Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Atlantis Hotel in Dubai
Wonders from oil money! ---- to make those attractions, and, to pay for the enjoyment.
1. Water world ... the Atlantis Hotel in Dubai , one of the world's most anticipated hotels, finally opens its doors on September 24. Situated on 113 acres of the Palm Jumeirah, the hotel boasts over 1539 rooms.
2. Water bed ... the Neptune and Poseidon Suites are exclusive to Atlantis, with both bedroom and bath views directly into the mesmerizing underwater world of the Ambassador Lagoon.
3. Sea view ... the Ambassador Lagoon is a window into the wonders of the ocean, and the center-piece of Atlantis, with over 250 species of fish and sea creatures.
4. Fish surprise ... keeping with the water theme, the Lost Chamber is a maze of underwater halls and tunnels under the Ambassador Lagoon with over 65,000 fish. 
5. See sea food ... Ossiano is home to a three-star Michelin chef, and offers gourmet seafood with views of the exotic marine life of the Ambassador Lagoon.
6. Pleased to meet you ... Dolphin Bay is a four-and-a-half hectare lush tropical setting where you get the chance to meet the colorful characters in their natural habitat.
7. Big dipper ... Aquaventure is a 42-acre waterpark with the Zigguret Centerpiece that touts a 27.5m vertical drop.
8. Shark tank ... after the Ziggurat, you will emerge slowly through the lagoon at Shark Attack.
9. All washed up ... the Rapids is a 2.3km path of tidal river with one meter waves though a lush tropical landscape.
10. Shark proof ... you can also experience the Shark Tank from the dry, and more comfortable, viewing chamber.
11. Bar view ... sip cocktails in the oceanic space of Barazura and enjoy views overlooking Palm Jumeirah.
12. Grand view ... the Grand Lobby makes a colorful first impression.
13. Bath time ... the spa experience includes two hours of spa treatments, your own private time in a jetted tub and access to both indoor and outdoor relaxation areas
14. Spa service ... the Royal Spa Suite offers treatments designed to individual needs, and a spa menu delivered by private butler service.
15. Grand designs ... each of the 1373 spacious guest rooms and 166 suites is designed with subtle oceanic and Arabic influences.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Cheer Up
There was a very gracious lady who was mailing an old family Bible to her brother in another part of the country. 'Is there anything breakable in here?' asked the postal clerk.
'Only the Ten Commandments. ' answered the lady.
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'Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world.
There are those who wake up in the morning and say,
'Good morning, Lord,'
and there are those who wake up in the morning and say,
'Good Lord, it's morning.'
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A minister parked his car in a no-parking zone in a large city because he was short of time and couldn't find a space with a meter. Then he put a note under the windshield wiper that read: 'I have circled the block 10 times. If I don't park here, I'll miss my appointment. Forgive us on our trespasses.'
When he returned, he found a citation from a police officer along with this note 'I've circled this block for 10 years. If I don't give you a ticket I'll lose my job. Lead us not into temptation.'
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There is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and announced to his congregation: 'I have good news and bad news. The good news is, we have enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad news is, it's still out there in your pockets.'
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A minister waited in line to have his car filled with gas just before a long holiday weekend. The attendant worked quickly, but there were many cars ahead of him. Finally, the attendant motioned him toward a vacant pump. 'Reverend,' said the young man, 'I'm so sorry about the delay. It seems as if everyone waits until the last minute to get ready for a long trip.' The minister chuckled, 'I know what you mean. It's the same in my business.'
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People want the front of the bus, the back of the church, and the center of attention.
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A father was approached by his small son who told him proudly, 'I know what the Bible means!' His father smiled and replied, 'What do you mean, you 'know' what the Bible means?' The son replied, 'I do know!'
'Okay,' said his father. 'What does the Bible mean?'
'That's easy, Daddy.' the young boy replied excitedly, 'It stands for 'Basic Information Before Leaving Earth.''
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Sunday after church, a Mom asked her very young daughter what the lesson was about. The daughter answered, 'Don't be scared, you'll get your quilt.'
Needless to say, the Mom was perplexed. Later in the day, the pastor stopped by for tea and the Mom asked him what that morning's Sunday school lesson was about. He said 'Be not afraid, thy comforter is coming.'
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VATICAN HUMOR
After getting all of Pope Benedict's luggage loaded into the limo, (and he doesn't travel light), the driver notices the Pope is still standing on the curb.
'Excuse me, Your Holiness,' says the driver, 'Would you please take your seat so we can leave?'
'Well, to tell you the truth,' says the Pope, 'they never let me drive at the Vatican when I was a cardinal, and I'd really like to drive today.'
'I'm sorry, Your Holiness, but I cannot let you do that. I'd lose my job!
What if something should happen?' protests the driver, wishing he'd never gone to work that morning.
'Who's going to tell?' says the Pope with a smile?
Reluctantly, the driver gets in the back as the Pope climbs in behind the wheel. The driver quickly regrets his decision when, after exiting the airport, the Pontiff floors it, accelerating the limo to 205 kph. (Remember, the Pope is German.)
'Please slow down, Your Holiness!' pleads the worried driver, but the Pope keeps the pedal to the metal until they hear sirens.
'Oh, dear God, I'm going to lose my license -- and my job!' moans the driver.
The Pope pulls over and rolls down the window as the cop approaches, but the cop takes one look at him, goes back to his motorcycle, and gets on the radio.
'I need to talk to the Chief,' he says to the dispatcher.
The Chief gets on the radio and the cop tells him that he's stopped a limo going 205 kph.
'So bust him,' says the Chief.
'I don't think we want to do that, he's really important,' said the cop.
The Chief exclaimed,' All the more reason!'
'No, I mean really important,' said the cop with abit of persistence.
The Chief then asked, 'Who do you have there, the mayor?'
Cop: 'Bigger.'
Chief: ' A senator?'
Cop: 'Bigger.'
Chief: 'The Prime Minister?'
Cop: 'Bigger.'
Well,' said the Chief, 'Who is it?'
Cop: 'I think it's God!'
The Chief is even more puzzled and curious, 'What makes you think it's God?'
Cop: 'His chauffeur is the Pope!'
Monday, November 17, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Why Do We Send Our Children to School?
But why do the kids have go to school? Is it just to memorize facts and figures in hopes of giving them a chance for success in this dog-eat-dog world?
Kids have a right to know the objective of the hours they spend in school. Sadly, often the message they get is misleading.
You may recognize the scene. A well meaning pedagogue, complete with elbow patched tweed jacket (pipes are no longer "PC"), ascends the podium and, in his best attempt to be inspirational, encourages the students to dream bigger dreams, reach for the stars, picture where you want to be in ten years from now and then chart the course to arrive there. Exotic travel metaphors and occasional swashbuckler similes are common; dramatic gesturing is optional.
Dutifully, students begin to envision where they want to be (truth be told, most students envision when recess begins, but play along with me), mental pictures of vacation homes and fancy cars, the trappings of "success" dance in their mind. They get the message; if you want to get what you want, crack open the books and get down to business.
Herein lies the problem. The message boils down to this: determine what your heart wants and then apply your mind to chart the course to get it.
Bad news. This is backwards. Education must teach children how to make basic moral choices in life. The foundational three "R's" should empower them to be Righteous, Responsible and Reverent, as well as competitive in the market place.
A basic tenet of Chassidic thought is that the mind can and must direct one's passions, first to understand what is virtuous, and then to compel or (preferably) convince the emotional side to get excited about it too.
In his Tanya (chapter 9), the Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi describes the battle between the instinctual "animal soul" and the transcendent "Godly soul." They each claim a home base: the animal soul is most comfortably positioned in the reactive heart, easily persuaded by fad and attraction, willing to follow the next whim that appears. The Godly soul is based in the rational mind, finding purpose through rational process.
Not content to "live and let live," they each seek to conquer the body and so the battle is on. They are so single-minded they even attempt to infiltrate the opponent's home base. The animal soul is eager to commandeer the mind's cleverness to help realize its desires, while the Godly soul seeks to harness the heart's passion for more enthusiastic service of God and the betterment of humanity.
So how is one who's caught in the crossfire of these two combatants to determine if his impulse is Godly or self serving? Look to the source. If it originates in the intellect that's a clue that it's a Godly soul impulse; if the return address reads "heart," it's probably from the animal soul.
We must teach schoolchildren to pursue their studies in order to form a moral and ethical code, enabling them to make a genuine difference in the world, not just the next best mouse trap. Sharpen your mind in hopes of making it more resilient against the wiles of the animal soul.
When the administration recommends searching the hearts for "what you want" and then engage the mind to "figure out how to get it," they send the message that desire is king and intelligence its servant. God created humans with their head above their hearts reminding us that we must develop our emotional capacity under the tutelage of the mind to be of greater service to God and mankind.
The school bell will ring for the final time in every student's career, and the task of translating education into living will be thrust upon them. School must equip its charges with the tools to defend against the bombardment of temptation through mind-over-heart Godliness.
Now go out there and do some real good!
And parents hurry up and get toweled off; the kids will be home any minute...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Interesting News
Man Almost Loses Penis Humping Steel Bench
In Hong Kong , the police received a disturbing call from a man in trouble. A 41 year-old man, was calling from LanTian park in the middle of the night. The lonely and disturbed man had apparently thought it would be fun to have sex with one of the steel sit-up benches around the park.
The bench has numerous small holes in it, which he used to attempt to satisfy himself . However, once he became aroused he found that he was stuck and could not get his penis out of the small hole.
He panicked and called the police to help him.
When police arrive they found him stuck face down where he had been stuck for some time.
When doctors arrived on the scene they tried to release some of the pressure by removing some of his blood, but the penis was so swollen that they ended up having to cut the entire bench free and take it, with him attached, to the hospital.
4 painful hours later, Doctors finally separated him from his bench.
Doctors stated that if he had been stuck for even an hour longer, they would have had to remove his penis.
