PERMIN activities.
2rd program with pc 1 student in PERMIN (pusat perlindungan permin)
- with wan nurul ain, idranis, nurshuhadah, azril and aishah have followed the program with PC1 students to PERMIN on MACH 2011.
-at residence home of Hajah Nurlina.
At first we did frust because the activities that we undertake no response from the children there.
Almost half an hour they bullied us, not we bullied them.
-After that, we decided to continue our activities as well as to teach them English although only a portion of them taking part. At the beginning, it is quite difficult and tough to control them. Most of them do not know English and we had to speak in simple English mixed with Bahasa to make them understand easily.
The activities is Story Telling with the children aged 6 years and below..Thanks also to the PC 1 student's willing to help us. While at the same time,PC1 student do speeling bee activities and build sentences using the puzzle word. so exciting by the end of this activity received attention from the children.
- The activities carried out around 3 hours, we were satisfied because our objective is achieved even though at first it is difficult to implement. Last but not least,we would like to thank to the group members for their support and ideas. Not forgetting to Madam Alia and Miss Hana whom both such a strong advocate of this activity. Hope next activity can be attend by all group members.
Sunday, 17 April 2011
Do you know your grammar is correct?
Once you have started to learn a foreign language you want to use it, speak it, write it and above all communicate with others. But as we say, you have to learn to walk before you can run. You have to learn something about the way words work together, the way you can express different times or tenses, the way you use adjectives, adverbs, prepositions and so on. But if you are determined to get control of the language, understand it and use it properly, you must not let the things I have listed stop you. One thing at a time. Gradually bit by bit if you work hard, you will find success. The one word that sometimes makes people frightened when they start to learn a new language is "grammar". But don't worry about that word because it's only a very general title used to cover the workings of the language. The danger comes when you let grammar get in the way while you are learning. Remember that it was people who created the language in the first place. The "grammar people" or the grammarians came later.
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ENGLISH
1. ARTICLES
Explanations of the words article/definite/indefinite and also related words like articulate/define/definition and so on. Then examples of the use of the articles with sentences showing them at work and also the occasions when no article is used.
2. MODALS
Again definitions of the word modal and related words. Explanations of may/must/can/would/will and so on.
3. PASSIVE
Definitions of passive and related words. Use of the passive with examples. Comments on why it's used in place of active.
4. RELATIVE PRONOUNS
Explain word relative and related words. Examples of their use.
5. TENSES
General introduction to tenses and the meaning of the word - then divide into examples of each tense with illustrative sentences.
6. ADJECTIVES
Explain the word and its function. Use of several adjectives together. Formation of adjectives.
7. ADVERBS
Explain the word and its function. Refer to the different types of adverb -again with illustrative sentences
8. PUNCTUATION
Brief introduction to purpose of punctuation - and what happens in its absence. Illustrative sentences. Explanation of various punctuation marks
9. CONDITIONALS
Explanation of the word and related words. Different types of conditional standard ones and mixed ones with illustrative sentences.
10. PHRASAL VERBS
Definition of what a phrasal verb is and examples of how they are used. Choice of some of the most common used in sentences.
11. VERB FORMS
Commentary on principal parts of the verb such as infinitive, gerund, participles and so on. Illustrative sentences.
12. SUBJUNCTIVE
Introduction to this formation and its use.
13. PREPOSITIONS
Meaning of the word. Use of prepositions and their position in the sentence. Notes about groups/pairs of the most common prepositions and their differences as under/below/beneath.
14. CONJUNCTIONS
Definition and purpose and position of conjunctions - examples in sentences of the most common.
15. REPORTED/INDIRECT SPEECH
Again explanation of 'reported', 'direct', 'indirect' and related words. Reasons for use and formation.
CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ENGLISH
1. ARTICLES
Explanations of the words article/definite/indefinite and also related words like articulate/define/definition and so on. Then examples of the use of the articles with sentences showing them at work and also the occasions when no article is used.
2. MODALS
Again definitions of the word modal and related words. Explanations of may/must/can/would/will and so on.
3. PASSIVE
Definitions of passive and related words. Use of the passive with examples. Comments on why it's used in place of active.
4. RELATIVE PRONOUNS
Explain word relative and related words. Examples of their use.
5. TENSES
General introduction to tenses and the meaning of the word - then divide into examples of each tense with illustrative sentences.
6. ADJECTIVES
Explain the word and its function. Use of several adjectives together. Formation of adjectives.
7. ADVERBS
Explain the word and its function. Refer to the different types of adverb -again with illustrative sentences
8. PUNCTUATION
Brief introduction to purpose of punctuation - and what happens in its absence. Illustrative sentences. Explanation of various punctuation marks
9. CONDITIONALS
Explanation of the word and related words. Different types of conditional standard ones and mixed ones with illustrative sentences.
10. PHRASAL VERBS
Definition of what a phrasal verb is and examples of how they are used. Choice of some of the most common used in sentences.
11. VERB FORMS
Commentary on principal parts of the verb such as infinitive, gerund, participles and so on. Illustrative sentences.
12. SUBJUNCTIVE
Introduction to this formation and its use.
13. PREPOSITIONS
Meaning of the word. Use of prepositions and their position in the sentence. Notes about groups/pairs of the most common prepositions and their differences as under/below/beneath.
14. CONJUNCTIONS
Definition and purpose and position of conjunctions - examples in sentences of the most common.
15. REPORTED/INDIRECT SPEECH
Again explanation of 'reported', 'direct', 'indirect' and related words. Reasons for use and formation.
HAIRCUT
There is this good ol' barber in some city in the US. One day a florist goes to him for a haircut. After the cut, he goes to pay the barber and the barber replies: "I am sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I am doing a community service." The florist is happy and leaves the shop. The next morning when the barber goes to open his shop, there is a thank you card and a dozen roses waiting at his door.
A cop goes for a haircut and he also goes to pay the barber and the barber replies: "I am sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I am doing a community service." The cop is happy and leaves the shop. The next morning when the barber goes to open his shop, there is a thank you card and a dozen donuts waiting at his door.
An Asian software engineer goes for a haircut and he also goes to pay the barber and barber replies; "I am sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I am doing a community service." The next morning when the barber goes to open his shop, guess what he finds there - a dozen Asians waiting for a free haircut...
A cop goes for a haircut and he also goes to pay the barber and the barber replies: "I am sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I am doing a community service." The cop is happy and leaves the shop. The next morning when the barber goes to open his shop, there is a thank you card and a dozen donuts waiting at his door.
An Asian software engineer goes for a haircut and he also goes to pay the barber and barber replies; "I am sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I am doing a community service." The next morning when the barber goes to open his shop, guess what he finds there - a dozen Asians waiting for a free haircut...
CSR
Corporate social responsibility (CSR, also called corporate conscience, corporate citizenship, social performance, or sustainable responsible business) is a form of corporate self-regulation integrated into a business model. CSR policy functions as a built-in, self-regulating mechanism whereby business monitors and ensures its active compliance with the spirit of the law, ethical standards, and international norms. The goal of CSR is to embrace responsibility for the company's actions and encourage a positive impact through its activities on the environment, consumers, employees, communities, stakeholders and all other members of the public sphere. Furthermore, CSR-focused businesses would proactively promote the public interest by encouraging community growth and development, and voluntarily eliminating practices that harm the public sphere, regardless of legality. CSR is the deliberate inclusion of public interest into corporate decision-making, that is the core business of the company or firm, and the honouring of a triple bottom line: people, planet, profit.
NOWADAYS, corporations in Malaysia are actively involved in charity and community service under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy and initiative, in which they contribute in many ways to society: cash, products, services, employee volunteer time, use of facilities, entertainment, dinner and other means.
With businesses focusing on generating profits, sustainability was not a popular concern among companies up until recently. Now, in an era of globalization, multinational corporations (those that conduct business in more than one country) and local businesses are no longer able to conduct destructive and unethical practices, such as polluting the environment, without attracting negative feedback from the general public. With increased media attention, pressure from non-governmental organizations, and rapid global information sharing, there is a surging demand from civil society, consumers, governments, and others for corporations to conduct sustainable business practices. In addition, in order to attract and retain employees and customers, companies are beginning to realize the importance of being ethical
while running their daily operations.
In any case, companies are now expected to perform well in non-financial areas such as human rights, business ethics, environmental policies, corporate contributions, community development, corporate governance, and workplace issues. Some examples
of CSR are safe working conditions for employees, environmental stewardship, and contributions to community groups and charities. The problem is that many companies that claim to be socially responsible
often do not live up to such a standard. Because CSR is becoming more commonplace among corporations, there are concerns that some companies promote an image of CSR whether or not they have a true strategy in place and the results to show for. Accountability and transparency are key to conducting business in a responsible manner.
NOWADAYS, corporations in Malaysia are actively involved in charity and community service under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) policy and initiative, in which they contribute in many ways to society: cash, products, services, employee volunteer time, use of facilities, entertainment, dinner and other means.
With businesses focusing on generating profits, sustainability was not a popular concern among companies up until recently. Now, in an era of globalization, multinational corporations (those that conduct business in more than one country) and local businesses are no longer able to conduct destructive and unethical practices, such as polluting the environment, without attracting negative feedback from the general public. With increased media attention, pressure from non-governmental organizations, and rapid global information sharing, there is a surging demand from civil society, consumers, governments, and others for corporations to conduct sustainable business practices. In addition, in order to attract and retain employees and customers, companies are beginning to realize the importance of being ethical
while running their daily operations.
In any case, companies are now expected to perform well in non-financial areas such as human rights, business ethics, environmental policies, corporate contributions, community development, corporate governance, and workplace issues. Some examples
of CSR are safe working conditions for employees, environmental stewardship, and contributions to community groups and charities. The problem is that many companies that claim to be socially responsible
often do not live up to such a standard. Because CSR is becoming more commonplace among corporations, there are concerns that some companies promote an image of CSR whether or not they have a true strategy in place and the results to show for. Accountability and transparency are key to conducting business in a responsible manner.
5 Tips to Face an Interview Confidently
The biggest challenge for youngsters is to face interviews successfully to find jobs in big and multinational organizations. There are times when in spite of holding big degrees and having the capabilities, people fail in clearing interviews. We can help you in clearing an interview successfully with the five following tips.
Prepare and arrange your folder properly: Before going to attend the interview you have to check properly and arrange all your certificates and testimonials properly in your folder. Most of the organizations required a particular set of documents like, copies of your educational and experience certificates, your bio-data, and the application sent to the company. Also go through the call letter for interview to know the exact documents you have to carry with you while going to attend the interview. Remove the irrelevant documents from your folder while arranging the folder for the purpose of the interview.
Dress properly: Never try to dress yourself like a hero while appearing for the interview before the interview board. They may reject you out rightly if you reach there wearing a jacket and riding your bike. Always wear formal dress to woo the interviewer and ensure that your dress is clean and ironed properly. Also polish your shoes and make them shining at the time of reaching the venue of interview.
Don’t be nervous: The most talented people fail in the interviews due to having no control over their nervousness. Nervousness freezes your mental energy which is most required during the interview. While preparing for the interview, prepare properly with full concentration and without shifting your focus to any other topic. Your confidence will boost if you reach the interview well dressed. Eat some thing light which will make you feel relaxed. Even if you feel like lacking confidence, try to act confidently. Also avoid the last minute rush and reach the place of interview at least before 20-30 minutes of the scheduled time. Take getting the job as a challenge and be brave to achieve your target.
Speak correctly: To clear an interview successfully the candidate must have good command over language, pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. You should always try to answer a questing elaborately and avoid giving brief answers. Also when asked to tell about yourself avoid giving your introduction in brief. Always make sure to include some important lines in your introduction like, name, age, qualification, experience, strengths, and aim. Also don’t keep your replies brief unless you are asked to explain in brief.
Don’t try to be clever: You have to keep in mind that every organization requires employees who are sincere and hard-working. But that does not meat that you can easily impress the interview board by acting cleverly before them. If you don’t know the answer to some specific question just say that you don’t know. Also be clear and polite while speaking to the interview board and avoid criticizing someone while speaking. Always leave the room after completing the interview by saying the board ‘thanking you very much’ irrespective of your good or bad performance in the interview.
This is the video of some interview tips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvuZY3DWtIY&feature=player_embedded
Prepare and arrange your folder properly: Before going to attend the interview you have to check properly and arrange all your certificates and testimonials properly in your folder. Most of the organizations required a particular set of documents like, copies of your educational and experience certificates, your bio-data, and the application sent to the company. Also go through the call letter for interview to know the exact documents you have to carry with you while going to attend the interview. Remove the irrelevant documents from your folder while arranging the folder for the purpose of the interview.
Dress properly: Never try to dress yourself like a hero while appearing for the interview before the interview board. They may reject you out rightly if you reach there wearing a jacket and riding your bike. Always wear formal dress to woo the interviewer and ensure that your dress is clean and ironed properly. Also polish your shoes and make them shining at the time of reaching the venue of interview.
Don’t be nervous: The most talented people fail in the interviews due to having no control over their nervousness. Nervousness freezes your mental energy which is most required during the interview. While preparing for the interview, prepare properly with full concentration and without shifting your focus to any other topic. Your confidence will boost if you reach the interview well dressed. Eat some thing light which will make you feel relaxed. Even if you feel like lacking confidence, try to act confidently. Also avoid the last minute rush and reach the place of interview at least before 20-30 minutes of the scheduled time. Take getting the job as a challenge and be brave to achieve your target.
Speak correctly: To clear an interview successfully the candidate must have good command over language, pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar. You should always try to answer a questing elaborately and avoid giving brief answers. Also when asked to tell about yourself avoid giving your introduction in brief. Always make sure to include some important lines in your introduction like, name, age, qualification, experience, strengths, and aim. Also don’t keep your replies brief unless you are asked to explain in brief.
Don’t try to be clever: You have to keep in mind that every organization requires employees who are sincere and hard-working. But that does not meat that you can easily impress the interview board by acting cleverly before them. If you don’t know the answer to some specific question just say that you don’t know. Also be clear and polite while speaking to the interview board and avoid criticizing someone while speaking. Always leave the room after completing the interview by saying the board ‘thanking you very much’ irrespective of your good or bad performance in the interview.
This is the video of some interview tips
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvuZY3DWtIY&feature=player_embedded
Wednesday, 13 April 2011
20 world greatest unresolved mysteries ever
None of them is not explained yet, here are some fact about each of them…
1. The mighty Incan Empire of South America
The mighty Incan Empire of South America flourished between 1200 and 1535 AD. They developed drainage systems and canals to expand their crops, and built stone cities atop steep mountains — such as Machu Picchu (above) — without ever inventing the wheel. Despite their vast achievements, the Incan Empire with its 40,000 manned army was no match for 180 Spanish conquistadors armed with advanced weapons and smallpox.
2. Ancient Pyramids in Giza , Egypt
Khafre (l.) and Khufu (r.) are two of the three ancient Pyramids in Giza , Egypt . Khufu is the biggest, consisting of more than 2 million stones with some weighing 9 tons. The Pyramids, built as elaborate tombs for divine kings, date back to 2,550 BC. Modern Egyptologists believe that the Pyramids are made from stones dragged from quarries and, despite ancient Greek testimony, were built predominantly by skilled craftsmen rather than slave labor.
3. The Mayan Temple
According to the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar, made famous by the ancient Mayan people, December 2012 marks the ending of the current baktun cycle. This little bit of information has many archeologists spooked. Some believe the Mayans were warning of a coming apocalypse, while others insist it’s simply a mathematical misconception.
4. The Legend of El Dorado
The Legend of El Dorado originates from the Muisca, who lived in the modern country of Colombia from 1000 to 1538 AD. In a ritual ceremony for their goddess, the tribal chief would cover himself in gold dust and jump into a lake as an offering. This spawned the legend of a lost golden city, which led Spanish conquistadors on a wild goose chase to nowhere.
5. Easter Island
Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, is remotely located 2,000 miles off the coast of Tahiti . The original settlers of the island were Polynesians who migrated to the far-off land between 400 and 600 BC. They built many shrines and statues, called moai, from stones quarried throughout the island including a volcano site. Researchers still question exactly how the large stones were moved.
6. The Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle — located in the Atlantic between Bermuda , Florida and Puerto Rico — is a thief, stealing planes and boats right out of existence. The area got its name after Sgt. Howell Thompson (l.), along with 27 Navy airmen, vanished from the devilish spot during a routine flight in 1945. Rumors persist on a supernatural explanation, but many specialists blame hurricanes, a heavy Gulf Stream and human error.
7. The Nazca Lines
The Nazca Lines cover more than 190 square miles in the southern deserts of Peru . The mysterious shapes etched into the land rival football fields and predate the Incan Empire. The ‘Las Manos’ figure (above) is 2,000 years old. Little is know about why the Nazca people constructed such vast pieces of sand art, some believe they are extraterrestrial in nature, while others claim they may have carried and pointed to sources of water.
8. Aliens
Area 51, located on Groom Lake in southern Nevada (c.), was founded in 1955 by the U.S. Air Force to develop and test new aircrafts – such as the U-2 Spy Plane, A-12 Blackbird and F-117 Stealth Fighter. The secretive nature of the military base, combined with its classified aircraft research, helped conspiracy theorists imagine an installation filled with time-travel experimentation, UFO coverups and alien autopsies.
9. Sphinx of Giza , Egypt
Another Egyptian wonder, the Sphinx of Giza has the body of a lion and the head of a Pharaoh, believed by most to be that of king Khafre. It was carved from soft limestone, and has been slowly falling apart over the years. A popular theory of the missing nose claims Napoleon’s soldiers shot it off with a cannon in 1798, but early sketches discovered of the Sphinx without a nose predate Napoleon’s rampage.
10. The Loch Ness Monster
According to Scottish folklore, a mystical creature called a water horse lures small children to a watery grave by tricking them to ride on its sticky back. The Loch Ness Monster became an English wonder in 1933, after witness accounts made newspaper headlines. No hard evidence of the creature has ever been recorded with several pictures, including the one above, being proven as hoaxes.
11. The Fountain of Youth
Don Juan Ponce de Leon completed Spain’s claim on America in 1509, and soon after was made governor of Puerto Rico . Six years later, following Indian rumors, he traveled north to the island of Bimini in search of the Fountain of Youth. Bimini turned out to be the peninsula of Florida, and the fountain remained hidden until July 2006, when famed magician David Copperfield claimed the waters on his $50 million Exumas Island (c.) had healing properties.
12. Chupacabra
Phylis Canion holds the head of what she is calling a Chupacabra at her home in Cuero, Tex. The strange-looking animal, first reported in Puerto Rico in 1995, apparently has a taste for chicken and goat blood. Although many pictures like the above might prove its existence, biologists assure none such creature exists.
13. The Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant is described in the Bible as a wooden casket, gold plated, made for carrying the tablets of the Ten Commandments. The casket was carried throughout the desert and remained in the Israelite Temple until its destruction by the hand of the Babylonian Empire. Its whereabouts are still unknown, but Hollywood made its own version for ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark. ’
14. The Stonehenge
The Stonehenge landscape of Salisbury Plain , England , has become a tourist hotspot. But before foreigners with windbreakers and cameras showed up, the area may have been a burial ground and ceremonial den dating back 5,000 years.
15. The Iron Pillar of Delhi
The Iron Pillar of Delhi is a 1,600-year-old, 22 feet high pillar located in the Qutb complex in India . The pillar, made from 98% wrought iron, has been astounding scientists by its ability to resist corrosion after all these years.
16. Stone Spheres in Costa Rica
Discovered in the early 1940s in Costa Rica during excavations by the United Fruit Company, these perfectly formed stone spheres date from 600 AD to the 16th century. Their makers and purpose still unconfirmed, many believe them to be some religious effigy made to worship the sun.
17. Mothman
A humanoid with insect wings and crimson eyes, known as the Mothman, terrorized Point Pleasant , W.Va. , during the late 1960s. No solid evidence exists of the creature, except for a handful of witness reports documented in paranormal-journalist John A Keel’s ‘Mothman Prophecies’.
18. Jersey Devil
According to legend, 250 years ago a Jersey woman by the name of Mrs. Leeds cried out in despair during her 13th pregnancy, ‘Let it be the Devil!’ After childbirth, the baby was revealed to be a kangaroo-like creature with wings, and flew away to cause all sorts of Jersey Devil mischief. Today the Jersey Devil can be seen getting fans riled up during local hockey games.
19. The Tunguska Explosion of Russia
The Tunguska Explosion in Russia occurred around 7:14 a.m. on June 30, 1908. To this date, the exact cause of the explosion – which leveled 80 million trees over 830 square miles – remains a heated debate. Most believe it to be caused by a meteoroid fragment, others insist either a black hole or UFO origin.
20. The Lost City of Atlantis
The Lost City of Atlantis was introduced to the West 2,400 years ago by Plato, who claimed it to be the island home of an advanced society. Legend says it was sunk by an earthquake, with later interpretations as an underwater kingdom protected by mermaids. Its whereabouts still a mystery, recent underwater evidence suggests it was once apart of a larger landmass in Cyprus off the Mediterranean (c.), but the only true Atlantis exists in the Bahamas as a grand casino and resort hotel.
1. The mighty Incan Empire of South America
The mighty Incan Empire of South America flourished between 1200 and 1535 AD. They developed drainage systems and canals to expand their crops, and built stone cities atop steep mountains — such as Machu Picchu (above) — without ever inventing the wheel. Despite their vast achievements, the Incan Empire with its 40,000 manned army was no match for 180 Spanish conquistadors armed with advanced weapons and smallpox.
2. Ancient Pyramids in Giza , Egypt
Khafre (l.) and Khufu (r.) are two of the three ancient Pyramids in Giza , Egypt . Khufu is the biggest, consisting of more than 2 million stones with some weighing 9 tons. The Pyramids, built as elaborate tombs for divine kings, date back to 2,550 BC. Modern Egyptologists believe that the Pyramids are made from stones dragged from quarries and, despite ancient Greek testimony, were built predominantly by skilled craftsmen rather than slave labor.
3. The Mayan Temple
According to the Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar, made famous by the ancient Mayan people, December 2012 marks the ending of the current baktun cycle. This little bit of information has many archeologists spooked. Some believe the Mayans were warning of a coming apocalypse, while others insist it’s simply a mathematical misconception.
4. The Legend of El Dorado
The Legend of El Dorado originates from the Muisca, who lived in the modern country of Colombia from 1000 to 1538 AD. In a ritual ceremony for their goddess, the tribal chief would cover himself in gold dust and jump into a lake as an offering. This spawned the legend of a lost golden city, which led Spanish conquistadors on a wild goose chase to nowhere.
5. Easter Island
Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, is remotely located 2,000 miles off the coast of Tahiti . The original settlers of the island were Polynesians who migrated to the far-off land between 400 and 600 BC. They built many shrines and statues, called moai, from stones quarried throughout the island including a volcano site. Researchers still question exactly how the large stones were moved.
6. The Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle — located in the Atlantic between Bermuda , Florida and Puerto Rico — is a thief, stealing planes and boats right out of existence. The area got its name after Sgt. Howell Thompson (l.), along with 27 Navy airmen, vanished from the devilish spot during a routine flight in 1945. Rumors persist on a supernatural explanation, but many specialists blame hurricanes, a heavy Gulf Stream and human error.
7. The Nazca Lines
The Nazca Lines cover more than 190 square miles in the southern deserts of Peru . The mysterious shapes etched into the land rival football fields and predate the Incan Empire. The ‘Las Manos’ figure (above) is 2,000 years old. Little is know about why the Nazca people constructed such vast pieces of sand art, some believe they are extraterrestrial in nature, while others claim they may have carried and pointed to sources of water.
8. Aliens
Area 51, located on Groom Lake in southern Nevada (c.), was founded in 1955 by the U.S. Air Force to develop and test new aircrafts – such as the U-2 Spy Plane, A-12 Blackbird and F-117 Stealth Fighter. The secretive nature of the military base, combined with its classified aircraft research, helped conspiracy theorists imagine an installation filled with time-travel experimentation, UFO coverups and alien autopsies.
9. Sphinx of Giza , Egypt
Another Egyptian wonder, the Sphinx of Giza has the body of a lion and the head of a Pharaoh, believed by most to be that of king Khafre. It was carved from soft limestone, and has been slowly falling apart over the years. A popular theory of the missing nose claims Napoleon’s soldiers shot it off with a cannon in 1798, but early sketches discovered of the Sphinx without a nose predate Napoleon’s rampage.
10. The Loch Ness Monster
According to Scottish folklore, a mystical creature called a water horse lures small children to a watery grave by tricking them to ride on its sticky back. The Loch Ness Monster became an English wonder in 1933, after witness accounts made newspaper headlines. No hard evidence of the creature has ever been recorded with several pictures, including the one above, being proven as hoaxes.
11. The Fountain of Youth
Don Juan Ponce de Leon completed Spain’s claim on America in 1509, and soon after was made governor of Puerto Rico . Six years later, following Indian rumors, he traveled north to the island of Bimini in search of the Fountain of Youth. Bimini turned out to be the peninsula of Florida, and the fountain remained hidden until July 2006, when famed magician David Copperfield claimed the waters on his $50 million Exumas Island (c.) had healing properties.
12. Chupacabra
Phylis Canion holds the head of what she is calling a Chupacabra at her home in Cuero, Tex. The strange-looking animal, first reported in Puerto Rico in 1995, apparently has a taste for chicken and goat blood. Although many pictures like the above might prove its existence, biologists assure none such creature exists.
13. The Ark of the Covenant
The Ark of the Covenant is described in the Bible as a wooden casket, gold plated, made for carrying the tablets of the Ten Commandments. The casket was carried throughout the desert and remained in the Israelite Temple until its destruction by the hand of the Babylonian Empire. Its whereabouts are still unknown, but Hollywood made its own version for ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark. ’
14. The Stonehenge
The Stonehenge landscape of Salisbury Plain , England , has become a tourist hotspot. But before foreigners with windbreakers and cameras showed up, the area may have been a burial ground and ceremonial den dating back 5,000 years.
15. The Iron Pillar of Delhi
The Iron Pillar of Delhi is a 1,600-year-old, 22 feet high pillar located in the Qutb complex in India . The pillar, made from 98% wrought iron, has been astounding scientists by its ability to resist corrosion after all these years.
16. Stone Spheres in Costa Rica
Discovered in the early 1940s in Costa Rica during excavations by the United Fruit Company, these perfectly formed stone spheres date from 600 AD to the 16th century. Their makers and purpose still unconfirmed, many believe them to be some religious effigy made to worship the sun.
17. Mothman
A humanoid with insect wings and crimson eyes, known as the Mothman, terrorized Point Pleasant , W.Va. , during the late 1960s. No solid evidence exists of the creature, except for a handful of witness reports documented in paranormal-journalist John A Keel’s ‘Mothman Prophecies’.
18. Jersey Devil
According to legend, 250 years ago a Jersey woman by the name of Mrs. Leeds cried out in despair during her 13th pregnancy, ‘Let it be the Devil!’ After childbirth, the baby was revealed to be a kangaroo-like creature with wings, and flew away to cause all sorts of Jersey Devil mischief. Today the Jersey Devil can be seen getting fans riled up during local hockey games.
19. The Tunguska Explosion of Russia
The Tunguska Explosion in Russia occurred around 7:14 a.m. on June 30, 1908. To this date, the exact cause of the explosion – which leveled 80 million trees over 830 square miles – remains a heated debate. Most believe it to be caused by a meteoroid fragment, others insist either a black hole or UFO origin.
20. The Lost City of Atlantis
The Lost City of Atlantis was introduced to the West 2,400 years ago by Plato, who claimed it to be the island home of an advanced society. Legend says it was sunk by an earthquake, with later interpretations as an underwater kingdom protected by mermaids. Its whereabouts still a mystery, recent underwater evidence suggests it was once apart of a larger landmass in Cyprus off the Mediterranean (c.), but the only true Atlantis exists in the Bahamas as a grand casino and resort hotel.
Monday, 14 March 2011
"Rainman"
Laurence Kim Peek (November 11, 1951 – December 19, 2009) was an American savant. Known as a "megasavant",[1][2][3] he had a photographic or eidetic memory, but also social difficulties, possibly resulting from a developmental disability related to congenital brain abnormalities. He was the inspiration for the character of Raymond Babbitt, played by Dustin Hoffman, in the movie Rain Man. Unlike Babbitt, Peek was not autistic,and likely had FG syndrome.
Peek was born in Salt Lake City, Utah with macrocephaly, damage to the cerebellum, and agenesis of the corpus callosum, a condition in which the bundle of nerves that connects the two hemispheres of the brain is missing; in Peek's case, secondary connectors such as the anterior commissure were also missing.[citation needed] There is speculation that his neurons made unusual connections due to the absence of a corpus callosum, which resulted in an increased memory capacity.According to Peek's father, Fran Peek, Kim was able to memorize things from the age of 16–20 months. He read books, memorized them, and then placed them upside down on the shelf to show that he had finished reading them, a practice he maintained. He read a book in about an hour, and remembered almost everything he had read, memorizing vast amounts of information in subjects ranging from history and literature, geography, and numbers to sports, music, and dates. It is believed he could recall the content of at least 12,000 books from memory. Peek lived in Murray, Utah.
Peek did not walk until the age of four and then in a sidelong manner.He could not button up his shirt and had difficulty with other ordinary motor skills, presumably due to his damaged cerebellum, which normally coordinates motor activities. In psychological testing, Peek scored below average on general IQ tests.
In 1984, screenwriter Barry Morrow met Peek in Arlington, Texas; the result of the meeting was the 1988 movie Rain Man. The character of Raymond Babbitt, although inspired by Peek, was portrayed as having autism. Dustin Hoffman, who played Babbitt, met Peek and other savants to get an understanding of their nature and to play the role accurately and methodically. The movie caused a number of requests for appearances, which increased Peek's self-confidence. Barry Morrow gave Kim his Oscar statuette to carry with him and show at these appearances; it has since been referred to as the "Most Loved Oscar Statue" as it has been held by more people than any other. Kim also enjoyed approaching strangers and showing them his talent for calendar calculations by telling them on which day of the week they were born and what news items were on the front page of major newspapers. Peek also appeared on television. He travelled with his father, who took care of him and performed many motor tasks that Peek found difficult.
Peek was born in Salt Lake City, Utah with macrocephaly, damage to the cerebellum, and agenesis of the corpus callosum, a condition in which the bundle of nerves that connects the two hemispheres of the brain is missing; in Peek's case, secondary connectors such as the anterior commissure were also missing.[citation needed] There is speculation that his neurons made unusual connections due to the absence of a corpus callosum, which resulted in an increased memory capacity.According to Peek's father, Fran Peek, Kim was able to memorize things from the age of 16–20 months. He read books, memorized them, and then placed them upside down on the shelf to show that he had finished reading them, a practice he maintained. He read a book in about an hour, and remembered almost everything he had read, memorizing vast amounts of information in subjects ranging from history and literature, geography, and numbers to sports, music, and dates. It is believed he could recall the content of at least 12,000 books from memory. Peek lived in Murray, Utah.
Peek did not walk until the age of four and then in a sidelong manner.He could not button up his shirt and had difficulty with other ordinary motor skills, presumably due to his damaged cerebellum, which normally coordinates motor activities. In psychological testing, Peek scored below average on general IQ tests.
In 1984, screenwriter Barry Morrow met Peek in Arlington, Texas; the result of the meeting was the 1988 movie Rain Man. The character of Raymond Babbitt, although inspired by Peek, was portrayed as having autism. Dustin Hoffman, who played Babbitt, met Peek and other savants to get an understanding of their nature and to play the role accurately and methodically. The movie caused a number of requests for appearances, which increased Peek's self-confidence. Barry Morrow gave Kim his Oscar statuette to carry with him and show at these appearances; it has since been referred to as the "Most Loved Oscar Statue" as it has been held by more people than any other. Kim also enjoyed approaching strangers and showing them his talent for calendar calculations by telling them on which day of the week they were born and what news items were on the front page of major newspapers. Peek also appeared on television. He travelled with his father, who took care of him and performed many motor tasks that Peek found difficult.
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