YOUR NAME/MESSAGE IN SNOW and Happy Purim today--a lesson in the subject

Today is the Jewish Holiday of Purim. Here is a lesson for those who don't know about and some learning for those that do. Enjoy the attachement about writing in the Snow!!

Poor Purim. It has become the Jewish mardi gras, a day of revelry, drinking, and masquerades. But it is much more than this.

Purim is the holiday in hiding. One has to probe beneath the surface to find the spiritual dimension that lies underneath. In fact, the disguises and the masks are all designed to underscore the essential hiddenness of this day.

This theme of concealment is found in the very name of the heroine of Purim. "Esther" derives from the root str, which in Hebrew means "hidden." In the Torah (Dt. 31:18), G-d says to Israel: "I will surely hide (hastir astir) My face from you..." The sages see this Hebrew phrase as a subtle suggestion of the hiddenness of God during the time of Esther.

Take Esther herself. No one except Mordecai knows who she really is. Even King Ahashveros is kept in the dark. "Ein Esther magedet moledetah," says the Megillah in 2:20. "Esther did not reveal her origins..." This is the theme of the day: nothing is revealed.

Note also the lineage of the protagonists of the Purim story. It is the lineage of hiddenness. Mordechai and Esther are descendants of mother Rachel. Rachel, the mother of Yosef, is the very essence of hiddenness and concealment. When her sister Leah is substituted for her in marriage to Yaakov, why does Rachel not cry out and protest that an injustice is being done? Because to do so would have humiliated her sister. Rachel knows how to conceal things, including her bitter disappointment.

Rachel's son Joseph is also a master of concealment. His essential qualities of holiness are concealed from his brothers, who do not recognize his greatness because he effectively hides them. And when the brothers come down to Egypt 22 years later, they again fail to recognize him, for he is now concealed behind his garments. The Talmud (Sotah 10) underscores the hidden qualities of Joseph when it states that -- in the case of Potiphar's wife -- Joseph sanctified the name of God in private, in a hidden way. And Saul, from the same lineage as Joseph, feels unworthy of becoming King of Israel: he hides among the vessels when they search for him to become King.

It is thus fitting that Esther and Mordechai, who stem from the same lineage, should also do their saving work quietly, secretly, in a hidden and concealed manner.

Even G-d himself/herself  is hidden in the Purim story. Search the Megillah from beginning to end, but you find no mention of His/her  name. Is this not strange for a biblical book? The closest we come to a reference to G-d is when Mordecai says to Esther that redemption for the Jews will come from makom aher, "another place."

To underscore the hiddenness of G-d, the entire story seems to be one of chance, happenstance, and coincidence -- the very things that the Bible tells us the world is not! In the Megillah, the role of G-d is unseen, His hand invisible. Queen Vashti just happens to refuse to appear at the royal feast; the King just happens to rid himself of her and to search for a new queen; Mordecai just happens to be in the right place at the right moment to foil a plot against the King's life; the King just happens to have a sleepless night and his courtiers remind him that Mordecai saved his life; Haman just happens to be in the Queen's chambers when the King walks in. Even the date on which the Jews are to be exterminated is determined by the casting of lots: hipil pur hu hagoral, "he cast a pur, that is the lot..." (Esther 3:7) and it is this "pur" that gives us the name of the holiday. All these echoes of randomness and chance suggest anything but the guiding hand of God.

Even the miracle of Purim is a hidden one. Contrast this with the miracle of Hanukah. There, the oil that is enough for one day burns instead for eight days, which is a nes niglah, an open miracle that everyone can see. But the Purim miracle -- whereby the entire Jewish community is saved from destruction -- is a hidden miracle, a nes nistar. The interceding hand of God is invisible. It could easily be ascribed to happenstance, the way everything else in the story seems to be happenstance.

Gradually we begin to understand the role of masks in the Purim story. The entire deliverance of the Jewish people is masked. It is a story wrapped in a disguise, hidden behind a costume, concealed behind a mask.

Even that strange dictum in the Talmud (Megillah 7b) that ordains us to become intoxicated on Purim ad delo yada, "until we know not the difference between cursed is Haman and blessed is Mordecai" -- even this is part of the theme of hiddenness. For how strange is the Talmudic advice. Ours is, after all, a tradition that abhors drunkenness. We are a people of the mind, discernment, analysis -- all those things that fall under the rubric of data, knowledge. But on Purim we are bidden to become intoxicated and conceal our vaunted data -- to the point of ad delo yada --"until there is no data" -- and to enter a universe where reality has no meaning and we begin to realize that it is not our intellects that guide the world but the One Intellect above that guides the world.

There is another strange hiddenness about Purim. This is the most physical of all our holidays. The festive Purim meal, the sending of food gifts, the encouragement to drink to excess -- these are matters that deal with the body. What by contrast, is the most spiritual of our holy days? Obviously it is Yom Kippur. Our observance of these two days are in diametric opposition to one another. But upon closer examination we perceive that the two are closely related in a very hidden but real way. The official name of Yom Kippur is Yom HaKippurim. Literally, this means, "a day like Purim." This is stunning. Yom Kippur is like Purim? How can this be?

It can be, because Purim and Yom Hakippurim are mirror images of one another. On Yom Kippur we are forbidden to eat or drink; on Purim we are bidden to eat and drink. Yom Kippur is overwhelmingly spiritual; Purim is overwhelmingly physical. But on each day we are required to serve God fully, with our bodies and with our souls.

The lesson is clear: God can be served not only in the solemnity of a Yom Kippur, but also in the revelry of a Purim. God is present not only in the open ark of Yom Kippur when spirituality seems so close, but also in the open food and drink of Purim when spirituality seems so remote. It is much more of a challenge to remember God amidst the revelry than to remember Him in the midst of the solemnity. To imbibe and to feast and to remember the Author of all; this is the great challenge of Purim -- perhaps a greater challenge than any other holy day.

Purim is the holiday in hiding. But its message need not be concealed from us.

Love Yehuda

This is so neat, try it     YOUR NAME/MESSAGE IN SNOW   Just click on the following link, put your first name or any message in the message space.  Wait a few moments after clicking on "submit" to see your name in snow. Cool. You can type in any name or message and the penguin will begin his/her (?) work. How does this work, you ask? I have no idea but it does! http://www.star28.net/snow.html

The Good time celebration of Purim is Saturday Night and the Nation of Iraq

The festival of Purim celebrates the salvation of the Jewish people from Haman's plot "to destroy, kill and annihilate all the Jews, young and old, infants and women, in a single day."

The events of Purim extended over a period of several years, culminating in the victory celebrations of Adar 14-15 of 356 BCE. This year Purim begins Saturday at nightfall.

This being the Shabbat before Purim, on which we celebrate the foiling of Haman the Amalekite's plot to destroy the Jewish people, the weekly Parshah is supplemented with the Zachor reading (Deuteronomy 25:17-19) in which we are commanded to remember the evil of Amalek and to eradicate it from the face of the earth.

For the complete Purim guide, including Purim laws and customs,

Click here!

y!

Read all of this one, it is interesting!!       Near the bottom--the part highlighted in green --will give you GOOSE BUMPS!!!      You don't want to miss this! ((*_*) )   VERY INTERESTING-       1.. The Garden of Eden was in Iraq       2.   Mesopotamia, which is now Iraq,   was the cradle of civilization!       3. Noah built the ark in Iraq           4. The Tower of Babel was in Iraq               5. Abraham was from Ur, which is in Southern Iraq        6. Isaac's wife Rebekah is from Nahor , which is in Iraq       7. Jacob met Rachel in Iraq       8.. Jonah preached in Nineveh - w hich is in Iraq       9. Assyria, which is in Iraq, conquered the ten tribes of Israel       10. Amos cried out in Iraq         11. Babylon, which is in Iraq, destroyed Jerusalem           12. Daniel was in the lion's den in Iraq       13. The three Hebrew children were in the fire in Iraq (Jesus had been in Iraq also as the fourth person in the Fiery Furnace!)         14. Belshazzar, the King of Babylon saw the 'writing on the wall' in Iraq         15.  Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, carried the Jews captive into Iraq       16... Ezekiel preached in Iraq        17. The wise men were from Iraq         18. Peter preached in Iraq           19. The 'Empire of Man' described in Revelation is called Babylon --which was a city   in   Iraq       And you have probably seen this one:     Israel is the nation most often mentioned in the Bible.       But do you know which nation is second?       It is   Iraq   !       However, that is not the name that is used in the Bible.       The names used in the Bible are Babylon , Land of Shinar , and Mesopotamia .. The word Mesopotamia means between the two rivers, more exactly between the Tigris And Euphrates Rivers ..       The name   Iraq   means country with deep roots.       Indeed Iraq is a country with deep roots and is a very significant country in the Bible.                No other nation, except Israel , has more history and prophecy associated with   it than Iraq       And also, This is something to think about:       Since   America     is       Typically   represented by an eagle.       Saddam should have read up on his Muslim passages .....       The following verse is from the Koran, (the Islamic Bible)       Koran   (     9:11 ) - For it is written that a son of Arabia would awaken a fearsome Eagle.. The wrath of the Eagle would be felt throughout the lands of Allah and lo, while some of the people trembled in despair still more rejoiced; for the wrath of the Eagle cleansed the lands of Allah;   And there was peace.   (Note the verse number!) Hmmmmmmm?!

How fast can you react ? and Don't be swayed from your goals

Don't Be Swayed From Your Goals

Be crystal clear on your main goals in life. Then, when a situation arises that might disturb your peace of mind, ask yourself, "How does this impact those goals?"

When you realize this present situation does not have a major effect on what is really important, the problem will shrink in significance and your peace of mind will be restored.

Try it today.

Love Yehuda

Subject: FW: How fast can you react ? 

The automobile driving manual says the average driver's reaction time is: .75 seconds or 1 car length for every 10 mph.  Test your average reaction time.       Be careful this can be addictive!  You will be surprised at how slow you really are J   Click here:  Reaction Test

Airbus A 380 - cockpit and the Kosher computer

THIS IS THE COCKPIT OF THE AIRBUS A-380

HAVE A NICE FLIGHT

http://www.gillesvidal.com/blogpano/cockpit1.htm

 

 

Subject: A Kosher Computer Dell-Shalom   I don't know if you know  this,  but you can now  purchase Kosher computers!  They are made in  Israel  by a company called DELL-SHALOM. The price is so  low, even  with the  shipping from Israel ! However, before you  purchase  a  kosher  computer of your own, you should know that there are  some  important   changes from the typical non-kosher computer you are used   to, such  as:  1)   The "Start"   button has been  replaced with a "Let's go!! I'm not  getting any   younger!" button.   2)   You hear   "Hava Nagila" during  startup.  3)   The cursor   moves from right to  left.  4) When   Spell-checker finds an error it  prompts, "Is this the best you can   do?"   5) When you   look at erotic images, your  computer says, "If your mother  knew  you  did this, she would  die." 6) It comes   with a "monitor cleaning  solution" from Manischewitz that gets  rid  of  all the "schmutz und  drek."  7) When   running "Scan Disk" it prompts you  with a "You want I should fix   this?"  message.  8) After 20  minutes of no activity, your  PC goes  "Schloffen." 9) The PC   shuts down automatically at  sundown on Friday evenings.    10) It   comes with two hard drives--one for  fleyshedik (business software)   and  one for milchedik (games).   11) Instead   of getting a! "General  Protection Fault" error, your PC now  gets   "Ferklempt."   12) The   multimedia player has been renamed  to "Nu, so play my music   already!"  corner.   13) When   your PC is working too hard, you  occasionally hear a loud "Oy   Gevalt!"   14) Computer viruses  can now be cured with matzo  ball  soup. 16) When   disconnecting external devices from  the PC, you are instructed to    "Remove the cable from the PC's  tuchus."  17) After your  computer  dies, you have to dispose  of it within 24 hours.   18) But best of  all, if you have a  kosher computer, you  can't get SPAM...

Learn from your Strengths and Successes and the one extra degree principle

Learn From Your Strengths And Successes

We all can communicate well with some people and not equally as well with some other people. Sometimes when something hits home, it makes the other person uncomfortable, and the easiest way for the person to deal with you is to have him/er go out of your life. Learn from your strengths. Learn from your successes. Learn from your best moments.

Your own best moments are your best teacher. So the question to ask yourself is, "With whom do you communicate well?" What can you learn from the way you speak to those people? Very likely, the way that those people speak to you and treat you has an influence on the way that you communicate with them. Even so, awareness of what you personally do right when you speak to them can help you speak better with the people you find difficult to interact with.

Moreover, if you ever have a difficult time communicating with someone that you sometimes communicate well with, ask yourself, "What exactly did I say and do when I communicated well with this person in the past?"

Love Yehuda

The 212° concept is one of the most powerful communication ideas that I have experienced

If you're not familiar, here's the idea:

At 211 degrees...water is hot.
At 212 degrees...it boils.
And with boiling water, comes steam.
And steam can power a locomotive.
And, it's that one extra degree that...
Makes all the difference.

So many times, in business and in life, it's that one extra degree of effort that separates the good from the great.

What I love about the 212° idea is that you can use it to fit your own needs. It may be 212° service that you'd like to reinforce, or 212° attitude, leadership, or quality. Or maybe, you'll choose to build your entire culture around the 212° concept...to differentiate you from your competition.

The real beauty of 212° is the simplicity of the idea. Once explained...everybody gets it. And once you get it...it's hard to forget!

End with Sincere Praise and If Your Name Begins With "D," You May Die Younger

End With Sincere Praise

A principle for "kind" living is to leave people feeling better about themselves as a result of having met you.

Ask yourself: "What can I say to this person to give him a positive feeling?"

Be sincere in what you say. The goal is not to flatter or to give people a false sense of having attributes they are missing. Rather the goal is to keep on developing your own "good eye" to see the positive in each person.

When you develop positive feelings about others, what you say makes them feel good, as does how you say it -- i.e. with a kind look on your face and a smile.

Love Yehuda

If Your Name Begins With "D," You May Die Younger

By Deborah Huso

A new study suggests that the first letter in your name could be linked to your longevity. If your name starts with "A," then you probably have no cause for concern, but if your name begins with "D," study authors suggest the letter's symbolic significance could result in you dying sooner than your peers, reports the Daily Mail.

Is it all hogwash?

Not necessarily. The study, conducted by researchers at Wayne State University in Detroit and published in the peer-reviewed journal "Death Studies" this month, examined the relationship between the first letters of a person's name and his or her time of death.

The study examined two groups of people -- professional athletes as well as doctors and lawyers. "In each sport, athletes whose first names began with the letter D lived fewer years than those whose names collectively began with E to Z," said study authors Ernest Abel and Michael Kruger, both of whom have been involved in several similar statistical studies in the past, including one that indicated baseball players with nicknames live longer than those without.

The researchers reviewed the lifespans of more than 10,000 athletes and professionals, focusing specifically on those whose names began with A, B, C or D -- letters associated with the grading system in American schools. The study showed those with A names substantially outlived those with D names. Researchers suggest that because D is associated with poor academic performance, those with D names are more apt to suffer from lower self-esteem, making them more prone to disease. However, the most concrete finding really isn't all that striking. Athletes whose names began with D had a median survival age of 68.1 years, while those with names beginning with letters E to Z, which have no grade correlation, had median survival age of 69.9 years.

That's not to say one should consider the psychology of names pure bunk. Countless studies have been conducted over the years indicating that one's name can play a significant role in one's self-esteem as well as how a person is perceived by others. For example, a well-known study published in the "Journal of Educational Psychology" in 1973, showed that elementary school teachers were prone to give higher grades to students with desirable names than to their counterparts with less common names, such as "Bertha" and "Elmer," regardless of the quality of the students' work.

Don't sweat it if your name starts with "D," but if you're flipping through a baby name book searching for the perfect moniker to bestow on the newest addition to your family, don't entirely discount the power and meaning of names. 

Now that piece above was from a strictly secular viewpoint. The bible tells us that a person's name helps determine his/her Karma. So it is not surprising that a name can effect your length of life.

Love Yehuda

700 year old village in Iran and Persistence

A big shot is just a little shot who kept on shooting.
--Zig Ziglar

Consider these words of Calvin Coolidge: "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is filled with educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are alone omnipotent. 'Press on!' has been and always will be the answer to every human problem."

Coolidge was right. In the successful pursuit of a vision, persistence always makes the difference. Colonel Sanders approached 1,094 restaurants before he found someone who would try his recipe for fried chicken. Thomas Edison made over 2,000 attempts before he invented the light bulb. Abraham Lincoln failed in two businesses and lost five elections before he became president.

The ability to persevere in the face of adversity takes a special kind of faith. It's easy to get discouraged when obstacles appear. If you are in such a situation, know that time is on your side. Time plus sustained effort always produce results. After waiting 33 years to win the world championship, a coach was asked, "Was it worth the wait?" "Absolutely," he replied. "In fact, the long delay actually made the victory sweeter.

Love Yehuda

700 year old village in Iran . Can you believe it? Scroll down thru the pictures.  Very interesting.   And you wonder why they can't find Osama Bin Laden?      I Like the above

Actual Polar Bear Attack and what would you say to someone to stop committing suicide?

GOOD MORNING! What would you say to stop someone from committing suicide? What would happen if after listening to all of the pain and suffering the person has gone through in his life, you asked, "Tell me, what if on top of all of your problems you were blind, too. Then right before you jumped, a miracle happened and you could see. Would you still jump?" Chances are the person would say, "Are you crazy? I'd want to see what my children look like, the color of the sky, to see the ocean, a mountain! No way I'd kill myself!"

Yet, there are lots of people who can see who do kill themselves even though they can see their children, the color of the sky, the ocean and a mountain. Why? We just get used to our pleasures in life. A person can get used to anything - good health, being a multi-millionaire, private jets, beautiful homes, even a loving spouse and children. It's sad. Worse, it's tragic. What can we do to focus on the pleasures in life?

Here's an idea: If you're married, agree with your spouse that at the end of each day you'll share two good things that happened that day. So often we spend our time with our spouse complaining about what went wrong that day. Just share the two good things before going into the trials and tribulations. Each day has to be two new things! And if you're single, plan with a friend to do the same thing each day.

What do you answer when someone asks how you are doing? Oftentimes the people I meet say, "Can't complain." It doesn't do much for me and it does less for the person saying it. Sometimes I'll try to focus him or her that if he or she can't complain, then he or she probably has something good from which to take pleasure. How do I do it? I ask him or her, "Why not? I'm a rabbi. I'll listen to your complaints about life." Most people say that they really don't have anything to complain about. (I am not naive; I know that it just might be possible that the person would prefer not to have this discussion with me...)

Then I suggest, why not train yourself to respond, "Good, thank G-d" - or if he or she really wants to appreciate life to answer "Great, thank God." And if he or she really wants to thrill with life, answer "Fabulous, thank God" or "Magnificent, thank God." It not only uplifts the person responding, it uplifts the one who asked!

Why do I always suggest ending with "Thank G-d"? It is important in life to have gratitude and to show gratitude. Everything we have in life is ultimately a gift from the Almighty. By focusing on that fact and responding in kind, it not only makes one happier, but also a better person.

On an even deeper level, the Talmud (Brachos 54a) teaches that a person is obligated to bless the Almighty for misfortune with the same joy as when one blesses for good fortune. How is it possible to fulfill this obligation? If we appreciate that the Almighty loves us and only gives us what is good for us - for our spiritual growth -then we can work on focusing that what seems "bad" right now will be ultimately for the best.

In addition to the long-view philosophical approach, each of us has a choice as to what we focus on in the immediate present. The old question: "is the glass half full or half empty?" applies on a daily basis and a moment by moment basis. (By the way, maybe the glass is just too big? Or, maybe it depends upon whether you're pouring or drinking?) Happiness in life is a matter of focusing on the present. If you appreciate the good in every moment, then ultimately your life is filled with millions of moments of happiness and is a happy life.

If one focuses on the past, it is often with regrets for missed opportunities or lost benefits. (You can focus on the past, but there's no future in it!) If one looks to the future with expectations or wishes that things should be different, he misses out on appreciating what is going on now and is probably focusing on what is "missing" now.

I once saw a beautiful quote that sums it up, "The past is history, the future a mystery and now is gift - which is why it's called the present." Appreciate the present!

Love Yehuda

Beware....graphic.   Polar Bear Attack on a human in  Churchill, Manitoba , Canada. These are pictures of an actual polar bear attack in Churchill. These pictures were taken while people watched and could do nothing to stop the attack! Reports from the local newspaper say that the victim will make a full recovery.         SMILE, IT DOES YOUR HEART GOOD!

PHOTOS - 360 DEGREES..(wailing wall in Jerusalem). Fantastic pictures--scroll down and the story of Karma

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools

and ran to the bog.

There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.

'I want to repay you,' said the nobleman. 'You saved my son's life.'

'No, I can't accept payment for what I did,' the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel.

'Is that your son?' the nobleman asked.
'Yes,' the farmer replied proudly.

'I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.' And that he did.

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Years afterward, the same nobleman's son who was saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.

What saved his life this time? Penicillin.
The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill ... His son's name?

Sir Winston Churchill.


Someone once said: What goes around comes around.

Work like you don't need the money.

Love like you've never been hurt.

Dance like nobody's watching.

Sing like nobody's listening.

Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

It's National Friendship Week. Send this to everyone you consider A FRIEND.

Pass this on, and brighten some one's day.

 LOVE YEHUDA--Enjoy the Wailing Wall attached

The following is about the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem . It is absolutely amazing. I suggest you look at them full screen and you'll feel as though you are really there.

 SCROLL DOWN, AND CLICK ON ATTACHMENT

KOTEL EN 360° this is amazing..hold your cursor and you can move to any location, then change pictures and do the same. It scrolls up down, left right
 
      http://www.360tr.net/kudus/aglamaduvar_tr/index.html

A Skating Video you won't see at the Olympics and from a Spiritual Perspective

From The Perspective Of Our Father, Our Mother, Our King

Viewing peace and quarrels from the perspective of our Father, Our Mother, our King, Creator and Sustainer of the universe, changes the way we see things. The question we will ask ourselves is "What would my Father, Mother, my King, want me to say and do right now?"

Parents want their children to get along well with each other. They find it extremely distressful if their children quarrel. And there is tremendous pleasure in seeing your children interacting harmoniously. This is a metaphor for understanding peace and quarrels from the perspective of our Father, our Mother our King/Queen.

Love Yehuda

We are the world Video--Brand new Video and original Video and Don't be Future Tense

Don't Be Future Tense

It is not humanly possible for a person to prepare his future exactly as he would like it to be.

No person can possibly figure out in advance all the myriad possibilities of what might happen in the future.

It is not worthwhile to give excessive thought about what will occur in the future. Who can be certain how events will turn out? What now appears as good, can be the source of misfortune.

Conversely, what you consider bad can eventually be the source of happiness. Every single person can verify the truth of this statement from daily events he is aware of.

Love Yehuda

Enjoy this beautiful song with Charity in mind

B"H

http://beatcrave.com/2010-02-13/we-are-the-world-2010-video-do-you-prefer-the-new-or-old-version/

Interesting Geography on Happy President's day!! and ...decrease Anxiety

Awareness Of God Decreases Anxiety

The most prevalent illness of our generation is excessive anxiety. This subject has been dealt with at length by the philosophers and psychologists of modern times. Anxiety flourishes where there is a lack of awareness of the Almighty.

Awareness of G-d decreases anxiety, as it says: "The Almighty is my source of salvation. I will trust, and not be afraid" (Isaiah 12:2).

Love Yehuda

Subject: FW: Interesting Geography...

Subject: Interesting Geography...   GEOGRAPHY FACTS   Alaska More than half of the coastline of the entire United States is in Alaska...    Amazon    The Amazon rainforest produces more than 20% the world's oxygen supply.  The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean that, more than one hundred miles at sea off the mouth of the river, one can dip fresh water out of the ocean. The volume of water in the Amazon River is greater than the next eight largest rivers in the world combined and three times the flow of all rivers in the United States...   Antarctica    Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any country. Ninety percent of the world's ice covers Antarctica. This ice also represents seventy  percent of all the fresh water in the world. As strange as it sounds, however, Antarctica is essentially a desert. The average yearly total precipitation is about two inches. Although covered with ice (all but 0.4% of it, ice.), Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with an absolute humidity lower than the Gobi desert.   Brazil Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around.   Canada Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined. Canada is an Indian word meaning 'Big Village...'      Chicago   Next to Warsaw, Chicago has the largest Polish population in the world.    Detroit Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, carries the designation M-1, so named because it was the first paved road anywhere.       Damascus, Syria Damascus, Syria, was flourishing a couple of thousand years before Rome was founded in 753 BC, making it the oldest continuously inhabited city in existence.     Istanbul, Turkey Istanbul, Turkey, is the only city in the world located on two continents.   Los Angeles Los Angeles's full name is El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula -- and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size: L.A.       New York City   The term 'The Big Apple' was coined by touring jazz musicians of the 1930's who used the slang expression 'apple' for any town or city. Therefore, to play New York City is to play the big time - The Big Apple. There are more Irish in New York City than in Dublin, Ireland; more Italians in New York City than in Rome, Italy; and more Jews in New York City than in Tel Aviv, Israel.    Ohio   There are no natural lakes in the state of Ohio, everyone is manmade.   Pitcairn Island The smallest island with country status is Pitcairn in Polynesia, at just 1.75 sq. miles/4.53 sq. km.    Rome The first city to reach a population of 1 million people was Rome, Italy in 133 B.C.  There is a city called Rome on every continent.   Siberia Siberia contains more than 25% of the world's forests.    S.M.O.M. The actual smallest sovereign entity in the world is the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (S.M.O.M). It is located in the city of Rome, Italy, has an area of two tennis courts, and as of 2001 has a population of 80, 20 less people than the Vatican.  It is a sovereign entity under international law, just as the Vatican is.    Sahara Desert In the Sahara Desert, there is a town named Tidikelt, Algeria, which did not receive a drop of rain for ten years.    Antartica   Technically though, the driest place on Earth is in the valleys of the Antarctic near Ross Island. There has been no rainfall there for two million years.     Spain Spain literally means 'the land of rabbits.'       St. Paul, Minnesota   St. Paul, Minnesota, was originally called Pig's Eye after a man named Pierre 'Pig's Eye' Parrant who set up the first business there.   Roads         Chances that a road is unpaved in the U.S.A: 1%, in Canada: 75%    Russia    The deepest hole ever drilled by man is the Kola Superdeep Borehole, in Russia. It reached a depth of 12,261 meters (about 40,226 feet or 7.62 miles). It was drilled for scientific research and gave up some unexpected discoveries, one of which was a huge deposit of hydrogen - so massive that the mud coming from the hole was boiling with it.   United States  The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one-mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.      Waterfalls The water of Angel Falls (the world's highest) in Venezuela drops 3,212 feet (979 meters). They are 15 times higher than Niagara Falls.   I have always said, you should learn something new every day.