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Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The 10 safest countries in the world to visit



Do nightmares of instability or violent political upheaval keep you awake at night?
Do you shudder at the thought of having your wallet brutally taken from you in a seemingly quiet train station?
Do you yearn to travel, but fret over the possibility of a military invasion by a hostile neighbour, or a horrific terrorist attack running your well-laid plans?

Well fear not, worrywarts. Jittery travellers can use good old fashioned statistical analysis to determine the likelihood of such unpleasant occurrences taking place while abroad. Uneasy travellers can mitigate risk by consulting the Global Peace Index prior to choosing their next destination and select a country that can arguably be called one of the 10 safest places on Earth to visit.

Here are 2010's 10 safest countries to visit, displayed in order from safe to safest:

Slovenia

A surprise entry rounding out the top 10, this former Yugoslav republic has transitioned well into the world following the fall of Communism and the Yugoslav Civil War. Wedged between Italy, Austria, Croatia and Hungary, this tiny mountainous nation has experienced a history of dominance by foreign empires. Picturesque alpine villages and great skiing make this nation a hidden gem of European tourism, while boasting low levels of violent crime and being little risk from terrorist attacks.
Finland

The first Nordic nation on the list, Finland is considered one of the most stable countries in the world based on economic, political, social and military indicators. Much like neighbouring Sweden, the landscapes are pristine and forested and Finland's cities are modern and progressive. Here you can experience the nation's rich folk culture in a land where day lasts all night in the summer months. Finland actually boasts a slightly higher homicide rate per 100,000 people when compared with several other nations on this list; however a strong respect for civil liberties, the democratic process and human rights make Finland another safe bet for travellers.

Canada

Despite popular conceptions, the "Great White North" is actually an overwhelmingly urban nation with almost 80% of the population residing in cosmopolitan and diverse cities. As a nation of immigrants, the government pursues a policy of multiculturalism where citizens are encouraged to maintain their traditional values and ways of life. Canada scores well for its appreciation of human rights and tolerance. While Canada also scores high for its low levels of violent crime, it loses points for a perceived ease of " access to weapons of minor destruction". Canada is also considered a more probable target for a terrorist attack based on the nation's participation in the war in Afghanistan and strong ties with the United States and Great Britain.
Japan
Painfully polite Japan boasts ancient temples and futuristic, neon cities. A destination that this author would recommend to any traveller, Japan is at once both hectic and serene. A place where modern Western pop culture is adopted by local youth and made entirely unique, while their grandparents adhere to the ways of the past. Japan scores well on the GPI for extremely low levels of violent crime, and has very strict gun-laws in place. Robberies are almost non-existent when compared to figures from other Westernized, industrial nations - although these statistics have been criticized for being unreported by some watchdog groups.


Sweden
Not unlike the Volvos produced in this peace-loving country, Sweden is indeed very safe. Pristine lakes and forests, and trendy, attractive cities like Stockholm and Gothenburg help Sweden score big with tourists. Sweden also scores big across the board in a number of categories including respect for human rights, low levels of violent crime, political participation and civil liberties. As a major exporter of weapons, the Swedes lose major points on the Global Peace Index and thus falls to 6th place overall. It's still safe to conclude that Sweden is about as safe as it gets.


Austria

The hills are alive with the sound of safety. The land of music and Mozart scores highly for its low levels of violent crime and peaceful relations with neighbours. Austria loses points in the GPI as it is considered slightly less tolerant and respectful of human rights in comparison to the European nations at the top of the list. Visit elegant Vienna, Salzburg or chocolate box-perfect Hallstatt to enjoy the beauty of this touristic treasure. While Austria is considered one of the safest places to visit overall; the same can't be said for the death-defying ski runs at Kitzbühel in the Tyrolean Alps.


Iceland

Home of Björk, geothermal power, glaciers and hot spring, Iceland is another Nordic nation that is considered very safe to visit. This tiny volcanic nation in the North Atlantic Ocean was at one time the world's most developed country - according to the UN, and one of the world's wealthiest per capita. Renowned for its first-rate social welfare system, low levels of violent crime and high respect for human rights, Iceland was hit especially hard by the great recession of 2009 and fell in the rankings due to a higher likelihood of political instability in comparison to the other countries listed here.


Norway

Although a historical homeland of warlike Vikings who ravaged Europe 1000 years ago, today's Kingdom of Norway is a wealthy, prosperous and safe nation. Breathtaking mountain fjords and colorfully-painted fishing villages make Norway a beautiful place to visit. Norway embodies the same high respect for human rights and personal freedoms, religious and cultural tolerance and low crime rates as the other Scandinavian nations on this list. While a combatant in the US-led War in Afghanistan, Norway is considered a low risk for a terrorist attack.


Denmark

Another ancestral home of the Vikings, today Denmark is amongst the safest and most peaceful nations on Earth. Denmark is considered a greater threat for terrorist attacks when compared to New Zealand, thanks in part to the infamous Mohammad cartoons published in a Danish newspaper, and the country's role in the Iraq War. But despite the occasional riot in Copenhagen's slums, the nation remains overwhelmingly safe. A great respect for human rights, high levels of gender equality and low levels of homicide and violent crime make Denmark a very safe and exciting destination.


New Zealand

The "Land of the Long White Cloud" boasts rolling green hills, impressive mountains and icy glaciers. New Zealand is home to modern, multicultural cities such as Auckland and Wellington, and its thriving aboriginal Maori community is active in all facets of society. Flying somewhat under the radar of many travellers, little New Zealand is also a paradise for outdoor enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies The nation is considered the world's safest thanks in part to Kiwi society's high respect for human rights and lack of hostility toward foreigners, along with the low risk of political instability and internal conflict.


Defining Safe

The Global Peace Index (GPI) moves beyond simple crime statistics alone, and looks at the actions of a government, the country's relationships with the world at large, and the attitudes and demographics of its population. 144 Nations are scored yearly using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators of peacefulness. The index includes the number of homicides per 100,000 people, the potential for being the target of a terrorist attack, level of hostility to foreigners, educational attainment and unemployment rates and several others indicators. While subjectively measuring the world's "most peaceful" nations, the Global Peace Index takes into account many factors associated with personal well-being and safety. The GPI does not factor in natural disasters or "Acts of God" into the equation however, so these must also be considered when debating overall personal safety as well.
Dealing with Risk

Of course nobody can predict the future, and by definition travel involves some inherent risk. These include both statistically improbable  occurrences like your plane going down in the Andes Mountains, to more likely events like being pick-pocketed on a crowded bus. Travelling to the world's safest nations does not guarantee an incident-free trip however. In travel as in life, there are no guarantees. A greater risk in this author's view is letting fear and doubt prevent you from experiencing the World and living your dreams. So travel without fear or impunity, for in all countries - be they considered safe or dangerous, there are adventures to be had, friends to be made, and great life-changing experiences to take advantage of.


Source - Toronto travel writer Jeremy Niester is forever resigned to roam the Earth in search of the inspiring, hilarious, and delicious slices of life that make us all universally similar, but excitingly different.







Monday, August 23, 2010

The Mime - Joke


One day an out of work mime is visiting the zoo and attempts to earn some money as a street performer.
Unfortunately, as soon as he starts to draw a crowd, a zoo keeper grabs him and drags him into his office.

The zoo-keeper explains to the mime that the zoo's most popular attraction, a gorilla, has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance at the zoo will fall off.

He offers the mime a job to dress up as the gorilla until they can get another one.
The mime accepts. So the next morning the mime puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before crowd comes.

He discovers that it's a great job. He can sleep all he wants, play and make fun of people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mime.

However, eventually the crowds tire of him and he tires of just swinging on tires.
He begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his. Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience, he climbs to the top of his cage, crawls across a partition, and dangles from the top to the lion's cage. Of course, this makes the lion furious, but the crowd loves it.

At the end of the day the zoo-keeper comes and gives the mime a raise for being such a good attraction.
Well, this goes on for some time, the mime keeps taunting the lion, the crowds grow larger, and his salary keeps going up. 
Then one terrible day when he is dangling over the furious lion, he slips and falls.

The mime is terrified. The lion gathers itself and prepares to pounce.
The mime is so scared that he begins to run round and round the cage with the lion close behind. Finally, the mime starts screaming and yelling, "Help, Help me!" but the lion is quick and pounces.

The mime soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says,
"Shut up you idiot! Do you want to get us both fired?"

Saturday, August 21, 2010

New U. S. Dollars for 2010

Be the first to know the new U.S. Dollars. There will also be a $200 bill starting from year 2010.



























Zipping World - Amazing Creative



























4 Planet+Sun = Amazing Sunset

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Tech Funny









Friday, August 13, 2010

Good Night Kiss!






One night a guy took his girlfriend home.
As they were about to bid each other goodnight at the front door, the guy started feeling a little in the mood.
With an air of confidence, he leaned with his hand against the wall and smiling, he said to her "Honey, would you give me a kiss?"
Horrified, she replied, "Are you mad? My parents will see us!"
"Oh come on! Who's gonna see us at this hour?" He asked grinning at her.
"No, please. Can you imagine if we get caught?"
"Oh come on! There's nobody around, they're all sleeping!".
"No way. It's just too risky!" "Oh please, please, I love you so much?!?" .
"No, no, and no. I love you too, but I just can't!"
"Oh yes you can. Please?" .....................
"No, no. I just can't"
"I'm begging you ... "
Out of the blue, the light on the stairs went on, and the girl's older sister showed up in her pajamas, hair disheveled, and in a sleepy voice she said, "Dad says to go ahead and give him a kiss, or I can do it. Or if need be, mom says she can come down herself and do it, but for God's sake and all of ours.. ..
TELL HIM TO TAKE HIS HAND OFF THE CALLING BELL !

Thursday, August 12, 2010

2,200-year-old gold coin found in Israel

A rare gold coin dating back more than two millennia to the year 191 BC has been found at a dig in northern Israel, the antiquities authority said on Wednesday.

"The coin is beautiful and in excellent preservation. It is the heaviest gold coin with the highest contemporary value of any coin ever found in an excavation in Israel," Dr Donald T. Ariel, head of the authority's coin department, said in a statement.
The coin weighs almost one ounce (27.71 grams), whereas most ancient gold coins weighed 4.5 grams, he added.
It was minted in Alexandria, Egypt during the reign of Ptolemy V in 191 BC and bears the name of the wife of Ptolemy II, Arsinoe Philadephus (II).
The coin was uncovered at a site at Tel Kedesh near the border with Lebanon by a team of American archaeologists from the universities of Michigan and Minnesota.
"This extraordinary coin was apparently not in popular or commercial use, but had a symbolic function," Ariel said.
"The coin may have had a ceremonial function related to a festival in honour of Queen Arsinoe, who was deified in her lifetime."
Excavations at Tel Kedesh began in 1997 and have uncovered remains of a large Persian-Hellenistic building, complete with reception halls, dining facilities, store rooms and archive, the antiquities authority said.

From - AFP

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Mother In Law's Secret Message

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Cricket Cartoons - FUNNY






Friday, August 6, 2010

UP - The shortest Word


*Just to cheer you **up**!*




*Lovers of the English language might enjoy this. It is yet another example
of why people learning English have trouble with the language. Learning the
nuances of English makes it a difficult language. (But then, that's probably
true of many languages.) *


*
There is a two-letter word in English that perhaps has more meanings than
any other two-letter word,* *and that word is 'UP.' *


*It is listed in the dictionary as being used as an [adv], [prep],
[adj], [n] or [v].


It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the
list, but when we awaken in the morning,** why do we wake UP?
At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ? Why do we speak UP, and why are the
officers UP** for election** **and why is it UP to the secretary to write* *
UP a report? We call UP our friends and we use ! it to brighten UP a room,
polish UP the silver, we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We
lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car. *
*At other times the little word has a real special meaning. People
stir UP trouble,
line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP** excuses.


To be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP** is special.*


*And this up is confusing:
A drain must be opened UP** because it is stopped UP.**


We open **UP** a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.We seem to
be pretty mixed UPabout UP !


To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP , look the word UP** in the
dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes ** **UP** almost 1/4 of the
page and can add UP to about thirty definitions


If you are UP** to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is
used. It will take UP **a lot of your time,** **but if you don't give** UP,
you may wind **UP** with a hundred or more.


When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP . When the sun comes out
we say it is clearing UP. When it rains, it wets** UP the earth. When it
does not rain for awhile, things dry UP.


One could go on & on, but I'll wrap it **UP** , for now ........my time is
UP , so time to shut UP!


Oh...one more thing:
What is the first thing you do in the morning & the last thing you do at
night?
*
*U ** P**


Don't screw up. Send this blog post link to everyone you look up in your address book.**
*
* *
*Now I'll shut up*

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Top10 Highest Paid Hollywood Actresses





Here is the list of top 10 Hollywood Highest-Paid Actresses . The 46-year-old star Sandra Bullock has topped Forbes magazine’s list of Hollywood’s Highest-Paid Actresses.
Sandra earned $56 million between June 2009 and June 2010, tops among Hollywood’s leading ladies

Sandra Bullock–$56 million

Reese Witherspoon–$32 million


Cameron Diaz–$32 million

Jennifer Aniston–$27 million



Sarah Jessica Parker–$25 million

Julia Roberts–$20 million


Angelina Jolie–$20 million


Drew Barrymore–$15 million


Meryl Streep–$13 million


Kristen Stewart–$12 million

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