statement.”

Tough Ford Ranger Pickups parade in pink…

And speaking of Ford Rangers, in Salford, England a fleet of tough–looking Ford Ranger pickups has paraded the streets painted in pink insignia.

The pink Rangers acquired by the Salford City Council feature one of the first tipper conversions ever carried out on the new-generation model. The six Ford Ranger 2.5 TDCi Regular Cab 4x2s have been fitted with steel caged bodies. The pink finished used for the Ford Rangers were based on the color used for the Council’s street-cleansing department.

Ford Rangers were chosen over other bigger vehicles because they can be easily maneuvered in any city street, even where weight or width restrictions apply. The conversion features a 2.3m tipper body, with single dropside, 2.5mm floor, heavy-duty ladder gantry and one-man-operated body-prop. The cage was made 30cm higher than the cab and makes use of 2.5cm galvanized mesh infill and was provided a nearside sliding access door and barn doors above the tailgate.

Salford City Council’s Transport Manager Terry Dixie said, “The Rangers are superb. Our concern is with paper bulk, rather than weight. This provides an opportunity to reduce vehicle size. The Ranger is less expensive than a conventional 3.5-tonne tipper vehicle, provides superior fuel economy and its robust design promises a long life. We anticipate higher residuals with the Ranger than we would with a conventional tipper.”

And in view with Salford City Council’s eco-friendly policy, the Ranger tippers run on bio-diesel. The council also has a number of Ford Transit Connects that operates on general delivery duties. The Salford City Council’s hard-working Ford Rangers are expected to cover a surprisingly high mileage, and to show more than 75,000 miles on the clock at the end of their five-year cycle.

Gertrude
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/ford-ranger-wildtrak-and-the-pink-rangers-in-salford-england-138911.html

M. Night Shyamalan’s new movie, “The Happening” seems to be what the people need now. Consumed by dull horror movies, our hope stands with Mr. Shyamalan.

This is more then just a movie, this is a test and that’s what makes it so powerful. Mark Wahlberg is one of the favorite actors in Hollywood these days while Night is a great director who has Directorial freedom.

In Philosophical thunder
The Happening is kind of biblical, but it seems like it has more then that in it.

Night, choose and put, Mark as a school teacher for one reason, studying!

Night, feels he is our teacher, as a believer he speaks as a teacher. But then, something big happens, the teacher becomes the student. This is the first mix-up of the story. It is hard to any human being to be the one, he is exactly the opposite of. Mark being a strong and powerful person on and off screen, being in this situation is almost impossible!

My God, Night!
Is it possible that Night, tells us something about God? If God is the teacher, can God become the student or will he become the student? Interesting to watch how it develops in the movie itself.

Mr. Night loves families, here Mark also has a family. There is something very strong in Night’s families, although they are broken. In each of his movies, the families were broken but in the end become stronger.

There is no debut that Night believes in family and God and tries to bring them together each time. He is a revel who kicks all the broken families around the planet.

What is the question?
No one, knows what happens, no one have answers. There are only questions, throughout the movie. Mark asks what, why and more and there are no answers.

Again, the teacher, has the questions, the teacher becomes the student! But this time, there are no answers in the horizon. It is pretty scary not to have answers, but it’s challenging to seek for them.

Most people need to have straight answers. Yes or No, Black or White, nothing in the middle. But here there are no!

Imagine a situation where I ask someone for his name and he says he doesn’t know, how scary is that? Our imagination starts thinking, is this man a loony? we immediately take 2-3 steps back.

Why do you think people are so scared of death? Simply because they don’t have a straight answer what will happen to them. Heaven, hell or whatever, they and we still don’t have an answer to that mystical question.

The Happening
Is the bible True or Not, this is one of the biggest questions that people like to ask. There is no true answer beside belief. Again we go back to Night’s head, he loves people who believe or lost their belief. In the end the come to belief.

In Signs, Mel lost his belief in God to gain it back. In Unbreakable Willis learned to believe in the unbelievable. In the Village, a certain belief put people in a Village. The same themes happened in 6th sense and Lady In the Water as Willis learned to believe in the boy, help the boy and belief gave us the Lady inside the water.

So is the Happening going to happened? Well, I guess if you believe in it, it will, if not, it won’t…

Amir Ragporker
http://www.articlesbase.com/movies-articles/the-happening-and-philosophy-443633.html

Geographically the single most significant factor about Newcastle is that it is on the River Tyne making it easy to cross from the north bank. Hence it became known as Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. As the undisputed capital of the north between York in England and Edinburgh in Scotland, Newcastle is located at the map reference 54.97o North and 01.62 o West of the Greenwich meridian. It is separated from Cumbria and Lancashire to the west by the Pennine Hills, from which the River Tyne rises. Economically, apart form being a thriving industrial and commercial centre, it is an important ferry port for travellers to and from Scandinavia. In total Newcastle has a population of some 260,000 and covers an area of about 113 square kilometres.

Geologically the bedrock on which Newcastle is founded on is sedimentary and consists mainly of Carboniferous Limestone – 300-360 million years ago, Also present are Millstone Grits from the latter part of the Carboniferous era and out toward the east of Newcastle there is some Oolitic limestone originating in the Jurassic period – around 200 million years ago. It was, of course, during the Carboniferous period that the vast deposits of coal were laid down for which Newcastle became so famous. The coal would have been formed when the site of Newcastle would have been in an estuary swamp with shallow and warm water, when the whole of what is now the British Isles would have been sitting on the equator.

Being in the UK, Newcastle has a temperate climate. Despite being on the east side of the country it still benefits from the warming effects to the UK of the Gulf Stream and is, therefore, warmer than many cities located on or around the same latitude. However, Newcastle does have a lower average temperature than many UK cities which in winter averages 3oC and in summer rarely achieves higher than 18oC. On average it has 290 days of precipitation (rainfall) giving it around 100mm per month, compared to a national average of 150mm per month. Its weather pattern is attributable to three main factors: its northerly position; being in the rain shadow of the Pennines making it drier than might be expected and the winds which blow through it. Whilst the prevailing wind is south westerly, from the North Atlantic Currents, Newcastle is also susceptible to blasts of icy air arriving from the North Pole. At its highest point Newcastle is some 80 metres above sea level, but it also has areas less than 10 metres above sea level.

The City of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne is part of the Tyneside Metropolitan District. It has 26 electoral wards, the following are worthy of some note. Byker, situated in the east of the city, is one of the less prosperous wards. It is famed for the ‘Byker Wall’. This is a single continuous block of 620 maisonettes. In the 1960s the whole of Byker, a run down area of mainly Victorian buildings, was in desperate need of rebuilding. In 1969 the City of Newcastle council asked the architect Ralph Erskine to plan a ‘new’ Byker. In collaboration with the then residents, one of Erskine’s features was the Byker wall. Having endured years of ridicule for social problems arising out of it, the Byker Wall is now seen as a unique venture in community involvement in town planning and in 2003 was rated as a Grade II listed building. Gosforth, is accepted to be one of the more affluent suburbs of Newcastle, Fenham is a popular area for the Asian community with increasing numbers of young professionals also moving into it. Heaton and Jesmond both have quite large student communities; Newburn contains the church where George Stephenson, of railway fame, was married.

Newcastle is noted for the bridges joining north and south Tyneside; of these bridges the city of Newcastle is responsible for four of them, three of which are famous in their own right. The High Level Road Bridge, opened in 1849, is actually a two tier bridge. The upper tier carries railway traffic and is maintained by Network Rail, the lower tier carrying road traffic and pedestrians is managed by the city council. The swing bridge was built in 1879 to allow ships to carry on up the Tyne and of course the landmark Tyne Bridge opened in 1928. There is also a cycle and pedestrian tunnel under the Tyne between Howdon and Jarrow. The newest bridge on the Tyne is the Gateshead Millennium Bridge which is a direct link between Newcastle and the Baltic Flour Mill gallery, in Gateshead. The Millennium Bridge is now seen as the new ‘signature’ bridge for the river Tyne.

With the coal mining industry virtually shut down and the heavy engineering companies in decline, in the 1980s the economic prospects for Newcastle were bleak. However, the city rallied itself through the 1990s and has emerged into the 21st Century as a renewed and vibrant city. Whilst more dependant on service and retail industries than before, it has an unemployment rate below 5% and is generally considered to be economically sound. This is reflected in its privately owned house prices, which average £145,000 and range from £330,000 for a four bedroom detached house to £120,000 for a three bedroom flat.

Article by Susan Ashby of Newcastle Singles. To read more articles like this or for dating in Newcastle visit http://www.newcastle-singles.co.uk”>

Susan Ashby
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/the-geography-of-newcastle-129115.html

Come 21st century and your daily shopping takes a shape that none could have imagined even till a year ago. No longer do you find people carrying their monthly grocery lists or sieving through the high street shops to find that one particular gift for that special one. It’s not that people don’t do it still, but the proliferation of internet has given them a viable and a convenient option in the form of cash back shopping and price comparison on the World Wide Web.

Taking the UK scenario into consideration, one can say for sure that internet shopping has carved out a place for itself that is irreplaceable in the next few decades at least. The way comparison and cashback shopping has started to engulf and dominate the entire shopping scene in the UK is unbelievable. Today, these two terms are quite commonly used and have become part of people’s jargon.

Such cashback or price comparison sites incorporate a plethora of verticals, the most conspicuous ones being mobile phones, calling cards, clothes, broadband, finance, electrical goods and consumer electronics. From an Armani shirt to an LG microwave, and from a Nokia handset to a home loan, everything is available to you by a mere click of your mouse. From the comfort of your homes you can conveniently and securely order for products and even receive them, in most cases delivery is free, within no time.

E-shops have seen unprecedented growth in the last couple of years to an extent that the high street merchants have started viewing them with suspicion. The dip in their sales directly corresponds with the sales of the e-shops. Fulfilling all your needs in a manner that is most convenient for the netizens, the comparison and cashback shopping portals have built up a fortune for themselves. Try them out to realize their true worth in such a scenario where dearth of time is a perennial problem.

Fletcher Mak
http://www.articlesbase.com/small-business-articles/cashback-and-comparison-shopping-here-to-stay-141661.html

In urban development, one thing must give for another to grow. The Atlanta area, in particular, knows this process all too well.

Metro Atlanta in the last decade has experienced tremendous population and economic growth. It is a bustling metropolis, replete with gleaming skyscrapers, successful businesses and a creative workforce. As its prosperity grew, Atlanta purchased pieces of land in surrounding areas. Some of this land was purchased as a way to help less prosperous areas develop. Other pieces were purchased because owning them was in Atlanta’s best interest. And still others were purchased with both of these motivations in mind.

College Park, a small city just south of Atlanta and home to Hatsfield-Jackson Airport, has benefited from Atlanta’s investments. It also, it claims, to be losing out on business development and economic strength. The Atlanta Journal Constitution recently ran an article that described the situation.

College Park’s greater concern is its contention that Atlanta is hindering its economic development efforts. Since the 1970s, Atlanta has bought and demolished countless homes and properties in the smaller city in an effort to limit the impact of noise from airplanes taking off and landing at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, which is owned by the city of Atlanta.

College Park’s mayor, Jack Longino, traveled to Atlanta to voice his frustrations; he stood before the city council and delivered his message.

“Atlanta has been buying land here since the 1970s. The majority of this land has gone undeveloped. No business development. No tax revenue. Just blight,” the mayor told Atlanta city officials during their city council meeting.

But Atlanta is not admitting any wrongdoing, or that is trying to hinder College Park’s prosperity. It oversaw the construction of the airport, after all, which brings to College Park a significant amount of revenue and business opportunities.

Without the airport, College Park would not have its sparkling Georgia International Convention Center, which is already booked this year for about 55 expos, proms and other events. College Park also has about three dozen hotels and motels and expects about $1 billion in new development, which includes five more hotels, during the next two years, city officials say.

Both sides are calling for a more constructive dialogue, and they seem to recognize that doing business and investing is real estate development in mutually beneficial. But still, one has to wonder when a town is too small for independent plans. Like they say in Western movies, “This town isn’t big enough for the both of us.” With Atlanta and College Park, revenue and business development will ultimately settle the score.

michaelrussell
http://www.articlesbase.com/business-articles/atlanta-and-college-park-a-tale-of-two-cities-748495.html