The Elephants Knew

The Elephants Knew

THE  ELEPHANT'S JOURNEY TO PAY RESPECT, 
BUT HOW DID THEY  KNOW?Lawrence  Anthony, 
a legend in  South Africa and author of 3 books including the bestseller, 
The Elephant  Whisperer. 
He bravely  rescued wildlife and rehabilitated elephants all over the globe 
from human  atrocities, including the courageous rescue of Baghdad Zoo 
animals during  US invasion in 2003.

On March 7, 2012 Lawrence Anthony died.   He is  remembered and missed by his wife, 2 sons, 2 grandsons, and 
numerous  elephants.

Two  days after his passing, the wild elephants showed up at his home 
led by two large  matriarchs.  Separate wild herds arrived in droves 
to say goodbye  to their beloved 'man-friend'.  

      
A  total of 31 elephants had patiently walked over 112 miles 
to get to his  South African House.
Witnessing this  spectacle, humans were obviously in awe not only 
because of the  supreme intelligence and precise timing that these 
elephants sensed  about Lawrence's passing, but also because of 
the profound  memory and emotion the beloved animals evoked 
in such an  organized way: Walking slowly,  for days, making their  way in a solemn one-by-one queue from their habitat 
to his  house.  Lawrence's wife, Francoise, was especially touched, 
knowing that the  elephants had not been to his house prior  to that day for well over 3 years! But yet they  knew where they were going. The elephants obviously 
wanted to pay  their deep respects, honoring their friend 
who'd saved  their lives - so much respect that 
they stayed  for 2 days 2 nights without eating anything.  
Then one  morning, they left, making their long journey 
back home. 

SOMETHING IN  THE UNIVERSE IS GREATER 
AND DEEPER THAN  HUMAN INTELLIGENCE. 

Eight-year-old girl China's youngest lung cancer case

BEIJING (Nov 5, 2013): An eight-year-old girl has become China's youngest lung cancer patient, reports said, with doctors blaming pollution as the direct cause of her illness.
The girl, whose name was not given, lives near a major road in the eastern province of Jiangsu, said Xinhuanet, the website of China's official news agency.
It quoted Jie Fengdong, a doctor at Jiangsu Cancer Hospital in Nanjing, as saying she had been exposed to harmful particles and dust over a long period of time.
Lung cancer cases among children are extremely rare, with the average age for diagnosis at about 70, according to the American Cancer Society.
But the incidence of the disease has skyrocketed in China as the country's rapid development has brought with it deteriorating air quality, particularly in urban areas.
Lung cancer deaths in China have multiplied more than four times over the past 30 years, according to Beijing's health ministry. Cancer is now the leading cause of death in the smog-ridden capital.
The report of the eight-year-old girl's diagnosis comes after choking smog enveloped the northeastern city of Harbin two weeks ago, bringing flights and ground transport to a standstill and forcing schools to shut for several days, with visibility in some areas reduced to less than 50 metres.
At the height of the smog, the city's levels of PM2.5 - the smallest, most dangerous type of airborne particle - reached 1,000 micrograms per cubic metre, 40 times the World Health Organisation's recommended standard.
High levels of PM2.5 have been linked to health problems including lung cancer and heart disease. – AFP

http://www.thesundaily.my/news/873831

Penis ICE-CREAM in Japan

Japan’s penis festival in Kawasaki

The enormous pink penis catches the light as I approach it. There’s no glint of shame as it exposes itself to the crowd. It’s the centre of attention, with throngs of Japanese people pushing to get closer to the engorged phallus. In a country normally so obsessed with decorum, it’s an odd sight.

Well, it would be an odd sight anywhere else in Japan, but this is the annual penis festival – the celebration of manhood that happens under the guise of a religious ceremony at a Shinto shrine. That’s right, blessed be the cocks here in the city of Kawasaki, about half an hour south of Tokyo.

 http://www.timetravelturtle.com/2013/04/kawasaki-penis-festival-kanamara-matsuri-japan/

 


Before I get to the thrust of the festival (see what I did there?), let’s take a step back for a second. We should pay tribute to the origins of this annual event which is officially called Kanamara Matsuri.
The shrine has been the place for people with penises in their prayers for more than four centuries. In the 1600s, this area was full of prostitutes and they would come here to ask for protection from sexually-transmitted diseases. Over time, people started coming to pray for fertility, long marriages, healthy births… and then (somehow) the penis symbology got twisted (sounds painful) to also represent a successful business and a prosperous life (try telling that to Tiger Woods!).


Now, back to this enormous pink phallus. It’s actually one of three that are the centrepieces of the festival and it’s not even the most important. That honour goes to the slightly smaller (but still quite well-endowed) black iron penis which is housed in a small wooden temple on sticks. As the legend goes, back in ye olde days, a sharp-toothed demon hid inside the vagina of a young woman and castrated her husband on their wedding night. The iron penis was forged by a blacksmith to break the demon’s teeth and kill it! (Don’t think about this story for too long… in fact, let’s just move on.)

The Kanamara Matsuri Festival

So, back to today, and the official part of the Kanamara Matsuri Festival each year in Kawasaki is the parade through the nearby streets where the three huge altars with the erect idols are carried by groups of worshippers. The footpaths are full of people who crowd around these mobile temples as the bearers chant and sing and shout and sway from side to side. There’s nothing particularly serene about this and it looks more like a Mardi Gras than a spiritual pilgrimage.



In fact, that’s the mood of the whole day. Nothing is taken too seriously. Whatever the origins of this festival, it is now one big party… just one where religion and cocks are mixed together (the Catholics don’t have a monopoly on that!).
Gongs and dongs. There’ll be one line of people waiting to pray inside the shrine right next to another line of people waiting to buy a lollipop in the shape of a penis. The traditional carving of the radishes into phallic shapes happens in one corner and in another are large wooden wangs that you can ride like a horse.


It’s all good fun and the festival staff (honestly, no pun intended) try to make it a fun event by encouraging the crowd to get involved. Because of the reputation it has gathered over the years and the proximity to Tokyo, it’s extremely popular with ex-pats as well and foreigners make up a large part of the crowd.



There’s hardly room to move and you often have to push your way through all the people. But, in honour of the origins, the festival raises money for HIV research so at least it’s a good cause. For one day these penises get to shine. But, hey, it’s tradition, right?

Is this the most spoilt child in Britain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgllLFH8TlU

WATCH: The 11-year-old boy who can talk backwards fluently - and doesn't even break a sweat when transposing 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious'

WATCH: The 11-year-old boy who can talk backwards fluently - and doesn't even break a sweat when transposing 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2499431/Meet-10-year-old-Scottish-boy-talk-backwards-fluently.html#ixzz2l3Tv4IbY 

An 11-year-old boy has revealed his talent for speaking backwards in a video posted online by his father.

In the five-minute clip on YouTube, Cameron's father gives him sentences to say backwards. Scottish boy Cameron uses an iPad app that reverses speech to demonstrate his talent.

The app transposes regular speech into backwards speech, but since Cameron is already speaking backwards to begin with the sentences become understandable when played through the app. 

Scroll down for video

Turned around: 11-year-old Cameron from Scotland has picked up the talent of being able to speak backwards

He starts off with the simple sentence of 'My name is Cameron and I live in Scotland', before his dad starts giving him more complex sentences such as: 'I went outside to play on my bike today'.

Cameron was also asked in the video - posted in April 2012 - to say backwards: 'I'm going to Canada for my summer holidays'. He can also count from one to 20 backwards.

 

My 10 year old Son talking backwards fluently

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dwl8APA1e5g&feature=youtu.be&noredirect=1

Pakistan bans science text book on pretext of it provoking 'sexual desire'

LAHORE: The government of Pakistan's Punjab province has banned a science book for Grade VI students of a chain of elite schools for containing material that could provoke " sexual desire".
The text book used by the Lahore Grammar School was banned after authorities received complaints from parents.
"We have banned the book after receiving complaints from parents," provincial education minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad told PTI

 The science book had material that could provoke "sexual desire", which could not be tolerated, he said.
"We will not allow anyone to teach our children with material which is against our social values and religious beliefs," Ahmad said.
An inquiry was underway to ascertain why "objectionable" contents were included in the science book, he said.
The Punjab government also took cognizance of the same school's decision to replace Islamic Studies, a compulsory subject, with Religious Studies in Grade VI.
"The new subject contains material which may mislead and confuse the minds of children," Ahmad said.
"Article 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan is quite clear about the provision that no Pakistani citizen should be taught a religion other than his own religion - Islam," Ahmad said.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-09-21/pakistan/42272031_1_sexual-desire-science-book-pakistan

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