Historic Facts: A Look At The Seven Wonders Of The World[Ever Heard Of Them?]

The Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, built between 2584 and 2561 BC is the only  ancient wonder of the world still in existence

Today I came across an article on Daily Mail about how most Britons can only name one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and it caught my interest. First because growing up, I've always been fascinated with the ancient wonders of the world, and the article brought back secondary memory memories. Secondly, I wondered how many educated Nigerians know anything about the worlds ancient wonders talk more of the uneducated ones. In fact, many young people of today will probably ask "how does the wonders of the world affect the price of garri in the market?" or "how does it make me richer?"
Well, truth is no knowledge is ever lost. And as is the norm here on d Grapevyne, to mix things up and help make readers be more knowledgeable, I present to you this article about the ancient and modern wonders of the world.

Old Wonder 2:The Hanging Gardens of Babylon is said to have stood on the east bank of the River Euphrates, from around 600BC before being destroyed by earthquakes although many experts now doubt it ever existed at all

The seven wonders of the ancient world are said to be the most remarkable creations of classical antiquity, yet today very few people know little or nothing about it.

Perhaps the lack of knowledge may not be altogether unexpected as out of the all the monuments on the original list it is now only possible to visit one - the Great Pyramid.
All the others no longer exist. Most were destroyed by earthquakes and experts now doubt that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which were said to have been laid out on an artificial mountain in Iraq, ever existed at all.
The original list was drawn up by Greek scholars around the third century BC for travellers in the eastern Mediterranean.

Old wonder 3:An engraving of Statue of Zeus at Olympia. The temple was built between 466and 456 BC. The statue was added in 435 BC. It was disassembled during the 5th and 6th centuries AD and later destroyed by fire

Over three quarters of the 2,486 people quizzed in a recent survey by online travel agency bonvoyage.co.uk, said they they found the ancient monuments 'boring'.
Bonvoyage.co.uk have responded by asking those who took to suggest a new set of seven wonders of the modern world instead.
The top choice was the Statue of Liberty in New York harbour. The other six are all natural phenomena consist of The Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Table Mountain, the Northern Lights and Mount Vesuvius.

old wonder 4:An engraving of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus in Turkey. It was built by the Lydian Greeks in 550 BC and again at 323 BC. It was destroyed in 401 and only fragments now remain

Bonvoyage.co.uk spokesman Steph Curtin, said: 'After discovering the lack of knowledge and awareness among the general public regarding the seven wonders of the world, the team here felt compelled to investigate what landmarks are now highly coveted as modern day wonders.'
'The collated list produced some great results, such as the Statue of Liberty and the Great Barrier Reef, but also a couple that we weren’t expecting, including the Northern Lights and Mount Vesuvius.'
Forty-three per cent of those questioned claimed they had learned all seven ancient wonders at school and simply forgotten them over time.

old wonder no5:The classic seven wonders are The Great Pyramid of Giza, The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, The Statue of Zeus at Olympia, The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, the Colossus of Rhodes and Lighthouse of Alexandria.

old wonder 5:The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus at Bodrum, Turkey, was built in 351 BC by the Greeks Carians and the 

and the  Greeks but was destroyed by earthquakes in 1494     

Old wonder no 6:The Colossus of Rhodes, a statue of the Greek Titan Helios, was built by the Greeks between 292 and 280 BC. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BC

old wonder no7:The Lighthouse of Alexandria, sometimes called the Pharos of Alexandria was built between 280 and 247 BC on the coastal island of Pharos at Alexandria, Egypt. It was destroyed by an earthquake in 1303

THE OLD SEVEN WONDERS

Great Pyramid of Giza

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Mausoleum at Halicarnassus

Colossus of Rhodes

Lighthouse of Alexandria

.AND THE NEW SUGGESTIONS

Statue of Liberty  

The Grand Canyon

Niagara Falls

Great Barrier Reef

Table Mountain

The Northern Lights

Mount Vesuvius

The Statue of Liberty was a gift to the United States from the people of France. It represents Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, the tablet she is holding is inscribed with the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776

The Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA,  stretches for 277 miles and is up to 18 miles wide and over a mile deep

Table mountain is a flat-topped mountain creating a stunning backdrop to the South African city of Cape Town. The level plateau stretches two miles from from side to side

The Great Barrier Reef off Australia's Queensland coast is the world's largest coral reef, stretching over 1,600 miles and covering an area of approximately 133,000 square miles. It is composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands

Mount Vesuvius is seen behind a cast of one of the victims of the famous eruption of A.D. 79. which led to the burying and destruction of the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum

Niagara Falls comprises three waterfalls that sit on the border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York

It Pays To Be A Reality Star! 16 Year Old Kylie Jenner Crashes $125,00 G-Class, Gets Brand New One 2 Days Later

Kylie caused a three chain collision in Calabasas on Tuesday 

Not many 16 year olds can boast of a car let alone a $125,000 dollar one.
However, reality star Kylie Kardashian is not the average 16 year old. The Keeping up with the Kardashian star and model  who crashed her 16 year old  birthday gift- a black $125,000 Mercedes-Benz SUV- 2 days ago, has replaced it just 2days later.
The teenage reality star got into a three car chain reaction collision on Tuesday and yesterday got it replaced with a brand new white one.
Photo of new ride after the cut:

Its not so bad been a member of the Kardashian Jenner clan after all.

Hairstyles of Worshippers at Osun Osogbo Festival

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Osun River goddess worshipers and their African hair styles at the just concluded Osun Osogbo festival.

"I'm sorry for embarrassing Nigerians...The camera made it look like we had sex-Beverly Osu

During their presentation to the media at the Protea Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos last Thursday
 Beverly Osu said

On Embarrassing Nigerians

I don’t feel happy about it because this is the first time, I represented the country in any continental competition. But the fact remains that if you didn’t go for it, you wouldn’t know how it’s in the House. I wasn’t there with my cell phone to be able to communicate with the outside world. I was just there alone. I’m sorry for embarrassing my country. I didn’t do it intentionally. My participation in the show was not to embarrass my country. I am a proud Nigerian.

On featuring in a porn production by Afrocandy

I heard about it. Thanks for the offer but no. 

Having sex with South Africa’s Angelo!  

I did not have sex in the House. I had a relationship with Angelo Collins but we did not have sex. I loved him and I still love him. I am a blunt person and very real.  People that knew me before BBA know that I don’t pretend to be who I am. If it happens, you fall in love, you can’t fake it. I did not have sex with Angelo.
I was under the bathtube, but we never had sex. Maybe, the camera made it look so. Everybody gets naked to have their bath, so I don’t think it is wrong for me to be naked when I have my bath too. There was no way. I couldn’t be different because I went for a reality show. So, I should not be judged by what people saw during the show since I didn’t intentionally bring out my video for all to see. .Big brother did that..

 On her mum’s reaction

My mum has tutored me very well. Even if the whole world rejects me today, my mum can’t reject me. I love my mum so much. I’m her only daughter and the last child in the family. I have always been there for her, just as she has always been there for me. I will not disappoint my mum intentionally by saying she this or she’s that…

Shocking Images-Inside El Salvador's crowded secretive prison pits

Think our prisons are crowded?Check the shocking images of a secret prison in El Salvador. It was initially designed for for temporary 72-hour stays but many of its inmates have been there for years. The cells, each 12 feet wide and 15 feet tall are crammed with more than 30 people - all veterans of the country's vicious war between the MS-13 and M18 gangs.

The men in these inhumane cells are hidden from public view, but one reporter from counter-culture magazine VICE, managed to gain access . He was shown the prison pits by a police officer in El Salvador disgusted with the prisoners treatment hoping that the pictures taken will pressure the government into improving their life while incarcerated, the images portray the fallout from El Salvador's fragile truce following decades of near civil-war between the two powerful gangs.
Photos below

Tyranny:North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Executes Ex Girl Friend, Others For Making Sex Tape

Executed: Hyon Song-wol, right, has apparently been put to death by her ex-boyfriend Kim Jong Un, left

North Korea's tyrant Kim Jong Un is rumoured to have executed his former mistress after she made a sex tape with a number of her fellow entertainers.
A South Korean newspaper published claims that the secretive leader had handed out the death penalty to a dozen musicians from a leading orchestra.
On August 8th, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was in the audience to applaud his ex-girlfriend Hyon Song- wol (right), a singer with the Unhasu National Orchestra. 9 days later a group of artists were arrested for allegedly making a sex tape. His ex was one of them. They were publicly executed by firing squad on August 20th, while their families were condemned to a labor camp.

From Asia News

The North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un ordered the public execution of his ex-girlfriend Hyon Song- wol, accused of 'pornography' with a group of artists from the National Orchestra of Unhasu, which his current wife Ri Sol -ju also once belonged to. The arrest took place on August 17, the execution took place in public three days later. According to the indictment the women filmed themselves having sex and then sold the videos in China. Some South Korean sources claim that there were many Christians among those sentenced to death who had a Bible at home, a "crime" that you can pay for with your life or imprisonment in a state gulag in North Korea.

Those shot to death include Mun Kyong -jin, director of the Unhasu orchestra, some singers and dancers of Wangjaesan Light Music Band and some army musicians. All family members of the women involved were sentenced to forced labor. According to the Juche ( the delusional state doctrine conceived by the " father of the nation " Kim Il -sung ) is not enough to punish those guilty of a crime, but it is necessary to eradicate the evil " for three generations . " Every year, on the basis of this principle, thousands of children are born in labor camps and live there until their death.

The "Young Marshal " Kim Jong-un , the third son and heir of the "dear leader" Kim Jong -il, met Hyon about ten years ago . After a brief "official" relationship, the engagement was broken by the father of the dictator and the singer was given in marriage to a military man, while the "third Kim " met ​​his present wife . According to various sources, the two have continued to see each other even after their marriages. The public execution is thus seen as a victory of the "Companion" Ri, who gave two sons to the current dictator and wants to ensure their survival in one of the most cruel dynasties in today's world.

On 8 August, the dictator took part in a concert performed by the now decimated orchestra. The execution is viewed by some analysts as a sign of affirmation of his power: " Kim Jong-un is cruelly eliminating anyone who might be a threat to his rule, anyone who can defy authority. Public executions are silencing anyone who even thinks of undermining him . "
One of the victims was allegedly Hyon Song-wol, a popular singer who is believed to have known Kim as a teenager and to have embarked on an affair with him after his rise to power.
Those executed were apparently accused of filming themselves having sex and selling the videos in China and North Korea.

In addition, they were said to have been convicted of possessing copies of the Bible - a grave crime in the strictly atheist state.
The claims were published by Chosun Ilbo, one of South Korea's most popular newspapers.
The paper claimed that Ms Hyon was killed alongside Mun Kyong-jin, leader of the Unhasu Orchestra, and a number of other musicians.
They were apparently arrested on August 17, and executed by firing squad in public three days later.
 A source in China told Chosun Ilbo: 'They were executed with machine guns while the key members of the Unhasu Orchestra, Wangjaesan Light Band and Moranbong Band as well as the families of the victims looked on.'
Relatives of those killed have been sent to prison camps due to their 'guilt by association', the paper added.
Hyon and Kim were apparently close during adolescence, but were ordered to break off their relationship by the boy's father, Kim Jong Il.
The singer rose to fame in North Korea with the pro-regime song A Girl in the Saddle of a Steed, often known in the West as 'Excellent Horse-Faced Lady'.
Kim Jung Un is noted for his brutal, tyrannic ways, with many unpleasant reports of his reign of terror continuously being reported in the news.

Delta State Governor "Uses Multi-Billion Naira Oleri Leisure Park As Conduit Pipe, Awards Contract To Daughter"

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Gov. Emmanuel Udughan "inspecting" the leisure park. More photos below
Delta State Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan has turned the Oleri Leisure Park, which cost his state several billion naira, in a conduit for looting state funds, some sources say.
"The park has nothing to show for all the billions Delta State has put into it, and the purported investors have become contractors, collecting [the state's] funds," said one of the sources who spoke on the issue.
The sources, among them a former commissioner in Mr. Uduaghan's cabinet, told the New-York-based newspaper SaharaReporters that the governor was "misleading" people about the state's much-publicized tourism resort projects at the Oleri Park in Udu local government council, as well as the Wildlife Park at Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha North local government area.

Two sources asserted that the main contractor for the resort facility, Sarner PFM, owned by Princess Abiodun Oyefusi, a daughter of Oba Salaudeen A. A. Oyefusi from Lagos State, is actually a front for the governor's daughter, Orode Okpu-Uduaghan. A lawyer who has investigated aspects of the projects said he found out that Ms. Oyefusi's firm, Sarner PFM, was officially registered only after the state government had awarded the projects to her.
The governor's daughter was able to purchase a high-priced duplex in the swanky VGC gated residential community in Lagos. Sources said that the duplex cost about N460 million, and that the cash was exclusively provided by Ms. Oyefusi. They added that the real estate transaction further cemented the business ties between the governor's daughter and Ms. Oyefusi.
Uduaghan administration officials have often said that the park projects were inspired by the stunning landscape, showcasing the area’s rich and diverse culture and wildlife. The parks were designed to cover some 300 hectares in the Warri and Asaba areas, and is projected to cost N49 billion ($250 million) for the resort and $300 million for the Wildlife Park. The state government has said that the $300 million wildlife park will harbor five big animals.
Sources alleged that the projected expenditure on the projects did not account for several billions of naira that the state government had already committed and other funds being spent daily.
Both the state and the contractor have stated that the attractions to be built will a spectacular water park with wave pool and flume, thrilling adventure rides, a dramatic waterfall, an animal reserve and marine life center, a sports club and golf course, a cinema complex, 5- and 3-star hotels, luxury villas, a casino, an arena to host colorful live shows, stylish restaurants, a luxurious spa, and a top brand shopping plaza.
In addition, the contractor has indicated that a center for education and historical learning, a local crafts village, a cultural museum, and children's interactive center will also be built.
A critic of the project drew attention to Governor Uduaghan's disclosure that the sand-filling of the Oleri site alone was costing the state more than N2 billion. "The question is: was the condition of the land not discovered before the government chose the site?" the critic asked.
Mr. Uduaghan also revealed that the road median from Effurun to the park, which is being laid with interlocking tiles and street lights, would gulp about N700 million.
The projects are conceived as a public/private partnership business. The state government is expected to provide the land, security, and the access road, including a bridge that cost N3 billion, while the private investor is expected to take care of the rest. The project is being executed by the state government and Africa Sarner PFM Resorts Limited under a public-private partnership, while consulting services are being provided by Bergsten Africa. Fast Approach Konstruction Ltd is the main contractor handling the project.
In what those opposed to the project see as a case of deception, Mr. Uduaghan once described the project as "a partnership between the state government and an outfit that is involved in building parks and zoos around the world. They are bringing about N40 billion, they are the ones bringing the money; it is not from the state government. What the state government is contributing is the road and the bridge which is about N1.8 billion."
But opponents insist that the state government has expended more than N5 billion on the projects and still spending.
According to a former commissioner in the state, "Part of what they say is that a 3-star hotel of 500 rooms as well as a 5-star hotel of 450 rooms tagged Tajmahal would be built in the park. The question is for whom? Deltans are also being bamboozled to believe that, apart from the leisure aspect of the resort, there are also structures that will usher in activities that will enhance spiritual and academic growth, and that the resort would emerge as the most beautiful in the world. They are empty promises."
The state government has revealed that it would also build a theological and research institution in the area in collaboration with an institution in Pretoria, South Africa.
Speaking on the benefits of the park during a recent tour of the site, Mr. Uduaghan stated that, even though the construction was yet to commence fully, the project was already reducing unemployment in the state. He stated that no fewer than 2,000 people were already making their living from the preliminary work going on, adding that when the project is finally completed, at least 5,000 will be engaged. On her part, Ms. Oyefusi told the governor that the reclamation of land had been completed, pledging that the first phase of construction will start in September. She added that the first stage of infrastructure, including the Wild Life Park at Ogwashi-Uku, would gulp about $290 million.
But several sources said that Ms. Oyefusi seemed unsure how to finance the two projects. She had stated at one time that she would sell shares and at another that some individuals and organizations had promised to finance the projects.
Such uncertainty has fueled critics who allege that the projects are being used to steal land from the communities. One source said, "These are deceiving projects that will never and can never be actualized. The state governor had announced a completion date of 2015, even when a block has not been laid."
Another source stated that several documents had been doctored to give virtual ownership of the projects to Sarner PFM, and that a few civil servants who asked questions were summoned to Government House and threatened.
The former commissioner said that the projects were being funded with public funds but without proper accountability. He added that the state has no experience with tourism. "Why on earth is a state without any form of tourism structure and foundation wasting so much resource in building such extravagant projects?" he asked.
According to him, "The two white elephant projects are the most expensive single investments in the history of the state. And there is nothing to suggest that Delta State is genuinely willing to develop and promote tourism. Rather, they are using the sector to steal money and reward cronies."
The feasibility of the projects' completion date is another sore subject. "It is obvious now that the completion of the first phase of the resort by December 2013 and the official opening in April 2014 will only remain a dream," said a critic.
The former commissioner said there was no way the project can generate 5000 jobs when, in his words, "not even a single block has been laid at the site."

Lord Have Mercy! Meet The Woman Who Says A Reptile Lives In Her

Maria Tsotetsi (49), from extension 28 in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, SA, says she has an evil snake inside her stomach.

She said she has been told by several prophets and traditional healers that the reptile lives inside her.
Maria, who looks pregnant, said she was in hospital in 2011, where the doctors told her she had a growth."They told me I had lost blood and they wanted to operate on me but nothing happened after that. The nurses put me on drips but a few days later, they released me."

She said that her ex-boyfriend took her to a bishop after she complained about a pain in her stomach. The bishop told her to strip off her clothes and gave her muthi (herbs) to steam. "The muthi was covered in a white and brown snake skin. The bishop said it would cure me," she said. But a few days later, she realised there was something in her body and her teeth started falling out.


"I believe the muthi made me lose my teeth. My boyfriend then dumped me after 14 years and I've been single ever since," she said. "I want him to come and remove the snake he put in my stomach. I believe he's responsible for this." She said she sometimes has her period for two weeks and it's so heavy she has to use nappies.

Traditional healer Ntsimbi Ngema said: "This kind of thing is done by jealous lovers. There's no way Maria could have a new boyfriend because he could die after having sex with her."

A doctor who didn't want to be named said Maria could be suffering from all sorts of things, including kidney stones or gall stones.

See Indonesian Man Covered With Incurable Bubbles On His Skin(Viewer Discretion)

Chandra Wisnu, the Indonesian man known as the "Bubble Skin Man," has spent the last 25 years trying to find a cure for the bizarre condition that caused bubble-like tumors to erupt on his body.
Now, at last,he may have found the cause, thanks to Maryland-based dermatologist Anthony Gaspari, and while no cure exists, he may be able to improve his quality of life.
Gaspari flew to Indonesia to examine Wisnu and his family.

The diagnosis: an extreme case of Neurofibromatosis type I (NF-1), a tumor disorder that is caused by a gene malfunction and causes non-cancerous lumps.

The disease is genetic and affects up to one in 2500 people.

The lumps first appeared on Wisnu when he was 19, spread to his back by age 24 and covered his entire body by the time he was 32.

The 57-year-old Indonesian man has been going to doctors and alternative healers for years. However, until now he had been unable to find out the cause of the tumors -- or to get relief from the itching.

"One alternative healer cut out fatty tissue and told my father to bury it under a banana tree," Wisnu said on in a documentary. "But there was no improvement."
He has since resorted to making the best of his life despite his skin disease that alienates him from people. Thankfully, his wife of many years has stuck by him, despite his condition.

You and I are not better than Winsu, thus regardless of your situation, be thankful.