Zapped

Article - 5 Hypnosis Myths Exploded

2010-06-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

Article - 5 Hypnosis Myths Exploded

Pharmaceutical News,Drugs Control,Health,Diagnostic,Doctors,Medicines,Rajasthan,India

2009-08-30T14:04:00.000-07:00

Pharmaceutical News,Drugs Control,
Health,Diagnostic,Doctors,Medicines,
Rajasthan,India

2009-08-02T03:59:00.000-07:00

Happy FriendShip Day !!!

2009-08-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

Automotive Blog : AutoMagazined.com, The Auto News, Reviews, Motoring Tips

2009-07-31T11:16:00.000-07:00

Automotive Blog : AutoMagazined.com, The Auto News, Reviews, Motoring Tips

Granite - Superior Quality

2009-07-30T01:51:00.000-07:00

Granite is very strong and durable stone. It takes good polish, It is composed chiefly of quartz and feldspar mixed with particles of mica. The colour depends upon the

Absolute Black........................................................................................................... Galaxy Black

predominant constituent of feldspar.
It is popularly used as architectural stone for interior and exterior walls, floors and monumental stone etc.

Indian - Black........................................................................................................... Coffee Brown

Granite is a common, coarse-grained, light-colored, hard igneous rock consisting chiefly of quartz, orthoclase or microcline, and mica, used in monuments and for building. Granite stone is typically hardest of the dimensional stones and can effectively withstand the vagaries of nature. Granite tiles are quite literally, as old as the earth, perfect for use in residential and commercial flooring applications. Granite Slabs are ideal for fabricating granite counter tops, flooring, retaining walls and landscaping around a center fountain/pond.

Granite tiles are available in multiple sizes and colors. Granite tiles are more expensive than slate, because of its long lasting durability. Granite tiles are used in laying floor, making fireplaces, counter tops and are also engraved in the walls of kitchen and bathroom.

Granite tiles are quite literally, as old as the earth, perfect for use in residential and commercial flooring applications. We are the leading manufacturer exporter and suppliers of granite stones, granite tiles, granite slabs.

Granite slabs are thick, broad pieces of stone,comparatively larger than tiles.Granite slabs are mostly used for laying floors in huge halls and as counter tops and table tops.Granite is available in varying combinations, colors and patterns.Granite Slabs are ideal for fabricating granite, flooring, retaining walls and landscaping around a center fountain/pond.

Kaolinite- China Clay

2009-07-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

Kaolinite aka China Clay

Kaolin

General
Category	Mineral
Chemical Formula	Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄
Identification
Color	White, sometimes red, blue or brown tints from impurities
	Earthy
Crystal System	Triclinic
Cleavage	perfect on {001}
Fracture	Perfect
Mohs Scale hardness	2 - 2.5
Luster	dull and earthy
Streak	white
	2.16 - 2.68
	α 1.553 - 1.565, β 1.559 - 1.569, γ 1.569 - 1.570

Kaolinite is a Clay Mineral with the chemical composition _Al2_Si2O5_(OH)4. It is a layered Silicate Material, with one Tetrahedral sheet linked through Oxygen Atoms to one Octahedral sheet of Alumina Octahedra. Rocks that are rich in kaolinite are known as china clay or kaolin.

The name is derived from Gaoling or Kao-Ling ("High Hill") in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, China. Kaolinite was first described as a Mineral Species in 1867 for an occurrence in the Jari River basin of Brazil.

Kaolinite is one of the most common minerals; it is mined, as kaolin, in Brazil, France, United Kingdom, Germany, India, Australia, Korea, the People's Republic of China, the Czech Republic and the United States.

Kaolinite has a low Shrink Well- Capacity and a low Cation Exchange Capacity (1-15 meq/100g.) It is a soft, earthy, usually white mineral (dioctahedral phyllosilicate Clay), produced by the chemical weathering of aluminium silicate minerals like Feldspar. In many parts of the world, it is colored pink-orange-red by iron oxide, giving it a distinct Rust hue. Lighter concentrations yield white, yellow or light orange colours. Alternating layers are sometimes found, as at Providence Canyon State Park in Georgia, USA.

Predominance in tropical soils

Kaolinite clay occurs in abundance in soils that have formed from the chemical weathering of rocks in hot, moist climates - for example in tropical rainforest areas. Comparing soils along a gradient towards progressively cooler or drier climates, the proportion of kaolonite decreases, while the proportion of other clay minerals such as illite (in cooler climates) or smectite (in drier climates) increases. Such climatically-related differences in clay mineral content are often used to infer changes in climates in the geological past, where ancient soils have been buried and preserved.

Structural transformations

Kaolin-type clays undergo a series of phase transformations upon thermal treatment in air at atmospheric pressure. Endothermic dehydroxylation (or alternatively, dehydration) begins at 550-600 °C to produce disordered metakaolin, Al₂Si₂O₇, but continuous hydroxyl loss (-OH) is observed up to 900 °C and has been attributed to gradual oxolation of the metakaolin (Bellotto et al., 1995). Due to historic disagreement concerning the nature of the metakaolin phase, extensive research has led to general consensus that metakaolin is not a simple mixture of amorphous silica (SiO₂) and alumina (Al₂O₃), but rather a complex amorphous structure that retains some longer-range order (but not strictly crystalline) due to stacking of its hexagonal layers (Bellotto et al., 1995).

2 Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄ —> 2 Al₂Si₂O₇ + 4 H₂O

Further heating to 925-950 °C converts metakaolin to a defect aluminuim-silicon spinel, Si₃Al₄O₁₂, which is sometimes also referred to as a gamma-alumina type structure:

2 Al₂Si₂O₇ —> Si₃Al₄O₁₂ + SiO₂

Upon calcination to ~1050 °C, the spinel phase (Si₃Al₄O₁₂) nucleates and transforms to mullite, 3 Al₂O₃ · 2 SiO₂, and highly crystalline cristobalite, SiO₂:

3 Si₃Al₄O₁₂ —> 2 Si₂Al₆O₁₃ + 5 SiO₂

Uses

Kaolin is used in Ceramics, Medicine, Coated Paper as a Food Additive, in ToothPaste, as a light fusing material in white incandescent Light Bulbs, and in Cosmetics. It is generally the main component in Porcelain.

It is also used in Paint to extend titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and modify gloss levels; in Ruber for semi-reinforcing properties and in adhesives to modify Rheology.

The largest use is in the production of paper, including ensuring the gloss on some grades of paper. Commercial grades of kaolin are supplied and transported as dry powder, semi-dry noodle or as liquid Slurry.

A more recent, and more limited, use is as a specially formulated spray applied to especially organic fruits, vegetables, and other vegetation to repel or deter insect damage, and at least in the case of apples, to prevent sun scald. A traditional use is to soothe an upset Stomach, similar to the way Parrots (and later, humans) in South America originally used it.

Kaolin is, or has been, used as the active substance in liquid anti-diarrhea medicines such as Kaomagma and Kaopectate. Such medicines were changed away from aluminium substances due to a scare over Alzheimer's Disease, but have since changed back to compounds containing aluminium as they are more effective. Kaolin is known in Traditional Chinese Medicine as an herb under the name 赤石脂 (chì shí zhī), "crimson stone resin" in a direct translation. It's taste is sweet, astringent and warm. In TCM it's used for restricting leakage from intestines and stopping diarrhea, blood containment and stopping bleeding, wounds healing.

India Set To Launch Nuclear - Powered SUBMARINE

2009-07-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

India has launched its first indigenously built nuclear-powered submarine capable of firing ballistic missiles. The submarine, once in service, will give the country the capability to fire nuclear weapons from sea besides land and air.

The Indian navy flooded a dry dock in the southern port city of Visakhapatnam to send out the nuclear-powered submarine named Arihant, for extensive sea trials in the Bay of Bengal.

Indian PM Manmohan Singh speaks during the launch ceremony of India's first nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arihant at Vishakhapatnam in India, 26 Jul 2009

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who launched the submarine, called it a "historic milestone in the country's defense preparedness.

It has taken India nearly two decades to develop the Arihant, which means "Destroyer of Enemies." It has been built with technical assistance from Russia.

Defense officials say Arihant is powered by a nuclear reactor, and will be armed with ballistic missiles. It will carry a crew of about 100 men.

New Delhi-based National Maritime Foundation director Uday Bhaskar says the launch is an important technological step putting India in a small group of nations capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines.

But he stresses that it could be several years before the submarine is inducted into the Indian navy.

"My sense is that it would take India anything between three and five years if everything moves as per plan and design to have a submarine that would be deemed operationally credible with nuclear propulsion," said Bhaskar. "What is significant about the launch is that India now has publicly acknowledged its quest to acquire a nuclear submarine and has shown it has the ability to design and build such a platform."

India already has fighter aircraft and missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. If all goes well with the trials, the Arihant will give India an underwater ballistic missile capability after the tests are conducted.

After launching the submarine, Prime Minister Singh said "we do not have any aggressive designs nor do we seek to threaten anyone." But he said that the sea is increasingly becoming relevant in the context of India's security interests, making it necessary to "re-adjust our military preparedness to this changing environment.'

The Arihant puts India in a small group of five nations which have built nuclear submarines. These are the United States, China, Britain, France and Russia.

India plans to build a fleet of five nuclear-powered submarines. Defense experts have estimated that India has between 50 and 100 nuclear warheads.

London - At a Glance

2009-07-22T13:47:00.000-07:00

London is the de facto capital of the United Kingdom. It has been an influential city for two millennia and its history goes back to its founding by the Romans. The city's core, the ancient City of London, still retains its limited Medieval boundaries. However, since at least the nineteenth century, the name "London" has also referred to the whole metropolis that has developed around it. Today the bulk of this conurbation forms the London Metropolitan Region and the Greater London administrative area, with its own elected Mayor and Assembly.

London is one of the world's foremost Global Cities alongside New York City and the largest Financial Centre alongside New York City. Central London is home to the headquarters of more than half of the UK's top 100 listed companies (the FTSE 100) and more than 100 of Europe's 500 largest. The city's influence in Politics, Education, Entertainment, Media, Fashion, the Arts and Culture in general contributes to its global position. It is a major tourist destination for both domestic and overseas visitors. London hosted the 1908 and 1948 Summer Olympics and will host the 2012 Summer Olympics.

London contains four World Heritage Sites: The Tower of London; The Historic Settlement of Greenwich; The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew; and the site comprising The Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's Church.

London has a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, and more than 300 languages are spoken within the city. In July 2007, it had an official population of 7,556,900 within the boundaries of Greater London making it the most populous muinicipality in the European Union. The Greater London Urban Area (the second largest in the EU) has a population of 8,278,251. while the Metropolitan Area (the largest in the EU) has an estimated total population of between 12 million and 14 million. The public transport network, administered by Transport of London, is the most extensive in the world, London Heathrow Airport is the world's busiest airport by number of international passangers and the airspace is the busiest of any city in the world. London was named by New York Magazine as the capital of the world for the 21st century.

History :-

The etymology of London remains a mystery. The earliest etymological explanation can be attributed to Geoffrey of Monmouth in Historia Regum Britanniae. The name is described as originating from King Lud, who had allegedly taken over the city and named it Kaerlud. This would have had a derivational form Kaerludein, which, by aphaeresis, eventually developed as London. Many other theories have been advanced over the centuries, most of them deriving the name from Welsh or British. It is also believed the name "London" comes from the celtic word "Lyndon," which means "shadowy waters," referring to the Thames River.

Although there is evidence of scattered Brythonic settlements in the area, the first major settlement was founded by the Romans in 43 AD as Londinium, following the Roman Conquest of Britain. This Londinium lasted for just seventeen years. Around 61, the Iceni tribe led by Queen Boudica stormed this first London, burning it to the ground. The next, heavily planned incarnation of the city prospered and superseded Colchester as the capital of the Roman Province of Britannia in 100. At its height in the 2nd century, Roman London had a population of around 60,000.

By the 600s, the Anglo - Saxons had created a new settlement called Lundenwic approximately 1,000 yards (910 m) upstream from the old Roman city, around what is now Covent Garden. It is likely that there was a harbour at the mouth of the River Fleet for fishing and trading, and this trading grew until the city was overcome by the Vikings and forced to relocate the city back to the location of the Roman Londinium to use its walls for protection. Viking attacks continued to increase around the rest of South East England, until 886 when Alfred the Great recaptured London and made peace with the Danish leader, Guthrum. The original Saxon city of Lundenwic became Ealdwic ("old city"), a name surviving to the present day as Aldwych, which is in the modern City of Westminster.

In a retaliatory attack, Ethelred's army achieved victory by pulling down London Bridge with the Danish garrison on top, and English control was re-established. Canute took control of the English throne in 1016, controlling the city and country until 1035, when his death resulted in a reversion to Saxon control under his pious stepson Edward the Confessor, who re-founded Westminster Abbey and the adjacent Palace of Westminster. By this time, London had become the largest and most prosperous city in England, although the official seat of government was still at Winchester.

Following a victory at the Battle of Hastlings, William the Conqueror the then Duke of Normandy was crowned the King of England in the newly finished Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066. William granted the citizens of London special privileges, while building what is now known as the Tower of London, in the south-east corner of the city, to keep them under control.

In 1097, William II began the building of Westminster Hall, close by the abbey of the same name. The hall became the basis of a new Palace of Westminster, the prime royal residence throughout the Middle Ages. Westminster became the seat of the royal court and government (persisting until the present day), while its distinct neighbour, the City of London, was a centre of trade and commerce and flourished under its own unique administration, the Corporation of London. London grew in wealth and population during the Middle Ages. In 1100 its population was around 18,000; by 1300 it had grown to nearly 100,000. King Edward I issued an edict in 1290, expelling all Jews from England. Before the edict, there was an increasing population of Jews, whereas after this time, the population of Jews began to drop considerably. Disaster struck during the Black Death in the mid-14th century, when London lost nearly a third of its population. Apart from the invasion of London during the Peasants' Revolt in 1381, London remained relatively untouched by the various civil wars during the Middle Ages, such as the first and second Barons' Wars and the Wars of the Roses.

After the successful defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, political stability in England allowed London to grow further. In 1603, James VI of Scotland came to the throne of England, essentially uniting the two countries. His enactment of harsh anti-catholic laws made him unpopular, and an assasination attemptwas made on 5 November 1605—the well-known Gunpowder Plot.

Plague caused extensive problems for London in the early 17th century, culminating in the Great Plague in 1665–1666 that killed 70,000 to 100,000 people, up to a fifth of London's population. This was the last major outbreak in England, possibly thanks to the disastrous fire of 1666.

The Great Fire of London broke out in the original City and quickly swept through London's wooden buildings, destroying large swathes of the city. A first hand narrative of both plague and fire was provided by Sir Samuel Pepys. Rebuilding took over ten years, largely under direction of a Commission appointed by King Charles II, chaired by Sir Christopher Wren, and supervised by Robert Hooke as newly appointed Surveyor of London.

In the 18th century, Samuel Johnson, author of A Dictionary of the English Language, famously wrote about the city: “You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.

Following London's growth in the 18th century, it became the world's largest city from about 1831 to 1925. Rising Traffic Congestion on city centre roads led to the creation of the world's first rapid transit. The Metropolitan Board of Works oversaw infrastructure expansion. It was then replaced by the County of London, overseen by the London County Council, London's first elected city-wide administration.

The Blitz and other bombing by the German Luftwaffe during World War II killed over 30,000 Londoners and destroyed large tracts of housing and other buildings across London. In 1965 London's political boundaries were expanded to take into account the growth of the urban area.

Local Government :-

The administration of London is formed of two tiers — a city-wide, strategic tier and a local tier. City-wide administration is coordinated by the Greater London Authority (GLA), while local administration is carried out by 33 smaller authorities. The GLA consists of two elected parts; the Mayor of London, who has executive powers, and the London Assembly, who scrutinise the Mayor's decisions and can accept or reject his budget proposals each year. The GLA was set up in 2000 to replace the similar Greater London Council (GLC) which had been abolished in 1986. The headquarters of the GLA and the Mayor of London is at City Hall; the current Mayor is Boris Johnson. The 33 local authorities are the councils of the 32 London Boroughs and the City of London Corporation. They are responsible for local services not overseen by the GLA, such as local planning, schools, social services, local roads and refuse collection.

National Government :-

London is an important city because the Government of the United Kingdom is located around the Palace of Westminster. Many government departments are located close to Parliament, particularly along Whitehall, including the Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street. The British Parliament is often referred to as the "Mother of Parliaments" (although this sobriquet was first applied to England itself by John Bright) because it has been the model for most other parliamentary systems, and its Acts have created many other parliaments.

Geography:-

Scope:-
London can be geographically defined in a number of ways; the situation was once open to periodic legal debate. At London's core is the small, ancient City of London which is commonly known as 'the City' or 'the Square Mile'. London's metropolitan area grew considerably during the Victorian Era and again during the Interwar Period, but expansion halted in the 1940s because of World War II and Green Belt legislation, and the area has been largely static since. The London region of England, also commonly known as Greater London, is the area administered by the Greater London Authority. The urban sprawl of the conurbation — or Greater London Urban Area — covers a roughly similar area, with a slightly larger population. Beyond this is the vast London Commuter Belt.

Forty percent of Greater London is covered by the London Postal District, within which 'LONDON' forms part of the postal address. The London Telephone Area Code covers a larger area, similar in size to Greater London, although some outer districts are omitted and some places just outside are included. The area within the orbital M25 Motorway is sometimes used to define the "London area" and the Greater London boundary has been aligned to it in places. Greater London is split for some purposes into Inner London and Outer London. Informally, the city is split into North, South, East, West and often also Central London.

The Metropolitan Police District, city-wide Local Government Area and London Transport Area have varied over time, but broadly coincide with the Greater London boundary. The Romans may have marked the centre of Londinium with the London Stone, still visible on Cannon Street. The coordinates of the nominal centre of London (traditionally considered to be the original Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross, near the junction of Trafalgar Square and Whitehall) are approximately 51*30'29"N oo*o7'29" W/51.5o8o6*No.12472*W / 51.50806; -0.12472. Trafalgar Square has also become a point for celebrations and protests.

Status :-
Within London, both the City of London and the City of Westminster have City Status and both the City of London and the remainder of Greater London are the Ceremonial Counties. The current area of Greater London was historically part of the counties of Middlesex, Kent, Surrey,Essex and Hertfordshire. Unlike most capital cities, London's status as the capital of the UK has never been granted or confirmed officially — by statue or in written form. Its position as the capital has formed through Constitutional Convention, making its position as de,facto capital a part of the UK's unwritten Constitution. The capital of England was moved to London from Winchester as the Palace of Westminster developed in the 12th and 13th centuries to become the permanent location of the royal court, and thus the political capital of the nation. According to the Collins English Dictionary definition of 'the seat of government,' London is not the capital of England, as England does not have its own government. However according to the Oxford English Reference dictionary definition of 'the most important town...' and many other authorities, London is the capital of England.

Topography :-
Greater London covers an area of 607 square miles (1,570 km²). Its primary geographical feature is the Thames, a navigable river which crosses the city from the south-west to the east. The Thames Valley is a floodplain surrounded by gently rolling hills including Parliament Hills, Addington Hills, and Primrose Hill. The Thames was once a much broader, shallower river with extensive marshlands; at high tide, its shores reached five times their present width. Since the Victorian Era it has been extensively embanked, and many of its London Tributaries now flow underground. The Thames is a tidal river, and London is vulnerable to flooding. The threat has increased over time due to a slow but continuous rise in High Water level by the slow 'tilting' of Britain (up in the north and down in the south) caused by post-Glacial Rebound. In 1974, a decade of work began on the construction of the Thames Barrier across the Thames at Woolwich to deal with this threat. While the barrier is expected to function as designed until roughly 2030, concepts for its future enlargement or redesign are already being discussed.

Climate :-

London has a temperate marine climate (Koppen Climate Classification Cfb), like much of the British Isles, so the city rarely sees extremely high or low temperatures. Summers are warm with average high temperatures of 21 °C (70 °F) - 24 °C (75 °F) and lows of 11 °C (52 °F) - 14 °C (57 °F). But temperatures can exceed 25 °C (77 °F) on many days, and in almost every year they exceed 30 °C (86 °F) on some days. The highest temperature ever recorded was 39 °C (102 °F) on 10^th August 2003. Winters in London are chilly, but rarely below freezing with daytime highs around 8 °C (46 °F) - 12 °C (54 °F), while spring has mild days and cool evenings. The lowest ever recorded temperature is −10 °C (14.0 °F). Autumn is usually mild but often unsettled as colder air from the north and warmer air from the south meet, occasionally deep depressions form like the Great Storm of 1987.

London is a relatively dry city with regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year, with average precipitation of 583.6 millimetres (22.98 in) every year. Snow is relatively uncommon, particularly because heat from the urban area can make London up to 5 °C (9 °F) warmer than the surrounding areas in winter. Some Snowfall, however, is usually seen up to a few times a year. The Snowfall of February 2009 was the heaviest London had seen for 18 years. London is in USDA Hardiness Zone 9, and AHS Heat Zone 2.

In the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, London was noted for its dense fogs and smogs. Following the deadly Great Smog of 1952, the Clean Air Act 1956 was passed, leading to the decline of such severe pollution in the capital.

Districts :-

London's vast urban area is often described using a set of district names (e.g. Bloomsbury, Knightsbridge, Mayfair, Whitechapel, Fitzrovia). These are either informal designations, or reflect the names of superseded villages, parishes and city wards. Such names have remained in use through tradition, each referring to a local area with its own distinctive character, but often with no modern official boundaries. However, since 1965 Greater London has been divided into 32 London Boroughs in addition to the ancient City of London.

The City of London is one of the world's three largest financial centres (alongside New York and Tokyo) with a dominant role in several international financial markets, including cross-border bank lending, international bond issuance and trading, foreign-exchange trading, over-the-counter derivatives, fund ma

nagement and foreign equities trading. It also has the world's largest insurance market, the leading exchange for dealing in non-precious metals, the largest spot gold and gold lending markets, the largest ship broking market, and more foreign banks and investment houses than any other centre. The City has its own governance and boundaries, giving it a status as the only completely autonomous local authority in London. London's new financial and commercial hub is the Docklands area to the east of the City, dominated by the Canary Wharf complex. Other businesses locate in the City of Westminster , the home of the UK's National Government and the well-known Westminster Abbey.

The West End is London's main entertainment and shopping district, with locations such as Oxford Street, Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus acting as tourist magnets. The West London area is known for fashionable and expensive residential areas such as Notting Hill, Knightsbridge and Chelsea — where properties can sell for tens of millions of pounds. The average price for all properties in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is £894,000 with similar average outlay in most of Central London.

The eastern region of London contains the East End and East London. The East End is the area closest to the original Port of London, known for its high immigrant population, as well as for being one of the poorest areas in London. The surrounding East London area saw much of London's early industrial development; now, Brownfield sites throughout the area are being redeveloped as part of the Thames Gateway including the London Riverside and Lower Lea Valley, which is being deve

loped into the Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympics.

Demography :-

With increasing industrialisation, London's population grew rapidly throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, and it was for some time in the late 19th and early 20th centuries the most populous city in the world until overtaken by New York in 1925. Its population peaked at 8,615,245 in 1939 immediately before the outbreak of World War 2. There were an estimated 7,556,900 official residents in Greater London as of mid-2007. However, London's continuous Urban Area extends beyond the borders of G

reater London and was home to 8,278,251 people in 2001, while its wider Metropolitan Area has a population of between 12 and 14 million depending on the definiti

on use. According to Eurostat, London is the most populous city and the metropolitan area of the European Union and the second most populous in Europe (or third if Istanbul is included).

The region covers an area of 609 square miles (1,580 km²). The population density is 12,331 inhabitants per square mile (4,761 /km²), more than ten times that of any other British Region. In terms of population, London is the 25th Largest City and the 17th Largest Metropolitan region in the world. It is also ranked 4th in the world in number of billionaires (United States Dollars) residing in the city. London ranks as one of the most expensive cities in the world, alongside Tokyo and Moscow.

Ethnic Groups:-

According to the Office for National Statistics based on 2006 estimates, 58.0% of the 7.5 million inhabitants of London were classed as the indigenous White British, 2.5% were White Irish and 8.9% were classified as "Other White" - the majority of whom are Greeks, Italians and Germans. Some 13.1% of people are of South Asians descent, the largest are Indians (6.5%), then Bangladeshis (2.3%), Pak

istanis (2.3%), and 2% "Other Asian" (mostly SriLankan and others). 10.7% of people are Black (around 5% are Black African, 5% as Black Caribbean, 0.7% as "Other Black"). 3.5% are of Mixed Race; 1.5% are Chinese; and 1.5% of people belong to another ethnic group. 30% of inha

bitants were born outside the European Union. The Irish born, from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, number approximately 250,000 and are the largest group born outside of Great Britain.

In January 2005, a survey of London's ethnic and religious diversity claimed that there were more than 300 languages spoken and more than 50 non-indigenous communities which have a population of more than 10,000 in London. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that, as of 2006, London's foreign-born population is 2,288,000 (31%), up from 1,630,000 in 1997. The 2001 census showed that 27.1% of Greater London's population were born outside the UK, and a slightly higher proportion were classed as non-white. As of 2008, 40% of London's total population was from an Ethnic Minority group. Across London, Black and Asian children outnumber White British children by about six to f

our.

The table to the right shows the 'Country of Birth' of London residents in 2001, the date of the last UK Sensus. (Top 21). Note that a portion of the German-born population are likely to be British nationals born to parents serving in the British Armed Forces in Germany.

Religion :-

The majority of Londoners - 58.2% - identify themselves as Christians. This is followed by those of No Religion (15.8

%), Muslims (8.5%), Hindus (4.1%), Jews (2.1%), Sikhs (1.5%), Buddhists (0.8%), Pagans/Wiccans (0.3%) and other (0.2%), though 8.7% of people did not answer this question in

the 2001 Census.

London has traditionally been dominated by Christianity, and has a large number of Churches, particularly in the City of London. The well-known St Paul's Cathedral in the City and Southwark Cathedral south of the river are Anglican administrative centres, while the Archbishop of Canterbury, principal bishop of the Church of England and worldwide Anglican Communion, has his main residence at Lambeth Palace in the London Borough of Lambeth. Important national and royal ceremonies are shared between St Paul's and Westminster Abbey. The Abbey is not to be confused with nearby Westminster Cathedral, which is the largest Roman Catholic cathedral in England and Whales. Despite the prevalence of Anglican churches, observance is very low within the Anglican denomination, although church attendance, particularly at Evangelical Anglican churches in London, has started to increase.

London is also home to sizeable Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Jewish communities. Many Muslims live in Tower Hamlets and Newham; the most important Muslim edifice is London Central Mosque on the edge of Regent's Park. London's large Hindu community is found in the north-western boroughs of Harrow and Brent, the latter of which is home to one of Europe's largest Hindu Temples, Neasden Temples. Sikh communities are located in East and West London, which is also home to the largest Sikh temple in the world outside India. The majority of British Jews live in London, with significant Jewish communities in Stamford Hill, Stanmore, Golders Green, Hendon and Edgware in North London. Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue has the largest membership of any single Orthodox synagogue in the whole of Europe, overtaking Ilford synagogue (also in

London) in 1998. The community set up the London Jewish Forum in 2007 in response to the growing significance of devolved London Government.

Economy :-

London is a major centre for international business and commerce and is o

ne of three "command centres" for the World Economy (with New York City and Tokyo). According to 2005 estimates by the Pricewatershouse Coopers accounting firm, London has the 6th largest city economy in the world after Tokyo, Newyork City, Los Angeles,Chicago and Pari

s. London generates approximately 20% of the UK's GDP (or $446 billion in 2005); while t

he economy of the London Metropolitan Area — The Second Largest in Europe — generates approximately 30% of the UK's GDP (or an estimated $669 billion i

n 2005). London is one of the pre-eminent financial centres of the world and vies with New York City as the most important location for international finance.

London's success as a Service Industry and business centre can be attributed to factors such as English being the native and dominant language of business, close relationship with the U.S. and various countries in Asia. Other factors include English Law being the most important and most used contract Law in international business and the multi cultural infrastructure. Government policies such as low taxes, particularly for foreigners (non-UK domiciled residents do not get taxed on their foreign earnings), a business friendly environment, good transport infrastructure and a deregulated economy with little intervention by the government have all contributed to London's economy becoming more service based. Over 85% (3.2 million) of the employed population of

Greater London work in service industries. Another half a million employees resident in Greater London work in manufacturing and construction, almost equally divided between both.

London's largest industry remains finance, and its Financial Exports make it a large contributor to the UK's balance of Payments. Around 325,000 people were employed in financial services in London until mid-2007. Lo

ndon has over 480 overseas banks, more than any other city in the world. London is home to banks, brokers, insurers and legal and accounting firms. A second, smaller financial district is developing at Canary Wharf to the east of the city which includes the global headquarters of HSBC, Reuters, Barclays and the Magic Circle, which includes Clifford Chance, the largest law firm in the world. London handled 31% of global currency transactions in 2005^[update] — an average daily turnover of US$753 billion — with more US dollars traded in London than New York, and more Euros traded than in every other city in Europe combined.

More than half of the UK's top 100 listed companies (the FTSE 100) and over 100 of Europe's 500 largest companies are headquartered in central London. Over 70% of the FTSE 100 are located within London's metropolitan area, and 75% of Fortune 500 companies have offices in London. The City of London is home to the Bank of England, London Stock Exchange, and Lloyd's of London Insurance market. Along with Professional Services, media companies are concentrated in London and the media distribution industry is London's second most competitive sector (after c

entral banking, the most competitive sector). The

BBC is a key employer, while other broadcasters also have headquarters around the city. Many national newspapers are edited in London, having traditionally been associated with Fleet Street in the city; they are now primarily based around Canary Wharf.

Science and research and development are playing an increasingly important role in shaping the economy of modern London with 1,340 million euros of public funding, 25 research institutes and medical schools and 23 National Health Service hospitals. The city has 175,000 health-care professionals, 6,000 scientists specialising in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology and, yearly, 80,000 medical and science students studying at universities and colleges. London's private concerns conducting scientific research, as many as 100 in the life science sector alone in 2008, are growing in number twice as fast as in the rest of the United Kingdom.

Due to its prominent global role, London has been hit hard by the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. The City of London estimates that 70,000 jobs in finance will be cut within barely a year. Several foreign banks have started to move off employees from London to their national financial centres, notably Dresdner Kleinwort, BNP Paribas and Santander. Other banks, including UBS, Credit Suisse, Bank of America and Citigroup are primarily cutting their workforce in London.

Tourism is one of London's prime industries and employs the equivalent of 350,000 full-time workers in London in 2003, while annual expenditure by tourists is around £15 billion. A study carried out by Euromonitor in October 2007 places London at first place out of 150 of the world's most popular cities, attracting 15.6 million international tourists in 2006. This puts London far ahead of 2nd place Bangkok (10.35 million) and 3rd place Paris (just 9.7 million). London attracts 27 million overnight-stay visitors every year. The Port of London is the second-largest in the United Kingdo

m, handling 53 million tonnes of cargo each year.

Architecture :-

London is too diverse to be characterised by any particular architectural style, having accumulated its buildings over a long period of time and drawn on a wide range of influences. It is, however, mainly brick built, most commonly the yellow London Stock Brick or a warm orange-red variety, often decorated with carvings and white plaster Mouldings. Many grand houses and public buildings (such as the National Gallery) are constructed from Portland Stone. Some areas of the city, particularly those just west of the centre, are characterised by white stucco or whitewashed buildings. Few structures pre-date the Great Fire of 1666, except for a few trace Roman remains, the Tower of London and a few scattered Tudor survivors in the City. The disused (but soon to be rejuvenated) 1939 Battersea Power Station by the river in the south-west is a local landmark, while some railway termini are excellent examples of Victorian architecture, most notably St Pancras and Paddington (at least internally).

The density of London varies, with high employment density in the Central Area, high residential densities in inner London and

lower densities in the Suburbs. In the dense areas, most of the concentration is achieved with medium- and high-rise buildings. London's skyscrapers such as the notable "Gherkin", Tower 42, the Broadgate Tower and One Canada Square are usually found in the two financial districts, the City of London and Canary Wharf. Other notable modern

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h_fzNOtPGgY/Smi4pFkBRSI/AAAAAAAAAYg/WwssJ70nL3I/s1600-h/442px_-_London_Lead_Image.jpg"></a>London is the de facto capital of the United Kingdom. It has been an influential city for two millennia and its history goes back to its founding by the Romans. The city's core, the ancient City of London, still retains its limited Medieval boundaries. However, since at least the nineteenth century, the name "London" has also referred to the whole metropolis that has developed around it. Today the bulk of this conurbation forms the London Metropolitan Region and the Greater London administrative area, with its own elected Mayor and Assembly. London is one of the world's foremost Global Cities alongside New York City and the largest Financial Centre alongside New York City. Central London is home to the headquarters of more than half of the UK's top 100 listed companies (the FTSE 100) and more than 100 of Europe's 500 largest. The city's influence in Politics, Education, Entertainment, Media, Fashion, the Arts and Culture in general contributes to its global position. It is a major tourist destination for both domestic and overseas visitors. London hosted the 1908 and 1948 Summer Olympic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h_fzNOtPGgY/Smi5FIYNl_I/AAAAAAAAAYo/J2KBeFcHYws/s1600-h/327px-London_%28European_Parliament_constituency%29.svg.png"></a>s and will host the 2012 Summer Olympics. London contains four World Heritage Sites: The Tower of London; The Historic Settlement of Greenwich; The Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew; and the site comprising The Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret's Church. London has a wide range of peoples, cultures, and religions, and more than 300 languages are spoken within the city. In July 2007, it had an official population of 7,556,900 within the boundaries of Greater London making it the most populous muinicipality in the European Union. The Greater London Urban Area (the second largest in the EU) has a population of 8,278,251. while the Metropolitan Area (the largest in the EU) has an estimated total population of between 12 million and 14 million. The public transport network, administered by Transport of London, is the most extensive in the world, London Heathrow Airport is the world's busiest airport by number of international passangers and the airspace is the busiest of any city in the world. London was named by New York Magazine as the capital of the world for the 21st century.History :-The etymology of London remains a mystery. The earliest etymological explanation can be attributed to Geoffrey of Monmouth in Historia Regum Britanniae. The name i<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_h_fzNOtPGgY/Smi5es_-TzI/AAAAAAAAAYw/MDha4ZVa6cE/s1600-h/299px-Constantius_I_capturing_London_after_defeating_Allectus_Beaurains_hoard.jpg"></a>s described as originating from King Lud, who had allegedly taken over the city and named it Kaerlud. This would have had a derivational form Kaerludein, which, by aphaeresis, eventually developed as London. Many other theories have been advanced over the centuries, most of them deriving the name from Welsh or British. It is also believed the name "London" comes from the celtic word "Lyndon," which means "shadowy waters," referring to the Thames River. Although there is evidence of scattered Brythonic settlements in the area, the first major settlement was founded by the Romans in 43 AD as Londinium, following the Roman Conquest of Britain. This Londinium lasted for just seventeen years. Around 61, the Iceni tribe led by Queen Boudica stormed this first London, burning it to the ground. The next, heavily planned incarnation of the city prospered and superseded Colchester as the capital of the Roman Province of Britannia in 100. At its height in the 2nd century, Roman London had a population of around 60,000. By the 600s, the Anglo - Saxons had created a new settlement called Lundenwic approximately 1,000 yards (910 m) upstream from the old Roman city, around what is now Covent Garden. It is likely that there was a harbour at the mouth of the River Fleet for fishing and trading, and this trading grew until the city was overcome by the Vikings and forced to relocate the city back to the location of the Roman Londinium to use its walls for protection. Viking attacks continued to increase around the rest of South East England, until 886 when Alfred the Great recaptured London and made peace with the Danish leader, Guthrum. The original Saxon city of Lundenwic became Ealdwic ("old city"), a name surviving to the present day as Aldwych, which is in the modern City of <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h_fzNOtPGgY/Smi594BXWxI/AAAAAAAAAY4/BM1FvJtXcVo/s1600-h/London_1300_Historical_Atlas_William_R_Shepherd_%28died_1934%29.PNG"></a>Westminster.In a retaliatory attack, Ethelred's army achieved victory by pulling down London Bridge with the Danish garrison on top, and English control was re-established. Canute took control of the English throne in 1016, controlling the city and country until 1035, when his death resulted in a reversion to Saxon control under his pious stepson Edward the Confessor, who re-founded Westminster Abbey and the adjacent Palace of Westminster. By this time, London had become the largest and most prosperous city in England, although the official seat of government was still at Winchester. Following a victory at the Battle of Hastlings, William the Conqueror the then Duke of Normandy was crowned the King of England in the newly finished Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066. William granted the citizens of London special privileges, while building what is now known as the Tower of London, in the south-east corner of the city, to keep them under control.In 1097, William II began the building of Westminster Hall, close by the abbey of the same name. The hall became the basis of a new Palace of Westminster, the prime royal residence throughout the Middle Ages. Westminster became the seat of the royal court and government (persisting until the present day), while its distinct neighbour, the City of London, was a centre of trade and commerce and flourished under its own unique administration, the Corporation of London. London grew in wealth and population during the Middle Ages. In 1100 its population was around 18,000; by 1300 it had grown to nearly 100,000. King Edward I issued an edict in 1290, expelling all Jews from England. Before the edict, there was an increasing population of Jews, whereas after this time, the population of Jews began to drop considerably. Disaster struck during the Black Death in the mid-14th century, when London lost nearly a third of its population. Apart from the invasion of London duri<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h_fzNOtPGgY/Smi61TFoTBI/AAAAAAAAAZA/nVvWnZ4ZUf8/s1600-h/800px-Crystal_Palace_from_the_northeast_from_Dickinson%27s_Comprehensive_Pictures_of_the_Great_Exhibition_of_1851._1854.jpg"></a>ng the Peasants' Revolt in 1381, London remained relatively untouched by the various civil wars during the Middle Ages, such as the first and second Barons' Wars and the Wars of the Roses. After the successful defeat of the Spanish Armada in 1588, political stability in England allowed London to grow further. In 1603, James VI of Scotland came to the throne of England, essentially uniting the two countries. His enactment of harsh anti-catholic laws made him unpopular, and an assasination attemptwas made on 5 November 1605—the well-known Gunpowder Plot.Plague caused extensive problems for London in the early 17th century, culminating in the Great Plague in 1665–1666 that killed 70,000 to 100,000 people, up to a fifth of London's population. This was the last major outbreak in England, possibly thanks to the disastrous fire of 1666. The Great Fire of London broke out in the original City and quickly swept through London's wooden buildings, destroying large swathes of the city. A first hand narrative of both pl<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h_fzNOtPGgY/Smi712uyEUI/AAAAAAAAAZI/f90FOT2wB3Q/s1600-h/Great_Fire_London.jpg"></a>ague and fire was provided by Sir Samuel Pepys. Rebuilding took over ten years, largely under direction of a Commission appointed by King Charles II, chaired by Sir Christopher Wren, and supervised by Robert Hooke as newly appointed Surveyor of London. In the 18th century, Samuel Johnson, author of A Dictionary of the English Language, famously wrote about the city: “You find no man, at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford. Following London's growth in the 18th century, it became the world's largest city from about 1831 to 1925. Rising Traffic Congestion on city centre roads led to the creation of the world's first rapid transit. The Metropolitan Board of Works oversaw infrastructure expansion. It was then replaced by the County of London, overseen by the London County Council, London's first elected city-wide administration.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h_fzNOtPGgY/Smi8rAED5PI/AAAAAAAAAZQ/0SBFvu3Gl1g/s1600-h/800px-LondonBombedWWII_full.jpg"></a>The Blitz and other bombing by the German Luftwaffe during World War II killed over 30,000 Londoners and destroyed large tracts of housing and other buildings across London. In 1965 London's political boundaries were expanded to take into account the growth of the urban area. Local Government :- The administration of London is formed of two tiers — a city-wide, strategic tier and a local tier. City-wide administration is coordinated by the Greater London Authority (GLA), while local administration is carried out by 33 smaller authorit<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h_fzNOtPGgY/Smi9VVVujCI/AAAAAAAAAZY/jl_r6HVXDYY/s1600-h/City_hall_london.jpg"></a>ies. The GLA consists of two elected parts; the Mayor of London, who has executive powers, and the London Assembly, who scrutinise the Mayor's decisions and can accept or reject his budget proposals each year. The GLA was set up in 2000 to replace the similar Greater London Council (GLC) which had been abolished in 1986. The headquarters of the GLA and the Mayor of London is at City Hall; the current Mayor is Boris Johnson. The 33 local authorities are the councils of the 32 London Boroughs and the City of London Corporation. They are responsible for local services not overseen by the GLA, such as local planning, schools, social services, local roads and refuse collection. National Government :- London is an important city because the Government of the United Kingdom is located around the Palace of Westminster. Many government departments are located close to Parliament, particularly along Whitehall, including the Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street. The British Parliament is often referred to as the "Mother of Parliaments" (although this sobriquet was first applied to England itself by John Bright) because it has been the model for most other parliamentary systems, and its Acts have created many other parliaments. Geography:- Scope:-<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_h_fzNOtPGgY/Smi91YDL3XI/AAAAAAAAAZg/eRSLo5NrnJQ/s1600-h/London_SPOT_1005.jpg"></a> London can be geographically defined in a number of ways; the situation was once open to periodic legal debate. At London's core is the small, ancient City of London which is commonly known as 'the City' or 'the Square Mile'. London's metropolitan area grew considerably during the Victorian Era and again during the Interwar Period, but expansion halted in the 1940s because of World War II and Green Belt legislation, and the area has been largely static since. The London region of England, also commonly known as Greater London, is the area administered by the Greater London Authority. The urban sprawl of the conurbation — or Greater London Urban Area — covers a roughly similar area, with a slightly larger population. Beyond this is the vast London Commuter Belt. Forty percent of Greater London is covered by the London Postal District, within which 'LONDON' forms part of the postal address. The London Telephone Area Code covers a larger area, similar in size to Greater London, although some outer districts are omitted and some places just outside are included. The area within the orbital M25 Motorway is sometimes used to define the "London area" and the Greater London boundary has been aligned to it in places. Greater London is split for some purposes into Inner London and Outer <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h_fzNOtPGgY/Smi-fVZaHVI/AAAAAAAAAZo/LXRsYEVtKcI/s1600-h/800px-Central_London_Andh.svg.png"></a>London. Informally, the city is split into North, South, East, West and often also Central London. The Metropolitan Police District, city-wide Local Government Area and London Transport Area have varied over time, but broadly coincide with the Greater London boundary. The Romans may have marked the centre of Londinium with the London Stone, still visible on Cannon Street. The coordinates of the nominal centre of London (traditionally considered to be the original Eleanor Cross at Charing Cross, near the junction of Trafalgar Square and Whitehall) are approximately 51*30'29"N oo*o7'29" W/51.5o8o6*No.12472*W<a href="http://stable.toolserver.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=London&params=51_30_29_N_00_07_29_W_type:city%287,000,000%29_region:GB" class="external text" title="http://stable.toolserver.org/geohack/geohack.php?pagename=London&params=51_30_29_N_00_07_29_W_type:city(7,000,000)_region:GB" rel="nofollow"> / 51.50806; -0.12472</a>. Trafalgar Square has also become a point for celebrations and protests.Status :- Within London, both the City of London and the City of Westminster have City Status and both the City of London and the remainder of Greater London are the Ceremonial Counties. The current area of Greater London was historically part of the counti<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_h_fzNOtPGgY/Smi_KUnoFfI/AAAAAAAAAZw/l4ZXf3cBwsM/s1600-h/800px-City_of_London_skyline_from_London_City_Hall_-_Oct_2008.jpg"></a>es of Middlesex, Kent, Surrey,Essex and Hertfordshire. Unlike most capital cities, London's status as the capital of the UK has never been granted or confirmed officially — by statue or in written form. Its position as the capital has formed through Constitutional Convention, making its position as de,facto capital a part of the UK's unwritten Constitution. The capital of England was moved to London from Winchester as the Palace of Westminster developed in the 12th and 13th centuries to become the permanent location of the royal court, and thus the political capital of the nation. According to the Collins English Dictionary definition of 'the seat of government,' London is not the capital of England, as England does not have its own government. However according to the Oxford English Reference dictionary definition of 'the most important town...' and many other authorities, London is the capital of England. Topography :- Greater London covers an area of 607 square miles (1,570 km2). Its primary geographical feature is the Thame<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_h_fzNOtPGgY/SmjA6hLNUzI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/j5mFtOT2L-M/s1600-h/eye-bigger.jpg"></a>s, a navigable river which crosses the city from the south-west to the east. The Thames Valley is a floodplain surrounded by gently rolling hills including Parliament Hills, Addington Hills, and Primrose Hill. The Thames was once a much broader, shallower river with extensive marshlands; at high tide, its shores reached five times their present width. Since the Victorian Era it has been extensively embanked, and many of its London Tributaries now flow underground. The Thames is a tidal river, and London is vulnerable to flooding. The threat has increased over time due to a slow but continuous rise in High Water level by the slow 'tilting' of Britain (up in the north and down in the south) caused by post-Glacial Rebound. In 1974, a decade of work began on the construction of the Thames Barrier across the Thames at Woolwich to deal with this threat. While the barrier is expected to function as designed until roughly 2030, concepts for its future enlargement or redesign are already being discussed. Climate :- London has a temperate marine climate (Koppen Climate Classif<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_h_fzNOtPGgY/SmjEcSW9A7I/AAAAAAAAAaA/IZI84ap67dM/s1600-h/snow-london460_1205529c.jpg"></a>ication Cfb), like much of the British Isles, so the city rarely sees extremely high or low temperatures. Summers are warm with average high temperatures of 21 °C (70 °F) - 24 °C (75 °F) and lows of 11 °C (52 °F) - 14 °C (57 °F). But temperatures can exceed 25 °C (77 °F) on many days, and in almost every year they exceed 30 °C (86 °F) on some days. The highest temperature ever recorded was 39 °C (102 °F) on 10th August 2003. Winters in London are chilly, but rarely below freezing with daytime highs around 8 °C (46 °F) - 12 °C (54 °F), while spring has mild days and cool evenings. The lowest ever recorded temperature is −10 °C (14.0 °F). Autumn is usually mild but often unsettled as colder air from the north and warmer air from the south meet, occasionally deep depressions form like the Great Storm of 1987. London is a relatively dry city with regular but generally light precipitation throughout the year, with average precipitation of 583.6 millimetres (22.98 in) every year. Snow is relatively uncommon, particularly because heat from the urban area can make London up to 5 °C (9 °F) warmer than the surrounding areas in winter. Some Snowfall, however, is usually seen up to a few times a year. The Snowfall of February 2009 was the heaviest London had seen for 18 years. London is in USDA Hardiness Zone 9, and AHS Heat Zone 2. In the second half of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, London was noted for its dense fogs and smogs. Following the deadly Great Smog of 1952, the Clean Air Act 1956 was passed, leading to the decline of such severe pollution in the capital.Districts :- London's vast urban area is often described using a set of district names (e.g. Bloomsbury, Knightsbridge, Mayfair, Whitechapel, Fitzrovia). These are either informal designations, or reflect the names of superseded villages, parishes and city wards. Such names have remained in use through tradition, each referring to a local area with its own distinctive character, but often with no modern official boundaries. However, since 1965 Greater London has been divided into 32 London Boroughs in addition to the ancient City of London. The City of London is one of the world's three largest financial centres (alongside New York and Tokyo) with a dominant role in several international financial markets, including cross-border bank lending, international bond issuance and trading, foreign-exchange trading, over-the-counter derivatives, fund management and foreign equities trading. It also has the world's largest insurance market, the leading exchange for dealing in non-precious metals, the largest spot gold and gold lending markets, the largest ship broking market, and more foreign banks and investment houses than any other centre. The City has its own governance and boundaries, giving it a status as the only completely autonomous local authority in London. London's new financial and commercial hub is the Docklands area to the east of the City, dominated by the Canary Wharf complex. Other businesses locate in the City of Westminster , the home of the UK's National Government and the well-known Westminster Abbey. The West End is London's main entertainment and shopping district, with locations such as Oxford Street, Leicester Square, Covent Garden and Piccadilly Circus acting as tourist magnets. The West London area is known for fashionable and expensive residential areas such as Notting Hill, Knightsbridge and Chelsea — where properties can sell for tens of millions of pounds. The average price for all properties in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea is £894,000 with similar average outlay in most of Central London. The eastern region of London contains the East End and East London. The East End is the area closest to the original Port of London, known for its high immigrant population, as well as for being one of the poorest areas in London. The surrounding East London area saw much of London's early industrial development; now, Brownfield sites throughout the area are being redeveloped as part of the Thames Gateway including the London Riverside and Lower Lea Valley, which is being developed into the Olympic Park for the 2012 Olympics.Demography :- With increasing industrialisation, London's population grew rapidly throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, and it was for some time in the late 19th and early 20th centuries the most populous city in the world until overtaken by New York in 1925. Its population peaked at 8,615,245 in 1939 immediately before the outbreak of World War 2. There were an estimated 7,556,900 official residents in Greater London as of mid-2007. However, London's continuous Urban Area extends beyond the borders of Greater London and was home to 8,278,251 people in 2001, while its wider Metropolitan Area has a population of between 12 and 14 million depending on the definition use. According to Eurostat, London is the most populous city and the metropolitan area of the European Union and the second most populous in Europe (or third if Istanbul is included). The region covers an area of 609 square miles (1,580 km2). The population density is 12,331 inhabitants per square mile (4,761 /km²), more than ten times that of any other British Region. In terms of population, London is the 25th Largest City and the 17th Largest Metropolitan region in the world. It is also ranked 4th in the world in number of billionaires (United States Dollars) residing in the city. London ranks as one of the most expensive cities in the world, alongside Tokyo and Moscow.Ethnic Groups:-According to the Office for National Statistics based on 2006 estimates, 58.0% of the 7.5 million inhabitants of London were classed as the indigenous White British, 2.5% were White Irish and 8.9% were classified as "Other White" - the majority of whom are Greeks, Italians and Germans. Some 13.1% of people are of South Asians descent, the largest are Indians (6.5%), then Bangladeshis (2.3%), Pakistanis (2.3%), and 2% "Other Asian" (mostly SriLankan and others). 10.7% of people are Black (around 5% are Black African, 5% as Black Caribbean, 0.7% as "Other Black"). 3.5% are of Mixed Race; 1.5% are Chinese; and 1.5% of people belong to another ethnic group. 30% of inhabitants were born outside the European Union. The Irish born, from both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, number approximately 250,000 and are the largest group born outside of Great Britain. In January 2005, a survey of London's ethnic and religious diversity claimed that there were more than 300 languages spoken and more than 50 non-indigenous communities which have a population of more than 10,000 in London. Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that, as of 2006, London's foreign-born population is 2,288,000 (31%), up from 1,630,000 in 1997. The 2001 census showed that 27.1% of Greater London's population were born outside the UK, and a slightly higher proportion were classed as non-white. As of 2008, 40% of London's total population was from an Ethnic Minority group. Across London, Black and Asian children outnumber White British children by about six to four. The table to the right shows the 'Country of Birth' of London residents in 2001, the date of the last UK Sensus. (Top 21). Note that a portion of the German-born population are likely to be British nationals born to parents serving in the British Armed Forces in Germany.Religion :- The majority of Londoners - 58.2% - identify themselves as Christians. This is followed by those of No Religion (15.8%), Muslims (8.5%), Hindus (4.1%), Jews (2.1%), Sikhs (1.5%), Buddhists (0.8%), Pagans/Wiccans (0.3%) and other (0.2%), though 8.7% of people did not answer this question in the 2001 Census. London has traditionally been dominated by Christianity, and has a large number of Churches, particularly in the City of London. The well-known St Paul's Cathedral in the City and Southwark Cathedral south of the river are Anglican administrative centres, while the Archbishop of Canterbury, principal bishop of the Church of England and worldwide Anglican Communion, has his main residence at Lambeth Palace in the London Borough of Lambeth. Important national and royal ceremonies are shared between St Paul's and Westminster Abbey. The Abbey is not to be confused with nearby Westminster Cathedral, which is the largest Roman Catholic cathedral in England and Whales. Despite the prevalence of Anglican churches, observance is very low within the Anglican denomination, although church attendance, particularly at Evangelical Anglican churches in London, has started to increase. London is also home to sizeable Muslim, Hindu, Sikh and Jewish communities. Many Muslims live in Tower Hamlets and Newham; the most important Muslim edifice is London Central Mosque on the edge of Regent's Park. London's large Hindu community is found in the north-western boroughs of Harrow and Brent, the latter of which is home to one of Europe's largest Hindu Temples, Neasden Temples. Sikh communities are located in East and West London, which is also home to the largest Sikh temple in the world outside India. The majority of British Jews live in London, with significant Jewish communities in Stamford Hill, Stanmore, Golders Green, Hendon and Edgware in North London. Stanmore and Canons Park Synagogue has the largest membership of any single Orthodox synagogue in the whole of Europe, overtaking Ilford synagogue (also in London) in 1998. The community set up the London Jewish Forum in 2007 in response to the growing significance of devolved London Government.Economy :- London is a major centre for international business and commerce and is one of three "command centres" for the World Economy (with New York City and Tokyo). According to 2005 estimates by the Pricewatershouse Coopers accounting firm, London has the 6th largest city economy in the world after Tokyo, Newyork City, Los Angeles,Chicago and Paris. London generates approximately 20% of the UK's GDP (or $446 billion in 2005); while the economy of the London Metropolitan Area — The Second Largest in Europe — generates approximately 30% of the UK's GDP (or an estimated $669 billion in 2005). London is one of the pre-eminent financial centres of the world and vies with New York City as the most important location for international finance. London's success as a Service Industry and business centre can be attributed to factors such as English being the native and dominant language of business, close relationship with the U.S. and various countries in Asia. Other factors include English Law being the most important and most used contract Law in international business and the multi cultural infrastructure. Government policies such as low taxes, particularly for foreigners (non-UK domiciled residents do not get taxed on their foreign earnings), a business friendly environment, good transport infrastructure and a deregulated economy with little intervention by the government have all contributed to London's economy becoming more service based. Over 85% (3.2 million) of the employed population of Greater London work in service industries. Another half a million employees resident in Greater London work in manufacturing and construction, almost equally divided between both.London's largest industry remains finance, and its Financial Exports make it a large contributor to the UK's balance of Payments. Around 325,000 people were employed in financial services in London until mid-2007. London has over 480 overseas banks, more than any other city in the world. London is home to banks, brokers, insurers and legal and accounting firms. A second, smaller financial district is developing at Canary Wharf to the east of the city which includes the global headquarters of HSBC, Reuters, Barclays and the Magic Circle, which includes Clifford Chance, the largest law firm in the world. London handled 31% of global currency transactions in 2005<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=London&action=edit" class="external text" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=London&action=edit" rel="nofollow">[update]</a> — an average daily turnover of US$753 billion — with more US dollars traded in London than New York, and more Euros traded than in every other city in Europe combined. More than half of the UK's top 100 listed companies (the FTSE 100) and over 100 of Europe's 500 largest companies are headquartered in central London. Over 70% of the FTSE 100 are located within London's metropolitan area, and 75% of Fortune 500 companies have offices in London. The City of London is home to the Bank of England, London Stock Exchange, and Lloyd's of London Insurance market. Along with Professional Services, media companies are concentrated in London and the media distribution industry is London's second most competitive sector (after central banking, the most competitive sector). The BBC is a key employer, while other broadcasters also have headquarters around the city. Many national newspapers are edited in London, having traditionally been associated with Fleet Street in the city; they are now primarily based around Canary Wharf. Science and research and development are playing an increasingly important role in shaping the economy of modern London with 1,340 million euros of public funding, 25 research institutes and medical schools and 23 National Health Service hospitals. The city has 175,000 health-care professionals, 6,000 scientists specialising in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology and, yearly, 80,000 medical and science students studying at universities and colleges. London's private concerns conducting scientific research, as many as 100 in the life science sector alone in 2008, are growing in number twice as fast as in the rest of the United Kingdom. Due to its prominent global role, London has been hit hard by the global financial crisis of 2008 and 2009. The City of London estimates that 70,000 jobs in finance will be cut within barely a year. Several foreign banks have started to move off employees from London to their national financial centres, notably Dresdner Kleinwort, BNP Paribas and Santander. Other banks, including UBS, Credit Suisse, Bank of America and Citigroup are primarily cutting their workforce in London. Tourism is one of London's prime industries and employs the equivalent of 350,000 full-time workers in London in 2003, while annual expenditure by tourists is around £15 billion. A study carried out by Euromonitor in October 2007 places London at first place out of 150 of the world's most popular cities, attracting 15.6 million international tourists in 2006. This puts London far ahead of 2nd place Bangkok (10.35 million) and 3rd place Paris (just 9.7 million). London attracts 27 million overnight-stay visitors every year. The Port of London is the second-largest in the United Kingdom, handling 53 million tonnes of cargo each year.Architecture :- London is too diverse to be characterised by any particular architectural style, having accumulated its buildings over a long period of time and drawn on a wide range of influences. It is, however, mainly brick built, most commonly the yellow London Stock Brick or a warm orange-red variety, often decorated with carvings and white plaster Mouldings. Many grand houses and public buildings (such as the National Gallery) are constructed from Portland Stone. Some areas of the city, particularly those just west of the centre, are characterised by white stucco or whitewashed buildings. Few structures pre-date the Great Fire of 1666, except for a few trace Roman remains, the Tower of London and a few scattered Tudor survivors in the City. The disused (but soon to be rejuvenated) 1939 Battersea Power Station by the river in the south-west is a local landmark, while some railway termini are excellent examples of Victorian architecture, most notably St Pancras and Paddington (at least internally). The density of London varies, with high employment density in the Central Area, high residential densities in inner London and lower densities in the Suburbs. In the dense areas, most of the concentration is achieved with medium- and high-rise buildings. London's skyscrapers such as the notable "Gherkin", Tower 42, the Broadgate Tower and One Canada Square are usually found in the two financial districts, the City of London and Canary Wharf. Other notable modern buildings include City Hall in Southwark with its distinctive oval shape, and the British Library in Somers town/King's Cross. What was formerly the Millennium Dome , located by the Thames to the east of Canary Wharf, is now used as an entertainment venue known as The O2. The development of tall buildings has been encouraged in the London Plan, which will lead to the erection of many new Skyscrapers over the next decade, particularly in the City of London and Canary Wharf. The 72-storey, 1,017 feet (310 m) "Shard London Bridge" by London Bridge Station, the 945 feet (288 m) Bishopsgate Tower and many other skyscrapers over 500 feet (150 m) are either proposed or approved and could transform the city's skyline. As of July 2008, there are 426 high-rise buildings (between 23 m to 150 m/75 ft to 491 ft) under construction, approved for construction, and proposed for construction in London. A great many monuments pay homage to people and events in the city. The Monument in the City of London provides views of the surrounding area while commemorating the Great Fire of London, which originated nearby. Marble Arch and Wellington Arch, at the north and south ends of Park Lane respectively, have royal connections, as do the Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall in Kensington. Nelson's Columns is a nationally recognised monument in Trafalgar Square, one of the focal points of the centre.Parks and Gardens :-The largest parks in the central area of London are the Royal Parks of Hyde Park and its neighbour Kensington Gardens at the western edge of Central London and Regent's Park on the northern edge. This park contains London Zoo, the world's oldest scientific zoo, and is located near the tourist attraction of Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Closer to central London are the smaller Royal Parks of Green Park and St.James Park. Hyde Park in particular is popular for Sports and sometimes hosts open-air concerts. A number of large parks lie outside the city centre, including the remaining Royal Parks of Greenvich Park to the south-east and Bushy Park and Richmond Park to the south-west, as well as Victoria Park, East London to the east. Primrose Hill to the north of Regent's Park is a popular spot to view the city skyline. Some more informal, semi-natural open spaces also exist, including the 791-acre (3.2 km2) Hampstead Heath of North London. This incorporates Kenwood House, the former Stately Home and a popular location in the summer months where classical musical concerts are held by the lake, attracting thousands of people every weekend to enjoy the music, scenery and fireworks.Society & CultureAccent :- Traditionally the London accent has been given the famous Cockney label, and was similar to many accents of the South East of England, developing a unique form of slang known as Cockney Rhyming Slang. The accent of a 21st century Londoner varies widely; what is becoming more and more common amongst the under 30s however is some fusion of Cockney, Received Pronunciation, and a whole array of 'ethnic' accents, in particular Caribbean, which form an accent labelled Multicultural London English (MLE).<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-MCLE-144"></a>Leisure & Entertainment :- Within the City of Westminster, the entertainment district of the West End has its focus around Leicester Square, where London and world film Premiers are held, and Piccadilly Circus, with its giant electronic advertisements. London's Theatre district is here, as are many cinemas, bars, clubs and restaurants, including the city's Chinatown district, and just to the east is Covent Garden, an area housing speciality shops. The United Kingdom's Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Royal Opera and English National Opera are based in London and perform at the Royal Opera House, The London Coliseum, Saddler's Well Theatre and the Royal Albert Hall as well as touring the country. Islington's 1 mile (1.6 km) long Upper Street, extending Northwards from The Angel, has more bars and restaurants than any other street in the UK. Europe's busiest shopping area is Oxford Street, a shopping street nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) long — which makes it the longest shopping street in the world — and home to many shops and department stores including Selfridges. Knightsbridge — home to the Harrods Department Store — lies just to the southwest. London is home to designers Vivenne Westwood, Galliano, Stella McCartney, Manolo Blahnik, and Jimmy Choo among others; its renowned art and fashion schools make it an international centre of fashion alongside Paris, Milan and New York. London offers a great variety of cuisine as a result of its ethnically diverse population. Gastronomic centres include the Bangladeshi restaurants of Brick Lane and the Chinese food restaurants of Chinatown. There are a variety of regular annual events in the city. The beginning of the year is celebrated with the relatively new New Year's Day Parade, while traditional parades include November's Lord Mayor's Show, a centuries-old event celebrating the annual appointment of a new Lord Mayor of the City of London with a procession along the streets of the City, and June's Trooping the Colour, a formal military pageant performed by regiments of the Commonwealth and British armies to celebrate the Queen's Official Birthday.Literature & Film :-London has been the setting for many works of literature. The literary centres of London have traditionally been hilly Hampstead and (since the early 20th century) Bloomsbury. Two writers closely associated with the city are the diarist Samuel Pepys, noted for his eyewitness account of the Great Fire, and Charles Dickens, whose representation of a foggy, snowy, grimy London of street sweepers and pickpockets has been a major influence on people's vision of early Victorian London. The earlier (1722) A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe is a fictionalisation of the events of the 1665 Great Plague. William Shakespeare spent a large part of his life living and working in London; his contemporary Ben Jonson was also based in London, and some of his work — most notably his play The Alchemist — was set in the state. Later important depictions of London from the 19th and early 20th centuries are the afore-mentioned Dickens novels, and Arthur Cayon Doyle's illustrious Sherlock Holmes stories. A modern writer pervasively influenced by the city is Peter Ackroyd, in works such as London: The Biography, The Lambs of London and Hawksmoor. London was also the setting of Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. London has played a significant role in the film industry, and has major studios at Pinewood, Ealing, Shepperton, Elstree and Leavesden, as well as an important special effects and post-production community centred in Soho in Central London. Working Title Films has its headquarters in London. The city also hosts a number of performing arts schools, including The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), the Central School of Film and Drama (alumni: Judi Dench and Laurence Olivier) and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (alumni: Jim Broadbent). The London Film Festival is held each year in October.Museums & Art Galleries :-London is Home to many Museums, galleries, and other institutions which are major Tourist attractions as well as playing a research role. The Natural History Museum (biology and geology), Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum (fashion and design) are clustered in South Kennington's "museum quarter", while the British Museum houses historic artefacts from around the world.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-153"></a> The British Library at St Pancras is the UK's National Library, housing 150 million items. The city also houses extensive art collections, primarily in the National Gallery, Tate Britain<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-154"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-155"></a> and Tate Modern.Music :-London is one of the major classical and popular music capitals of the world and is home to major music corporations, such as EMI and Decca Records, as well as countless bands, musicians and industry professionals. London is home to many orchestras and concert halls such as the Barbican Art Center (principal base of the London Symphony Orchestra), Cadogan Hall (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) and the Robert Alebert Hall (BBC Promenade Concerts).<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-London.27s_Concerts-146"></a> London's two main opera houses are the Royal Opera House and the Coliseum Theatre.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-London.27s_Concerts-146"></a> London is home to the UK's largest pipe organ, at the Royal Albert Hall. Other significant instruments are found at the cathedrals and major churches. Several Conservatories are located within the city: Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and Trinity College of Music. London has numerous renowned venues for rock and pop concerts, including large arenas such as Earls Court, Wembley Arena and the O2 Arena, as well as numerous mid-size venues, such as Briston Academy, Hammersmith Apollo and The Shehperd's Bush Empire.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-London.27s_Concerts-146"></a> London also hosts many Music Festivals, including the O2 Wireless Festival. London is home to the first and original Hard Rock Cafe and the illustrious Abbey Road Studious where The Beatles recorded many of their hits. Musicians such as Bob Marley, Madonna, Rick Astley, Jimi Hendrix and Freddie Mercury have lived in London. A large number of musical artists originate from or are most strongly associated with London, including Iron Maiden, Elton John,George Micheal, David Bowie, Ian Duvy, Ultravox, The Kinks, John Ford (musician) of the Strawbs and The Monks, Adam Faith, The Rolling Stone, The Who, Madness, The Jam, Blur, Phil Collins, ,Rod Stewart Elvis Costello, Dusty Springfield, Queen, Sarah Brightman, The Yardbirds and The Small Faces.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-Top40-157"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-158"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-159"></a> London was instrumental in the development of Punk Music,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-160"></a> with figures such as the Sex Pistols, The Clash,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-Top40-157"></a> and Vivieene Westwood all based in the city. More recent artists to emerge from the London music scene include Placebo, Coldplay, Keane, the Sugababes, The Libertines, Bloc Party, Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis, Lilly Allen, McFly, The Razorlight, Adele, The Rakes, Dizzee Rascal and Natasha Bedingfield.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-161"></a> London is also a centre for urban music. In particular the genres UK Garage, Drum and Bass, Dubset and Grime evolved in the city from the foreign genres of hip hop and reggae, alongside local drum and bass. Black music station BBC1Xtra was set up to support the rise of homegrown urban music both in London and the rest of the UK.Sport :-London has hosted the Summer Olympics twice, in 1908 and 1948.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-163"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-164"></a> In July 2005 London was chosen to host the Games in 2012, which will make it the first city in the world to host the Summer Olympics three times.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-165"></a> London was also the host of the British Empire Games in 1934.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-166"></a> London's most popular sport (for both participants and spectators) is Football. London has thirteen League football clubs, including five in the Premier League: Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Totten Hotspur and West Ham United<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-167"></a> London also has four rugby union teams in the Guinness Premiership (London Irish, Saracens , Wasps and Harlequins), although only the Harlequins play in London (all the other three now play outside Greater London, although Saracens still play within the M25).<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-168"></a> There are two professional rugby league clubs in London - Harleyquins Rugby League who play in the Super League at the Stoop and the National League 2 side the London Skolars (based in Haringey). Since 1924, the original Wembley Stadium was the home of the English National Football Team, and served as the venue for the FA Cup Final as well as Rugby League's Challenge Cup's final.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-169"></a> The new Wembley Stadium serves exactly the same purposes and has a capacity of 90,000.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-Wembley_Stadium_Facts_and_Figures-170"></a> Twickenham Stadium in south-west London is the national Rugby Union stadium, and has a capacity of 84,000 now that the new south stand has been completed.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-musiccap-171"></a> Cricket in London is served by two Test Cricket grounds Lord's (home of Middlesex C.C.C) in St John's Wood,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-172"></a> and The Oval (home of Surrey C.C.C) in Kennington.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-173"></a> One of London's best-known annual sports competitions is the Wimbeldon Tennis Championship, held at the All England Club in the south-western suburb of Wimbeldon.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-174"></a> Other key events are the annual mass-participation London Marathon which sees some 35,000 runners attempt a 26.2 miles (42.2 km) course around the city,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-175"></a> and the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race on the River Thames between Putney and Mortlake.Transport :-Transport is one of the four areas of policy administered by the Mayor of London,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-177"></a> however the mayor's financial control is limited and he does not control the heavy rail network, although in November 2007 he assumed responsibility for the North London Railway as well as several other lines, to form London Overground.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-178"></a> The Public Transport network, administered by Transport of London (TFL) is one of the most extensive in the world, but faces congestion and reliability issues, which a large investment programme is attempting to address, including £7 billion (€10 billion) of improvements planned for the Olympics.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-Olympic_Infrastructure-179"></a> London has been commended as the city with the best public transport.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-180"></a> Cycling is an increasingly popular way to get around London. The London Cycling Campaign lobbies for better provision.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-181"></a>Railways :-The centrepiece of the public transport network is the London Underground — commonly referred to as The Tube — which has eleven interconnecting lines. It is one of the oldest, longest, and most expansive Metro systems in the world, dating from 1863.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-Metro1-23"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-Metro-182"></a> The system was home to the world's first underground electric line, the City & South London Railway, which began service in 1890.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-UrbanRail-183"></a> Over three million journeys a day are made on the Underground network, nearly 1 billion journeys each year.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-184"></a> The world's longest subway system runs for 244 miles below the streets of London. The London Underground - or tube, as it's known by the locals - carries about 976 million people each year. The city's first underground railroad opened in 1863, and today it operates 500 peak trains and 275 stations. The subway's busiest station is Waterloo, which serves about 46,000 commuters during the morning rush. Throughout the subway system, some 412 escalators and 112 elevators keep commuter traffic moving. The Underground serves the central area and most suburbs to the north of the Thames, while those to the south are served by an extensive Suburban Rail surface network, due partly to more difficult geology south of the river. The Docklands Light Railway is a second metro system using smaller and lighter trains, which opened in 1987, serving East London and Greenwich on both sides of the Thames. Commuter and intercity railways generally do not cross the city, instead running into fourteen terminal stations scattered around its historic centre; the exception is the Thameslink route operated by First Capital Connect, with its Bedford to Brighton and Luton to Sutton <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-185"></a> Since the early 1990s, increasing pressures on the commuter rail and Underground networks have led to increasing demands — particularly from businesses and the City of London Corporation — for Crossrail: a £10 billion east–west heavy rail connection under central London, which was given the green light in early October 2007.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-Olympic_Infrastructure-179"></a> High-speed Eurostar trains link St Pancras International with Lille and Paris in France, and Brussels in Belgium. Journey times to Paris and Brussels of 2h 15 and 1h 51 respectively make London closer to continental Europe than the rest of Britain by virtue of the newly completed High Speed 1 rail link to the Channel Tunnel.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-186"></a> From 2009 this line will also allow for high speed domestic travel from Kent into London. The redevelopment of St. Pancras was key to London's Olympic bid, as the station also serves two international airports through Thameslink, and will also provide direct rail links to the Olympic site at Stratford using British Rail Class 395 trains running under the Olympic Javelin name; these will be based on Japanese Shinkansen high-speed trains.Buses :-London's Bus Network is one of the largest in the world, running 24 hours a day, with 8,000 buses, 700 bus routes, and over 6 million passenger journeys made every weekday. In 2003, the network's ridership was estimated at over 1.5 billion passenger trips per annum, more than the Underground.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-188"></a> Around £850 million is taken in revenue each year. London has the largest wheelchair accessible network in the world<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-189"></a> and, from the 3rd quarter of 2007, became more accessible to hearing and visually impaired passengers as audio-visual announcements were introduced. The distinctive red double-decker buses are internationally recognised, and are a trademark of London transport along with Black Cabs and the Tube.Air :-London is a major international air transport hub with the largest city airspace in the world. Eight airports use the words London Airport in their name, but most traffic passes through one of five major airports. London Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in the world for international traffic, and is the major hub of the nation's flag carrier, British Airways<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-192"></a> In March 2008 its fifth terminal was opened,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-193"></a> and plans are already being considered for a sixth terminal.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-194"></a> Similar traffic, with the addition of some flights, is also handled at London Gatwick Airport.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-195"></a> London Stansted Airport the main hub for Ryanair, and London Luton Airport cater mostly for low-cost short-haul flights.London City Airport<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-196"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-197"></a>, the smallest a low-cost short-haulnd most central airport, is focused on business travellers, with a mixture of full service short-haul scheduled flights and considerable business Jet traffic.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-198"></a> London Southend Airport is developing new service in 2009 in addition to existing business aviation and cargo services. There has been continued controversy over expanding capacity such as building a third runway at Heathrow and building a new airport.Roads :-Although the majority of journeys involving Central London are made by public transport, travel in outer London is car-dominated. The Inner Ring Road (around the city centre), the North and South Circular roads (in the suburbs), and the outer orbital Motorway (the M25, outside the built-up area) encircle the city and are intersected by a number of busy radial routes — but very few motorways penetrate into inner London. The M25 is the longest ring-road motorway in the world at 121.5 miles (195.5 km) long.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-199"></a> A plan for a comprehensive network of motorways throughout the city (the Ringways Plan) was prepared in the 1960s but was mostly cancelled in the early 1970s. In 2003, a congestion charge was introduced to reduce traffic volumes in the city centre. With a few exceptions, motorists are required to pay £8 per day to drive within a defined zone encompassing much of congested central London.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-200"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-201"></a> Motorists who are residents of the defined zone can buy a vastly reduced season pass which is renewed monthly and is cheaper than a corresponding bus fare.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-202"></a> London is notorious for its traffic congestion, with the M25 motorway the busiest stretch in the country. It has been worked out that the average speed of a car in the rush hour in London is 10.6 mph.Education :-Home to a range of universities, colleges and schools, London has a student population of about 378,000 and is a centre of research and development. Most primary and secondary schools in London follow the same system as the rest of England — comprehensive schooling. With 125,000 students, the University of London is the largest contact teaching university in the United Kingdom and in Europe.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-203"></a> It comprises 20 colleges as well as several smaller institutes each with a high degree of autonomy. Constituent colleges have their own admissions procedures, and are effectively universities in their own right, although most degrees are awarded by the University of London rather than the individual colleges. Its constituents include multi-disciplinary colleges such as Royal Holloway, Birkbeck, UCL,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-204"></a> King's,Goldsmith's, Queen Mary <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-205"></a> and more specialised institutions such as the London School of Economics,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-206"></a>SOAS,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-207"></a> the Royal Academy of Music,<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-208"></a> the Courtauld Institute of Art and the Institute of Education.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-209"></a> Imperial College London and University College London have been ranked among the top ten universities in the world by The Times Higher Education Supplement: in 2008 Imperial was ranked the 6th best and UCL the 7th best university in the world.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-210"></a> In addition, the London School of Economics is the world‘s leading social science institution for teaching and research, plus has the most international student body of any university in the world today.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-211"></a> A number of colleges are dedicated to the fine arts, including the Royal College of Music, Royal College of Art, and Guildhall School of Music & Drama London's other universities, such as Brunel University, City University , London Metropolitan University, Middlesex University, University of East London, University of the Arts London, University of Westminster, Kingston University and London South Bank University are not part of the University of London but are still leaders in their field and popular choices among students both nationally and internationally. Some were Polytechnics until they were granted university status in 1992, and others which were founded much earlier. Imperial College London left the federal University of London in 2007. Since the merger of University of North London and London Guildhall University in 2003, London Metropolitan University is the largest unitary university in the capital, with over 34,000 students from 155 countries.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-212"></a> London is also known globally for its business education, with the London Business School (ranked 1st in Europe — Business Week)<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-213"></a> and Cass Business School (Europe's largest finance school) both being top world-rated business schools.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-214"></a> In addition there are three international universities: Schiller International University, Richmond University and Regent's College.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regent%27s_College" title="Regent's College"> </a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-190"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-191"></a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-187"></a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-176"></a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-156"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-143"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-132"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-114"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-102"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-East_End-91"></a>

buildings include City Hall in Southwark with its distinctive oval shape, and the British Library in Somers town/King's Cross. What was formerly the Millennium Dome , located by the Thames to the east of Canary Wharf, is now used as an entertainment venue known as The O₂.

The development of tall buildings has been encouraged in the London Plan, which will lead to the erection of many new Skyscrapers over the next decade, particularly in the City of London and Canary Wharf. The 72-storey, 1,017 feet (310 m) "Shard London Bridge" by London Bridge Station, the 945 feet (288 m) Bishopsgate Tower and many other skyscrapers over 500 feet (150 m) are either proposed or approved and could transform the city's skyline. As of July 2008, there are 426 high-rise buildings (between 23 m to 150 m/75 ft to 491 ft) under construction, approved for construction, and proposed for construction in London.

A great many monuments pay homage to people and events in the city. The Monument in the City of London provides views of the surrounding area while commemorating the Great Fire of London, which originated

nearby. Marble Arch and Wellington Arch, at the north and south ends of Park Lane respectively, have royal connections, as do the Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall in Kensington. Nelson's Columns is a nationally recognised monument in Trafalgar Square, one of the focal points of the centre.

Parks and Gardens :-

The largest parks in the central area of London are the Royal Parks of Hyde Park and its neighbour Kensington Gardens at the western edge of Central London and Regent's Park on the northern edge. This park contains London Zoo, the world's oldest scientific zoo, and is located near the tourist attraction of Madame Tussauds Wax Museum. Closer to central London are the smaller Royal Parks of Green Park and St.James Park. Hyde Park in particular is popular for Sports and sometimes hosts open-air concerts.

A number of large parks lie outside the city centre, including the remaining Royal Parks of Greenvich Park to the south-east and Bushy Park and Richmond Park to the so

uth-west, as well as Victoria Park, East London to the east. Primrose Hill to the north of Regent's Park is a popular spot to view the city skyline. Some more informal, semi-natural open spaces also exist, including the 791-acre (3.2 km²) Hampstead Heath of North London. This incorporates Kenwood House, the former Stately Home and a popular location in the summer months where classical musical concerts are held by the lake, attracting thousands of people every weekend to enjoy the music, scenery and fireworks.

Society & Culture

Accent :-

Traditionally the London accent has been given the famous Cockney label, and was similar to many accents of the South East of England, developing a unique form of slang known as Cockney Rhyming Slang. The accent of a 21st century Londoner varies widely; what is becoming more and more common amongst the under 30s however is some fusion of Cockney, Received Pronunciation, and a whole array of 'ethnic' accents, i

n particular Caribbean, which form an accent l

abelled Multicultural London English (MLE).

Leisure & Entertainment :-

Within the City of Westminster, the entertainment district of the West End has its focus around Leicester Square, where London and world film Premiers are held, and Piccadilly Circus, with its giant electronic advertisements. London's Theatre district is here, as are many cinemas, bars, clubs and restaurants, including the city's Chinatown district, and just to the east is Covent Garden, an area housing speciality shops. The United Kingdom's Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Royal Opera and English National Opera are based in London and perform at the Royal Opera House, The London Coliseum, Saddler's Well Theatre and the Royal Albert Hall as well as touring the country. Islington's 1 mile (1.6 km) long Upper Street, extending Northwards from The Angel, has more bars and restaurants than any other street in the UK. Europe's busiest shopping area is Oxford Street, a shopping street nearly 1 mile (1.6 km) long — which makes it the longest shopping street in the world — and home to many shops and department stores including Selfridges. Knightsbridge — home to the Harrods Department Store — lies just to the southwest. London is home to designers Vivenne Westwood, Galliano, Stella McCartney, Manolo Blahnik, and Jimmy Choo among others; its renowned art and fashion schools make it an international centre of fashion alongside Paris, Milan and New York.

London offers a great variety of cuisine as a result of its ethnically diverse population. Gastronomic centres include the Bangladeshi restaurants of Brick Lane and the Chinese food restaurants of Chinatown.

There are a variety of regular annual events in the city. The beginning of the year is celebrated with t

he relatively new New Year's Day Parade, while traditional parades include November's Lord Mayor's Show, a centuries-old event celebrating the annual appointment of a new Lord Mayor of the City of London with a procession along the streets of the City, and June's Trooping the Colour, a formal military pageant performed by regiments of the Commonwealth and British armies to celebrate the Queen's Official Birthday.

Literature & Film :-

London has been the se

tting for many works of literature. The literary centres of London have traditionally been hilly Hampstead and (since the early 20th century) Bloomsbury. Two writers closely associated with the city are the diarist Samuel Pepys, noted for his eyewitness account of the Great Fire, and Charles Dickens, whose representation of a foggy, snowy, grimy London of street sweepers and pickpockets has been a major influence on people's vision of early Victorian London. The earlier (1722) A Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe is a fictionalisation of the events of the 1665 Great Plague. William Shakespeare spent a large part of his life living and working in London; his contemporary Ben Jonson was also based in London, and some of his work — most notably his play The Alchemist — was set in the state. Later important depictions of London from the 19th and early 20th centu

ries are the afore-mentioned Dickens novels, and Arthur Cayon Doyle's illustrious Sherlock Holmes stories. A modern writer pervasively influenced by the city is Peter Ackroyd, in works such as London: The Biography, The Lambs of London and Hawksmoor. London was also the setting of Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.

London has played a significant role in the film industry, and has major studios at Pinewood, Ealing, Shepperton, Elstree and Leavesden, as well as an important special effects and post-production community centred in Soho in Central London. Working Title Films has its headquarters in London. The city also hosts a number of performing arts schools, including The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), the Central School of Film and Drama (alumni: Judi Dench and Laurence Olivier) and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (alumni: Jim Broadbent). The London Film Festival is held each year in October.

Museums & Art Galleries :-

London is Home to many Museums, galleries, and other institutions which are major Tourist att

ractions as well as playing a research role. The Natural History Museum (biology and geology), Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum (fashion and design) are clustered in South Kennington's "museum quarter", while the British Museum houses historic artefacts from around the world. The British Library at St Pancras is the UK's National Library, housing 150 million items. The city also houses extensive art collections, primarily in the National Gallery, Tate Britain and Tate Modern.

Music :-

London is one of the major classical and popular music capitals of the world and is home to major music corporations, such as EMI and Decca Records, as well as countless bands, musicians and industry professionals. London is home to many orchestras and concert halls such as the Barbican Art Center (principal base of the London Symphony Orchestra), Cadogan Hall (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) and the Robert Alebert Hall (BBC Promenade Concerts). London's two main opera houses are the Royal Opera House and the Coliseum Theatre.

London is home to the UK's largest pipe organ, at the Royal Albert Hall. Other significant instruments are found at the cathedrals and major churches.

Several Conservatories are located within the city: Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and Trinity College of Music.

London has numerous renowned venues for rock and pop concerts, including large arenas such as Earls Court, Wembley Arena and the O2 Arena, as well as nume

rous mid-size venues, such as Briston Academy,

Hammersmith Apollo and The Shehperd's Bush Empire. London also hosts many Music Festivals, including the O2 Wireless Festival.

London is home t

o the first and original

Hard Rock Cafe and the illustrious Abbey Road Studious where The Beatles recorded many of their hits. Musicians such as Bob Marley, Madonna, Rick Astley, Jimi Hendrix and Freddie Mercury have lived in London. A large number of musical artists originate from or are most strongly associated with London, including Iron Maiden, Elton John,George Micheal, David B

owie, Ian Duvy, Ultravox, The Kinks, John Ford (musician) of the Strawbs and The Monks, Adam Faith, The Rolling Stone, The Who, Madness, The Jam, Blur, Phil Collins, ,Rod Stewart Elvis Costello, Dusty Springfield, Queen, Sarah Brightman, The

Yardbirds and The Small Faces. London was instrumental in the development of Punk Music, with figures such as the Sex

Pistols, The Clash, and Vivieene Westwood all based in the city.

More recent artists to emerge from

the London music scene include Placebo, Coldplay, Keane, the Sugababes, The Libertines, Bloc Party, Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis, Lilly Allen, McFly, The Razorlight, Adele, The Rakes, Dizzee Rascal and Natasha Bedingfield.

London is also a centre for urban music. In particular the genres UK Garage, Drum and Bass, Dubset and Grime evolved in the city from the foreign genres of hip hop and reggae, alongside local drum and bass. Black music station BBC1Xtra was set up to support the rise of homegrown urban music both in London and the rest of the UK.

Sport :-

London has hosted the Summer Olympics twice, in 1908 and 1948. In July 2005 London was chosen to host the Games in 2012, which will make it the first city in the world to host the Summer Olympics three times. London was also the host of the British Empire Games in 1934.

London's most popular sport (for both participants and spectators) is Football. Londo

n has thirteen League football clubs, including five in the Premier League: Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham, Totten Hotspur and West Ham United London also has four rugby union teams in the Guinness Premiership (London Irish, Saracens , Wasps and Harlequins), although only the Harlequins play in London (all the other three now play outside Greater London, although Saracens still play within the M25). There are two professional rugby league clubs in London - Harleyquins Rugby League who play in the Super League at the Stoop and the National League 2 side the London Skolars (based in Haringey).

Since 1924, the original Wembley Stadium was the home of the English National Football Team, and served as the venue for the FA Cup Final as well as Rugby League's Challenge Cup's final. The new Wembley Stadium serves exactly the same purposes and has a capacity of 90,000. Twickenham Stadium in south-west London is the national Rugby Union stadium, and has a capacity of 84,000 now that the new south stand has been completed.

Cricket in London is served by two Test Cricket grounds Lord's (home of Middlesex C.C.C) in St

John's Wood, and The Oval (home of Surrey C.C.C) in Kennington. One of London's best-known annual sports competitions is the Wimbeldon Tennis Championship, held at the All England Club in the south-western suburb of Wimbeldon. Other key events are the annual mass-participation London Marathon which sees some 35,000 runners attempt a 26.2 miles (42.2 km) course around the city, and the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race on the River Thames between Putney and Mortlake.

Transport :-

Transport is one of the four areas of policy administered by the Mayor of London, however the mayor's financial control is limited and he does not control the heavy rail network, although in November 20

07 he assumed responsibility for the North London Railway as well as several other lines, to form Lo

ndon Overground. The Public Transport network, administered by Transport of London (TFL) is one of the most extensive in the world, but faces congestion and reliability issues, which a large investment programme is attempting to address, including £7 billion (€10 billion) of improvements planned for the Olympics. London has been commended as the city with the best public transport. Cyclin

g is an increasingly popular way to get around London. The London Cycling Campaign lobbies for better provision.

Railways :-

The centrepiece of the public transport network is the London Underground — commonly referred to as The Tube — which has eleven interconnecting lines. It is one of the oldest, longest, and most expansive Metro systems in the world, dating from 1863. The system was home to the world's first underground electric line, the City & South London Railway, which began service in 1890. Over three million journeys a day are made on the Underground network, nearly 1 billion journeys each year. The world's longest subway system runs for 244 miles below the streets of London. The London Underground - or tube, as it's known by the locals - carries about 976 million people each year. The city's first underground railroad opened in 1863, and today it operates 500 peak trains and 275 stations. The subway's busiest station is Waterloo, which serves about 46,000 commuters during the morning rush. Throughout the subway system, some 412 escalators and 112 elevators keep commuter traffic moving. The Underground serves the central area and most suburbs to the north of th

e Thames, while those to the south are served by an extensive Suburban Rail surface network, due partly to more difficult geology south of the river.

The Docklands Light Railway is a second metro system using smaller and lighter trains, which opened in 1987, serving East London and Greenwich on both sides of the Thames. Commuter and intercity railways generally do not cross the city, instead running into fourteen terminal stations scattered around its historic centre; the exception is the Thameslink route operated by First Capital Connect, with its Bedford to Brighton and Luton to Sutton Since the early 1990s, increasing pressures on the commuter rail and Underground networks have led to increasing demands — particularly from businesses and the City of London Corporation — for Crossrail: a £10 billion east–west heavy rail connection under central London, which was given the green light in early October 2007.

High-speed Eurostar trains link St Pancras International with Lille and Paris in France, and Brussels in Belgium. Journey times to Paris and Brussels of 2h 15 and 1h 51 respectively make London closer to continental Europe than the rest of Britain by virtue of the newly completed High Speed 1 rail link to the Channel Tunnel. From 2009 this line will also allow for high speed domestic travel from Kent into London. The redevelopment of St. Pancras was key to London's Olympic bid, as the station also serves two international airports through Thameslink, and will also provide direct rail links to the Olympic site at Stratford using British Rail Class 395 trains running under the Olympic Javelin name; these will be based on Japanese Shinkansen high-speed trains.

Buses :-

London's Bus Network is one of the largest in the world, running 24 hours a day, with 8,000 buses, 700 bus routes, and over 6 million passenger journeys made every weekday. In 2003, the network's ridership was estimated at over 1.5 billion passenger trips per annum, more than the Underground. Around £850 million is taken in revenue each year.

London has the largest wheelchair accessible network in the world and, from the 3rd quarter of 2007, became more accessible to hearing and visually impaired passengers as audio-visual announcements were introduced. The distinctive red double-decker buses are internationally recognised, and are a trademark of London transport along with Black Cabs and the Tube.

Air :-

London is a major international air transport hub with the largest city airspace in the world. Eight airports use the words London Airport in their name, but most traffic passes through one of five major airports. London Heathrow Airport is the busiest airport in the world for international traffic, and is the major hub of the nation's flag carrier, British Airways In March 2008 its fifth terminal was opened, and plans are already being considered for a sixth terminal. Similar traffic, with the addition of some flights, is also handled at London Gatwick Airport. London Stansted Airport the main hub for Ryanair, and London Luton Airport cater mostly for low-cost short-haul flights.London City Airport, the smallest a low-cost short-haulnd most central airport, is focused on business travellers, with a mixture of full service short-haul scheduled flights and considerable business Jet traffic. London Southend Airport is developing new service in 2009 in addition to existing business aviation and cargo services. There has been continued controversy over expanding capacity such as building a third runway at Heathrow and building a new airport.

Roads :-

Although the majority of journeys involving Central London are made by public transport, travel in outer London is car-dominated. The Inner Ring Road (around the city centre), the North and South Circular roads (in the suburbs), and the outer orbital Motorway (the M25, outside the built-up area) encircle the city and are intersected by a number of busy radial routes — but very few motorways penetrate into inner London. The M25 is the longest ring-road motorway in the world at 121.5 miles (195.5 km) long. A plan for a comprehensive network of motorways throughout the city (the Ringways Plan) was prepared in the 1960s but was mostly cancelled in the early 1970s. In 2003, a congestion charge was introduced to reduce traffic volumes in the city centre. With a few exceptions, motorists are required to pay £8 per day to drive within a defined zone encompassing much of congested central London. Motorists who are residents of the defined zone can buy a vastly reduced season pass which is renewed monthly and is cheaper than a corresponding bus fare. London is notorious for its traffic congestion, with the M25 motorway the busiest stretch in the country. It has been worked out that the average speed of a car in the rush hour in London is 10.6 mph.

Education :-

Home to a range of universities, colleges and schools, London has a student population of about 378,000 and is a centre of research and development. Most primary and secondary schools in London follow the same system as the rest of England — comprehensive schooling.

With 125,000 students, the University of London is the largest contact teaching university in the United Kingdom and in Europe. It comprises 20 colleges as well as several smaller institutes each with a high degree of autonomy. Constituent colleges have their own admissions procedures, and are effectively universities in their own right, although most degrees are awarded by the University of London rather than the individual colleges. Its constituents include multi-disciplinary colleges such as Royal Holloway, Birkbeck, UCL, King's,Goldsmith's, Queen Mary and more specialised institutions such as the London School of Economics,SOAS, the Royal Academy of Music, the Courtauld Institute of Art and the Institute of Education.

Imperial College London and University College London have been ranked among the top ten universities in the world by The Times Higher Education Supplement: in 2008 Imperial was ranked the 6th best and UCL the 7th best university in the world.

In addition, the London School of Economics is the world‘s leading social science institution for teaching and research, plus has the most international student body of any university in the world today.

A number of colleges are dedicated to the fine arts, including the Royal College of Music, Royal College of Art, and Guildhall School of Music & Drama

London's other universities, such as Brunel University, City University , London Metropolitan University, Middlesex University, University of East London, University of the Arts London, University of Westminster, Kingston University and London South Bank University are not part of the University of London but are still leaders in their field and popular choices among students both nationally and internationally. Some were Polytechnics until they were granted university status in 1992, and others which were founded much earlier. Imperial College London left the federal University of London in 2007. Since the merger of University of North London and London Guildhall University in 2003, London Metropolitan University is the largest unitary university in the capital, with over 34,000 students from 155 countries. London is also known globally for its business education, with the London Business School (ranked 1st in Europe — Business Week) and Cass Business School (Europe's largest finance school) both being top world-rated business schools. In addition there are three international universities: Schiller International University, Richmond University and Regent's College.

Westminster Abbey - London, England. - History

2009-07-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, which is almost always referred to popularly and informally as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic Church in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English, later British and later still (and currently) monarchs of the Commonwealth Realms. It briefly held the status of a Cathedral from 1546–1556, and is a Royal Peculiar.

The Abbey is governed by the Dean and Chapter established under the Elizabethan statute of 1560. It is organised into the College of St Peter, which comprises the Dean and four residentiary Canons (one of whom is also Rector of St Margareta's Church, Westminster, and Speaker's Chaplain), and seventeen other persons who are members ex officio, as well as twelve lay vicars and ten choristers. The seventeen are the Reciever- General and Chapter Clerk the Registrar the Auditor, the Legal Secretary and the Clerk of the Works (the administrative officers). Those more directly concerned with liturgical and ceremonial operations include the Precentor, the Chaplain and Sacrist the Organist, and the (honorary) High Steward and High Bailiff. The Abbey and its property is in the care of the Librarian, the Keeper of the Muniments, and the Surveyor of the Fabric. Lastly, the educational role of the Abbey is reflected in the presence of the Headmaster of the Choir School, the Headmaster and Under Master of Westminster School and the Master of The Queen's Scholars.

History :

According to a tradition first reported by Sulcard in about 1080, the Abbey was first founded in the time of Mellitus (d. 624), Bishop of London, on the present site, then known as Thorn Ey (Thorn Islnd) based on a late 'tradition' that a fisherman called ' Aldrich ' on the River Thames saw a vision of Saint Peter near the site. This seems to be quoted to justify the gifts of salmon from Thames fishermen that the Abbey received in later years. The proven origins are that in the 960s or early 970s, Saint Dunstan, assisted by King Edgar, planted a community of Benedictine Monks, here. A stone Abbey was built around 1045–1050 by King Edward the Confessor as part of his palace there: it was consecrated on December 28' 1065 only a week before the Confessor's death and subsequent funeral and burial. It was the site of the last coronation prior to the Norman Invasion that of his successor King Harold. It was later rebuilt by Henry III from 1245, who had selected the site for his burial.

The only extant depiction of the original Abbey, in the Romanesque style that is called Norman in England, together with the adjacent Palace of Westminster, is in the Bayeux Tapestry. Increased endowments supported a community increased from a dozen monks in Dunstan's original foundation, to about eighty monks.

The Abbot and learned monks, in close proximity to the Royal Palace of Westminster, the seat of government from the later twelfth century, became a powerful force in the centuries after the Norman Conquest: the Abbot was often employed on royal service and in due course took his place in the House of Lords as of right. Released from the burdens of spiritual leadership, which passed to the reformed Cluniac Movement, after the mid-tenth century, and occupied with the administration of great landed properties, some of which lay far from Westminster, "the Benedictines achieved a remarkable degree of identification with the secular life of their times, and particularly with upper-class life", Barbara Harvey concluded, to the extent that her depiction of daily life provides a wider view of the concerns of the English gentry in the High and Late Middle Ages. The proximity of the Palace of Westminster did not extend to providing monks or abbots with high royal connections; in social origin the Benedictines of Westminster were as modest as most of the order. The abbot remained Lord of the Manor of Westminster as a town of two to three thousand persons grew around it: as a consumer and employer on a grand scale the monastery helped fuel the town economy, and relations with the town remained unusually cordial, but no enfranchising charter was issued during the Middle Ages. The abbey built shops and dwellings on the west side, encroaching upon the sanctuary.

The Abbey became the coronation site of Norman kings, but none were buried there until Henry III intensely devoted to the cult of the Confessor, rebuilt the Abbey in Anglo - French Gothic Style as a shrine to honour St Edward the Confessor and as a suitably regal setting for Henry's own Tomb, under the highest Gothic nave in England. The Confessor's Shrine subsequently played a great part in his canonisation. The work continued between 1245-1517 and was largely finished by the architect Henry Yevele in the reign of King Richard II , Henry VII added a Perpendicular Style chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1503 (known as the Henry VII Chapel). Much of the stone came from Caen, in France (Cean Stone), the Isle of Portland (Portland Stone) and the Loire Valley region of France (Tuffeau Limestone).

In 1535, the Abbey's annual income of £2400-2800 during the assessment attendant on the Dissolution of the Monasteries rendered it second in wealth only to Glastonbury Abbey. Henry VIII had assumed direct royal control in 1539 and granted the Abbey cathedral status by charter in 1540, simultaneously issuing letters patent establishing the Diocese of Westminster. By granting the Abbey cathedral status Henry VIII gained an excuse to spare it from the destruction or dissolution which he inflicted on most English abbeys during this period. Westminster was a cathedral only until 1550. The expression "robbing Peter to pay Paul" may arise from this period when money meant for the Abbey, which was dedicated to St Peter, was diverted to the treasury of St Paul's Cathedral.

The Abbey was restored to the Benedictines under the Catholic Queen Mary, but they were again ejected under Queen Elizabeth I in 1559. In 1579, Elizabeth re-established Westminster as a "Royal Peculiar"—a church responsible directly to the Sovereign, rather than to a diocesan bishop—and made it the Collegiate Church of St Peter, (that is a church with an attached chapter of Canons, headed by a dean). The last Abbot was made the first Dean. It suffered damage during the turbulent 1640s, when it was attacked by Puritan iconoclasts, but was again protected by its close ties to the state during the Common Wealth period. Oliver Cromwell was given an elaborate funeral there in 1658, only to be disinterred in January 1661 and posthumously hanged from a nearby gibbet.

The abbey's two western towers were built between 1722 and 1745 by Nicholas Hawksmoor constructed from Portland Stone to an early example of a Gothic Revival design. Further rebuilding and restoration occurred in the 19th century under Sir George Gilbert Scott. A Narthex for the west front was designed by Sir Edward Lutyens in the mid C20 but was not executed.

Until the 19th century, Westminster was the third seat of learning in England, after Oxford and Cambridge. It was here that the first third of the King James Bible Old Testament and the last half of the New Testament were translated. The New English Bible was also put together here in the 20th century. Westminster suffered minor damage during the Blitz on November 15, 1940.

Solar Eclipse July 2009

2009-07-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

The astronomical event of the summer, if not for this entire year, occurs this Wednesday, July 22: A total eclipse of the sun visible in parts of India and China.

In fact, this will be one of the very best solar eclipses of the 21st century thanks to the near-coinciding of three events:

First, the moon arrives at perigee – the nearest point in its orbit relative to Earth – on July 21; a distance of 222,128 mi (357,463 km). Back on July 3, the Earth was at its farthest point from the sun (called aphelion). So while in some configurations the moon might barely cover the sun, this time the moon will appear 8-percent larger than the sun in terms of angular size, which is what we see in the sky.

Second, the moon will arrive at new moon phase on July 22.

And third, just 75-minutes after arriving at new phase, the moon reaches the descending node of its orbit, a point where it can come directly between the Earth and the sun cast its dark cone of shadow (called the umbra) upon the Earth's surface. The end result will be the Solar Eclipse with the longest duration of totality until the year 2132.

India's view

The path of the moon's dark umbral shadow, from where the panoply of phenomena associated with that magic word "totality" can be seen, will first touch the Earth over the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Khambhat (formerly the Gulf of Cambay), roughly between Ahmadabad to the north and Mumbai to the south.

The shadow then sweeps northeast across central India. The path of totality is a narrow swath, yet in crossing India, it could be visible to at least 13-million people (probably a very conservative estimate). The population centers range in size from the 4 million inhabitants of the metropolitan area of Surat – practically on the eclipse center line – to the 130,000 in the city of Darjeeling, internationally famous for its tea industry and the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, down to countless smaller communities and hamlets.

Unfortunately, monsoon conditions typically prevail during July and the chances of getting a clear view of the sun is only 15 percent, based on climate records.

The moon's dark shadow will also sweep over the base of the Himalaya range in India, the Hindu Kingdom of Nepal, and Bhutan and will pass a scant 75 miles (121 km) south of the summit of Mount Everest where 97-percent of the sun's diameter will be covered. The umbra will also race over northern Bangladesh, extreme eastern India and southern and central Tibet.

Next stop, China

The umbra will then cut a west-to-east path across the middle of the People's Republic of China, the most densely populated region on Earth. In fact, four of China's ten largest cities are inside the totality zone. Among the many large cities that will experience totality, is Shanghai, the largest in the People's Republic and with a population of over 14 million, recognized as the sixth largest city in the world. And yet, within the sprawling metropolitan region that encompasses the municipality of Chongqing – also inside of the totality path – there are estimated to be nearly 32 million people!

Certainly, when the umbra sweeps through here beginning at 01:13 UT (9:13 a.m. local time in China), more people will be experiencing the spectacle of a total solar eclipse at one moment then at anytime in recorded history!

Chengou (population nearly 10 million) and Wuhan (over 7 million) are also in the path of total eclipse. All told, at least 85-million – perhaps the actual figure is closer to 100 million people . . . will be plunged into darkness as the core of the moon's shadow races through China. Prospects for clear weather in China is about 30 to 40-percent, but offsetting these modest statistics for fair weather is the probability for haze and industrial smoke, creating smog, especially in Shanghai.

After departing China, the umbra moves out over the East China Sea, eventually passing over some of the Ryukyu (or Nansei) Islands of Japan which form an archipelago extending southwestward from Kyushu towards Taiwan. About 200 miles (325 km) east-southeast of Iwo Jima is the point of greatest eclipse. The umbra attains a maximum width of 161 miles (259 km), with totality on the center line reaching a peak of 6 minutes 39 seconds, with the sun almost directly overhead at an altitude of 86-degrees in the sky.

Many cruise ships are expected to congregate around this area on eclipse day.

Thereafter, the umbra moves on to the southeast, its overall width gradually diminishing, its velocity slowly increasing and the duration of totality correspondingly diminishing. During mid afternoon, the shadow will pass over some of the Marshall and Gilbert Islands. Interestingly, its final landfall is the island of Nikumaroro. There is also a hypothesis that in July 1937 Amelia Earhart and Fred Noonan landed and died on Nikumaroro after failing to find Howland Island during the final stages of their ill-fated World Flight.

Upon crossing the International Date Line going east, the eclipse date transitions from July 22 back to July 21. The totality path finally comes to its end at 4:18 UT in the South Pacific Ocean amidst the northern group of the Cook Islands.

Local Circumstances (and be careful!)

The visibility zone for the associated partial eclipse will include much of central and eastern Asia.

Eclipses recur in a cycle known as the saros; one saros cycle is equal to 18-years, 11 and one-third days (give or take one day).

Hawaii, which was crossed by the totality path of the saros predescessor of this eclipse in July 1991, will see a small partial eclipse toward sunset. And a very small section of Australia, namely the northern and eastern portion of the Cape York Peninsula, juts just far enough into the moon's penumbral shadow to allow for small dent to appear on the lower right edge of the midday sun.

For maps depicting the zone of visibility of both the partial and total stages, including a listing of 385 local circumstances for selected cities, go to http://www.eclipse.org.uk/eclipse/0412009/.

IMPORTANT: To look at the sun without proper eye protection is dangerous. Even if you are in the path of the total eclipse you will need to protect your eyes during the partial phases.

Coming attractions

The next total eclipse of the sun will be less than a year from now, on July 11, 2010. The umbral shadow will pass chiefly over the open ocean waters of the South Pacific, but will also make contact with Mangaia – the second largest and most southerly of the Cook Islands, a number of small atolls of the Tuamotu Archipelago and later still along the track, the legendary Easter Island.

Finally, just as the shadow path is coming to its end, it makes landfall in South America along the rugged shoreline of southern Chile; finally slipping off the Earth's surface in southern Argentina. At its peak, the moon will blot out the sun for 5 minutes 20 seconds.

North Americans must wait a bit longer for their chance at a total solar eclipse. On Aug. 21, 2017, the moon's shadow will sweep coast to coast across the contiguous United States, from Oregon, southeastward to South Carolina. It will be the first total solar eclipse for the mainland U.S. since Feb. 26, 1979.

Statue of Liberty

2009-07-20T14:06:00.000-07:00

The Statue of Liberty National Monument officially celebrated her 100th birthday on October 28, 1986. The people of France gave the Statue to the people of the United States over one hundred years ago in recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution. Over the years, the Statue of Liberty's symbolism has grown to include freedom and democracy as well as this international friendship.

Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design a sculpture with the year 1876 in mind for completion, to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The Statue was a joint effort between America and France and it was agreed upon that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly here in the United States. However, lack of funds was a problem on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In France, public fees, various forms of entertainment, and a lottery were among the methods used to raise funds. In the United States, benefit theatrical events, art exhibitions, auctions and prize fights assisted in providing needed funds.

Meanwhile in France, Bartholdi required the assistance of an engineer to address structural issues associated with designing such a colossal copper sculpture. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) was commissioned to design the massive iron pylon and secondary skeletal framework which allows the Statue's copper skin to move independently yet stand upright. Back in America, fund raising for the pedestal was going particularly slowly, so Joseph Pulitzer (noted for the Pulitzer Prize) opened up the editorial pages of his newspaper, "The World" to support the fund raising effort. Pulitzer used his newspaper to criticize both the rich who had failed to finance the pedestal construction and the middle class who were content to rely upon the wealthy to provide the funds. Pulitzer's campaign of harsh criticism was successful in motivating the people of America to donate.

Financing for the pedestal was completed in August 1885, and pedestal construction was finished in April of 1886. The Statue was completed in France in July, 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor in June of 1885 on board the French frigate "Isere" which transported the Statue of Liberty from France to the United States. In transit, the Statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. The Statue was re-assembled on her new pedestal in four months time. On October 28th 1886, the dedication of the Statue of Liberty took place in front of thousands of spectators. She was a centennial gift ten years late.

The story of the Statue of Liberty and her island has been one of change. The Statue was placed upon a granite pedestal inside the courtyard of the star-shaped walls of Fort Wood (which had been completed for the War of 1812.) The United States Lighthouse Board had responsibility for the operation of the Statue of Liberty until 1901. After 1901, the care and operation of the Statue was placed under the War Department. A Presidential Proclamation declared Fort Wood (and the Statue of Liberty within it) a National Monument on October 15th, 1924 and the monument's boundary was set at the outer edge of Fort Wood. In 1933, the care and administration of the National Monument was transferred to the National Park Service. On September 7, 1937, jurisdiction was enlarged to encompass all of Bedloe's Island and in 1956, the island's name was changed to Liberty Island. On May 11, 1965, Ellis Island was also transferred to the National Park Service and became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. In May of 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Lee Iacocca to head up a private sector effort to restore the Statue of Liberty. Fundraising began for the $87 million restoration under a public/private partnership between the National Park Service and The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., to date the most successful public-private partnership in American history. In 1984, at the start of the Statue's restoration, the United Nations designated the Statue of Liberty as a World Heritage Site. On July 5, 1986 the newly restored Statue re-opened to the public during Liberty Weekend, which celebrated her centennial.

Five Keys To Wellness

2009-07-18T20:54:00.000-07:00

A way of life that involves taking responsibility for one's own well-being by practicing lifestyle habits that promote optimal health. Wellness is multi-faceted and is attainable and maintainable

This will help you focus on the 5 keys to wellness.

Five Keys to Wellness:

Medical Wellness: Your physical health is the foundation of all other aspects of wellness.

One of the most important tips for medical wellness is to never go at it alone. Research shows that teaming with a medical professional produces greater, longer lasting results.

Nutritional Wellness: Good Nutrition supports the powerful Health - Producing Capabilities of your Body.

What you eat and how you prepare food are just as important as how much food you eat. In order to support increased physical activity, it is important to provide your body with proper nutrients.

Physical Wellness : Appropriate Physical Activity is a Powerful Source of Health Benefits.

Scientific research confirms that regular, appropriate physical activity is a powerful source of health benefits.

Similar to obesity, lack of exercise is associated with risk of many diseases. It is important, with a doctor's approval, to begin a program that increases exertion gradually, so as to be more sustainable. Exercise should be pleasant, invigorating and fun, not a chore.

Motivational Wellness : Everyone experiences stress, disappointments, and negative emotions. By preparing for bumps in the road of life, we can keep them from negatively impacting your weight loss program and your wellness.

Educational Wellness : A Healthy Mind is always Learning and Open to New Ideas.

Wellness, or the state of being in good health, begins with the desire to be well. Science is discovering new paths to wellness every day, and it is wise to stay abreast of these developments.

LifeStyle Habits

2009-07-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

Many lifestyle habits developed in childhood and adolescence (such as poor diet, lack of exercise, and experimentation with tobacco and substance use) can have a major impact on health later in life and contribute to leading causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes. The scope of what child health psychologists can contribute is much broader than many have yet recognized.

"That means the choices that children and teenagers make early in life, and the activities that they engage in, can have serious implications for their physical health and well-being when they grow up. Because these health-compromising behaviors are typically initiated when a person is young, there is a need to more effectively prevent their onset and reform public health approaches to prevention. That is where child health psychologists can help."

"There is a pressing need to readdress prevention efforts targeted toward our nation's young people and their families, and child health psychologists are well-poised to advance this mission. Specialists in childhood behavior have a lot of good expertise that should now be employed to play a greater role in disease prevention."

while there are numerous lifestyle and behavioral prevention programs available both within and outside the public health sector, too few have been designed specifically for younger people.

"Increasingly, the energy in public health is being focused on the lives of children because we know these lifestyle habits form early and may carry forward into adulthood. Child health psychologists and other advocates for children's health need to be more involved at all levels of prevention research, applied work, and policy making in helping young people adopt good self-care."

Chocolates Protects Against Cancer

2009-07-18T19:39:00.000-07:00

Regular intake of chocolate, fruits, vegetables, red wine and tea could help protect against Alzheimer’s disease,

All contain chemicals called flavonoids that may also help existing dementia sufferers.

Flavonoids are naturally occurring antioxidants, which help beat cancer and the ageing process by protecting cells from damage. They also mop up potentially harmful oxygen molecules in the body.
New research is emerging that suggests flavonoids do not act only as antioxidants but exert their effects in other ways.

“There have been some intriguing epidemiological studies that show the consumption of flavonoid-rich vegetables, fruit juices and red wine delays the onset of the disease,”
cellular studies on a flavonoid called epicatechin, found in many foodstuffs, including cocoa.

“We have found that epicatechin protects brain cells from damage but through a mechanism unrelated to its antioxidant activity and have shown in laboratory tests that it can also reduce some aspects of Alzheimer’s disease pathology,”

Central to the development of Alzheimer’s disease is beta-amyloid peptide, a substance normally produced in the brain but which in Alzheimer’s is deposited abnormally.
flavonoids can protect brain cells against the toxic actions of beta-amyloid.

“The challenge now is to identify the single flavonoid or combination of flavonoids that exert the most positive effects,”

Chocolate protects Skin from Sunburn n Skin Cancer

This Summer as you're headed out to the beach bring along the suntan lotion AND the Healthy Dark Chocolate.

Dark Chocolate , the kind that comes from genuine cocoa, not milk chocolate, protects us from sunburn and is a powerful antioxidant.

Skin cancer and premature skin aging from the sun are preventable with sunscreen and by eating the right foods. A focus on the right food soffers protection from sunburn and skin cancer, from the inside out.Foods that attack free radicals in the body and reduce inflammation can keep us looking younger and protect from sunburn that leads to skin cancer, pre-cancerous skin changes.

Dark Chocolate, specifically cold-pressed chocolate, is high in antioxidants. So they suggest to start your day in the sun with a cup of cocoa. Two ounces of dark chocolate a day is a healthy way to gain health benefits that include protection from sunburn and skin cancer.

Remember, cold-pressed equals high ORAC (which, no matter who tells you otherwise, does not mean Orgasmic Reactions Around Chocolate, but really stands for Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity) the measure to see how many free radicals are in a food. Be sure that whatever chocolates or other foods you eat, has certified levels of ORAC printed on their products. And, be careful, I've found that there are companies that talk about generic levels of ORAC for a kind of food, but never actually regularly test their own products. There should be a certification on the packaging.

Omega 3 fatty acids also reduce inflammation and can reduce your risk of melanoma, a deadly type of skin cancer. So if you ate Chocolates with Omega 3 's that would be the bomb. Luckily, there is a dark cold pressed chocolate with Oemga 3's available.

Use fresh sunscreen. Sunscreen loses potency, purchase a fresh bottle every year. Remember to get at least twenty minutes of UV rays without sunscreen daily to get the benefits of vitamin D. Too much sun can expose us to dangers from skin cancer. Eating the right foods benefits overall health, and can keep sunburn away by reducing inflammation and protecting from damage associated with harmful free radicals from too much sun exposure.

A combination skin cream containing vitamin E and Vitamin C can also protect from sunburn and aging. Skin lotions containing green tea extracts can also protect from sunburn that can lead to skin cancer and premature aging. Combining the right skin care and eating foods that protect the skin from damage can prevent sunburn and skin changes that lead to skin cancer, premature aging, and pre-cancerous skin lesions.

Just one more reason to eat healthy chocolate.

Kurt Cobain Journals

2009-07-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

"This is the story of the sudden rise to fame of a small town kid, who had difficulties adjusting to his overnight fame. It chronicles Kurt Cobain's life as a man in his early 20's who wants more than anything just to make music, and lives basically in poverty, working as a janitor to make money. He believes that young, white, men control the world, but should be stopped and that "sexism is the root of all other -ism's". Suddenly, Kurt is thrown into the spotlight--and a world he doesn't want to be in.."

Life After Death

2009-07-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

"Live Life so Completely that when Death comes to

You like a Thief in the Night, there will be nothing left

For him to Steal...

Live your Own Life , for you will

Die your Own Death...

There is nothing more important to us as living beings than that we have something we can describe as a soul that continues to exist after physical death and is everlasting. For without this, it is all for naught and there was no point in existing at all for ultimately it does not matter if we live for a year or a trillion years if we do not have immortality. And in fact not having such would really be the ultimate cruelty.

What if we cease to exist at physical death? Being mortal with no soul and there is no afterlife. It is the same as never existing in the first place. In my opinion, thinking the preceding in deep thought while alone with one having no hope of the possibility of an afterlife is the most unsettling thought there is. Needing to know and to the extent one needs to know all depends on the individual and the animal they are.

Life after death can neither be proved nor disproved. This is because one would have to undergo physical death in order to prove or disprove it (and by its very nature, disproving it would not be possible). This is in contrast to something like astrology where one could undertake a study of people born at the same time and evaluate their personality traits and life outcomes at a later time to see if there is any correlation with time of birth. There is no actual direct evidence against an afterlife - only arguments refuting the specific examples of evidence for life after death as not being sufficient proof. Although it can easily be argued that not having direct knowledge of an afterlife constitutes evidence against life after death. Life after death cannot be disproven; only the evidence in its favour can be scrutinized and rational non-believers are left to make the conclusion that life after death cannot be proven.
It is hard to imagine any species (ie. mankind) would reach such a high level of consciousness of our own existence if it were all to end with this life. There is no evolutionary advantage or biological need for this. For a mortal life here on earth, the human mind is much more advanced than necessary.
Possibly we have reached such a state of consciousness, because there is a continuum to this life after this one ends? Just being conscious of our existence suggests that there may be an afterlife. Why else would we be aware of our mortality or be concerned with life after death? Possibly we can only fathom we could cease to exist because we never will cease to exist? In fact, awareness of our mortality or immortality and what it means goes beyond the awareness you exist (consciousness). Having a soul can explain consciousness, but if we do not possess souls, then how do we account for consciousness?

If it so happens that ones existence can end at any time and is not everlasting, it makes ones existence pointless in the first place and really, the ultimate form of cruelty.

Why life? There is no scientific reason for the existence of life. The universe doesn't care if there is life in it - it does not benefit from it. Yet life, and especially more advanced life with consciousness like us humans, came about. A 'driving force' in the universe behind it that made it all happen would make some sense of it all. Many would call such a driving force, God.
Considering the fact we have our universe and matter and energy in it, we have to think why is there something rather than nothing? For without a Creator or some spiritual force behind it all, would it not be expected there would be nothing?

It is difficult for some of us to believe there is life after death because it is all seems too incredible that we have a soul which leaves the body upon physical death and goes on to somewhere else. This is more so the case when many of us are wrapped up in our busy day to day lives with little time for reflection. Then we do not take time out to ponder how the bigger scheme of things might be because it has little bearing on our busy every day life with all its commitments, responsibilities, and distractions. If we were to put ourselves in a very dark room with no sounds or distractions when we aren't tired or sleepy, and engage in deep thought about the subject, then we may have more insight into what may actually be the truth. Of course the alternative, that there is no survival of consciousness, is all too hard to believe for many of us also.

If we came from the 'other side', then should we not have fear of returning to it. So we should not have a fear of death as we could make the assumption that we would likely have some instinct built into us that we don't need to worry about our mortality since we are immortal. However, for the large part, this fear of death exists in most people to varying degrees.
Why are we not aware of where we came from and where we are going when we die? Why do we exist at all? What is the purpose of our existence and our life in this world? If we are reincarnated so that we may improve our souls, then should we not know this? If, as taught by Christianity this is our only life on earth, then why do we not have direct knowledge of this? Why is God not in direct contact with us? Maybe not knowing is a better 'test' for us. Going into this life on earth maybe we know the answers to the preceding questions, but once here this knowledge is 'taken' from us and we only can speculate - we therefore live our lives differently possibly and are not motivated by some selfish reward for a good life lived and the suffering we endure is of greater benefit to us. In other words, having direct knowledge of the afterlife would mean we would be motivated by reward (spiritual improvement) in our actions and would not suffer as much and therefore would not improve as much spiritually.

I don't think it was the intent of God or the 'universal consciousness' (assuming there is such) to reveal all to the satisfaction of everyone of us. For if it had, then surely we would all be believers. It all seems to be part of a greater plan to have it all this way.

I don't agree with some who believe mankind is not capable of understanding or comprehending this. For mankind not only has a great understanding of many difficult and complex areas of say science, but also made the discoveries to make it possible. At the very least, if all were to be revealed, the essence of it all should be understood by most.

Insomnia : An Insight

2009-07-15T14:12:00.000-07:00

Listen up, insomniacs! Tossing and turning into the wee hours may be more harmful than you think.
studies suggest that insomnia may have harmful affects on both the body and mind, including a rise in blood pressure and an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior. "The message is that insomnia is not a minor problem that can b e ignored,"

People with long-term insomnia (a year or long er) and a short sleep time (less than five hours a night) were five times as likely to hav e high blood pressure as people without insomnia who slept six or more hours per night. People with in somnia who slept five to six hours a night were three-and-a-half times as likely to have high blood pressure as insomnia-free sleepers who snoozed for at least six hours a night. Insomnia is associated with a high risk for hypertension," "Until now, only sleep apnea has been associated with high blood pressure." Sleep Apnea is a disorder characterized by heavy snoring and upper-airway collapse, in which sleepers snort and gasp for breath, sometimes hundreds of times a night.

Although the exact link between high blood pressure and insomnia is still unclear, an increased secretion of the stress hormone cortisol may play a role. People with sleep problems -- such as difficulty falling asleep or maintaining sleep, or early-morning awakening -- nearly every night were about twice as likely to report suicidal thoughts, suicide planning, or an actual suicide attempt as those with no sleep problems.

Although certain mental illnesses like depression can cause insomnia, the link seemed to exist into account depression, anxiety, alcohol, substance abuse, or chronic physical illness. "Association between sleep problems and suicidality seems to be fully independent of potentially underlying disease,"
Insufficient sleep may have a negative impact on cognitive function, which may result in poor judgment, feelings of hopelessness, or a lack of impulse control. Also, insomnia may affect serotonin, the brain's "good mood" chemical.
One in three adults experience insomnia at some point, In addition to difficulty falling or staying asleep, the symptoms can include not feeling well-rested the next day, tension headaches, and worrying about sleep. A lack of sufficient sleep is associated with a slower reaction time and poor job performance, and, in the long term, an increased risk of diabetes, obesity, and poor immune system function.

Women are twice as likely to experience insomnia then men, which may be due to hormonal shifts during menstruation. Other risk factors for insomnia include age (being older than 60) and mental-health disorders like anxiety, depression, and stress.

For some, treatment can be as simple as making lifestyle changes, "Exercising, eating healthy, and avoiding smoking are helpful measures,"
"However, a common treatment for insomnia is a combination of medication and psychotherapy, primarily cognitive behavioral therapy."

Cognitive behavioral therapy includes education in "sleep hygiene," lifestyle factors that affect sleep. For example, it may help to cut back on coffee late in the day or to take a television out of the bedroom. Other behavioral therapies, including relaxation techniques and light therapy, may also help.

Prescription sleeping pills such as Ambien and Lunesta can be prescribed for sleepless nights, but do not treat the underlying cause of insomnia.
For patients with insomnia and a risk for hypertension, talking to a primary care physician, psychiatrist, or sleep specialist. And people with insomnia and suicidal thoughts are also encouraged to seek advice from a physician and a psychiatrist. "Antidepressant medication is most effective when treating both,"
"Do not wait for symptoms to resolve themselves."

London's Punk Band Fight For Right To Party

2009-07-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

LONDON, England (CNN) -- A disabled punk band has launched a campaign to fight for the rights of disabled people to be able to party late.

"Heavy Load," describe themselves as an "anarcho-garage-punk" band and are made up of five musicians, one of whom has Downs Syndrome and two who have unspecified learning disabilities.

Their campaign, "Stay Up Late," encourages carers to support disabled people who want to stay out past 10pm.

Heavy Load's manager and bass guitarist, Paul Richards, 39, told CNN: "The Stay Up Late" campaign is to raise awareness, and tackle the issue where disabled gig-goers end up going home at 9pm, therefore missing most of the evening, because their support workers finish their shifts at 10pm.

"We started the campaign because we'd be playing a gig and something strange happens at 9pm when people would start to go home. We were also frustrated with asking to go on earlier in the evening so that our fans would still be there. It's not very punk to go on at 8.30pm," he added.

"Stay up Late" has received widespread support from disabled people and the UK government, Richards said. Even carers who may be required to work later if the campaign is successful have offered their support.

"So far, we've only had one or two support workers say that they don't think they should be required to work unsociable hours," Richards said.

The group has also partnered with the UK's leading learning disabilities charity Mencap, who they say have really helped to relay their message to a wider audience.

Mencap and Heavy Load teamed up last week where the band headlined a concert in London for people with learning disabilities, giving them an opportunity to be involved in running a club night.

They concert was held in conjunction with London venue Proud Camden, and around 400 people attended the event which finished at 1am.

Everyone at the event, from the door girl, to bar staff and cloakroom attendants, were people with learning disabilities, venue owner Alex Proud told CNN.

"It's the first event of its kind for people with a learning disability and there was a real buzz about how people with learning disability are an untapped source in the entertainment industry."

He said: "At these nights there is a lack of inhibitions. They tend to let their hair down and really know how to party; it's a hell of a lot of fun for all involved. Proud is eager to put on events that include people with a learning disability and to make the public more aware of this often overlooked group.

"Young people with learning disabilities want to go out, but they are not catered for in the entertainment industry," he added.

Heavy Load have been together for 13 years since meeting at the Southdown housing in England, a non-profit assisted-living community for people with learning disabilities.

Vocalist Jimmy Nicholls, 62, posted an advert and a week later the band including Michael White, 47 (drums) Simon barker, 37 (lead vocals) and Mick Williams, 47 (guitar and vocals) was formed.

Since then the band has gained many disabled and non-disabled fans and a successful documentary, "Heavy Load," has been made about their lives.

Now they are looking forward to setting up the "Stay Up Late" campaign around the world.

Richards said: "When we visited New York last year we were surprised to find that it's an issue for people with learning disabilities to get out much at all -- so there is definitely a need there.

"We've also been asked to go to Russia, Serbia, other parts of the U.S., Scotland and Czech Republic to play and promote the campaign -- which we'd love to do, but money's tight, " he added.

However, Richards insists the campaign is not about partying late every night.

"We don't insist on people staying up late against their will -- just having the choice to do what they want to do!"

JUNE 26' 1498 : A Brush With History

2009-07-15T13:26:00.000-07:00

1498: The emperor of China patents the toothbrush: hogback bristles set into a piece of bone or bamboo. Dental hygiene takes a step up.

How — or if — you cleaned your teeth before this time depended on culture and class. The chew stick, or chewing stick or toothstick, was a piece of twig. One could chew one end of the stick until it was quite frayed and then use the frayed end to brush and scrape one’s teeth.

If you had a knife handy, you could carve the other end of the stick to a sharp point to pick at the larger specks of oral detritus. And if the twig came from an aromatic tree or shrub, all the better, because you got some breath freshener in the bargain.

Some ancient Egyptian tombs included toothsticks as burial artifacts, meant to allow the departed to continue their tooth-cleaning in the afterlife. (Mummy says, “Now brush your teeth.”)

Other Methods included using a cloth or rag to wash and wipe the teeth. These might be dipped in sulfur oil or a saline solution. Another practice was to just rub baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, still an ingredient in toothpastes) directly onto the teeth.

Greek and Roman Texts refer to people using toothpicks to clean their teeth. If you had the money, you could buy yourself a brass or silver toothpick, often with elaborate or even ostentatious handles.

Into all this came Chinese ingenuity. Take the stiff, coarse bristles from the back of a hog’s neck, set them at right angles into a piece of bone or bamboo, and you can really brush those difficult-to-reach crevices.

News of the invention reached Europe. It didn’t catch on right off, perhaps because the local horsehair or feathers that were used there just weren’t stiff enough to do the job.

Englishman William Addis hit on the idea in the 1770s of importing coarse boar bristles from the cold climates of Siberia and northern China, and his quality mass-produced brushes sold well. The Company Addis Founded in 1780 is still in the brush biz today.

As the market picked up, innovation followed innovation. Meyer Rhein patented a three-row toothbrush in 1844 with large tufts of serrated bristles. Celluloid Plastic brush handles appeared during World War I, when every bone available was needed to make soup.

Dr. West’s Miracle Tuft Toothbrush appeared in 1938, with bristles made of Nylon, the new invention from DuPont Timely that, as China’s civil war and the Japanese invasion had made East Asian boar bristles hard to get.

A Swiss electric toothbrush came along in 1939, but the first really successful one, Squibb’s Broxodent, didn’t hit the market until 1961. The development of smaller motors was a big help. General Electric’s first rechargeable cordless model, another big convenience, also appeared in 1961,

A 2003 Survey asked Americans which of the following inventions would be the hardest to live without: the automobile, the personal computer, the cellphone, the microwave and the toothbrush. The more recent inventions trailed the pack. The century-old automobile came in second, and the five-century-old toothbrush came in first, named by 42 percent of adults and 34 percent of teens.

Compassion : An Antidote to Anger ?

2009-07-15T13:08:00.000-07:00

The nectar of compassion is so wonderful. If you are committed to keeping it alive, then you are protected. What the other person says will not touch off the anger and irritation in you, because compassion is the real antidote for anger.

There's often misinterpretation between the words Anger and Aggression. Anger by itself is not an issue. It is important to be able to notice when we are getting angry, frustrated, irritated, or annoyed because it is often a signal that something is amiss. With that awareness we have the ability to choose what we want to do with it. It is the behavior of aggression and hostility that put people on the defense and cause problems.

When we cultivate compassion, we begin to soften the reactivity of aggression and hostility that often stems from anger.

What is compassion?

Compassion is a quality of awareness that combines identifying with another’s feelings (i.e., empathy) while understanding the position the other is in.

Inherent in the definition of mindfulness is non-judgment and another quality of it is “kind attention.” So as we cultivate a practice of nonjudgmentally placing kind attention on our own experience, we naturally begin to elicit feelings of self-compassion which then begins to flow outwards to others.

To cultivate compassion for another, try this: Allow yourself to imagine the sorrows and pains that the other person holds. During this life they have certainly had disappointments, failures, losses and wounds so deep they may not feel safe to share. Imagine them as your own child, feeling frightened and in pain, and how you may want to comfort them.

Sometimes, through practice, we come to understand that compassion may very well be the greatest antidote to the reactivity that can stem from anger and a pathway toward Constructive Anger.

As always, please share your thoughts, stories, and questions below. Your interaction provides a living wisdom for us all to benefit from.

JULY 15' 1999 - Beryllium Poisoning

2009-07-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

1999: After five decades of denial, the U.S. government owns up to poisoning thousands of defense, aerospace and atomic energy workers by exposing them to beryllium. President Bill Clinton asks Congress to enact legislation to compensate the sickened workers and their survivors.

The element beryllium (Be, atomic number 4) is a Group 2 alkaline earth metal, the lightest of the family that includes magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium and radium. Because of its low weight, high melting point, resistance to corrosion, great strength and good electrical conductivity, it’s widely used in electronics, aerospace, atomic energy and defense. Other applications are in precision machining and die casting, molding plastics, and making dental plates and X-ray tubes.

Short-term exposure causes acute beryllium disease which causes skin irritation and inflammation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs.

Long-term exposure, even in minute amounts, can result in chronic beryllium disease mainly affecting the lungs. CBD may take anywhere from 10 to 25 years after exposure to develop. The debilitating syndrome is characterized by shortness of breath on physical activity, persistent dry cough, fatigue, night sweats, chest and joint pain, loss of appetite … and death.

As many as 26,000 workers may have been exposed to beryllium in the preceding half-century, and officials expected to deal with 500 to 1,000 cases of CBD. Many were not previously eligible for federal benefits because they worked for contractors rather than directly for the federal government, which fought them tooth and nail on the matter of worker compensation. Because their disease often took a decade or more to develop, they were also denied state benefits.

Energy Secretary Bill Richardson announced the turnabout: “It’s time to stop spending money litigating against these workers and focus our efforts on getting them the help they need.”

Some victims were still bitter. A former employee of the Oak Ridge, Tennessee, nuclear-weapons site summed up his feelings: “I do feel anger. I feel more anger because there has been so much stalling up until today.”

Congress passed and the president signed the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act in 2000. The program was augmented in 2001 and 2004 and now covers illnesses caused by chronic silicosis (from working in nuclear-fuel mines) and radiation and, as well as CBD.

The Department of Labor said earlier this month that it has paid almost $5 billion in compensation and medical benefits under the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program to 51,331 claimants across the country.

But former workers still complain of government foot-dragging. They say the pace is too slow and that they must jump through one bureaucratic hoop after another to receive compensation for CBD. With the aid of law firms, they’ve formed support networks and advocacy groups to speed the process and increase the percentage of claims approved by the government.

Johnny Depp does not watch his films.

2009-07-14T16:27:00.000-07:00

It seems that Hollywood heartthrob Johnny Depp is no movie buff as the actor has revealed that he does not even watch his own movies. The actor is looking forward to reprise his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' franchise even though the last two movies in the series were not liked by the critics.

The actor admits that he doesn't know whether the attacks were justified as he hasn't seen the movies, the Female First reported.

"I mean, call me a glutton. If we can get the screenplay right to Pirates 4 because, obviously, virtually no cinema's perfect. So 'Pirates one' had its own thing, two and three, I suppose, had their own thing and it got a little confusing here and there in the story. Not that I've seen the movies, but I hear tell," the actor said.

The actor, who has popularised the character of Captain Jack Sparrow on screen, says he is reprising the role once again because public loves it.

"I think, for me, because I love the character so much and I enjoy playing the character so much and people seem to like it, if there's an opportunity to try again, you know, it's like going up to bat. You want to get back out there and try and try and try and see what you can do. I enjoy playing Captain Jack very much."

Smoking Linked To Brain Damage

2009-07-14T16:17:00.000-07:00

Scientists from Indian National Brain Research Centre (NBRC) have found that smoking can lead to severe

Smoking can lead to severe brain damage (Getty Images)

brain damage.

The study shows that a compound in tobacco provokes white blood cells in the central nervous system to attack healthy cells, resulting in severe neurological damage.

According to lead researchers from Debapriya Ghosh and Dr Anirban Basu, NNK, a chemical substance that becomes carcinogenic when it is altered by the metabolic process of the body can cause neuroinflamation, a condition, which leads to disorders such as multiple sclerosis

"Considering the extreme economical and disease burden of neuroinflammation related disorders, it is extremely important from a medical, social and economic point of view to discover if NNK in tobacco causes neuroinflammation," said Ghosh.

To reach the conclusion, team conducted two types of tests, one outside of a living host in glass and one in laboratory mice.

It used blot analysis techniques, which showed that the introduction of NNK resulted in a clear increase in proinflammatory signaling proteins, proinflammatory effector proteins and other stress related proteins.

In addition, increased levels of proinflammatory cytokines, which act as molecular messengers between cells, were also detected.

This showed that NNK provoked an exaggerated response from the brain’s immune cells, known as microglia, which act as ‘destroyers’ for the brain by attacking damaged or unhealthy cells.

However, when provoked by NNK these cells start to attack healthy brain cells rather than the unhealthy cells they are supposed to attack.

2009-07-13T21:54:00.001-07:00

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Greatest Inventions of Humankind

2009-07-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

1. Wheel: This is the most important invention of man kind. It has kick-started the growth of man kind. Its Emergence was essential for the development of modern technology. Without it there would have been no watch gears, pulleys, turbines etc.

2. Electricity: Without this invention Mankind would have existed in a totally different world, may be better than existing. This has given man to transport the energy from one place to other. This energy is convertible to one form to other easily.

3. Magnetic Compass: This invention lead man to Travel long distances leaving his home, discovering distant lands and it was key to our understanding the earth.

4. Internal Combustion Engine: This has revolutionised transportation. Horses/bullocks were replaced by automobiles. Travel speed increased.

5. Antibiotics: This is the invention, which increased human life expectancy dramatically. It is germ-killing substance that comes from living source. Although it combats a wide range of serious diseases, it is virtually harmless to healthy tissues.

6. Aeroplane: Inspired by Nature. It was considered to be impossible that a material heavier than Air can really fly. Transportation was given a totally new dimension.

7. Telephone: This is the important invention in the field of communication. This made world shrink.

8. Electronics: After electricity this is the most important invention, which has created many applications to Electricity.

9. Computers: Invention of Electronics lead to invention of modern day computer.

10. Internet: This has really made the globe to shrink. Invention of this started the new age, the Information age. No doubt this is the most important invention after Electricity.

Reggae - The Jamaican Connection

2009-07-13T13:20:00.000-07:00

Reggae is the passion of the people of Jamaica. Jamaica was where reggae was born. Reggae has captured the imagination of the people everywhere. ‘The music the world swings to’ would be an apt comment on the effect of reggae.

Reggae has been the binding force of the people of Jamaica. It has now spread its branches all over the world. Jamaican people have made the music very popular and credit must be given to them for doing this.

Origin of reggae:

The word "Reggae" was first used by the Ska group Toots and the Maytals, who used this word in the title of their hit Do the Reggay in the post war era. ‘Roots’ is the name given to a new type of music which is the Rastafarian reggae music. It is a spiritual in nature and is mainly sung in praise of Jah or God

Roots reggae was, and even now is, an important part of Jamaican culture, and while all the other types of reggae have decreased in popularity, roots reggae has found a small, but growing, place globally.

Reggae is a mix of various cultures and their music. It is a mix of African, American and Caribbean music and also their culture. It cannot be attributed to a single place, though the origin was from Jamaica.

Reggae: Music of the soul

Reggae songs deal with various emotions like love, peace, sexuality, relationship and a variety of other social and political issues. The lyrics are accompanied by music that is very rhythmic. The music is the one that touches the hearts of the people hearing it.

The music is all about the human experience in various aspects. It touches the soul deeply and musicians are deeply involved in reggae. This makes the listeners also be a part of the music and lyrics. It touches a chord deep inside the human experience and makes the one who hears it become one with the music.

Bob Marley : The king of reggae

The credit for popularizing this music goes to a great musician Bob Marley. He made reggae reach every nook and corner of the world.

Bob Marley and reggae are like twins. They exist together. He was the face of reggae to the world. People were attracted more to reggae through Marley than ever before. He rejuvenated reggae to a great extent. There were also other great reggae singers who have popularized the music.

The unique experience:

From reggae, there have been many new genres of music. These are only partly reggae. These are hip hop rap, reggaeton. The latest in these list of offshoots from reggae is the reggae fusion. As the name indicates, it is a fusion of reggae, jazz,hip hop music and others.

Whatever the changes in reggae, it will remain one of the unique experiences of people who are part of the reggae tradition. It is a human experience that cannot be told, or explained. It is something that has to be felt. And those who feel the reggae in their souls will never be able to part with it.

Such is the effect of reggae on the human mind. It binds the music and lyrics that become inseparable from a person.

Don't Get Caught Off Guard With StealthSwitch

2009-07-13T13:12:00.000-07:00

It is very unnerving to have that feeling of being watched or someone might unexpectedly pry on what you are doing. This is true to both home and office environment, especially involving computer privacy at work. There is always a risk of other people passing by and getting a peek of what is on your computer screen. Turning off your monitor or quickly minimizing your windows when somebody is approaching or behind is unpractical and might put others in the defensive. If it is your boss, it might as well arouse suspicion that you are doing something “else”.

There is a clever security gadget in the form of a foot switch called StealthSwitch to put you at ease. It can be concealed under your desk or workstation and works with just a tap of your toes. Depending on your user setting, it can totally hide from view your current window, all windows or specified windows. Additionally, StealthSwitch can also hide taskbars and desktop icons including asking for password before restoring to previous state. Simply tap the device again to go back to what you are doing or viewing.

It is relatively easy to set up, just install the bundled software and plant the device between the keyboard and PC or directly plug it into a USB port. The software requires Win 98, 98SE, ME, 2000, XP Home/Pro and the device comes with 6′ cable, USB-PS/2 Adapter, Installation CD and Quick Install Guide.

Sony VAIO Z48 - The last 'Laptop' Temptation

2009-07-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

Unimaginably stylish, best in performance and the hardware you haven’t seen before in any other laptop until now. This is Sony VAIO Z48, the last temptation in the world of Laptop technology.

Apart from excellent display and battery life, it weighs only 1.39 kg. You are not even gonna feel it if you carry it in a bag.

The connectivity through Wi-Fi and gigabit Ethernet gives you the maximum wireless coverage.

The combination of Intel Core 2 Duo P9700 processor (which features a hefty 6 MB L2 cache), 6 GB of DDR3 RAM and a 256 GB solid state drive (SSD) result a superb performance.

Information

Notebook- Sony VGN-Z48 GD

Dimensions (WxHxD): 315 x 33 x 211 mm
Weight: 1.39 kg
Screen size: 13.1-inch
Price: Rs. 1, 49,900

World's oldest surviving Bible goes Online

2009-07-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

London: The oldest surviving Christian Bible has been launched on the Internet, thanks to a painstaking conservation project involving institutions in the UK, Germany, Egypt, and Russia.

High-resolution digital images of the pages in the fourth-century book, considered to be one of the most important texts in the world, have been created to view online.

Scholars will be able to view about half of the 1,600-year-old Codex Sinaiticus, meaning The Sinai Book, in one place for the first time since the manuscript has its home in four different libraries across the globe.

Dr Scot McKendrick, head of Western manuscripts at the British Library, said that the wide availability of the document would boost many research opportunities."The Codex Sinaiticus is one of the world''s greatest written treasures. This 1,600-year-old manuscript offers a window into the development of early Christianity and first-hand evidence of how the text of the Bible was transmitted from generation to generation," the Scotsman quoted him as saying.

He added: "The availability of the virtual manuscript for study by scholars around the world creates opportunities for collaborative research that would not have been possible just a few years ago."

Edinburgh University’s Professor Timothy Lim, an expert on biblical manuscripts including the Dead Sea Scrolls, also said: "Gathering all the parts together will allow people to talk about it as a whole and learn more about it and improve speed of access. The actual pages are not that difficult to read so now if you are holding a lecture, you can display a page and examine it there and then."

The British Library has also put an exhibition running until September 7 to mark the online launch of the manuscript that contains the oldest complete New Testament, and one of the oldest Greek translations of the parts of the Old Testament.

Brangelina twins turn 1 year old

2009-07-13T09:42:00.000-07:00

London: It was a celebration time for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, as their two twins turned one year old on Sunday. The adorable Brangelina twins hit their momentous 366th day on 12^th July.
Cuties Vivienne Marcheline and Knox Leon Jolie-Pitt were born in Nice, France, at the seaside Fondation Lenval July 12, 2008. News of their birth spurned a media frenzy. The Cancer twins joined the ever-expanding Jolie-Pitt brood: Maddox, 7, Pax, 5, Zahara, 4, and Shiloh, 3.Superstar couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are reportedly considering moving to New York City.

Jolie, 34, and Pitt, 45, have been apartment-hunting on the Manhattan'''s Upper West Side, including checking out the Apthorp, a landmark building on the UWS.

"The gated courtyard means they can get in and out of their car without being hassled by paparazzi," a source tells the NY Daily News. "The building also has several other exits."

Angelina and Brad frequently travel to New York, both to shoot movies and for Jolie's ongoing work with the United Nations.Recently, Angelina was in New York filming the espionage thriller Salt, while her six children were staying at a lavish Long Island estate. In 2007, Jolie enrolled son Maddox at the famed Lycee Francais on the Upper East Side while she filmed Changeling.

The Pitt-Jolies are reportedly looking to spend as much as $25 million for a roomy Manhattan pad. Angelina and Brad currently have lavish homes in L.A. and New Orleans.For now, the Brangelina clan are enjoying some down time in Los Angeles, where Jolie recently took her daughters Shiloh, 3, and Zahara, 4, flying, while Pitt cruised around town in a motorcycle.

Explore Media

2009-07-12T14:24:00.001-07:00

Movie Reviews

Megan Fox has Toe Thumbs?

2009-07-12T10:47:00.001-07:00

Megan Fox has Toe Thumbs?

For the past year or so, the powers that be have been winning their battle to convince us that Megan Fox is the hottest thing in the universe. Yet the Internet noticed something about the Transformers star today that may be a kink in her perfectly air-brushed armour. It's a picture from 2007. Of her thumb. Needless to say it is not a normal-looking thumb. See if an opposable digit sours you on the Megan Fox experience after the jump.

Top 10 TILFs (Toys I'd Like to...)

2009-07-12T10:39:00.001-07:00

Top 10 TILFs (Toys I'd Like to...)

The truly next-level scene is TILFs -- toys you'd like to eff. This is where your toy collection meets your dirty .mpeg stash. (And don't act like you've never considered boning an action figure.) Here are our top 10 effable collectibles. Like the boobs on these plastic hotties, TILFs are the next big thing.

World's Oldest Dog Turns 147 Years Old

2009-07-12T10:29:00.001-07:00

World's Oldest Dog Turns 147 Years Old

In only-depressing-if-you-want-to-see-it-that-way news, the oldest dog in the world turned 21 years old at a birthday celebration in New York City.

Chanel the Dachshund is 147 years old In dog years, which means that if she was a human she'd have been born before Darwin published the Origin of Species.

Obviously, Chanel is in a bad way. Her red hair faded to white many years ago, and her cataracts mean she has to wear sunglasses. Her home is kept at a constant 72 degrees Fahrenheit, she only goes out in summer.

All that means that her birthday surrounded by the world's slavering media in Manhattan was probably the most stressful experience of her life.

Still, for those of you worried that Chanel may not be long for the world there is hope. The previous holder of the Guinness World Records oldest dog title died last year at the grand old age of 28. So don't give up yet, Chanel -- there are still plenty more trees to spray with urine before you drop your sunglasses.

Salma Hayek -- Today's Crush

2009-07-12T10:12:00.001-07:00

Salma Hayek -- Today's Crush

We often feature women in our Today's Crush section that are rising stars, not household names. But for Salma Hayek, we have to make an exception.

Hayek remains one of the most seductive beauties in Hollywood. Her sultry allure and curvaceous frame first caught our eye in "From Dusk 'Til Dawn," and we haven't looked away since, despite the fact that she morphed into a pretty gnarly vampire.

So we salute you, Miss Hayek. May your talent always shine, and may you continue to take roles that call for on-screen nudity.

Your skin produces a marijuana-like substance

2009-07-12T09:52:00.001-07:00

Your skin produces a marijuana-like substance

(A happy hour fact to amaze the drunks in the pub.)

A recent study found that the skin produces a marijuana-like substance which is essential for a healthy complexion.

Endocannabinoids help the sebaceous glands protect the skin from harsh elements, such as the wind and sun, and closely resemble the THC-infused cannabinoids that protect the leaves of the marijuana plant.

So can your skin get you high? "Theoretically yes," said the study's lead researcher. "But, while our skin is constantly pumping out its own type of hash, even if you chewed your arm to bits there isn't enough to have a psychological effect."

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2009-07-12T01:19:00.001-07:00

Southbank Centre : Rankin's Front Row

2009-07-11T14:01:00.000-07:00

Southbank Centre : Rankin's Front Row

A celebrity in his own right, photographer Rankin created Rankin’s Front Row
for Southbank Centre, collaborating with other artists, prominent individuals and
members of the local community associated with us over the years. Rankin himself
took part in a competition here for budding photographers at the age of 22.

Rankin’s Front Row celebrates the contribution and extraordinary performances
of many great artists and individuals, and supports our fundraising campaign by
encouraging our audiences to Name a Seat in the Royal Festival Hall. Take your
seat alongside the artists and celebrities in Rankin ’s Front Row and contribute to
the refurbishment of Southbank Centre ’s Royal Festival Hall by naming a seat for
yourself or someone special.

Click here to Name a Seat in the Royal Festival Hall
or phone 020 7921 0984

Read and share memories with the Love the Festival Hall project.

Rankin - My first big break as a photographer came when I was
22 years old. I had just moved to London for my first year of college and decided to enter an open submission photography competition at the Royal Festival Hall. In the queue I found myself next to the photographer Nigel Grierson, famous at the time for his album covers for 4AD, the iconic indie label. I thought I would never make it. The theme of the show was ‘Contact’ – I submitted a contact sheet portrait and ended up winning second prize. I remember the elation I felt at seeing my work displayed in the inspiring setting of the Festival Hall.

Since then I have returned to the Southbank Centre many times. I came in 2000 to photograph Scott Walker and in 2004 to take Morrissey’s portrait, when they were curators for the Meltdown Festival. I have come twice to watch the brilliant Elvis Costello perform, and I sometimes come at weekends with my son, just to soak up the bustling atmosphere.

I feel honoured to be given this opportunity to support the place that gave me such a boost at the start of my career.

David Gilmour - In 1964, when i was eighteen , i managed to buy tickets for 6 shillings and 6 pence to see Bob Dylan at the Royal Festival Hall. I got a memorably dodgy lift hitchhiking from Cambridge but it was a brilliant concert; just voice, acoustic guitar and harmonica, not at all like the gigs that were the norm at home.

From that moment I came to see the Royal Festival Hall as the home of a rather more eclectic sort of music. In 1969 it was unfortunately more electric than eclectic when I played there with Pink Floyd and during an afternoon sound-check got a bolt of rogue AC from my guitar which sent me flying backwards right over the drummer’s head to land several feet away, the other side of the drum kit.

Thirty-two years later, at Robert Wyatt’s invitation, I found myself back again, this time for the 2001 Meltdown Festival, doing an unplugged concert accompanied by cello, double bass and the beautiful voices of a Gospel Choir. After years of playing anonymously huge stadiums around the world it was a delight to be in the more intimate surroundings of the Royal Festival Hall. It felt like coming home.

Salman Rushdie - An Insight

2009-07-11T13:08:00.000-07:00

Salman Rushdie - I do not need the idea of God to explain the world I live in.

Salman Rushdie was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) on 19 June 1947. He went to school in Bombay and at Rugby in England, and read History at King's College, Cambridge, where he joined the Cambridge Footlights theatre company. After graduating, he lived with his family who had moved to Pakistan in 1964, and worked briefly in television before returning to England, beginning work as a copywriter for an advertising agency. His first novel, Grimus, was published in 1975.

His second novel, the acclaimed Midnight's Children, was published in 1981. It won the Booker Prize for Fiction, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize (for fiction), an Arts Council Writers' Award and the English-Speaking Union Award, and in 1993 was judged to have been the 'Booker of Bookers', the best novel to have won the Booker Prize for Fiction in the award's 25-year history. The novel narrates key events in the history of India through the story of pickle-factory worker Saleem Sinai, one of 1001 children born as India won independence from Britain in 1947. The critic Malcolm Bradbury acclaimed the novel's achievement in The Modern British Novel (Penguin, 1994): 'a new start for the late-twentieth-century novel.'

Rushdie's third novel, Shame (1983), which many critics saw as an allegory of the political situation in Pakistan, won the Prix du Meilleur Livre Etranger and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction. The publication in 1988 of his fourth novel, The Satanic Verses, lead to accusations of blasphemy against Islam and demonstrations by Islamist

groups in India and Pakistan. The orthodox Iranian leadership issued a fatwa against Rushdie on 14 February 1989 - effectively a sentence of death - and he was forced into hiding under the protection of the British government and police. The book itself centres on the adventures of two Indian actors, Gibreel and Saladin, who fall to earth in Britain when their Air India jet explodes. It won the Whitbread Novel Award in 1988.

Salman Rushdie continued to write and publish books, including a children's book, Haroun and the Sea of Stories (1990), a warning about the dangers of story-telling that won the Writers' Guild Award (Best Children's Book), and which he adapted for the stage (with Tim Supple and David Tushingham. It was first staged at the Royal National Theatre, London.) There followed a book of essays entitled Imagi

nary Homelands: Essays and Criticism 1981-1991 (1991); East, West (1994),a book of short stories; and a novel, The Moor's Last Sigh (1995), the history of the wealthy Zogoiby family told through the story of Moraes

Zogoiby, a young man from Bombay descended from Sultan Muhammad XI, the last Muslim ruler of Andalucía.

The Ground Beneath Her Feet, published in 1999, re-works the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice in the context of modern popular music. His most recent novel, Fury, set in New York at the beginning of the third millennium, was published in 2001. He is also the author of a travel narrative, The Jaguar Smile (1987), an account of a visit to Nicaragua in 1986.

Salman Rushdie is Honorary Professor in the Humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. He was made Distinguished Fellow in Literature at the University of East Anglia in 1995. He was awarded the Austrian State Prize for European Literature in 1993 and the Aristeion Literary Prize in 1996, and has received eight honorary doctorates. He was elected to the Board of American PEN in 2002. The subjects in his new book, Step Across This Line: Collected Non-fiction 1992-2002 (2002), range from popular culture and football to twentieth-century literature and politics. Salman Rushdie is also co-author (with Tim Supple and Simon Reade) of the stage adaptation of Midnight's Children, premiered by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2002.

Shalimar The Clown, the story of Max Ophuls, his killer and daughter, and a fourth character who links them all, was published in 2005. It was shortlisted for the 2005 Whitbread Novel Award.

Salman Rushdie became a KBE in 2007. In 2008, his latest novel, The Enchantress of Florence (2008), was published and Midnight's Children won the 'Best of the Booker' Prize. He also co-edited The Best American Short Stories (2008) with Heidi Pitlor.

Blish - yaa denial - Ecstatic

2009-07-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

Blish - yaa denial

"Wish You Were Here" is the title track on Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here. The song's lyrics encompass writer Roger Waters' feelings of alienation from other people. Like most of the album, it refers to former Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett and his breakdown. The main riff came to David Gilmour at home^{[citation needed]} while playing on an acoustic guitar, the riff became something which he continued to play in-between takes at Abbey Road Studios where it caught the attention of Roger Waters. They collaborated to complete the song, as Waters had already written some lyrics. In 2004, the song was ranked #316 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

...Either the music comes first and the lyrics are added, or music and lyrics come together. Only once have the lyrics been written down first - "Wish You Were Here". But this is unusual; it hasn't happened before.

Blish - yaa denial - Kurt Cobain Quotes

2009-07-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

Blish - yaa denial - Kurt Cobain Quotes

New Electric Car in India by 2011 | CarTradeIndia.com

2009-07-11T04:31:00.000-07:00

New Electric Car in India by 2011

Bavina Cars India, a new electric car company is setting up its manufacturing plant in tamil nadu. It will launch its new electric car model in India by 2011

Self-Discipline: Hard Work

2009-07-11T04:05:00.000-07:00

Self-Discipline: Hard Work

The big secret in life is that there is no Big Secret.

Whatever your goal, you can get there
If you're willing to work
- Oprah Winfrey

Hard Work- Yet another Dirty Word

About Pushkar

2009-07-10T22:20:00.000-07:00

Pushkar - Pilgrimage in Paradise

Pushkar is a sacred town fot hindus,
situated 11 kms to the north-west
of Ajmer. The charm of this sleepy,
lakeside settlement so captivated the
great indian poet, Kalidas , that it found a place in his classic, Abhigyan Sakuntalam.

Click here to know more
About Pushkar

Recession: India's prospects in 2009

2009-07-10T21:48:00.000-07:00

Recession: India's prospects in 2009

Well, People who shop on Brigade Road , B'lore
need EMI's to pay for T-shirts, Jeans etc, then i think Recession has truly arrived..
Dont u Think ???

Sourav Ganguly Photos

2009-07-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

Sourav Ganguly Photos

Birthdays are not a very bashful moment
and not that great a deal for the cricket star
But still lets wish the cricket Ace a very
Happy B'day as he turns 37 on July 9' 2009

PETA 'monkeys' around to protest AIIMS animal facility

2009-07-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

PETA 'monkeys' around to protest AIIMS animal facility

New Delhi ,July 10 (IANS)
Amid the humdrum of daily life near the busy
Connaught place area of central delhi,
A man dressed in a Monkey costume distributing
Bananas to passerby caught everyone's attention.
The act was an attempt by PETA urging the
Government to intervene and free animals
Languishing in the AIIMSanimal facility

Change New Delhi to 'Dilli' before 2010 Games: Gill

2009-07-10T17:06:00.000-07:00

Change New Delhi to 'Dilli' before 2010 Games: Gill

New Delhi: Does 'Dilli' more effectively describe the
Cosmopolitan character of the national capital than
New Delhi

Jacko wanted Paris to be action star!

2009-07-10T16:00:00.000-07:00

Jacko wanted Paris to be action star!

Michael Jackson's daughter Paris?(R) holds the hand of her younger brother Prince Michael II, at their fathers memorial service at the Staples center LA