There are no heros in war, only victims. A look at some of the US soldiers that came back from the Iraq war and each of them definitely has their own story to tell. Their tragedy will only be life reminders of how ugly war really is.

I have a post about ‘Steve Saying Goodbye to a Brother Who Off to Iraq‘, and there will be more and more stories of this kind. Let’s Make Love Not War Please!!

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Source: [BlogAbout] via [Hemmy.Net]

Technorati Tags: American, Soldier, Survivors, Heros, Iraq, War

How would you like to be a billionaire? It’s easy, just move to the countries below.

Zimbabwe as an example, this country’s entire population of over 12,000,000 are billionaires. In fact, many are trillionaires, or even quadrillionaires. in case you’re unfamiliar with “quadrillions,” a quadrillion is a million billion, or a 1 followed by 15 zeros

The least valued currency unit is the currency in which a single unit buys the least number of any given other currency or the smallest amount of a given good. Most commonly, the calculation is made against a major reserve currency such as the euro (EUR) or the United States dollar (USD).

Zimbabwe

As Americans worry about the rate of inflation exceeding 4 percent, we should consider Zimbabwe, where the inflation rate broke the shocking 100,000 percent mark and the country released a 250 million-dollar note (now valued below $4 on the black market). But Zimbabwe’s currency is hardly the only one inflated beyond reason.

Last month, a pint of milk (if you were lucky enough to find one in the store) cost Z$3 billion, a single egg, Z$4 billion. A pound of margarine cost Z$25 billion and a pack of 10 cookies costs Z$19 billion. That was last month. Prices are even higher today.

Thanks to GetWonder for the Receipt.

more Economic crisis in Zimbabwe can be found on FRENTE MAHOU

Vietnam

500,000-dong note. U.S. value: $31.37
An early-1980s U.S. embargo hobbled exports, leading to price controls and the printing of excess currency.
Early this month, the Vietnamese dong rate in the black market has strengthened towards the official level after the government released more dollars into the economy and cracked down on state banks’ currency transactions, which traded at 16,849.50 per dollar.

Indonesia

100,000-rupiah note. U.S. value: $11.05
During the 1997 Asian financial crisis, the rupiah lost 80 percent of its value within months, sparking riots in Jakarta (and soon ending President Suharto’s 32-year rule). From the years 2000 to 2008, the exchange rate has generally been between 8,000 and 11,000 rupiah to one United States dollar. As of June 2008, one United States dollar is worth approximately 9,300 Indonesian rupiah.

Iran

50,000-rial note. U.S. value: $5.35
Since the 1979 revolution, Iran’s inflation rate has hovered around 15 percent, thanks in part to ever-rising oil prices.
Until 2002, Iran’s exchange rate system was based on a multi-layered system, where state and para-state enterprises benefited from the preferred rate (1750 rial for $1) while the private sector had to pay the market rate (8000 rial for $1), hence creating an unequal competition environment. However, in March 2002, the multi-tiered system was replaced by a unified, market-driven exchange rate.

São Tomé (Sao Tome)

50,000-dobra note. U.S. value: $3.47.
This African island nation’s economy is tied to the volatile price of its chief export, cocoa, and is measured against its trading partners’ robust euro.

In late 2000, São Tomé qualified for significant debt reduction under the IMF-World Bank’s Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative. The reduction is currently being reevaluated by the IMF, due to the attempted coup d’etat in July 2003 and subsequent emergency spending.

Laos

50,000-Lao Kip. U.S. value: $5.73

Laos is a landlocked country with an inadequate infrastructure and a largely unskilled work force. The country’s per capita income in 2004 was estimated to be $1,900 on a purchasing power parity-basis.
The Asian financial crisis, coupled with the Lao Government’s own mismanagement of the economy, resulted in spiraling inflation and a steep depreciation of the kip, which lost 87% of its value from June 1997 to June 1999.

Turkmenistan

10,000-manat note. U.S. value: $1.92
Since 1991 – the last year of existence of the USSR – up to 1993 – the last year of rouble zone existence – the rate of inflation was measured in tens, hundreds and even thousands per cent per year.
For the recent years the process of involving internal sources of investment into the sphere of currency turnover and currency accrual has become unprecedented in its scale.

Guinea

10,000-franc note. U.S. value: $2.33
In 2002, the mineral-rich African country refused to implement reforms mandated by the International Monetary Fund; foreign cash dried up, and the central bank printed too much money.
From an average value of about 2500 Guinean francs to the pound sterling during the year 2000, the value of the currency has fallen to a current level (April 2006) of about 8000 to the GBP and about 4500 to the United States dollar.

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References [WikiPedia], [BankNotes], [MailOnline], BloombergAsia], BlogGang], [Portfolio.Com]

Technorati Tags: Worthless, Currency, Money, Zimbabwe, Vietnam, Dong, Indonesia, Rupiah, Iran, Rial, Inflation

HEALTH authorities in Brazil are renowned for their strong anti-smoking campaign stand with Shocking images showing the dangers of cigarette smoking, including a fetus lying in an ashtray, have emerged in the latest anti-smoking campaign.

The Health Minister in Brazil, José Gomes Temporão launched a new anti-smoking campaign on May 28th. This 10 pictures are part of the Brazilian Health Department’s new anti-smoking drive that show the health risk involved with tobacco use. Images include a family at the bedside of a gravely sick man and a man suffering from impotence.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), in Brazil 17.2 per cent of 13- to 15-year-olds and 16.2 per cent of adults smoke.

WHO says about 9 per cent of boys and 10 per cent of girls aged 12 to 17 smoked cigarettes. The organisation estimates there are more than one billion smokers worldwide.

It says tobacco use kills 5.4 million people a year – an average of one person every six seconds – and accounts for one in 10 adult deaths worldwide.

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News Source [News.Com.Au]

Technorati Tags: Anti-Smoking, Anti Smoking, Brasil, Brazilian, Health, Health Minister, José Gomes, Tobacco, Fetus, Impotence, WHO, Cigarette

EXTRAORDINARY photographs claiming to show a wedding in progress during the Chinese earthquake in Sichuan province have emerged as more survivor miracle stories are revealed.

Instead of poring over an album of cherished memories, this bride and groom have a collection of chilling reminders of how lucky they are to be alive.

The photo shoot was taking place at the decrepit Church of the Annunciation, a 100-year-old building that was a popular spot for wedding pictures in recent years. The church was built under the direction of French priests outside the city of Pengzhou, and had been damaged long ago by landslides.

The death toll from the earthquake, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale, is now put at more than 65,000 and more than 20,000 are still missing.

Guests watched the Seminarium Annuntiationis collapse in the middle of the post-wedding photoshoot

This couple was one of five celebrating their wedding at a deserted Catholic seminary in Pengzhou, Sichuan province, when the earthquake struck

Bricks fell from the seminary, leaving guests fleeing for their lives

The seminary lies in ruins

The party’s over: In their wedding finery, the couple emerge from the rubble at the church where they were posing for photographs

After the dust cleared, the full scale of the devastation can be seen

A bride poses at the 100years old Annunciation church in October last year

One photo shows a couple just before the earthquake, their arms around each other, smiling and clean.

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Extra [Interactive map showing the extent of the most damaged areas], [Wikipedia:2008 Sichuan earthquake], [Sichuan Earthquake Pictures Archive]

Sources [TimesOnline], [Dailymail], [DailyTelegraph], [Sohu搜狐(Chinese)]

This is my friend’s friend, Steve, saying bye to his brother, who’s off to Iraq.

And this is the same friend months later, at his brother’s funeral. Saying bye for the last time.

Apparently this is not my friend, but I’ve got it from the internet, yet it’s so powerful. They are absolutely tragic and heart-rending that I’ve been sitting in front of my screen for munites, I don’t even know what to say. I’m sick of this war, I’m sick of politicians who started the war and forgetting real people with families and lives are fighting for their greed.

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Source [Offtopic Forums] via [BadControl]

Technorati Tags: War, American, USA, Iraq, Middle-East, Funeral, Fuel

While there is prison cell which looks like a [5-Star Hotel], there are even more sad story behind the bars…

Carolina Camps, 34, is a freelance photographer based in Argentina who develops her own documentary projects, often focused on people at society’s margins. She has worked with Reuters and leading Argentine newspapers such as Clarin and La Nacion. In the following story she relates her experiences of getting close enough to women prisoners in La Plata, Argentina, to portray their lives through her images.

The Unidad (Unit) 33 prison in Los Hornos near La Plata, the capital of Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. In this medium-security prison 273 female inmates, several of them pregnant, live with their 63 children who are allowed to remain with their mothers until they are four years old.

The children were born in prison and have never seen daylight outside the bars. They don’t know what an animal or a car is, or what exists outside this lockup. They are children that don’t smile.

For those whose mothers are in prison for years, the arrival of a fourth birthday is the most painful day because the children must leave to live with their family outside, if they have one, or in a state home if they do not.

The vast majority jailed at Prison 33 are there pending trial; they haven’t been convicted of a crime. In Buenos Aires’ provincial prisons, about 12 percent of 780 female prisoners are pregnant or already living with their children behind bars.

“Bringing these images to light was my way of freeing them.” Stated Carolina Camps.

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** There are always a sadder story and also worse places around; just [Do Not Get Mad In Indonesia]

Source [Reuters]

Technorati Tags: Unidad 33, Prison, La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Carolina Camps, Reuters, Children

Crowds of job hunters flock to a job fair in Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu Province, November 20, 2007. Nearly 50,000 college graduates participated in the event. The job fair was the first of a series of recruitment events for the 427,000 students who would graduate next year in the province.

Its hard to believe that a country, which is the fastest growing economy in the world and who’s stock markets are making new highs every year, has its citizens desparately flocking to such job fairs. This suggests that, even though China may tip USA as the largest economy in the world, in a few years time, the standard of living of the citizens of China is likely to be lower than most American and European countries.

Regardless of the economic signal, it is certainly eye opening to see this level of enthusiasm for a job fair.

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Source [WorldStockMarketsLive]

Technorati Tags: Job Fair, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China, Graduates, Economy, Job, Vacancy

An environmental disaster began to unfold in southern Russia on Monday as tens of thousands of oil-slicked seabirds and globules of heavy oil dotted the shoreline, a day after at least 11 ships, including a small oil tanker, sank or broke apart in a fierce storm

The oil tanker Volgoneft-139 split in half and spilled more than 1,000 tons of fuel oil, and environmentalists expressed concern that the effects of the spill would last for years. All of its crew were rescued.

Three other cargo ships, each carrying more than 2,000 tons of sulphur, also sank in the Kerch Strait, authorities said. Two of them — the Volnogorsk and the Nakhichevan — were already sinking when the third, the Kovel, hit the Volnogorsk and went down, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

News Source [CNN]

Technorati Tags: Black Sea, Russia, Storm, Oil Tanker, Cargo, Vessal, Volgoneft, Kerch, Strait

The Nine Emperor Gods Festival, also known as Vegetarian festival, a Chinese festival to celebrate the return from heaven to earth of the Nine Emperor spirits. The festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth moon in the Chinese lunar calendar.

In Thailand, this festival is called Tesagan Gin Je เทศกาลกินเจ, the Vegetarian Festival. Over the nine days from October 11 to Octoer 19, Chinese in Phuket Island celebrate the festival by holding a massive street processions by ‘Carrying Gods‘, they are believed to be ‘possessed by the spirits of gods’, so that they can perform some outstanding stunts.

To be able to participate in the events, one must have No Meat, Smoke, Alcohol and Sex for 10 days, to be Cleaned from dirty sins. Hundreds of believers pierce their cheeks, nose, lips, using different kind of sharp objects such as swords, daggers, rods, and M-16 Machine Gun!

Among other self-flagellation, walking on hot coals and bathing in hot oil. Many of them flow into the trance, some to such an extent that one of the Festival nights easily climbing on the ladder with sharp blades instead of steps, not leaving them no drop of blood.

Source [Ochevidec], [Wikipedia]

Technorati Tags: Nine Emperor Gods, God, Ritual, Festival, Phuket, Thailand, Tesagan Gin Je, เทศกาลกินเจ, Vegetarian Festival, Pierce, M-16, Machine Gun

It’s definitely not one of the ‘Top Ten’ lists you’re likely to be campaigning for, The Blacksmith Institute, an NGO that works to solve pollution problems in the developing world, has released its second annual list of the World’s Most Polluted Places. This year’s list includes two sites each in China, India and Russia, and one site in Azerbaijan, Peru, Zambia and Ukraine. This threat is affecting more than 12 million people, according to the research done by Blacksmith with Green Cross in Switzerland. Those 12 million people mentioned are well open to respiratory diseases such as asthma, as well as birth defects and premature death.

Many of the sites’ pollution comes from mining of heavy metals like lead and chromium; all of the sites pose serious threats to human health and the environment.

LA OROYA, PERU

Since 1922, adults and children in La Oroya, Peru – a mining town in the Peruvian Andes and the site of a poly-metallic smelter – have been exposed to the toxic emissions and wastes from the plant. Peru’s Clean Air Act cites La Oroya in a list of Peruvian towns suffering from critical levels of air pollution, but action to clean up and curtail this pollution has been delayed for area’s 35,000 inhabitants.

NORILSK, RUSSIA

An industrial city founded in 1935 as a slave labor camp, the Siberian city of Norilsk, Russia is the northernmost major city of Russia and the second largest city (after Murmansk) above the Arctic Circle. Mining and smelting operations began in the 1930s and this city now contains the world’s largest heavy metals smelting complex, where nearly 500 tons each of copper and nickel oxides and two million tons of sulphur dioxide are released annually into the air. The city has been accused of being one of the most polluted places in Russia, where the snow is black, the air tastes of sulfur and the life expectancy for factory workers is 10 years below the Russian average.

A 1999 study found elevated copper and nickel concentrations in soils in as much as a 60 km radius of the city.

LINFEN, CHINA

Shanxi Province is at the heart of China’s enormous and expanding coal industry, providing about two thirds of the nation’s energy. Within this highly polluted region, Linfen has been identified as one of its most polluted cities with residents claiming that they literally choke on coal dust in the evenings. In terms of air quality, the World Bank has stated that 16 out of 20 of the world’s worst polluted cities are in China while the State Environmental Protection Administration (SEPA) has branded Linfen as having the worst air quality in the country. Levels of SO2 and other particulates are many times higher than limits set by the World Health Organization.

SUKINDA, INDIA

Sukinda Valley, in the State of Orissa, contains 97% of India’s chromite ore deposits and one of the largest open cast chromite ore mines in the world. Twelve mines continue to operate without any environmental management plans and over 30 million tons of waste rock are spread over the surrounding areas and the Brahmani riverbanks. Untreated water is discharged by the mines into the river. This area is also flood-prone, resulting in further contamination of the waterways. Approximately 70% of the surface water and 60% of the drinking water contains hexavalent chromium at more than double national and international standards and levels of over 20 times the standard have been recorded.

CHERNOBYL, UKRAINE

The world’s worst nuclear disaster took place on April 26, 1986 when testing in the Chernobyl power plant, 62 miles north of Kiev, triggered a fiery meltdown of the reactor’s core. Thirty people were killed in the accident, 135,000 were evacuated, and one hundred times more radiation was released than by the atom bombs dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Twenty years later, the 19-mile exclusion zone around the plant remains uninhabitable.

KABWE, ZAMBIA

Kabwe, Zambia, is located about 150 kilometres north of the nation’s capital, Lusaka, and is one of six towns in close proximity to the Copperbelt, once Zambia’s thriving industrial base. In 1902, rich deposits of zinc and lead were discovered there. Mining and smelting commenced soon after and ran almost continuously until 1994 without addressing the potential dangers of lead contamination. The mine and smelter are no longer operating but have left a city poisoned by debilitating concentrations of lead dust in the soil and by metals in the water. In one study, the dispersal in soils of lead, cadmium, copper, and zinc extended over a 20 km radius at levels much higher than those recommended by the World Health Organization.

DZERZINSK, RUSSIA

Until the end of the Cold War, Dzerzhinsk was among Russia’s principal production sites of chemical weapons. Today, Dzerzhinsk is still a significant center of Russian chemical manufacturing. Almost 300,000 tons of chemical waste were improperly disposed between 1930 and 1998. In this waste, around 190 identified chemicals have been released into the groundwater. In places, the chemicals have turned the water into a white sludge containing dioxins and high levels of phenol – an industrial chemical that can lead to acute poisoning and death. These levels are reportedly 17 million times the safe limit. The Guinness Book of World Records has named Dzerzhinsk the most chemically polluted city in the world.

VAPI, INDIA

The town of Vapi marks the southern end of India’s “Golden Corridor”, a 400 km belt of industrial estates in the state of Gujarat which includes Nandesari, Ankleshwar, and Vapi. There are over 50 industrial estates in the region including more than 1,000 individual industries that extend over more than a thousand acres. Many of these are chemical manufacturing estates producing petrochemicals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, textiles, dyes, fertilizers, leather products, paint, and chlor-alkali.

TIANYING, CHINA

Tianying in Anhui province is one of the largest lead production bases in China, with an output accounting for half of the country’s total production. Low-level technologies, illegal operation and the lack of any serious pollution control measures in the firms have caused several severe lead poisoning cases in the region. It is also believed that there are numerous small scale recycling plants in the area, which are notorious for polluting. As a result of these indiscriminate practices, lead processing firms in Tianying have been pressured by local residents and officials to shut down their operations.

SUMGAYIT, AZERBAIJAN

Sumgayit was a major Soviet industrial center housing more than 40 factories manufacturing industrial and agricultural chemicals. These included synthetic rubber, chlorine, aluminium, detergents, and pesticides. While the factories remained fully operational, 70-120,000 tons of harmful emissions were released into the air annually. Factory workers and residents of the city have been exposed to a combination of high-level occupational and environmental pollution problems for several decades.

References: [BlackSmithInstitute] [NationalGeographic], [TimeMagazine]

Extra: [World's Worst Polluted Places 2006]

Technorati Tags: Pollution, Polluted, Blacksmith Institute, NGO, China, India, Russia, Azerbaijan, Peru, Zambia, Ukraine, Green Cross, Switzerland, Chromium