BONJOUR MES AMIS: septembre 2014

mardi 30 septembre 2014

Advice for a better life

Recently shared on Quora, Abhishek A. Singh decided to share 26 pieces of advice that made his life better, in hopes it will help others achieve the goals and dreams. Some of these bits of wisdom changed my outlook on some things, and others made me smile and nod in agreement.

Ancient Egyptian City Found Underwater!

Ancient Egyptian City Found Underwater!
It was more than 12 centuries since the city of Heracleion, a great and ancient Egyptian city, suddenly vanished from the pages of history. Historians do know that it was erected around 8th century BC, almost 3000 years ago, and was believed to have served as a port that all ships coming into Egypt had to stop at to declare their goods. Ships would come from the Greek world to trade. Jump to a video of the ruins

The sunken city was discovered in 2000 by archaeologists. If they had not found it, all memory of it may have faded entirely...


having trouble playing this movie? click here
In 2000, Franck Goddio and his team found the ruins about 6 km (3.7 miles) off the coastline, at a depth of about 45 meters (150 feet) under the water. The overall area of the city is estimated at about 11 on 15 km, at Aboukir Bay.

So far, the findings can be categorized as following: 1. Huge statues, some reaching over 5 meters (16 feet) tall and hundreds of smaller sculptures and statutes, depciting heroes and gods. 2. Gold and bronze coins, as well as stone weight to weigh them. 3. What remains of a monster fleet - over 64 ships were found buried in the sea bed. 4. Big slabs of stone inscribed in several languages, including ancient Greek and Ancient Egyptian. 5. Hundreds of ancient heavy anchors.

We don't know much about the reason for the fall of the city, but evidence suggests some educated guesses. The city may have been victim to a geological phenomena, caused by the slow movement of the soil under this part of the Mediterranean basin. The soil went down while the water went up, drowning the city and covering all its secrets with the waves, there they will wait thousands of years to be discovered again today.

21 Things Your Burglar Won't Tell You...

Burglars always seem like they are one step ahead of you. That is because they are checking your house while you have no idea. They watch it, learn your habits and make sure they can get in when you're gone. Read this list all the way to the end. You just might learn something that will save your home from being burglarized.

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it..

5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house.. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom -and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door - understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.

9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)

10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

11. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find it at http://www.faketv/.com/)

14. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

15. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

16. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.

17. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

18. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

19. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address. Parents: caution your kids about this. You see this every day.

20. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.

21. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

Protection for you and your home:

If you don't have a gun, here's a more humane way to wreck someone's

evil plans for you.

WASP SPRAY

A friend who is a receptionist in a church in a high risk area was concerned about someone coming into the office on Monday to rob them when they were counting the collection. She asked the local police department about using pepper spray and they recommended to her that she get a can of wasp spray instead.

The wasp spray , they told her, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. She keeps a can on her desk in the office and it doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would. She also keeps one nearby at home for home protection..

FROM ANOTHER SOURCE:

On the heels of a break-in and beating that left an elderly woman in Toledo dead, self-defense experts have a tip that could save your life.

Val Glinka teaches self-defense to students at Sylvania Southview High School . For decades, he's suggested putting a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed.

Glinka says, "This is better than anything I can teach them." Glinka considers it inexpensive, easy to find, and more effective than mace or pepper spray. The cans typically shoot 20 to 30 feet; so if someone tries to break into your home, Glinka says, "spray the culprit in the eyes". It's a tip he's given to students for decades. It's also one he wants everyone to hear. If you're looking for protection,

Glinka says look to the spray.

"That's going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out." Maybe even save a life.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in yourhouse, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be setoff, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator.

Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage.

If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

Above all - Don't be a hero, and stay safe!

Far From the Shire, A Real Hobbit Home!

Worlds away from the Shire, a stone cottage tucked into the Pennsylvania countryside would make Bilbo Baggins feel like he was back home with his Hobbit friends in Middle-earth.

Nestled in a part of Chester County, P dotted with picturesque barns and rolling fields surprisingly close to Philadelphia, this Hobbit house belongs to a lifelong fan of author J.R.R. Tolkien who wanted a worthy — and private — repository for the rare books and Tolkien-inspired memorabilia he has collected in 30 years of travel in the U.S. and abroad.

The 600-square foot building is a short walk from his main house, on a flat stone path and through an English-style garden.

"We wanted a single structure, a relaxing place that was diminutive in scale, for the owner to come and hang out and just be in solitude with his collection," said architect Peter Archer, speaking on the owner's behalf.

Hundreds of houses inspired by Tolkien's books have been built in the U.S. and abroad. But Archer said, "This isn't something that you can recreate on a suburban cul-de-sac; it was made for this specific location and it wouldn't work anywhere else."

Archer worked with a team of craftsmen to create the fantastical abode. They used stones taken from a long-collapsed section of an 18th-century low wall running through the center of the 16-acre property. Built up against a stone retaining wall of the same vintage, the Hobbit house looks like an original feature of the property.

A Delaware cabinet-maker built the mahogany windows, including the large arched "butterfly window" — its Art Nouveau-ish flourishes inspired by Tolkien's own drawings. The name comes from the window's appearance when open, with the two halves pushed outward from a center hinge. The roof is covered with clay tiles handmade in France.

"We weren't going to do a Hollywood interpretation. We wanted it to be timeless," Archer said. "It was built in 2004 but looking at it, you could think it was from 1904, or 1604."

The 54-inch diameter Spanish cedar door — naturally with a knob right in the center just as Tolkien described — opens with a single hand-forged iron hinge. Several craftsmen said they couldn't hang the 150-pound door on one hinge but a Maryland blacksmith "succeeded on the first try," Archer said.

Inside the small dwelling are curved arches and rafters of Douglas fir, a fireplace finished in stucco and accented with thin slices of clay tile, and plenty of shelves and ledges for the owner's library and displays of Hobbit figurines, Gandalf's staff, hooded capes, chess sets, chalices — and of course, The One Ring. The rustic structure cleverly hides its thoroughly modern heating, cooling, electrical and security systems.

And while a country drive to see the cottage after catching the newly released Peter Jackson film "The Hobbit," might be a nice outing, don't expect to find it.

Concerned that his rural tranquility could turn into an unwanted tourist attraction, the owner has taken steps to ensure it remains under the radar. He does not want the location of the site revealed, and used a pseudonym the rare time he gave an interview, on-camera last year.