An appeal to help the children of Pakistan affected by the floods on Children's Day on Nov 20th 2010

How much you love your children cannot be measured. You don't really need to have a child of your own to adore the innocence of a child. What would you do if you saw a child standing alone, in the chilling cold, hungry and without any warm clothing? Ignore or help?

They say that all human beings have an element of God in them. The light, love and sensitivity. Seeing the plight of an undernourished child who might even have some water borne diseases is a heart rendering sight. Our children or the children you see playing outside look happy. They wear warm clothing. They eat well. They are loved and well taken care of. But then, there are a few 7 million children at the moment, who have no happiness, no warm clothing to keep them cosy in the cold weather, no food to stop the stomache which is aching to eat, no proper sanitation for the child to drink normal water, and more importantly, no love!

These 7 million children are not going to celebrate the Children's Day on November 20th this year. They will not recieve love or gifts. They will just sit crying, or lying on a cold cemented platform, hoping that someone will give them a penny or two to grab a little piece of bread. They will use their tiny, tender and soft hands to cut some branches from a tree and ignite fire to keep themselves warm. They have no shoes. So when they do go to cut the branches, their tiny, cold and numb feet will be bruised. Then they will play a bit while cutting the branches. They will get hurt. But they do not care about the hurt anymore. Hurt has become an emotion and a feeling which is so completely normal in their lives. They are suffering. They will probably even die. They have no one to love them, to hold them and to tell them that everything will be alright.

So what is it that we, who are sitting with our kids next to warm heaters, wearing socks, drinking hot chocolate and playing with them do something for those 7 million kids who are aching for the same? Obviously, we cannot have all of those 7 million kids in our homes. We cannot give donations for them, thinking that the corrupt government will misuse the funds. But, perhaps we can find someone who is working on the ground for these 7 million innocent yet nearly dying children to help save them. To give them shelter, a nice warm bed to sleep in, some warm clothing, healthy drinking water and some good meals. Maybe that someone can give them love also. Love conquers all, doesn't it? It might conquer the plight of these kids. They might see another day, full of sunshine and play. They might even giggle, run around and feel happy.

How can you help these children? You can help by helping James Caan, who is building villages for these kids. Donate to his online site, or just the address provided on the site below:
The James Caan Foundation You can also help these 7 million children on Pakistan Floods Appeal

And you can help here also: MillionDollarMission

There are so many ways of helping these children from dying. A few clicks, and just donating some money online, will go a long way. These foundations may not be able to save all the 7 million children, but they might save a figure that niether you nor I can imagine. All we need to do is to open our minds and hearts and think for just an instance, that what if it was our child who was numbered in that 7 million figure? You and I both know, that we would go miles for our own children. Then why not do the same for these children who really need our help?

This world has become a global village. Boundaries are fading away. One person who might be 4000 miles away from you and is suffering, his or her plight will move you. That's the beauty of humanity. The time has come to let go of our fears, and to speak up for what is right. It is time to help those whom we can. Let's not turn our backs on these little angels. Let's give them hope, love and joy. If you have it in you, then please donate or spread awareness about these children who have been badly affected by the floods in Pakistan. Help them before it is too late. By helping them, you will be helping yourself to smile, knowing that you have done something spectacular for a child who is sitting homeless and hungry in the cold in Pakistan.

Let the humanity in you do some good today. On Children's Day, let your donation be a gift to a child who will be fed, given a home and will be kept warm with love.

The image of Pakistan!

Hello everyone,

I hope that all of you have been doing well. I am sorry to have kept my blog empty for quite sometime now. 

Life has not been easy on the global front. The reason for my absence has been due to piles of work that I have been getting as of late. Meeting dead lines, running off for conferences and meetings, looking after a wonderful baby and a great husband. I have literally been on my toes and finger tips for a long time.

After months I thought of finally sitting down and doing something that needs to be done. Over the past few months, ever since the devastating floods hit Pakistan, I have been devotedly trying to raise awareness and donations for the victims of the floods.

The other day, I made a new friend from Canada. I'll refrain from taking her name, so I'll just use her first initial "M". Ms M, is one spectacular lady. She and I discussed about some issues related to the floods. Ms. M is a globe trotter. She has seen much and thereby knows much. Sadly, when I told her about my mission of collecting donations for James Caan's foundation in England to build a village in probably one of the worst hit areas of Pakistan, Ms. M startled me with something. She inquired whether I knew what I was doing and whether I was certain that the funds that are being donated to The James Caan Foundation will ultimately go into building villages in Pakistan. I said of course! But then she said, in a country like Pakistan which is so full of corrupt politicians, how can I be so sure? To that, I sadly told her, that was the reason why I decided to help out in collecting funds for The James Caan Foundation, as it is private and the man himself is coming and going to Pakistan to see the villages being built.

I was extremely upset to know that nearly everyone in the world perceives Pakistan to be a terrorist hub, a downtrodden probably even barren land filled with pollutants, corruption, uneducated people and what not. Whereas, it is the direct opposite of that. The citizens of Pakistan are the ones who are deeply affected by the terrorist activities, with bombs blowing off in major cities from time to time, yes the political system is corrupt, but then which country in the world has a political system that eludes corruption? People of Pakistan are not uneducated people either. Pakistan has some of the finest educative systems in the world which follow the British and the American system of education. A simple man on the street who has not had the privilege to gain education is even enlightened about what is happening around him and in the world at large, much thanks to the media. Pakistani's cannot be defined by a bunch of radical extremists who are trying to ruin the country.

Watch this video to see the beauty of Pakistan. Pure heaven on Earth!

For now, these are my thoughts. I am going to now dedicate my next blog to The Children's Day which falls on the 20th of November.

Until then, take care and keep yourself enlightened!

10 Things That Men Think Women Can Never Learn

This is a world of competition and without reasonable doubt; women are in the forefront of absolutely everything under the sky, right alongside men. Nevertheless, the so-called superior specie likes to sometimes think otherwise. Here we have compiled for you a list of some stereotypes that men like to associate us ladies with and how we can justify each and every one of them:

1. Women Can't Learn to Park A Car

Men think that a woman behind the wheel is a pure breed from dumb Ville. They think that perhaps a poor lady behind the wheel of an Escalade can't use her sense of proper parking and will try her best to squeeze in her Escalade as if it is a mini cooper. They think that all we ladies can do our best with, is parallel parking, which means overlooking the little detail of the car's rear, hanging straight out for oncoming traffic. But hang on! This just isn't true for all women. Even men make such mistakes. So the next time you hear a man say that you can't learn to park, be sure to park in a fashion where, when he wants to take the car out, his reversing skills are tested to a degree that puts him to shame.

2. Women Can't Learn To Understand A Film Plot

This one is just ridiculous. How can a woman not understand a film plot? It does not take a genius to understand what a film is all about. Once in a while, you sit down with your man to watch a movie, and you may have a bazillion things on your mind which have kept you occupied during the film. But when you innocently later ask a simple query regarding the film, he'll just label you as utterly twisted, a kind of specie that couldn't understand the entire film. When will these men ever learn that we women have the unbelievable ability to multi-task? Some of the best films made in recent times are made by women. The Hurt Locker is an exceptional example.

3. Women Can't Learn To Read A Map

Trust us Venusians, you know-it-all Martians! We do understand navigation and if once in a while we go off-route, we might have done so because we have so many things on our minds. However, never has it been that we have not reached our destination. Reading a map maybe difficult but not in the least bit impossible. There is everything on a map to make it understandable. If we can read what's on your mind, trust this; reading a map is a walk-in-the-park. Try getting three kids to school on time during rush-hour without a map!

4. Women Can't Learn To Watch A Documentary

To refute this one; we women do like documentaries that 'interest' us. Women like watching stuff that has spice, intrigue and juice in them. There have been documentaries like Grey Gardens, Big brother, Big Business, Apollo Zero, The Truth According to Wikipedia etc, which have been interesting enough to watch. Ladies in general can learn to and also like to watch a documentary that grasps their interest. So by making such a generalized statement regarding them not being able to learn to watch a documentary on let's say Cars and some technology related material is simply being bias. If we sit with you and watch such documentaries, it is out of sheer respect for the stuff that you like to watch.

5. Women Can't Learn To Get To The Point

Okay! Women like to elaborate only to make it easier for men to understand their point of view. They like to talk. Sure, they like to make sense. If for instance a woman is trying to tell a man that she doesn't like a certain way the man is dealing with something, she is only trying to help him with several hundred examples so that he can understand. But obviously, men like to tell us ladies that we have the 'gift of the gab'. Ah! If only they could understand.

6. Women Can't Learn to Stop Gossiping

Men perceive women to be born to spread the word like a wild fire. True enough to a certain degree. We like to talk. It is as simple as that! We women like to talk about anything that's absolutely anything! It makes us happy, and we do not normally do it intentionally to hurt another person. We are just built that way. Why not look at the brighter side of us women gossiping, that leading phone companies in the world might as well go bankrupt if we didn't use our amazing qualities of keeping a conversation flowing and adding that extra spice in our lives. It is only due to this marvelous quality of ours that TV shows such as Desperate Housewives and Gossip Girl are so famous also. At least we are not boring and mundane!

7. Women Can't Learn To Spend Less Time In The Washroom

Have you actually ever wondered why we take so much time in the washroom? The answer is simple, for personal gratification and obviously to come out shining as beautiful as new for you men. Men normally get in the shower, quickly soap up and before you know it they are drying themselves out of the shower. We women take our sweet time to have that luxurious bath, scrubbing and bathing. Putting on all sorts of creams and lotions for a smoother body and adding a dash of perfume spray to feel good after a long day and also to be devoured by our man.
 
8. Women Can't Learn To Not Make Comments

Well obviously! If there is a woman who is looking really nice, why not comment on it. Why not secretly wonder where she could have bought that certain dress, shoes or jewels from? Why not have those same things in your own closet too? Why not look equally ravishing? On the other hand, if a woman is distastefully dressed, we just can't help not noticing that and make a comment on it. As then we are hell bent to wonder whatever the hell went wrong with her choice. And simply why would she be dressed to look absolutely absurd? In today's day and age we are empowered with the basic fashion and style sense through television and magazines, so why not make the best use of it. And when the best use of such sense is not made, we are bound to make justifiable comments. It's just who we are!
 
9. Women Can't Learn To Window Shop

Shopping is one major weakness of a woman. You just have to understand that. If we see an awesome dress or a shoe through a window, we can't help not getting into the shop and buying it. The first thing that enters our minds is that what if we spend a day just thinking about buying the dress and when you come back, it has already been bought. The worst comes when we see another woman wearing that dress or shoe that we desperately wanted to get while window shopping. It is actually depressing, because we just know that it would have looked so much better on us than them! Depression is a new name for untamed rage. So next time you choose to take us window shopping, imagine what your life would become in case you choose not to buy us that amazing Nina Ricci shoe.
 
10. Women Can't Learn To Try Not To Change You

It goes without saying that we women are an absolute 180 degrees opposite of what you men are. There are certain, well perhaps a lot of things about you which drive us up the wall and we want them to be changed. We change everything about our original existence from the sweet sixteen years to what we are with you all now. You think we can't change and are here to conquer the world! You are right about that, but it's you who doesn't want to change anything. For instance, when you come back from work, it will not take you very long to get into the shower, change and be all fresh. Is it too much to ask of you to keep your work stench away from us? Or when you get into the bed every night and he turns over to play a silly game on his cell phone, killing all intimacy and putting you both to sleep, as we too have another long day to look forward too. Hence, by changing you we are being generous enough to make your life simple and putting our peace of mind at ease.

10 Most Evil Women in History

Turn the pages of history and you will come across a long list of villains, murderers and killers. You would be hardly surprised to find that most of such notorious characters are men. What about women? Are there any? Yes. Here is a list of the ten most evil women in our history.

1. Lizzie Borden - The Fall River Murders (July 19, 1860 – June 1, 1927)

On August 4, 1892, at the age of 32, Lizzie Borden, an unmarried English woman, brutally murdered her father and stepmother. The murders were famously named as The Fall River Murders, because they occurred in Fall River, Massachusetts in the United States. The trial of the murders gained much popularity with media’s involvement. The incident has achieved much hype in the American pop culture and criminology. Even though the only suspect to be held on trial was Lizzie Borden, yet in the American folklore she remains one of the most famous criminals. Moreover, till this date, no one knows for sure the real identity of the killer or killers. 

 

2. Audrey Marie Hilley - Secrets and Lies (June 4, 1937 - February 26, 1987)

Audrey Marie Hilley lived in Alabama in the United States. She murdered her husband in 1975 and attempted to kill her daughter three years later. In both instances, she tried to do so by injecting arsenic. What really caused Audrey Marie Hilley to kill her near ones still remains an unsolved mystery. Most conspiracy theorists believe that it was for money, however, she did not gain much from her menacing endeavors. Audrey Marie Hilley was imprisoned for her sadistic and cruel crimes. On February 1987, the prison where she was incarcerated never got to see her again. Four days after her escape, she was found meandering outside in the marshes and soon died of hypothermia.

3. Valeria Messalina - A Roman Lolita (17/20 – 48)

Valeria Messalina was the third wife of the Roman Emperor Claudius. When she was the reigning empress, she was quite powerful and a highly influential woman of her time. She had a great reputation of immorality. The reason why she is listed as one of the most evil women in our history pages is because she conspired to kill her husband. Upon the discovery of her plot to murder her husband, she was executed.

 

4. Agrippina The Younger - Empress of Poison (15-59 AD)

She was a Roman Empress, known for her exquisite beauty. She was the great grand-daughter of the emperor Augustus. She was the fourth wife of Emperor Claudius. After the execution of Messalina, Agrippina saw it as a great opportunity to win Claudius’ heart and become the next Roman Empress. With time, Claudius became fond of her and married her. Agrippina being an intelligent and a cunning woman took the reins of power from Claudius as he was aged and nearing the end of his life. As time went by, Agrippina persuaded to adopt her son Nero from a previous marriage and make him the next Emperor of Rome. She guarded her own position at the Roman court by having all those women that Claudius praised, murdered. When she finally thought the time was right for Claudius to be removed from the throne, she did so by poisoning him.

 

5. Tz'u-Hsi - The Dragon Empress (29 November 1835 – 15 November 1908)

She was an extremely powerful figure who became the ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 48 long years. She was a conformist ruler. She did not bend towards establishing new reformist ways of ruling. She was extremely rigid and very arrogant in ruling the Qing Dynasty. Historians have redeemed her to be a despot and a complete villain who was the main reason for the fall of the Dynasty.

6. Queen Ranavalona I - Bloody Mary of Madagascar (1782 – 16 August 1861)

Ranavalona I, was Queen of Madagascar, after succeeding her husband Radama I when he died. During the time of her reign and even to date, she has been given the titles of the Bloody Mary of Madagascar, the Mad Queen and Wicked Queen. The colossal death of nearly more than half of the population, particularly due to torture during the time she ruled is seen as a rare cultural idiosyncrasy. Her aims of exterminating the Christian population are typically seen as a demonstration of her extreme madness, torture and death.

7. Mary Ann Cotton - The Black Widow (1832 – 1873)

Mary Ann Cotton, hanged in Durham in 1873 was a Victorian Black Widow. Killing for greed, she murdered her three husbands, step children, her mother and even twelve of her own children. In July 1832, Mary Ann Cotton was arrested after the disbelieving death of her son, Charles. She was held in a court for trial and was consequently hanged at Durham on March 24, 1873.

8. Marie Noe - An Unlucky Parent

Born in 1928, Marie Noe, an American national has been condemned for murdering eight of her children, in 1999. Amid 1949 and 1968, eight out of ten children of Marie Noe died surprisingly, most of the deaths were said to be caused by sudden infant death syndrome. All of her eight children were perfectly healthy at birth. Two of her other children died of causes that were seemingly natural. In June 1999, Marie Noe, pleaded guilty to all the eight murders of her children to second degree murder. She has been sentenced to twenty years’ probation.

9. Rose West - The House of Horror

Born to the Zodiac sign of Scorpio, Rosemary Pauline West was born on November 29th 1953 in a small British country-side town of Barnstaple. Rose is not your average serial killer. Her antics were gruesome and worth their mention to say the least about the diversity of an evil human mind. She is presently an inmate at HMP Low Newton, Brasside, Durham, after being convicted of 10 murders in 1995. HM Prison Low Newton is a Category A prison for female adults, juveniles and young offenders. After being convicted of 10 murders in 1995. She was married to a man by the name of Fred, who committed suicide in prison while awaiting trial. It is believed that he collaborated with her in the gruesome torture and murder of at least 10 young innocent women. What is even more appalling is that many are believed to have been murdered at the couples home in the British County of Gloucestershire. Out of all the murders Fred West is known to have carried out at-least 12 murders. However, Rosemary had no involvement in the first two, as she had not met Fred at the time.

10.Aileen Carol Wuornos - Damsel of Death (1956-2002)

Aileen Carol Wuornos was an American National who was convicted of being a serial killer, having brutally murdered seven men in Florida between 1989 and 1990. In her appeal, she later claimed that she did so only in defense, as they raped or attempted to rape her while she was working as a prostitute. She was found guilty of six murders out of the seven, and was executed through a deadly injection on October 9, 2002.

 

 

10 Creative Drug Smuggling Schemes

Image by Paul Garland via Flickr

Being innovative and outrageously creative in drug smuggling schemes requires a lot of  desperation and obviously a lot of brains. Conversely, evidently as creative as the list of such schemes is as below, they all still got caught. Nevertheless, they do deserve a cachet for coming up with such ingenious ideas.

1. Cocaine Pringles

Chopping and slicing thinly sheets of cocaine to make it look just like Pringles and then putting them in a can of Pringles is definitely a pure desperate act of genius. In 2006, Austin, Texas, police found about 168 grams of cocaine inside a can of Pringles. The cocaine was ingeniously made to look like the actual Pringles crisps. Talk about creativity!

2. Cocaine Statue of Jesus Christ

We have all heard of religious statues being filled with drugs, but imagine a statue being made of plaster and drugs, and that to a statue of no ordinary bloke, but that of Jesus! In 2008, in Texas, the U.S. customs officials caught a woman at the border crossing in Laredo. She was carrying the 6.6 pound statue and trying to escape to Mexico. The creators of this specific statue were so creative with their craft, that they made the entire statue of the Christian Savior with illicit white powder, painted the statue and made it look extremely regal. They were actually hoping to sell it for $30, 000.

3. Leg Cast

 In March, 2009, Spanish police arrested a man who had arrived at Barcelona airport from Chile after successfully formatting that the cast on his fractured leg was actually made of cocaine. The peculiar thing about this innovative way of smuggling drugs is that, the 66 year old Chilean man had a real fracture of two bones below the knee.However the police suspected that he or his accomplices may have actually fractured the leg intentionally, just so that the cocaine cast could be applied. The police seized 4.8 kilograms (10.5 lb) of cocaine from a leg cast. 

4. Human Hair Extensions

In 2006, Namibian authorities caught a 21 year old Angolan national at the HoseaKutako International Airport, in connection with an alleged plan of smuggling drugs into the country. The extremely creative aspect of this case of drug smuggling is that the suspect was attempting to use cocaine lightly spread over some 76 packets of human hair extensions.

5. Stuffing of a Giant Squid with a Dash of Pepper

 In 2004, Peruvian police seized nearly 1,540 pounds (700 Kilograms) of cocaine that was stuffed and hidden in a frozen giant squid, which was bound to go to Mexico and the United States. The much artistic fashion of smuggling drugs in this manner was not only filling a frozen giant squid with cocaine but further wrapping it up in pepper, so that in case they were caught, the sniffer dogs would be left off sneezing from the scene and diverts the officials. However, that did not happen and the police caught about seven suspects.

6. Condoms Wrapped with Drugs Stuffed into Snakes

 In 1993, the Drug Enforcement Agents at Miami airport seized nearly 36 kilograms of cocaine wrapped in condoms and stuffed in Boa constrictors. The snakes had been imported from South America, and were still alive when they were found. There were over 312 snakes about 1.5 meters in length. The cocaine was actually found by mistake when one of the snakes appeared to have an abnormal bulge. The security officials X-rayed it to see what was inside and ultimately removed two condom wrapped pellets. No one was charged in relation to the case, as the officials were unable to find the people behind not only such a creative, baffling and a little perverted drug smuggling case.

7. Baby's Diaper filled with Drugs

In June, 2009, a 22 year old young mother was caught trying to smuggle amphetamines into a Rheinbach prison, by filling up her daughter's diaper with the drugs. The police arrested the young woman and her 41 year old husband. The police found 15 grams of amphetamines and 46 pills in their 17month old daughter's diaper. Upon further investigation, the police recovered 12 grams of amphetamines hidden in her clothing as well. Sure it was creative to smuggle drugs in a diaper, but into a federal prison? How absurd could one get? 

8. Hiding Drugs In Garden Gnomes

Seriously who would even think of looking for drugs in garden gnomes, but hats off for the granny who hid coke in her garden gnomes? Yes! The 52 year old woman was caught with in excess of nearly three kilograms of Charlie at the Auckland Airport in 2004. The drug known to be the Peruvian Red Bull was secretly hidden inside four garden gnomes in a suitcase. Linda Martin, the accused, blamed that she had been hoodwinked by a Nigerian drug gang. After her trial, Justice John Priestly established that Martin was immature, but as she knew that she was dealing with drug trafficker, and also considering her cooperation with the customs and the police, her health problems and her obvious lack of previous convictions, he granted her imprisonment for eight and a half years.

9. Drug Bugs

In 2007, custom officials in Amsterdam found 100 dead beetles that had been stuffed with cocaine, while inspecting a package from Peru. The bugs contained a total of 300 grams of cocaine. The estimated street value of the drugs from bugs was about 8,000 Euros ($ 11,270). A government spokesperson said that they had never seen anything like that previously. Well obviously, they had not, there seems to be no end to such creative endeavors. 

10. Intoxicating Holy Water

 

In 2008, a 50 year old man was arrested near the Niagara Falls after trying to illegally enter the United States from Canada. He claimed that he had bought a few religious items. While the man was being questioned by the US Custom officers and the Border Protection officials, a Customs dog sniffed out the drug that the man was carrying. Once laboratory tests came out, it was confirmed that the man was not carrying any religious items, namely Holy Water but they were bottles filled with Ketamine, which is an extremely powerful hallucinogenic used mostly as a date rape drug.  

 

 

 

Top 10 Fighter Jets in Aviation History

History has seen amazing leaps from the 12-HP Wright Flyer to the awe-inspiring F-22. Ranking these machines would hardly justify the plethora of man’s versatility in the field. Yet still, one cannot deny how one’s heart misses a beat at the passing of a fighter jet. Based on their undeniable prowess of the air and captivating feats over time, the following is a humble attempt in rating these tamed beasts.

10. F117 Stealth Fighter Year 1983

The F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter was a single seat, dual engine aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin. This extremely weird looking jet was designed at the height of the cold war with an aim to fly undetected. It was a gargantuan leap in the science of "stealth" and created ripples in the aviation world from the day it was perceived. Almost the entire outer surface of the aircraft was coated with a Radar-Absorbent Material (RAM), even the rectangular air intakes on both sides of the fuselage were covered by gratings coated with RAM. Not only could this mean machine fly undetected but could employ a vast array of armament on enemy targets. For being the first of its kind and packing a knockout punch in terms of stealth, this marvel of man deserves to be a part of the top ten fighter aircraft ever.

9. DR 1 Fokker Triplane Year 1917

Without a doubt, one of the most famous airplanes of World War One was the Fokker Dr.1 Tri-plane. The Dr 1 came ready with two machine guns which had an intercepting gear that was calculated to fire bullets through the propeller arc without hitting the blades. This was unheard of in a time where pilots would use wing-mounted machine guns and even hand held pistols. This little red devil was much smaller than many of its adversaries but where it lost in weight, it made up for in the one thing that ensures survivability in air combat, and that is agility. This was the very plane that the made "The Red Baron" (Manfred von Richthofen) one of the most feared fighter ace of his time. Surely, a fighter which commanded such respect in its time cannot be forgotten and hence secures itself at No. 9 in the top ten fighters of history.

8. Harrier Jump Jet (AV-8B Harrier II) Year 1985

This extremely amazing machine was again a first of its kind. A cross between a conventional fighter jet and a helicopter gives you a Harrier Jump jet. This remarkable aircraft is still in active service and can vertically take off from a stand still. This aircraft is a British brain child and over the years has seen much active combat on at least four continents. While the Harrier is one of the most flexible aircraft ever made, the level of understanding and skill needed to pilot it is considerable. This was the first aircraft to effectively use thrust vectoring, a capability through which the exhaust nozzles tilt and vector the thrust. Thanks to thrust vector and reaction control system, the Harrier is capable of forward flight as well as VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) and STOL (short take off and landing) maneuvers; however this requires the skills and understanding associated with helicopters. It has four engine nozzle thrust vectors which can be set between zero degrees (horizontal) and 98 degrees (down and slightly forwards viewed from the side), this allows the aircraft to take off and land vertically. Not many would contest it sliding into eighth place on the list.

7. F 86 Sabre Year 1949 and MIG -15

The seventh spot is a tie between the U-Mig-15 and the infamous F86 sabre. These two jets created some of the greatest air battles of our time in the Korean War. The Mig was a very heavily armed fighter and much more robust compared to the Sabre. Veteran American pilots would be baffled by the fact that their bullets would hit this agile aircraft and it wouldn't even flinch, on the other hand, one hit from its 37mm cannon would render a Sabre inactive. It was the superior training and experience of the USAF pilots that gave them an advantage, yet not one can claim the he didn't get a run for his money. The F-86 and the Mig were like arch rivals in the newly discovered age of jet fighter combat and they helped in the evolution of modern air combat to what it is today. These two aircraft were undoubtedly works of art and deserve a place in the annals of history, but surely side by side.

6. Messerschmidt ME109 Year 1937

It may be argued that this bird was never quite in the zone during WW II, and the pilots would even call it a widow maker for its undeniable unsafe testimony. The trait which made it stand out though, was its monumental combat record. The most sought after airplane of its time, the ME-109 was also one of the most feared. They were in production right up till the fall of Normandy and a staggering 34,000 aircraft were produced. The ME 109 became the backbone of the Luftwaffe fighter force in World War II and without doubt was one of the most successful fighter aircraft of the war. It was flown by the three top-scoring fighter aces of World War II: Erich Hartmann, the top scoring fighter pilot of all time with 352 victories, Gerhard Barkhorn with 301 victories, and Gunther Rall with 275 victories.

5. F 18 Super Hornet Year 1983

The Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a supersonic carrier-capable fighter/attack aircraft. The F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is a combat-proven strike fighter with built-in versatility. The Super Hornet's suite of integrated and networked systems provides enhanced interoperability, total force support for the combatant commander and for the troops on the ground. The Super Hornet has the ability to carry approximately 17,750 pounds (8,032 kg) of external load on eleven stations. It has all-weather air-to-air radar and a control system for accurate delivery of conventional or guided weapons. An internal 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon is mounted in the nose. The versatility of the F-18 Super Hornet has led the aircraft to be used in such missions including; day/night strikes with precision-guided weapons, anti-air warfare, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defense, maritime strikes, reconnaissance, forward air control (Airborne) (FAC(A)), air-to-air refueling as well as leaflet drops with payload delivery unit 5 (PDU-5) containers. Its agility an versatility are unparalleled in today's day and age.

4. MIG 21 (F-13 / Fishbed C) Year 1959

The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 ("Fishbed") is a supersonic jet fighter aircraft, designed and built by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau in the Soviet Union. It was popularly nicknamed balalaika, from the aircraft's platform-view resemblance to the Russian Stringed instrument Balalaika by Polish pilots due to the shape of its fuselage. Some 50 countries over four continents have flown the MiG-21, and it still serves many nations a half-century after its maiden flight. The fighter made aviation records. At least by name, it is the most produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history; and it had the longest production run of a combat aircraft (1959 to 1985 over all variants). The fighter holds a number of aviation records, including the most produced supersonic jet aircraft in aviation history, the most produced combat aircraft since World War II, and the longest production run of a combat aircraft.

3. Su30 Flanker

The SU-30 is a long range multi-role air-superiority fighter. Due to the in-flight-refueling capability it can either remain on station for long periods or cover a large area on patrol. The Russian designed plane once again baffled millions of aviation enthusiasts around the world with its unthinkable range of maneuverability as well as agility. It depicted how effortlessly an aircraft can stand still in the air without flaming out or stalling, most renowned for its Cobra maneuver, this Russian technological behemoth commands the respect of many and surely the fear of more. With technological advancements like Infrared Search and Track System, full on thrust vectoring, and unmatched agility throughout the entire flight envelope, this aircraft was and is a marvel of Russian prowess on air technology and advancement. A modified prototype of the Su30 was the first aircraft in the world to accelerate through the speed of sound vertically (up not down!). While other aircraft have been able to travel supersonic vertically none had previously been able to accelerate to that extent (at least not reportedly).

2. Supermarine Spitfire Year 1938

The Supermarine Spitfire was a British single-seat fighter aircraft, used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries during the Second World War. This aircraft was designed to meet an ad-hoc Air Ministry demand to build an aircraft capable of flying at 250 MPH. For its day, the Spitfire was admired with utmost reverence and in an effort to develop the Spitfire further, two principal modifications were made, these included the introduction of a pressurized cabin and the use of an engine suitably rated for higher altitude. These changes were incorporated in the Spitfire Mark IV. The most advanced technological leaps in its time. Much loved by its pilots, the Spitfire saw service throughout the whole of the Second World War, continuing to serve as a front line fighter for several air forces well into the 1950s. The Spitfire will always be compared to its main adversary, the Messerschmitt ME-109: both were among the finest fighters of their day and followed similar design philosophies of marrying a small, streamlined airframe to a powerful liquid-cooled inline engine.

1. F-22 Raptor and F-16 Fighting Falcon

The top slot. Everyone has their own demands and their preconceived notions of things, but when it comes to fighter planes; it would be hard to name the best fighter of all time. What marvel man brings in the future is only a mystery, but come they will and much faster at greater succession. The top slot is thus an ode to the achievements of mankind, both in the past as well as the future. Another tie bequeaths the most coveted slot. It would be unfair to let the Fighting Falcon take all the laurels with its immense production and demand, as the F-22 poses the heights of technology not tested by any other aircraft in history. The F-22 is the only aircraft that blends super-cruise speed (speed of sound without after-burners), super-agility, stealth and sensor fusion into a single air dominance platform. The Fighting Falcon has the honor of serving with more than sixty two nations all at the same time. With more variants in the market than a Porsche 911, the fighting falcon is an untamed gift to mankind.The US Air Force claims that the Raptor cannot be matched by any known or projected fighter types, which is yet to be challenged. With such unmatched capabilities these two fighters will remain a marvel in technological advancements for many years to come, hence deserve sharing the top slot.

7 Reasons Why We Hate Facebook Even More

In recent months, Facebook has been labeled in many domains as a shockingly duplicitous site. Its scandalous tactics have hardly been tattered by the badgering of the press. The sheer ignorance of those who own the site is famished and leads many to wonder; are these fanatical measures necessary for a site which promotes the concept of a global village? The days where such infuriation was left unnoticed, are a story of the past, today is an age where communities understand their rights and inculcate a sense of belonging to their service providers. Hence, the wrath of these communities is anything but lenient once they are introduced to hypocrisy. Facebook has made more than a few blunders in its recent history; these need a mention to enlighten all those who use the site that the illusion of rights and privacy are on certain occasion's privy to deceit. Surely, Facebook has not made a name for itself on these pretenses. It has a very large number of people using it which would only applaud its success; however, there are a few areas where it seems that our beloved Facebook has played a fast one on us only to earn the extra dollar. Here is a humble yet factual illumination on a few of those issues.

1. Facebook made an agreement with the biggest crooks ever (Zynga)

Anyone who has ever used Facebook, and other social networking sites, knows of Zynga. However, not many know that Zynga is a company that is made up of greedy little black hearts. The profits of Zynga mushroomed excessively behind the crazily popular social-network games like Farm Ville, Fish Ville and Mafia Wars, sadly, so did the scrutiny. In the fall of last year, TechCrunch ran various exposés that were entitled as “Scam Ville”. They accused Zynga of making profits from fraudulent advertising schemes. Three weeks later a lawsuit was filed against Zynga. Tech Blogosphere ended up getting its hands on a video of Zynga’s owner, Mark Pincus. Consequently, after the release of the video, comment-boards went on fire. Mark Pincus is now prominently the villain of Web 3.0.

The question now is that, why would we despise Facebook for what Zynga does? Well, put in simple words, it is because Facebook has made an agreement with a company like Zynga. Can anyone comment on how it is in the best interest of its users? It has been co-working with Zynga to immense malicious extents and Facebook users are scarcely aware of these malpractices. In making agreements with Zynga, one cannot help but doubt the intentions of those who own Facebook. Cheating is not judged by the amount but only by the intent. What then, is Facebook all about?

Apparently, there have been some rising frustrations and tensions between Facebook and Zynga. Peculiarly enough, the brewing apprehensions between the two companies are not over Zynga’s illegitimate policies, but over money related issues. Zynga is pillaging Facebook, and Facebook cannot seem to function without Zynga. Facebook has approximately 24 million users signing in website daily for playing Farm Ville alone. One can only make an approximation on how many more would be signing in to play other games by Zynga on Facebook!

To cut a long story short, working with a bunch of money minded, voracious robbers, Facebook is in fact losing its ethical values in the eyes of many users.

2. Facebook started sharing user’s data with almost anyone

Facebook has been hounded candidly in relation to not providing sufficient privacy features to its users. It has been noticed that Facebook has gone a little too far with the issue of sharing its users’ data with almost anyone. Whenever a user clicks on the advertisements that are featured on the site, automatically the advertiser is able to access all the information of the user’s profile. Harvard Business School professor, Ben Edelman informed the Journal, “If you are looking at your profile page and you click on an ad, you are telling the advertiser who you are.”

Facebook has consistently nipped its very own privacy policy right from the beginning when the site commenced in 2004. When a user creates an account with Facebook, there is a page for terms and conditions that the user has to agree upon, to have his or her account created. On that very page, Facebook also informs the user about providing privacy controls to the user. However, the right of privacy and privacy controls has been breached consistently by Facebook, causing much awkwardness amongst its fervent users.

As if this was not disturbing enough, Facebook has recently opened up more user information to the public, an act of theirs that has drawn immense condemnation and FTC complaints. Additionally, of late, Facebook users have been having an increasingly tough time in steering the site’s often-convoluted privacy controls. With all these new disclosures about Facebook conveniently disregarding industry standards; not to forget it’s very own privacy policies, it might as well turn into a torrent of unrest and discomfort for its keen users!

3. Facebook makes another impolite move by hiring a team of lobbyists

In 2009, Facebook saw an unbelievable expansion. It went from 50 million users all over the globe in January, to nearly 400 million in just under 12 months. That very year, Facebook was reported to have spent a whopping $9.5 million (£5.9 million) while settling a lawsuit over its evident and disturbing advertising structure (launched in 2007). In November 2009, Facebook made a series of changes that exposed millions of its users’ private data to the world. These astonishing changes infuriated the privacy advocates and finally resulted in a petition being sent to the US regulator. Once Facebook saw this as a threat, it took no time in hiring a team of lobbyists in Washington and Brussels to push its agendas with politicians.

By making a move of this nature, Facebook assured their users that it seriously did not care at all about their users’ privacy issues and their basic concerns. The point which is particularly arcane is that why could Facebook not hire ‘a team of privacy specialists’ to improve its privacy issues? Instead, we get news like ‘Facebook is expected to improve its privacy issues.’

4. Facebook was actually doing this in the past

As if tampering with the privacy policies was not enough, Facebook began with a new travesty. It upset page owners on the site, by implementing a new stipulation. The conditions that were to be met were for page owners to have a minimum of 10,000 fans otherwise pay at least $25,000 for advertising, in order to set application tabs as landing pages.

Previously Facebook had announced that it had removed restrictions for page owners. However, they reverted back to their previous terms for page owners which ultimately followed an extensive dissent.

Why did Facebook include the landing page restrictions at first? Some speculations regarding the matter prove that such an act by the site was done so as to compel small page owners to pay for advertising.

The limitations set by Facebook authorities were meant to act as hurdles to prohibit spammers and scammers from establishing their own tabs that were filled with low grade or misleading content.

Ironically, the massive outcry of many page owners and page management companies has pinched a wrong nerve of the Facebook authorities and they have once again very reticently made a prompt reversion of the situation. Up until now, Facebook has not had much to say in relation to what has been going on.

Alternatively, the critical spectators viewing the marvels of Facebook are convinced that this act of theirs once again proves too much greediness and yet, too little care for its user. Facebook has been playing with its users’ privacy matter as of late, but it has caused much balk for its users in the past as well.

5. If you have a Facebook account, Zuckerberg will think you’re a dumb f***

When Facebook was created, CEO Mark Zuckerberg had a conversation with a college friend. This piece of evidence proves that Facebook really has no concern for its users’ privacy rights from the beginning.

According to SAI sources, the following conversation took place just shortly after Zuckerberg launched Facebook in his dorm room:

Zuck: Yeah so if you ever need info about anyone at Harvard

Zuck: Just ask.

Zuck: I have over 4,000 emails, pictures, addresses, SNS

[Anonymous Friend's Name]: What? How'd you manage that one?

Zuck: People just submitted it.

Zuck: I don't know why.

Zuck: They "trust me"

Zuck: Dumb f****s.

This conversation is a short example of how cruel the makers of Facebook were at the time of its conception. To say the least, they did not go about it in a very respectful manner. Even after the heavy criticism and the never-ending scrutiny that they have received regarding their privacy policies, we can debate over the fact that those in charge may never take these reservations seriously.

Another major issue that erupted when this conversation was leaked to the media was that Facebook refused to make any comments in relation to the conversation. Thereby, it is apparent that Zuckerberg actually did have this conversation; he is guilty and obviously believes that this conversation does not deserve the attention that it has been getting.

6. Facebook is run by hypocrites

We have already proved how Facebook has been acting hypocritical. It has also been very immature in not responding to the concerns of its users. It has hardly ever responded directly to the questions posed by the media or its users. They simply use great PR tactics and cautiously slither away from the general concerns of its trusting users.

Facebook is replete with hypocrites when it comes to their policies. On their page of ‘Terms & Conditions’, Facebook guarantees the safety of certain things to its users. One such safety is as follows: “You will not post content that: is hateful, threatening, or pornographic; incites violence; or contains nudity or graphic or gratuitous violence.” Another safety it provides is: “You will not use Facebook to do anything unlawful, misleading, malicious, or discriminatory.”

What is the importance of Facebook to us in today’s world? It is a forum for people to express themselves, stay in touch with their friends across continents, a means of shrinking the global village within our reach. Ninety percent of the population in the community of Facebook is not akin to the fact that, this is a site of charlatans. Now what is one to do about a topic worth sacrilegious mention on the site? It was termed by many as a freedom of expression.

The issue regarding “Draw Muhammad Day”, sparked outrage across the Muslim community. The page was targeting people based on their religion. No one has the time or the inclination to delve into such issues which do not concern them, but this is a matter which is the equivalent of being bullied into a corner by a gangster mob’s henchmen. Facebook should have abided by its very own policies (as mentioned above) and removed that page. However, they were too late in doing so. Colossal outrage and dissent had been sparked by the time they took the page off of Facebook. Had they reacted in removing that certain page in time, they would have simply saved a lot of trouble. On the other hand, Facebook authorities have been known to be quick in removing Nazi content from their site, which is sending all the wrong messages to the innumerable Muslim communities which are loggerheads with the Jews.

“You will not use Facebook to do anything unlawful, misleading, malicious, or discriminatory.” This line clearly indicates that Facebook seemingly does not tolerate unlawful and prejudiced issues. How then does it justify not removing a page that was undoubtedly a matter of an extreme emotional nature and shocking for not just one but a million Muslims world over? Is this not sheer hypocrisy from their end? Certainly so!

7. Zuckerberg promises ‘simpler privacy controls' & thinks you are dumb to believe it

On 24th May 2010, Mark Zuckerberg addressed Facebook users’ privacy concerns in a column in the Washington Post. Zuckerberg has admitted to have made “a bunch of mistakes.” However, the admission of the turmoil that he has put his users in does not help in convincing many people. He has admitted to tackling the concerns of Facebook users in the past and nothing formidable has ever come out of it.

Zuckerberg has declared that Facebook will be revising and adding new ‘easier and simpler privacy controls’ to its users. He has once more played a great PR tactic. By resting the blame on the shoulders of Facebook users, that they were unable to comprehend the previous privacy controls, hence the ‘privacy issues’ existed. It is highly unfair to rest the responsibility of providing sufficient privacy of a user on the user itself.

The point here lies in a simple but straightforward question. Will Zuckerberg ever be really honest? How long is he going to carry on fooling the users of Facebook? He has palpably accused users of Facebook as dumb people who trust him. Perhaps, he needs to take on a new approach in fixing up his trust issues with his users. He also needs to stand by to what he says, instead of simply continuing his relentless march to win the web. He has over 400 million people using his site. They deserve honesty.

In short: it is excellent news that Facebook is actually looking into the matter of fixing up its privacy settings, however had these moves been explained earlier to the public, it may have been more preferable.

Now we just have to wait and see whether Zuckerberg and his team successfully calm the tensions around the company’s stance. It is no misnomer that criticizing is similar to a walk in a beautiful park, yet making that park takes many years. Facebook is the principal site for millions. People love it; keeping everyone happy is impossible, however, a few minor critical remarks now and then will let Mr. Zuckerberg know, that his users are no ignorant imbeciles from the days gone by. In fact there are hundreds of brilliant minds, think-tanks and socialites flocking this site, making his name even worthy of mention at all!