The diamond revealed its beauty within the Cullinan mine, located less than an hours drive North East from Johannesburg. The 507 carat diamond weighs about 100 grams (just over 3.5 ounces) and although big, it pales in comparison to the 3,106 carat Cullinan Diamond found in the same location. At almost 1.4 pounds, the Cullinan is over six times as big is the one in the picture.

Although large diamonds are extremely rare, South Africa’s Cullinan Mine seems to be that golden goose because it has produced a few golden “eggs”. The 507 carat rough diamond sold to the Hong Kong jeweler is the 19th largest diamond ever discovered. In fact when this diamond was found in September, it was accompanied by three other large diamonds ranging between 53 carats (1.87 oz.) and 168 carats (5.92 oz).

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The large Cullinan Diamond was cut into smaller pieces including the “Great Star of Africa” and the “Lesser Star of Africa”, which is now part of Britain’s crown jewels.

Just think…early in 2009 diamond prices fell by over 60% from its highs in June/July 2008. If you had $50 million dollars to spend on diamonds in 2008 you would have made a $20 million profit in less than two years. The diamond market is continuing to show signs of recovery so you could double your profit sooner than you think.

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But when some experience weather conditions that they usually never get, then we need to ask ourselves if maybe…just maybe…we have something to do with it. Are we fooling with Mother Nature so much with our pollution going out of control, that she lifts her hand in anger.

Check this video out about some “Amazing Weather” that Toronto, Canada experienced on August 9, 2009. In some places, this may seem normal, but not according to Torontonians.

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I feel sorry for my neighbors in Toronto. While we are experiencing nice summer weather (finally) here in Winnipeg, Toronto may be in for even more severe weather.

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The weather is getting bad all over the world. Typhoon Morakot slammed into Taiwan where a lot of people are feared dead. Read more about Typhoon Morakot. There’s also another good story on this weather disaster from Irish Times.

Update – August 17, 2009: Since Typhoon Morakot slammed Taiwan last week over 500 people have died and thousands are still stranded. Efforts to help those in need will be ongoing for the foreseeable future.

Meantime, here’s a YouTube video on this typhoon as it made landfall over Haualien city on the east coast of Taiwan.

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Now…I wish I could do something to help these people. Hey, I’ve got an idea. I should get them to come to this blog and watch the Severe Weather Video below. The only thing they need to do is to turn the volume of their computer speakers as h i g h as it can go. This is cool. I hope you like. it.

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Anyway, you all have a NICE DAY, eh???

Even after forty years, Charles Manson is still very well known for all the death he caused in August of 1969. It was through Charles Manson that his “Manson Family” killed seven people. Although Manson had a small stature, being only 5 foot 2 inches tall, he commanded the will of others through a race war he called “Helter Skelter”, which was the title of a song done by The Beatles.

It wasn’t so much that the murders occured, but rather how they were killed. The seven people killed were done in such a bizarre and gruesome fashion, that Charles Manson went down in history with the likes of “Jack The Ripper”. But it is this fascination with the bizarre and the strange that Charles Manson is so remembered.

Charles Manson has been described as one of the most evil people on the planet and it’s easy to see why. The killers, under Charles’s orders stabbed the seven people with 169 stab wounds as well as seven bullet wounds. They then used their blood to write “anti-establishment” messages on the walls.

Of the seven people that were murdered, Sharon Tate was probably the most famous. Sharon was married to movie director Roman Polanski. Two other famous people murdered through Charles Manson included Jay Sebring and Abigail Folger. Jay Sebring was a famous hairstylist and Abigail was an heiress to a fortune built in the coffee empire.

The murders took place over two days in August 1969 and on the second night, a grocer and his wife were butchered in their homes in the Los Angeles California neighborhood of Los Feliz. Rosemary Labianca was found with 41 stab wounds and her husband Leno had a fork sticking out of his abdomen with the word “WAR” carved on it.

Even after all this time, you can still find t-shirts and posters of Charles Manson as well as twisted cartoon shows like “South Park” using Manson in one of their special shows. Many books and magazine articles have been written all in the name of Charles Manson. Even musical artists like Guns N’ Roses and Marilyn Manson used the evil of Charles Manson in their songs.

Manson did receive a death sentence for his crimes but it was automatically reduced to life in prison a few years after the murders took place.

According to one source one of Charles Manson’s “family” members, Lynette Fromme will be released on August 16, 2009. Another member by the name of Susan Atkins is set to be on parole on September 2nd, 2009.

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The good news is that no injuries were reported. The bad news, it seems, is that these “demolition experts” can’t demolish it using explosives anymore, because it’s just too dangerous to enter the building. They’re just going to have to do it the hard way. This video is pretty dramatic.

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]]> http://www.180news.com/around-the-world/turkish-building-collapse-goes-wrong/feed 0 http://www.180news.com/animals/muffy-the-dog-comes-home-after-lost-for-9-years http://www.180news.com/animals/muffy-the-dog-comes-home-after-lost-for-9-years#comments Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:23:25 +0000 admin http://www.180news.com/?p=674 This just blew my mind. Talk about being home sick. Muffy, a small dog, was abandoned in the the city of Melbourne Australia. After being lost for the past nine years ( that’s 9 full years), Muffy came home. Muffy was a bit scruffy when she was found but she’s doing just fine now. I can just imagine the adventures this little pooch must have had and the people or other animals she (or he) must have had.

The incredible part is that the dog’s owner’s live in Brisburn, Australia and Muffy was found 2000 kilometers away (over 1240 miles).

and let me know what you think of this miracle.

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If there’s any good news during a down economy, it’s that vacations have become affordable again. The vacation industry is down and companies are doing everything they can to lure travelers back to the roads, the air and the sea. Airlines are slashing prices. Hotels, resorts and vacation rentals are offering great lodging deals. Cruises have never-before-seen rates. And, people are rediscovering vacations closer to home.

There may never have been a better time to pack up the bags and to set out and explore the world. There are a lot of travel deals out there, but here are a few ideas and vacation spots that might get your brain thinking about travel again.

Iceland - Surprised? You thought I was going to start off by telling you about some sort of “staycation” idea that would save a lot of money, didn’t you? Well, guess what? Forget the backyard. You can literally go to the ends of the earth for cheap. Iceland is green and beautiful with geysers and glaciers. It is a unique spot on top of the globe. And the best part is, it’s cheap right now. The country’s economic woes might be the worst in the world. As a result, prices there have been cut in half and Iceland Air is offering great package deals. Iceland used to be extremely expensive but has suddenly become very affordable.

Canada -  Our neighbors to the north have been ignored long enough. It’s time to travel there, especially since the Canadian dollar is 79 Cents. In a way, this means your vacation to Canada is automatically discounted 21 percent. But wait, you say, what is there to see in Canada? With Banff, Whistler and Vancouver, you get mountain resorts, the Pacific Ocean, and one of the most happenin’ cities in the world. More to east you have Toronto, Montral and Qubec City that provide French culture, architecture and food.

National Parks – From the Everglades to Yellowstone, Glacier and Yosemite, there are National Parks in almost every part of the United States. For most people, it just takes a short drive to get to one of them. Each has unique treasures that can’t be found anywhere else. Instead of spending money on an African safari, take a boat through the Everglades and see saltwater crocodiles, alligators, birds and fish of all kinds.

Plus, it’s only a short drive away from Miami beach and the Florida Keys. Or take a Yellowstone safari and see buffalo, elk, moose, wolves, coyotes, deer and bald eagles along with geysers and mud pots. Take float trip down the Grand Canyon, or hike the trails of Yosemite. Rediscover America, and do it without spending the money it takes to travel across the world.

City vacation – Many travel to New York City each year to take in the atmosphere of one of the best cities in the world. But, as many have realized, New York isn’t cheap. The good news is, there are plenty of other big cities in the U.S. with many similar attractions – only they are cheaper to stay and get around. Cities like Chicago, Houston, Seattle, Atlanta, New Orleans, San Francisco, Los Vegas and Los Angeles provide culture, great food and other entertainment that competes with New York City’s flare.

Let me know what you think about this by leaving a comment…