Monday, April 17, 2006

Want to buy Eiffel Tower?



Eiffel tower sold…twice!!


One of the most talented con artists who ever lived was Victor Lustig. Victor was born in Bohemia and had gone west, demonstrating his talents.

In 1925, France had recovered from the First World War and Paris was booming. Expatriates from all over the world went to Paris to enjoy being at the leading edge of the latest trends. It was flashy, fast moving, and an excellent environment for a con artist.

Lustig's master con began one spring day when he was reading a newspaper. An article discussed the problems the city was having maintaining the Eiffel Tower. Even keeping it painted was an expensive chore, and the tower was becoming somewhat run down. Lustig saw a story behind this article. Maybe the city would decide the Eiffel Tower wasn't worth saving any longer. What would happen then? Lustig outlined the possibilities in his head, and realized they suggested a remarkable scheme.

Lustig adopted the persona of a government official, and had a forger produce fake government stationery for him. Lustig then sent six scrap metal dealers an invitation to attend a confidential meeting at the Hotel Creon to discuss a possible business deal. The Hotel Creon was a meeting place for diplomats and a perfect cover. All the six scrap dealers replied and come to the meeting.

Lustig's master con began one spring day when he was reading a newspaper. An article discussed the problems the city was having maintaining the Eiffel Tower. Even keeping it painted was an expensive chore, and the tower was becoming somewhat run down. Lustig saw a story behind this article. Maybe the city would decide the Eiffel Tower wasn't worth saving any longer. What would happen then? Lustig outlined the possibilities in his head, and realized they suggested a remarkable scheme.

Read more here

Thursday, April 13, 2006

European Cows are richer than Arfican men


Believe it? NO?
Then look at the statistics-
The European Union's Common Argicultural Policy (CAP) provides huge subsidies to the owner of cow farmers, which earns them $2.50 per day.
The Catholic aid agency CAFOD calculated that for the money the EU spends to protect its farmers, each of the EU's 21 million cows could go on a round-the-world trip once a year.

But the EU cows are not the richest in the world- they lost to Japanese cows, who receive $7.50 per day.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

teenage pregnancy !



In the richest countries in the world, 1.25 million teenagers become pregnant each year. Of those, 760,000 will opt to become teenage mothers. UNICEF found, teenage pregnancy rate in America was twice than that of most other industrialised nations. For every 1,000 American women aged between 15-19, there were 52.1 births, compared to 30.8 births in the UK, 2.9 in Korea and 4.6 in Japan.
Why the rate is too high in those industrilized countries?
- Britons seem to have a very open attitude to sexuality. Tabloid newspapers feature topless women on their pages- you can find morning trains full of bare breasts newpapers!
- People are so much concern about sex education in the schools in those countries- but does it really help reducing pregnancy?