I got hooked by an online game last week and I guess will be hooked on it every weekend from this point on. The game that I can't seem to stop playing is the Online MMORPG made by Ndoors called Atlantica Online. I got so addicted to it for several reasons:
Graphics is amazing. The moment I got to log in and got to see the layout of the game environment, I was pleasantly surprised as to how detailed it is from your character to the scenery.
Huge Gaming Potential. I was blown away at the way the entire game is set up. One look at the map and you will realize how big Atlantica Online really is. The possibilities are enormous. You can be from level 1 to 120 and yet there will still be challenges to face.
Friendly Community. The game play system is an environment that induces camaraderie and friendship. I noticed that the moment I logged in, people have been helping me through the system, guiding me and mentoring me as I learn the ropes. The quests and challenges make it in a way that once inside the game you will find that friendship and social networking is the most important skill a player has to have to survive.
User Friendly interface and game controls. That is more ways says it all. I myself do not like game play that is filled with so many keys to remember. In Atlantica Online, the quests, community, and system layout is so easy to understand as everything is set up to teach you step by step. There is even AUTOPILOT for those like me who are so bad with directions in real life and worse in the CGI environment (this is actually my favorite since when a quest is to be conducted I simply click on AutoPilot and it moves to the location of where one should be completing the task, allowing me to sit back and enjoy the scenery as my character moves across the computer generated field.) There is even the City of Manila in the game in the South East Asia Region. That is just one region and a clue to how big the game is, cause Atlantica Online's Map is based on the World Map :)
System Requirements isnt that high so people with a Windows Experience Index of a 3.0 can play the game without much of a hickup (of course graphics settings should be set to a low).
Character Customization is endless. I found that I could dress up my characters and finding the money to do so is quite easy as long as you learn how to craft items :). Yup there is an online Marketing Business to help you get through the Atlantica Online gaming world. :) I really wish I could get all the gold I have out and turn it into real money hahaha.
Lots of conversation. I have gained so many new friends in the game and chatting with them is a breeze. The game is Turn Based so you have time to literally chat with your opponent or allies during battles. It literally taught me how to multitask to a level that I never thought I could :).
Lots of friendly competitions and fun inter player challenges to choose from. Like I said, it is endless game time in Atlantica Online.
Most of the people that I have chatted with in Atlantica Online are people just like me, adults that are looking for a quick and fun get away from reality where we can fulfill our fantasies of being beyond ordinary. I really like the game and best of all, it is free. The server am on is Thebes and that is just one of the many servers that Atlantica Online is using. Last time I played Thebes had over 100,000 players so you can imagine how many people like Atlantica Online. All you need is a nice comfortable place to play, good internet, and a laptop or desktop that has a decent graphics driver and you should be good to go.
Here is a trailer of Atlantica Online - Hope to see you guys there (am using my real name so do say hi when you see me ;))
PS. Did I mention that you can even get to own a city :) wickedly cool game and you wont really fully comprehend what I am saying till you get to try it out yourself. :)
Kim has definitely put the sizzle into eating healthy salads. It is true that eating salads is the best way to loose weight and stay fit. It helps us stay young with all the anti-oxidants it contains and much more. So here is Kim to show you just how it should be done :)
I love cartoons. I am an addict when it comes to animated features, from popeye - to the modern cgi anime shown on tv channels such as animax and cartoon network. Watching them helps ease my mind from the tension I have felt during my day and help me unwind. Some of them even help me feel good. But when I started to delve a little more into the topic I found that there is much more to watching cartoons than what I have just mentioned. :)
here are some fun things that I have learned from animes hehe ;)
War sucks.
You CAN have too many women.
Smart people wear glasses.
Music foreshadows plot.
The less you care about sex, the more opportunities you'll get.
(Inversely, the harder you try, the less you'll get.)
When you die, make a long speech, and don't finish the last sentence.
Snow means love.
The best teams come in fives.
In space, you can hear everything.
There's always room for flashbacks!
When in China, listen to your tour guide.
The good guy always has the BLUE glow.
Speak quietly, pilot a big mech.
Believe in goddesses.
Teachers have excellent aim with small objects.
Vengeance with a mallet is the sweetest revenge of all.
Honor is sexy; villainy is irresistible.
Women are attracted to losers; men are attracted to ANYTHING.
The coolest weapon is still the sword.
The hero is never really mad until they hurt his girlfriend.
Female androids are sexy; male androids are....male androids.
The green-haired alien girl will always betray her people for the man she loves.
School uniforms are cool only when the collar is open.
A show without sexual tension isn't worth watching.
Love knows no race, species, or logic.
If it's homemade but tastes bad, grin and bury it (discreetly).
Never trust a huge corporation.
Romance never comes simpler than in a triangle.
Never fall for the girl who names her mech with a French name.
Never fall in love with a psychic.
You can never have too much hair.
Sweating is a sure sign of stress.
Daydreaming leads to accidents.
Everyone wants to conquer Japan.
The cute, fuzzy creature isn't what it seems.
Cherry blossoms mean nostalgia.
Always take gravity into account.
Settings and faces are self-generating.
Losing your temper can be therapeutic.
There's nothing sexier than high heels on a mech.
You can never have too many subplots.
If she sings, she's doomed.
You always remember the sad endings.
Double suicide is romantic.
Outrageous vehicles only make the hero cooler.
Nothing delays romance like unruly neighbors.
Fancy ice cream is for girls only.
The most virtuous character will die.
Hot water has innumerable benefits.
No matter how much blood is lost, no one can die by a nosebleed.
(The same theory above applies to vomiting.)
The girl with the curly hair is always the seductress.
If a sister falls in love with her brother, somewhere down the line you will discover that they're not blood related.
The guy in the baseball cap is always more powerful than he seems.
All demons/monsters have enormous genitalia.
All young children can pilot mecha, you just need to give them a few days.
It is possible to incorporate martial arts into any aspect of life.
All high school kids in Japan have parents that are away on extended business trips.
The oldest sister is the nice one, the youngest sister is the brash one.
You can do anything to the human body as long as you hit the right pressure point.
Consuming enormous amounts of alcohol daily will never have ill effects.
All major villains either want to take over the world or blow it up.
When someone paints up their face, they mean business.
Everyone in Japan has excellent singing voices.
No matter how many times you rebuild, Tokyo keeps getting destroyed in a massive fireball.
The martial arts expert is always defenseless against a slap from the girl who loves him.
TAKAHASHI'S LAW 1: Food is a powerful motivator.
When women are sent out to fight the bad guys, there's always a hunk busily watching over them, often in secret.
The longer it takes to say what your punch is called, the less effective it is.
"Baka" does not mean a student going for his baccalaureate degree.
The more possessive a woman gets, the less likely she will end up with the man of her dreams.
TAKAHASHI'S LAW 2: The two-foot-tall old geezer is someone to be feared.
No matter how big the mech/labor/mobile suit is, if it runs around the corner, the guy chasing it loses the trail.
Extraterrestrial, demons, time travelers, etc. all want to alter the course of history by letting Oda Nobunaga win.
The fate of the planet rests in the hands of the seemingly normal high school student.
The heroine must shred her clothes while transforming into something to fight the bad guys.
True evil can never be destroyed, only banished to some nether realm where it awakes after a few hundred years.
TAKAHASHI'S LAW 3: When being hit on the head, it's the most natural thing in the world to tuck your third and fourth fingers in while keeping the others extended.
Even the bravest souls can be made weak and helpless by the sight of a cute little puppy or kitten.
Never love a Gundam pilot : you're just destined for disappointment (or a funeral).
All persons under the age of 50 can do a ten foot vertical jump from a standing position.
Never trust a guy with shiny teeth
ESP causes more trouble than it solves
The vampire isn't _always_ the bad guy
Nice things can come out of video stores that appear from nowhere
Idiot captains win battles against impossible odds
Order takeout at every opportunity--you might get lucky with a wrong number.
The police are never anywhere there is a large amount of property damage.
All high school principals in Japan are clinically insane.
All people with esper powers give off multicolored auras.
Just about any outer space villain has his sights set on destroying the Earth.
No other planet in the universe will be able to stop said villain except the Earth.
Any character can make a leap of 300 ft or more if given a good running start.
A samurai sword can cut through anything.
All characters over the age of 60 shrink in height in direct proportion to their age.
When uncovering a fabulous treasure, the thing will be large enough to completely destroy any surrounding structures.
TAKAHASHI'S LAW #4: An anti-climax is a good climax.
Anime villians have the best deaths.
Any love interest will always be possesed by a demon.
Mallets can be stored anywhere on anybody.
If the anime has the word "idol" in the title, then you know that it has to be good.
Takada Yumi really does sing that bad, and people still buy her CDs.
If you make enough porno movies, eventually you can get famous enough to star in commercials. "Iijima Ai desu! 'Manga manga no mori mori!!'"
There is no such thing as a public anime showing without heckling.
You can spot how popular a show is by looking at the number of H doujinshi it has.
The smartest people on r.a.a. never post, which is why the conference's overall IQ is so low.
If the lyrics to the OP song are printed on the screen, then you're watching a show that's not for your age group.
The sexiest girls are drawn by artists whose last names start with "U".
The English words in Jpop songs are put there only because they sound good, since they don't make any sense with the rest of the lyrics.
If you post on the MLs more than Hitoshi does, then you probably post too much.
The hero always loses the first fight with a new enemy.
The guys with two earrings are from the Negaverse.
Don't trust the guys with two earrings.
Any truly evil person who changes sides for the woman he loves will die in that episode.
You CAN do it, but only when it's funny or REALLY important.
You can never have too many carrots.
Hair comes in every shade of the rainbow - and we do mean pink, purple, blue, green....
The song "Cry Me a River" takes on a whole new meaning.
A woman's persuasion can involve a kitchen knife.
A 10 year old kid can be a teacher
Only the past is 100%
Sword fights last a lot longer in anime
People can get slashed as many times and won't die by blood loss.
Cheap shots are fair.
Blood can come in many colors, even blue.
You can't run from something that flies and shoots lasers.
Time goes 20 times slower in anime.
You can live without a nose.
No matter how they like and confess to each other, the main characters always get together in the end.
In every anime with a guy surrounded by girls, one girl will always end up to be the guy's childhood friend.
Whenever a guy confesses, the heroine will always reject him but ends up with him anyways.
When the heroine confesses to the guy, they automatically become a couple.
However tough and an asshole a guy can be, he can miraculously change because of a girl.
When a hero is going for powerup he always shout or say something.
Usually when a hero is going for powerup we can see sparks or some glowing lights (ki,chakra,etc).
No matter how many times you hit a guy, he'll never go done for good.
Girls are alot prettier in Anime then real life, they got bigger boobs too!
if you can sing the main and ending song to your favorite anime you have taken a step in becoming a fan
one thing is for certain in all fighting animes there is always a bruce lee like character
one must lose to a overly strong character, train and then beat the crap out of that character in a later round
where there is one cool mech there are 10 more awesome mechs latere in the series
the more overpowered an foe is the easier to beat him
any time a character clothes get torn(male) its from the chest up with stratches on pants, on women its always the skirts then the blouse to the bra
Hehe - I know that it sounded like a serious topic at first but heck that is the point of animation stories - take you away from what is serious into something where fantasies and dreams exist to help you escape the real world - even for just the duration of the show.
Keep smiling always - but remember if your kids are watching cartoons or anime, please sit through the show with them and explain to them what they are watching. Most especially in pointing out the good and bad side to what they are watching. It will help them bond with you and grow a little wiser.
There is no real secret to happiness - It is all in your mind and attitude. Think yourself happy and you will get there. It is no doubt that we all love happy and cheerful people. Their sunny disposition and knack for seeing the positive in the negative is quite infectious. Wishing to be like that?
The truth is that you can do it. Another truth is that happy people aren't born that way. Genetics may play a part but even someone with a joyous outlook on life needs to work at staying upbeat through ups and downs. The fact is, happy people are happy because they practice habits that make them so.
In his best selling book, The Happiness Handbook, clinical psychologist and founder of The Happiness Institute in Australia, Dr. Timothy Shart says happiness is a choice we make everyday of our lives.
Everyone can achieve happiness, believes Dr. Sharp. After all it is our ultimate goal in life. How to attain it? By knowing that happiness is really a state of mind, determined more by how we think and act than by our circumstances.
If you are not sure where to start - you are in luck as here are some tried and tested happy habits.
1. Look on the bright side:
In life, it is usually the smally, niggly thougths that eat away at your contentment. According to studies we average about 60, 000 thoughts a day - 95% of them are out of habit, with the majority of them being negative. The central method for achieving a happier life is to train your mind in a daily practice that weakens negative attitudes and strengthens positive ones, says the Dalai Lama. The trick is to sift through your cloud of thoughts, identify and question negative and unhelpful ones. Choose happier thoughts. Think about the last time someone complimented you or how a colleague helped you at work.
2. Enjoy and appreciate what you have Spend a few hours playing with your kids, bask in the pleasure of a warm, sunny day. The point is to be grateful for what you have, like your good health, family and close relationships. Develop a childlike sense of wonder for life - we all know kids have the capacity to see joy in anything, even a worm crawling on a leaf. In the words of writer Henry Miller. "Every moment is a golden one for him who has the vision to recognize it as such"
3. Live with purpose and passion To enjoy a fulfilling life, understand what you really want and have the courage to go for it. Nothing is worse than working at a job or doing something you don't care for. Dream of owning your own business? Want to travel and see the world? Then map out a plan to achieve it - do your homework,start saving, work towards short milestones to get to where you want to be.
4. Grow and Adapt
You settled into a new country by assimilating the local culture and speaking the language. You took on the challenge of cooking your first dinner for friends and it turned out to be a delicious success. The process of learning, or trying new things is essential to happiness, because being happy means not staying in a rut or stagnating, but growing.
5. Do first things first
Happy people tend to be more in control of their lives and are proactive in managing their time. Know what is important in your life, what needs fixing and what can wait, and you will find that life is less overwhelming and more enjoyable.
6. Be yourself Stop caring too much about what others think. Build your character; when you are true to yourself and do not try to live up to the expectations of others, you will find peace and contentment.
7. Laugh it off
Have you ever seen a happy person not laugh? Try to find humour where you can, and suddenly you will notice that things are not as bad as they seem. Where appropriate, make light of circumstances and do not take yourself too seriously. Laughter really is the best medicine.
8. Get Healthy There's plenty of research that shows how a healthy diet can boost our mood and how just 20 minutes of exercise release "happy" endorphins in the body. So eat a balanced diet full of fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meat. And everyday , try to fit in a brisk walk, run, swim or anything that gets you moving and your heart rate up.
9. Stop living in bitterness or regret
Whether a close friend had betrayed or disappointed you or you had done something you regret, what is done is done and there is no point crying over spilled milk. Your best tact is to focus on the here and now, for it is the present that we control.
10. Make smart decisions
We all have choices, and what we decide shapes our happiness. Do you deal with a tense situation calmly,which could possibly diffuse negative vibes, or tackle it aggressively, and probably worsen things? Do you accept a well paying job that promises a lavish lifestyle but which would also mean time away from your family? Think of the long term consequences, and what would make you happiest.
11. Bring happiness to others
Selflessness, not selfishness, breeds happiness. The more you help others, the more joy you will feel, it is as simple as that. Walk the neighbor's dog, volunteer at a hospice, teach a child to read, give a colleague a chance to prove himself at work. You will reap what you sow.
12. Build close relationships
According to a Cornell University study, people who have close friends and enjoy meaningful relationships with family and partners are happier than those who do not. Humans are social beings by nature. Only through relationships can we love and loved. So to find true happiness in life, build your relationships.
13. Find your potential
Are you a great communicator? Are you a fast, efficient organizer? Do your friends insist you sell them your DIY Paintings? Joy of developing and seeing your talents flourish can only make you happier.
By putting these tips into practice you are guaranteed to find a truly happier you :)
Here is a video that also discusses more on how one can be happy:
I was browsing through the net surveying what would be the best place to live and found that Zurich is on the top of everyone' s list.
Zürich or Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. The city is Switzerland's main commercial and cultural centre and sometimes called the Cultural Capital of Switzerland, the political capital of Switzerland being Berne. Zürich can be counted as one of the world's pre-eminent global cities. According to several surveys from 2006 to 2009, Zürich was named the city with the best quality of life in the world as well as the wealthiest city in Europe. The Zürich metropolitan area has a population of about 1.68 million people.
The city is situated where the river Limmat issues from the north-western end of Lake Zurich, about 30 km north of the Alps. Zürich is surrounded by wooded hills including the Gubrist, the Hönggerberg, the Käferberg, the Zürichberg, the Adlisberg and the Oettlisberg on the eastern shore; and the Uetliberg on the western shore. The river Sihl meets with the Limmat at the end of Platzspitz, which borders the Swiss National Museum. The geographic and historic center of the city is the Lindenhof, a small natural hill on the west bank of the Limmat, about 700 meters north of where the river issues from Lake Zürich. Today the incorporated city stretches somewhat beyond the natural hydrographic confines of the hills and includes some neighborhoods to the northeast in the Glatt Valley and to the north in the Limmat Valley.
The previous boundaries of the city of Zürich (before 1893) were more or less synonymous with the location of the old town. Two large expansions of the city limits occurred in 1893 and in 1934 when the city of Zürich merged with many surrounding municipalities, that had been growing increasingly together since the 19th century. Today, the city is divided into twelve districts (known as Kreis in German), numbered 1 to 12, each one of which may contain anywhere between 1 and 4 neighborhoods:
* District 1, known as Altstadt, contains the old town, both to the east and west of the start of the Limmat river. * District 2 lies along the west side of Lake Zurich, and contains the neighborhoods of Enge, Wollishofen and Leimbach. * District 3, known as Wiedikon is between the Sihl river and the Uetliberg, and contains the neighborhoods of Alt-Wiedikon, Sihlfeld and Friesenberg. * District 4, known as Aussersihl lies between the Sihl and the train tracks leaving Zürich Hauptbahnhof. * District 5, known as Industriequartier, is between the Limmat and the train tracks leaving Zürich Hauptbahnhof, it contains the former industrial area of Zürich which has gone under a large-scale rezoning to create upscale modern housing, retail and commercial real estate. * District 6 is on the edge of the Zürichberg, a hill overlooking the eastern part of the city. District 6 contains the neighborhoods of Oberstrass and Unterstrass. There neighborhoods are home to Zürich's wealthiest and more prominent residents. * District 7 is on the edge of the Adlisberg hill as well as the Zürichberg, on the eastern side of the city. District 7 contains the neighborhoods of Hottingen and Hirslanden. * District 8, known as Riesbach, lies on the eastern side of Lake Zurich. * District 9 is between the Limmat to the north and the Uetliberg to the south. It contains the neighborhoods Altstetten and Albisrieden. * District 10 is to the east of the Limmat and to the south of the Hönggerberg and Käferberg hills. District 10 contains the neighborhoods of Höngg and Wipkingen. * District 11 is in the area north of the Hönggerberg and Käferberg and between the Glatt valley and the Katzensee (Cat's Lake). It contains the neighborhoods of Affoltern, Oerlikon and Seebach. * District 12, known as Schwamendingen, is located in the Glattal (Glatt valley) on the northern side of the Zürichberg.
Most of the district boundaries are fairly similar to the original boundaries of the previously existing municipalities before they were incorporated into the city of Zürich.
Zürich has a humid continental climate according to the Köppen climate classification, with four distinct seasons.
Summers are warm with average high temperatures of 21 - 24 °C (70 - 75 °F) and lows of 10 - 12 °C (50 - 54 °F), while winters are cold with average temperatures range from -4 to 5 °C (25 - 41 °F). Spring and autumn are generally cool to mild. Temperatures do sometimes exceed into the 25 °C+ during the summer.
Precipitation is abundant throughout the year, with 42.4 inches (1,102 mm) annually. Summers are wetter than winters. Zürich is a mixed hub for railways, roads, and air traffic. Zürich Hauptbahnhof is the largest and busiest station in Switzerland and is an important railway hub in Europe. It has several other railway stations, including Oerlikon, Stadelhofen, Hardbrücke, Tiefenbrunnen, Enge, Wiedikon and Altstetten. The Cisalpino, InterCityExpress, and even the TGV high-speed trains stop in Zürich.
The A1, A3 and A4 motorways pass close to Zürich. The A1 heads west towards Berne and Geneva and eastwards towards St. Gallen; the A4 leads northwards to Schaffhausen; and the A3 heads northwest towards Basel and southeast along Lake Zurich and Lake Walen towards Sargans.
Zürich International Airport is located less than 10 kilometres northeast of the city in Kloten. There is also an airfield in Dübendorf, although it is only used for military aviation.
Within Zürich and throughout the canton of Zürich, the ZVV network of public transport has traffic density ratings among the highest worldwide. If you add frequency, which in Zürich can be as often as 7 minutes, it does become the densest across all dimensions. Three means of mass-transit exist: the S-Bahn (local trains), trams, and buses (both diesel and electric, also called trolley buses). In addition, the public transport network includes boats on the lake and river, funicular railways and even the Luftseilbahn Adliswil-Felsenegg (LAF), a cable car between Adliswil and Felsenegg. Tickets purchased for a trip are valid on all means of public transportation (train, tram, bus, boat). The Zürichsee-Schifffahrtsgesellschaft (commonly abbreviated to ZSG) operates passenger vessels on the Limmat river and the Lake Zürich, connecting surrounding towns between Zürich and Rapperswil. Demographics
There are officially 358,540 people living in Zürich (as of 2007[update]), making it Switzerland's largest city. Of registered inhabitants, 30.6% (115,379 people) do not hold Swiss citizenship. Of these, German citizens make up the largest group with 22.0%, followed by Italians. The population of the city proper including suburbs totals 1.08 million people. However, the entire metropolitan area has a population of around 1.68 million people.
Languages
The official language used by the government and in most publications is German, while the most commonly spoken dialect in Zürich is Zürich German, which is a local dialect of Swiss German. As of 2000, German is the mother-tongue of 77.7% of the population. Italian follows behind at 4.7% of the population. Other native languages spoken by more than 1% of the population include South Slavic languages (2.2%) — this includes Serbian, Croatian, Macedonian, and Slovenian, Spanish (2.2%), French (2.1%), English (1.8%), Portuguese (1.6%), Albanian (1.5%).[14]
Religion
Since the reformation led by Huldrych Zwingli, Zürich has remained the center and stronghold of protestantism in Switzerland. In the course of the 20th century, this has changed as Catholics now make up the largest religious group in the city, with 33.3%. An increasing number of residents, about 16.8% of the population in 2000, declares themselves as being without religion.
Social
The level of unemployment in Zürich was 2.6% in August 2007. About 4% of the city population, 15,500, live either directly or indirectly on welfare payment from the state (April 2005).
Main sights
Further information: Zürich old town Zunfthaus zum Rüden (2008) Zunfthaus zur Haue (2008) Zunfthaus zur Meisen, Fraumünster square (2008)
Zürich has a number of notable churches including:
* Grossmünster (great minster) (near Lake Zürich, in the old city), where Zwingli was pastor; first built around 820; declared by Charlemagne imperial church * Fraumünster (our lady's minster) first church built before 874; the Romanesque choir dates from 1250-70; Marc Chagall stained glass choir windows; (on the opposite side of the Limmat).
During 2004 the Fraumünster was fully renovated. During this period the installed scaffolding went above the tip of the tower allowing a unique and exceptional 360° panoramic view of Zürich.
* St. Peter (downstream from the Fraumünster, in the old city); with the largest church clock face in the world.
Notable museums include:
* Kunsthaus Zürich, one of the largest collections in Classic Modern Art in the world (Munch, Picasso, Braque, Giacometti, etc.) * Museum of Design Zürich * Swiss National Museum (Landesmuseum), located in the Platzspitz park opposite to the Hauptbahnhof * Haus Konstruktiv, constructive, concrete and conceptual art and design * Uhrenmuseum Beyer, a museum documenting the history of timekeeping and timekeepers, located on Bahnhofstrasse 31
* Lindenhof hill near St. Peter; site of the Roman and medieval castle. * Guild houses (Zunfthaus) along the Limmat river: Meisen, Rüden, Haue, Saffran, Schneidern, Schmiden, Zimmerleuten, and some more. * Old town (Altstadt), District 1, on both sides of the Limmat river * Bahnhofstrasse, Zürich (shopping avenue) starting at main train station * Parade-Platz, Plaza in the middle of Bahnhofstrasse, Zürich, a center of financial activity, with the world-headquarters of several Swiss banks including UBS and Credit Suisse. * Zoological garden * Neu Oerlikon, part of City District Oerlikon: northern quarter of the city - Oerliker Park, MFO Park, Center-11 Building, Price Waterhouse Building, ABB Building, UBS Building, and other modern public spaces. * Lake Zurich, running from Zürich to Rapperswil and linking with the Obersee * Uetliberg, a hill with a great view over the city. Located to the west of the city at an altitude of 813 meters above sea level * Fluntern Cemetery * Cabaret Voltaire, birthplace of Dada * Sihlcity, opened in March 2007 and built on the foundations of the former Sihl Paper Factory. Among other things it includes a shopping center and a movie theater. * Sunrise Tower, built in 2005 are two towers located in the Seebach district. * China Garden Zürich in Seefeld quarter nearby Zürichhorn * Old Botanical Garden Zürich in City quarter
I love going to places where there is a lot of growth and where living is fun and the people are warm and welcoming. One of these places is Toronto, Canada. Toronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America. Toronto is at the heart of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), and is part of a densely populated region in Southern Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe, which is home to 8.1 million residents and has approximately 25% of Canada's population. The census metropolitan area (CMA) had a population of 5,113,149, and the Greater Toronto Area had a population of 5,555,912 in the 2006 Census. As Canada's economic capital, Toronto is considered a global city and is one of the top financial centres in the world. Toronto's leading economic sectors include finance, business services, telecommunications, aerospace, transportation, media, arts, film, television production, publishing, software production, medical research, education, tourism and sports industries. The Toronto Stock Exchange, the world's seventh largest, is headquartered in the city, along with a majority of Canada's corporations. Toronto's population is cosmopolitan and international, reflecting its role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada. Toronto is one of the world's most diverse cities by percentage of non-native-born residents, as about 49% of the population were born outside of Canada. Because of the city's low crime rates, clean environment, high standard of living, and friendlier attitudes to diversity, Toronto is consistently rated as one of the world's most livable cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit and the Mercer Quality of Living Survey. In addition, Toronto was ranked as the most expensive Canadian city in which to live in 2006. Residents of Toronto are called Torontonians. To find out more about this wonderful place now ranked 4th best place to live in the world click here: Toronto, Canada
To tease your senses just a little bit more, here is a video presentation of what there is to see in Toronto:
I just got to read a fantastic article about what XBOX is upto. Imagine a console free gaming environment and much more. Imagine touch screen with out the need to touch. After reading through and watching what Project Natal has to offer am imagining a world like that of the cartoons The Jetsons :)
Here is more about what Project Natal has to offer:
Project Natal is the code name for a "controller-free gaming and entertainment experience" by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 video game platform. Based on an add-on peripheral for the Xbox 360 console, Project Natal enables users to control and interact with the Xbox 360 without the need to touch a game controller, in a natural user interface using gestures, spoken commands, or presented objects and images. The project is aimed at broadening the Xbox 360's audience beyond its typical base. Project Natal was first announced on 1 June at the 2009 Electronic Entertainment Expo. Microsoft said that over 1000 development kits began shipping to game developers that same day.
Though Microsoft has not officially announced any price or release date projections for Project Natal, it is expected to be released in late 2010. Project Natal will reportedly also serve as the basis for a "new" Xbox 360.
To get to know more here is the official Project Natal Website: Project Natal
Here is what it has to offer for you to drool over :)
Hong Kong Disneyland is the first theme park inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and is owned and managed by the Hong Kong International Theme Parks, an incorporated company jointly owned by The Walt Disney Company and the Government of Hong Kong.
The fifth Disneyland style park, the park is located on reclaimed land in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island. After years of negotiations and construction, the park opened to visitors on May 22, 2005, considered an auspicious date according to Chinese almanacs for the opening of a new business. Disney attempted to avoid problems of cultural backlash by attempting to incorporate Chinese culture, customs, and traditions when designing and building the resort, including adherence to the rules of Feng Shui.
The park consists of four themed lands similar to other Disneyland parks: Main Street, U.S.A., Fantasyland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland. There is as yet no Frontierland, although it may be included in future expansion projects. The theme park's cast members use English and Chinese, including Cantonese and Mandarin dialects, to communicate verbally. Guide Maps are printed in both Traditional and Simplified characters, Japanese, and in English. The capacity of the park is 34,000 visitors per day, and is the smallest Disneyland park. It has so far fallen short of meeting its targeted visitorship figures. The park attracted 5.2 million visitors in its first year, below its target of 5.6 million. Visitor numbers fell 20% in the second year to 4 million, which was below company targets, inciting criticisms from local legislators. However, the park attendance slightly increased by 8% in the third year, attracting a total of 4.5 million visitors in 2007-2008 fiscal year. Since the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland in 2005, the theme park has attracted 15 million guests. The resort currently has 310 acres (1.3 km2), with the actual park taking approximately 100 acres (0.4 km2). With its small size cited often to explain its under-performance, the park has announced various plans for expansion. The classic Disney attraction, "it's a small world", opened on 28 April 2008. Furthermore, according to Bill Ernest, the former executive vice president and managing director of Hong Kong Disneyland, the park is planning to add two unique theme lands in its future expansion. Over a 15 year expansion period, the park capacity will increase to handle up to 10 million visitors annually
Here is the Original Infomercial for HK Disney to enchant you further:
I found my dream phone, it is a bit pricey at over 20, 000 Philippine Pesos = $416 tops it still has enticed me to seek it out and try it out for myself. I was speechless at how much it had to offer and the phone was a techie's dream come true - at least for me :) Here are the specs for this dream phone:
I would like to help out in the environment as much as I can and from what I have found out it doesn't really take much to help out. Everyone of us can take a step or two to contribute for our world's future and each single effort will echo greatly for years to come. So for today's Special Tag I would like to invite not just my friends but everyone to come and join me as we continue to help make our world a Greener Place to live in for us and for the next generation.
In Your Home – Conserve Energy
1. Clean or replace air filters on your air conditioning unit at least once a month. 2. If you have central air conditioning, do not close vents in unused rooms. 3. Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120. 4. Wrap your water heater in an insulated blanket. 5. Turn down or shut off your water heater when you will be away for extended periods. 6. Turn off unneeded lights even when leaving a room for a short time. 7. Set your refrigerator temperature at 36 to 38 and your freezer at 0 to 5 . 8. When using an oven, minimize door opening while it is in use; it reduces oven temperature by 25 to 30 every time you open the door. 9. Clean the lint filter in your dryer after every load so that it uses less energy. 10. Unplug seldom used appliances. 11. Use a microwave when- ever you can instead of a conventional oven or stove. 12. Wash clothes with warm or cold water instead of hot. 13. Reverse your indoor ceiling fans for summer and winter operations as recommended. 14. Turn off lights, computers and other appliances when not in use. 15. Purchase appliances and office equipment with the Energy Star Label; old refridgerators, for example, use up to 50 more electricity than newer models. 16. Only use electric appliances when you need them. 17. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to save money and energy. 18. Keep your thermostat at 68 in winter and 78 in summer. 19. Keep your thermostat higher in summer and lower in winter when you are away 20. Insulate your home as best as you can. 21. Install weather stripping around all doors and windows. 22. Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work. 23. Plant trees to shade your home. 24. Shade outside air conditioning units by trees or other means. 25. Replace old windows with energy efficient ones. 26. Use cold water instead of warm or hot water when possible. 27. Connect your outdoor lights to a timer. 28. Buy green electricity - electricity produced by low - or even zero-pollution facilities (NC Greenpower for North Carolina - www.ncgreenpower.org). In your home-reduce toxicity.
In Your Home – Reduce Toxicity
29. Eliminate mercury from your home by purchasing items without mercury, and dispose of items containing mercury at an appropriate drop-off facility when necessary (e.g. old thermometers). 30. Learn about alternatives to household cleaning items that do not use hazardous chemicals. 31. Buy the right amount of paint for the job. 32. Review labels of household cleaners you use. Consider alternatives like baking soda, scouring pads, water or a little more elbow grease. 33. When no good alternatives exist to a toxic item, find the least amount required for an effective, sanitary result. 34. If you have an older home, have paint in your home tested for lead. If you have lead-based paint, cover it with wall paper or other material instead of sanding it or burning it off. 35. Use traps instead of rat and mouse poisons and insect killers. 36. Have your home tested for radon. 37. Use cedar chips or aromatic herbs instead of mothballs.
In Your Yard
38. Avoid using leaf blowers and other dust-producing equipment. 39. Use an electric lawn- mower instead of a gas-powered one. 40. Leave grass clippings on the yard-they decompose and return nutrients to the soil. 41. Use recycled wood chips as mulch to keep weeds down, retain moisture and prevent erosion. 42. Use only the required amount of fertilizer. 43. Minimize pesticide use. 44. Create a wildlife habitat in your yard. 45. Water grass early in the morning. 46. Rent or borrow items like ladders, chain saws, party decorations and others that are seldom used. 47. Take actions that use non hazardous components (e.g., to ward off pests, plant marigolds in a garden instead of using pesticide). 48. Put leaves in a compost heap instead of burning them or throwing them away. Yard debris too large for your compost bin should be taken to a yard-debris recycler.
In Your Office
49. Copy and print on both sides of paper. 50. Reuse items like envelopes, folders and paper clips. 51. Use mailer sheets for interoffice mail instead of an envelope.Use mailer sheets for interoffice mail instead of an envelope. 52. Set up a bulletin board for memos instead of sending a copy to each employee. 53. Use e-mail instead of paper correspondence. 54. Use recycled paper. 55. Use discarded paper for scrap paper. 56. Encourage your school and/or company to print documents with soy-based inks, which are less toxic. 57. Use a ceramic coffee mug instead of a disposable cup.
Ways To Protect Our Air
58. Ask your employer to consider flexible work schedules or telecommuting. 59. Recycle printer cartridges. 60. Shut off electrical equipment in the evening when you leave work. 61. Report smoking vehicles to your local air agency. 62. Don't use your wood stove or fireplace when air quality is poor. 63. Avoid slow-burning, smoldering fires. They produce the largest amount of pollution. 64. Burn seasoned wood - it burns cleaner than green wood. 65. Use solar power for home and water heating. 66. Use low-VOC or water-based paints, stains, finishes and paint strippers. 67. Purchase radial tires and keep them properly inflated for your vehicle. 68. Paint with brushes or rollers instead of using spray paints to minimize harmful emissions. 69. Ignite charcoal barbecues with an electric probe or other alternative to lighter fluid. 70. If you use a wood stove, use one sold after 1990. They are required to meet federal emissions standards and are more efficient and cleaner burning. 71. Walk or ride your bike instead of driving, whenever possible. 72. Join a carpool or vanpool to get to work.
Ways to Use Less Water
73. Check and fix any water leaks. 74. Install water-saving devices on your faucets and toilets. 75. Don't wash dishes with the water running continuously. 76. Wash and dry only full loads of laundry and dishes. 77. Follow your community's water use restrictions or guidelines. 78. Install a low-flow shower head. 79. Replace old toilets with new ones that use a lot less water. 80. Turn off washing machine's water supply to prevent leaks.
Ways to Protect Our Water
81. Revegetate or mulch disturbed soil as soon as possible. 82. Never dump anything down a storm drain. 83. Have your septic tank pumped and system inspected regularly. 84. Check your car for oil or other leaks, and recycle motor oil. 85. Take your car to a car wash instead of washing it in the driveway. 86. Learn about your watershed.
Create Less Trash
87. Buy items in bulk from loose bins when possible to reduce the packaging wasted. 88. Avoid products with several layers of packaging when only one is sufficient. About 33 of what we throw away is packaging. 89. Buy products that you can reuse. 90. Maintain and repair durable products instead of buying new ones. 91. Check reports for products that are easily repaired and have low breakdown rates. 92. Reuse items like bags and containers when possible. 93. Use cloth napkins instead of paper ones. 94. Use reusable plates and utensils instead of disposable ones. 95. Use reusable containers to store food instead of aluminum foil and cling wrap. 96. Shop with a canvas bag instead of using paper and plastic bags. 97. Buy rechargeable batteries for devices used frequently. 98. Reuse packaging cartons and shipping materials. Old newspapers make great packaging material. 99. Compost your vegetable scraps. 100. Buy used furniture - there is a surplus of it, and it is much cheaper than new furniture.
So for all those that will take part with this movement please feel free to copy and paste the Meme with your own tips on how to save the environment. This is a tag that you don't have to tag back, because what is more important is that we all take part in the movement to save our world. To get the ball started I would like though to tag my good friends :)
These are fantastic friends that I am grateful to have met and will continue to support and admire
PS. Leave a comment of your environmental article link here and I will be more than happy to add you to the list of bloggers for a cause starting here:
I got hooked by an online game last week and I guess will be hooked on it every weekend from this point on. The game that I can't seem to stop playing is the Online MMORPG made by Ndoors called Atlantica Online. I got so addicted to it for several reasons:
