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  • So when are you getting married? Chelsea pensioner, 85, makes Prince Harry blush as Harry replies ‘Not for a long time’

    So when are you getting married? Chelsea pensioner, 85, makes Prince Harry blush as Harry replies ‘Not for a long time’
    By REBECCA ENGLISH
    © Pointed question: The Prince shares a joke with a Chelsea Pensioner at London's Royal Hospital today where he was put on the spot with a question about his marriage plans
    Blushing Prince Harry was put on the spot over his intentions towards on-off girlfriend Chelsy Davy today.
    The 26-year-old royal was attending the annual Founder’s Day parade at London’s Royal Hospital – home to the world famous Chelsea Pensioners - when he was caught out by cheeky former soldier William Titchmarsh, 85.
    As the prince greeted the retired soldier, Mr Titchmarsh made a reference to his elder brother’s recent wedding and asked: ‘So when are you getting married then?’
    The third in line to the throne flushed a shade of pink and replied: ‘Not for a long time. Who put you up to do that to me?!’
    ‘Oh dear, they’ll shoot me in the morning,’ the pensioner replied.
    ‘Yes, put him on a charge Sergeant Major,’ his neighbour quipped.
    ©Sorry sweetheart: The news will undoubtedly come as a blow to Harry's on/off girlfriend Chelsy Davy, pictured here with the Prince last year
    Harry has been dating Zimbabwean born law student Chelsy Davy for more than five years although the pair have split up and reunited several times.
    And while friends say they are still ‘an item’ and Chelsy attended Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding in April as the prince’s date, she was recently spotted holidaying with friends in Spain and is said to have claimed she was single again
    © Stand up straight lads! Prince Harry inspects the veteran soldiers at London's Royal Hospital
    © Bachelor pad: Pensioner John Ley shows Harry around his room at the Margaret Thatcher Infirmary at the Royal Hospital Chelsea
    The hospital’s Founder’s Day is always held on a day close to May 29th, the birthday of Prince Charles who founded the hospital, and is normally reviewed by a member of the Royal Family.
    Harry is understood to have been keen to take the parade for some time.
    The average age of the scarlet-clad pensioners on parade this year was 83 with the eldest, Joe Britton, who will celebrate his 100th birthday later this year
    © Salute: The Prince was at the centre of proceedings at the Founder's Day Parade
    © Dashing: Harry wore his Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals uniform with his blue Army Air Corps beret
    ©Hats off: The Pensioners raise their hats during today's Parade
    The pensioner has been at the institution for 17 years and remained seated while the prince took the salute of fellow residents.
    Harry later met him and joked: 'You should have been in the front line,' and the old soldier replied: 'When you reach 99 it's about time you finish.'
    Harry, who wore his Household Cavalry's Blues and Royals uniform with his blue Army Air Corps beret, became the first serving officer since the Duke of Kent in 1974 to review the Founder's Day Parade of Chelsea pensioners.
    ©All ears: Harry gave a moving speech, describing his pride at serving as a Junior Captain in the Army Air Corps. Over 1,000 guests were seated in stands
    In the grounds of the hospital more than 1,000 guests were seated in stands with the elderly residents lined up in formation in front of them.
    The old soldiers, who had an average age of 82, marched past Harry who took their salute as he stood below the gilt statue of Charles II.
    All those at the ceremony including Harry wore oak leaf sprigs in memory of the hospital's royal founder who escaped after the battle of Worcester in 1651 by hiding in an oak tree.
    ©Red coats: Harry became the first serving officer since the Duke of Kent in 1974 to review the Founder's Day Parade of Chelsea pensioners
    The Royal Hospital was founded in 1682 to care for old and inured soldiers and is currently home to some 300 male and female pensioners.
    Veterans are eligible to become a Chelsea Pensioner over the age of 65.
    Touring some of the hospital’s facilities, Harry popped in to see one of the residents, John Ley, and asked him: ‘Are you friendly with your neighbours? Do you have pillow fights in the corridors, then?’
    He also gave a short but moving speech, describing his pride and nerves as a Junior Captain in the Army Air Corps at being in front of an audience with ‘so many years of extraordinary military service’.
    ‘It is an honour and a thrill to stand in these surroundings. The Royal Hospital – this world famous place – represents all that is great about our Country: beauty, traditional – and the wisdom that does with that – selflessness and duty,’ he said.
    And he couldn’t resist getting in a dig at his RAF Search and Rescue pilot brother – it is something of a dare between the pair to make a joke at each other’s expense when making public speeches.
    ‘I find it terrifying that your drill is so much better than my brother's, but it doesn’t surprise me,’ he quipped.
    source: dailymail

    VIA So when are you getting married? Chelsea pensioner, 85, makes Prince Harry blush as Harry replies ‘Not for a long time’

  • Michael Jackson Happy 2008 top

    Michael Jackson Happy 2008 top
    Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American recording artist, dancer, singer-songwriter, musician, and philanthropist. Referred to as the King of Pop, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records. His contribution to music, dance, and fashion, along with a much-publicized personal life, made him a global figure in popular culture for over four decades. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene along with his brothers as a member of The Jackson 5, then the Jacksons in 1964, and began his solo career in 1971.
    In the early 1980s, Jackson became a dominant figure in popular music. The music videos for his songs, including those of "Beat It", "Billie Jean", and "Thriller", were credited with transforming the medium into an art form and a promotional tool, and the popularity of these videos helped to bring the relatively new television channel to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made him a staple on in the 1990s. Through stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced numerous hip hop, pop, contemporary R&B, and rock artists.
    Jackson's 1982 album Thriller is the best-selling album of all time. His other records, including Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995), also rank among the world's best-selling. Jackson is one of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice. He was also inducted into the Dance Hall of Fame as the first (and currently only) dancer from the world of pop and rock 'n' roll. Some of his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records; 13 Grammy Awards (as well as the Grammy Legend Award and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award); 26 American Music Awards (more than any other artist, including the "Artist of the Century"); 13 number-one singles in the United States in his solo career (more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era); and the estimated sale of over 750 million records worldwide. Jackson won hundreds of awards, which have made him the most-awarded recording artists in the history of music. He was also a notable humanitarian and philanthropist, donating and raising hundreds of millions of dollars for beneficial causes and supporting more than 39 charities. According to David Winters, Jackson also donated tens of millions of dollars to many children’s charities anonymously, and spent a lot of his time visiting seriously ill children tirelessly going from hospital to hospital meeting these children just to brighten up their lives. When Jackson finished the visits he would ask the hospital nurses and the doctors what was needed at the hospital in terms of equipment for the children and would then make anonymous donations to the hospital to purchase expensive equipment or whatever else was needed.
    Aspects of Jackson's personal life, including his changing appearance, personal relationships, and behavior, have generated controversy. In 1993, he was accused of child sexual abuse, but the case was settled out of court and no formal charges were brought. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of further sexual abuse allegations and several other charges after the jury ruled him not guilty on all counts. While preparing for his concert series This Is It, Jackson died on June 25, 2009, after suffering from cardiac arrest. Before his death, Jackson had been administered drugs including propofol and lorazepam. The Los Angeles County Coroner declared his death a homicide, and his personal physician pleaded not guilty to charges of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's death triggered a global outpouring of grief, and as many as one billion people around the world reportedly watched his public memorial service on live television. In March 2010, Sony Music Entertainment signed a US$250 million deal with Jackson's estate to retain distribution rights to his recordings until 2017, and to release seven posthumous albums over the decade following his death.
    1 Life and career
    1.1 Early life and The Jackson 5 (1958–1975)
    1.2 Move to Epic and Off the Wall (1975–1981)
    1.3 Thriller and Motown 25 (1982–83)
    1.4 Pepsi, "We Are the World" and business career (1984–85)
    1.5 Appearance, tabloids, Bad, autobiography and films (1986–87)
    1.6 Autobiography, changing appearance and Neverland (1988–1990)
    1.7 Dangerous, Heal the World Foundation and Super Bowl XXVII (1991–93)
    1.8 First child sexual abuse allegations and first marriage (1993–94)
    1.9 HIStory, second marriage and fatherhood (1995–99)
    1.10 Label dispute, Invincible and third child (2000–03)
    1.11 Second child sexual abuse allegations and acquittal (2003–05)
    1.12 Final years (2006–09)
    2 Death and memorial
    2.1 Death aftermath
    3 Artistry
    3.1 Influences
    3.2 Musical themes and genres
    3.3 Vocal style
    3.4 Music videos and choreography
    4 Legacy and influence
    5 Honors and awards
    6 Lifetime earnings
    7 Discography
    8 Filmography
    9 Tours
    10 See also
    11 Notes
    11.1 Bibliography
    12 Further reading
    13 External links
    A house surrounded by yellow colored grass, flowers, trees, and a light blue colored sky can be seen. The house has white walls, two windows, a white door with a black door frame, and a black roof. In front of the house there is a walk way, yellow grass and multiple colored flowers and memorabilia. In the background, there are two tall trees and a light blue colored sky that has multiple clouds.
    Jackson's childhood home in Gary, Indiana, showing floral tributes after his death.
    Jackson had a troubled relationship with his father, Joe. Joseph acknowledged in 2003 that he regularly whipped Jackson as a boy. Jackson stated that he was physically and emotionally abused during incessant rehearsals, though he also credited his father's strict discipline with playing a large role in his success. Jackson first spoke openly about his childhood abuse in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, broadcast in February 1993. He admitted that he had often cried from loneliness and he would vomit on the sight of his father. Jackson's father was also said to have verbally abused Jackson, saying that he had a fat nose on numerous occasionsIn fact, Michael Jackson's deep dissatisfaction with his appearance, his nightmares and chronic sleep problems, his tendency to remain hyper-compliant especially with his father, and to remain child-like throughout his adult life are in many ways consistent with the effects of this chronic maltreatment he endured as a young child Also, U.S.-based research studies on impact of "adverse childhood experiences" or ACEs (e.g. a child being abused, violence in the family, extreme stress of poverty, etc.) have shown that having a number of ACEs exponentially increases the risk of addiction (e.g. a male child with six ACEs has a 4,600%/46-fold increase in risk of addiction), mental illnesses, physical illnesses, and early death
    ©Michael Jackson
    ©Michael Jackson
    ©Michael Jackson
    ©Michael Jackson
    ©Michael Jackson
    ©Michael Jackson
    ©Michael Jackson
    ©Michael Jackson
    ©Michael Jackson
    ©Michael Jackson
    ©Michael Jackson
    ©Michael Jackson
    ©Michael Jackson
    ©Michael Jackson
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    ©Michael Jackson

    VIA Michael Jackson Happy 2008 top

  • Public health services high technologies

    Public health services high technologies

    Hospital complex

    Company RTKL — the international architectural company which is engaged in designing of buildings and constructions — in the end of this year begins erection of an innovative hospital complex by the area of 361,000 m. The complex will serve simultaneously more than 2200 patients. Project cost: 2,82 billion yuans (or 304 million euro). The control and management of building will be carried out by the best experts RTKL from office in Los Angeles.

    Innovative embodiment

    Company RTKL has been chosen as the contractor of the project as a result of competition in which 30 architectural firms participated. Desire of the customer — create a building which embodies: the innovative, progressive and ecological concept of the health centre.

    The Western technologies and East culture

    In a hospital complex, besides chambers with hospital cots, will take places: hospitals, the centre of the emergency help, infectious branch, audiences and lecture halls for experts and students of medical HIGH SCHOOLS, a hostel for pupils, an office building, a conference — a hall and a reception.

    Marriott Marco Island Hotel by RTKL

    VIA «Public health services high technologies»

  • America's deadliest tornado for 64 years: Terrifying twister cuts six-mile swathe through a Missouri town, leaving up to 116 dead

    America's deadliest tornado for 64 years: Terrifying twister cuts six-mile swathe through a Missouri town, leaving up to 116 dead
    By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
    ©Aftermath: Aerial footage of the destruction in Joplin, Missouri, where a massive tornado tore straight through the city
    Devastating 198mph tornado tore a path a mile wide and six miles long straight through Joplin, Missouri
    Deadliest single tornado in over 60 years with at least 116 people killed
    Meteorologists issue new tornado warning for the ruined city
    Nearly 500 people have now died as a result of tornadoes in the U.S. in 2011
    Residents only had 20 minutes to take cover before monster tornado swept through the heart of the city
    Missouri governor declares state of emergency in city of about 50,000 people
    Emergency workers say thunderstorms are hampering efforts to find survivors as 1,500 rescuers search for missing
    Family and friends of the missing post moving appeals for information on Facebook and blogs
    Storm Prediction Center says more violent weather expected with further tornadoes through the middle of week
    ©Devastation: Destroyed homes and debris cover the ground as a second storm moves in on Monday in Joplin, Missouri
    Thousands of people were left without homes to go tonight after the deadliest single tornado to strike the United States in over 60 years touched down on Missouri, reducing the city of Joplin to rubble, ripping buildings apart and killing at least 116 people in a 6-mile path of destruction.
    Authorities said they had rescued seven people alive on Monday, but emergency warned that the death toll could climb higher as heavy winds, strong rain and hail quarter-sized hail stones hampered the search effort.
    Meteorologists issued a new tornado warning for the devastated city as forecasters warned large swathes of the country to brace for more big storms on Tuesday.
    ©Path of destruction: No house escaped the wrath of nature in some of Minneapolis
    A tornado watch was issued on Monday for Oklahoma and parts of southern Kansas due to an 'evolving tornado threat', said Russell Schneider, director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Storm Prediction Center.
    'We are currently forecasting a major severe weather outbreak for Tuesday over the central United States with strong tornadoes likely over Oklahoma, Kansas, extreme northern Texas, southwest Missouri,' Mr Schneider said.
    ©The National Weather Service said the tornado packed winds of up to 198 mph.
    The weather service's director, Jack Hayes, said the storm was given a preliminary label as an EF4 - the second-highest rating given to twisters. The rating is assigned to storms based on the damage they cause.
    Hayes said the storm had winds of 190 to 198 miles per hour. He said survey teams from the National Weather Service are on the scene and will make a final determination on the rating Tuesday.
    Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard to help out after one of the worst disasters in the state's history.
    ©Homeless: Ted Grabenauer sleeps on his front porch the morning after a tornado ripped off the roof of his home when it hit Joplin, Missouri
    ©Ruins: A view of the devastation after a tornado blew the roof off the St John's Regional Medical Center, rear, where about 180 patients cowered and were eventually evacuated
    ©Desolation: A residential neighbourhood in Joplin is seen after it was levelled by the tornado
    ©President Barack Obama called Nixon and offered his condolences to those affected, assuring the governor that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would provide whatever assistance was needed.
    'Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives in the tornadoes and severe weather that struck Joplin, Missouri, as well as communities across the Midwest today,' the President said in a statement sent from Air Force One as he flew to Europe.
    ©Map: Infrared image of the powerful tornado that spun through a densely populated part of Missouri
    'We commend the heroic efforts by those who have responded and who are working to help their friends and neighbours at this very difficult time.'
    Caring for the injured was made more difficult because the main hospital, Saint John's Regional Medical Center, had to be evacuated after suffering a direct hit - the tornado ripped off its roof and smashed all its windows.
    Cries could still be heard early Monday from survivors trapped in the wreckage.
    ©Despair: A tree stripped of bark and leaves frames St John's Regional Medical Center
    ©Eye of the storm: The tornado tore a 6-mile path across southwestern Missouri
    ©Relief: Maggie Kelley and her husband, Trey Adams hug their dog, Saint, after finding him amid the rubble of her home in Joplin
    Mr Nixon said he feared the death toll would rise but also expected survivors to be found in the rubble.
    ‘I don't think we're done counting,’ he said. ‘I still believe that because of the size of the debris and the number of people involved that there are lives to be saved.’
    Crews found bodies during the night in vehicles the storm had flipped over, torn apart and left looking like crushed cans.
    Triage centers and shelters set up around the city quickly filled to capacity.
    At Memorial Hall, a downtown entertainment venue, nurses and other emergency workers from across the region treated critically injured patients.
    ©
    Efforts: Rescue workers in lime-green jackets search for bodies and survivors inside St John's hospital
    ©Re-united: A man carries a young girl who was rescued after being trapped with her mother in their home
    ©Devastation: Emergency personnel walk through a neighbourhood severely damaged by a tornado near the Joplin hospital. There are are no firm details on the number of dead or injured, as the hospital is out of action
    ©Memories: Evelyn Knoblauch looks at a picture in what is left of her daughter's house
    At another makeshift unit at a Lowe's home improvement store, wooden planks served as beds.
    Outside, ambulances and fire trucks waited for calls. During one stretch after midnight on Monday, emergency vehicles were scrambling nearly every two minutes.
    On Monday morning, survivors picked through the rubble of what were once their homes, salvaging clothes, furniture, family photos and financial records, the air pungent with the smell of gas and smoking embers.
    Others wandered through the wreckage with nowhere to go, their homes or apartments destroyed.
    Kelley Fritz, 45, of Joplin, rummaged through the remains of a storage building with her husband, Jimmy.
    ©Search: An emergency vehicle drives through a severely damaged neighbourhood in Joplin
    They quickly realised they would never find the belongings they stored there, and that they had lost much of what was in their home after the tornado ripped away the roof.
    Their sons, aged 20 and 17, went outside after the storm and saw that every home was destroyed.
    ‘My sons had deceased children in their arms when they came back,’ Mrs Fritz said. ‘My husband and I went out and saw two or three dead bodies on the ground.’
    ©
    Soul destroying: Jean Logan surveys the damage to her home in Joplin after the tornado. She had taken refuge in her laundry room with her granddaughter
    ©A total mess: Rachel Hurst picks through her belongings that were strewn about from her garage that was blown away in Minneapolis on Sunday
    Mrs Fritz said she was surprised she survived. ‘You could just feel the air pull up and it was so painful. I didn't think we were going to make it, it happened so fast.’
    Tornado sirens gave residents about a 20-minute warning before the tornado touched down on the city's west side.
    Staff at St John's Regional Medical Center rushed patients into hallways before the storm struck the nine-storey building, blowing out hundreds of windows and leaving the facility unusable.
    The hospital was among the worst-hit locations.
    ©Emergency: Extensive damage can be seen at the St John's Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Missouri. An emergency agency spokesman says fatalities had been reported but was unsure of the exact figure
    The Joplin twister was one of 68 reported tornadoes across seven Midwest states over the weekend, stretched from Oklahoma to Wisconsin, according to the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center.
    One person was killed in Minneapolis. But the devastation in Missouri was the worst, eerily reminiscent of the tornadoes that killed more than 300 people across the South last month.
    Residents said the damage was breathtaking in scope.
    ‘You see pictures of World War II, the devastation and all that with the bombing. That's really what it looked like,’ said Kerry Sachetta, the principal of a flattened Joplin High School.
    ‘I couldn't even make out the side of the building. It was total devastation in my view. I just couldn't believe what I saw.’
    Emergency management officials rushed heavy equipment to Joplin to help lift debris and clear the way for search and recovery operations.
    Governor Nixon declared a state of emergency, and President Barack Obama said the Federal Emergency Management Agency was working with state and local agencies.
    ©Raised to the ground: Blocks of homes lie in total destruction after the devastating tornado
    ©Unbelievable: Destroyed vehicles are piled on top of one another in the parking lot of the Joplin Regional Medical Centre
    ©
    Desperate: Amy Langford carries items from her house that she was in with her husband Mark when the tornado hit their home in Joplin
    Jeff Lehr, a reporter for the Joplin Globe, said he was upstairs in his home when the storm hit but was able to make his way to a basement closet.
    The storm tore the roof off his house, but he was safe. When he emerged, he found people wandering through the streets, covered in mud.
    ‘I'm talking to them, asking if they knew where their family is,’ Mr Lehr said. ‘Some of them didn't know and weren't sure where they were. All the street markers were gone.’
    Justin Gibson, 30, huddled with three relatives outside the tangled debris of a Home Depot. He pointed to a black pickup that had been tossed into the store's ruins and said it belonged to his roommate's brother, who was last seen in the store with his two young daughters.
    Mr Gibson, who has three children of his own, said his home was levelled and ‘everything in that neighbourhood is gone. The high school, the churches, the grocery store. I can't get hold of my ex-wife to see how my kids are.
    ‘I don't know the extent of this yet,’ he said, ‘but I know I'll have friends and family dead.’
    In Minneapolis, where a tornado killed one person and injured 29, authorities imposed an overnight curfew in a 4-square-mile area, including some of the city's poorest neighbourhoods, to prevent looting and keep streets clear for emergency crews.
    ©Levelled: Red Cross representatives say 75% of Joplin is gone - here, vehicles and houses in the vicinity of Twenty-fourth and Main Streets are a jumble of rubble after a the tornado swept through
    ©Condolences: President Barack Obama talks on the phone with Missouri Governor Jay Nixon during his visit to Dublin, Ireland. The President extended his condolences to all impacted by the deadly tornadoes
    ©Widespread devastation: Another tornado in Minneapolis damaged at least 100 homes, toppling hundreds of trees and injuring at least 29 people
    ©Community spirit: Residents of Joplin help a woman who survived in her basement after a tornado tore a path a mile wide and four miles long destroying homes and businesses
    Mayor RT Rybak said one liquor store was looted right after the tornado hit late Sunday and a few burglaries took place overnight.
    He said it wasn't immediately clear how many homes were affected, simply saying: 'It's a lot.'
    Though the damage covered several blocks, it appeared few houses were totally demolished. Much of the damage was to roofs, front porches that had been sheared away and fences.
    The tornado left part of a garage door in a tree and many large trees were left leaning against houses.
    Pat Trafton said her family escaped unharmed after a tree was left leaning against her house.
    Mrs Trafton, 67, said: 'It's been a crazy day.
    'They say it was a monster tornado. It all just happened so fast.'
    It was the first tornado to hit the city since August 2009. 'There was no doubt right away,' the meteorologist said.
    North Minneapolis resident Tiffany Pabich was taking a nap just as the tornado blew through.
    ©
    Bettered streets: Debris is scattered about in Minneapolis. On Sunday night a tornado warning was issued for several areas in central states
    ©Crushed: Vehicles were picked up and dumped across the city by the tornado which left 30 people dead and dozens injured
    In the north-east Kansas, powerful storms spawned funnel clouds and hail that ripped limbs off of trees and shattered windows.
    About 200 homes were damaged in and around Reading with the tornado sweeping through the small town around 9:15pm Saturday night, said Kansas Division of Emergency Management spokeswoman Sharon Watson.
    A man was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to Newman Regional Hospital in Emporia, about 20 miles from where the tornado hit, hospital supervisor Deb Gould said.
    Ms Gould said two other people were brought in with injuries but she had no further details.
    Five people were injured in all, along with the person killed, said Ms Watson.
    Reading, a town of about 250 people is 50 miles south of the Kansas capital city, Topeka.
    ©Carnage: Rescue vehicles line up along northbound Rangeline Road in Joplin, Mo. after a fatal tornado swept through the city
    Reverend Lyle Williams, who is a pastor for about 10 worshippers at the Reading First Baptist Church, said the church suffered extensive damage: 'Yeah, it's pretty bad,' he said. 'My daughter was out there and told me about it.'
    'I'm not going to be able to have church today that's for sure,' he added, saying he's been a pastor at the church for 21 years.
    In Jefferson County, a mobile home was destroyed with an elderly couple was trapped inside, Ms Watson told CNN. She said responders cleared the debris and rescued the couple unhurt.
    ©Wreckage: A man stands amid the remains of a Wal-Mart store, after it was hit by the tornado, in Joplin
    Power had been restored in the town by early Sunday and a shelter was being set up at a local school.
    The National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado also touched down in Topeka and northeast of the city near Lake Perry, where damage was reported at a nearby campsite, Ms Watson said.
    While many states have been struck by severe storms this spring, Kansas has been having one of its lightest tornado seasons in decades, according to the National Weather Service.
    ©A taste of spring? Trees were stripped of branches and many were left resting against houses
    ©Flattened: Reading - a town of about 250 people, 50 miles south of capital city Topeka
    Twister tragedy

    Joplin Missouri 2011 Tornado May 23rd 2011 Massive Monster Killer Twister Tornado EF 5 MO 2011

    I WILL PRAY ~Joplin Missouri Tornado Tribute~ (5/22/11)

    source:dailymail

    VIA America's deadliest tornado for 64 years: Terrifying twister cuts six-mile swathe through a Missouri town, leaving up to 116 dead

  • Shocking before and after images reveal how giant tornado ripped apart Joplin's city landmarks

    Shocking before and after images reveal how giant tornado ripped apart Joplin's city landmarks
    By JOHN STEVENS
    ©The aftermath: A 198mph tornado tore a path a mile wide and six miles long straight through Joplin, Missouri devastating all in its wake
    Devastating 198mph tornado tore a path a mile wide and six miles long straight through Joplin, Missouri
    Deadliest single tornado in more than 60 years with at least 125 people killed
    1,500 people still remain unaccounted for, according to fire officials
    'This is a very serious situation brewing,' warns Storm Prediction Center as forecasters say city could be hit again
    Tornado was rare 'multivortex' twister, reveals National Weather Service
    Obama to visit region on Sunday as he says tornado was 'devastating and heartbreaking'
    ©
    The way things used to be: This Google Street Map view shows the same place as the above picture, before the horrific tornado struck
    As shell-shocked residents of tornado-hit Joplin braced themselves for another powerful storm system this evening, new aerial images emerged showing in terrifying detail the path of the twister which destroyed the Missouri city.
    The shocking photos reveal for the first time the true extent of the damage caused when the mile-wide tornado that killed at least 122 people blasted much of the city off the map and slammed straight into its hospital.
    Forecasters warned residents on Tuesday to prepare themselves for a looming storm system that has all the early signs of spawning more deadly tornadoes.
    ©Devastated: Aerial photo shows 26th street, the main route through the centre of Joplin, Missouri. On the right is St Mary's elementary school
    ©Housing: Whole residential neighbourhoods were destroyed by the powerful tornado when it went straight through the centre of the city that has has 50,000 people
    Tonight the stunned residents of Joplin faced the horrifying possibility of more storms - but a tornado warning was cancelled later in the evening.
    ‘This is a very serious situation brewing,’ said Russell Schneider, director of the Storm Prediction Center.
    About 1,500 people are still unaccounted for, it was announced Tuesday, leading to fears that the death count could rise much higher.
    Tonight tornadoes touched down in Kansas and Oklahoma - including one on the outskirts of Oklahoma City, which reportedly tore a 50-mile long path through rush-hour traffic.
    ©Blown away: The remains of this apartment block surround what was once a swimming pool. Around 2,000 homes are thought to have been destroyed
    ©Closed for business: The Home Depot do-it-yourself store was where many dead bodies have been recovered. Many of the shop shelves are still intact though
    ©Grocery store: The city's Walmart superstore is barely recognisable in this photo from after Sunday's tornado that killed over 100 people
    ©Shopping mall: This line of shops was severely damaged by the storm system when it struck on Sunday evening at around 6pm
    ©Hospital: The St John's Medical Center was at the heart of the tornado's path through the city. Hundreds of patients had to be evacuated
    Fire chief Robert Daus said that 500 people had been injured by the tornado, in addition to the 1,500 people who remain unaccounted for.
    But he said the high number of people still recorded as missing could be a reflection of the widespread breakdown of communication systems in the city.
    Thunderstorms that are moving across southeast Kansas, central Oklahoma and north Texas this afternoon are forecast to move into the Joplin area between 10pm and 2am tonight.
    ©Destroyed: This incredible aerial image reveals how the tornado tore off the roof of Joplin's Home Depot
    ©Flattened: This aerial photograph shows the scale of the destruction to the Home Depot store
    ©
    Flattened: Damage is seen a day after the tornado tore through Joplin killing at least 122 people in Joplin, a town of about 50,000
    ©Decimation: Residential buildings are shown flattened in this aerial shot over Joplin
    ©Razed to the ground: Joplin's Walmart store was completely destroyed by Sunday's devastating twister
    ©Wasteland: The horror of Sunday's tornado is laid bare by this harrowing panoramic shot of Joplin
    ©Horseshoe: A destroyed neighbourhood is seen in Joplin on Tuesday after a big tornado moved through much of the city
    ©
    Ruins: The winding path of the devastating tornado is seen in this aerial picture of Joplin, Missouri
    ©Savaged: The path of the powerful tornado is seen in an aerial photo over Joplin, Missouri
    ©Destroyed: The tornado ruined thousands of houses in Joplin, Missouri
    ©From the sky: Uprooted trees and building without roofs lie devastated in Joplin, Missouri after the tornado hit on Sunday
    ©Flattened: Members of Missouri Task Force One search-and-rescue team work at the tornado-damaged Home Depot store in Joplin
    ©Shock: Joplin residents are still coming to terms with the loss of their homes as rescue workers continue efforts to find survivors
    ©Recovery: Beverly Winans, left, Debbie Spurlin and Austin Spurlin look for what they can salvage from their home after it was destroyed
    ©Lost: Carra Reed looks at a friends home that was destroyed when the massive tornado passed through Joplin, Missouri
    ©Missing: Rescue workers and neighbours search for victims and survivors
    The President says he wants Midwesterners whose lives were disrupted by the deadly storms last weekend to know that the federal government will use all resources at its disposal to help them recover and rebuild.
    Obama spoke in London, the second stop on his four-country, six-day tour of Europe.
    Obama is due back in Washington Saturday night.
    ©Little hope: Ryan Harper pauses in the shadow of a splintered tree as he searches for a missing friend after who may have been pulled away by the twister
    ©
    A time for coming together: A couple drenched by the heavy rain walk arm-in-arm towards a building ravaged by the killer storm, and right, a woman whose life has been shattered overnight by the tornado breaks down in tears and has to be comforted by a friend
    ©Frantic: Volunteers claw through the rubble in search of survivors, but grey storm clouds loom overhead threatening to disrupt the efforts
    ©'Heartbreaking': Barack Obama, speaking in London today, vowed to visit Missouri on Sunday to console victims
    President Barack Obama called Nixon after details of teh tragedy emergedand offered his condolences to those affected, assuring the governor that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) would provide whatever assistance was needed.
    'Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the families of all those who lost their lives in the tornadoes and severe weather that struck Joplin, Missouri, as well as communities across the Midwest today,' the President said in a statement sent from Air Force One as he flew to Europe.
    'We commend the heroic efforts by those who have responded and who are working to help their friends and neighbours at this very difficult time.'
    ©New dawn: The sun rises over devastated Joplin on Tuesday as the search for survivors continues
    ©Heartache: Two women fight back the tears as they hug in front of a house ripped apart by the tornado. In a symbolic show of strength, the U.S. flag flies from a tree behind them
    ©Wiped off the landscape: Meghan Miller stands in the middle of a destroyed neighbourhood as she checks on her sister-in-law's home, which only days before had stood in the same spot
    source: dailymail

    VIA Shocking before and after images reveal how giant tornado ripped apart Joplin's city landmarks

  • Doctor's Appointment

    Doctor's Appointment
    BRAIN

    I had my first doctor's appointment this week. It was nothing serious, just a routine checkup. Visiting the doctor here in Ecuador is much different than visiting a doctor at the Kaiser hospital I used to go to in Sacramento. At Kaiser patients are pushed in and out of the examination room as fast as possible. An assistant would ask me all the preliminary questions, take my blood pressure, and enter all the data into a computer. I would usually get about 5 minutes to actually talk to the doctor. They would answer my questions, but there was always a sense of urgency, like they were half way to their next patient.

    The doctor I saw here works at one of the "best" clinics in Loja, and is also Lucho's best friend's brother-in-law. Since he is a friend he greeted me with a kiss on the cheek (a very common greeting here in Ecuador). I'm sure that was the first time I've every kissed my doctor on the cheek! Then he ushered me in to his office which was a combination office/examination room. He conducted the entire examination himself, took his time, and asked me lots of questions. I didn't feel rushed at all. I guess it used to be like this in the States in "old days", before skyrocketing health care costs made everyone become more "efficient". The best part of the doctor's appointment was making the payment. The cost of the visit - $25.00.. can't beat that!

  • Raw grief of Jackass star's best friend: Heartbreaking video shows inconsolable Bam Margera as he visits spot where Ryan Dunn died in fiery crash

    Raw grief of Jackass star's best friend: Heartbreaking video shows inconsolable Bam Margera as he visits spot where Ryan Dunn died in fiery crash
    By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
    ©Heartbroken: Bam Margera returns to the spot where his best friend and Jackass co-star lost his life in a horrific car smash in the early hours of Monday morning in Philadelphia
    Autopsy results reveal the crash was so violent it's impossible to determine if Dunn and passenger died from impact or from the fire that resulted
    Photo emerges showing stuntman in high spirits whilst he partied at a bar shortly before crash
    Co-star and best friend Bam Margera overcome with emotion as he visits crash scene
    Ryan Dunn's Jackass co-star Bam Margera broke down into floods of tears as he visited the spot where his best friend lost his life in a horror 130mph car smash.
    An inconsolable Bam spoke to a local news station and was so distraught he could barely put his loss into words.
    'It was the worst phone call I ever got in my life waking up to that,' the 31-year-old wept.
    ©Raw grief: Bam could barely hold it together as he gave an interview to a local news station
    Margera, who was in Arizona at the time of the crash, visited the crash scene in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening.
    He was visibly overcome with emotion, rocking back and forth in agony at the guardrail that the car crashed through.
    'I've never lost anybody that I cared about. It's my best friend,' he told local TV station WPXI, weeping.
    ©'Worst phone call of my life': He paid tribute to his childhood friend and asked how he would cope with the loss he wept: 'I can't, I can't'
    'He was the happiest person ever, the smartest guy. He had so much talent, and he had so many things going for him. This is not right, not right.'
    Margera stood at the guardrail that Dunn pierced with his Porsche Monday morning with such force that the car slammed through about 40 feet of trees before exploding into flames.
    When asked how he'd get through this ordeal, Bam replied: 'I can't. I can't.'
    Dunn's brother, Eric Dunn, said in an emailed statement to the AP that his family was 'devastated'.
    ©
    Memories: The cast of Bam's show Viva La Bam, a spin-off from Jackass, featuring Bam, front centre, his father Phil, far left, mother April and Dunn, back centre which ran for five seasons between 2003 and 2005
    ©Emotional: Close friends of Dunn visited the spot where his car smashed into a guardrail before careering off the road and into woodland and exploding into flames
    ©In good spirits: A new picture shows Jackass star Ryan Dunn in high spirits as he parties at a bar with friends and fans shortly before he crashed his Porsche yesterday morning, killing himself and another passenger
    ©Childhood friends: Ryan and Bam, pictured back in November 2003
    ©Wreckage: The charred remains of the Porsche 911 GT3 is towed away as police survey the scene
    ©
    Investigation: Dunn's Porsche was found engulfed in flames in woods beside the road
    Margera, who appeared in her son's MTV show 'Viva La Bam' with Dunn, says he was not the type of person to get behind the wheel while drunk.
    'He is going to be missed by everyone,' April tearfully told the NBC Today Show.
    'I have yelled at him for lots of things but he was not a big drinker and he was always responsible as far as I know, so I cannot believe he would do that.
    'I am sick because it is a waste, sick because I loved him, sick because he was talented and sick because he is gone.'
    Meanwhile the passenger killed in Dunn's fatal car crash has been identified.
    Police have confirmed Zachary Hartwell, 30, perished in a fireball car crash in the early hours of yesterday morning.
    Hartwell, from West Chester, Philadelphia, had been with Dunn at Barnaby's and appeared in one of the last photographs to be taken of the daredevil before the accident.
    The two were drinking with a third unidentified male in a Twitter picture, which was posted hours before the accident.
    ©Speaking out: Bam Margera's mother April says she does not believe Dunn was driving drunk at the time of his death
    While Hartwell was not a member of the Jackass crew, he is listed as a production assistant on the second Jackass movie.
    He is also credited on IMDb as a 'car stunt driver' in Bam Margera's film Minghags.
    He was reportedly a recently married Iraq war veteran
    Dunn who was famous for his vulgar stunts in the multimillion-dollar TV and movie franchise Jackass, was driving his 2007 Porsche on a highway when it left the road, flipped over a guardrail and crashed into woods before bursting into flames.
    Speed may have been a factor in the crash, West Goshen Township police said.
    The force of impact shattered the vehicle into several twisted and blackened pieces, leaving the Porsche 911 GT3 unrecognisable except for a door that was thrown from the crash and not incinerated. A 100-foot-long tyre skid marked where the car left the road.
    Police said they were able to identify Dunn through his tattoos and hair.
    Dunn appeared on MTV shows Jackass and Viva La Bam and the three Jackass big-screen adaptations. He also was the star of his own MTV show, Homewrecker, and hosted Proving Ground on the G4 cable network.
    G4 spokesman Dave Welch said Proving Ground, which premiered on June 11 with the second episode due to air today, was being shelved until the network could discuss its future.
    Dunn's long-time friend and fellow Jackass daredevil Johnny Knoxville tweeted last night: 'Today I lost my brother Ryan Dunn. My heart goes out to his family and his beloved Angie. RIP Ryan, I love you buddy.'
    ©Passenger: Zachery Hartwell (right) was killed in Dunn's fatal car crash yesterday. The pair were at a bar with an unidentified friend in Philadelphia before the accident
    Dunn also starred in the yet-to-be-released film Living Will. The film's website describes Dunn's character as a 'party bum slacker (who) returns from the dead as a mischievous and perverted ghost'.
    MTV praised Dunn's tireless humour and enthusiasm and said he would be missed.
    'We are devastated by the tragic loss of Ryan Dunn - a beloved member of the MTV family for more than a decade,' said Van Toffler, president of MTV Networks Music/Films Group. 'The Jackass brotherhood will never be the same.'
    Dunn was born in Ohio and moved at 15 to Pennsylvania, where he met Bam Margera on his first day of high school, according to a biography on his website.
    Dunn, Margera, Christopher Raab (known as Raab Himself) and Brandon DiCamillo, under the moniker CKY for 'Camp Kill Yourself', started making videos that featured them skateboarding and performing stunts.
    ©Where the night started: Dunn and Hartwell were both at Barnaby's in West Chester hours before the accident
    Dunn was working as a welder and petrol station worker when Knoxville, a friend of Margera's through the skateboarding circuit, asked the crew to allow their videos to be part of the series Jackass, which became a hit on MTV and ran from 2000 to 2002.
    Perhaps his most famous stunt, in 2002's Jackass: The Movie, involved inserting a toy car into his bottom and going to a hospital casualty unit, where he made up a story that he was in mysterious pain after passing out at a fraternity party. Dunn's X-ray from the hospital became a popular T-shirt for Jackass fans.
    In a 2000 stunt, he dived into a tank at a raw sewage plant wearing flippers, a mask and a snorkel.
    ©Crash scene: Black marks on the road show where Dunn's car skidded out of control
    ©Devastation: Dunn's car span off the road, through a guardrail and into the woods
    Bam Margera Breaks Down After Hearing About Ryan Dunns Death

    source: dailymail

    VIA Raw grief of Jackass star's best friend: Heartbreaking video shows inconsolable Bam Margera as he visits spot where Ryan Dunn died in fiery crash

  • Various things

    Various things
    Sewing Last night we went to visit Casey's Mom, we had a few minutes to kill while we waited for her to get off work so we went to a store called Dilly-Dally's, it's sortof like a glorified dollar store. Anyways, I found these colored masking tapes for $1 each, I was pretty excited. I know pretty silly that $1 tape makes me happy :)

    Sewing I've still been grannying here and there. And I am happy to report that I found lots more yummy colors of cotton yarn at Hobby Lobby, YAY!

    Sewing
    And I have been working on pinwheels.
    I've also been busy getting ready for my spring shows. Yesterday I started a batch of 72 onesies, I am hoping to finish them up today.
    On another note, please keep my family in your prayers, my Brother and Sister-in-law had their 3rd baby on Sunday night, and little Hallie has to have heart surgery in the next few days. She has a valve in her heart that is collapsing. Their first little boy Chet had the same heart condition and he had to have surgery too. Apparently Hallie's condition is a bit worse than Chet's was though. She is in good hands at Primary Children's Hospital and we are praying that everything will go well.


  • Adoring Justin Bieber wraps a protective arm around Selena Gomez on her first public appearance since hospitalisation

    Adoring Justin Bieber wraps a protective arm around Selena Gomez on her first public appearance since hospitalisation
    By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
    ©
    Bieber gets a fever: Justin appeared to enjoy the view as he joined his leggy girlfriend Selena Gomez on stage at the MuchMusic Video Awards in Toronto, Canada last night
    Justin Bieber looked totally smitten with Selena Gomez on stage at the MuchMusic Video Awards last night.
    The 17-year-old singer wrapped an arm around his stunning girlfriend as she hosted the awards ceremony.
    The event was Selena's first public appearance since her hospitalisation for malnutrition last week.
    ©Adored: Fans in the crowd reach out to Justin in the hope of touching his hand
    ©Cute couple: The duo teamed up on stage at the awards bash
    Bieber took to the stage to accept an award, which he shared with hip hop star Drake, after they were named joint winners of best international Canadian video.
    While 18-year-old Gomez slipped into an array of revealing outfits during the course of the evening, Justin stuck to his guns, donning a retro T-shirt with a printed picture of Saved By The Bell Nineties pin-up Tiffani Thiessen.
    ©Double win: The teen singer also picked the favourite artist gong for his his hit Somebody to Love
    You'd have thought the 17-year-old would have been too young to be a fan of the American teen sitcom - but that didn't stop him wearing the top, which showed Thiessen in character as high school student Kelly Kapowski.
    Justin also scooped the honour for favourite artist by ordinary Canadians, adding yet more awards to his growing trophy collection.
    ©Outfits galore: Selena made a series of wardrobe changes throughout the evening, seen right getting speaking to axed 90210 star Trevor Donovan
    ©
    Bad boy: Irish heartthrob Colin Farrell also joined the former Disney star on stage to present an award
    ©Joint winners: Justin and Drake, who was look a little fuller in the face than usual, both shared the award for International Video of the Year by a Canadian
    Lady Gaga was the other big winner of the night, opening the show with a performance of Edge of Glory and closing out with Born This Way - in which she 'hatched' from a cocoon.
    The singer was voted the most popular international artist in the fan category, while also taking home the best international video for Judas.
    However, she put in a relatively low-key claim for the fashion crown, wearing outfits which by her standards were somewhat conservative.
    ©Host turned performer: Selena took a break from her presenting duties to sing her hit Who Says
    ©Crowd mania: The fans in the audience loved the performance and scrambled for their cameras as she sang
    The 25-year-old skipped the red carpet as she turned up to the event in Toronto, Canada, but was pictured showing off what appeared to be a slightly fuller figure in a form-fitting LBD.
    She completed the look with her now trademark turquoise wig and a pair of bondage-style knee-high boots.
    The Telephone singer later posed for photographers, adding to her ensemble a towering pair of platforms, a blue blazer and a colourful pair of tights.
    ©
    Legs Eleven: The singer and actress stood firmly in the spotlight as she made her red carpet arrival
    ©
    Turning heads: Selena turned up in a stunning backless beige dress teamed with purple heels
    ©Cheeky: Gomez's boyfriend Justin arrived wearing a retro Saved By The Bell T-shirt with a printed image of Nineties pin-up Tiffani Thiessen with her toned torso on show
    Shawn Desman won the MMVA video of the year for Electric/Night Like This, while Far East Movement took home the international group video trophy for Like a G6.
    Other winners included Toronto-based six-man rap rock band Down With Webster, which won for best pop video for Whoa is Me.
    The best indie video went to JDiggz for This Time, and the rock video of the year was awarded to Abandon All Ships for Geeving.
    ©Canadian singer-songwriter Fefe Dobson won the fan’s favourite video for Stuttering and the hip hop video of the year going to Classified for That Ain’t Classy.
    Gomez proved a successful host for the night, having bounced back to health following her recent hospital dash, which she later revealed was down to malnutrition.
    The MuchMusic Video Awards is the biggest music awards ceremony in Canada and have been running since 1990.
    Irish heartthrob actor Colin Farrell joined Selena on stage to help with hosting duties, as did axed 90210 star Trevor Donovan.
    ©Greeting fans: The 25-year-old singer had her photo taken with her supporters, but avoided the red carpet
    ©Nappy couple: Twilight star Nikki Reed with her American Idol fiance Paul McDonald
    ©
    Legs on show: Nikki wore a strapless dress which gathered at then waist while Pretty Little Liars star Shay Mitchell dazzled in a sexy black ensemble
    ©Gothic style: Canadian singer-songwriter Fefe Dobson opted for a long black dress split to the thigh with a dramatic plunging back
    ©Sk8ter Girl: Canadian-born singer Avril Lavigne performs during the event with her electric guitar in hand
    Farrell is currently in Canada shooting the remake of the 1990 movie, Total Recall but found time to attend the ceremony, which also featured performances from Bruno Mars and Canadian-born singer, Avril Lavigne.
    On accepting her prestigious role as the event's co-host, Selena recently told the Toronto Herald: 'It's exciting and scary at the same time because (Wizards) was my safety net.
    'That's all I really know so it'll be interesting to detach from that and be on my own.'
    Selena has had a rocky few weeks after she fell ill and was admitted into hospital for 24 hours with malnutrition last week.
    ©Making some noise: Rapper Snoop Dog performs with Far East Movement during the ceremony
    ©Too cool for school: Irish actor Colin Farrell and rock chick Avril Lavigne pose on the red carpet
    ©
    Warm-up: Selena Gomez takes a break from rehearsals in slightly less glamorous attire
    Selena Gomez presenting Justin Bieber & Drake win International Video of the year! MMVA 2011

    Lady Gaga - Born This Way Live Performance at: MMVAs 2011

    Selena Gomez & The Scene - Who Says Live Performance Much Music Video Awards MMVA 2011

    source :dailymail

    VIA Adoring Justin Bieber wraps a protective arm around Selena Gomez on her first public appearance since hospitalisation

  • Heritage: Minoan storage jar smashed by falling tourist

    Heritage: Minoan storage jar smashed by falling tourist
    A Minoan storage jar on display at the Archaeological Museum of Herakleion managed to survive through the centuries until a tourist shattered it to pieces.

    Minoan storage jar smashed by falling tourist
    The damaged pithos is seen (centre) in this file photo 
    [Credit: Archaeological Museum of Herakleion]

    The tourist, aged 60, was walking past the ill-fated pithos when she tripped, grabbing onto the Minoan treasure as she fell.

    The museum guards did not know who to attend to first – the priceless artefact or the tourist.

    The tourist was rushed to hospital where she was treated for minor injuries.

    As for the pithos, archaeologists are now trying to piece it back together… But will it ever be the same?

    Source: Greek Ministry of Culture [May 27, 2015]

  • Nepal: Quake deals heavy blow to Nepal's rich cultural heritage

    Nepal: Quake deals heavy blow to Nepal's rich cultural heritage
    Reduced to piles of rubble and splintered wood, Nepal's rich cultural heritage has suffered a devastating blow from a massive earthquake that tore through the country, experts said Sunday.

    Quake deals heavy blow to Nepal's rich cultural heritage
    Nepalese rescue members and onlookers gather at the collapsed Dharahara Tower 
    in Kathmandu on April 25, 2015 [Credit: AFP/Prakash Mathema]

    In the heart of Kathmandu, many of a cluster of temples and statues built between the 12th and 18th centuries by the ancient kings of Nepal have collapsed, killing scores and trapping others underneath.

    The nine-storey Dharahara tower, a major tourist attraction in the city's Durbar square with its spiral staircase of 200 steps, was reduced to just its base when the 7.8-magnitude quake struck at lunchtime on Saturday.

    "I had just bought tickets to climb the tower and was at its base when I felt a sudden shaking," Dharmu Subedi, 36, said from a hospital bed in Kathmandu.

    "Within minutes, the Dharahara had crumbled to the ground with maybe more than 100 people in it," Subedi told AFP.

    Quake deals heavy blow to Nepal's rich cultural heritage
    Durbar Square in Kathmandu, pictured on February 23, 2015 
    [Credit: AFP/Prakash Mathema]

    UNESCO was trying to gather information on the extent of the destruction, including at three palace-filled squares in the cities of Patan and Bhaktapur, both former kingdoms in the Kathmandu Valley, as well as in Kathmandu.

    "We understand the historic Durbar squares of Kathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur have been badly damaged," Christian Manhart, UNESCO's representative to Nepal, told AFP.

    "Several temples have collapsed. Two temples in Patan have been completely collapsed, and Durbar Square (in Kathmandu) is worse.

    "Right now we are assessing the situation, and collecting information on what the damage is. All UN agencies have received a request from the (Nepalese) government for assistance," he added.

    Quake deals heavy blow to Nepal's rich cultural heritage
    People clear rubble in Kathmandu's Durbar Square on April 25, 2015 
    [Credit: AFP/Prakash Mathema]

    He said it was too early to talk about reconstruction of the monuments and how much assistance UNESCO could provide.

    Manhart said his office was also trying to determine whether another UNESCO World Heritage site, that of Lumbini, the place where Buddha was born more than 2,600 years ago, had also been hit.

    "We haven't received reports of severe damage in Lumbini, but we are still trying to collect information," he said of the site, some 280 kilometres (170 miles) west of Kathmandu.

    'Irreparable loss for Nepal' 

    In Kathmandu, residents were seen clawing through the rubble, using their hands, buckets and shovels to try to find those feared trapped in Durbar Square, which had been crowded on Saturday with local and foreign tourists.

    Quake deals heavy blow to Nepal's rich cultural heritage
    Kathmandu's Durbar Square, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was severely
     damaged by the Nepal earthquake on April 25, 2015
    [Credit: AFP/Prakash Mathema]

    Large piles of bricks, wooden beams and other debris were dotted throughout the historic square, where minutes earlier stood double-roofed temples and other monuments built by the Malla kings.

    The monuments are the "social, religious and urban focal point of the city" which has a rich history of Hindu, Buddhist and Tantrism religion and culture, UNESCO says on its website.

    "Kathmandu with its unique architectural heritage, palaces, temples and courtyards has inspired many writers, artists, and poets, both foreign and Nepalese," it says.

    Expert P.D. Balaji cast doubt on whether the monuments could be completely rebuilt, saying television footage showed extensive damage.

    Quake deals heavy blow to Nepal's rich cultural heritage
    A Nepalese man cries as he walks through the earthquake debris in Bhaktapur, 
    near Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, April 26,  [Credit: AP/Niranjan Shrestha]

    "What I can say is that it's an irreparable loss for Nepal and the rest of the world," Balaji, head of the history and archaeology department at the University of Madras, said.

    "Complete restoration is not possible on account of the extensive damage to the historical sites in Nepal."

    According to UNESCO, "two catastrophic earthquakes" in 1833 and 1934 led to some monuments in the Kathmandu Valley being rebuilt.

    Author: Paavan Mathema | Source: AFP [April 27, 2015]

  • Now Lady Gaga 'gives birth' on stage: Outrageous singer releases gold liquid

    Now Lady Gaga 'gives birth' on stage: Outrageous singer releases gold liquid
    By MARCUS BARNES
    ©Another Gaga stunt: Lady Gaga donned a fake baby bump, rested her feet in stirrups and 'gave birth' to gold liquid as she sang hit Born This Way on Saturday Night Live
    She's covered herself with blood, emerged from an egg and danced around with a crucifix on her crotch.
    And now Lady Gaga can add giving birth to her growing list of outrageous stage show stunts.
    With a false belly attached to her midriff, the singer placed her legs in a pair of stirrups and proceeded to secrete gold liquid during a performance on U.S. show Saturday Night Live.
    ©Controversial: The singer is never one to shy away from outrageous stunts - this the latest in a long line of bizarre performances
    The 25-year-old singer began her performance by emerging from a pod, emblazoned with the name Beluga Gagaviar No1 - a reference to the famous, and very expensive, brand of caviar.
    Wearing a pair of PVC trousers and a cropped PVC blazer, which exposed her ultra-flat midriff, she launched into a typically energetic performance, singing all the vocals live as usual.
    Towards the end of the song her dancers surrounded her and, when she emerged from the scrum Gaga had acquired a huge bump.
    She immediately headed from a mock hospital bed to the side of the stage where her dancers helped into a pair of stirrups, and she subsequently 'gave birth' to a gold liquid.
    The performance was part of Saturday Night Live's closing show which was hosted by singer Justin Timberlake.
    ©Eccentric: Gaga's influence spread to the set of the show which was covered with gold and black stripes to match the outfits of her dancers and herself
    ©Plenty of bottle: Gaga joined in the fun throughout the show dressing up as a wine bottle in this Liquorville with host Justin Timberlake
    Gaga also performed her songs Edge Of Glory and Judas during the show, as well as joining in with the comedy sketches.
    she was the female element in a song about threesomes performed by Timberlake and comedian Adam Samberg.
    The hilarious song, which included the chorus 'It's okay when it's in a three-way, it's not gay when it's in a three-way. With some honey in the middle there's some leeway, the area's grey in a one, two, three-way.'
    ©Surprise: Timberlake and Samberg end up in bed together without Gaga in the amusing video
    The singer kept a straight face throughout the song, which sees Timberlake and Samberg end up in bed together without her.
    In another scene she put a huge cork on her head, with a dress covered in grapes and a huge wine glass on each of her arms in Timberlake's Liquorville sketch.
    ©Appeal: Gaga asked fans to send in videos for the advert and editors were inundated with material
    Fans responded within minutes and uploaded hundreds more videos.
    As the videos streamed in, editors worked on the video in real time dropping in new footage as it was received.
    The film was completed four days ago, just in time for Gaga's performance on yesterday's season finale of Saturday Night Live.
    [HD]Lady Gaga - Born This Way (Saturday Night Live S36E22)

    Google Chrome: Lady Gaga "The Edge of Glory" Commercial [HD]

    source: dailymail

    VIA Now Lady Gaga 'gives birth' on stage: Outrageous singer releases gold liquid

  • Near East: Ephesus added to UNESCO World Heritage list

    Near East: Ephesus added to UNESCO World Heritage list
    The ancient city of Ephesus in western Turkey has been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List following a vote in Bonn on July 5.

    Ephesus added to UNESCO World Heritage list
    Ephesus [Credit: DHA]

    The move came just a day after Diyarbakir’s wall and its nearby Hevsel Gardens were added to the list as well.

    Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Permanent Representative of Turkey to UNESCO Hüseyin Avni Botsalı – who headed the Turkish delegation at the session – described the unanimous approval of Ephesus as a great success.

    “In fact, we have a great responsibility on our shoulders in terms of cooperation of the international community in this field. We will make significant efforts for the protection of civilizational values and cultural properties,” he added.

    Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Ömer Çelik celebrated the development in a series of Twitter posts.

    “We have just received the second good news from Germany. Ephesus is now officially on the world heritage [list],” he said.

    The minister said Ephesus had always been a key port city, as well as a cultural and commercial center, throughout history.

    “A principal city of science, culture and art of its era, Ephesus had been a residential area starting from the pre-historic era and through the Hellenistic, Roman, Eastern Roman periods and also under the Ottoman Empire for about nine millennia without interruption,” he said.

    Çelik also said Ephesus, which draws 2 million visitors a year, was a place that the whole world agreed was a site of global cultural heritage.

    In a later interview with Anadolu Agency, Çelik noted the threat that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) posed to world heritage in neighboring countries like Syria.

    “While a terrorist group called Daesh destroys cities, it is a significant message against this barbarism that Turkey as a Muslim country in the Muslim world managed to put its properties on the world heritage list,” he said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIL.

    In May, ISIL militants seized the Roman ruins at the Palmyra World Heritage site in Syria’s Homs Governorate. Last week, members of ISIL destroyed a peerless statue of a lion at the site on the grounds that it is idolatrous, while it has also allegedly conducted executions at the ancient city’s famous theater.

    Describing Ephesus, UNESCO said: “The Temple of Artemis, which was considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is situated on the edge of this small town. The city which was situated at the beginning of the Persian Royal Road has survived sufficiently enough to enable us to understand the ancient way of life in Ephesus. It is one of the cities which played an impressive role in the beginnings of Christianity and during the period of its proliferation (St. John Church and the shrine of the Virgin Mary). It contains one of the most spectacular examples of religious architecture of the Seljuk Period.”

    Turkey first entered the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1985 with Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia and the Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği – both in central Turkey – and the historic areas of Istanbul.

    The Hittite capital Hattuşa was added to the list in 1986, followed by Mount Nemrut in Adıyaman 1987, and Hierapolis-Pamukkale in Denizli and the ancient city of Xanthos-Letoon between Muğla and Fethiye in 1988.

    In 1994, the city of Safranbolu was approved as a world heritage while the archaeological site of Troy was added to the list in 1998. In recent year, Edirne’s Selimiye Mosque and its social complex was added in 2011, as was Konya’s Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in 2012.

    The latest entries in 2014 were Bursa’s Cumalikızık village which witnessed the birth of the Ottoman Empire and İzmir’s ancient city of Pergamon and its multi-layered cultural landscape.

    Source: Hurriyet Daily News [July 06, 2015]