World Records Update 2012 - 13

Guinness World Records has launched the latest edition of its best-selling book documenting global achievement, including new entries for the shortest bull, the oldest gymnast and the lowest ever car. Posted in alpha-Q Group.The 57th version of best-selling reference book also features new verified entries for the world's heaviest sportswoman and the most conquests of Mount Everest, as well as the tallest ever dog. Being published in 22 languages in more than 100 countries, the 2013 Guinness World Records is expected to sell around 2.7 million copies and documents numerous new extremes relating to the human body. The world's largest biceps belong to Mostafa Ismail (Egypt) and were measured for left arm flexed at 64.77 cm (25.5 in) and non-flexed 62.23cm (24.5 in) and for right arm flexed at 63.5 cm (25 in) and non-flexed 60.96 cm (24 in). The measurements were taken in Franklin, Massachusetts, USA which is where Mostafa now resides. The heaviest competing sportswoman living is sumo wrestler Sharran Alexander (UK) of London, UK, who weighs 203.21 kg (448 lbs). The oldest gymnast is Johanna Quaas (b 20 November 1925, Germany) who, at the age of 86 years, is a regular competitor in the amateur competition Landes-Seniorenspiele, staged in Saxony, Germany.  The tallest living dog is Zeus (USA) a Great Dane, who measured 1.118 m (44 in) tall and is owned by Denise Doorlag and her family, of Otsego, Michigan, USA. The tallest living horse is Big Jake, a nine-year-old Belgian Gelding horse, who measured 20 hands 2.75 in (210.19 cm, 82.75 in), without shoes, at Smokey Hollow Farms in Poynette, Wisconsin, USA. The shortest bull is Archie, a 16-month-old Dexter Bull, fully registered in the Northern Ireland livestock inventory, in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, who measured 76.2 cm (30 in) from the hoof to the withers. The tallest donkey living is Oklahoma Sam, a four-year-old American Mammoth Jackstock, who measured 15.3 hands (155.45 cm; 5 ft 1 in) tall on 10 December 2011, and is owned by Linda Davis of Watsonville, California, USA. The largest drum set is comprised of 340 pieces, is owned by Dr Mark Temperato (USA) and was counted in Lakeville, New York, USA. The largest mining truck body by volume is the Westech T282C Flow Control Body which has a volume of 470.4 cubic metres at a coal density of 0.86 tons/m3. It was designed and manufactured by WESTECH (USA) an Austin Engineering LTD company Largest hot dog: This 7lb, 16in monster on sale in Chicago will set you back 24. All the Pictures and Documents are created and collected by Md.Arafat Siraj Shiplu for www.showmeneel.blogspot.com

Your Dirty Mind

How much Dirty you Are?? You can check now.  Have a look and think.....

All pictures and Documents are Collected and created by Arafat Siraj Shiplu for www.showmeneel.blogspot.com 

Drugs in Bangladesh

 Drugs in Bangladesh

The landscape of drugs in Bangladesh

1. Overview
2. Bangladesh landscape and social profile
3. Why take the drug?
4. Drug profiles- major drugs of abuse
   1. Tobacco
   2. Cannabis
   3. Moonshine
   4. Opioid based drugs

                                                               i.      Phensidyl

                                                              ii.      Tidigesic

                                                            iii.      Pethidine

                               iv.      Heroin

    e. Yaba (Amphetamine-like stimulants (ATS))

   E. Sources

[A] Overview

 Bangladesh, a country situated in the Indian peninsula and itself is the delta of the Ganges river, is no stranger to illicit drugs trade and its consumption by the populace. The country is largely poor with half its population within rural settings. With this in account, Major illicit drugs being used by the populace are opioid drugs; largely being Phensidyl (a cough syrup) and buprenorphine (injectable opioid). Heroin and the newly emerging amphetamine, Yaba; coinciding with a surge in production by neighbouring Bhurma according to the UNODC (United nations office on drugs and crime); is also growing into a major drug of consumption. While these drugs may be a rising problem in the past decade, Tobacco and Cannabis have historically been a component of Bangladeshi culture and is still grown, trafficked and produced in the country- illicitly in the case of cannabis.

[B] Bangladesh landscape and social profile

 Bangladesh is a country situated in south Asia and is bordered by India and Bhurma with the Bay of bengal to its south. Historically part of the Indian subcontinent, and by extension the former British empire, Bangladesh was formed in 1971 where it split from Pakistan as a Muslim majority state. The country itself is the delta of the river Ganges and thereby endures tropical conditions, with seasonal flooding and cyclones (tropical storms) being common (Fig. 1). The country, much like the south asian contingency, is among one of the poorest; nearly half of its population is below the poverty line. In addition they have one of the highest population densities in the world, being 800 people per km² in some areas, as contributed with its small landmass and having the world's eighth highest population [2].

 Residents of Bangladesh are deemed as bangladeshi with bengali being the national language. Its landscape, while beautiful, is ever changing as it progressively develops as a country, and much like any other,  its drug landscape does too. In 1990, The Bangladeshi government issued the narcotics control act in order to control and regulate the production and movement of drugs [3,4]. With its introduction, there was a shift in accepting drug use as a treatable condition as opposed to criminal. Drug legislation is governed by the NNCB- the national narcotics control board; its policies being implemented by the department of narcotics control (DNC). It should be noted that attempts to police illicit drugs and its trafficking is also done in collaboration with the United Nations office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Consistent world drug reports made by the UNODC and the DEA have recognised neighbouring Bhurma as a major site of illicit drug production, second only to Afghanistan [2] (Fig. 1). Thus Bangladesh is used as a major route for drugs trafficking towards western countries. This major drugs route is recognised as the ‘golden triangle’ of which Bhurma, India and Bangladesh is involved [3]. Drugs move through the ‘porous’ [1] Bengali border control through either land, air or sea. This has been nationally recognised by the DNC as a significant problem they face for many years [3].

[C] Why take the drug?

Illicit drugs all have an associated level of euphoria (pleasure) when taken by users via its various routes of administration. The differences in administration can account for the differences in speed and effect of the drug in question. Before I can get to the drugs in question and explain addiction, there are two principles that I need to explain first; tolerance and withdrawal. They are always present in drug use and more violently so in prolonged drug admission.

The body is constantly changing to its environment. It is why you sweat when hot or why you feel hunger and fatigue as your energy falls. The body wants to maintain a 'perfect' environment and adjusts bits of your body to make it so. Drugs can artificially induce these changes and adjust the body towards either a positive or negative output. As with most drugs, especially so in illicit drugs, the more drug you use- the more you resist them. Thus each drug application will need to be stronger to reach the same 'highs'. This response of the body is appropritely named tolerance. When an individual takes a drug and develops tolerance to it, it means that their body has shifted from being 'neutral'. The greater this difference from being 'neutral', the more violent the body will react to restore them. Much like extreme cold is met with extreme shivering and mild cold will be greeted with mild shivering. This return to neutral and the bodies reactions to them are called withdrawal.

Now, Addiction can be produced by either of these processes. Initially an individual will take an illicit drug to become 'positive'; for example to get 'high'- essentially to feel good and happy. When the drug wears off the body withdraws back to negative, which in this case is to be sad. So the next drug amount is bigger (tolerance) and the consequent withdrawal also rises- in this case growing more sad. So youcan imagine when you have used the drug chronically, withdrawal becomes severe which in this scenario produce depression in the user. Thus the addiction is psychological; the addict will continually take the drug to prevent depression.

Alternately, addiction can be physical. In the case of opioids for example, taking the drug produces physical calm in breathing and heart rate. Withdrawal would direct the body to higher breathing and heart rates. Thus addicts may take the drug to prevent this effect. Addiction can be a combination of the two forms or only one.

[D] Drug profiles- major drugs of Bangladesh

Table.1: figures garnered from the DNC website detailing the number of drugs that have been seized in their respective years [4]. The UNODC estimate that there is approximately 10 times more drugs still in circulation than from what has been removed [2].

Name of drug	Units	2009	2010	2011	2012 (up to March)
Heroin	Kg	21.19	9.52	8.092	2.860
Cannabis	Kg	2101.019	3672.847	4518.099	660.828
Illecit distillation (Moonshine)	Litre	22671.05	17706	27115.41	10705.17
Codeine (Phensidyl)	Bottle	58875	45531	30422	9285
Pethidine/Morphine	Ampoule	92	91	295	114
Buprenorphin injection	Ampoule	18600	23457	12467	5234
Yaba (Amphetamine-like substance)	Number	4051	14458	75857	31412

Traditionally, Bangladesh have been smuggling cannabis for many years, only in the 1980s did heroin became part of that smuggling ring. The drug landscape of bangladesh in more recent years have been driven largely by opioid drugs and the emergence of amphetamines. Opioids are natural products that when administered, either orally or with the aid of a needle, are 'painkillers' with the added bonus of giving euphoria to the user. A UNODC report published in September 2005 highlights the major illicit drugs consumed by Bangladeshis. [2]

 a)       Tobacco

While legalised in many countries around the world, and thereby not illicit, tobacco is still a drug that is part of the bangladeshi landscape. It displays similar characteristics as other illicit drugs in that it causes calm/euphoria in the user on each administration and users require more to maintain that level. Bengalis take tobacco in two forms; either smoked and/or smokeless (chewed). Tobacco is produced and consumed in high amounts and according to a world health organisation report in 2009 finding that with a sample size of ~10,000, 43.3% consume tobacco in both forms. The report found that females largely chewed tobacco (94.7%) while males largely smoked tobacco (54.6%). [10]

 

b)       Cannabis

Cannabis production has traditionally been largely produced- DNC seizures going into the 4500 kg mark for 2011 [2] (Table 1). The drug is illicit in the country and is administered much like tobacco via a smoked or smokeless route. The active form of cannabis is THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and when administered makes the user calm, passive and hungry additionally giving hallucinations and killing pain (analgesic). A drug treatment centre in Dhaka found ~17% taking the drug [2] whereas the world drug report 2012 stated only 3.3% of bangladeshis use the drug.

 

c)       Moonshine

Bangladesh is officially an Islamic country and thereby enforces the laws of Islam, nne of which is the ban of alcoholic consumption and production. Moonshine is an alcoholic beverage, that also can develop similar responses in users like other drugs of dependence. Alcohol on the other hand presents a unique situation in that there is no specific response like other drugs; affecting the whole body. Whilst not a public issue amongst the bengali landscape, illegal production and limited fermentation of alcohol is still present.

d)       Opioid based drugs

Opioids are naturally occuring substances and harvested from poppies. The leaves of poppy plants look like cabbage leaves, being sensitive to growing conditions. Flooding, moisture (which breeds fungi) and dry winds will kill the crops [6]. Opioid based drugs all present similar actions in the nervous system producing euphoria, killing pain and the potentially lethal effects of vomiting and slowing breathing rate. The sciency definition is that all the drugs effects are reversed by applying naloxone and most are clinically used for pain relief- they are that effective!

                                  i.            Phensidyl

The largest illicit drug consumption in Bangladesh is phensidyl (Fig. 3): a codeine-based cough syrup. Its large consumption which is largely smuggled through north-east india according to the times of india [1]. The drug is now illegal in Bangladesh and is a significant issue amongst bangladeshis. Treatment centres find ~65% of admittants are using this drug [2]. Despite being an oral medicine, the codeine brings about mild opioid effects with prolonged use displaying symptoms of insomnia, memory loss and skin conditions. The drug is largely popular among individuals between the ages of 8-20, made accessible due to it being cheap and its ease of access; no prescription being required.

 

                          

                               ii.            Tidigesic (Buprenorphine)

Tidigesic, also known as buprenorphine, is a semi-synthetic that has concentrated effectiveness. The drug has been used clinically to ‘wean’ individuals from ‘harder’ drugs such as heroin to avoid the dreaded ‘cold turkey’ withdrawal. However the drug on its own merit can also produce the same effects as other opioid drugs and is often taken by inhaling the substance. Alternatively, multiple drug use is reported with injecting drug users with buprenorphine. DNC (Table 1) seizures of buprenorphine suggests popularity unlike pethidine.  

                              iii.            Pethidine

Pethidine is an opioid much like morphine that is injected into users. The difference resides in its quicker action, and consequent ending, of the drug and a greater toxicity to users when injected.

                               iv.            Heroin

DNC seizures of heroin is not as large in comparison to other drugs however the rise in reported trafficking of heroin is rising [9]. Heroin addicts report the most frequent to treatment centres for example ~45% was found to take the drug in a Dhaka treatment centre [2]. Heroin as an opioid has more extreme effects in comparison to others in the same group and thus greater level of addiction potential and wirthdrawal effects. The 2012 World drug report only note 0.4% taking opioids.

 

e)       Yaba (Amphetamine-like stimulants (ATS)) [12]

Yaba is the street name for the synthetic drug that seems to be coming from neighbouring Bhurma with reports such as in (18 May 2012) Chittagong where 20,000 amphetmine tablets were seized [9]. Seizures have been very recent with sharp increases by the DNC for 2011. The drug itself is named literally for ‘madness drug’. Yaba is normally found as a red pill that is swallowed and produces euphoria and raises the body activity. Users become more awake, alert and physically active although the cooldown is felt after many hours being the opposite of intial effects; confusion and aggression. The effects of ATS are lost before being completely removed from the body thus users take repeated tablets to sustain their euphoria, However the more the drug is used, energy reserves are depleted and an eventual ‘crash’ occurs; users can end up sleeping for days.

 

Thus on prolonged use users can display huge weight loss, impaired concentration and memory, mental health issues or violent behaviour.

 _______________________________________________________

Sources

(1)http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-03-09/india/28148355_1_cough-syrups-phensedyl-corex

(2) https://www.unodc.org/pdf/india/publications/south_Asia_Regional_Profile_Sept_2005/08_bangladesh.pdf

(3) http://www.dnc.gov.bd/route.html

(4) http://www.dnc.gov.bd/statistics.html

(5)[Image]http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/websites/usdojgov/www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/intel/20026/goldentriangle.gif

(6) http://www.tehelka.com/story_main48.asp?filename=Ne290111CoverStory.asp

(7)http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2009/September/drugs-and-hiv_-voices-of-hope-in-india.html

(8)http://www.unodc.org/southasia//frontpage/2011/april/interview-m-r-rajagopal-access-to-opioids-for-palliative-care.html

(9)http://www.altsean.org/Chronology/Chronology2011/DrugsChronology2011.htm

(10)http://www.who.int/tobacco/surveillance/summary_regional_gats_bangladesh_report_2009.pdf

(11)http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2012/jul/02/drug-use-map-world?newsfeed=true

(12)http://www.apaic.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71&Itemid=86

ALL PICTURES AND DOCUMENTS ARE COLLECTED BY MD ARAFAT SIRAJ SHIPLU FOR WWW.SHOWMENEEL.BLOGSPOT.COM 

10 Most Popular Tourist Destinations

10 Most Popular Tourist Destinations

Water villages are settlements that are usually built on the water. Houses often float on the water or are located on stilts and rarely on small islands. This is a list of water villages, which are becoming increasingly popular tourist destinations.

01. Ko Panyi, Thailand

Ko Panyi is a fishing village in Phang Nga Province, Thailand notable for being built on stilts by Indonesian fishermen. The population consists of roughly 200 families or between 1,500 and 2,000 people descended from 2 seafaring Muslim families from Java.

The village has a Muslim school which is attended by both males and females in the mornings. Despite the recent rise in tourism, life in Ko Panyi is still primarily based around the fishing industry as tourists only visit in significant numbers during the dry season. The village includes a floating soccer field. Inspired by the 1986 FIFA World Cup, children built the pitch from old scraps of wood and fishing rafts. Google map.

 

02. Halong Bay Floating Village, Vietnam

A village of about 600 inhabitants built on the water can be found in Halong Bay. It is a magically calm place, an escape from the hustle of Vietnam streets. The village is a true waterworld, rising and falling with the tides, sheltered amidst limestone towers.

Locals live mainly from the sea. Most of the rock islands in the area are too poor to be cultivated. Halong Bay is very rich in fish and sea food. In this picture you can see some floating houses. Locals live in these houses and every morning they go fishing. They sell their catches to bigger boats, that bring the fresh fish to markets in the continent. Google map.

03. Giethoorn, Netherland

Giethoorn is a village in the Dutch province of Overijssel. This village is called the Venice of the Netherlands for about 7.5 km (4.5 mi) of canals run through the little village. It was founded around 1230 when fugitives coming from the Mediterranian regions settled there.

All traffic has to go over the water, and it is done in so-called "punters", they are 'whisper-boats' for they are driven by an electric motor, so they practically do not disturb the peace and quiet in this scenic little village. Many houses have been built on islands and they can only be reached by the wooden bridges. Some 50 little wooden bridges span the canals, which are only 1 meter (3 ft) deep. Giethoorn has 2620 inhabitants. Google map.

 

04. Uros Floating Village, Peru

The Uros are a pre-Incan people who live on forty-two self-fashioned floating islands in Lake Titicaca, Peru. These islands are hand-made from a native species of reed (totora) that abounds in the shallows of the lake. Uros people build temporary houses that float atop the water surface. The tide washes over their houses at times, so new layers of reed need to be laid every 2 weeks for better resistance.

The larger and most visited islands appear to many travellers as floating souvenirs, and to some extent these indeed are tourist-traps, their inhabitants having succeed in living off tourism. However, most of the smaller islands remain isolated from visitors and still practice a traditional way of life that includes old-technique fishing, bird-trapping, and relying on totora for housing and transportation. Google map.

05. Wuzhen, China

Wuzhen is one of China's ancient water towns, where waterways thread their way through the flagstone streets and alleys. Covering an area of 71.19 square kilometres (27.49 sq mi), Wuzhen has a total population is 60,000 of which 12,000 are permanent residents.

Wuzhen displays its two-thousand-year history in its ancient stone bridges floating on mild water, its stone pathways between the mottled walls and its delicate wood carvings. Also, setting it apart from other towns, it gives a unique experience through its profound cultural background. Google map.

06. Kampong Ayer, Brunei

Kampong Ayer is an area of Brunei's capital city Bandar Seri Begawan that is situated after the Brunei Bay. 39,000 people live in the Water Village. This represents roughly ten percent of the nation's total population. All of the Water Village buildings are constructed on stilts above the Brunei River.

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque at night (the mosque is built in an artificial lagoon on the banks of the Brunei River at Kampong Ayer)

Built on stilts and linked by bridges the water village is also served by water taxis and has its own schools, hospitals, restaurants, shops, mosques and petrol station. From a distance, although many of the dwellings look neglected and run-down, they actually have all the modern amenities including air conditioning, satellite television, Internet access, plumbing, and electricity. People have lived in this village for over 1300 years and some of them keep potted plants and chickens. Google map.

 

07. Zhouzhuang, China

Zhouzhuang, one of the most famous water townships in China, is situated only 30 kilometers southeast of Suzhou City. It is a enchanting place. This village features crisscrossing water lanes, ancient bridges and buildings built on and over the rivers. In an area of half a square kilometer, 60 percent of the Zhouzhuang's structures were built during the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

It is noted for its profound cultural background, the well preserved ancient residential houses, the elegant watery views and the strong local colored traditions and customs. Zhouzhuang has been called the "Venice of the East".Google map.

08. Ganvie, Benin

Ganvie, also known as the Venice of Africa, is a lake village in Benin, lying in Lake Nokoué, near Cotonou. With a population of around 20,000 people, it is probably the largest lake village in Africa and as such is very popular with tourists.

The village of Ganvie was established in the sixteenth or seventeenth centuries by the Tofinu people, when Dahomeyan warriors raided their countryside for captives to sell to the European slave traders. Originally based on farming, the village's main industries other than tourism are now fishing and fish farming. Google map.

 

09. Kay Lar Ywa, Myanmar

Kay Lar Ywa is water village located on Inle lake. Residents of this village are Intha people, which are members of a Tibet-Burman ethnic group. They support themselves through the tending of vegetable farms on floating gardens. Also, the Intha are known for their leg-rowing techniques.

A floating tomato garden on Inle Lake

The lake weed of Inle is collected by the Intha people to create floating gardens, which are anchored to the lake bed with bamboo poles. These floating gardens, called kyun-hmaw,which are built-up from strips of water hyacinth and mud, dredged from the lake bed, which breaks down into a rich humus; it take 50 years to produce a layer 1 m thick. The floating allotments are anchored to the bottom with bamboo poles. Land is also reclaimed in this way, and parts of the lake have been reduced to a maze of canals around these plots. Most of the produce grown on the lake gardens is vegetables - mainly tomatoes and beans. Google map.

10. Tongli, China

Tongli, alternately Tong-Li, is a town in Wujiang county, on the outskirts of Suzhou. It is known for a system of canals. Tongli is half an hour away from Suzhou city. The place retains many of the features of an ancient Chinese town.

Tongli enjoys fame across China for its beautiful canals, historic bridges and opulent court yard homes. Tongli has 49 stone bridges and many gardens, temples. Because of the landscape, almost all of the buildings are constructed along the waterfront. The water also creates reflections of the town's arched roofs, lofty gables and stone bridges while green willows also line the banks can.

All Pictures & Documents are created and collected by ARAFAT SIRAJ SHIPLU for                                                 www.showmeneel.blogspot.com