Tiesto - Elements of Life

2010 in 120 photos, take a deep breath!

Each photo tells its own tale, weaving together into the larger story of 2010.
This is a multi-entry story, in 120 photographs

the first 10 sexiest actors of 2010

1. Natalie Portman

Herd in Iceland

Today we take a trip to northern Iceland, where photographers Lindsay Blatt and Paul Taggart traveled in September and October of 2010. They were in Iceland working on a short film and photographic project, documenting the historic herding of the prized Icelandic horse. Each year traditional herdsman take to the back country to round up thousands of horses, which have spent the summer grazing in the highlands. Throughout the three weeks of production, Lindsay and Paul shot on land and air, foot and hoof across the vast Icelandic landscape. Lindsay and Paul were kind enough to share some of their photos below - more photos and video can be found on their project's website.

1. A silhouette of a horse near Blo"nduo's in northern Iceland. (© Lindsay Blatt / Herd in Iceland)

BBC Jody McIntyre interview

BBC interview wheelchair user and cerebal palsy sufferer Jody McIntryre after he was dragged from his wheelchair by police on two seperate occasions at the anti-tuition fees protest on the 9th December 2010 in London. The presenter is Ben Brown. I apologise for some glitches in the video, this is because of a bad signal and dodgy aerial cable.



If you wish to complain about the conduct of the presenter the BBC complaints form is here http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/ This was shown on the 8 o'clock news on BBC News channel on the 13th December. BBC response: http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors...

You can also complain to Ofcom at https://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/tel...

This is the 2nd incident. (No video of the 1st available.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUHzSQ...

Also read Jody's own account on his blog at http://jodymcintyre.wordpress.com/201...

Interview on Sky news is here: http://is.gd/iI2rY (2nd video on the page.)

Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Menacin...
Jody McIntyre fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jody-Mc...
Petition asking the BBC for an apology: http://www.gopetition.com/petition/41...

Monika - Yes I Do

Christmas across the globe

Last Saturday was Christmas Day, the day set aside by Christian faithful to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. Christianity remains the largest religion in the world, with over 2 billion adherents across the globe. Christmas is celebrated in many ways by those followers, and even more ways by those who enjoy the larger, more secular traditions surrounding the modern holiday. Collected here are some glimpses of this year's Christmas observations and celebrations around the world.

1. An Iraqi Christian girl attends a Christmas mass at Chaldean Catholic church in Amman, Jordan on December 22, 2010. Thousands of Iraqi Christians fled to neighbouring Jordan following a spate of bombings that targeted churches in Iraqi cities in the past few years. (REUTERS/Ali Jarekji)

Great Migrations

Move as millions, survive as one. That is the subtitle to the new seven-part television series from National Geographic called "Great Migrations". Animals great and small are on the move around the world, chasing resources in dangerous journeys that might take mere hours or span generations. To capture the images and video for the series, they spent two and a half years in the field, traveling 420,000 miles across 20 countries and all seven continents. The fine folks at National Geographic have been kind enough to share with us some images from "Great Migrations: Official Companion Book" below.

1. Going to sea on the Antarctic Peninsula, Gentoo penguins line up and quickly dive in together. (© National Geographic/Paul Nicklen)

good morning my sunshine

Scenes from Thailand

The last time we focused on Thailand, the government crackdown on Red Shirt protesters was taking place in Bangkok. Since then, much of the damaged part of downtown Bangkok has been repaired, and the Red Shirts continue their protests both in the streets and online. Thailand has also been hit with severe flooding, struggled with terrorist attacks, and celebrated Queen Sirikit's 78th birthday. Collected here a a handful of recent photographs from around Thailand.

1. Thai students tour Marble temple in Bangkok, Thailand Wednesday, July 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Commercial of TAC (Transport Accident Commission Victoria)

this post post contains objectionable content, indeed!
you may quit this post clicking here
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On December 10th 1989 the first TAC commercial went to air. In that year the road toll was 776; by last year 2008 it had fallen to 303.
A five minute retrospective of the road safety campaigns produced by the TAC over the last 20 years has been compiled. The montage features iconic scenes and images from commercials that have helped change they way we drive, all edited to the moving song Everybody Hurts by REM.

This campaign is a chance to revisit some of the images that have been engraved on our memories, remember the many thousands of people who have been affected by road trauma and remind us all that for everyones sake; please, drive safely.
Transport Accident Commission Victoria.
http://www.tac.vic.gov.au

collection of 5850 recorded 78 rpm vinyl records

Guys, bellow is the full list of an old collection of 78 rpm vinyl records!!!
You may use this list with a downloader to get the songs quickly without clicks :)

The main page of the songs is the http://78records.cdbpdx.com/ (thank you cdbpdx.com)

Total files / songs: 5850 !!!
Total file size: 16gb (about 4dvds) !!! get ready

Cora Vaucaire | Trois Petites Notes De Musique

Après |Les Feuilles Mortes|, voici, par |La Dame Blanche de Saint-Germain-des-Prés|, un autre classique de la chanson française : |Trois Petites Notes De Musique|. Les paroles sont de |Henri Colpi| et la musique de |Georges Delerue|. Bande originale du film |Une aussi longue absence| de |Henri Colpi|, palme d'or au Festival de Cannes (1961).

Farting Dog Scare Himself

Enya - Caribbean Blue (HD)

THE DIGITAL STORY OF THE NATIVITY

merry Christmas!

Beginning to look a lot like Christmas

In many places around the world, it is definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Santas are making appearances from Beijing to Beirut, and the traditions of the season can be seen all over - the trees, the lights, the shoppers, the devout and more. Collected here are a handful of recent photographs of people enjoying and celebrating this year's Christmas Season as it hits full swing.
1. A man dressed as Santa Claus holds a flare as he wakeboards on a small lake in Hamburg, Germany on December 5, 2010. (REUTERS/Christian Charisius)

Let the spirit of Christmas live in us all

Puressence - I Suppose

Paul van Dyke - Nothing But You

Jingle Bells!!!!

Christmas in Italy, the Befane witch

Three Befane with their brooms.

La Befana is a character in Italian folklore who delivers presents to children throughout Italy, in a similar way to Saint Nicholas or Santa Claus. The character may have originated in Rome, then spread as a tradition to the rest of Italy.

A popular belief is that her name derives from the festival of Epiphany, but there is evidence to suggest that Befana is descended from the Sabine/Roman goddess named Strina. In the book Vestiges of Ancient Manners and Customs, Discoverable in Modern Italy and Sicily by Rev. John J. Blunt (John Murray, 1823), the author says:

"This Befana appears to be heir at law of a certain heathen goddess called Strenia, who presided over the new-year's gifts, 'Strenae,' from which, indeed, she derived her name.^[1] Her presents were of the same description as those of the Befana—figs, dates, and honey.^[2] Moreover her solemnities were vigorously opposed by the early Christians on account of their noisy, riotous, and licentious character".^[3]

Befana means “Epifania”-“Epiphany” which is a Latin word with Greek origins. It can mean the “festival of” or “manifestation”.^[4]In the Catholic Church it means the Re Magi also known as “the wise kings” of baby Jesus.^[5]

In popular folklore Befana visits all the children of Italy on the eve of the 6th of January to fill their socks with candy and presents if they are good or a lump of coal or dark candy if they are bad. Being a good housekeeper, many say she will sweep the floor before she leaves. The child's family typically leaves a small glass of wine and a plate with a few morsels of food, often regional or local, for the Befana.

She is usually portrayed as an old lady riding a broomstick through the air wearing a black shawl and is covered in sootbecause she enters the children's houses through the chimney. She is often smiling and carries a bag or hamper filled with candy, gifts, or both.

Legend

Christian legend has it that La Befana was approached by the magi (the biblical three kings) a few days before Christ's birth. They asked for directions to where the baby Jesus was, but she did not know. She provided them with shelter for a night, as she was considered the best housekeeper in the village with the most pleasant home. They invited her to join them on the journey to find the baby Jesus, but she declined, stating she was too busy with her housework. Later, La Befana had a change of heart, and tried to search out the astrologers and Jesus. That night she was not able to find them, so to this day, La Befana is searching for the baby Jesus. She leaves all the good children toys and candy, while the bad children get coal or bags of ashes.

Another Christian legend takes a slightly darker tone as La Befana was an ordinary woman with a child whom she greatly loved. However, her child died, and her resulting grief maddened her. Upon hearing news of Jesus being born, she set out to see him, delusional that he was her son. She eventually met Jesus and presented him with gifts to make him happy. The infant Jesus was delighted, and he gave La Befana a gift in return; she would be the mother of every child in Italy.

Also, popular tradition avers that if one sees La Befana one will receive a thump from her broomstick, as she doesn't wish to be seen. This aspect of the tradition may be designed to keep children in their beds while parents are distributing candy (or coal) and sweeping the floor on Epiphany Eve.

Also, another commonly heard Christian legend of la Befana starts at the time of the birth of baby Jesus.^[6] Befana spends her days cleaning and sweeping. One day the magi, also known as the three wise men, came to her door in search of baby Jesus. Befana turned them away because she was too busy cleaning. Befana notices a bright light in the sky; she thinks this is the way to baby Jesus. She brought some baked goods and gifts for baby Jesus in her bag and took her broom to help the new mother clean and began her search for baby Jesus. She searched and searched for Baby Jesus, but never found him. Befana still searches today, after all these centuries. On the eve of the Epiphany, Befana comes to a house where there is a child and leaves a gift. Although she has been unsuccessful in her search, she still leaves gifts for good young children because the Christ Child can be found in all children ^[7]

[edit]History

Many people believe that the name Befana is derived from the Italians' mispronunciation of the Greek word epifania or epiphaneia (Greek, επιφάνεια = appearance, surface, English:epiphany). Others point to the name being a derivative of Bastrina, the gifts associated with the goddess Strina. In the book Domestic Life in Palestine, by Mary E. Rogers (Poe & Hitchcock, 1865) the author notes:

"But an 'Essay on the Fine Arts,' by E. L. Tarbuck, led me to believe that this custom is a relic of pagan worship, and that the word "Bastrina" refers to the offerings which used to be made to the goddess Strenia. We could hardly expect that the pagans who embraced Christianity could altogether abandon their former creeds and customs. Macaulay says, "Christianity conquered paganism, but paganism infected Christianity; the rites of the Pantheon passed into her 'worship, and the subtilties of the Academy into her creed.' Many pagan customs were adopted by the new Church. T. Hope, in his 'Essay on Architecture,' says: 'The Saturnalia were continued in the Carnival, and the festival with offerings to the goddess Strenia was continued in that of the New Year…'" – page 408

An interesting theory connects the tradition of exchanging gifts to an ancient Roman festivity in honour of Ianus and Strenia (in Italian a Christmas gift is called strenna), celebrated at the beginning of the year, when Romans were used to giving each other presents.

The tradition of La Befana appears to incorporate other pre-Christian popular elements as well, adapted to Christian culture and related to the celebration of the New Year. HistorianCarlo Ginzburg relates her to Nicevenn. The old lady character should then represent the old year just passed, ready to be burned in order to give place to the new one. In many European countries the tradition still exists of burning a puppet of an old lady at the beginning of the New Year, called Giubiana in Northern Italy, with clear Celtic origins. Italian anthropologists Claudia and Luigi Manciocco, in their book Una Casa Senza Porte (House without a Door) trace Befana's origins back to Neolithic beliefs and practices. The team of anthropologists also write about Befana as a figure that evolved into a goddess associated with fertility and agriculture.

[edit]La Befana today

Befana of Campomarino di Maruggio(Italy)

The La Befana is celebrated throughout all of Italy; she has become a national icon. Le Marche, Umbria and Lazio are three places that are associated with the Papal States, where the Epiphany held the most importance. Urbania is thought to be her official home. Every year there is a big festival held to celebrate the holiday. About 30,000-50,000 people attend the festivities. Hundreds of Befana’s are present, swinging from the main tower. They juggle, dance and greet all the children.^[8] Traditionally, all Italian children may expect to find a lump of "coal" in their stockings (actually rock candy made black with caramel coloring), as every child has been at least occasionally bad during the year.

Two places in Italy are nowadays associated with the Befana tradition:

• Piazza Navona in central Rome is the site of a popular market each year between Christmas and the Epiphany, where toys, sugar charcoaland other candies are on sale. The feast of the Befana in Rome was immortalized in four famous sonnets in the Roman dialect by the 19th century Roman poet Giuseppe Gioacchino Belli. In Ottorino Respighi's 1928 Feste Romane (“Roman Festivals”), the fourth movement, titledLa Befana, is an orchestral portrayal of this Piazza Navona festival.

• The town of Urbania in the Province of Pesaro Urbino within the Marche region, where the national Befana festival is held each year, usually between January 2 and 6. A "house of the Befana" is scheduled to be built and the post office has a mailbox reserved for letters addressed to the Befana, mirroring what happens with Santa Claus in Rovaniemi.

In other parts of the world where a vibrant Italian community exists, traditions involving La Befana may be observed and shared or celebrated with the wider community. In Toronto, Canada for example, a Befana Choir shows up on Winter Solstice each December to sing in theKensington Market Festival of Lights parade. Women, men, and children dressed in La Befana costume and nose sing love songs to serenade the sun to beckon its return. The singing hags gather in the street to give candy to children, to cackle and screech to accordion music, and to sing in every key imaginable as delighted parade participants join in the cacophony. Sometimes, the Befanas dance with parade goers and dust down the willing as parade goers walk by.

[edit]Poems & Songs

There are poems about La Befana, which are known in slightly different versions throughout Italy. Here is one of the versions:

La Befana vien di notte
Con le scarpe tutte rotte
Col vestito alla romana
Viva, Viva La Befana!

The English translation is:

The Befana comes by night
With her shoes all tattered and torn
She comes dressed in the Roman way
Long life to the Befana!

Another version told by people in the Province of Trento (northern Lake Garda):

Viene, viene la Befana
Vien dai monti a notte fonda
neve e gelo la circondan..
neve e gelo e tramontana!
Viene, viene la Befana

The English translation is:

Here comes, here come the Befana
she comes from the mountains in the deep of the night
snow and frost (ice) surrounds her
snow and frost and the West wind
here comes, here comes the Befana!

Tramontana: English - Tramontane: "a classical name for a northern wind." OR from "tra i monti" = "from the mountains" = cold wind, typically from the north.

Another song, this one by Italian pop singer and entertainer Gianni Morandi:

Trullalà Trullalà Trullalà.
La Befana vien di notte
con le scarpe tutte rotte,
con la calza appesa al collo,
col carbone, col ferro e l’ottone.
Sulla scopa per volare.
Lei viene dal mare.
Lei viene dal mare.

E la neve scenderà
sui deserti del Maragià,
dall’Alaska al Canadà.
E partire lei dovrà
e cantando partirà
da ciociara si vestirà,
con il sacco arriverà,
la bufera vincerà.
E cantando trullalà,
la Befana arriverà.
Trulalla’ Trullalà Trullalà.

Un bambino, grande come un topolino,
si è infilato nel camino,
per guardarla da vicino.
Quando arriva la Befana
senza denti
salta, balla, beve il vino.
Poi di nascosto s’allontana
con la notte appiccicata alla sottana.

E un vento caldo soffierà
sui deserti del Maragià,
dall’Alaska al Canadà.
Solo una stella brillerà
e seguirla lei dovrà,
per volare verso il nord
e la strada è lunga
ma la bufera vincerà.
E cantando Trullalà,
la Befana se ne va.
E cantando Trullalà
Truallalero Trullalà
Trullalà Trullalà Trullalà

Small Worlds

The Nikon International Small World Photomicrography Competition recently announced its list of winners for 2010. The competition began in 1974 as a means to recognize and applaud the efforts of those involved with photography through the light microscope. Peering into the small worlds of animal, plants and minerals using many techniques and different instruments, this year's entries brought us images of crystalline formations, fluorescent body parts, cellular structures and more, valuable for both their beauty and insight. The lovely folks at Nikon were kind enough to share some of their images here with us, be sure to click the link above to see all the winners.

1. Magnified 30 times, this is an image of a Hydropsyche angustipennis (caddisfly) larva head made by Fabrice Parais, of DREAL de Basse-Normandie in Caen, France. (Courtesy of Nikon Small World)

Marijuana

With marijuana on the ballot in four U.S. states this November, most prominently California's Proposition 19, which would fully legalize the substance, the legalization of marijuana has become a hot topic of discussion in North America. If pot were to become legal in California, it is unclear how that would affect the ongoing drug wars in neighboring Mexico - whether it would increase, decrease, or have little effect on the widespread violence. What is clear is that U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has declared that the federal Justice Department will continue to prosecute those who use or distribute recreational marijuana, regardless of any change to state law. Collected here are photos from the past year of marijuana in the news, for both medicinal and recreational purposes, and some of the legal entanglements involved.

1. Tim Blakeley, manager of Sunset Junction medical marijuana dispensary, shows marijuana plant buds on May 11, 2010 in Los Angeles, California. The dispensary was one 25 plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles that fought to stay open after city prosecutors notified 439 medical marijuana dispensaries that they had to shut down by June 7, 2010. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Black - Everything's Coming Up Roses HD 1080p

touch and play with screen with a 3d object

give a boost to spin.... =)

2010 World Fencing Championships

From November 4th through the 11th, 950 athletes from 110 countries are meeting in Paris, France for the 2010 World Fencing Championships. The annual event welcomes contestants to the historic Grand Palais in Paris this year, to participate in foil, épée, and sabre events. Collected here are several images from the first half of the 2010 competition.
1. Maureen Nisima (left) of France and Tatiana Logournova of Russia compete during their semi-final of the epee competition at the 2010 the World Fencing Championships at the Grand Palais in Paris, France on November 8, 2010. (REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen)

The XIX Commonwealth Games

After much worry and criticism before the start, the nineteenth Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India have now reached a successful conclusion without any of the disastrous events that had been predicted. Of the 71 participating countries, Australia topped the medal chart, taking home 177 medals, 74 of them gold. Host nation India also fared well, coming in second overall with 101 medals. The games were held from October 3rd through the 14th, ending with a closing ceremony in New Delhi yesterday. Collected here are photographs of the XIX Commonwealth Games from around India over the past couple of weeks.

1. An athlete runs in the Men's Marathon at Vijay Chowk during day eleven of the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games on October 14, 2010 in Delhi, India. (Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

Queen - i want to break free (high definition) + Download link

Very funny video by queen. Enjoy

Download the song (4.0 mb):
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JVYRVXVA

Download the video (24.8 mb):
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=R7ORUD7P

Enigma - Age of Loneliness (Carly's Song) [HQ]

Kimberly-Clark Health Care Launches "Not on My Watch"

The Department of Health & Human Services recently released its annual report on the quality of health care Americans receive. While there have been some improvements, hospitals still have work to do to put an end to the ongoing - but solvable - problem of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs).

To help achieve this goal, Kimberly-Clark Health Care launched "Not on My Watch" (www.haiwatch.com), a website that provides tools and information to help facilities eliminate HAIs.

Kimberly-Clark will match all year-end gifts made by AORN members up to $20,000! The donation will be used to support the advancement of through education, research and patient safety initiatives. A few of these nurses’ programs include scholarships, educational tool kits, and webinars and conferences for professional development. Click on the link to make your donation today!

read more at

To find get more information please visit http://haiwatchnews.com

read more at Kimberly-Clark Health Care Launches "Not on My Watch"

Pearl Harbor, 69 years ago

Sixty-nine years ago, on December 7th, 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack against the United States naval base in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Over 350 Japanese aircraft attacked in two waves, strafing, dropping bombs and torpedoes. Four U.S. Navy battleships were sunk, four other battleships were damaged, and eight other ships were either sank or damaged. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed, 2,402 personnel were killed and 1,282 were wounded. The following day, the United States declared war on Japan, officially entering World War II. This year's 69th anniversary coincides with the dedication of a new $56 million Pearl Harbor visitors center. Collected here are photos from that infamous day.
1. Aerial view of Battleship Row in the opening moments of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7th, 1941. (U.S. Navy)

Dragster crash compilation

English Word-Origins Pie Chart

The French, of course derives from the Norman influence in England. The Germanic from frisky Viking tourists during the Middle Ages, and the Latin from Roman invaders and the Church.

London tuition fee protest

The day before yesterday, in central London, thousands of students and others gathered to protest as Britain's Parliament met to vote on a proposal to raise university tuition fees significantly - nearly tripling them - as part of a continuing set of austerity programs. During the protest, several clashes took place between police and protesters, resulting in numerous injuries and 43 arrests. Late in the demonstration, a group of protesters attacked the car of Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall as the couple were inside, being driven to the London Palladium. The car was slightly damaged, the royal couple unharmed, though a bit shaken by the incident. Parliament did end up narrowly approving the measure, and the fee increases are set to take effect in 2012. Collected here are images from London last night.
1. A student protester stands on a barrier in Parliament Square on December 9, 2010 in London, England. Parliament was voting on whether to implement the coalition Government's proposals to increase university tuition fees in England from 3,290 GBP to 9,000 GBP. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

A North Korean anniversary and debut

North Korea is in the midst of a series of large-scale events designed to both commemorate the 65th anniversary of the founding of its ruling Workers' Party, and to introduce heir apparent Kim Jong Un to the North Korean people and the world. Current leader Kim Jong Il is now 69 years old and ailing, and has now positioned his twenty-something son, Kim Jong Un, as his successor through recent military and party promotions, and through media coverage of him by his father's side. Many western reporters were invited to these performances, though their freedom to cover events was still limited by minders. Collected here are images from the recent highly-orchestrated events in Pyongyang, and the "young general" Kim Jong Un.
1. North Korea leader Kim Jong Il's son Kim Jong Un is photographed as he attends a massive military parade marking the 65th anniversary of the communist nation's ruling Workers' Party in Pyongyang, North Korea on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010. Kim Jong Un's recent public prominence and promotion have signaled him as the heir apparent to his ailing father's ruling position in North Korea. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu)

The National Ignition Facility

"Creating a miniature star on Earth" is the goal of the National Ignition Facility (NIF), home to the world's largest and highest-energy laser in Livermore, California. On September 29th, 2010, the NIF completed its first integrated ignition experiment, where it focused its 192 lasers on a small cylinder housing a tiny frozen capsule containing hydrogen fuel, briefly bombarding it with 1 megajoule of laser energy. The experiment was the latest in a series of tests leading to a hoped-for "ignition", where the nuclei of the atoms of the fuel inside the target capsule are made to fuse together releasing tremendous energy - potentially more energy than was put in to start the initial reaction, becoming a valuable power source. The NIF has cost over $3.5 billion since 1997 and is a part of the federally funded Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Scientists at NIF say they hope to achieve fusion by 2012.

See also the video at the end of the article.

1. Inside the National Ignition Facility, a service system lift gives technicians access to the target chamber interior for inspection and maintenance. The chamber is a sphere 10 meters in diameter, assembled from ten-centimeter-thick aluminum panels which were preformed and then welded in place. It is covered with .3 meters of concrete which was injected with boron to absorb neutrons from the fusion reaction. The holes in the chamber permit the 192 laser beams to enter the chamber and to provide viewing ports for diagnostic tools. (NIF/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)