tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43340302077975775422024-03-13T01:59:02.320-07:00NagrianFarrukh Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00078979389808411234noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334030207797577542.post-18030655959289329242010-10-01T02:46:00.000-07:002010-10-01T02:46:18.077-07:00World's Scariest Bridges<div class="articleHeader" style="color: orange;"> <div class="articleTitle"><h1></h1></div><div class="subTitle"><h2>From sky-high suspension bridges to dilapidated rope bridges, these crossings aren’t for the meek.</h2></div><div class="author">By Lyndsey Matthews</div></div><!-- close logoTitle--> <div class="ygcl" style="color: orange;"><!-- --></div><div class="picAndLinks" style="color: orange;"><div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="Aiguille du
Midi Bridge near Chamonix, France" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/bridges/aiguille.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">Aiguille du Midi Bridge<div>Robert Harding Picture Library Ltd / Alamy</div></div><div class="linksSource">More from TravelandLeisure.com</div><ul class="moreLinks"><li><a href="http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-best-fall-color-drives/1">America's Best Fall Color Drives</a></li>
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</ul></div><!-- this is teh content of the article --> <div style="color: orange;">All bridges serve a purpose, whether utilitarian or inspirational. And some of them add a distinct element of fear. But you don’t have to be in a remote part of the world: scary bridges exist everywhere, in all shapes, sizes, and heights. And crossing over them can be the ultimate in adventure travel.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;">Many courageous (or foolhardy) travelers seek out hair-raising bridges just for the thrill. The bridges along the route to Colombia’s National Archaeological Park of Tierradentro are a good example. Though there are safer routes via bus from La Plata, some thrill-seekers choose to ride motorcycles over slippery bamboo crossings deep in the mountains, where one wrong move could mean plunging into a turbulent river.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;">So get ready to face your fears—or maybe find your next adventure—with our list of the world’s most petrifying bridges.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <h3 style="color: orange;">Aiguille du Midi Bridge<br />
France</h3><div style="color: orange;">Don’t look down. At this height, you’ll want to keep your eyes locked on the panorama of the craggy French Alps. Fortunately, the bridge itself is short, making for an easy escape if acrophobia sets in. But those truly afraid of heights probably won’t even see the bridge; getting here requires taking a cable car that climbs 9,200 vertical feet in just 20 minutes.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Where:</b> The summit of Aiguille du Midi in the Mont Blanc massif near <a href="http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-483261-chamonix_france_vacations-i">Chamonix</a>.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Stats:</b> 12,605 feet above sea level.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div class="picAndLinks" style="color: orange; width: 240px;"><div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="Royal
Gorge Bridge over the Arkansas River in Colorado" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/bridges/royalgorge.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">Royal Gorge Bridge<div>Harris Photographic</div></div></div><h3 style="color: orange;">Royal Gorge Bridge<br />
Colorado</h3><div style="color: orange;">America’s highest suspension bridge may be breathtaking for some, but those scared of heights may be left gasping for air as they stare straight down nearly 90 stories at the Arkansas River below. Completed in 1929, the bridge didn’t have stabilizing wind cables until 1982.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Where:</b> <a href="http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-2816557-royal_gorge_bridge_park_colorado_springs-i">Royal Gorge</a>, Colorado, over the Arkansas River.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Stats:</b> 969 feet above the gorge; 1,260 feet long.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div class="picAndLinks" style="color: orange; width: 240px;"><div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="Trift
Suspension Bridge in the Swiss Alps" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/bridges/trift.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">Trift Suspension Bridge<div>Prisma/Gerth Roland / Alamy</div></div></div><h3 style="color: orange;">Trift Suspension Bridge<br />
Switzerland</h3><div style="color: orange;">One of the Alps’ longest and highest pedestrian suspension bridges, Trift was built in 2004 to reconnect hikers to a hut made inaccessible by a retreating glacier. A replacement in 2009 gave this bridge higher handrails and stabilizing cables to prevent it from swinging violently in the wind. But it still provides an adrenaline rush.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Where:</b> Trift Glacier, near the town of Gadmen in the Swiss Alps.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Stats:</b> 328 feet high; 558 feet long.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div class="picAndLinks" style="color: orange; width: 240px;"><div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge in Northern Ireland" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/bridges/carrick.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge<div>iStock</div></div></div><h3 style="color: orange;">Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge<br />
Northern Ireland</h3><div style="color: orange;">First things first: nobody has fallen off this bridge. However, many visitors who walk across simply can’t handle the return and have to go by boat. It used to be even scarier. Erected by fishermen who went to the island to catch salmon, the original bridge had only a single handrail. The rope bridge eventually became popular with tourists seeking a thrill, and the National Trust replaced it with a sturdier structure with two handrails.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Where:</b> Near Ballintoy in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Stats:</b> 65 feet long; nearly 100 feet above the rocks below.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div class="picAndLinks" style="color: orange; width: 240px;"><div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="Capilano
Suspension Bridge in Northern Vancouver, Canada" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/bridges/capilano.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">Capilano Suspension Bridge<div>Courtesy of Capilano Suspension Bridge</div></div></div><h3 style="color: orange;">Capilano Suspension Bridge<br />
Canada</h3><div style="color: orange;">Originally built in 1889, this simple suspension footbridge surrounded by an evergreen forest is very high, fairly narrow, and extremely shaky—the cedar planks bounce on their steel cables as you walk across them. If the bridge doesn’t scare you, wait until the spring of 2011; the Cliffhanger attraction will allow visitors to climb across a series of suspended walkways attached to a cliff.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Where:</b> <a href="http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-481938-north_vancouver_vacations-i">North Vancouver</a>, British Columbia, across the Capilano River.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Stats:</b> 450 feet long; 230 feet high.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div class="picAndLinks" style="color: orange; width: 240px;"><div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="Mackinac
Bridge spans Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/bridges/mackinac.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">Mackinac Bridge<div>iStock</div></div></div><h3 style="color: orange;">Mackinac Bridge<br />
Michigan</h3><div style="color: orange;">Some drivers get so nervous about crossing this five-mile-long bridge that they don’t even go. And this happens so often that the Mackinac Bridge Authority will drive your car or motorcycle for you (and for free). The biggest fear is the wind, which often exceeds 30 miles per hour on the bridge.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Where:</b> Between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Stats:</b> 5 miles long; 199 feet above the water.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div class="picAndLinks" style="color: orange; width: 240px;"><div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="Puente de
Ojuela in the northen Mexican state of Durango" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/bridges/puente.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">Puente de Ojuela<div><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wario-mvc/">Mario Valenzuela</a></div></div></div><h3 style="color: orange;">Puente de Ojuela<br />
Mexico</h3><div style="color: orange;">This bridge leads to a ghost town, but it’s the squeaky wood floor that makes it scary. Fortunately, steel cables suspended from two towers bring a greater feeling of safety. Still, steel is a relatively recent addition: when German engineer Santiago Minhguin built this bridge in the 19th century, those towers were made of wood.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Where:</b> The ghost town of Ojuela, an old mining settlement in the northern state of Durango, Mexico.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Stats:</b> 1,043 feet long; 2 feet wide; 360 feet above a gorge. </div><div class="picAndLinks" style="color: orange; width: 240px;"><div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="Chesapeake
Bay Bridge in Maryland" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/bridges/chesapeake.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">Chesapeake Bay Bridge<div>Michael Ventura / Alamy</div></div></div><h3 style="color: orange;">Chesapeake Bay Bridge<br />
Maryland</h3><div style="color: orange;">Drivers are notoriously afraid of this bridge, as it’s subjected to frequent—and often violent—storms. And when the bad weather hits, forget about visibility: get to the middle of this five-mile-long bridge and you can barely see land.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Where:</b> Spanning the Chesapeake Bay to connect Maryland’s eastern and western shores.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Stats:</b> Nearly 5 miles long; 186 feet high at its highest point.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div class="picAndLinks" style="color: orange; width: 240px;"><div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="Monkey Bridges
in Vietnam's Mekong Delta" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/bridges/monkey.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">Monkey Bridges<div>Christopher Buchanan</div></div></div><h3 style="color: orange;">Monkey Bridges<br />
Vietnam</h3><div style="color: orange;">It may seem that only monkeys could make it across traditional monkey bridges—after all, they’re typically made of a single bamboo log and one handrail. However, the name comes from the stooped monkey-like posture you have to maintain when crossing, so as not to plunge into the river below.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Where:</b> Various points across the Mekong Delta at the southern tip of Vietnam.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Stats:</b> These bridges are built by hand by local residents and vary from town to town. Newer ones are made of concrete.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div class="picAndLinks" style="color: orange; width: 240px;"><div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="Hussaini
Hanging Bridge in Northern Pakistan" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/bridges/hussaini.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">Hussaini Hanging Bridge<div>Robert Harding Picture Library Ltd / Alamy</div></div></div><h3 style="color: orange;">Hussaini Hanging Bridge<br />
Pakistan</h3><div style="color: orange;">Massive gaps between the planks, a wild side-to-side swing: there are reasons this is considered one of the world’s most harrowing suspension bridges. While rickety cable and wood bridges are common in this area, crossing this bridge over the rapidly flowing Hunza River is particularly frightening, as the tattered remains of the previous bridge hang by threads next to the one currently in use.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Where:</b> In the village of Hussaini in Northern Pakistan, crossing the Hunza River.</div><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><b>Stats:</b> Floodwaters reportedly submerged the bridge in May 2010. However, due to its draw as a popular adventure-travel activity, the bridge is likely to be rebuilt.</div>Farrukh Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00078979389808411234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334030207797577542.post-41803784335206769762010-09-27T05:19:00.000-07:002010-09-27T05:19:33.028-07:00Breathtaking Viewing Platforms Around The World<h3 style="color: orange;">Balcony of the Alps</h3><center style="color: orange;"><img border="0" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/299/1.jpg" /></center><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;">Nicknamed the ‘</span><a href="http://www.tuerlwand.at/dachstein-skywalk-attraction.htm" style="color: orange;">balcony of the alps</a><span style="color: orange;">‘, the Dachstein Sky Walk is formally enthroned at 2,700 m above sea-level, high up on the 250 m vertical </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2" style="color: orange;">rock</span><span style="color: orange;"> face of the Hunerkogel.</span><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> A 360 degree panorama allows the visitor a view of Slovenia in the south to the Czech Republic in the north. This “balcony of the Alps” is distinctly higher than the platforms of the </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3" style="color: orange;">Niagara Falls</span><span style="color: orange;"> or the Iguazu </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4" style="color: orange;">waterfalls</span><span style="color: orange;"> in Brasil.</span><br style="color: orange;" /> <center style="color: orange;"> <img border="0" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/299/small-1.jpg" /><img border="0" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/299/small-2.jpg" /></center> <div style="color: orange;"> </div><h3 style="color: orange;">The Landscape Promontory</h3><center style="color: orange;"><img border="0" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/299/viewing-platforms-1.jpg" /></center><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;">The </span><a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/blogs/travel_blog/2007/06/walking-on-air.html" style="color: orange;">landscape promontory</a><span style="color: orange;"> is a suspended viewing platform designed by paolo bürgi as part of the cardada project, a revitalisation of the cardada mountain that is expected to finish in 2010. as with ‘il binocolo’, the steel and titanium platform enables you to walk amongst the tree tops and experience a view of lake maggiore that was previously unattainable. </span><center style="color: orange;"><img border="0" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/299/viewing-platforms-small-1.jpg" /><img border="0" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/299/viewing-platforms-small-2.jpg" /> </center> <div style="color: orange;">. </div><div style="color: orange;">.</div><h3 style="color: orange;">Grand Canyon Skywalk</h3><center style="color: orange;"><img border="0" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/299/viewing-platforms-skywalk.jpg" /></center><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;">The </span><a href="http://www.lonelyplanet.com/blogs/travel_blog/2007/06/walking-on-air.html" style="color: orange;">Skywalk</a><span style="color: orange;"> extends 65ft beyond the edge of the Grand Canyon and offers an unprecedented view from 4,000 ft above the ground!</span><br style="color: orange;" /> <br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> The Horseshoe shaped skywalk is constructed of glass walls 4 inches thick and visitors must don special scratch-proof socks as they partake in the view.</span><br style="color: orange;" /> <br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;">The work is a true engineering feat that can hold up to 70 tons (roughly 14 African Elephants) and withstands winds of 100mph.</span><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> </span><center style="color: orange;"><img border="0" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/299/viewing-platforms-4.jpg" /><img border="0" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/299/Grand-Canyon-Skywalk-detail.jpg" /></center> <div style="color: orange;"> </div><h3 style="color: orange;">Top of tyrol</h3><center style="color: orange;"><img border="0" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/299/skywalk-platforms.jpg" /></center><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> Innsbruck-based architects Astearchitecture have completed a mountain-top viewing platform located on 3200m at the Stubai Glacier in Tyrol, Austria.The same view could’ve been gained without the steel platform but it definitely provides a decievingly safe area for tourists wanting a perfect view of stubai glacier. plus there’s always the attraction of the thrill factor as you stand 9 metres away from the mountain. </span><div style="color: orange;"> </div><center style="color: orange;"> <img src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/299/viewing-platforms-tirol.jpg" /></center> <div style="color: orange;">. </div><div style="color: orange;">.</div><h3 style="color: orange;">Aurland Lookout</h3><center style="color: orange;"><img src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/299/viewing-platforms-5.jpg" /></center><span style="color: orange;">Architects </span><a href="http://www.saunders.no/pro_03_01.html" style="color: orange;">Todd Saunders</a><span style="color: orange;"> and Tommie Wilhelmsen were commissioned to design a scenic rest-stop 2’000ft above aurland fjord in norway and came up with this beauty. the outermost end of the horizontal platform – which curves to form the structure’s support – is closed off by a sheet of glass, offering an incredible view towards the ground for all those with the balls to make the trip to the end.</span><br style="color: orange;" /> <div style="color: orange;"><img border="0" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/299/viewing-platforms-6.jpg" /><img border="0" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/299/skywalk-platforms-3.jpg" /></div>Farrukh Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00078979389808411234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334030207797577542.post-67101977584037482672010-09-27T05:16:00.000-07:002010-09-27T05:16:27.131-07:005 Coolest Theme Parks Around The World<h2 style="color: orange;">Harry Potter Theme Park</h2><div style="color: orange;"> </div><center style="color: orange;"><img alt="theme park" border="0" class="imgl" longdesc="theme park" src="http://www.uphaa.com/uploads/475/park-t1.jpg" /><img alt="theme park" border="0" class="imgl" longdesc="theme park" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/475/park-t2.jpg" /></center><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> Universal </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4" style="color: orange;">Orlando Resort</span><span style="color: orange;"> will soon be expanding their Islands of Adventure park with The Wizarding World of </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2" style="color: orange;">Harry Potter</span><span style="color: orange;">, set to open in the spring of 2010.</span><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> Said Diane Nelson, President of DC Entertainment, who is also responsible for overseeing the Harry Potter brand team worldwide:</span><br style="color: orange;" /> <i style="color: orange;">“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is yet another way that fans will be able to experience and enjoy Harry Potter for many years to come,” said . “The power of this brand speaks for itself, as the enthusiasm of our dedicated fans around the world continues to grow even stronger as we move into the future.” </i><a href="http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=59130" style="color: orange;">Source</a> <h2 style="color: orange;">Ferrari Theme Park in Abu Dhabi.</h2><div style="color: orange;"> </div><center style="color: orange;"><img alt="theme park" border="0" class="imgl" longdesc="theme park" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/475/park-t3.jpg" /></center><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> Supercar aficionados will undoubtedly be salivating at the thought of a visit to </span><a href="http://www.ferrariworldabudhabi.com/" style="color: orange;">Ferrari’s Theme Park</a><span style="color: orange;">. Now set to open in 2010 it will be home to a range of multi-sensory experiences ranging from rollercoasters to displays and </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD6" style="color: orange;">driving experiences</span><span style="color: orange;">.</span><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> A few more details have emerged since our original report, including confirmation of the “world’s fastest rollercoaster”, which reaches speeds of 125mph (200kmh) while rising over 200ft (62m) through the Ferrari GT inspired roof and back down again.</span><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> A range of state-of-the-art racing simulators use a similar system to the Ferrari racing team, a flume ride takes you on a water-filled journey through a 599 engine and punters can opt for an aerial voyage over Italy following a Ferrari.</span><a href="http://www.gizmag.com/ferrari-theme-park-2010/13249/" style="color: orange;">Source</a><span style="color: orange;">Dickens World </span> <div style="color: orange;"> </div><center style="color: orange;"><img alt="theme park" border="0" class="imgl" height="248" longdesc="theme park" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/475/dickens.jpg" width="450" /><img alt="theme park" border="0" class="imgl" height="325" longdesc="theme park" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/475/dickens-2.jpg" width="450" /></center><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> Charles Dickens drab portrayals of the United Kingdom during the industrial revolution come to life at </span><a href="http://www.dickensworld.co.uk/index.php" style="color: orange;">Dickensworld</a><span style="color: orange;">, resembling a Tim Burton movie set. Now the whole family can pay to be bothered by grifters, hussies, walkabouts and other choreographed nuisances.</span><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> The attraction has been heavily promoted as containing Europe’s longest indoors dark ride, the “Great Expectations” log flume. Other attractions include the Haunted House of Ebenezer Scrooge (which incorporates a Pepper’s ghost effect), a Victorian school room, a 4D high definition cinema show, “The Six Jolly Fellowship Porters”, a themed bar and restaurant, and Fagin’s Den, a play area. There are also mockup Dickensian-style London buildings around a central square, populated with sundry costumed characters from Dickens’ works.</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dickens_World" style="color: orange;"> Source<br />
</a> <br style="color: orange;" /> <h2 style="color: orange;">The Restless Planet Dinosaur Theme Park </h2><div style="color: orange;"> </div><center style="color: orange;"><img alt="theme park" class="imgl" longdesc="theme park" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/475/city-of-arabia-moa11.jpg" /><img alt="theme park" border="0" class="imgl" longdesc="theme park" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/475/city-of-arabia-lost-planet1.jpg" /></center><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> Imagine going back 100 million years or more to feel the power of the cosmic forces that helped shape our planet, and come face to face with giant dinosaurs.</span><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> Restless Planet is a unique electronic media and natural history experience, where visitors enter a prehistoric world.</span><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> Located in the heart of Dubailand, this place has the feeling of being back 100 million years ago in the era the prehistoric dinosaurs.</span><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> Partnering with </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD5" style="color: orange;">Natural History Museum</span><span style="color: orange;"> of London , dinosaur authority Jack Horner, Tokyo-situated animatronics team Kokoro and international theme park specialists Jack Rouse Associates, the Restless Planet will become real very soon.</span><a href="http://www.cityofarabiame.com/category/our-projects/restless-planet/" style="color: orange;">Source</a> <h2 style="color: orange;">F1 Theme Park</h2><div style="color: orange;"> </div><center style="color: orange;"><img alt="theme park" border="0" class="imgl" longdesc="theme park" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/475/f1_x_theme_park_01.jpg" /><img alt="theme park" border="0" class="imgl" longdesc="theme park" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/475/f1_x_theme_park_05.jpg" /></center><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> Racing is inherent to Formula One, but this kind of race is something different altogether. While Ferrari prepares its theme park in Abu Dhabi, in neighboring emirate Dubai they’re gearing up for the grand opening of the first F1-X theme park.</span><br style="color: orange;" /><span style="color: orange;"> Dubai-based development company Union Properties secured the rights from Bernie Ecclestone to construct a series of F1 </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3" style="color: orange;">theme parks</span><span style="color: orange;"> around the world, and the first, in its home base, is preparing to open its doors around the same time as Ferrari World.</span><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2008/02/17/dubai-gears-up-for-f1-x-theme-park/" style="color: orange;">Source</a>Farrukh Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00078979389808411234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334030207797577542.post-57497524882807426862010-09-27T05:10:00.000-07:002010-09-27T05:10:08.436-07:007 Breathtaking Aquariums Around The World<h2>1 – <span style="color: red;">Dubai aquarium in the Dubai Mall</span></h2><img border="0" class="imgl" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/339/610x.jpg" /><br />
<span style="color: red;">Stingrays swim in the </span><a href="http://www.daylife.com/photo/02m507X2k0g6i" style="color: red;">Dubai aquarium</a><span style="color: red;"> in the Dubai Mall, which </span><strong style="color: red;">covers the area of 50 soccer pitches</strong><span style="color: red;">.</span><br style="color: red;" /><span style="color: red;"> The Dubai Aquarium – vast, entertaining, an engineering marvel, three stores tall and featuring glass ‘walk-through’ tunnels that contain exotic marine life.</span><br />
<h2 style="color: red;">2 – Georgia Aquarium, Atlanta</h2><img border="0" class="imgl" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/339/georgia_aquarium_05.jpg" /><br />
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<img class="imgl" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/339/2879332389_8cda839a10.jpg" /><br />
<br style="color: red;" /><strong style="color: red;">World’s Largest Aquarium</strong><span style="color: red;">, Georgia Aquarium,</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Aquarium" style="color: red;">Atlanta</a><span style="color: red;">, a wonderful home for more than 100,000 animals of 500 different species (notable </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD4" style="color: red;">specimens</span><span style="color: red;">: whale sharks, beluga whales, manta ray) and with a capacity of 8.1 million US gallons (31,000 m) of marine fresh water</span><br />
<h2 style="color: red;">3 – Churaumi Aquarium</h2><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/75299599@N00/1086966522/"><br />
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<br style="color: red;" /><strong style="color: red;">World’s Second Largest Aquarium</strong><span style="color: red;"> , </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churaumi_Aquarium" style="color: red;">Churaumi </a><span style="color: red;">Aquarium,part of the Ocean Expo Commemorative National Government </span><span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD2" style="color: red;">Park</span><span style="color: red;"> located in Motobu, Okinawa, Japan; capacity: 7,500-cubic meters (1,981,290 gallons) of water; one of the few places where visitors can see a great variety of sea creatures including sharks and manta rays.</span><br />
<h2 style="color: red;">4 – The Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA)</h2><img class="imgl" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/339/2882344819_2a20115e86.jpg" /><br />
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<img class="imgl" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/339/2883181508_3185819d80.jpg" /><br />
<br style="color: red;" /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquarium_of_Western_Australia" style="color: red;">AQWA</a><span style="color: red;">, an unbelievable journey to the underwater world of Western Australia, “from the icy waters of the southern ocean to the tropical wonderland of coral reefs in the Far North”</span><br style="color: red;" /><span style="color: red;"> The Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA) is a privately owned aquarium in Hillarys, Western Australia. It opened as Underwater World, Perth on April 13, 1988 and was acquired by the current owners, Coral World International and Morris Kahn, in 1991. It changed to its current name on January 1, 2001.</span><br style="color: red;" /><span style="color: red;"> The facility holds </span><strong style="color: red;">approximately 400 species of marine life</strong><span style="color: red;">.</span><br />
<h2 style="color: red;">5 – UShaka Marine World</h2><img class="imgl" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/339/2882431127_c4ca405565_o.jpg" /><br />
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<img border="0" class="imgl" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/339/2882430587_8fe8275ca1.jpg" /><br />
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<strong style="color: red;">Largest Aquarium in Africa</strong><span style="color: red;"> – </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UShaka_Marine_World" style="color: red;">UShaka</a><span style="color: red;"> Marine World, located on the strip of land between the beachfront and the harbor in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; a beautiful amusement park and at the same time the worlds fifth largest aquarium with 32 water tanks. The sea creatures found in the aquarium range from small sea horses all the way through to sharks and dolphins. The Aquarium is built to look like an old wreck.</span><br style="color: red;" /> <br />
<h2 style="color: red;">6 – AquaDom, Radisson Hotel Aquarium</h2><img class="imgl" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/339/2879046882_aeac16437e.jpg" /><br />
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<img class="imgl" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/339/2879067142_1b13bc3839.jpg" /><br />
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<strong style="color: red;">World’s Largest Cylindrical Aquarium </strong><span style="color: red;">, </span><a href="http://www.vagabondish.com/worlds-largest-aquarium-berlin/" style="color: red;">AquaDom</a><span style="color: red;">, Radisson Hotel Aquarium, Berlin; 25 meters high aquarium, with a capacity of 260,000 gallons of water and over 2,500 fish (56 species); visitors can travel through the aquarium using an encased elevator and get to the top where there is a restaurant and an open view of the city; hotel rooms can also experience the underwater view.</span><br />
<h2 style="color: red;">7 – The 32 million dollar Virtual Aquarium</h2><img class="imgl" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/339/2883036936_415c572ca6.jpg" /><br />
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<img class="imgl" src="http://img.uphaa.com/uploads/339/2882201155_c939439066_o.jpg" /><br />
<br style="color: red;" /><span style="color: red;">World’s Largest Virtual Fish Tank, </span><strong style="color: red;">30 by 250 meters LED screen</strong><span style="color: red;"> or 32 million dollar </span><a href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/citylife/2007-04/05/content_844182.htm" style="color: red;">Virtual Aquarium</a> mounted at about 80 feet in the air between two <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3" style="color: red;">shopping malls</span><span style="color: red;"> in Beijing.</span>Farrukh Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00078979389808411234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334030207797577542.post-45849757612190813522010-09-27T04:47:00.001-07:002010-09-27T04:47:28.328-07:00Sleeping Under the StarsThere's something magical about sleeping under the stars—the velvety sky overhead, the caress of cool breezes, a dazzling sunrise greeted with birdsong. But if that whole business of lying on the ground in a sleeping bag makes you want to sprint to the nearest hotel and hide under the duvet, we have a solution: nine extravagant beds that just happen to be outdoors. They're in the most extraordinary locations, too, such as on a photographer's platform in a South African game reserve, atop a 12th-century fortress in Rajasthan, or amid the mesas of southern Utah. So even if camping's not your thing, you can enjoy all the glories of nature with a hearty dose of nurture.<br />
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<h3>Amangiri Resort</h3><b><a href="http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-479829-lake_powell_ut_vacations-i">Lake Powell, Canyon Point, Utah</a></b><br />
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A full moon showcases the mesas against the sky. At night the occasional coyote yips, and at dawn bighorn sheep may troop by. Welcome to Amangiri, the extravagant 600-acre resort near the Navajo Nation in Utah as it cuts in near <a href="http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-473954-page_az_vacations-i">Page, Arizona</a>. This is one of the best places in the United States for star-gazing: The air is clear and dry, and there’s very little ambient light. If you’d like less exposure but a more focused relationship with the starry pitch above, six Amangiri suites have “Sky Terraces”—three protecting walls with the open sky above and a pool below you. With summer nights in the 60s and January nights in the mid-30s or lower, there’s appropriate bedding—from silk and wool throws to plumped down quilts. Cocoa with a shot of brandy? Coffee at 5:30 a.m.? This is Amangiri ($1,500–$3,500). <br />
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<div class="picAndLinks" style="width: 240px;"><div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="Lion Sands Private Game
Reserve" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/lion.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">Lion Sands Private Game Reserve, South Africa <div>Photo: Sabi Sand</div></div></div><h3>Lion Sands Private Game Reserve</h3><b>Sabi and Sand Game Reserve, South Africa</b><br />
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Guy Aubrey Chalkley, who founded Lion Sands in 1933, used to tell his daughter when she slept out on the Chalkley Treehouse, “Never fear the roar of the lion for it is rather when you don’t that you need to be aware.” Over the past 60 years, this tree house—built as a photographer’s platform—has been reinforced and adorned with a cozy double bed, a hot-water bottle, dressing gowns, and a basin. Guests can have dinner in the tree or dine at the lodge and head out afterward. Once dropped off—with mosquito repellent, torches, lanterns, and a two-way radio—they’re on their own till morning. Chances are that during the night you will hear a lion roaring to stake his claim. This part of South Africa, bordering <a href="http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-488278-kruger_natl_park_south_africa_vacations-i">Kruger National Park</a>, has a high concentration of noisy predators: Hyenas and jackals engage in chitter chatter. At sunset and sunrise birds chime in. The tree house sits on the edge of an open plain: You may be able to hear the Sabie River, about a mile away. The sun sets and evening emerges; when the moon is full, you might see its light shimmering off the elephants less than 200 feet away across the plain. They are remarkably silent under the spectacular night sky—the Southern Cross, shooting stars, satellites—which is all yours, from horizon to horizon (tree house, $254).<br />
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<div class="picAndLinks" style="width: 240px;"><div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="Blue Mountains
Private Safaris" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/bluemountain.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">Blue Mountains Private Safaris, Australia<div>Photo: Archie Sartracom</div></div></div><h3>Blue Mountains Private Safaris</h3><b>Blue Mountains National Park, Australia</b><br />
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“You know the song? ‘Once a jolly swagman?’” asks Mark Tickner, who takes guests into the bush for Blue Mountains Private Safaris. A swagman, he says, is a nomad who sleeps in a swag. But here, the swags are padded, lined with fine cotton, and laid out on decks by the Wollondilly River, 75 miles southwest of <a href="http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-191502050-sydney_vacations-i">Sydney</a>, where the eucalyptus forests yield their oily vapor to the sun, leaving a scent and a blue haze that gives the mountains their name. After days spent hiking the sandstone escarpment and deep gullies, viewing platypuses, kangaroos, wombats, and echidnas, slip into your swag. Dingoes howl, parrots and eagles screech, rapids roar. At dawn, the kookaburra laughs (yes, sitting in the old gum tree) and grazing kangaroos thump around in the bush (doubles, $1,317). <br />
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<div class="picAndLinks" style="width: 240px;"><div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="L’Albereta,
Erbusco" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/lalbereta.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">L’Albereta, Erbusco, Lombardy, Italy<div>Photo: Stefano Scata</div></div></div><h3>L’Albereta, Erbusco</h3><b>Lombardy, Italy</b><br />
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Industrialist Vittorio Moretti has a theory about houses, that each should have a pensatoio at the top—a place surrounded by windows where a person can pause, contemplate nature, and refresh. So L’Albereta, his family’s Relais & Châteaux hotel in the hills of Franciacorta, between <a href="http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-485874-brescia_vacations-i">Brescia</a> and <a href="http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-485860-bergamo_vacations-i">Bergamo</a>, has the Cabriolet Suite. Atop a tower facing Lake Iseo, you are in the clutches of Northern Italian luxury—sitting on satin, grosgrain, damask; surrounded by vineyards; fed by the great Milanese chef Gualtiero Marchesi. Feeling romantic? Press a button and the roof above the bed opens to the heavens. During the annual Perseid meteor shower (known here as the tears of San Lorenzo), the suite is particularly sought after: Legend has it that for every falling star, a wish will be granted. But the sky is beautiful anytime, and the nights can be full of the perfume of wild roses, jasmine, and gardenias (Cabriolet Suite, $617).<br />
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<div class="picAndLinks" style="width: 240px;"><div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="Loisaba Wilderness
Lodge" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/loisaba.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">Loisaba Wilderness Lodge, Kenya<div>Photo: <a href="http://www.loisaba.com/">www.loisaba.com</a></div></div></div><h3>Loisaba Wilderness Lodge</h3><b><a href="http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-486645-nanyuki_kenya_vacations-i">Nanyuki, Kenya</a></b><br />
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Loisaba, on Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau, has spurred 10 marriage proposals. “It’s all about the beds,” says owner Tom Silvester. “They are ridiculously comfortable.” You’re just off the equator, amid acacia woodland and savanna, not far from the Rift Valley, the birthplace of modern man. There are two Star Bed camps: Kiboko, by a huge water hole that attracts wildlife, and Koija, on the Ewaso Nyiro River (you can hike from one to the other). Inspired by a Mukokoteni handcart and built on an old Land Rover axle, each bed is on a large platform set about 10 feet off the ground and 100 feet apart, ensuring privacy. In the evening, the Masai and Samburu who run the camps wheel them out from under a palm-thatch roof. The air is clear 300 days a year, granting full access to the wonder of African skies (doubles, $1,190). <br />
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<div class="picAndLinks" style="width: 240px;"><div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="Adrère Amellal Desert
Ecolodge" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/adrere.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">Adrère Amellal Desert Ecolodge, Egypt <div>Photo: <a href="http://www.eqi.com.eg/index.php?screenid=9&activemenu=contact">Siwa Sustainable Development Program</a></div></div></div><h3>Adrère Amellal Desert Ecolodge</h3><b>Siwa Oasis, Egypt</b><br />
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Adrère Amellal, built of mud and salt crystals, sits at the foot of a flat-topped white mountain considered holy by the local people. The lodge uses no power except for the generator that runs the kitchen. Outdoor beds are set up on the roof or out in the desert, south of the Siwa Oasis. In an immense “ballroom” (a bowl between tall dunes), dinner is served at magnificent tables set with crystal and argenterie. Later, Siwan staff in turbans and tunics escort you into the desert. They don’t use flashlights; you walk up a dune in the pitch black. On the other side are real beds made of palm reeds, with proper quilts and pillows and Egyptian cotton sheets. But if you fall asleep, you’ll miss the magic of absolute silence ($800; open Sept.–July). <br />
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<div class="picAndLinks" style="width: 240px;"> <div class="pic" style="float: left; margin-bottom: 0px;"><img alt="Killa Bhawan" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/i/us/tr/killa.jpg" /></div><div class="ygcl"><!-- --></div><div class="img_credit">Killa Bhawan, Rajasthan <div>Photo: Chris Caldicott</div></div></div><h3>Killa Bhawan</h3><b><a href="http://travel.yahoo.com/p-travelguide-4871647-jaisalmer_india_vacations-i">Jaisalmer, Rajasthan</a></b><br />
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In Jaisalmer, a living fortress high above the surrounding small city of the same name, a Killa Bhawan guest might follow local custom and sleep out on the roof, in a well-made colonial bed. Jaisalmer’s magic is magnified by its isolation in the middle of the Indian desert. Known as the Golden City, it was built in the twelfth century of yellow limestone marble and is famous for its palace, which you can see from the terrace, as well as its exquisite havelis (mansions) and seven Jain temples. Night brings a little wind, a clear desert sky, and the sounds of the city bedding down. Three thousand people live in the fort; in the temples, the worshippers sing and drum, then motorbikes head home, and by ten all becomes quiet. Life begins again around six with the bells of the temples and first prayers (doubles, $120–$200).Farrukh Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00078979389808411234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334030207797577542.post-82740682467518152752010-09-27T04:45:00.000-07:002010-09-27T04:45:57.502-07:00Billionaires in the Making<strong>This elite group of tech moguls, hedge-funders, athletes and entertainers are hovering under billionaire status with a strong chance of breaking into the Forbes 400 ranks this decade.</strong><br />
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</tbody></table>There's making it big. Then there's making the Forbes 400. From Bill Gates and Warren Buffett to Steve Jobs and Nike's Phil Knight, our annual list of the richest people in America is home to icons of technology, investing and industry, with a entry level of $1 billion to make it on the list. It's an elite group, but it's hardly permanent.<br />
Thanks to death and declining fortune, this year 34 members of the 2009 edition were off the list. And over time business cycles and the radical reshaping of the economy lead to even more tectonic shifts. In 1982 the total net worth of the Forbes 400 was $127 billion, with energy fortunes representing 21.6% of the total. This year the total net worth of the list was $1.4 trillion, and finance and investments led the way, responsible for 25.5%.<br />
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So who's waiting in the wings? Based on our research, we see 15 people as likely candidates to breach the billion-dollar barrier in the coming years. Call it the Forbes 400 Farm Team. On it are some of the biggest names in entertainment, sports' most branded athletes and businessmen on the brink of making it very big. This elite group of tech moguls, hedge-funders, athletes and entertainers is hovering under billionaire status with a strong chance of breaking into the Forbes 400 ranks this decade, including some well-known names such as Jay-Z, Jerry Seinfeld, Tiger Woods and James Cameron.<br />
Jerry Seinfeld, with an estimated net worth of $800 million, is a very likely bet. His TV show about nothing has earned $2.7 billion in 12 years and could take in $200 million more a year, thanks to syndication payments. Seinfeld has spent some of his portion buying up New York real estate and has a four-car garage (in Manhattan!) for his fleet of vintage motors. The cash-rich star may need another hit: <em>The Marriage Ref</em> wasn't it.<br />
Another likely candidate is producer Jerry Bruckheimer, worth $850 million. The Hollywood producer's blockbuster franchises, like <em>Pirates of the Caribbean</em> and <em>National Treasure</em>, have generated $9 billion at the global box office, with more to come. TV hits include the <em>CSI</em> franchise, <em>Without a Trace</em> and <em>Amazing Race</em>. Director James Cameron moved a lot closer with the release of <em>Avatar</em>, which earned $2.7 billion at the box office and is the bestselling Blu-ray disc of all time. His older films, including <em>Titanic</em>, have earned a combined $3 billion. We estimate his current net worth at $650 million.<br />
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With $450 million and a career trajectory aimed right at the sky, we expect Jay-Z could make the list one day as well. Jay-Z has elevated hip-hop to rock arenas, packing ballparks with Eminem this summer. If he keeps selling out monster shows, money will rain down on all his ventures: the Roc Nation label, a back catalog (ownership reverts to him in 2014), Rocawear clothing royalties, a stake in the New Jersey Nets. He'll score nicely if a suitor buys Carol's Daughter, a hot beauty care line backed by Jay-Z and other celebs. He and wife Beyonce Knowles may already be music's first billion-dollar couple.<br />
From sports we see two very familiar names: Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, each worth $500 million, as likely list members one day soon. Jordan, the former Chicago Bulls wonder, earned $90 million in salary during his playing career. Most of his fortune now derives from endorsement deals with his biggest sponsor, Nike ( <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=nke">NKE</a> - <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=NKE&t=2010-09-24T12:59:00-04:00"> News</a>); he raised his stake in the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats to 80% this year.<br />
Woods' fortune took a beating his year. His agents, the tax man and recently divorced wife Elin Nordegren have all gotten pieces of his $130 million in career prize money and $900 million in revenue from endorsements, appearance fees and golf course design business since 1996. But he will make it to 10 figures if he starts winning again and sponsors return.<br />
The fastest-rising member of this year's 400 was 26-year-old Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who's net worth sprung from $2 billion last year to $6.9 billion this year. Other social media mavens will likely follow his path in the years ahead. Sean Parker, cofounder of Napster ( <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=naps">NAPS</a> - <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=NAPS&t=2010-09-24T12:00:00-04:00"> News</a>) and Plaxo, was the Silicon Valley veteran who joined Facebook in 2004 as its founding president and helped it navigate initial funding. He left in 2005 for venture capital but still has a 4% stake, pushing his net worth to $920 million.<br />
Right behind him at $850 million is Mark Pincus, the love-him-or-hate-him leader of Internet's most popular gaming site, Zynga, named for his late bulldog. Pincus' fourth startup, it grosses some $500 million from virtual goods and promotions with 7-Eleven, Target ( <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=TGT">TGT</a> - <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=TGT&t=2010-09-24T12:25:01-04:00"> News</a>) and MTV. "FarmVille," "FrontierVille" and "Zynga Poker" are its most popular games, and it's worth an estimated $5 billion right now.<br />
Then there's Reid Hoffman. A former executive at Apple ( <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q?s=AAPL">AAPL</a> - <a href="http://finance.yahoo.com/q/h?s=AAPL&t=2010-09-24T12:59:53-04:00"> News</a>) and PayPal, Hoffman cofounded LinkedIn in 2003; networking site started making money three years later and now has 75 million users; about half its members are outside the U.S. Tiger Global Management bought 1% of the firm in July, valuing it at $2 billion. Hoffman's estimated worth: $340 million.<br />
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<strong>SEAN PARKER</strong><br />
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</tbody></table><strong>Facebook</strong><br />
<strong>Estimated net worth: </strong>$920 million<br />
Cofounder of Napster and Plaxo, Parker was the Silicon Valley veteran who joined Facebook in 2004 as its founding president and helped it navigate initial funding. He left in 2005 for venture capital but still has a 4% stake. Justin Timberlake plays Parker in the upcoming film "The Social Network."<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>MARK PINCUS</strong><br />
<table align="left" style="margin-bottom: 3px; margin-right: 10px; width: 210px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 3px;"><img alt="forbesmaking2.jpg" height="150" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/fi/qa/32/63/94.jpg" width="200" /><br />
<small>©ZUMA Press/Newscom</small></td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Zynga</strong><br />
<strong>Estimated net worth:</strong> $850 million<br />
Love-him-or-hate-him leader of Internet's most popular gaming site, Zynga, named for his late bulldog. Pincus' fourth startup, it grosses some $500 million from virtual goods and promotions with 7-Eleven, Target, MTV. "FarmVille," "FrontierVille" and "Zynga Poker" are its most popular games.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong> JERRY BRUCKHEIMER</strong><br />
<table align="left" style="margin-bottom: 3px; margin-right: 10px; width: 210px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 3px;"><img alt="forbesmaking3.jpg" height="155" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/fi/qa/32/63/95.jpg" width="200" /><br />
<small>©Phil McCarten/UPI/Newscom</small></td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Movies, TV</strong><br />
<strong>Estimated net worth: </strong>$850 million<br />
The Hollywood producer's blockbuster franchises, like "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "National Treasure", have generated $9 billion at the global box office, with more to come. TV hits include the "CSI" franchise, "Without a Trace" and "Amazing Race."<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>JERRY SEINFELD</strong><br />
<table align="left" style="margin-bottom: 3px; margin-right: 10px; width: 210px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 3px;"><img alt="forbesmaking4.jpg" height="155" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/fi/qa/32/63/97.jpg" width="200" /><br />
<small>©Carlo Allegri/Reuters</small></td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Television</strong><br />
<strong>Estimated net worth:</strong> $800 million<br />
His TV show about nothing has earned $2.7 billion in 12 years and could take in $200 million more a year, thanks to syndication payments. Seinfeld has spent some of his portion buying up New York real estate and has a four-car garage (in Manhattan!) for his fleet of vintage motors. The cash-rich star may need another hit: "The Marriage Ref" wasn't it.<br />
<br />
<strong>ERIC LEFKOFSKY</strong><br />
<table align="left" style="margin-bottom: 3px; margin-right: 10px; width: 210px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 3px;"><img alt="forbesmaking5.jpg" height="150" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/fi/qa/32/63/98.jpg" width="200" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Groupon</strong><br />
<strong>Estimated net worth: </strong>$750 million<br />
Chicago investor is cofounder and 30% owner of the fastest-growing company ever, Web phenom Groupon, which updates its online audience about deep discounts on products and services. His venture fund, Lightbank, has stakes in 11 companies, including two now public ones: Innerworkings and Echo Global Logistics. As for being outed as an almost-billionaire: "It's a good thing and a bad thing."<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong> WILLIAM ACKMAN</strong><br />
<table align="left" style="margin-bottom: 3px; margin-right: 10px; width: 210px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 3px;"><img alt="forbesmaking6.jpg" height="155" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/fi/qa/32/63/99.jpg" width="200" /><br />
<small>©Allen Fredrickson/Reuters</small></td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Hedge Fund</strong><br />
<strong>Estimated net worth:</strong> $700 million<br />
Ackman may get control of Manhattan's giant apartment complex Stuyvesant Town-Peter Cooper Village. His Pershing Square Capital Management, with a partner, picked up $300 million of its junior debt and launched a foreclosure proceeding, but they may get beaten out by more senior creditors. A judge is set to rule soon. Whatever happens, the hedge fund tycoon has raised his profile.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>DENNIS GILLINGS</strong><br />
<table align="left" style="margin-bottom: 3px; margin-right: 10px; width: 210px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 3px;"><img alt="forbesmaking7.jpg" height="150" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/fi/qa/32/64/00.jpg" width="200" /><br />
<small>©Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP/Getty Images</small></td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Quintiles</strong><br />
<strong>Estimated net worth:</strong> $700 million<br />
Gillings founded privately held Quintiles, to which the drug industry outsources clinical trials. With $2.8 billion in annual revenue, it is the largest and most influential company in its field.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>RAY R. IRANI</strong><br />
<table align="left" style="margin-bottom: 3px; margin-right: 10px; width: 210px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="padding-bottom: 3px;"><img alt="forbesmaking8.jpg" height="150" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/fi/qa/32/64/01.jpg" width="200" /><br />
<small>©Joe Pugliese</small></td></tr>
</tbody></table><strong>Occidental Petroleum</strong><br />
<strong>Estimated net worth:</strong> $700 million<br />
Angrier shareholders will cheer when Irani, the third-highest-paid U.S. CEO of the past decade, sets a future retirement date this fall. He'll still get paid like a prince for years. Irani's $600 million in Oxy shares could benefit from a potential 1-billion-barrel find near Bakersfield, Calif., and high oil prices.Farrukh Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00078979389808411234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334030207797577542.post-27118072992203513092010-09-24T04:41:00.000-07:002010-09-24T04:41:20.539-07:00The Worst Mistake You Can Make On Your ResumeFact: Job hunters obsess about resumes. Who wouldn't? There's so much to get right--functional versus chronological, objective statements (pro and con), key words, templates, references, font size, white space, action verbs, employment gaps, placement and style of bullets, typos, and whether to include hobbies (probably a "no" on that last one).<br />
So much, in fact, that we often forget the most important ingredient of a really great, interview-obtaining, new-job-snagging resume: It needs to be written specifically for the job you're after.<br />
Does that mean you have to do a new resume for every single position you apply for? Yes, that's exactly what it means.<br />
<br />
Fear not, this is not as laborious as it sounds. You don't have to start from scratch each time. All you need to do is edit--or refocus--your "master" resume to sync with the job in question. How?<br />
--First, read and reread the job description. Study it. Ponder it. Identify the words and phrases the employer uses to describe the position.<br />
--Next, take a look your work accomplishments, certifications, education, and experience. You should be keeping lists of all this stuff. This is the raw data you draw on to craft your resumes and cover letters, too.<br />
--Then ask yourself which of your credentials can honestly be described using the same words and phrases the employer uses in the job description.<br />
--Finally, take those words and phrases and use them to describe yourself in your resume. From this point, all you have to do is plug in info from your master resume. See, it's not a total rewrite. In fact, most of your resume will stay the same. You'll find that customizing your resume gets easier each time you do it.<br />
[See more job advice at <i><a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=11a3kd0d5/**http%3A//money.usnews.com/money/careers">U.S. News</a></i><a href="http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/SIG=11a3kd0d5/**http%3A//money.usnews.com/money/careers"> Careers</a>.]<br />
A few more thoughts to consider:<br />
--If you use a career objective at the top of the page, it should include the exact job title of the position you're seeking.<br />
--Remove experience/qualifications that have nothing to do with the job in question. You want to make it easy for employers to see the credentials they most care about.<br />
--Try to figure out what credentials are of highest importance to the employer and put those first. Pretend you are in the employer's shoes and ask yourself, "What's my biggest need? What's most important to me about this job?" Talk to your mentor and contacts in the field. Try to find people who are already doing the job you want and ask them, "What is the most important part of your job?"<br />
--If your past job titles are ambiguous, overly jargony, or don't obviously relate to the job you're applying for, rephrase them in laymen's terms--in a way that shows how those past jobs qualify you for this new job.<br />
So, what's the worst mistake you can make on your resume? Failing to customize. It's a new employment market out there. A cookie-cutter resume just doesn't cut it anymore. You need to show your potential employer that you're applying for this job, not just any job. Good luck.Farrukh Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00078979389808411234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334030207797577542.post-81766904230603608882010-09-23T05:06:00.000-07:002010-09-23T05:06:31.148-07:00The Stone Wave<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqW1oGiUxEchaw3VF6jy9lg9GqcweSVR5c3lnkt783LQJUSM_K_oSHydykLJHEBlyDzlQsHbuP-p8-jJdDFscp0bCI6DTb98kn-xZhzOo3Bm_bonK5dPvx5mrm-cNsrhEdk9Bak4JvKqw/s1600/1-stone-wave2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqW1oGiUxEchaw3VF6jy9lg9GqcweSVR5c3lnkt783LQJUSM_K_oSHydykLJHEBlyDzlQsHbuP-p8-jJdDFscp0bCI6DTb98kn-xZhzOo3Bm_bonK5dPvx5mrm-cNsrhEdk9Bak4JvKqw/s640/1-stone-wave2.jpg" width="449" /></a></div><br />
The Wave is located on the Colorado Plateau, near the Utah and Arizona border. The area is a gallery of gruesomely twisted <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD3">sandstone</span>, resembling deformed pillars, cones, mushrooms and other odd creations. <span class="IL_AD" id="IL_AD5">Deposits</span> of iron claim some of the responsibility for the unique blending of color twisted in the rock, creating a dramatic rainbow of pastel yellows, pinks and reds.<br />
The Wave is made of Jurassic-age Navajo Sandstone that is approximately 190 million years old. Scientists who study The Wave say that the old sand dunes turned into hard compacted rock over the ages, calcifying in vertical and horizontal layers Erosion by wind and rain has created the spectacular landscape which appears nowFarrukh Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00078979389808411234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334030207797577542.post-11735175427717610982010-09-23T04:43:00.000-07:002010-09-23T04:45:11.582-07:00AT&T selling satellite-enabled smart phoneBlackBerry maker Research In Motion Ltd. (NasdaqGS: RIMM - News) could unveil its new tablet computer—as well as the operating system that will power it—as early as next week at a developers' conference in San Francisco, said people familiar with RIM's plans.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBuEA7TdFXuZImkK2tPMifCew7AbHgJs9jS-RsWkc57oQPDCi9ARbTgPW69HWDlMWw4q8w6OEpisiwZDJJ-OsPRTsbxW-hvCRxq_6UxYRTivS3zlHg0Tw1mgmTnnKG-eWWnn0lCt3kdk/s1600/blog2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBuEA7TdFXuZImkK2tPMifCew7AbHgJs9jS-RsWkc57oQPDCi9ARbTgPW69HWDlMWw4q8w6OEpisiwZDJJ-OsPRTsbxW-hvCRxq_6UxYRTivS3zlHg0Tw1mgmTnnKG-eWWnn0lCt3kdk/s320/blog2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
More from WSJ.com:<br />
<br />
• Dell to Sell Another Tablet<br />
<br />
• Motorola's Tablet to Miss Holidays <br />
<br />
• Samsung Releases Tablet PC <br />
<br />
The tablet, which some inside RIM are calling the BlackPad, is scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of this year, these people said. It will feature a seven-inch touch screen and one or two built-in cameras, they said.<br />
<br />
It will have Bluetooth and broadband connections but will only be able to connect to cellular networks through a BlackBerry smartphone, these people said. Since the tablet won't be sold with a cellular service, it's not clear which carriers or retailers will sell the device.<br />
<br />
[See What Your Smart Phone Says About You]<br />
<br />
In a significant development, RIM's tablet will eschew the recently revamped BlackBerry 6 operating system in favor of a completely new platform built by QNX Software Systems, these people said.<br />
<br />
RIM bought QNX, a maker of operating systems used in everything from cars to nuclear reactors, earlier this year, in what industry watchers said was a bid to replace software criticized as slow and buggy.<br />
<br />
go-go.jpg Associated Press<br />
<br />
RIM eventually plans to transition its BlackBerry smartphones to the QNX operating system as well, people familiar with RIM's strategy said.<br />
<br />
The RIM tablet is being manufactured by Quanta Computer Inc. of Taiwan, and will run on chips from Santa Clara, Calif.-based Marvell Technology Group Inc. (NasdaqGS: MRVL - News), according to people familiar with the tablet's manufacturing.<br />
<br />
RIM said it doesn't comment on rumors or speculation.<br />
<br />
A Quanta spokeswoman said the company is developing tablets for clients but declined to comment on whether RIM is one of them. Executives at Marvell, which already supplies chips for RIM smartphones, said the company has developed a new series for tablets but declined to say whether they are supplying an upcoming tablet for RIM.<br />
<br />
The introduction of a tablet and new operating system come at a critical time for RIM, whose BlackBerry phones are facing increasingly tough competition from Apple Inc.'s (NasdaqGS: AAPL - News) iPhone as well as handsets that run on Google Inc.'s (NasdaqGS: GOOG - News) Android operating system. Research firm Gartner Inc. estimated BlackBerry's share of world-wide smartphone sales fell one percentage point to 18% in the second quarter of this year versus the previous year—even as the share of Android and Apple devices rose.<br />
<br />
A key challenge for RIM has been convincing software developers to create applications for its phones, and the company will spend much of next week's conference showing the kinds of things that can be done on its new devices—including the recently released Torch.<br />
<br />
RIM is readying announcements and demonstrations, including an update on BlackBerry's mobile advertising platform and an Amazon.com Inc. music application, said people familiar with the plans.<br />
<br />
Still, RIM's tablet will face stiff competition in an increasingly crowded market. The launch of Apple's iPad in April sparked a rush to build similar devices by a raft of firms from Korean electronics giant Samsung Electronics Co. (KSE: 009150.KS - News) to Taiwan's Acer Inc. (Other OTC: ASIYF.PK - News) and Cisco Systems Inc. (NasdaqGS: CSCO - News) and Dell Inc. (NasdaqGS: DELL - News) of the U.S. Many of those competing tablets will run Android, meaning RIM's new operating system will go head-to-head with Apple and Google offerings in tablets as well.<br />
<br />
[See 6 Endangered Tech Species]<br />
<br />
People who've worked with QNX's operating system say it's a worthy competitor to Apple's and Google's platforms, and could go a long way toward addressing complaints that RIM's devices are slow, unstable and hard to program for. "It was architected from the ground up never to go down," says Alec Saunders, chief executive of Ottawa-based software developer Iotum Corp.<br />
<br />
go-go.jpgFarrukh Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00078979389808411234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334030207797577542.post-77144432265096105012010-09-16T02:22:00.003-07:002010-09-16T02:23:23.547-07:00BIRTHDAY CHART<div style="color: red;"><meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CFARRUK%7E1.AZI%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CFARRUK%7E1.AZI%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CFARRUK%7E1.AZI%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link> <b><m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent><style>
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</style> </m:defjc></m:rmargin></m:lmargin></m:dispdef></m:smallfrac></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 18pt;">~*~BIRTHDAY CHART~*~</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="color: red;"><tbody>
<tr> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">January 01 - 09 ~ Dog </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">January 10 - 24 ~ Mouse </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">January 25 - 31 ~ Lion </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div></td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">February 01 - 05 ~ Cat </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">February 06 - 14 ~ Dove </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">February 15 - 21 ~ Turtle </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">February 22 - 28 ~ Panther </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div></td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">March 01 - 12 ~ Monkey </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">March 13 - 15 ~ Lion </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">March 16 - 22 ~ Mouse </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">March 23 - 31 ~ Cat </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">April 01 - 03 ~ Dog </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">April 04 - 14 ~ Panther </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">April 15 - 26 ~ Mouse</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">April 27 - 30 ~ Turtle </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div></td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">May 01 - 13 ~ Monkey </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">May 14 - 21 ~ Dove </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">May 22 - 31 ~ Lion </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div></td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">June 01 - 03 ~ Mouse </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">June 04 - 14 ~ Turtle </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">June 15 - 20 ~ Dog </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">June 21 - 24 ~ Monkey </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">June 25 - 30 ~ Cat </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 01 - 09 ~ Mouse </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 10 - 15 ~ Dog </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 16 - 26 ~ Dove </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">July 27 - 31 ~ Cat </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div></td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">August 01 - 15 ~ Monkey </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">August 16 - 25 ~ Mouse </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">August 26 - 31 ~ Turtle </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div></td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">September 01 - 14 ~ Dove </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">September 15 - 27 ~ Cat </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">September 28 - 30 ~ Dog </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div></td> </tr>
<tr> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">October 01 - 15 ~ Monkey </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">October 16 - 27 ~ Turtle </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">October 28 - 31 ~ Panther </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div></td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">November 01 - 16 ~ Lion </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">November 17 - 30 ~ Cat </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div></td> <td style="padding: 0.75pt;" valign="top"><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">December 01 - 16 ~ Dog </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">December 17 - 25 ~ Monkey </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">December 26 - 31 ~ Dove </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b> </div></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><div style="color: red; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">If you are a Dog: A very loyal and sweet person. Your loyalty can never be doubted. You are quite honest and sincere when it comes to your attitude towards working. You are a very simple person, indeed. Absolutely hassle free, humble and down-to-earth!! That explains the reason why your friends cling on to you! You have a good taste for clothes. If your wardrobe is not updated with what is trendy, you sure are depressed. Popular and easy-going. You have a little group of dignified friends, all of them being quality-personified. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">If you are a Mouse: Always up to some sort of a mischief! The mischievous gleam in your eyes is what makes you so cute and attractive to everyone. You are an extremely fun-to-be-with kind of person. No wonder, people seek for your company and look forward to include you for all get-togethers. However, you are sensitive, which is a drawback. People need to select their words while talking to you. If someone tries to fiddle around and play with words while dealing with you, it is enough to invite your wrath. God bless the person then! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">If you are a Lion: Quite contradictory to your name, you are a peace loving person. You best try to avoid a situation wherein you are required to fight. An outdoor person, you dislike sitting at one place for a long duration. You are a born leader, and have it in you how to tactfully derive work from people. You love being loved, and when you receive your share of limelight from someone, you are all theirs!!!! Well, well... hence some people could even take an advantage, flatter you to the maximum and get their work done. So be careful..... </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">If you are a Cat: An extremely lovable, adorable person, sometimes shy,with a passion for quick wit. At times, you prefer quietness. You love exploring various things and going into depth of each thing. Under normal circumstances you're cool, when given a reason to, you are like a volcano waiting to erupt. You're a fashion bird. People look forward to you as an icon associated with fashion. Basically, you mingle along freely but don't like talking much to strangers. People feel very easy in your company. You observe care in choosing your friends. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">If you are a Turtle: You are near to perfect and nice at heart. The examples of your kindness are always circulated in groups of people. You, too, love peace. You wouldn't like to retaliate even to a person who is in the wrong. You are loved due to this. You do not wish to talk behind one's back. People love the way you always treat them. You can give, give and give love, and the best part is that you do not expect it back in return. You are generous enough. Seeing things in a practical light is what remains the best trait of you guys. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">If you are a Dove: You symbolize a very happy-go-lucky approach in life. Whatever the surroundings may be, grim or cheerful, you remain unaffected. In fact, you spread cheer wherever you go. You are the leader of your group of friends and good at consoling people in their times of need. You dislike hypocrisy and tend to shirk away from hypocrites. They can never be in your good books, no matter what. You are very methodical and organized in your work. No amount of mess, hence, can ever encompass you. Beware, it is easy for you to fall in love.... </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">If you are a Panther: You are mysterious.. You are someone who can handle pressure with ease, and can handle any atmosphere without going berserk.You can be mean at times, and love to gossip with your selected group. Very prim and proper. You like all situations and things to be in the way you desire, which, sometimes is not possible. As a result, you may lose out in some relationships. But otherwise, you love to help people out from difficult and tight spots when they really need you. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">If you are a Monkey: Very impatient and hyper!!! You want things to be done as quickly as possible. At heart, you are quite simple and love if you are the center of attraction. That way, you people are unique. You would like to keep yourself safe from all the angles. Shall your name be dragged or featured in any sort of a controversy, you then go all panicky. Therefore, you take your precautions from the very beginning. When you foresee anything wrong, your sixth sense is what saves you from falling in traps. Quite a money minded bunch you people are</span></b> </div><div style="color: red; margin-bottom: 12pt;"><b><br />
</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: red;"><b><br />
</b></div>Farrukh Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00078979389808411234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334030207797577542.post-46698637696051489382010-09-16T02:14:00.000-07:002010-09-16T02:17:25.448-07:00Acer Liquid E<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPv1yMHPxnaJ7UGEs3eL0B3j4YBvnAAd1NXepzFwmf3FgbI_9pXt6Ddqc9STYDQ_DEDwp4iLpbrudR_6X2M96CnKIeRwLQmW0L9hqJrzIRXUcqPXe8Jrz8jaMrXlpRVVgfFnFFiM7OWM/s1600/Liquid-white-60862-60868.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPv1yMHPxnaJ7UGEs3eL0B3j4YBvnAAd1NXepzFwmf3FgbI_9pXt6Ddqc9STYDQ_DEDwp4iLpbrudR_6X2M96CnKIeRwLQmW0L9hqJrzIRXUcqPXe8Jrz8jaMrXlpRVVgfFnFFiM7OWM/s320/Liquid-white-60862-60868.jpg" /></a></div><br />
A decent phone for web and navigation, but Acer needs to step up its game to really compete with the gold standard of Android superphones currently in marketFarrukh Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00078979389808411234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334030207797577542.post-685523088436660152010-09-16T01:11:00.000-07:002010-09-16T01:11:28.795-07:00What a luck<a href="http://www.break.com/index/trainspotter-nearly-clipped-by-train.html">http://www.break.com/index/trainspotter-nearly-clipped-by-train.html</a>Farrukh Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00078979389808411234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4334030207797577542.post-66099453834245232652010-09-16T01:02:00.001-07:002010-09-16T03:28:12.954-07:00Ways to Unlock Innovation<meta content="text/html; charset=utf-8" http-equiv="Content-Type"></meta><meta content="Word.Document" name="ProgId"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Generator"></meta><meta content="Microsoft Word 12" name="Originator"></meta><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CFARRUK%7E1.AZI%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml" rel="File-List"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CFARRUK%7E1.AZI%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx" rel="themeData"></link><link href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5CFARRUK%7E1.AZI%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml" rel="colorSchemeMapping"></link> <m:smallfrac m:val="off"> <m:dispdef> <m:lmargin m:val="0"> <m:rmargin m:val="0"> <m:defjc m:val="centerGroup"> <m:wrapindent m:val="1440"> <m:intlim m:val="subSup"> <m:narylim m:val="undOvr"> </m:narylim></m:intlim> </m:wrapindent><style>
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<h1>Innovation <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innovation"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innovation</span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></h1><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color: red;">Innovation</span></b><span style="color: red;"> is a change in the thought process for doing something, or the useful application of new inventions or discoveries.</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innovation#cite_note-0"><sup><span style="color: red;">[1]</span></sup></a><span style="color: red;"> It may refer to an incremental </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergence" title="Emergence"><span style="color: red;">emergent</span></a><span style="color: red;"> or radical and revolutionary changes in thinking, products, processes, or organizations.</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">7 Ways to Unlock Innovation: <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://innovationzen.com/blog/2006/09/20/7-ways-to-unlock-innovation"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">http://innovationzen.com/blog/2006/09/20/7-ways-to-unlock-innovation</span></a><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal">Most organizations fail to sustain growth over the long term because they are not able to innovate on a systematic basis. Even when we talk about large, presumably successful companies, there is a clear pattern where they create radical innovations once or twice, and after that they rely on “incrementalism”. Companies focus on doing better or more (of the same) things, when they should rather focus on doing different things. Below you will find 7 ways to unlock innovation. Bear in mind that most of those measures can be applied by a single individual, so make sure you shake things up on your company.</div>1. <b>Explicit the assumptions:</b> if you want to unlock innovation you should start by exposing the rules and behaviors inside your organization that might be hindering innovation in the first place. Often times more important than getting answers is asking the right questions. Keep in mind that outlining the “declared norms”, the ones you will find in the mission statement and other official documents aiming to guide employee’s behavior, is not enough. You will need to dig deeper and highlight the “hidden norms” governing how people think and act around there.<br />
2. <b>Challenge the assumptions: </b>the<b> </b>second step is to challenge the outlined assumptions. Ask yourself “what if we decided to do the complete opposite?”. If your company has traditionally focused on customer A ask “what if we start focusing on customer B instead?”. If the new product development process is mainly inside the R&D department ask “what if we put production and sales people in charge of it?”.<br />
3. <b>Welcome failures:</b> you need to pursue failure if you want to innovate and consequently to succeed. Now let me clarify this point. I do not mean you should pursue failure for the sake of failing. But rather because you can learn from failures and because it will spark new ideas. When a company fails it is necessarily trying new things, new concepts. It is stretching itself beyond the comfort zone. Companies should create a culture where mistakes are allowed (and even promoted) as long as they contribute to growth.<br />
4. <b>Use multiple sources of innovation:</b> if you ask managers what strategy their company is adopting to foster innovation you will probably hear: “we invest millions of dollars into R&D, we hire the best engineers and we also have a great Chief Innovation Officer”. Now, while those can be good sources of innovation, they are not the only ones (and not necessarily the most important ones). Innovation can emerge from employees, partners, suppliers, customers and so on. So make sure you are not neglecting any of them.<br />
5. <b><span style="color: red;">Go beyond product innovation</span></b><b>: </b>over the last decade companies and managers have paid too much attention to product innovation. No wonder most people associate the word innovation with the introduction of a new, revolutionary, uber-technological device. Instead of focusing exclusively on product innovation companies should think how they can innovate their <span style="color: red;">processes, their structure, their business model and even their market</span>.<br />
6. <b>Spot changes both as threats and opportunities:</b> some companies spot market or technological changes exclusively as threats. They end up taking defensive actions to protect their segment, not figuring out that maybe that segment will not exist at all in the near future. When desktop computers started to emerge the producers of mainframes and supercomputers hurried to defend their segment, creating barriers and technical difficulties so that a desktop manufacturers would not be able to sell mainframes. Some 5 years later, however, desktops represented the largest segment of the computer industry, and by the time mainframe producers had already lost the opportunity to jump in.<br />
7. <b>Execute:</b> good ideas come from acting and not from thinking. Many people sit in front of the drawing table and try to come up with the so called “killer application” or the “next big thing”. This is a plain waste of time. Now don’t get me wrong. Strategic planning is essential, but most people are able to carry it out. They fail, instead, when they need to execute and implement the strategy. A good rule of thumb is “Ready. Fire! Aim”.Farrukh Azizhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00078979389808411234noreply@blogger.com0