Friday, October 31, 2008

Most Deadliest Prisons in the World

Of course, nobody wants to go to prison, but there are some prisons that you really, really don’t want to be imprisoned as an inmate.

Being in jail is only part of the problem, staying alive is the bigger issue.

Here are the top 10 most dangerous prisons in the world.

Carandiru PrisonBrazil - The body count was sky-high at this notorious Brazilian prison, where riots in 1992 triggered a massacre of the general population by local police: inmates, who had already given in and surrendered to police, were shot as they cowered in terror in their tiny cells.


Tadmor PrisonSyria - The death count may not rank Tadmor Prison as number one on this list, but no other prison sent such shivers down my spine as I did my research.


La Sabaneta PrisonVenezuela - Venezuela is known for its brutal prisons, where violence is a daily occurrence, and inmates are at the mercy of disease outbreaks, underpaid staff, little medical services, and insufficient food and care.


La Sante PrisonParis, France - According to whistle-blower and former prison official Veronique Vasseur, this prison was a hellhole, where prisoners were forced to live out their sentences in concrete cells full of rats and lice.


Alcatraz Island PrisonSan Francisco, CA - This prison, known as “The Rock”, or “Devil’s Island” was built to house the criminals of the 1920’s, who broke laws during the times of Prohibition leading into the Great Depression. Another study in stark, soul-destroying discomfort and isolation, Alcatraz was known for its unique design, which made escape almost unthinkable.


Rikers Island PrisonRikers Island, New York - Stabbings, beatings and brutal treatment from prison guards characterize this American prison.


Bang Kwang PrisonThailand - Known as the “Bangkok Hilton”, Bang Kwang is understaffed, overcrowded, and filled with inmates who struggle with insanity as they spend the first months of their sentences chained in leg irons.

San Quentin Prison

San Quentin, California - In the 1930’s, San Quentin was rife with corruption by management, until a new director, Clinton Truman Duffy, appalled at the inhumane conditions at the prison, decided to implement reforms in the 1940’s.

Top 10 Popular Poisons in the World

It used to be that poisoning was the murder method of choice for those cunning villains who wanted to “get away with it.”

However, following advances in forensic science, poisoning no longer allows murderers any anonymity.

Nowadays, the use of poison is so easily detectable it is comparable to the murderer writing a confession. “And, to think, I could have gotten away with it if it hadn’t been for those pesky CSI investigators.”

1. CyanideCyanide kills by preventing red blood cells from absorbing oxygen.


2. StrychnineOne of the more popular forms of poisoning at the start of the twentieth century, strychnine attacks the central nervous system and causes exaggerated reflex reactions.


3. ArsenicHistorically arsenic was the murderer’s favourite choice and it has always been one of the favourite devices used in murder mystery stories.


4. Snake VenomThe toxicity of snakebites is dependent on a lot of factors, varying from the length of time elapsed since the snake last bit, through to the level of danger the snake perceives in its victim.


5. HemlockHemlock was supposedly the poison that was used to dispatch Socrates.


6. HeroinA poison that works on the respiratory system, Heroin depresses the central nervous system creating a feeling of euphoria.


7. Pufferfish VenomThe poisonous part of the pufferfish is the tetraodontoxin found in its ovaries.


8. Fiddleback Spider VenomAt less than half an inch in length, the Fiddleback or Brown Recluse is one of the most venomous spiders in the world.


9. Belladonna (Deadly Nightshade)With a name that means beautiful woman, an extract from the belladonna plant was used in Renaissance times as a beauty product. Applied to the eyes it dilated the pupils and gave women a wide-eyed appearance.

10. Castor BeanWhen you consider that castor oil is used as a food additive in candy and chocolate, it’s disconcerting to discover that the fruit of that plant, the castor bean contains a supertoxic level of the poison ricin.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Tug of War - Stupid Version

Bottle Temple in Thailand

Wat Pa Maha Kaew Temple is the only temple in the world build out of glass bottles and bottle caps. It all began in 1984 when the Buddhist monks started gathering bottles to decorate their shelters. The lovely bottle art-work they created attracted more and more visitors that began donating bottles, until there were enough to build an entire building.

Translated as “Temple of Million Bottles” Wat Pa Maha Kaew is located in Siasaket province, about 370 miles northeast of Thailand’s capital city, Bangkok. There are approximately 1,5 millionglass bottles incorporated in the temple complex,that includes glass shelters, crematorium and even glass toilets.

The bottles make for a surprisingly easy to maintain building material, they let the light in and they don’t fade. The monks are still collecting glass bottles to build even more structures at Wat Pa Maha Kaew.








The Largest Mosque in Europe

Ahmad Kadyrov Mosque, has been opened in Chechnya’s capital city, Grozny. Named after Chechnya’s first president, the Heart of Chechnya, as some refer to the mosque, is one of the largest Islamic places of worship in the world and the largest mosque in Europe.

Ahmad Kadyrov Mosque was inaugurated last Friday in North Caucasus, during a ceremony attended by officials from 28 different countries. The mosque’s minarets reach 60 meters in height and it can host over 10,000 worshipers. It is part of a 14 ha. islamic center, complete with a religious library, islamic administration center and an islamic institute.




Cool Uses of a Garbage Container

Here are some ideas of how you could use a garbage container if littering stops being such a big issue. I like the idea of turning it into a pool, if you can manage to get the garbage stench out of it. But with littering a very big problem worldwide I think everyone should use garbage cans and containers for their original purpose, that would make our world a lot cleaner.















Acrobatic Art Festival 2008

China hosted the annual Acrobatic Art Festival in Wuhan, this year. The location changes every year but the exhibition is just as breathtaking every time, no matter where it’s held. The event took place in a stationary circus in Wuhan and attracted more than 2,000 spectators that were simply mesmerized by the 30 acrobatic numbers performed by artists from all around the world.

The Acrobatic Art Festival included acrobatics, animal tricks and clownery.