The Philippines

"For the Love of God, People, Nature and Country"

The Philippines is made up of 7,107 islands and 22,549 miles of coastline, which makes it the country with the 5th largest coastline in the world. It is truly Heaven on Earth.

For those interested in taking a nice relaxing beach vacation the Philippine Islands is the place to be. The beaches are definitely the best in the world. Including: Boracay (the party spot), Pagudpud (surfers paradise), Mactan Island (amazing night life), Panglao (divers playground), Camiguin (Garden of Eden), Dakak (family getaway), Honda Bay (amazing marine life), El Nido (peaceful getaway), Pearl Farm (treasure awaits), Siargao (more surfing fun).

When you need a break from the beach there's plenty more to see. Including: Intramuros (the walled city of Manila, built by the Spanish in the 16th century), the Chocolate Hills, the Hanging Coffins of Sagada, the Banaue Rice Terraces, Taal Volcano, Mt. Pinatubo, the Hundred Islands, Tubbataha Reef, Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Mt. Apo, the Bangui Wind Farm, the old Paoay Church, Bataan and Corregidor, Mt. Guiting-guiting, the “bonsai forest” at Mt. Hamiguitan, and lots, lots more.

What should you bring when you go to the Philippines? Your smile. Everything you need is there, and is very affordable. Don't worry about renting a vehicle either. There's plenty of cheap transportation. The people of the Philippines are warm and friendly, and always willing to show their guests a good time. When is the best time to visit? Anytime. There's always something to see and do in the Philippines.

Republic of the Phlippines: Capital: Manila, Government Type: Republic, National Anthem: "Lupang Hinirang" (Chosen Land), Independence: 12 June 1898 (independence proclaimed from Spain); 4 July 1946 (from the US), Largest City: Quezon City, National Language: Filipino (Tagalog and English), Currency: Filipino Piso (Php), Size: 116,000 square miles, Climate: tropical maritime, Religion: Christian 90% (Mostly Catholic), Islam 5%, Buddhism 2.5%, other 2.1%, none 0.4%, Population: 94,013,200 (2010) up from 88,574,614 (2007)

Serial America

Henry Lee Lucas: Convicted of 11 murders, confessed to over 600, estimated actual total around 213. He died of heart failure March 13, 2001 while serving a life sentence.

America has the largest known number of serial killers in the world with nearly 200 convicted serial killers having murdered thousands of people in cold blood. California holds the state record.

I'm Afraid of Americans
The land of the free and home of the... Friggin Insane? (David Bowie shutters) America is home to some of the world's brightest minds, thus its status as "World Leader". It's position sets it up for criticism from more infamous governments with a bit of a jealousy issue. They have nick named the U.S. as the "World Police". Saying that they put their noses in others business, and act as if they control everyone. I say it is the responsibility of the most powerful nation to keep the peace, and everyone else should do their part or shutup.

But it seems that while we've been patrolling the mean streets of Earth, we have barely noticed our own back yards. We build up ourselves as a mecca for tourism. One of the safest countries (if not the safest country), which couldn't be more further from the truth. If you look at the facts the U.S. is the most dangerous country. Being an American myself I wish we were doing more to keep ourselves in check.

Cookoo For Liberty
The fight for freedom ended decades ago, but the war for anarchy still rages on. As the spread of drugs in America has polluted the minds of young and old, so have its side effects. I can't blame this alone for the decline in civility, but you can't deny it is the main factor. Freedom use to be about being able to stand up for yourself and to be safe to have your own beliefs. Keeping in mind that your freedoms must not harm others. But for the growing majority it is not enough.

We have shown what we do when we are given extra liberties, and it's not pretty. It's shameful. Will our most coveted treasure be our downfall? Are we Babylon on the verge of self-destruction? Stay tuned.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_serial_killers_by_country

The Largest Plane

The Antonov An-225 designed in the 1980s, is the largest and heaviest aircraft in the world. Primary role: Strategic lifter.

The Ukrainian Antonov An-225 is the largest aircraft in the world, and has been since the first one was produced in 1988. There have been claims that other aircraft are the largest like the A380, but these are all false information. The A380 is actually smaller than the 747 Continental, which is only the 2nd largest plane.

In the early 1980s the Antonov Design Bureau began working on a design based on the Antonov An-124 Ruslan. On December 21, 1988 the first An-225 was completed. The aircraft has since been used by not just the Soviet Union, but also the United States. Its service includes cargo transport, military transport, humanitarian aid efforts, and transportation of the Buran space shuttle.

Its dimensions are 59.3 ft high, 275.6 ft long, a wingspan of 290 ft and 2 in, and weighs 628,315 lbs empty. Its maximum speed is 530 mph, its ceiling height is 36,100 ft, and its maximum fuel range is 9,570 mi. It is the holder of 240 world records.

The Tallest Skyscraper

The Burj Khalifa (or "Khalifa Tower") is currently the world's tallest skyscraper. I realize that as soon as this is posted it may no longer be so, as billionaire business men all over the world along with their countries are always competing with one another to be the biggest and the best. And when it comes to buildings just adding a cherry on top can get you that extra inch to be "King of the Hill", but so far since September 4, 2010 the Burj Khalifa is the tallest. How tall? 2,717 ft. That's over a half mile high.

On September 21, 2004 a team of architects and engineers including Adrian Smith (Chief Architect) and Bill Baker (Chief Structural Engineer) along with the rest of the team Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, and Samsung C&T of South Korea (Primary Contractor). The project was headed by Mohamed Ali Alabbar (Development Chairmen for Emaar Properties).

Originally it was named "Burj Dubai", but after the cost of building such a structure in downtown Dubai in the midst of a weakened world economy the team was forced to seek outside help from it's wealthier sister country Abu Dhabi. During the opening ceremony of the Burj Dubai on January 4, 2010 the tower was presented as the Buj Khalifa in honour of UAE (United Arab Emirates) President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The Burj Khalifa tower is an apartment complex with room for 900 families, and is part of a larger development project in Dubai with 17 other residential towers, 50,000 houses, a mall, a 7.4 acre park, and a 30 acre lake. The total cost for construction of the tower was $1.5 billion.

The Largest Statue

The Spring Temple Buddha, which gets its name from the nearby Tianrui hot spring known for its curative properties was finished in 2002. It was constructed after the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan were destroyed by the Taliban. The statue depicts the Vairocana Buddha, also called the Supreme Buddha, and represents the wisdom of emptiness.

Alone it stands 128 meters, with the first 25 meter pedestal it towers at 153 meters, and with the addition of another set of pedestals added to it in 2008 it soars at 208 meters. Making it 78 meters taller than the second largest statue in the world. The Laykyun Setkyar statue with a total monument height of 130 meters.

Built from 1,000 tons of copper cast the estimated cost of the monument is said to be around $55,000,000. Now I don't know about you, but that seems a bit wrong. Based on the teachings of Buddha, which are very similar to the Christian teachings of Jesus wouldn't it have been better to use that money to help the poor, the sick, the country of China? I'm sure it has a valuable purpose, but you could have made a giant one out of something cheaper. Paper mache.

The Tallest Man

Robert Wadlow, the world's tallest man (8 feet 11 inches)seen here joking with elevator operator. He was known as the "Alton Giant" after the town of Alton, Illinois, which he was born and grew up in.

Born on February 22, 1918 in Alton, Illionois, Robert Pershing Wadlow was and still is the tallest person ever. His size was a result of hypertrophy of his pituitary gland, which causes an abnormal amount of human growth hormone to be produced. A disease that would keep him growing taller and taller, until his death.

At the age of 4 young Robert was already the height of the average male adult during the time, at 5 feet and 4 inches. When he reached 8 years of age he was taller than the average size man at 6 feet and 2 inches. At age 13 he reached his first record. "World's tallest Boy Scout". He was 7 feet and 4 inches.

He became an American celebrity after he joined the "Ringling Brothers Circus" on tour in 1936. He made many other public appearances after that. So much activity caused problems however for his condition, and he required leg braces to walk around. It would be these very things that enabled him, which would also kill him. After his performance at the Manistee National Forest Festival he complained that one of his braces was bothering his leg. Sure enough there was an infected blister. Doctors treated it, but there wasn't much they could do. On July 15, 1940 Robert died in his sleep at the age of 22 years old.

Interesting fact: He was a Freemason. In 1939 he petitioned Franklin Lodge #25 in Alton, Illionois. He was given the title of "Master Mason".

The Oldest Person

Before I begin this I know that many people of faith consider the oldest human ever to be Methuselah, who is said to have lived to the age of 969 years old. And then there is Shirali Muslimovc, who is claimed to have lived to the age of 163 years. These claim cannot be proven or disproven. This post is about the oldest known person with verified age by reputable sources.

According to the Guinness World Book of Records the oldest person to ever live was Jeanne Calment. A woman from Arles, France, who entered the Guinness Book of Records in 1988 for being the female to live, and then on October 17, 1995 she became the oldest person to ever live.

Jeanne was born on February 21, 1875 and died on August 4, 1997. Total life span equals 122 years and 164 days. Calment was the last documented person to have lived in the 1870s.

Side note: Jeanne Clement smoked cigarettes up until the age of 117, she drank port wine daily, and consumed a kilo of chocolate every week. The second oldest person to ever live also smoked. Something to think about.

The Largest Cinema Screen

The LG IMAX Theatre holds the largest cinema screen in the world. It is 8 stories high. The title of the world's largest cinema screen currently goes to the LG IMAX Theatre in Darling Harbor Sydney, Australia. It has a viewing screen that is 29.42 meters high by 35.73 meters wide. That's 1,015 square meters. Using normal 35mm film the picture would be of poor quality on a screen this large, but for this screen IMAX film is used, which is 70mm. This gives it an outstanding high definition clarity at even very large viewings. The screen takes up the entire field of human vision to completely immerse the viewer in the movie. Add in the 3D feature with the 15,000 watt surround sound system, and you really feel as if you are right there in the middle of the action.

For more information about the LG IMAX theatre Click Here

The Meaning of Life

Probably the most common question I've heard everywhere that I've been. Life. What does it mean? What is it all about? What is the meaning of life? Philosophers have pondered on it for centuries, pot heads have said something really stupid, and nodded in agreement with each other at how clever they are (but it makes no sense), and many a man has sat on the toilet squeezing out a next day beer turd, whilst staring at the tiles on the floor, and then wondered why they were staring at the tiles on the floor, and then thought about the meaning of life, but then had the sudden urge to look in the cabinet to see if that old hidden Playboy magazine was still there, before being interrupted by a knock on the door followed by a familiar voice reminding them that someone had broken something that they needed to fix.

Are you freak'n kidding me people?! Dudes are walking around with nipples, and you want to know the meaning of life? WTF? Dudes can't have babies, or produce milk. You ever wondered what was up with that? Huh? I have. No, you want to know the meaning of life. Oh come on already. Fine. For those of you who don't know, I will tell you.

Life: a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes (i. e., living organisms) from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased (death), or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life

You could have Googled that at anytime.


I've Got An Answer

Silent Wood

"If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? "

WTF?! Of course it does! Were you dropped on your head alot when you were little? No, it's actually very quiet when no one is around. Trees are like the ninjas of the forest. They just make a big sound when humans are around, because it pleases the human creatures.

I've heard this question asked over and over again. I've seen internet scientists with a pHd in B.S. (Everyone on the net has a pHd.) debate and argue over how the tree might or might not make a sound. The thing most people say is "No because human ears create the sound, so without humans around there would be no sound." Huh? What kind of hillbilly backwoods school did you go to? Human ears create sound?

Quick biology lesson kids. Human ears do not create sound, just like human eyes don't create colors, shapes, etc. Our senses do not create things around us. This isn't the Matrix. It was a movie people. Our ears pick up what is already there. If you stand in the woods with a deaf person, they won't hear anything. Not because their magic ears didn't make the sound, but because their ears weren't able to pick up the sound. Obviously, because you were able to hear it.

But don't take my word for it kids. Okay, nevermind. Take my word for it. If a tree falls in the woods, and there's no one around to hear it, yes, it does make a sound.


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Anatomy Ponderings

Maybe this is one of those "Only God knows why." things but I'm going to ask it anyway, because it's been eating away at my brain for so long now. Why do dudes have nipples?  What is the purpose? Everything on the human body has some kind of purpose. A function. We all know why females have them. To feed their babies with, and to give guys something to Google. But why do guys have them? Is it an evolution thing? Like at one point in time men use to breast feed, and give birth? Maybe there's a doctor or someone out there who's read a lot of wikipedia stuff (tool), who could answer this for me.


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Pictures Of The Dead

Why do people take pictures of the dead? A few years ago I worked at the Wal-Mart one hour photo lab. (Yeah I saw your nude pics.) I saw many things processing people's film. Naked people (Mostly old dudes sprawled out on beds-wtf), sex change operations, awkward family pictures, and lots of dead people in coffins. Why in the world would you want a picture of that? It's creepy. Are you going to put it in the family photo album?

"Here's her 57th birthday. She loved that sweater. Haha here she is playing the banjo. Oh, oh, I remember this one. We flew out to Texas one Christmas, and she got to ride on a cow. And here she is dead."

Do they hang it up in the family room sort of like a conversation piece?  Is there like a dead pic memorial thing going on? Wtf? Seriously.... seriously. Why?


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