Epiphany

Epiphany, (Koine Greek: ἐπιφάνεια, epiphaneia, "manifestation", "striking appearance") or Theophany, (Ancient Greek (ἡ) Θεοφάνεια, Τheophaneia) meaning "vision of God", which traditionally falls on 6 January, is a Christian feast day that celebrates the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ. Western Christians commemorate principally (but not solely) the visitation of the Biblical Magi to the Baby Jesus, and thus Jesus' physical manifestation to the Gentiles. Eastern Christians commemorate thebaptism of Jesus in the Jordan River, seen as his manifestation to the world as the Son of God.

Eastern Churches following the Julian Calendar observe the Theophany feast on what for most countries is 19 January because of the 13-day difference today between that calendar and the generally used Gregorian calendar.

Since 1970, the date of the celebration by Latin Rite Roman Catholics is fixed as 6 January only in countries where the feast is a Holy Day of Obligation, while in other countries it falls on the Sunday after 1 January. In the Church of England also, the feast may be celebrated on the Sunday between 2 January and 8 January.

A separate celebration of the Baptism of the Lord was introduced for Latin Rite Roman Catholics in 1955. Initially, this was to be held on 13 January, previously the octave day of the Epiphany, but in the 1969 revision of the General Roman Calendar the date was changed to the first Sunday after 6 January. In countries where on a particular year the Epiphany falls on 7 or 8 January, the feast of the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated on the following Monday. In the Church of England the same custom may be followed. In theEpiscopal Church in the United States the feast of the Baptism of the Lord is always the Sunday after 6 January.

Alternative names for the feast include (τα) Θεοφάνια, Theophany as neuter plural rather than feminine singular, η Ημέρα των Φώτων, i Imera ton Foton (modern Greek pronunciation), hē hēmera tōn phōtōn (restored classic pronunciation), "The Day of the Lights", and τα Φώτα, ta Fota, "The Lights".

Nero

Nero (Latin: Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus; 15 December 37 – 9 June 68), was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius to become his heir and successor, and succeeded to the throne in 54 following Claudius' death. During his reign, Nero focused much of his attention on diplomacy, trade, and enhancing the cultural life of the Empire. He ordered theaters built and promoted athletic games. During his reign, the redoubtable general Corbulo conducted a successful war and negotiated peace with theParthian Empire. His general Suetonius Paulinus crushed a revolt in Britain and also annexed the Bosporan Kingdom to the Empire, beginning the First Roman–Jewish War.

In 64, most of Rome was destroyed in the Great Fire of Rome, which many Romans believed Nero himself had started in order to clear land for his planned palatial complex, the Domus Aurea. In 68, the rebellion of Vindex in Gaul and later the acclamation ofGalba in Hispania drove Nero from the throne. Facing assassination, he committed suicide on 9 June 68. His death ended the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, sparking a brief period of civil wars known as the Year of the Four Emperors. Nero's rule is often associated with tyranny and extravagance. He is known for many executions, including those of his mother and the probable murder by poison of his stepbrother, Britannicus.

He is infamously known as the Emperor who "fiddled while Rome burned", although this is now considered an inaccurate rumor, and as an early persecutor of Christians. He was known for having captured Christians burned in his garden at night for a source of light. This view is based on the writings of Tacitus, Suetonius, and Cassius Dio, the main surviving sources for Nero's reign. Few surviving sources paint Nero in a favorable light. Some sources, though, including some mentioned above, portray him as an emperor who was popular with the common Roman people, especially in the East.The study of Nero is problematic as some modern historians question the reliability of ancient sources when reporting on Nero's tyrannical acts.

Family

Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, the future Nero, was born on 15 December 37 inAntium, near Rome. He was the only son of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus andAgrippina the Younger, sister of Emperor Caligula.

Nero's father Gnaeus was the son of Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus (consul 16 BC) andAntonia Major. Gnaeus was thus the grandson of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus(consul 32 BC) and probably Aemilia Lepida on his father's side, and the grandson ofMark Antony and Octavia Minor on his mother's side. Thus, Nero had as his paternal grandmother Antonia Maior, and also claimed more remote descent from Antonia Minoras a great-grandson—later grandson after Claudius adopted him. Through Octavia, Nero was the grandnephew of Caesar Augustus. Nero's father had been employed as apraetor and was a member of Caligula's staff when the latter traveled to the East (some apparently think Suetonius refers to Augustus' adopted son Gaius Caesar here, but this is not likely). Nero's father was described by Suetonius as a murderer and a cheat who was charged by Emperor Tiberius with treason, adultery, and incest. Tiberius died, allowing him to escape these charges. Nero's father died of edema ("dropsy") in 39 when Nero was two.

Nero's mother was Agrippina the Younger, a great-granddaughter of Caesar Augustus and his wife Scribonia through their daughterJulia the Elder and her husband Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa. Agrippina's father, Germanicus, was a grandson of Augustus's wife, Livia, on one side and to Mark Antony and Octavia on the other. Germanicus' mother Antonia Minor, was a daughter of Octavia Minor and Mark Antony. Octavia was Augustus' elder sister. Germanicus was also the adopted son of Tiberius. Agrippina poisoned her second husband Passienus Crispus, so many ancient historians also accuse her of murdering her third husband, the emperor Claudius.

Fairytale (Alexander Rybak)

Fairytale (English Ver.)

Years ago, when I was younger
I kind of liked, a girl I knew
She was mine and we were sweethearts
That was then but then it's true

(Chorus)

I'm in love with a fairytale
Even though it hurts
Cause I don't care if I lose my mind,
I'm already cursed

Every day we started fighting
Every night we fell in love
No one else could make me sadder
But no one else could lift me high above

I don't know what I was doing
Suddenly we fell apart
Nowadays I cannot find her
But when I do we'll get a brand new start

(Chorus)

I'm in love with a fairytale
Even though it hurts
Cause I don't care if I lose my mind,
I'm already cursed

She's a fairytale, yeah
Even though it hurts
cause I don't care if I lose my mind,
I'm already cursed

Fairytale  (french Ver.)

ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)

The ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint for realising the ASEAN Economic Community by 2015 was adopted and signed by the ASEAN Leaders in November 2007 in Singapore during their annual Summit Meeting.

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is one of the three pillars to achieve a cohesive ASEAN Community. The other two are political / security and social cultural pillars.

AEC Blueprint is a single comprehensive document which identifies the characteristics and elements of the AEC with clear implementation targets and timelines for the various economic integration measures within ASEAN. The main objectives of AEC are to create a:

1. single market and production base;
2. highly competitive economic region;
3. region of equitable economic development;and
4. region fully integrated into the global economy.

HIGHLIGHTS OF AEC BLUEPRINT

1. Single Market and Production Base

The five (5) core elements of ASEAN single market and production base are:

1. free flow of goods;
2. free flow of services;
3. free flow of investment;
4. freer flow of capital;and
5. free flow of skilled labour.

On trade in goods, import duties on all products except for those listed under the Sensitive and Highly Sensitive List (unprocessed agriculture products) are to be eliminated by 2010 for ASEAN-6 and 2015 for Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam.

As of September 2007, Malaysia 's tariff lines ( AHTN 2002 ) totalled 12,581. Of these:

• 10,135 tariff lines at 0%;
• duty on 2,291 tariff lines (currently at 5%) will be eliminated by 1 January 2010;
• duty on 66 sensitive and highly sensitive tariff lines (tobacco, tropical fruits and rice) will be reduced to 5% in 2010 , except rice at 20%; and
• 89 tariff lines on alcoholic beverages and weapons are excluded from tariff liberalisation under the CEPT Scheme.

For trade in services, liberalisation will be achieved through five (5) more rounds of negotiations, where all restrictions on trade in services on the 128 sub-sectors (based on WTO GATS W/120 classification) are to be removed progressively. The minimum number of new sub-sectors in addition to those offered under earlier packages to be scheduled for each round of services negotiations:

Year	No. of new sub-sectors
2008	10
2010	15
2012	20
2014	20
2015	7

In addition to liberalisation of equity participation, services liberalisation also involves substantial elimination of Market Access limitations and restrictions on National Treatment. The liberalisation of services sector is subject to flexibility. A flexibility of 15 per cent covers all services sector including those under the Priority Integration Sectors, except for financial services, air transport services, and services incidental to 5 sectors under ASEAN Investment Area.

The final quantum of flexibility is subject to review upon completion of the inventory of impediments/limitations to trade in services in August 2008. This inventory is required to guide the subsequent rounds of services liberalisation under AFAS.

MITI is also working with various Ministries/ agencies in compiling a database of barriers to trade in services.

The Framework Agreement on the ASEAN Investment Area is currently under review to make ASEAN more attractive for high-quality FDI . The new Agreement will:

• incorporate additional provisions and obligations with improved features to be incorporated;
• be more comprehensive , and facilitate ASEAN in negotiating FTAs with Dialogue Partners;
• merge elements of AIA and ASEAN IGA and strengthen investor protection provisions;
• benefit ASEAN investors and companies and foreign-owned ASEAN-based companies; and
• provide better facilitation measures to be considered to promote intra-ASEAN investment.

The proposed elements of the comprehensive investment agreement would cover articles on the following pillars:

• liberalisation;
• promotion and awareness;
• facilitation and cooperation; and
• investment protection.

2. Highly Competitive Economic Region

In creating a competitive region, ASEAN will also work to enhance cooperation in new areas for instance competition policy, consumer protection, intellectual property rights, infrastructure development, taxation and e-commerce.

Region of Equitable Economic Development

The AEC also outlines the strategic work plan for equitable economic development region through:

1. enhancing and strengthening SME competitiveness; and
2. narrowing development gap within ASEAN.

The strengthening of ASEAN SMEs will be based on the ASEAN Policy Blueprint for SME Development (APBSD) 2004-2014. The Blueprint outlines the framework for SME development in the ASEAN region. It comprises strategic work programmes, policy measures and indicative outputs.

To narrow the development gap, the Initiative for ASEAN Integration will serve as the platform for identifying and implementing technical assistance and capacity building programmes for both public and private sectors in ASEAN Member Countries, in particular, CLMV and the other sub-regions such as the IMT-GT and the BIMP-EAGA within ASEAN. This is to allow them to be equal partners in the development of regional production and distribution networks.

Region Fully Integrated Into Global Economy

The objective of AEC is also to make ASEAN a more dynamic region to compete in the global supply chain and to remain an attractive base for foreign direct investment . In this respect, ASEAN will work towards maintaining “ ASEAN Centrality ” in its external economic relations, especially in its negotiations for free trade areas (FTAs) and comprehensive economic partnership (CEPs) agreements.

The Adventures of Tintin

The Adventures of Tintin (Les Aventures de Tintin) is a series of classic comic books created by Belgian artist Georges Remi (1907–1983), who wrote under the pen name of Hergé. The series is one of the most popular European comics of the 20th century, with translations published in more than 50 languages and more  than 200 million copies of the books sold to date.

The series first appeared in French in Le Petit Vingtième, a children's supplement to the Belgian newspaper Le XXe Siècle on 10 January 1929. The success of the series saw the serialised strips published in Belgium's leading newspaper Le Soir, collected into a series of twenty-four albums, spun into a successful Tintin magazine, and adapted for film, radio, television and theatre.

Set during a largely realistic 20th century, the hero of the series is Tintin, a young Belgian reporter. He is aided in his adventures by his faithful fox terrier dog Snowy (Milou in French). Later, popular additions to the cast included the brash and cynical Captain Haddock, the highly intelligent but hearing-impaired Professor Calculus (Professeur Tournesol) and other supporting characters such as the incompetent detectives Thomson and Thompson (Dupont et Dupond). Hergé himself features in several of the comics as a background character, as do his assistants in some instances.

The comic strip series has long been admired for its clean, expressive drawings in Hergé's signature ligne claire style.Its engaging, well-researched plots straddle a variety of genres: swashbuckling adventures with elements of fantasy, mysteries, political thrillers, and science fiction. The stories within the Tintin series always feature slapstick humour, offset in later albums by dashes of sophisticated satire and political/cultural commentary.

Smoke Photography Tips

When you look at smoke photos you might think that it is impossible to take such shots but it’s actually not that hard. You just need to be patient because the ratio of good images to bad ones is pretty low.

You will need a proper setup to photograph smoke. This form of photography is done indoors so it is a good way to kill time when you’re stuck inside. It doesn’t only kill time, it can be pretty fulfilling at the same time. Do not let the setup scare you away because you will only need cheap household products. The only expensive equipment is your camera and flash. In this tutorial we will try to make smoke photography simple for you.

There is no correct or incorrect way of photographing smoke. In other words, there is no right or wrong way to photograph a smoke trail. I, myself, try to experiment with my smoke. As I say in most of my articles, the best thing is to grab your camera and experiment. Experimenting will give you that perfect picture, that perfect angle and that perfect lighting.

Top 10 Languages Spoken In The World...

10. French
Number of speakers: 129 million
Often called the most romantic language in the world, French is spoken in tons of countries, including Belgium, Canada, Rwanda, Cameroon, and Haiti. Oh, and France too. We're actually very lucky that French is so popular, because without it, we might have been stuck with Dutch Toast, Dutch Fries, and Dutch kissing (ew! ).
To say "hello" in French, say "Bonjour" (bone-JOOR).

9. Malay-Indonesian Number of speakers: 159 million
Malay-Indonesian is spoken - surprise - in Malaysia and Indonesia. Actually, we kinda fudged the numbers on this one because there are many dialects of Malay, The most popular of which is Indonesian. But they're all pretty much based on the same root language, which makes it the ninth most-spoken in the world. Indonesia is a fascinating place; a nation made up of over 13,000 islands it is the sixth most populated country in the world. Malaysia borders on two of the larger parts of Indonesia (including the island of Borneo), and is mostly known for its capital city of Kuala Lumpur.
To say "hello" in Indonesian, say "Selamat pagi" (se-LA-maht PA-gee).

8. Portuguese Number of speakers: 191 million
Think of Portuguese as the little language that could. In the 12th Century, Portugal won its independence from Spain and expanded all over the world with the he lp of its famous explorers like Vasco da Gama and Prince Henry the Navigator. (Good thing Henry became a navigator . . . could you imagine if a guy named "Prince Henry the Navigator" became a florist?) Because Portugal got in so early on the exploring game, the language established itself all over the world, especially in Brazil (where it's the national language), Macau, Angola, Venezuela, and Mozambique.
To say "hello" in Portuguese, say "Bom dia" (bohn DEE-ah).

7. Bengali
Number of speakers: 211 million
In Bangladesh, a country of 120+ million people, just about everybody speaks Bengali. And because Bangladesh is virtually surrounded by India (where the population is growing so fast, just breathing the air can get you pregnant), the number of Bengali speakers in the world is much higher than most people would expect.
To say "hello" in Bengali, say "Ei Je" (EYE-jay).

6. Arabic
Number of speakers: 246 million
Arabic, one of the world's oldest languages, is spoken in the Middle East, with speakers found in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt. Furthermore, because Arabic is the language of the Koran, millions of Moslems in other countries speak Arabic as well. So many people have a working knowledge of Arabic, in fact, that in 1974 it was made the sixth official language of the United Nations.
To say "hello" in Arabic, say "Al salaam a'alaykum" (Ahl sah-LAHM ah ah-LAY-koom).
5. Russian
Number of speakers: 277 million
Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and Yakov Smirnoff are among the millions of Russian speakers out there. Sure, we used to think of them as our Commie enemies. Now we think of them as our Commie friends. One of the six languages in the UN, Russian is spoken not only in the Mother Country, but also in Belarus, Kazakhst an, and the U.S. (to name just a few places).
To say "hello" in Russian, say "Zdravstvuite" (ZDRAST-vet-yah).
4. Spanish
Number of speakers: 392 million
Aside from all of those kids who take it in high school, Spanish is spoken in just about every South American and Central American country, not to mention Spain, Cuba, and the U.S. There is a particular interest in Spanish in the U.S., as many English words are borrowed from the language, including: tornado, bonanza, patio, quesadilla, enchilada, and taco grande supreme.
To say "hello" in Spanish, say "Hola" (OH-la).
3. Hindustani 
Number of speakers: 497 million
Hindustani is the primary language of India's crowded population, and it encompasses a huge number of dialects (of which the most commonly spoken is Hindi). While many predict that the population of India will soon surpass that of China, the prominence of English in India prevents Hindustani from surpassing the most popular language in the world. If you're interested in learning a little Hindi, there's a very easy way: rent an Indian movie. The film industry in India is the most prolific in the world, making thousands of action/romance/musicals every year.
To say "hello" in Hindustani, say "Namaste" (Nah-MAH-stay).
2. English
Number of speakers: 508 million
While English doesn't have the most speakers, it is the official language of more countries than any other language. Its speakers hail from all around the world, including the U.S., Australia, England, Zimbabwe, the Caribbean, Hong Kong, South Africa, and Canada. We'd tell you more about English, but you probably feel pretty comfortable with the language already. Let's just move on to the most popular language in the world.
To say "hello" in English, say "What's up, freak?" (watz-UP-freek).
1. Mandarin
Number of speakers: 1 billion+
Surprise, surprise, the most widely spoken language on the planet is based in the most populated country on the planet, China. Beating second-place English by a 2 to 1 ratio, but don't let that lull you into thinking that Mandarin is easy to learn. Speaking Mandarin can be really tough, because each word can be pronounced in four ways (or "tones"), and a beginner will invariably have trouble distinguishing one tone from another. But if over a billion people could do it, so could you. Try saying hello!
To say "hello" in Mandarin, say "Ni hao" (Nee HaOW).