Journalist Michael Sommers guides travelers to the best that Brazil has to offer, from surfing, hang gliding, and enjoying the sizzling nightlife in Rio to venturing into the Amazon to witness the Meeting of the Waters, where the Rio Negro and Rio Solimões join to form the world's mightiest river: the Amazon. Sommers also includes unique trip strategies like A Tale of Two Amazon Cities—which provides details on exploring the rainforest between Manaus and Belém—and Gastronomic Brazil, a mouthwatering tour of Brazil's cuisine. With expert advice on viewing popular attractions like Iguaçu Falls and Corcovado, as well as escaping the crowds in less frequented places, like Bahia's rustic fishing villages, Moon Brazil gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience.
In this book, Victory Ford is the darling of the fashion world. Single, attractive, and iconoclastic, she has worked for years to create her own signature line. As Victory struggles to keep her company afloat, she learns crucial lessons about what she really wants in a relationship. Nico O'Neilly is the glamorous, brilliant editor of Bonfire Magazine - the pop-culture bible for fashion, show business, and politics. Considered one of the most powerful women in publishing, she seems to have it all. But in a mid-life crisis, she suddenly realizes this isn't enough. Wendy Healy's chutzpah has propelled her to the very top of the cut-throat movie industry. When it becomes clear that a competitor is trying to oust her, something has to give - and Wendy must decide between her career and her marriage.
Genre: Cientific fiction, Futuristic
In our world today a hummingbird is a small, brilliantly coloured bird that lives in the tall trees of tropical forests. In the far distant future, Hummingbird (Hummy for short) is a girl of sixteen who lives somewhere in the Galaxy, on a planet called Just Like Home. She has the name 'Hummingbird' in big letters on all her clothes, but she has never seen a real hummingbird. She has never seen any living animal or bird at all. The Book of Remembering says that there were once many animals on a planet called Earth, but that was before the Burning, a long, long time ago ...
Genre: children's novel, Little Lord Fauntleroy is a novel by the English-American writer Frances Hodgson Burnett, her first children's novel. It was published as a serial in St. Nicholas Magazine from November 1885 to October 1886, then as a book by Scribner's (the publisher of St. Nicholas) in 1886.
Lord Dorincourt had occasion to wear his grim smile many a time as the days passed by. Indeed, as his acquaintance with his grandson progressed, he wore the smile so often that there were moments when it almost lost its grimness. When young Cedric Errol's father dies, he becomes heir to the fortune of his English grandfather, the Earl of Dorincourt, and must move from working-class New York to England. Bad-tempered, cantankerous and bitter, the old man is slowly won over by the kind, generous and cheerful spirit of Cedric.
When a plot arises to deprive Cedric of his inheritance and another pretender steps forward as heir, Cedric's friends in America become involved in order to thwart the challenger. Through Cedric's unconditional love and trust he teaches his grandfather to show compassion to those who are less fortunate than himself.
You know about Batman, Superman, and Spiderman, but have you heard of Doll Man, Doctor Hormone, or Spider Queen?
In The League of Regrettable Superheroes, you'll meet one hundred of the strangest superheroes ever to see print, complete with backstories, vintage art, and colorful commentary. So prepare yourself for such not-ready-for-prime-time heroes as Bee Man (Batman, but with bees), the Clown (circus-themed crimebuster), the Eye (a giant, floating eyeball; just accept it), and many other oddballs and oddities. Drawing on the entire history of the medium, The League of Regrettable Superheroes will appeal to die-hard comics fans, casual comics readers, and anyone who enjoys peering into the stranger corners of pop culture.
Since the 1950s, when Pelé first started playing, soccer has been how the world sees Brazil, but it is also how Brazilians see themselves. The essence of their game is one in which prodigious individual skills outshine team tactics, where dribbles and delicate flicks are preferred over physical challenges or long-distance passes, where technique has all the elements of dance and, indeed, is often described as such. At their best, Brazilian soccer players are both athletes and artists. As Alex Bellos brilliantly reveals in his classic book, their game can symbolize racial harmony, flamboyance, youth, innovation, and skill―in short, it's a microcosm of the country itself.
Bellos, a veteran journalist and author whose star has continued to rise since Futebol was first published in 2002, revisits his search for what the great Brazilian striker Ronaldo has called the "true truth" of the Brazilian way of life. With an unerring eye for an illustrative story and a pitch-perfect ear for the voices of the people he meets, Bellos uncovers the nuanced role soccer has played in the history of Brazil and the lives of its people.
Updated and with a new chapter covering recent events in Brazil, this revised edition of Futebol is perfectly timed to coincide with the 2014 World Cup, as the world turns its rapt attention to Brazil and their Beautiful Game and the country once again becomes the capital of "the world's game."
It is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance without government influence or intervention. It also includes the freedom to change one's religion or belief.
Freedom of religion is considered by many people and most of the nations to be a fundamental human right. In a country with a state religion, freedom of religion is generally considered to mean that the government permits religious practices of other sects besides the state religion, and does not persecute believers from other faiths.
Freedom of belief is different. It allows the right to believe what a person, group or religion wishes, but it does not necessarily allow the right to practice the religion or belief openly and outwardly in a public manner.
▪ Most and Least Religious countries
Do you live in a religious country? Let us find out!
Here are the top ten most religious countries in the world (by percentage of the population):
Those are countries with the biggest amount of people that feel religious, it also helps us to identify the adherence to a certain set of religious beliefs.
(Check the complete list)
Countries with the smallest amount of people that feel religious: In these places, religion is not an important part of daily life for most citizens; have you ever think how can it affect your life?
(Check out the list)
▪ Worst Countries for religious freedom
At its core, freedom of religion or belief requires freedom of expression. Both fundamental rights are protected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, yet nearly half of all countries penalize blasphemy, apostasy or defamation of religion. In 13 countries, atheists can be put to death for their lack of belief.
The U.S. State Department names and shames eight “Countries of Particular Concern” that severely violate religious freedom rights within their borders. These countries not only suppress religious expression, they systematically torture and detain people who cross political and social red lines around faith. The worst of the worst are:
▪ Burma / Myanmar
MaBaTha’s influence reportedly waned significantly following the government’s public denunciation of the group in July, although members of the organization continued circulating anti-Muslim materials in some villages and continued fanning religious tensions using social media. (Read more)
▪ China
The constitution guarantees freedom of religious belief, a principle that Beijing says it upholds. But an annual report from the US State Department released in August said that in 2016, China “physically abused, detained, arrested, tortured, sentenced to prison, or harassed adherents of both registered and unregistered religious groups”. (Read more)
▪ Eritrea
Another Eritrean Jehovah’s Witness dies after release from prison.
(Read more)
▪ Sudan
Sudan’s interim constitution partially protects religious freedom but restricts apostasy, blasphemy and defamation of Islam. Muslim women are also prevented from marrying non-Muslim men. The country’s vaguely worded apostasy law discourages proselytizing of non-Muslim faiths. Christian South Sudanese living in Sudan are subject to harassment and intimidation by government agents and society, but untangling the religious and ethnic motivations for this persecution can be difficult. Muslims generally enjoy social, legal and economic privileges denied to the Christian minority population. Government authorities have reportedly destroyed churches in recent years, and Christian groups have reportedly been subject to disproportionate taxes and delays in building new houses of worship. (Read more)
▪ North Korea
North Korea’s constitution guarantees religious freedom, but this right is far from upheld. The state is officially atheist. Author John Sweeney says the country is “seized by a political religion” and that it considers established religious traditions a threat to state unity and control. North Korea allow for government-sponsored Christian and Buddhist religious organizations to operate and build houses of worship, but political analysts suspect this “concession” is for the sake of external propaganda. A Christian group says it dropped 50,000 Bibles over North Korea over the past year. If caught with one, citizens face imprisonment, torture or even death. Given the government’s extreme control over the flow of reliable information, it is difficult to determine the true extent of religious persecution in North Korea.
Most Christians worship secretly. If discovered, they are “taken to political camps (kwanliso); crimes against them in these camps include extra-judicial killing, extermination, enslavement/forced labor, forcible transfer of population, arbitrary imprisonment, torture, persecution, enforced disappearance, rape and sexual violence and other inhuman acts.” CSW reports documented cases of believers being “hung on a cross over a fire, crushed under a steamroller, herded off bridges, and trampled underfoot.” (Read more)
▪ Religious Persecution Cases
▪Catholic Inquisition
In 12th century, torture became an integral part of all capital legal proceedings. Also, it was often practiced by the inquisition in most European countries in cases of heresy, blasphemy, adultery and many other similar ‘crimes against God’. Beside common means of torture like beating, suffocating and burning Roman-Catholic Church used others, more depraved ways of extracting confessions and execution of its victims… (Read more)
▪ Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan, with its long history of violence, is the most infamous — and oldest — of American hate groups. Although black Americans have typically been the Klan's primary target, it also has attacked Jews, immigrants, gays and lesbians and, until recently, Catholics.
(Read More)
▪ Governmental persecution
In Eritrea, if you are Catholic, Muslim, or a member of the Orthodox and Evangelical churches in Eritrea then it seems you can breathe easy.
However, those who believe and practice minority faiths are routinely persecuted, according to human rights groups. (Read more)
A church in northern China had been demolished not long ago, this, not being the a case apart, which sparks fears of a wider campaigns against Christians as authorities prepare to enforce new laws on religion.
(Read more)
▪ Some Persecuted Religions
▪ Jehovah’s Witnesses
Anti-terror legislation is being used to target those whose faith is only ‘extreme’ in terms of its commitment to non-violence. It should be a warning to us all. (Read more)
From the Korean War period to the present, South Korea has relentlessly prosecuted young Witness men who refuse military service, and the government has not provided any alternative to resolve the issue. The result? South Korea has sentenced over 19,200 Witnesses to a combined total of more than 36,700 years in prison for refusing to perform military service. (Read More)
▪ Muslims
“Ultra-nationalist Buddhist group Ma Ba Tha has been spreading anti-Muslim rhetoric across Myanmar for years. Cosmopolitan Mandalay is at the heart of this hostility – which many fear is here to stay.” (Read more)
▪ The word "prejudice"
comes from the Latin roots "prae" (in advance) and
"judicum" (judgment), which essentially means to judge before. When
we "pre-judge" someone, we make up our minds about who they are
before we actually get to know them. Prejudices or "pre-judgments"
are not based upon actual real-life interaction with a person or group it is
often born of stereotypes and forms
the fertile soil of discrimination.
For instance, a person may
hold prejudiced mentally towards a certain ethnic group or gender etc. (e.g.
sexist).
▪ The word ‘stereotype’ comes from the French adjective ‘’stéréotype’’,
which itself comes from the Greek στερεός (solid) and τύπος
(type). The earliest example in the Oxford English Dictionary of
this usage is from a 1922 essay by Walter Lippmann in the journal Public
Opinion: “A stereotype may be so consistently and authoritatively transmitted
in each generation from parent to child that it seems almost like a biological
fact.”
For instance, a person may stereotype
a certain group of people, by the pre assumption based on some members of that
group etc.
▪ The word ‘’Discrimination’’ from the Latin ‘’discrīminātus’’, which means literate to separate,
can be considered the
culmination of both previous terms, it is the behavior or action to make a distinction in
favor of or against an individual, a group of people or something (being also most of the time negative) especially
based on sex, race, social class, etc.
For
instance: a person might discriminate another by their different way of
dressing.
▪ The effects of social norms on prejudice:
According to McLeod, S. A. (2008) on Prejudice
and discrimination, Minard (1952) investigated how social norms influence prejudice and
discrimination. The behavior of Afro-descendants and Caucasian miners in a town
in the southern United States was observed, both above and below ground. (Read more)
▪ Affirmative Action
An Affirmative action is anaction or
policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, especially in
relation to employment or education; it is also known worldwide as a positive
discrimination. Thinking like that it would be right to affirm that
this kind of attitude or policy is for the best, isn’t it? Not so fast…
Ten myths about affirmative action:In recent years, affirmative action has been debated
more intensely than at any other time in its thirty-year history. Many
supporters view affirmative action as a milestone,
many opponents see it as a millstone,
and many others regard it as both or neither, as a necessary, but imperfect,
remedy for an intractable social disease. Here are some of the most popular
myths about affirmative action, along with a brief commentary on each one. (Read more)
▪ Social media prejudice
Is it possible to be preconceived while
networking, when we are comfortably set in our couches using smartphones or
even during games online? Sadly but indeed it is.The social networking site as we probably know very well today,
such as facebook, Instagram, twitter and many others, are formed by human
beings, and being imperfect as we are, any tool we possess has the potential of
being used as a tool for prejudice.
‘’Social networking as we know creates
an "echo chamber" in which a network of like-minded people share controversial theories, biased
views and selective news, academics found.
This means that any bias held is
simply repeated back to them unchallenged and accepted as a real fact.’’Says a study by The Telegraph journal. (Read more)
There is also a study about human
behavior with and without social Medias: The study compared crowd-sourced and
social media recruits to in-lab participants. Check it out!
▪ Different types of prejudice
Different kinds of prejudice lead to different forms of discrimination. (Read more)
▪ Unconscious bias
Are
you preconceived in any way? Do you know what unconscious bias is?
Find
out at the videos below.
▪ Prejudice Consequences
Prejudice affects the everyday lives of millions of people across the
globe. Prejudice held by individuals unnaturally forces on others who are
targets of their prejudice a false social status that strongly influences who
they are, what they think, and even the actions they take. Prejudice shapes
what the targets of prejudice think about the world and life in general, about
the people around them, and how they feel about themselves. Importantly,
prejudice greatly influences what people expect from the future and how they
feel about their chances for self-improvement, referred to as their life
chances. All of these considerations define their very identity as individuals.
Additional Notes: Although 'Ghost of a Tale' is fully playable with mouse and keyboard, we'd strongly recommend playing with a gamepad for the best experience.
Located in the heart of mainland Southeast
Asia, Thailand or Kingdom of Thailand encompasses diverse ecosystems, including
the hilly forested areas of the northern
frontier. The country has also many rare species of trees, shrubs and plants. The country was primarily an agricultural country, however since 1960 an increasing number of people have moved to Bangkok and to other cities. (Read more)
▪ Bangkok
Bangkok, the capital of Thailand is the only multicultural
city in a country of small villages and towns, it’s also a cultural and
commercial centre. Located on the mouth of river of the Chao Phraya River,
Bangkok it was formely divided into two municipalities: KrungThep on the
east and Thon Buri on the west, the two
were united as a city-province with a
single municipal government in 1971. The
buildings of the city were originally modelled on Ayutthaya, and was designed to
reflect the glory of the city. Home to the Royal family, Bangkok is the capital
of Thailand in every sense. (Read more)
▪ Tourist Spots
▪ Dusit Palace
The Dusit Palace, originally constructed on Ko Si Chang in
1868 and moved to Vimanmek Teak Mansion,
it’s a gougeous palace in Bangkok. This
beautiful building contais eigthy one
rooms, halls and anteroons, is said to be the
world’s largest golden-teak builging, allegedly built without the use of
single nail. The mansion was also the first permanet building on the Dusit
Palace grounds, and served as Rama V’s residence in the early 20th century.
(Read more)
▪ Lumpini Park
The Lumpini Park, the first public park in Bangkok is more
than an oasis of nature, originally designed to house Thai crafts and flowers,
it’s a calm place where people can run, stroll paths, take a paddle boat ride
or just sit and relax with family and friends. (Read more)
▪ Chatuchak Weekend
Market
Chatuchak Market also known as JJ Market, is one of the
largest markets in the world, with more than 8,000 stalls peddling wares
ranging from antiques to clothes, acessories and also food. Chatuchak Market
also includes a wide array of tasty restaurants with the best street food in
Thailand. (Read more)
▪ Wat Arun
Wat Arun also Known “Temple of Dawn” is one of the oldest and best known tourist spots in
Bangkok, situated on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya River, the temple is
an architectural representation of the Mount Meru, the Center of the universe
in Buddhist cosmology. (Read more)
▪ Grand Palace &
Wat Prakeaw
With an incradible building,
the construction of the palace was started in 1782, when the capital of
Siam was moved from Thonburi to Bangkok. The palace also served as the
residence of the Kings of Thailand until the misterious death of King Ananda
Mahidol. Today, the palace is a famous tourist attraction, parto f the Grand
Palace is dedicated to a royal temple, Wat Prakew, na sacred temple of Thailand
and home to the famous Emerald Buddha. (Read more)
▪ Cuisine
▪ Pat Thai
Pat Thai is one of the most famous dishes in Thailand, is
prepared with rice noodles stir-fried
with dried and fresh shrimp, bean sprout, tofu, eggs and seasonings.
Tradictionally is served with lime halves and a few stalks of Chinese chives and
a sliced banana flower. (Read more)
▪ Khao Pad
Khao Pad it’s a
famous food in Thailand. The recipe is
prepared with fried rice, eggs,
onion and few herbs. The secret of this pretentious dish lies in keep
simple.
Yam Nua is a spicy beef salad, prepared with a mix of onion,
coriander, spearmint, lime, dried chili and tender strips of beef, it perfectly embodies the invigorating in the mouth thrill of all Thai salads.
Sticky rice is the staple starch of northern and northeastern Thai cuisine (Isaan), and it’s also commonly used in all sorts of Thai desserts.
For Thai mango sticky rice, the sticky rice is steamed, mixed with thick coconut cream and sugar, paired with perfectly ripe yellow sweet mango, served with some extra coconut cream on the top to make it even better, and finally often some crispy yellow mung beans are sprinkled on the very top. (Check ou the recipe)
▪ Cha Yen
One of the most delicious and popular Thai drinks, Cha Yen
or Thai iced tea is prepared with orange
and milky and tasty traditional tea that often proves to win many tourist’s
hearts. You can also choose to drink the
Cha Yen cold or hot.
Oliang or Black iced coffee is another traditional drink in
Bangkok, the Oliang is a mix of coffee and others ingredients, can be roasted
rice and caramel then roasted with coffee beans. Normally people drink Oliang
cold and you can also adding milk in the drink.
Nom Yen is a creative drink made of fresh hot milk mixed
with green or red syroup. Very popular among kids and teenegers who not consume
any kind of caffeine drinks. The drink is colorful and atractive. (Read more)
▪ Habits
Bangkok is a city with friendly people, the culture is
deeply influenced by religion, the belief system and values of Buddhism play a
huge role in day-to-day life, no matter
how frustreted or upset a person might feel, they always strive to maintain a positive and friendly attitude,
sense of humor and a smile. (Read more)
▪ Music
The Thai music was developed in the royal court while folk and popular music sprung up in the
countryside. The traditional music of Thailand refrects its geographic position
at the intersection of China and India, and also reflect trades routes that
have historically inlcuded Persia, Africa, Greece and Rome. (Read more)
▪ Dance Dance is the main dramatic art form of Thailand. Thai dance, like many forms of traditional Asian dance, can be divided into two major categories that correspond roughly to the high art (classical dance) and low art (folk dance) distinction. (Read more)
▪ Climate
The climate in Bangkok simillar to the rest of Thailand is
hot all year round, between mid-November and January the weather is good,
usually with clear skies. In fact, the weather in Bangkok it’s hot even thought it’s winter, normally in February the
temperatures start to rise, remains sunny, although occasionally a few thunderstomrscan
develop. (Read more)
▪ Cost of living
Bangkok in the past has had a reputation of being cheap, but
after years, the city changed and the
biggest surprise for many visitors is how modern the city is nowadays. The life
in a city who still growing everyday can be a little bit expensive. ( Readmore)
Journalist Michael Sommers guides travelers to the best that Brazil has to offer, from surfing, hang gliding, and enjoying the sizzling nightlife in Rio to venturing into the Amazon to witness the Meeting of the Waters, where the Rio Negro and Rio Solimões join to form the world's mightiest river: the Amazon. Sommers also includes unique trip strategies like A Tale of Two Amazon Cities—which provides details on exploring the rainforest between Manaus and Belém—and Gastronomic Brazil, a mouthwatering tour of Brazil's cuisine. With expert advice on viewing popular attractions like Iguaçu Falls and Corcovado, as well as escaping the crowds in less frequented places, like Bahia's rustic fishing villages, Moon Brazil gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience.
