In New Zealand, parents who tried to name their child Mafia No Fear are among hundreds who had their choice of name rejected in the past decade.
Justice was the most popular disallowed name, with royal titles, religious references and punctuation marks among names parents tried to bestow upon children. The list of disallowed names include :
Anal, King, Prince, Princess, Knight, Queen, Queen V, Queen Victoria, Lord, Lady, Baron, Royal,Royale, Majesty, Majesti, Messiah, Christ, Bishop, Saint, Lucifer, Mafia No Fear, V8, single letters, the Roman numerals I, II, III, punctuation symbols * . and / and titles such as President, Emperor, Chief, Constable, Sargent and General were also rejected.
In 2008, Family Court Judge Rob Murfitt publicly criticised some parents' choice of names, after he ordered that a girl named Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii be taken into court custody so she could change her name.Her name had not been registered in New Zealand
Read more :http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/6219744/Ridiculous-and-regal-kids-names-rejected
4 Jan 2012
Air NZ goes all black again
Air New Zealand goes all black once again, revealing the world's largest commercially operated plane sporting the national rugby team's colour.
The Boeing 777-300ER was painted by 14 people working in shifts 24 hours a day for over a week, with 700 litres of chrome-free primer and paint.
Boeing vice-president everett delivery centre, Jeff Klemann, said the job was one of the most challenging painting jobs they have ever done.
"But the paint team was up for the challenge and the results are absolutely outstanding. I am very proud of what the paint team has achieved," he said.
It took one and half days to prep and paint the aircraft entirely black, and a further five days for the intricate detail of the silver fern and the Koru symbol. The remaining time was spend on the finishing touches.
Read more http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/new-zealand/6212827/Air-NZ-goes-all-black-again:
The Boeing 777-300ER was painted by 14 people working in shifts 24 hours a day for over a week, with 700 litres of chrome-free primer and paint.
Boeing vice-president everett delivery centre, Jeff Klemann, said the job was one of the most challenging painting jobs they have ever done.
"But the paint team was up for the challenge and the results are absolutely outstanding. I am very proud of what the paint team has achieved," he said.
It took one and half days to prep and paint the aircraft entirely black, and a further five days for the intricate detail of the silver fern and the Koru symbol. The remaining time was spend on the finishing touches.
Read more http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/new-zealand/6212827/Air-NZ-goes-all-black-again:
2 Jan 2012
World's highest airport
China will start work on the world's highest airport next year, in Tibet's Nagqu county, state media said on Tuesday, which will be about 100 metres higher than the existing record holder in another part of the remote and restive region.
Nagqu airport will be at an altitude of 4436 metres above sea level, slightly higher than the airport in Qamdo town at 4334 metres, Xinhua news agency reported.
The airport will cost 1.8 billion yuan and is expected to open in three years, Xinhua added.
Tibet already has five civilian airports, at least two of which are only open for a few months of the year because of extreme weather which makes flying impossible the rest of the time.
China has embarked upon a multi-billion-dollar programme in recent years to revamp old airports and build new ones, especially in the country's remote west, as a way of boosting the economy.
The government has also poured billions of dollars into Tibet, hoping to win hearts and minds in a region the Communist Party has run with an iron grip for six decades.
The government says that the new airports, roads and a railway to Tibet will promote development and help raise living standards.
But Tibet activists say the new links will speed up the pace of Chinese migration there and dilute Tibetan Buddhist culture.
Nagqu airport will be at an altitude of 4436 metres above sea level, slightly higher than the airport in Qamdo town at 4334 metres, Xinhua news agency reported.
The airport will cost 1.8 billion yuan and is expected to open in three years, Xinhua added.
Tibet already has five civilian airports, at least two of which are only open for a few months of the year because of extreme weather which makes flying impossible the rest of the time.
China has embarked upon a multi-billion-dollar programme in recent years to revamp old airports and build new ones, especially in the country's remote west, as a way of boosting the economy.
The government has also poured billions of dollars into Tibet, hoping to win hearts and minds in a region the Communist Party has run with an iron grip for six decades.
The government says that the new airports, roads and a railway to Tibet will promote development and help raise living standards.
But Tibet activists say the new links will speed up the pace of Chinese migration there and dilute Tibetan Buddhist culture.
Man tries to cash US$1 million banknote ..
Do you have change for a million-dollar bill?
Police in the US say a North Carolina man insisted his million-dollar note was real when he was buying US$476 ($612) worth of items at a Walmart.
Investigators told the Winston-Salem Journal that 53-year-old Michael Fuller tried to buy a vacuum cleaner, a microwave oven and other items. Store employees called police after his insistence that the bill was legit, and Fuller was arrested.
The largest bill in circulation in the US is $100. The government stopped making bills of up to US$10,000 in 1969.
Read more : http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/6207591/Man-tries-to-cash-US-1-million-banknote
Police in the US say a North Carolina man insisted his million-dollar note was real when he was buying US$476 ($612) worth of items at a Walmart.
Investigators told the Winston-Salem Journal that 53-year-old Michael Fuller tried to buy a vacuum cleaner, a microwave oven and other items. Store employees called police after his insistence that the bill was legit, and Fuller was arrested.
The largest bill in circulation in the US is $100. The government stopped making bills of up to US$10,000 in 1969.
Read more : http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/6207591/Man-tries-to-cash-US-1-million-banknote
29 Dec 2011
Why We Travel
Canadian Adventure Couple Dave and Deb have been traveling the world for 11 years.Read why ,while other people are content to put down roots, see their friends regularly and take their yearly vacations and getaways, they always feel the need to keep on moving.Maybe, just maybe you yourself might need to make changes to your lifestyle.
Read more :http://theplanetd.com/why-we-travel/
Read more :http://theplanetd.com/why-we-travel/
28 Dec 2011
Christianity goes global as world's largest religion
(CNN) - Christians are by far the largest religious group on the planet, and the religion has gone truly global over the past century, according to a new report out Monday, which finds some of the world's biggest Christian communities in surprising places.
Europe was the clear center of world Christianity one hundred years ago, but today the Americas are home to more than a third of all Christians. In fact, the United States has the world's largest Christian population, of more than 247 million, followed by Brazil and Mexico.
China also appears on the list of top 10 largest Christian populations - with an estimated 67 million Christians, it has more followers of the faith than any western European country.
Read more : http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/19/christianity-goes-global-as-worlds-largest-religion/?iref=obinsite
Europe was the clear center of world Christianity one hundred years ago, but today the Americas are home to more than a third of all Christians. In fact, the United States has the world's largest Christian population, of more than 247 million, followed by Brazil and Mexico.
China also appears on the list of top 10 largest Christian populations - with an estimated 67 million Christians, it has more followers of the faith than any western European country.
Read more : http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/19/christianity-goes-global-as-worlds-largest-religion/?iref=obinsite
27 Dec 2011
Da Nang,Vietnam welcomes first AirAsia flight
| 2011-12-19 (GMT + 7) |
The first AirAsia flight between Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur and Da Nang City on Vietnam’s central coast touched down at Da Nang International Airport on the Dec. 16 morning with more than 100 passengers on board. |
 The Kuala Lumpur-Da Nang service is the low-cost carrier’s third route connecting Vietnam after Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.The new service marked another milestone in the central coast region’s surge toward a real international tourism destination. AirAsia operates four weekly flights to Da Nang on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, using Airbus A320 aircraft. The airline says it has sold out 10,000 seats for the new service in eight days for promotional fares. Read more : http://www.footprintsvietnam.com/Travelnews/2011/December/Da-Nang-welcomes-first-AirAsia-flight.htm |
Going it Alone - The Pros and Cons of Solo Travel
To some, the thought of setting off into the unknown with little more than the pack on your back and a good book for company may sound like purgatory, but others wouldn’t want it any other way. So, should you travel solo, or with others?
Both ways have their own merits, yet equally, they both have their pitfalls. Having done both, here’s my take on the pros and cons of solo travel, along with tips to successfully go it alone.
Read more : http://www.ubertramp.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=459:pros-and-cons-of-solo-travel&catid=36:adventure-travel&Itemid=512
Both ways have their own merits, yet equally, they both have their pitfalls. Having done both, here’s my take on the pros and cons of solo travel, along with tips to successfully go it alone.
Read more : http://www.ubertramp.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=459:pros-and-cons-of-solo-travel&catid=36:adventure-travel&Itemid=512
26 Dec 2011
The silliest stories of 2011
In a year that featured a major earthquake, a grounded tanker oozing oil and the Rugby World Cup, there was more than usual serious New Zealand news making international headlines, but there were still enough silly stories to go around. Nikki Macdonald revisits some of them.
Read more : http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/6190150/The-silliest-stories-of-2011
Read more : http://www.stuff.co.nz/oddstuff/6190150/The-silliest-stories-of-2011
iPhone sales down across Europe
Weakening economies and falling prices of rival smartphones are hurting sales of Apple iPhones across Europe, data from research firm Kantar Worldpanel ComTech showed on Thursday.
The October roll-out of Apple's iPhone 4S boosted its position in Britain and United States, but the new phones failed to excite interest in continental Europe, where Apple's share of the fast-growing smartphone market slipped.
The smartphone industry is dominated by Google, which has stormed the market with its free Android platform.
Read more :http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/6185430/iPhone-sales-down-across-Europe
Ten tips on using your credit card wisely
Used sensibly, credit cards can be excellent for cashflow - a handy addition to any financial toolbox. But used foolishly, they leech an alarming volume of cash straight out of your wallet and into the bankers' pockets.
And the holiday season is a particularly vulnerable time for us all.
Here are 10 tips to make your credit card work for you - not the other way around:
Read more: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/6180333/Ten-tips-on-using-your-credit-card-wisely
And the holiday season is a particularly vulnerable time for us all.
Here are 10 tips to make your credit card work for you - not the other way around:
Read more: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/6180333/Ten-tips-on-using-your-credit-card-wisely
22 Dec 2011
Tourist, aged five, bashed in her sleep
Is New Zealand safe for tourists?
A five-year-old girl on holiday from Europe with her family is in a serious but stable condition in Waikato Hospital after being attacked at a holiday park in Turangi.
The girl was attacked while sleeping in the family caravan with her brother at Club Habitat last night, about 10.40pm, police say.
The girl's parents were away from their children at the amenity block at the time.
When the mother returned she found the caravan locked and a man inside.
The man fled before the woman could get her husband.
The couple found their daughter inside the caravan on her bed with serious head and face injuries.
Read more :http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/6179499/Tourist-aged-five-bashed-in-her-sleep
A five-year-old girl on holiday from Europe with her family is in a serious but stable condition in Waikato Hospital after being attacked at a holiday park in Turangi.
The girl was attacked while sleeping in the family caravan with her brother at Club Habitat last night, about 10.40pm, police say.
The girl's parents were away from their children at the amenity block at the time.
When the mother returned she found the caravan locked and a man inside.
The man fled before the woman could get her husband.
The couple found their daughter inside the caravan on her bed with serious head and face injuries.
Read more :http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/crime/6179499/Tourist-aged-five-bashed-in-her-sleep
Vatican.xxx web address snatched up
The Vatican said on Wednesday an unknown buyer had snapped up the internet address vatican.xxx, a domain combining its name with an extension reserved for pornographic content.
"This domain is not available because it has been acquired by someone else, but not the Vatican," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said on Vatican radio.
It was not clear from his statement if the Vatican had tried to acquire the domain in order to prevent future misuse and had been beaten to the punch by the unknown buyer.
Read more: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/6179323/Vatican-xxx-web-address-snatched-up
"This domain is not available because it has been acquired by someone else, but not the Vatican," Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said on Vatican radio.
It was not clear from his statement if the Vatican had tried to acquire the domain in order to prevent future misuse and had been beaten to the punch by the unknown buyer.
Read more: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/digital-living/6179323/Vatican-xxx-web-address-snatched-up
21 Dec 2011
First Earth-sized planets found
Nasa is reporting the discovery of the first Earth-size planets orbiting a sun-like star outside our solar system, but the newly found worlds are far too hot to live on.
Read more :
http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/6171818/First-Earth-sized-planets-found
Read more :
http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/6171818/First-Earth-sized-planets-found
Top 10 YouTube clips of 2011 in New Zealand
Of the top 10 clips viewed by New Zealanders this year, eight were homegrown, including the now-infamous Nek Minute and Ghost Chips videos.
Read more here : http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/6169585/Top-10-YouTube-clips-of-2011
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Read more here : http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/6169585/Top-10-YouTube-clips-of-2011
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