Bullet Ant

Paraponera clavata is a species of ant, commonly known as the bullet ant, named on account of its powerful and potent sting due to its venom. It inhabits humid lowlandrainforests from Nicaragua and the extreme east of Honduras south to Paraguay.


It is also known as the lesser giant hunting ant and conga ant. A local name is hormiga veinticuatro (the "24 ant" or "24-hour ant"), referring to the full day of pain that follows being stung. The specific epithet clavatameans "club-shaped".


Worker ants are 18–30 millimetres (0.7–1.2 in) long and resemble stout, reddish-black, wingless wasps. Paraponera ispredatory, and like all primitiveponeromorphs, does not displaypolymorphism in the worker caste; the queen ant is not much larger than the workers.





Paraponera clavata – museum specimen





Photograph demonstrating the size of bullet ants, with a 2-cm scale bar
Sting


The pain caused by this insect's sting is purported to be greater than that of any otherhymenopteran, and is ranked as the most painful according to the Schmidt sting pain index, given a "4+" rating, above the tarantula hawk wasp and, according to some victims, equal to being shot, hence the name of the insect. It is described as causing "waves of burning, throbbing, all-consuming pain that continues unabated for up to 24 hours". The ant is thought to have evolved its sting to ward off any predators that would normally unearth them. Poneratoxin, a paralyzingneurotoxic peptide isolated from the venom, affects voltage-dependent sodium ion channels and blocks the synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. It is being investigated for possible medical applications.
Initiation rites


The Satere-Mawe people of Brazil use intentional bullet ant stings as part of their initiation rites to become a warrior. The ants are first rendered unconscious by submerging them in a natural sedative, and then hundreds of them are woven into a glove made of leaves (which resembles a large oven mitt), stingers facing inward. When the ants regain consciousness, a boy slips the glove onto his hand. The goal of this initiation rite is to keep the glove on for a full 10 minutes. When finished, the boy's hand and part of his arm are temporarily paralyzed because of the ant venom, and he may shake uncontrollably for days. The only "protection" provided is a coating of charcoal on the hands, supposedly to confuse the ants and inhibit their stinging. To fully complete the initiation, however, the boys must go through the ordeal a total of 20 times over the course of several months or even years.


Colonies consist of several hundred individuals and are usually situated at the bases of trees. Workers forage arboreally in the area directly above the nest for smallarthropods and nectar, often as far as the upper canopy; little foraging occurs on the forest floor. Nectar, carried between themandibles, is the most common food taken back to the nest by foragers. Two studies in Costa Rica and on Barro Colorado Island(BCI) found about four bullet ant nests perhectare of forest. On BCI, the nests were found under 70 species of trees, six species of shrubs, two species of lianas and one species of palm. Nests were most common beneath the canopies of Faramea occidentalis and Trichilia tuberculata, but these trees are also the most abundant in the forest. Nests were present more frequently than would be expected based on the abundance of the trees under Alseis blackiana, Tabernaemontana arborea, Virola sebifera, Guaria guidonia and Oecocarpus mapoura. The large number of nest plants suggests little active selection of nest sites by bullet ants. Small shrubs, however, are underused, probably because they do not provide access to the forest canopy. The study on BCI concluded trees with buttresses and extrafloral nectaries may be selected for by bullet ants.






Source: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paraponera_clavata

PLASMA

A plasma is a hot ionized gas consisting of approximately equal numbers of positively charged ions and negatively charged electrons. The characteristics of plasmas are significantly different from those of ordinary neutral gases so that plasmas are considered a distinct "fourth state of matter." For example, because plasmas are made up of electrically charged particles, they are strongly influenced by electric and magnetic fields while neutral gases are not.

examples are
 the sun

• Welding arcs
• Lightning
• Auroras
• The upper atmosphere (the ionosphere)
• Stars and the Sun
• the solar wind
• interstellar gas clouds
• The fireball made by a nuclear weapon
• Comet tails

Supernovas are the most common cause of plasma disruption in the universe

here is an example

For comparison hiroshima bomb contains 20000 tons of TNT

and a full compressed supernova has 5 octilion million tons of TNT or (5000000000000000000000000000000000000000000)

You can trigger a Plasma explosion by positively charging a neutron to a deuterium oxide 

that will trigger a chain reaction which will deplete the neutron core so the nucleus explodes over and over

Bandung Tourism Spot

Shop in factory outlets 
I am not exaggerating here, nobody goes back from Bandung empty handed. Especially if you go to the factory outlets at Jl Riau or Jl Dago, you will find all the hidden gems of quality clothes, shoes, bags and all else in various famous brands. All the items you find here are in good condition, brand new but in half the price!

Shopping at Bandung

Catch sunset at The Valley
If you are looking for another option to dine in Bandung, you can choose to go to The Valley for dinner. This Western restaurant is located at a hilltop with amazing sunset view. The food is good too, so enjoy your meal while watching sunset over Bandung city.
Eat at Kampung Daun 
One of the Bandung’s best restaurant, many tourist come here for the relaxing ambiance with bamboo huts, streams and waterfall. Food is not especially delicious but it is extensive and inexpensive. Come here for the overall experience of enjoying Indonesian cuisine in a comfortable and serene outdoor setting.

Kampung Daun restaurant at Bandung

Get lost in Pasar Baru
This epitome of Indonesian market in Bandung, you can get lost here and find all sorts of things that delight you. Travelers come here to source for fabrics and souvenirs. Prices here are unbelievable too especially if you have special bargaining skills. Though do take care of your belongings as this place is really crowded.

Enjoy the musical performance at Saung Angklung Udjo
This traditional musical performance is one of the best way to explore Indonesian culture. It is a 2 hour show of several parts including puppet show, mask dance, Angklung performance and dances with little kids.

Saung Angklung Udjo, Bandung

Walk off the beaten path in search of rice terraces
How can one come to Asia and not be awed by towering rice terraces. Unknown to many, Bandung actually do have rolling rice fields and some rice terraces in the highlands. Bribe a local to tell you the location is and head there for a soul refreshing time. There’s one apparently in Ciwidey!

Rice Terraces at Bandung

What to See in Bandung

Kawah Putih
Definitely in top of the list of attractions for its stunningly beautiful lake as if set out of a movie. It is 2 hours away from Bandung city center and in the highland. The place is cooling but beware of sunburn as it is still really sunny here without feeling it. This is a sulphuric lake as it is from a volcano.The entire area can be explored in 30 minutes.

Kawah Putih, Bandung, Java

Tangkuban Perahu
About 1.5 hours from Bandung, it is yet another crater from volcano of Indonesia that is worth the visit for the sheer awe of the view from the top. This may be second best to Kawah Putih but still worth to visit.

Villa Isola 
Built by an Italian millionaire and perched at the northern part of Bandung overlooking a breathtaking view of the city to the south.

Tangkuban Perahu, Bandung, Java

Gedung Sate
Built and used by the Dutch companies, it is popular for its satay food decoration. It has 6 ornaments symbolizing 6 million guldens. Now it is used as the office for West Java governor. Luckily, the place is open to public and don’t forget to have a good chill and drink at the top floor while overlooking the city.

Gedung Merdeka
Another architectural wonder built for the rich previously and then made famous for hosting the first Asian-African conference. Though not much of an attraction but worth to take a look if you are nearby.

Gedung Merdeka, Bandung, Java

There you have it, the best of what Bandung have to offer in terms of things to do and attractions to see. You will be amaze how you can enjoy yourself so much without actually really spending a lot, especially good for budget travelers who are backpacking in Indonesia, though carrying a lot of things after the shopping is another story altogether! Do read our Bandung travel guide for more information.

  Hello folks!! Today i'm going to tell you guys about my long holiday story. This holiday is not one of the good holiday i imagined it would be. For the first week, the cycle is always the same wake up, eat, play, take a bath sleep. Looping for a whole boring week. Not quite what i expected from a holiday. But nevertheless i had fun. I played multiplayer online games with my classmates, with my classmates ex, with my classmates's classmates ex. But most of the first week of my holiday is basically consisted of "play to snore".   The next week i got an invitation to a red cross recruitment in my school. Then i said to myself "hey why not". It is a camping recruitment test program to determine your position and ability to treat people in the schools red cross extraculicullar. So i joined packed up and ready it took place in lembang. In ciwangun to be precise. I thought we were going to easily camp there, oh but no. the higher ups decided to camp on the top of the hill. As how i saw it from the bottom "nay, it looks pretty close, should be a scratch". But 15 minutes later i changed my mind it was so far away it was very exhausting. And when i finally got the courage to ask the senior about the height. He said that we were not even close to half the hiking. Aww no. Finally we made it there and we settle our camp bear the slope end of the hill, so that we can get a better view.   The view was beautiful, singing in the night, sitting beside the campfire the usual stuff

(INTERVIEW) Bimo Adityarahman W. M.

For the interview task i am going to interview Bimo Adityarahman Wiraputra Mitrakusuma. He is well known for his achievement in Mathematical calculation. Rumor has it that he is able to calculate integral numbers within a matter of second in his mind. He has also achieved the highest rank every year in Junior Highschool. Let's take a look, shall we?

      Bimo Adityarahman Wiraputra Mitrakusuma usually called Bimo, was born in Bandung 18 October 1999, so that makes him 15 years old by now. He lives at jl. Rajawali Sakti 1 no. 23 Bandung. He is currently studying in SMAN 3 Bandung as a tenth grader. 

       For his appearance, He is skinny, dark-skinned, and a little shorter than average. He has an oval face with black curly hair, black eyes, and a rounded nose. He also got small wrists that makes him very skinny. He is not that muscular, but I think his small built gives him a little agility.

       As for him hobbies, he likes reading comics and novels, watching film, and sometimes traveling. Sometimes he buys comics and novels. Sometimes He rent them. And most of the time, He pirate them. Even though it is illegal, it also enables me to get things not yet available in my area, for free of course. He also likes traveling. Going to another town or city where he doesn't know the environment and sightseeing the scenery there. Going around in the city using his bike is also fun for me. He doesn't really like studying, but his favorite subject is Mathematics. "They are like puzzles" he said. His favorite foods are chicken and brain curry from Padang, hotplate mushroom and chicken noodles sold in Istana Plaza for 25 thousand rupiahs, catfish, and cheeseburger. His favorite drinks are strawberry milkshake, cola with milk, and milk tea, which are all made of milk if you notice them.

     In his family, he has one father, one mother, and a brother. His father is a university lecturer and is currently getting S3 study in Yogyakarta. His mother is a doctor and when she aren't working, she will do the house chores. His brother is a university student in physics engineering in ITB. Their ages differ by seven years apart.

AL MASJID EL HARAM

Al-Masjid Al-Haram or Masjidil Haram (Arabic: المسجد الحرام‎, The Sacred Mosque or The Grand Mosque is in the city of Mecca,Saudi Arabia. It is the largest mosque in the world and surrounds one of Islam's holiest places, the Kaaba. Muslims face in the direction of the Kaaba while performing Salat. One of the Five Pillars of Islam requires every Muslim to perform the Hajj pilgrimage at least once in his or her lifetime if able to do so, including circumambulation of the Kaaba.

The current structure covers an area of 356,800 square metres (88.2 acres) including the outdoor and indoor praying spaces and can accommodate up to two million worshipers during the Hajj period, one of the largest annual gatherings of people in the world. Unlike many other mosques which are segregated, men and women can worship at Al-Masjid Al-Haram together.

In 2007, the mosque underwent a fourth extension project which is estimated to last until 2020. King Abdullah Ibn Abdul Azeezplans to increase the mosque's capacity to 2 million.

Northern expansion of the mosque began in August 2011 and is expected to be completed in 1.5 years. The area of the mosque will be expanded from the current 356,000 m² (3,830,000 sq ft) to 400,000 m² (4,300,000 sq ft). A new gate named after King Abdullah will be built together with two new minarets, bringing their total to 11. The cost of the project is $10.6 billion and after completion the mosque will house over 2.5 million worshipers. The Mataf (the circumambulation areas around the Kaaba) will also see expansion and all closed spaces will be air conditioned.^[7]

Controversies on expansion projects

Main article: Destruction of early Islamic heritage sites in Saudi Arabia

There has been some controversy that the expansion projects of the mosque and Mecca itself are causing harm to early Islamic heritage. Many ancient buildings, some more than a thousand years old, have been demolished to make room not only for the expansion of Al-Masjid Al-Haram, but for new malls and hotels. Some examples are:

• Bayt Al-Mawlid, the house where Muhammad was born demolished and rebuilt as a library.
• Dar Al-Arqam, the first Islamic school where Muhammad taught flattened to lay marble tiles.
• The house of Abu Jahal has been demolished and replaced by public washrooms.
• Dome which served as a canopy over the Well of Zamzam demolished.
• Some Ottoman porticos at Al-Masjid Al-Haram demolished and the remaining under threat.
• House of Muhammed in Medina where he lived after the migration from Mecca.

Source

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masjid_al-Haram

FARIS ASLAMAHADI

I've met a lot of friends in SMAN 3 but one of them is quite special bit weird but special his name is Faris Aslamahadi. We sit right next to each other and i always annoys him. He is 16 years old 1 year older than average because of a particular problem. He was a former student of SMPN 2 Bandung and before Junior High School he was studying at Tunas Harapan Elementary school. he studied abroad to Indonesia because his father moved to Indonesia so he follow his father thus the abroad studying. He is 180 cm tall he usually sings WOLOLO to express his madness. His favorite food is Cireng (aci digoreng) whatever it's called in english

 He prefers pizza and nasi kaboli to cireng though. He lives at Jl Haji alpin no 69 (a very peculiar number indeed). His hobby is swimming and dancing arround the pool and fishing

His family is consisted of his father his mother, 1 younger brother and he who must not be named. His father's name is . He works in Sales Prormotional in a company called PT Global Indo .Pretty famous if you ask me and you can search his image on Google which indicate his popularity here's one example.