Weird world Records

 

Weird world records - Guinness Book of World Records, World's longest fingernails, World’s steepest roller coaster, Check out some of the most outrageous record breakers that Guinness has to offer from no-nonsense nails to cringe-worthy coasters.

Tax Day Giveaways 2012

Tax Day Giveaways 2012 - Every year, when tax day rolls around, massive numbers of companies come out of the woodwork, offering freebies, giveaways, discounts, pretty much anything you can imagine. Some of these deals are really worthless, but some are great, and some of them are even useful.

Failed Presidential Bids

Failed presidential bids - failed presidential candidates, Michele Bachmann: Done. John Huntsman: Done. Rick Perry: Done. While the reasons for their premature exits may still be unclear – doggy sunglasses? Too many “oops” moments? – some previous candidates’ presidential campaigns went off the rails at precise moments. Let’s take a look back.

Herman Cain - The former pizza chain CEO’s White House run included an awkward foreign policy gaffe, an economic plan reminiscent of a pizza deal and harassment allegations. godfather's pizza, herman cain harassment, herman cain ginger white,

John Edwards - The former U.S. senator – whose wife was battling cancer – was in the middle of his second presidential campaign when he pulled out of the race amid poor primary showings and swirling rumors. john edwards 2004 campaign, john edwards affair,

Howard Dean - The six-term governor lost three early primaries, but a bout of the flu and a microphone helped end his presidential hopes. howard dean won vermont primary 2004, howard dean scream,

Al Gore - The former vice president battled it out with eventual winner George W. Bush in a heated campaign that involved “hanging chads,” the state of Florida and an unusual outcome. president george w. bush, hanging chads, 2000 presidential election florida, bush v gore supreme court case, al gore invented the internet,

Ross Perot - The Texas billionaire and independent candidate at one time led the race before dropping out unexpectedly. 1992 presidential candidates, ross perot re-entered race, ross perot daughter's wedding allegations,

Gary Hart - The former U.S. senator was making a second run for the White House when he dared reporters to dig up proof of extramarital affairs. gary hart "follow me around, gary hart donna rice,

Michael Dukakis - The former governor committed his fatal campaign faux pas after accusations that he was too liberal and soft on crime. michael dukakis + pledge of allegiance, michael dukakis tank ride,

Gerald Ford - The Republican president committed a huge debate gaffe during the campaign, but it was something he did while in office that cost him the election. gerald ford appointed under 25th amendment, gerald ford free poland, president jimmy carter, gerald ford granted pardon to richard nixon,

Barry Goldwater - The former U.S. senator – often credited as the father of the modern American conservative movement – lost to an incumbent president. american conservative movement, barry goldwater 52 electoral votes, barry goldwater daisy ad,

Sean Quinn

Sean Quinn faces bankruptcy bid in Irish court

Sean Quinn - A Dublin court is due to hear an application by the former Anglo Irish Bank to have Fermanagh businessman Sean Quinn declared bankrupt.

If the bank succeeds, Mr Quinn, 65, could be declared insolvent in the Republic of Ireland which has a more onerous bankruptcy regime.


Last week, the bank succeeded in having Mr Quinn's bankruptcy status in Northern Ireland annulled.

Mr Quinn, once Ireland's richest man, lost control of his empire last year.

The bank, now called IBRC, appointed a receiver over a £2bn debt.

In the High Court in Northern Ireland last week, the IRBC argued that Mr Quinn was based in the Republic of Ireland.

Mr Justice Deeney found in favour of the bank, annulling the bankruptcy.

He found that a lease for an office in Derrylin, County Fermanagh, had been drawn up to "bolster" Mr Quinn's claim and that his centre of interest prior to bankruptcy was, in fact, in the Republic of Ireland between his home in County Cavan, offices in Belturbet and advisors' offices in Dublin.

The judge described the Derrylin lease as "a somewhat curious document".

Justice Deeny added: "I conclude, on the balance of probabilities, that this lease has been prepared at some much later date to try and bolster the case now being made."

He commented that Mr Quinn had failed to disclose the fact that he held an Irish passport and no UK passport, that he was a voter in the Republic of Ireland and that, despite being a UK taxpayer, 20% of his taxes were paid to the authorities in the Republic of Ireland.

Mr Justice Deeny stated that, taken together, these matters were material and ought to have been disclosed.

The bankruptcy period in Northern Ireland typically lasts for a year whereas in the Republic it is at least five years.

After the Belfast case, Mr Quinn said the case taken by the bank was "a sham".

"I'm 65 years of age and I've never worked a day of my life outside Northern Ireland," he said.

"I never did a day's work from southern Ireland in my life. I never done a day's work in my home. I never had any computers, I never had any IT system. Everything was always done from Derrylin."

He added: "What Anglo Irish has done to the Quinn Group is like somebody taking a sledgehammer to a child's toy - they've absolutely destroyed it."


Source: bbc

Angry Michelle Obama

Angry Michelle Obama - Michelle Obama Dismisses 'Angry Black Woman' Image

Angry Michelle Obama - First Lady Michelle Obama denied reports of tension between her and White House aides, saying people have tried to portray her as "some kind of angry black woman."


In an interview with CBS News, the first lady said she has not read New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor's new book "The Obamas," which depicts her as a forceful behind-the-scenes power player in her husband's administration who often clashes with the president's top advisers.

"I never read these books," Obama told CBS' Gayle King. "I've just gotten in the habit of not reading other people's impressions of people."

The first lady denied accusations that she is frustrated and unhappy in the White House, saying "I love this job" and that it has "been a privilege" from day one.

"I guess it's more interesting to imagine this conflicted situation here and a strong woman. But that's been an image that people have tried to paint of me since the day Barack announced. That I'm some angry black woman."

Asked how she deals with that image, Mrs. Obama said "I just try to be me.

"My hope is that over time people get to know me. And they get to judge me for me," she said. "That's why I don't read these books. Because, you know, it's a game in so many ways… Who can write about how I feel? Who? What third person can tell me how I feel? Or anybody for that matter."

The first lady pushed back specifically against reports of friction with the president's former Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and former Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

"Rahm and I have never had a cross word. He's a funny guy," she said. "I don't have conversations with my husband's staff. I don't go to the meetings. Our staffs work together really well. If there's communication that needs to happen, it happens between staffs… I can count the number of times I go over to the West Wing, period."

Mrs. Obama also said she was unaware of the 2010 incident, detailed in the book, when Gibbs lost his temper and reportedly shouted profanities about the first lady. "Robert Gibbs is a trusted adviser. He's been a good friend and remains so. I'm sure that we could go day-to-day and find things people wish they didn't say to each other or said. People stumble. People make mistakes."

Source: yahoo

South Carolina primary

South Carolina primary - GOP Candidates Step Up South Carolina Push as Polls Show New Leaderboard

South Carolina primary - The Republican presidential candidates are keeping a close eye on South Carolina even as they prepare for the first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary, with new polls showing the leaderboard shifting in the Palmetto State contest.


Three polls Friday showed Mitt Romney reclaiming the lead from Newt Gingrich in South Carolina following the former Massachusetts governor's narrow win Tuesday in Iowa. Rick Santorum and Gingrich are now battling for second in South Carolina -- whose election results historically have been the most accurate gauge for who becomes the Republican presidential nominee.

"It's going to come down, as it always does, to South Carolina," Sen. John McCain, the 2008 GOP nominee, said Friday while on the stump with Romney in Conway, S.C. "If Mitt Romney wins here, he will be the next president of the United States."

McCain predicted Romney would win in New Hampshire, hardly a radical forecast at this point. Most polls show Romney well ahead in the state, though the race there is tightening a bit.

Although all the GOP candidates are competing in New Hampshire, even before the Iowa caucus results came in they were plotting for how to make inroads in South Carolina and prevent Romney from going three for three.

Gingrich said in an interview Friday that one of Romney's rivals "will eventually emerge as the conservative alternative and will beat Romney."

Gingrich lost an earlier lead in South Carolina but he remains competitive there despite a fourth-place finish in Iowa. A Rasmussen Reports poll out Friday showed Romney with 27 percent support in South Carolina, followed by Santorum with 24 percent and Gingrich with 18 percent. An American Research Group poll in the state showed Romney with 31 percent, and Gingrich and Santorum each with 24 percent.

A CNN/Time poll later showed Romney with 37 percent, followed by Santorum at 19 percent and Gingrich at 18 percent.

The polls reflected a steady rise for Romney and an astonishing surge for Santorum following his near-tie with Romney in Iowa -- Rasmussen had him at 1 percent in South Carolina just two months ago.

The Rasmussen poll of 750 likely GOP primary voters was taken Thursday and had a margin of error of 4 percentage points. The ARG survey of 600 likely GOP voters was taken Wednesday and Thursday and also had a margin of error of 4 percentage points. The CNN/Time poll of 485 likely primary voters was taken Wednesday and Thursday, with a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.

McCain and other Romney surrogates hammered at the candidate's rivals ahead of the New Hampshire and South Carolina contests. McCain criticized Gingrich and Santorum for supporting earmarks in Congress, telling voters, "My friends, earmarks are the gateway to corruption."

Romney's GOP rivals are likewise working overtime to cast as him to too timid and too moderate: They're urging Republicans to do themselves a favor and nominate a more conservative standard-bearer offering a sharper contrast to Obama.

"The only way Republicans lose is if we screw this up and nominate another moderate who has taken multiple positions on every major issue of our time," Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, told supporters in a fundraising appeal Friday.

Gingrich argued on ABC News that Romney can't win the nomination and said that even if he did, his performance against Obama in the general election campaign debates would be laughable.

Romney is heavily favored to win Tuesday's New Hampshire primary, so much so that he can afford to focus on South Carolina, where voters aren't due to cast primary ballots for another two weeks.

Romney kept his focus on Obama, telling his audience in Conway that the president's proposal to reduce the military and focus more on Asia was "inexcusable, unthinkable and it must be reversed."

Santorum, who pulled within a handful of votes to place just behind Romney in Iowa's caucuses, is likely to find a welcome audience among South Carolina conservatives, and so he remained in New Hampshire to try to maintain the momentum he earned from Iowa.

"Don't settle for less than America needs," Santorum asked those expected to vote in New Hampshire's first-in-the nation primary. Without saying so Thursday, he and the other candidates appeared to share a common objective -- hold down Romney's vote totals in New Hampshire, then knock him off stride in the first Southern primary.

Romney benefited handsomely from having several rivals split the vote in Iowa, where his winner's share was roughly 25 percent.

His allies were fully engaged in the tussle over which GOP candidate is the true conservative. On Friday, he showcased the endorsement of conservative leader Bay Buchanan, whose brother Pat won the New Hampshire primary in 1996. Bay Buchanan cast Romney as a "real conservative" who could get things done.

Restore Our Future, the pro-Romney super PAC that unloaded a barrage of negative TV ads on Gingrich in Iowa, planned to go after him again -- this time in print. The group announced Friday it had purchased full-page newspaper ads in New Hampshire and South Carolina tying the former House speaker to Obama.

"On issue after issue, Newt Gingrich and Barack Obama have so much in common, the right choice is to choose neither," the ad said, ticking through issues, including backing the federal bank bailout and favoring "amnesty" for illegal immigrants

Jon Huntsman, who bypassed Iowa to bet his campaign on a good finish in New Hampshire, was showing off an endorsement by The Boston Globe, Romney's hometown paper. It was the second time Massachusetts' largest newspaper had snubbed Romney ahead of the New Hampshire primary.

Also vying to emerge as Romney's chief rival were Texans Ron Paul and Rick Perry.

Perry, who finished fifth in Iowa, released a biographical ad in South Carolina that spokesman Ray Sullivan said shows his "perfect-for-South-Carolina status" as a conservative man of faith and a veteran.

Paul, who placed third in Iowa, was arriving in New Hampshire on Friday, in time to campaign and participate in a pair of weekend debates.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/06/gop-candidates-step-up-south-carolina-push-as-polls-tighten/#ixzz1jA0f26dy

Kodak Bankruptcy

Kodak Bankruptcy - Investors dumped Eastman Kodak's stock Friday amid fears that the photography pioneer is headed toward bankruptcy.


After its stock lost more than half its value in a volatile day of trading, Kodak tried to paint a rosier picture. "Kodak is committed to meeting all of its obligations and has no intention of filing for bankruptcy," the company said in a statement. The reassurance lifted Kodak shares in extended trading, but the rebound wasn't enough to undo the damage sustained in a brutal week for a hallowed name in U.S. business.

The Wall Street Journal rattled Kodak's already jittery shareholders with a Friday report that the company has hired Jones Day, a law firm that dispenses advice on bankruptcies and other restructuring alternatives.

Kodak confirmed the Jones Day hiring in its statement, describing the firm as one of several advisers helping its management turn around the Rochester, New York, company after losing nearly $1.8 billion since 2007. "It is not unusual for a company in transformation to explore all options and to engage a variety of outside advisers," Kodak said.

Friday's news followed a Kodak disclosure earlier this week that the company was borrowing $160 million from a $400 million line of credit.

The daisy chain of events convinced some investors that Kodak is running out of cash as it scrambles to adapt to the age of digital imagery.

Eastman Kodak Co. shares plunged 91 cents, or 54 percent, to close at 78 cents per share. The stock regained 35 cents in extended trading after management defused the bankruptcy speculation. The shares stood at $2.38 at the beginning of the week.

The selling was so intense during Friday's regular session that the shares temporarily stopped trading under the New York Stock Exchange's automated controls. At one point, Kodak's stock sagged to a new low of just 54 cents.

After 131 years in business, Kodak finds itself on shaky ground largely because of the shift to digital cameras. That change, coupled with tougher foreign competition, has undercut sales of the film that made Kodak famous.

To survive, the company has been mining its patent portfolio for additional cash. Since 2008, Kodak has pocketed nearly $2 billion in royalties and licensing fees. In July, Kodak hired investment bankers Lazard Ltd. to sell about 1,100 digital-imaging patents.

The question now is whether those measures will be enough to keep Kodak afloat. The company had $957 million in cash as of June 30, down from $1.6 billion at the start of the year.


Source: yahoo

Weirdest News Stories of 2011

Weirdest News Stories of 2011 - Weird news stories of 2011, This year’s headline oddities stopped us in our tracks with reports of medical marvels, misfired cannonballs and animals with star quality. See which news stories had our jaws dropping in 2011.

Baby seal wanders into living room, Baby seal on couch, After a hard day, who doesn’t want to curl up and catch some winks on the sofa? At least that’s what seal pup “Lucky” had in mind when he wandered into a house in Bay of Plenty in early December. Seal pup crawls through cat door, Seal pup + climbed into front seat + turned on radio,

Silicone breast swallowed during Pilates, Silicone breast swallowed during pilates, While doing a Pilates exercise this month, a 59-year-old woman’s body “swallowed” one of her breast implants.

Michael Jackson hair roulette ball, Michael Jackson hair roulette ball, A gambling website purchased strands of the King of Pop’s hair at auction and planned to convert the hair into a roulette ball, to be sold to any interested casino. Michael Jackson hair + $10,871, "We want Michael to continue to rock and ‘ROLL’ forever”,

Mythbusters cannonball shoots through house, When the hosts of this cable science show were testing projectile speeds, one of their cannonballs flew through a suburban California home’s front door, its master bedroom and into a neighbor’s minivan. Mythbusters cannonball aiming for water-filled garbage cans, Adam Savage + “This is the worst we can imagine happening”

Woman gives birth in art gallery, On Oct. 25, a Brooklyn-based performance artist gave birth to her son, Ajax, in a New York art gallery as an act of artistic expression. "The Birth of Baby X" 19 to 20 people present, Marni Kotak + telling our child his life is a precious work of art,

Cyclops shark discovered, Cyclops shark discovered, In July, fishermen discovered a one-eyed albino dusky shark fetus inside its mother. See photos that many thought were doctored. cyclops shark did not survive,

Woman sues “Drive”, A Michigan woman sued the distributor of Ryan Gosling’s action/drama over a trailer that she found misleading. Sarah Deming sues "Drive", Sarah Deming "having very little driving in the motion picture"

Genetically modified glowing beagle, Genetically modified glowing beagle, South Korean scientists cloned a beagle puppy that glows green under ultraviolet light. The puppy is part of a study that hopes to someday find cures for human diseases. Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer, Tegon the beagle, glowing dog cure for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's

Woman’s nipple on her foot, An unidentified 22-year-old woman reported a third nipple … on the bottom of her foot. The growth comes complete with an areola and hair. The dermatological community’s calling it the first report of SBT on a sole. "Pseudomamma on the foot",

Breakdancing gorilla, Zola, a male gorilla at the Calgary Zoo, was taped busting some break-dance moves in June. Watch him in action. His dance skills make sense — his first zoo home was in the birthplace of breaking.

Woman wakes funeral dies, A 49-year-old woman, who was wrongly declared dead, arose at her own funeral. The shock of seeing mourners surrounding her coffin caused her to suffer fatal heart failure. Fagilyu Mukhametzyanov alive at funeral 12 minutes, Fagili Mukhametzyanov suing hospital,

Shape-shifting cuttlefish, A May study reported that cuttlefish are copycats — using mimicking gestures to take on the shapes of nearby objects and even pictures.

Ring dropped down toilet 72 years ago, Jesse Mattos lost his high school class ring in a butcher shop toilet 72 years ago and chalked it up to a loss. In May, a sanitation worker found the monogrammed ring and tracked down its 90-year-old owner. Tony Congi ring bucket of debris

Baby named after Facebook like, An Israeli couple named their newborn daughter Like, after a feature on social networking site, Facebook. Lior and Vardit Adler, Vardit Adler "unique, creative and totally new"

18-month old signs football contract, After viewing a YouTube clip of an 18-month-old kicking soccer balls into a toy bin, a Dutch soccer team offered the tot a 10-year professional contract. Baerke van der Meij grandfather played for VVV-Venlo

Man has 82 tattoos of Julia Roberts, A newspaper vendor in Chile has spent 10 years collecting 82 tattoos of his favorite actress. Miljenko Bukovic + tattoos + "Because she's beautiful",

Girl’s hunger strike to attend royal wedding, A Mexican teen (Estibalis Chavez hunger strike)staged a hunger strike in front of the British embassy in Mexico City in hopes of earning an invitation to the royal wedding. She didn’t get an invitation, but she did win a free trip. Estibalis Chavez + 16-day hunger strike,

Knife removed from man’s head after 4 years, In February, surgeons in China removed a rusty 4-inch blade from the skull of a 30-year-old patient who, unknowingly, had it stuck there for four years. Li Fuyan stabbed in jaw by robber, Li Fuyan severe headaches bad breath and breathing difficulties

Girl swept away by 2004 tsunami found

Girl swept away by 2004 tsunami found - girl tsunami found, Indonesian girl swept away by 2004 tsunami found alive

An Indonesian girl who was thought to have died when a huge tsunami devastated the island of Sumatra in December 2004, has been found alive and reunited with her parents, girl tsunami found, local media reported on Thursday.

Wati, who is now 15, went missing in December 2004 when a tsunami hit Ujong Baroh village in West Aceh Regency, girl tsunami found, which is located in Aceh province and was among the hardest-hit areas. The girl, 8 at the time, 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, was being taken by her mother Yusniar to higher grounds along with her two siblings, but the girl was swept away by the rushing waters. girl tsunami found,

After searching for her missing child, Yusniar eventually gave up and accepted that her daughter had been killed by the tsunami. Both Yusniar and her other two children escaped the tsunami unharmed after they reached higher grounds. 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake,

But on Wednesday, Wati arrived at a coffee shop in Meulaboh, the capital of West Aceh, where she sat in silence. According to the Antara news agency, people initially thought the girl was a beggar but later explained that she had arrived from Banda Aceh in search of her home. However, she did not know how as she could not remember the names of her parents, although she knew her grandfather’s name is Ibrahim.

A person at the coffee shop, who is an acquaintance of Ibrahim, heard her story and made an immediate connection to Wati. He went on to take her to Ibrahim, and her family was able to identify her by a small mole and scar above her eyebrow, which she got when she was six years old. 2004 tsunami,

It was not immediately known what happened to Wati after she was washed away by the tsunami, Antara reported, but she reportedly wandered to different districts in the province of Aceh throughout the years. Her mental and physical condition were not immediately known.

On December 26, 2004, one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded struck off the west coast of Sumatra in Indonesia. The 9.1-magnitude earthquake unleashed a deadly tsunami, striking scores of countries in the region. In all, at least 227,898 people were killed.

Indonesia was the worst affected area with an estimated death toll of at least 170,000, although some estimates have put the death toll in Indonesia alone at as high as 220,000. Aceh was the hardest-hit region, and some areas are still struggling to recover.


Source: thaindian

Real-life Scrooge

Real-life Scrooge - real-life scrooge - Charles Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol" in 1843, Real-life Scrooges.

 

But these modern-day Scrooges would give his greedy Ebenezer a run for his money. ebenezer scrooge,

 

Disabled volunteer robbed 

A wheelchair-bound bell ringer was collecting donations on Nov. 29 when the suspect took off with an iconic item. thief + steals + red kettle + disabled woman,  history of salvation army bell ringers,  salvation army kettle stolen at knifepoint,  salvation army kettle stolen + dallas walgreens, Second Salvation Army kettle stolen from Norfolk Wal-Mart, 

 

Stealing from Boy Scouts
Surveillance cameras caught an SUV-driving woman stealing, for the third year in a row (2009-2011), from the Scouts' parking lot fundraiser. Thief steals Christmas trees from Boy Scouts,  woman steals christmas trees from boy scouts,  Couple offers reward for stolen Christmas tree, 20 Christmas trees stolen from boy scouts, 

 

Missing Nativity centerpiece
An Arizona homeowner on Nov. 28 became another victim to a common holiday prank. Baby Jesus stolen + Prescott, baby jesus theft, baby jesus stolen prescott arizona, baby jesus replaced with pumpkin,  kennewick family loses gifts,

 

Stealing from sick kids 

Many of the donated holiday gifts, including a video game console and a popcorn machine, slated for sick kids disappeared in October from a hospital parking garage. Gifts stolen from children’s hospital, popcorn machine,  $20,000 gifts stolen from children's hospital, gifts stolen from antioch church,  

 

Bad Santa 

A truck-riding Santa Claus left a 4-year-old girl in tears last year after she walked over to meet him. coca-cola santa tells girl she's on the naughty list, rock-throwing santa, frosty the snowman arrested at parade, 

 

Bad teacher
An elementary-school teacher angered parents when she let a secret slip out to her second-graders in November. teacher tells students there is no santa, 

 

Town robbed again
A thief hit a Virginia town's holiday displays this year as well as last year. shenandoah decorations stolen, Shenandoah wreaths and garlands stolen, family's christmas decorations stolen twice, 

 

A literary Scrooge 

This atirical writer was known for his biting wit and his mysterious disappearance.  ambrose bierce, ambrose bierce + Bitter Bierce + nickname, ambrose bierce disappearance + Mexico,

Winter solstice 2011

winter solstice 2011 - Winter Solstice Brings Shortest Day of 2011 This Week

This week, the sun will reach that point where it will appear to shine farthest to the south of the equator, marking the moment of the winter solstice — the shortest day of 2011 in the Northern Hemisphere.




The winter solstice occurs Thursday at 12:30 a.m. EST (0530 GMT), which corresponds to 9:30 p.m. PST on Wednesday for observers further west. At the time, the sun will be passing over the over the Tropic of Capricorn.

Here's how northern winter solstice works: Since June 20, the altitude of the midday sun has been lowering as its direct rays have been gradually migrating to the south. The sun's altitude above the horizon at noontime is 47 degrees lower now, compared to six months ago. As we often mention, your clenched fist held at arm's length measures roughly 10 degrees, so the sun at midday is now nearly "five fists" lower in the southern sky compared to June 21.

Ancient skywatchers had no understanding of this movement of the sun. They thought this celestial machinery might break down someday, and the sun would continue southward, never to return. As such, the lowering of the sun was cause for fear and wonder. [10 Skywatching Misconceptions Explained]

As "armistice" is defined as a staying of the action of arms, "solstice" is a staying of the sun's apparent motion over the latitudes of the Earth. At the summer solstice, the sun stops its northward motion and begins heading south. At the winter solstice, it turns north.

Technically, at one minute past the moment of the solstice, the sun has turned around and started north. It will cross the equator at the vernal equinox, passing into the Northern Hemisphere on March 20, at 1:14 a.m. EDT (or on the calendar date of March 19 for those living in the Mountain and Pacific Time Zones).

When the ancients saw the sun stop and slowly climb to a higher midday location, people rejoiced; here was a promise that spring would return. Most cultures had winter solstice celebrations and some adapted it to other events.

In Persia, the solstice marked the birthday of Mithra, the Sun King. In ancient times, Dec. 25 was the date of the lavish Roman festival of Saturnalia, a sort of bacchanalian thanksgiving. Saturnalia was celebrated around the time of the winter solstice. And in 275 A.D., the Roman Emperor, Aurelian, commemorated a feast day coinciding with the winter solstice: Die Natalis Invicti Solis ("The Birthday of the Unconquered Sun").

Among the many varied customs linked with this special season for thousands of years, the exchanging of gifts is almost universal. Mother Nature herself offers the sky observer in north temperate latitudes the two gifts of longest nights and a sky more transparent than usual.

One reason for the clarity of a winter's night is that cold air cannot hold as much moisture as warm air can. Hence, on many nights in the summer, the warm moisture-laden atmosphere causes the sky to appear hazier.

By day it is a milky, washed-out blue, which in winter becomes a richer, deeper and darker shade of blue. For observers in northern locations, this only adds more luster to that part of the sky containing the beautiful wintertime constellations.

Indeed, the brilliant stars and constellations that now adorn our evening sky, such as Sirius, Orion, Capella, Taurus and many others is seemingly Nature's holiday decoration to commemorate the winter solstice and enlighten the long cold nights of winter.

Source: yahoo

The 15 richest members of Congress

Mingling money and power
The 15 richest members of Congress - Recently, Roll Call analyzed the financial assets of U.S. lawmakers, contained in the most recent mandatory annual disclosures, to determine which members of Congress have the highest approximate net worth.Although these congressional disclosures are not exact -- they are displayed in a range of estimated value over broad categories -- Roll Call, a Capitol Hill news and information provider, analyzed the assets and liabilities of every U.S. representative and senator to come up with the 50 richest members of Congress. The 15 richest members are presented in the slides that follow.Because assets are listed over wide ranges, such as "between $5 million and $25 million," Roll Call calculated a minimum net worth to give an idea of the lowest possible value of real assets.

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen
About a third of Frelinghuysen's wealth stemmed from multiple investments in Procter & Gamble stock. He owned $1 million to $5 million in the company and reported two additional investments held in family trusts. The larger of those two holdings was worth $5 million to $25 million.The lawmaker's father, the late Rep. Peter Frelinghuysen, R-N.J., Rodney Frelinghuysen + net worth $20.35 million, was married to Beatrice Sterling Procter, a descendant of one of Procter & Gamble's founders, The New York Times reported in a May obituary.Frelinghuysen also added to his real-estate portfolio, reporting a one-fifth interest in a Stockbridge, Mass., rental home valued at $100,000 to $250,000. The property produced no income in 2010. He also owned nearly 18 acres of undeveloped land in Frelinghuysen Township, N.J., valued at a minimum of $250,000, and a one-fifth interest in about 236 undeveloped acres in Stockbridge, Mass., valued at a minimum of $100,000. Rodney Frelinghuysen + net worth $20.35 million,

Sen. Bob Corker
The Tennessean's wealth is largely concentrated in real estate, including a Maryville, Tenn., shopping center and Chattanooga, Tenn., office buildings, both valued at $5 million to $25 million. His two dependent children also owned shares in his office building partnership, Senator Bob Corker + net worth + $21.18 million, each valued at "over $1 million."Corker added a new investment in a Dow Jones industrial average index fund, valued at $5 million to $25 million. But the senator also dropped two loans worth a minimum of $1 million to the Julia Corker and Emily Corker trusts. He had listed both as assets. Corker continued to hold promissory notes from his dependent children to himself, each valued simply at "over $1 million." Corker also added new debt of at least $1 million, listing two margin loans, each worth $500,000 to $1 million, held by his dependent children. Senator Bob Corker + net worth + $21.18 million,

Rep. Rick Berg
Berg reported heavy investments in real estate, congressman rick berg minimum net worth + $21.6 million, including apartment buildings and commercial properties. Among his major assets were five commercial or apartment buildings in Fargo, N.D., and West Fargo, N.D., valued at $1 million to $5 million apiece.While the values for some of those real-estate investments have shifted since Berg filed his candidate financial disclosure in 2010, his wealth remains relatively level, increasing by less than 5%, or $1 million. congressman rick berg minimum net worth + $21.6 million,

Rep. Nancy Pelosi
Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, increased his investment in the United Football League to between $5 million and $25 million. Pelosi had previously listed the asset with a value of $1 million to $5 million.According to the Democrat's financial report, nancy pelosi minimum net worth $35.2 million, Paul Pelosi saw two of his real-estate investments -- an office building in San Francisco and an undeveloped Sacramento, Calif., property -- increase in value in 2010 to $5 million to $25 million each. Those properties were each valued $1 million to $5 million in 2009.Paul Pelosi also invested at least $2.47 million in the football league in 20 individual transactions in 2010, but continued to report an income loss of $1 million to $5 million.Nancy Pelosi reported $8.25 million in liabilities from mortgage and other debts. nancy pelosi minimum net worth $35.2 million,

Rep. Jim Renacci
In the mid-1980s, Renacci established a nursing home and 15 years later sold what had become multiple nursing facilities. He maintained investments in nursing-home administration and medical equipment.The majority of Renacci's assets were kept in five investment accounts, Jim Renacci + minimum net worth $35.87 million, with a combined value of more than $31 million.His other assets included a $100,000 to $250,000 investment in the Lancaster, Calif.-based JetHawks baseball team; $500,000 to $1 million in Harley-Davidson dealerships; and multiple loans, including $250,000 to $500,000 each to Gordie's Bar and Grill and his own campaign committee.Although Renacci listed two lines of credit valued to be at least $1 million each, his report noted that one was closed before the end of 2010. Members are required to report debts valued at more than $10,000 at any point during the calendar year. Jim Renacci + minimum net worth $35.87 million,

Rep. Vern Buchanan
According to his report, Buchanan sold two Port Richey, Fla., dealerships in transactions valued at $1 million to $5 million. He had previously valued the dealerships at $1 million to $5 million and $100,000 to $250,000 each.The businesses are identified only as an LLC and "auto dealer" in Buchanan's reports, but Florida's Sarasota Herald-Tribune in July identified the dealerships as Suncoast Ford and Suncoast itsubishi.Buchanan also sold a Venice, Fla., dealership in a transaction valued at $5 million to $25 million. He previously valued the dealership in the same category. The Sarasota newspaper identified that company as Venice Dodge Nissan.The Republican lawmaker also reported writing off two loans to his former business partner Sam Kazran, totaling at least $1.5 million.Florida's Bradenton Herald reported in June that the Federal Election Commission asked a federal court to fine the car dealership once jointly owned by Kazran and Buchanan nearly $68,000 for violating campaign finance laws by reimbursing employees who made campaign contributions to Buchanan's campaign.Buchanan claimed significant investment accounts and real estate, along with three auto dealerships valued at a combined minimum of $11 million. He also dropped about $6 million in debts from his previous report. Vern Buchanan + minimum net worth + $44.21 million,

Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Feinstein's largest single asset remained her $5 million to $25 million investment in San Francisco's Carlton Hotel Properties, which she shares with her husband, Richard Blum. The couple reported no income from the property in 2010.The couple also owns a Kauai, Hawaii, condominium valued at $1 million to $5 million, which generated $15,000 to $50,000 in rental income in 2010.Much of Feinstein's reported wealth was generated by her spouse's numerous investment partnerships and limited liability corporations. Blum reported 19 accounts -- including partnerships, LLCs, brokerage accounts and a checking account -- valued at "over $1 million." dianne feinstein minimum net worth $45.3 million,

Sen. Richard Blumenthal
Blumenthal's wealth stems in part from his wife, Cynthia Blumenthal, the daughter of New York real estate magnate Peter Malkin.Among the family's numerous real-estate investments were Empire State Building Associates, which holds a 114-year master lease on the New York landmark, and the Empire State Building Co., which operates the building.While both assets were valued at "over $1 million" in Blumenthal's candidate filing, Empire State Building Associates declined to between $500,000 and $1 million in his most recent report. Richard Blumenthal + minimum net worth + $54.9 million,

Sen. Frank Lautenberg
Lautenberg, who founded the data-processing company ADP, maintains two blind trusts, one valued at $5 million to $25 million and the other at $1 million to $5 million. He reported the sale of a trust, Frank Lautenberg + minimum net worth + $55.07 million, previously valued at $1 million to $5 million, in a transaction of those same values.Nonetheless, his minimum net worth saw a 10.8% increase in 2011, or more than $5 million, likely due to multiple stock purchases and other new investments by various trusts held by his wife.According to Lautenberg's annual report, five of those transactions were valued at "over $1 million." Lautenberg listed no debts in 2010. Frank Lautenberg + minimum net worth + $55.07 million,

Rep. Jared Polis
Polis created a blind trust in March 2010, valuing the asset at $25 million to $50 million on his newest disclosure report.He reported the transfer of multiple investment funds into the trust, including seven assets previously valued at $1 million to $5 million and five funds previously valued at $500,000 to $1 million. Polis also reported partial transfers of $1 million to $5 million invested in Australian dollars and the Norwegian krone.In 2010, Polis reported a reduction in his liabilities. The Coloradoan listed more than $6 million in debt in 2009, including a $5 million margin loan he repaid that same year and dropped from his latest report. He reported a little more than $2 million in debt for 2010.In 2010, Polis reduced a mortgage on a Boulder, Colo., property from at least $5 million to at least $1 million. The House lawmaker added a line of credit valued at $1 million to $5 million and listed two credit cards with debts of $15,000 to $50,000. jared polis + net worth + $65.91 million, Norwegian currency + crown,

Sen. Mark Warner
According to Warner's annual report, the MRW Blind Trust -- which he does not directly control -- made a series of purchases and sales of Standard & Poor's depositary receipts in June 2010, earning the senator interest and capital gains of $100,000 to $1 million.Warner, who made his fortune as a telecom mogul, co-founding telecommunications company Nextel, reported an increase of more than $6 million in his minimum net worth in 2010.That growth stems in part from the Virginian's stake in the Columbia Capital Equity Partners investment company, based in Alexandria, Va. Warner reported his investment in that company was worth $5 million to $25 million, an increase from its 2009 value of $1 million to $5 million.He also continued to decrease his debts in 2010, dropping $1 million in liabilities and leaving only a relatively minuscule loan of at least $15,000 from the Virginia Commerce Bank. columbia capital equity partners, Sen Mark Warner + minimum net worth + $76.3 million,

Sen. Jay Rockefeller
Rockefeller, a descendant of oil tycoon John D. Rockefeller, sen jay rockefeller + minimum net worth + $81.63 million, maintained nearly all of his wealth in three blind trusts with a combined minimum total value of $80 million.The largest of those trusts, an account with JPMorgan Chase established in 1934, was valued at "over $50 million." The second-largest, established in 1952, was valued at $25 million to $50 million. Rockefeller reported that both accounts generated $1 million to $5 million in income in 2010.Rockefeller reduced his liabilities in 2010, dropping a $50,000 loan owed by his spouse, Sharon Percy Rockefeller, to JPMorgan. His only liability remained a 1998 demand loan from the United National Bank valued at $5 million to $25 million. sen jay rockefeller + minimum net worth + $81.63 million,

Sen. John Kerry
Kerry has appeared at or near the top of Roll Call's annual survey for 15 years, but even a modest uptick in his reported wealth couldn't earn him the No. 1 spot this time around.As with many of the wealthiest members of Congress, sen john kerry + minimum net worth + $193.07 million, much of the Massachusetts senator's wealth is attributable to his spouse. Kerry is married to Teresa Heinz Kerry, widow of the late Sen. John Heinz, R-Pa., an heir to the ketchup fortune.Although Heinz Kerry's fortune has been estimated at several times the minimum figure listed in the senator's annual public reports, it is impossible to estimate based on those records.Members are permitted to report assets held solely by a spouse in a special category designated only as "over $1 million," with no limit on the actual value of the asset. More than 140 items on Kerry's disclosure this year fell into that category. sen john kerry + minimum net worth + $193.07 million,

Rep. Darrell Issa
Despite seeing a significant bump in his minimum net worth in 2010 -- and claiming the highest total assets reported by any congressional member, with $295.4 million -- Issa is still just the second-wealthiest lawmaker.Before his election, darrell issa + minimum net worth + $220 million, the California congressman made his fortune founding Directed Electronics, which manufactures car alarms.His wealth is now vested in two corporations that own and operate office and industrial properties in California: DEI and Greene Properties, as well as various investment funds.Issa reported the value of Greene Properties in the "over $50 million" range, an increase from his prior report, in which he valued the company at $25 million to $50 million. At the same time, Issa divided some of DEI's assets into separate limited liability companies.While DEI was previously valued at "over $50 million," the highest category available on standard disclosure forms, Issa this year valued the company at $25 million to $50 million. But the 11 properties previously held by DEI were valued at a combined minimum value of $38.2 million in this year's financial disclosure form, increasing Issa's overall net worth.Issa could have snagged the No. 1 place on Roll Call's annual list, but he reported two new business lines of credit in 2010, one worth more than $50 million and the other worth $25 million to $50 million. Issa listed these loans as "personal notes" and explained that they were "provided through a business line of credit from Merrill Lynch secured with personal assets." Last year, Issa reported having only one liability, a line of credit for $1 million to $5 million from Merrill Lynch. darrell issa + minimum net worth + $220 million,

Rep. Michael McCaul
His financial disclosure report now depicts a fortune worth almost 25 times that, making him the wealthiest member of Congress, sen michael mccaul + minimum net worth + 294.21 million, at least on paper.McCaul ranked fifth among last year's class of richest lawmakers, with a minimum net worth of at least $73.75 million. That amount has since risen to more than $294 million.The lion's share of McCaul's wealth is held by his wife, Linda McCaul, the daughter of Clear Channel Communications CEO and founder Lowry Mays. The congressman's dramatic rise in net worth in 2010 appears to be the product of a generational wealth transfer.A footnote to McCaul's newest report notes that "certain assets" owned by his spouse were "acquired via a gift from spouse's parents." The accounts were not identified.On his financial disclosure, McCaul listed a new asset: the Linda McCaul Descendant Trusts, owned by his wife and valued at more than $50 million. According to his report, that trust was invested in several other family partnerships.McCaul, likewise, added two trusts under the ownership of his dependent children, including one trust valued at $25 million to $50 million and another at $1 million to $5 million.Another of Linda McCaul's investment accounts appears to have doubled in value, moving from a minimum worth of $25 million to a minimum of $50 million. sen michael mccaul + minimum net worth + 294.21 million,