Wow, Giant Digital Camera With 3.2 Bilion Pixel

The 22.3-megapixel CMOS sensor on Canon’s new EOS 5D Mark III is no joke, it's the best cameras ever in public now — except when compared to the hardware in the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) camera. The 3.2 billion-pixel digital camera is meant to “capture the widest, fastest and deepest view of the night sky ever observed,” according to the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.

The whole shebang will weigh around three tons and have 189 different sensors. Right now it’s passed something called Critical Decision 1, which means the lab can start a detailed design, schedule and budget phase. The hope is to start construction on the LSST camera by 2014; its huge 8.4-meter primary mirror is already being built in northern Chile.

When completed, the camera is supposed to record 6 million gigabytes of data each year, the equivalent of taking around 800,000 photos with an eight-megapixel camera every single night.

Its purpose? To look at totally awesome space stuff. It's deep and frequent cosmic vistas will help answer critical questions about the nature of dark energy and dark matter and aid studies of near-Earth asteroids, Kuiper belt objects, the structure of our galaxy and many other areas of astronomy and fundamental physics.

It's deep and frequent cosmic vistas will help answer critical questions about the nature of dark energy and dark matter and aid studies of near-Earth asteroids, Kuiper belt objects, the structure of our galaxy and many other areas of astronomy and fundamental physics.

Embarrassing : Lawmakers Sex Scandal Wide Spread on The Internet

The House of Representatives has again been rocked by scandal after a video appeared on the Internet reportedly showing two Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmakers having sex.

The one-minute video was initially available for download on an obscure website, kilikitik.net, before another obscure website, indonesiarayanews.com, published a story about the video featuring screenshots on Tuesday.

The news website lists a “Hazairin Pohan” as its senior advisor and a “George Toissutta” as its editor-in-chief.

It is uncertain if the names are aliases or are legitimately used: Hazairin is a former Indonesian ambassador, while George is a former Army chief of staff.

The news website published an article alleging that the lawmakers in the video were PDI-P politicians Aria Bima, from the Central Java electoral district, and Karolin Margret Natasa, from West Kalimantan.

While Karolin was not available to comment, Aria denied that he was the man in the video.

“I can give assurances that I’m not the individual in the video. I am still monitoring news reports on the scandal,” Aria said in a text message sent to reporters on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the House’s ethics council said that it would launch a probe into the sex video, although council chairman M. Prakosa said that he would not accept the video as authentic without verification.

“It is only rumor. I only heard about it from the news media. It is not clear yet who two people in the video are. We have to be very careful before drawing any conclusions. This concerns the reputation of certain people,” said the PDI-P lawmaker.

Democratic Party lawmaker Roy Suryo, apparently a self-styled expert on information and communications technology, was somewhat less reticent in his assessment.

“I am not 100 percent sure that the woman is Karolin — but it’s hard to deny that the woman is her. I haven’t seen the video but I have closely looked at photos of the clips taken from the video. I am almost certain that the woman featured in the video is the lawmaker. As for the man, I have yet to confirm that it is [Aria] because the video does not show enough of him,” Roy said.

Roy said that he met with the ethics council’s leaders on Tuesday to discuss the video, claiming that the council contacted him soon after he arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport from the Netherlands.

“Based on my observations, I can say that the sex video was intentionally shot by either one of individuals featured in it. I suggest that the council soon begin an investigation to clarify the rumors. We don’t have to wait until the end of the House’s recess period,” he said.

Prakosa denied that the council had consulted with Roy.

“It’s not true. We didn’t ask him for his help, because lawmakers are now on recess. When and if we need an expert, we will find someone from outside of the House who really knows how to do the job,” he said.

Observers have speculated that the video might be part of a deliberate smear campaign directed at Aria, one of the PDI-P’s most outspoken politicians and a frequent critic of President Susilo Bambang Yudho-yono’s policies.

The PDI-P, for example, was the only party that opposed the government’s plan to raise fuel prices.

Meanwhile, others suspect that the video may have more to do with local politics in West Kalimantan: Karolin’s father, Cornelis, the incumbent West Kalimantan governor, is seeking reelection this year.

University of Indonesia political analyst Iberamsjah said if the person in the video was not Aria, then the distribution of the video was cooked up to attack Aria for his outspokenness. “But if the individuals were the PDI-P lawmakers, then both must resign from their positions,” he said.

Disgraced lawmakers due to pornography

Yahya Zaini of the Golkar Party resigned from the House following the revelations of a sex video featuring him and singer Maria Eva in 2006. The police could have investigated the case based on reports from Maria, who claimed she had an abortion from the affair. There has been no follow-up.
Arifinto, a PKS legislator, was caught on camera watching pornographic videos during a plenary session of the House of Representatives on April 8, 2011. He eventually resigned although he maintains he accessed the videos unknowingly through email attachments.
Max Moein from the PDI-P was depicted naked with his secretary in pictures circulating on the Internet. The House ethics council, under the leadership of Max’s PDI-P colleague, Gayus Lumbuun, dismissed the legislator after calling him guilty of sexual harassment (Sept. 9, 2008).

House ethics council (BK DPR)

Article 2
House ethics council tasked to investigate and verify the complaint on incidents allegedly committed by members of the House.

Article 17
House ethics council verifies the complaint in closed season.

Article 18
House ethics council shall maintain the confidentiality of information obtained during the verification session.

Article 40
House ethics council’s decisions are final and binding.

Aricle 46
House ethics council can dismiss members from leadership positions of House and expel a member from the House.

The Jakarta Post Report

Wow, Apparently Africa Have A Abundant Water Resources

Finding water in Africa

Scientists say the notoriously dry continent of Africa is sitting on a vast reservoir of grouwater.

They argue that the total volume of water in aquifers underground is 100 times the amount found on the surface. The team have produced the most detailed map yet of the scale and potential of this hidden resource. Writing in the journal Environmental Research Letters , they stress that large scale drilling might not be the best way of increasing water supplies.

Across Africa more than 300 million people are said not to have access to safe drinking water. Demand for water is set to grow markedly in coming decades due to population growth and the need for irrigation to grow crops.

Africa Map

Freshwater rivers and lakes are subject to seasonal floods and droughts that can limit their availability for people and for agriculture. At present only 5% of arable land is irrigated.

Now scientists have for the first time been able to carry out a continent-wide analysis of the water that is hidden under the surface in aquifers. Researchers from the British Geological Survey and University College London (UCL) have mapped in detail the amount and potential yield of this groundwater resource across the continent.

Helen Bonsor from the BGS is one of the authors of the paper. She says that up until now groundwater was out of sight and out of mind. She hopes the new maps will open people's eyes to the potential.

"Where there's greatest ground water storage is in northern Africa, in the large sedimentary basins, in Libya, Algeria and Chad," she said. "The amount of storage in those basins is equivalent to 75m thickness of water across that area - it's a huge amount."

Ancient events

Due to changes in climate that have turned the Sahara into a desert over centuries many of the aquifers underneath were last filled with water over 5,000 years ago.

The scientists collated their information from existing hydro-geological maps from national governments as well as 283 aquifer studies.

The researchers say their new maps indicate that many countries currently designated as "water scarce" have substantial groundwater reserves.

African water supplies may be more resilient to climate change than was thought

However, the scientists are cautious about the best way of accessing these hidden resources. They suggest that widespread drilling of large boreholes might not work. Dr Alan MacDonald of the BGS, lead author of the study, told the BBC: "High-yielding boreholes should not be developed without a thorough understanding of the local groundwater conditions. "Appropriately sited and developed boreholes for low yielding rural water supply and hand pumps are likely to be successful".

With many aquifers not being filled due to a lack of rain, the scientists are worried that large-scale borehole developments could rapidly deplete the resource. According to Helen Bonsor, sometimes the slower means of extraction can be more efficient. "Much lower storage aquifers are present across much of sub-Saharan Africa," she explained.

"However, our work shows that with careful exploring and construction, there is sufficient groundwater under Africa to support low yielding water supplies for drinking and community irrigation". The scientists say that there are sufficient reserves to be able to cope with the vagaries of climate change.

"Even in the lowest storage aquifers in semi arid areas with currently very little rainfall, ground water is indicated to have a residence time in the ground of 20 to 70 years." Dr Bonsor said.

"So at present extraction rates for drinking and small scale irrigation for agriculture groundwater will provide and will continue to provide a buffer to climate variability".

Music Bambu - Minahasan Bamboo Music Orkestra

Bamboo music, in Madidir in a party-Bitung Aertembaga December 6, 1948

All week long, the fishing hamlet some 20 kilometers offshore from the North Sulawesi capital of Manado presents a vignette of island tranquility: pastel pink church steeple, a wave-lapped beach and white-washed cottages.

But on Thursday nights, the calm in Bunaken is shattered by the raucous practice sessions of the town’s 32-piece “bamboo orchestra” — six rows of men wrapped in contorted yards of bamboo and brass tubing from which they pump out volumes of “oompah” music.

There are two rows of flutes including 83-year-old Simon Lungala giving his large bamboo flute his all. Behind him are nine mouth “coronets”, a few trumpets, a drum and cymbal set, and a generously twisted gigantic bass tuba.

Conductor Zakarias Likawa leads the ensemble, waving his own instrument, which he calls a “bass clarinet”. The three-holed, conical brass contraption looks about as much like a clarinet as Zakarias (in his loud, blue batik shirt and knee-side Aqua bottle of Cap Tikus — 17 percent proof local alcohol) looks like a conventional conductor.

But close your eyes for a minute and you can almost imagine Zakarias in full tuxedo wailing away on the elegant, floor-length woodwind that is his instrument’s namesake.

At play: Faldini Salimu, 14, joins his father and other members of Bunaken’s Orkes in a weekly rehearsal.At play: Faldini Salimu, 14, joins his father and other members of Bunaken’s Orkes in a weekly rehearsal.The sonorous, thick sound of his music bespeaks a smattering of classical training, a lifetime of jazz listening and a purist connoisseurship. “We have no electric instruments in the bamboo orchestra,” Zakarias explains, “only our breath. It’s kind of like we are singing.”

Although Zakarias insists that the music is a unique and spontaneous creation of Bunaken alone, there are, in fact, numerous bamboo orchestras that go back a long way and are widely scattered throughout the Minahasa territory of Northern Sulawesi. Many of them, including the Bunaken band, source their instruments from the same two craftsmen near the legendary Minahasan heartland of Tondano.

In Tara-Tara, about 60 kilometers uphill from Manado, another bamboo orchestra claims to be playing in the music’s birthplace. According to orchestra leader Pietro Menteng, a retired elementary school teacher, the music was first brought to Northern Sulawesi in the early 1900s by a Dutch Catholic missionary, perhaps homesick for Western music.

The priest worked with local villagers to construct instruments for a full western orchestra, complete with saxophones, clarinets and an “organ”. All the instruments were built from locally sourced bamboo.

Over the past century, though, the hollow bamboo sounds of Orkes Bambu have migrated away from Western church music into a folk music specific and unique to the Minahasan lands, Pietro says. “We interpreted it to our current situation here. This is music of a mixed culture.”

Another shift local orchestras have encountered recently is the comparatively tepid reception their music receives, at least in the Minahasan lands of Tomohon and Tondano.

Pietro blames this on outmigration of Minahasans in search of higher paying jobs. “Before, our ancestors worked on the farm, planting enough [to pay] for food and clothing, but now people are always looking for more money and need to leave the village.”

Ask around the marketplace in neighboring Tomohon and answers differ. The tone just doesn’t seem to jibe anymore according to Yulius Pagamanden, a 50-year-old ojek driver. He says he listens to Orkes Bambu because it is a regional art with a strong local presence. Asked if he likes the sound though and he smiles and says, “yeah … a little bit.”

In a blue mikrolet nearby, Jeffrey Wetick is blasting tunes from Indonesian Christian crooner Rohani. He says he still plays music from Manado’s Orkes Bambu in his mikrolet from time to time but he listens to Rohani’s “Ave Maria” more often.

If Orkes Bambu music is in decline, though, you’d never know it back in Bunaken, where Zakarias insists the music is appreciated by locals young and old. A look around the Thursday evening practice is evidence.

The band is made of three boat builders, three retirees, two schoolteachers and a whole lot of fishermen. Brass flutes, cymbals and drums drown out the only remaining bamboo element of the band: the “coronet” (a mouth organ comprising bamboo tubes of different heights cradled in a larger bamboo stump). Those that play the instrument such as 14-year-old Faldini Salimu, the youngest member of the ensemble, are vocal advocates of the older instrument form.

Faldini plays his “coronet” in the row right behind the oldest member. Neighbors crowd around under umbrellas. Kids tip their heads back to take in the whole 32-man band at one sweep. Wives sit on the wraparound parapet, whispering to each other and tapping their high-heeled feet to keep in time with the songs.

It’s the regularity of the rehearsals that keeps the music alive and the village intact, Zakarias maintains. “Villagers need to gather, get instruments and practice. If this doesn’t happen, they disperse.”

Mbah Daliyo - Javanese Gamelan Master Craftsman

 

As an instrument maker, Daliyo never afraid to be poor or compete with its rivals. For him, the fate of just resting on the will power. He just proved with perseverance, prayer and hard work. Because that's optimism, he was able to survive in a profession that had he lived more than half a century.

Starting from the wreck (salvage) of copper, brass, tin as well, which left the Netherlands in a sugar factory in dismantling in Beran, Sleman, this figure began the journey of his life. From childhood he was so sure that what's on his childish mind could menafkahinya later time. And it proved. Up to now, have trod 50 years he stayed with his profession. Number of half a century following ups and downs, he said, he lived with a sincere and candid. He was so confident, that perseverance, hard work and prayer, will bring gifts.

Daliyo Hadi Prayitno, the name of this figure. Turned 75 years old. He don't want to call a Masters (Empu - Indonesia gamelan and keris master), because he just plain instrument maker. "I am not a master. I'm just a businessman or Javanese gamelan maker, "he explained modestly. About his interest in this profession, he was blunt, "I was Mogol (pout) and quit school since 6th grade, because parents could not afford. Then I decided to make a gamelan, "he explained briefly about the particulars of his career. 
Really lucky, the trail was originally facilitated by the capitals heritage in the dismantling of existing sugar factory, now it was a district office Sleman. "The equipment, brass, wesi (iron), a tool o'clock, everyone was there. I live to wear it, "he said. If not for the legacy that will never be Daliyo instrument maker. He is well-versed because he ussualy work it, although the knowledge he gained only a self-taught, from the experience of experimenting. "I believe the gamelan can sustain life," he said with optimism.

Getok Tular or Word of Mouth
His seriousness he proved it by making the home, for shelter as well as be a place of business makes gamelan (besalen). In 1959 he decided to move, from Sleman to Bantul. A house, which he called "the house concerned" in the pelem Lor, Baturetno, Banguntapan, Bantul, Yogyakarta, in the end to witness his struggle with gamelan-making business until now. In front of house area of ​​almost a thousand meters was plastered billboards: "Companies Gamelan Daliyo." In the backyard looks a jeep and a truck that is used for job mobility.

Since his move, the order has come and go. The capital is only the trust that has been established from mouth to mouth customers (getok tular or word of mouth). Daliyo have a guarantee, that he could work on time, so that its customers happy. It is not easy to defend the profession and 50 years. "Spare no pains" that's the key to consistency Daliyo, the grandfather of 12 grandchildren. In his old age, the overlay thick glasses, he is still taking care of financial management company, which overshadow the 10 employees, which is comprised of handyman lamus (Handyman who helped blow the wind in order to obtain a temperature hot enough), carpenters alap , carpenters hammer, handyman scrape, and handyman sheen. In addition, the second son, Legiyan, also helping this effort.

When Gong visited her home in the sweltering afternoon, Daliyo were busy controlling the manufacture of 13 sets of gamelan that will be sent to Alor. Each set consists of 2 kempul, 3 bendhe, and 3 bonang. "This order is for ceremonial purposes in there," he explains. Several sets of gamelan are also apparently still ngonggrok (stored) in his house waiting behavior. He does not promote everywhere, except only with a simple business cards and getok tular or word of mouth was. In addition to the domestic order of the various islands in Indonesia, he also has served a variety of orders from abroad, like America, Australia, Malaysia, Japan, and others. When asked to name one by one, Daliyo've forgotten the name of the agency or individual details of ordering it.
  
Nrimo Ing Pandum (willingly accept what has been given)
Daliyo make three types of gamelan, with material iron, brass, and bronze. A complete set of brass gamelan price could reach about IDR 85 million. While the bronze gamelan, the price could reach at least IDR 160 million. "Because the process is more difficult and longer, until a year," he reasoned. Daliyo, who had been chairman of RT (Neighborhood) for nearly 20 years, not just rely on a complete gamelan set to be sold, but rather rely genjelan (instruments that are ordered separately).

Typically performed Daliyo gamelan making process in general. Starting from the wholesale of raw materials in the form of plate brass, copper, and tin; then njangka process (drawing) according to what will be created, burning, forging, pengerokan, nglaras (tuning), until penggilapan. To rancakannya, Daliyo use jackfruit tree materials, also teak wood.

This process could not be done separately. That is, make a gamelan is teamwork that takes patience, perseverance, and courage not to be allergic to fire and noise due to the deafening sound forging. The specialty of homemade gamelan Daliyo, said its customers, is because wutuhan (makes no connection) brass. For example, making Ageng Gong, which reached 1 meter in diameter size, he makes no connection. This makes the gong is not prone to rupture.

Daliyo not only makes gamelan pelog slendro only. He is flexible, and serves all kinds of gamelan tones. Once upon a time he made a gamelan set to campur sari (Kind of Music in Mid Java), which is tuned diatonic. "In this diatonic gamelan tuning process I use the keyboard," he said. That does not mean Daliyo does not have idealism as an instrument maker (Java). Is behind the gaze of the father of 4 children is just perseverance and tireless efforts to survive only. Daliyo not the one who ambition in response to Javanese culture and its philosophy. The principle of his life: nrimo ing pandum (willingly accept what has been given). If the trust came to him, he did according to what he could do, with all the blessings of God, his lord.

Of persistence, the spouse Mrs. Surip (late) that a waranggana (Singger named in mid Java - sing to the accompaniment of gamelan), received an award from the Regent of Bantul, Idham Samawi, for his participation to develop and preserve arts and culture through the effort of making gamelan. Award he received in 2005. According to his testimony, the award was earned because that is where one full swing (point of manufacture gamelan) the most "basic" (main).

Daliyo claim not as a merchant, just only thought of material gain. He made the gamelan without the need to pursue a business turnover and wearing a surefire strategy. "Fortune will come if we lean on God's destiny with hard work and prayer," he said memedar noble message. 

Daliyo also always run behavior is concerned, and always begged the Almighty, to be smooth in his quest through life. If he gets a fairly great fortune (large), once a year he organized the celebration, njereng kelir (show puppet), inviting neighbors and colleagues. According to him, he had a fortune that should be enjoyed also by others. 

Daliyo also have a principle, that all the fortune and things just belong gadoan (deposit) of God. "Soon all will come back to him," he said.

A 237 Year Old Jura wine sells for €57,000

A bottle of Vin Jaune (Yellow Wine) from 1774 is presented

Arbois, France - An amateur wine group paid € 57,000 record ($ 77,000) Saturday for 237 bottles of wine from the French Jura region east of the local wine festival auction. 

Wine Named 'Vin Jaune' Google Search Articles epithet 'king of wines and wine monarch' surrounding that produced in Arbois, Jura Northern Region, France.

But the amateur who buy wine grape 1773 do not plan to sit on an investment or sell the bottles at - they will drink it.  

Swiss wine lover Pierre Chevrier, who bought the wine in the name of the group, told Decanter: "My passion is to open a bottle and I'm glad I bought a bottle of vin Jaune, which I will drink. 

"To sell the bottles for € 57,000 is not crazy," he said of the 1773 bottles from the era of Louis XV vine and grapes harvested during the reign of Louis XVI. 

Because of the historic wine grapes are harvested during the reign of Louis XV, in the same year with the Boston Tea Party and Captain Cook's voyage to Antarctica. 

Jura vin Jaune is famous for its ability to age for a long time, thanks to Sherry as maturation in a barrel under a layer of voile or yeast.

Earthquake With Preliminary Magnitude of 8.5 Has Hit off Aceh, Tsunami Warning for Sumatra Indonesia

Indonesia’s Geophysical Agency reported a 8.5 magnitude earthquake 503 km off the coast of Banda Aceh Wednesday (11/4/2012) afternoon.

The U.S. Geological Survey said Wednesday the quake was centered 20 miles (33 kilometers) beneath the ocean floor around 308 miles (495 kilometers) from the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued a tsunami tweeted for the Aceh, West Sumatra, North Sumatra, Lampung and Bengkulu.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a tsunami warning for the following 27 countries: Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka, Australia, Burma, Thailand, Maldives, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Reunion, Seychelles, Pakistan, Somalia, Oman, Madagascar, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Comores, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya, Crozet Islands, Kerguelen Islands, South Africa and Singapore.

Indonesia straddles a series of fault lines that makes the vast island nation prone to volcanic and seismic activity. A giant 9.1-magnitude quake off the country on Dec. 26, 2004, triggered a tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed 230,000 people, nearly three quarter of them in Aceh.

Best Traditions Celebration of Easter In The World

 

Many countries in the world has its own traditions in the celebration of Easter. Next are some of the best tradition of the Easter celebrations in several countries.

Virtuous in Argentina

Many Easter is quite a big event in Argentina and various traditions are carried out to mark the occasion. Holy Week continues the style of fasting introduced by Lent where all meat is avoided apart from fish. As such, traditional dishes that normally include meat are replaced by seafood and fish. Good Friday is a rather somber event when people attend their local Christian parishes to observe the Station of the Cross or Via Crucis where Jesus is depicted during his final hours, carrying the Cross to his crucifixion. As is common to most Christian denominations, the Saturday before Easter is quiet in order to mark the mourning associated with the crucifixion and Sunday sees the start of celebrations.

Easter Sunday in Argentina consists of consuming and sharing eggs as well as the special Easter cake, Rosca de Pascua. Tradition holds that people exchange eggs not only with their family, but also with friends and colleagues and the day culminates in attending mass followed by a big family gathering involving lots of food. Argentinians tend to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection with a huge barbeque and a treasure hunt organized by the local governments in the main cities, so that everyone has a chance to participate.

Greek Methodology

Greece and Godliness go hand in hand. From Mythology to Christianity, Greek religious practices have always been carried out with great zeal. The Greek Orthodox Church follows the Byzantine calendar, so its Easter is celebrated on a different date, which is determined by the moon’s cycle. In Greece, it is the most sacred holiday of the year marked by a full week of celebration. This year’s Orthodox Easter Sunday takes place on April 15.

In Athens, Good Friday marks the first main event where a replica of Christ’s tomb is carried through town. The most sacred of Easter events takes place the following day when people flock to the churches at midnight carrying unlit candles for the declaration of Christ’s resurrection in saying “Christos Anesti” (Christ is Risen!) to which the reply is “Alithos Anesti” (He is risen indeed!). Following this announcement, they light their candles from the Holy Flame taken from Christ’s nativity cave in Jerusalem and walk through town enjoying a glorious display of fireworks, bells and jubilation.

Easter Sunday is a day of food and more fun. After an arduous 40-day fast, the menu comprises spit-fire roast lamb and lots of coloured eggs. In the Orthodox tradition, you knock eggs with your neighbour attempting to crack theirs to bring yourself good fortune.

Ceremonious in Lebanon

Lebanon’s Christians not only make up almost half of the country’s population, but are also very fervent in their beliefs. As such, Easter is a big deal here. Visitors will notice the ornately decorated streets, shops and restaurants filled with all things Easter from bunnies to chocolate, painted eggs and even live baby chicks in some places. Good Friday is marked by a mass that symbolizes the crucifixion and, depending on one’s Christian denomination, can last up to three hours. Easter Sunday is a huge celebration where absolutely everyone goes to church. After taking communion, the 40-day fast comprising a strictly vegan diet, is broken with an absolute feast featuring lamb and lots of egg breaking. A custom that is particularly unique to Lebanon is Shanineh, which is held at church where candles decorated with ribbons and flowers are handed to children who form a procession and carry them around the church. Also unique to Easter in the region is the consumption of sweets called Maamoul, these are little cookies made with a mixture of semolina and butter then stuffed with either dates or ground sugared nuts and dusted with icing sugar. They melt in your mouth.

Egg Rolling in Scotland

Easter in Scotland is a mostly laid-back event. The Scots do the traditional things commonly associated with Easter like attending mass and having a big meal, but they also add a bit of fun, particularly for the kids. Easter fun here is all about eggs. After they’re boiled and painted in all kinds of colours and designs, they’re taken to the park hills for rolling on Easter Sunday. While it may just sound like playtime for the kids, the event is very symbolic as it is carried out to represent the rolling away of stones on Jesus’ tomb thereby assisting in His resurrection.

Celebration and Sobriety in Spain

In Spain, Easter is also the most important Christian event. Celebrated en mass throughout the country, Easter Week begins with Domingo de Ramas (Palm Sunday) and ends with Lunes de Pascua (Easter Monday). The country is marked by a carnival atmosphere throughout, with trumpets and drums.

Seville in Andalucia is the most famed Spanish region for Easter celebrations. It has 52 different religious brotherhoods whose members parade through the streets for the entire Holy Week manifesting the crucifixion. Processions continue for almost 24 hours culminating in the jubilation of the resurrection which is observed by floats covered in flowers, dancing in the streets and traditional sweet cakes.

Eggy Fun in Sweden

Easter in Sweden is about fun, food and festivity. It is especially good for family breaks as many of the Easter activities involve children.

Humor-filled celebrations commence on Easter Saturday with children dressing up as good witches setting the Easter mood by giving out letters and cards in return for eggs, sweets and coins.

On Easter Sunday, food takes centre stage where, in typically Nordic fashion, the feast comprises mostly fish. Edibles include different kinds of herring, a selection of smoked salmon, a hint of roast ham and various cheeses. Of course, the main attraction are eggs which are exchanged and later used in a game where participants roll them down roofing tiles to see which egg can go the furthest without breaking.

All Bells en France

In France, church bells ring every day of the year except for the three days of Easter. Legend has it that the reason the bells stop ringing is because they’ve made a trip to Rome in order to be blessed. On Easter Sunday, the bells make their return and tour the entire country sprinkling chocolate eggs, chickens and rabbits as they go in each and every garden. After midday, children head to the gardens to find their hidden treasures left by the blessed bells. The day of events also includes a hearty meal, normally consisting of lamb, which is the Easter dish of choice in France.

Toy Hunting in Germany

Easter Baskets are the main tradition in Germany where each child receives a basket put together by their parents, containing not only eggs and chocolate, but also toys and other gifts. The baskets are hidden in the back garden and the kids have to hunt for it after church on Easter Sunday. This is particularly popular in rural areas where houses tend to have big gardens, sometimes comprising several levels and full of trees and bushes.

In more urban areas, families tend to go on an Easter walk and hide their Osternest, which means Easter nest, in the forest or a meadow and the kids go hunting for it during the walk. Alternatively, if the nest doesn’t appeal, some families like to hide chocolate eggs along the route of the walk.

Chocolate and candy in the US

Apart from dressing up in one’s Sunday best and heading off to church on Easter Sunday, Easter in the United States is, unsurprisingly, dominated by candy and chocolate. Various popular brands release a special line of sweet treats available only for the Easter period including Easter coloured M&Ms, jelly beans, malted milk eggs, Cadbury Mini Eggs, Cadbury Creme Eggs, chocolate bunnies, Reese’s eggs, Peeps and Hershey’s miniatures with Easter coloured wrappers.

Those headed to Washington, DC can enjoy one other very famous tradition where the White House opens its lawn to kids for some Easter egg rolling. This tradition was first carried out in 1878 and has continued ever since. Other attractions on the day include a visit with the Easter Bunny and an afternoon of storytelling.

Festivities and feasts in Canada

Food, festivals and fun in general are the things that make up Canadian Easter celebrations. Those who are religious may attend church, but even those who aren’t partake in the festivities, which include putting on Easter plays, special songs, holding spring festivals and even winter festivals to signify the start of Lent and decorate with Easter lilies and the famous bunnies. A good meal is also enjoyed with the Easter menu featuring things like apple tart, Maple Baked Beans and Cape Breton Scones. Uniquely, Canada is also home to the world’s largest pysanka (Ukrainian Easter egg) located in Vegreville. The egg was constructed in 1975 in honour of the Ukrainian settlements in Edmonton. The egg is a symbol of life, prosperity, eternity and good fortune and is recognized the world over as an architectural masterpiece.

     

Wanna Have a Girlfriend? Easy! Just Pay $ 5 You Will Get it

Wow, what was the world is going crazy right now, not only in Indonesia there is a wife rented, but now appears in the land of uncle sam girlfriend can also be rented. Are they inspired by the phenomenon of marriage contract in Indonesia hahaha...

Meet GirlfriendHire, a freshly-launched site that calls itself "the first place on the internet dedicated to connecting guys and girls to help guys break up with their girlfriends, prank their friends, get their ex-gfs back, create a fake break up messages and even hire a girl to do your homework." It's based on Fiverr, a "marketplace" that lets users request and perform a variety of $5 services. But GirlfriendHire is more specific — it lets girls do stereotypically girlfriendy stuff for guys. Like, you know, a history paper.

The site is the brainchild of 22-year-old Cody Krecicki, a student at Edison State College in Naples, Florida. Krecicki said he started the site "to make a niche for girls that are in college to make money while they're busy going to class." He said the site offered a way "for girls to be their own bosses and guys to have something fun — a tool to use, if you want to call it that."

Guys can use this "tool" in a number of ways — they can pay girls to send them texts or Facebook messages, give them fashion advice, even break up with their real girlfriends for them. Krecicki predicts the text and Facebook options will be popular, because "guys have a tendency to try to look cool in front of their friends," and messages from an out-of-town girl will help them do that. One request already on the site illustrates this principle: "Help me trick my friends into thinking I started dating a punk rock chick."

So what are you still curious? Just check out her site and enjoy the service ^ _ ^ girlfriendhire.com

Deadly Virus Makes Mosquito Thirsty For Blood

    This picture shows the presence of the dengue virus in the mosquitoes' chemosensory (antennae and palp) and feeding organs (proboscis).

Mosquitoes are already blood-sucking machines, but new research indicates that the dengue virus, which the mosquitoes transmit to humans, makes them even thirstier for blood.

Live Science Report on 29 March 2012, The virus specifically turns on mosquito genes that make them hungrier for a blood meal; the activated genes also enhance mosquitoes' sense of smell, something that likely improves their feeding skills. The result is a mosquito better able to serve the virus by carrying it more efficiently to human hosts.

"The virus may, therefore, facilitate the mosquito's host-seeking ability, and could — at least theoretically — increase transmission efficiency, although we don't fully understand the relationships between feeding efficiency and virus transmission," study researcher George Dimopoulus, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said in a statement. "In other words, a hungrier mosquito with a better ability to sense food is more likely to spread dengue virus."

Dengue dangers

The virus doesn't hurt the mosquitoes that carry it, a specific species called Aedes aegypti, but it lives in them. When the mosquito bites a human, it spreads the deadly disease through its saliva. More than 2.5 billion people live in areas where dengue fever-infected mosquitoes live. The World Health Organization estimates that between 50 million and 100 million dengue infections occur each year.

The researchers analyzed the mosquito genes before and after being infected with the virus, finding changes in 147 genes. These post-infection genes make proteins that are involved in processes that include virus transmission, immunity, blood feeding and host seeking, they found.

This is just one of many recent examples of a parasite taking control of an animal for its own benefit.

The study was published today (March 29) in the journal PLoS Pathogens.

Surakarta or Solo have been nominated as finalists in the New7Wonders Cities

Surakarta Palace at night

Mayor city of Solo, Central Java, Joko Widodo (Jokowi) optimistic Surakarta become one of nominees New7 Wonders Cities area of ​​South East Asia and Oceania.

To that end, Jokowi ready to lend a hand  for Solo campaign in total so that hope can be realized. "We will campaign through social media, such as Kaskus, Twitter, Blogs, and Facebook in order to vote Surakarta," he explained in Solo, Central Java, on Wednesday (28/03/2012).

Surakarta Palace

According Jokowi, with uniqueness and privilege, from the palace, the many historic buildings, such as puppet culture and language, the city of Solo is ideal New7 Wonders nominated for the nomination.

In addition to the city of Surakarta, other cities that enter New 7Wonders Cities South East Asia and Oceania is Jakarta. Solo which made ​​it into the top 10 nominees New 7Wonders Cities South East Asia until now in 8 position and Oceania and Jakarta now on 11 position under the Solo cities.

snapshot : http://www.n7w.com/cities/en

As reported by the New7Wonders website, seven of the top ranked city in the Philippines, including Cebu City, Vigan, Davao City, Iloilo City, Cagayan de Oro, Bacolod City, and Parañaque City while Indonesia, Surakarta, occupying the eighth position and Singapore are in ninth position. At position 10, are Sydney and the 11 is Jakarta.

Wonders voting for New7 Cities area South East Asia and Oceania starting December 7, 2011 and will end on the announcement phase, December 7, 2013.