OMG Only in Africa

Hundreds of people have attended a wedding in central Somalia between a man who says he is 112 years old, and his teenage wife.

Ahmed Muhamed Dore - who already has 18 children by five wives - said he would like to have more with his new wife, Safia Abdulleh, who is 17 years old.

"Today God helped me realise my dream," Mr Dore said, after the wedding in the region of Galguduud.

The bride's family said she was "happy with her new husband".

Mr Dore said he and his bride - who is young enough to be his great-great-grand-daughter - were from the same village in Somalia and that he had waited for her to grow up to propose.

"I didn't force her, but used my experience to convince her of my love; and then we agreed to marry," the groom said.

Report from Mogadishu, the Somali capital, says the marriage in the town of Guriceel is being described by Somalian historians as the first of its kind in the Horn of Africa nation for over a century.

Child marriage is most common in very poor households where it is often seen as the only means of providing a secure and safe future for daughters. However, young brides' futures are often bleak. Girls married at a young age lack the skills, confidence, and knowledge necessary to negotiate with their husbands and in-laws about their own bodies. This leaves hundreds of millions of young brides at higher risk for marital rape, gender-based violence, sexually transmitted diseases, and lethal reproductive health complications from giving
birth at an early age.

Ten Ways to Boost your self confidence

Writing the Story of Your Life

Developing a more positive, confident outlook on your life doesn’t necessarily mean you need to make sweeping changes. By choosing to incorporate some of the following activities into your everyday life, you will get a boost to your self-confidence and sense of well-being. Sadie Nardini, author of the Road Trip Guide to the Soul, states, “The most powerful tool for boosting confidence is to change your perspective into something that empowers, rather than disempowers you. They say ‘truth is relative,’ so practice changing the stories you tell yourself about how insecure, weak or not good enough you are to ones that focus on the best qualities of who you are.” Ready to get started?

Try a New Exercise or Activity

If you’re feeling stuck in a rut — or even if you aren’t — shaking up your usual routine can be a good way to increase your confidence. It can be something with a definite goal, such as taking a wine tasting class so you can feel more knowledgeable about wine pairings at nice dinners. Or it can be something just for fun, like lacing up a pair of Rollerblades and learning to skate. Bring a friend along, or if you’re going solo to a class, you could end up with a new friend. No matter what you decide to take on, learning a new skill is always a good thing, and boosts your confidence.

Set an Attainable Goal — and Reach It

Setting a goal and following through on it is an empowering way to make changes in your life. Unrealistic goals that are not quantifiable — “Some day I’ll be famous for something” — are likely to fail. But by meeting smaller goals, you can build up your confidence and abilities, which can lead up to bigger goals. Your goal does not need to be a major feat, either: it could be achieving a state of mind, such as feeling calmer. For example, you could set a goal to get up ten minutes earlier each day, so you’ll feel less rushed.

Play Your Favourite Music

Play music that you love for a boost of energy and creativity. Your music selection can be anything that puts you in a desired mind-set: Listen to music you enjoyed as a teenager to connect with your youthful self, or put on something soothing when you want to relax. In addition, if you play a musical instrument, you can play along to your favorite songs. But even if you don’t play a musical instrument, you can always sing along!

Treat Yourself to a Relaxing Ritual

 Whether it’s a massage, a bubble bath, or deep breathing, carve out time to relax without interruptions. You’ll send a message to yourself — and others — that you value your well-being. To create your own personal ritual, Nardini suggests: “Make a short list of the things you love to do, or the experiences that relax you. Essential oil baths, yoga class, time spent in a coffee shop writing down my thoughts, all these things Zen me out. I suggest that my clients make a Date-With-Self once a week, at least, set in stone, where they make some space for their own nourishment, inspiration, and peace.”

Volunteer

Not only will you help others by volunteering; you’ll feel better about yourself, as well. Find a cause and an organization you care about, and you’ll be more likely to stay motivated. When deciding how you’ll help, don’t just think of the skills you’ve gained over the years — think of what you’d really like to contribute to others. For example, teaching a children’s art class could be a way to express your creativity and help others nurture their own.

Exercise

You don’t need to spend hours at the gym every day to reap the benefits of exercise: A minimum of 30 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise five times a week is enough. Exercise boosts feel-good endorphins and your mood, and getting a more-toned body doesn’t hurt, either! As with volunteering, a key component of exercise is motivation. If you don’t like playing team sports, you may find your exercise bliss in a noncompetitive activity such as yoga. Try different types of exercise until you find one or several that you enjoy. 

Practice Gratitude

Our society often encourages us to focus on what we lack — material possessions or physical perfection, for example, which can make us feel insignificant. Reverse this by learning to be grateful for what you have, and you’ll realize you have plenty to be confident about. Make a list of what you’re thankful for (like the friend who always makes time to talk to you, despite her busy schedule), and add to the list whenever you think of something new. Nardini suggests taking “thank you” breaks throughout each day to remember what you have. “Gratitude helps expand your perspective,” she says.

Go Back to your Childhood Dreams

Take a trip down memory lane, and think of something you always wanted to do as a child. If you never got around to taking guitar lessons or learning to ride a horse, there’s no time like the present to realize your inner rock star or equestrian. You’ll connect with your younger self, and accomplish a long-standing goal too. “If you always dreamed of being an artist, for example, but you never put brush to paper, then you will remain an artist on the inside only,” says Nardini. “To move your dreams into reality, you must take action.” Even if it’s only a few minutes each day, spend time realizing your childhood dream by painting that watercolor — or whatever form your dreams take.

Organise Something

Clutter not only looks bad — it can cause stress too. According to feng shui principles, clutter in any area of your home is a sign of stuck, stagnant energy. If you feel overwhelmed, pick one small task at a time, such as organizing a junk drawer. Once it’s cleaned, you’ll feel better and be motivated to tackle other challenges, organizational or otherwise. Don’t forget that being organized is a way of life too — not a one-time feat. Set aside regular intervals to organize smaller projects in your home and your life, so you won’t need to tackle big piles in the future.

Don't Forget to Laugh, and Stay Positive. Nothing boosts confidence like an optimistic attitude. Listen to your self-talk, and make a conscious effort to change habitual negative thoughts — for example, if you’re prone to complain, look instead for a solution to a situation. Focus on what you can control, and less on what is out of your hands. Nardini adds, “Also, remember that no one's perfect — even supermodels get Photoshopped.” So indulge in a hearty laugh with friends, and celebrate imperfect, wonderful you!

Try these simple and fun ways to break out of your routine and find a more positive, confident you.

Mobile Phone subscription rate fastest in Africa but slower internet penetration

A new Information Economy Report has revealed that since 2003, mobile phone subscription has grown faster in Africa than in any other region of the world. The report, dubbed, "Trends and Outlook in Turbulent Times", released by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Thursday October 22, 2009 indicated that there were now more than 10 times as many mobile subscriptions as fixed lines in Africa and more than 20 times as many in sub-Saharan Africa.
The report warned that "but most African nations are failing to keep up with global trends in the use of broadband internent, which is critical for meeting many economic and social development". The report noted that the past few years had witnessed a remarkable growth in mobile telecommunications in Africa.
"Between 2003 and 2005, the continent saw the number of mobile subscriptions surge from 54 million to almost 350 million, an increase of 550 per cent. In 2008, Gabon, Seychelles and South Africa boasted almost 100 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants.
"In North Africa the average penetration stood at almost two-thirds of the population, and for Africa as a whole, it was over one-third. Growth is expected to be robust," the reported added.
According to the report, for many small and medium-size enterprises in Africa, the mobile phone had taken the place of the computer as the most important information and communication technology tool with African countries pioneering mobile banking and electronic transaction services. The report, however, revealed that African countries were lagging behind other developing regions in internet use and even more so in broadband connectivity.
"This is partly due to the lack of fixed telecommunications infrastructure. Most other developing regions boast a broadband penetration 10 times higher than Africa's. Moreover, broadband use in Africa is highly concentrated, with five countries - Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia, accounting for 90 per cent of all broadband subscriptions. It said there was a huge gap in broadband speed and also a broadband price divide which called for urgent attention to address the situation to bring the continent more fully online.
It explained that of the 20 countries with the world's most expensive broadband access fees, 14 were in sub-Saharan Africa and even within Africa the price divide was huge.
The report recommended that measures targeting the rolling out of broadband to areas with low connectivity were required to help alleviate infrastructure bottlenecks.
The report concluded that "an important challenge is to explore new and innovative ways to finance new and more powerful fixed and mobile broadband networks. Making significant progress in Africa will require contributions from national governments, the donor community and the private sector".

Shame 'Boosts hand-washing Rate'

Poster promoting Global Hand-washing Day

People are more likely to wash their hands when they have been shamed into it, research suggests.

A London School of Hygiene And Tropical Medicine team used sensors to examine the reactions to hygiene messages displayed in service station toilets.

The message which produced the highest rate of hand-washing was "Is the person next to you washing with soap?".

The American Journal of Public Health study stresses hand washing is the best way to stop the spread of disease.

It can combat the transmission of major global killers such as diarrhoeal disease and flu, as well as hospital-acquired infections such as Clostridium difficile.

However, researcher Robert Aunger said: "It's difficult to know what kind of message is most effective at changing this everyday behaviour, so it's important to experimentally test what works best in a real setting.

"That way you can save money and make sure your programme will be effective prior to rolling out any public health campaign at great expense."

Gender split

In total, 250,000 people were counted using the toilets and their use of soap was monitored by on-line sensors.

Only 32% of men washed their hands with soap. For women, the figure was nearly twice as high, at 64%.

A variety of messages, ranging from "water doesn't kill germs, soap does" to "don't be a dirty soap dodger", were flashed onto LED screens at the entrance of the toilets.

The effects of the messages on behaviour were measured.

The message "Is the person next to you washing with soap?" boosted rates of hand-washing with soap by 11% in women and 12% in men.

The researchers suggested people were most sensitive to the idea that others were watching their behaviour.

Mrs Gaby Judah, who led the study, said: "What other people think - what is deemed to be acceptable behaviour - is probably a key determinant in shaping behaviour.

"It was interesting to see that, for men, the more people there were in the toilet, the more likely they were to wash their hands with soap."

Dr Valerie Curtis, director of the London School's hygiene centre, said: "It is very embarrassing to be thought of as dirty by others, even by strangers.

"That's why we expected it to work, but not that it would be the best way of getting people to hand-wash."

There were differences in behaviour by gender, with women responding to reminders, while men tended to react best to messages that invoked disgust, for example "soap it off or eat it later".

The study is released on Global Hand-washing Day, designed to raise awareness of the fact that good hand hygiene can play a significant role in helping to cut disease.

Dr Curtis said: "Hand-washing is one of the most effective interventions in preventing disease, especially in developing countries where over 1.5m kids a year die from diarrhoeal disease.

"Hand-washing with soap could prevent half these deaths-saving a million lives a year."

Source: BBCNews.com/Health

Ghana conquers FIFA U-20 world of football

Ghana’s Black Satellites in one of the most difficult circumstances shocked Brazil to lift their first and Africa’s first gold in the history of the U20 championships. And it took 120 minutes of goalless nerve-racking football, with ten men and a 4-3 penalty victory to exorcise the Brazilian ghost which has long haunted the Satellites.

Agyemang Badu, with equally a man-of-the-match performance, converted the last kick to glory but the exploits of goal keeper Daniel Agyei cannot be overemphasized. The Brazilians were gunning for their fifth gold and it was all looking manifest in the opening 30 minutes of the game. Nearly a minute and half into the game, the Ghanaians had not kicked the ball.

The sweet playing South American side assaulted the goal area of the Satellites, and in the 3rd minute, Dalton, proved why he is a central defender, when he dug his head into a superb cross from Douglass in Ghana's final third. His efforts went flying high into the sky and to Ghana's relief. The Satellites were left off the hook in the ninth minute after a delectable free kick missed Henrique's head and the goalpost by inches. The Brazilians knocked the ball around in no hurry at all for a goal, and kept the Satellites chasing their shadows.

The underdogs lifted up their game but the only opportunity to punish goalkeeper Rafael was missed by serial goal scorer Dominic Adiyiah. Just when their confidence was soaring after a scrappy opening, the bombshell came with a straight red card flashed in a rather controversial circumstances to defender Daniel Addo in the 38th minute. Samuel Inkoom contributed to the woes of the defender, when he needlessly gave away the ball to the Brazilians and in a counter attack left Addo helpless, bringing his attacker down in the process and attracting a straight red card. But truth be told, the Belgian referee, Frank DE BLEECKERE, was harsh with his call.  Agyemang Badu was pulled back to assist Jonathan Mensah in the heart of defence and the two did a superb job albeit some desperate moments.

The South Americans had their tactics spot on, clipping the flying wings of wing backs, Samuel Inkoom and David Addy whose rampaging runs up-field could not be crowned with their usual incisive cross. From recess the strategy was unchanged. The Satellites defended as if their lives depended on it, whilst the Selacao poured in to unlock the tight defence. Goal poacher, Dominic Adiyiah was was usually overcrowded by Junior and Toloi after his strike partner Ransford Osei was pulled out for tactical reasons.

The Brazilians got edgy as the minutes wore on, displaying some erratic long range shots which forced second time saves from Agyei after he spilt it in the first attempt. Teixeira proved a slippery customer for Addy on the left and in one of his superb runs picked an unmarked Souza whose final shot in the 67th minute went wide. The resolute Ghanaian defence kept the South American attack at bay till the end of 90 minutes. 

In extra time the game was even more nervy. The Satellites caught the Brazilians on the break on few occasions, but an instinctive and heroic save from Daniel Agyei in the 96th minute kept the Satellites dream alive. Teixeira breached the Ghanaian defence set Maicon but the striker could not keep his nerve and shot into the path of Agyei. 

It always looked like the tussle will be settled by firing squad and the Belgian referee rightly pointed to the spot after 120 minutes of barren exchange. The South Americans again had the opportunity after Jonathan Mensah and Addae wasted their kicks, but a Teixeira and a Maicon miss turned the tables around.

Skipper Ayew, Adiyiah, Samuel Inkoom had earlier converted their kicks and needed the final kick of glory from Agyemang Badu to realise a long held ambition of winning Africa’s first U-20 trophy since 1977.

Ultra-cheap Laptops to hit markets

HP jump-starts the Compaq brand with laptops that it hopes will challenge cheap netbooks. Remember Compaq? Hewlett-Packard acquired the venerable computer company way back in 2002, but it's kept the name alive as a secondary brand ever since, mainly relegating Compaq to overseas markets (Compaq is particularly popular in Asia) and as second-tier PCs sold on the cheap at warehouse-style stores.

But now HP is looking to breathe a little new life into the Compaq brand, positioning it not just as a label for extremely cheap computer equipment but also as one with mainstream appeal in the U.S.

Today the company is announcing the rollout of a line of ultra-inexpensive PCs, both laptops and desktops, with extreme budgets in mind.

Consider first the Compaq CQ61z (pictured), a 15.6-inch laptop with an AMD Sempron CPU, 2GB of RAM, DVD burner, 160GB hard drive, and discrete graphics. Running Windows 7 Home Premium, the machine costs a nearly unfathomable $399. That price point probably sounds familiar -- it's the usual cost for your average netbook, which in comparison offers a tiny screen, minimal hard drive, and an ultra-low-power Atom CPU.

With the $400 laptop's arrival, Compaq wants potential buyers to ask: Why not jump up to a much larger and more capable system for exactly the same price? I'm having a hard time seeing any reason not to. Seriously, it even has a numeric keypad.

Even better bargains abound for desktop shoppers. The attractive Compaq Presario 4010f has similar specs (with a 250GB hard drive) and starts at just $309 after a $100 rebate.

Both systems are available on Windows 7 launch day, October 22.

Compaq's aggressively inexpensive hardware -- particularly the $399 laptop -- could have massive ramifications for the computer market. Will netbooks finally feel the pinch that they've been giving to standard laptops for two years now? And what kind of pressure will machines like this bring to bear on more expensive notebook PCs? Price war in 3... 2... 1...

NDC Government runs away from its own Committee's Report

The National Democratic Congress's (NDC) Government which set up an Inter-Ministerial Review Committee to examine and review the Vodafone Sales and Purchase Agreement (SPA) concluded with the previous Government and to make appropriate recommendations for consideration is now distancing itself from the recommendations.

The Review Committee has since submitted its report to the Ministry of Communications, which has forwarded the report to the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice for a legal opinion and advice.

A statement signed by the Communication’s Minister, Haruna Iddrisu says “Government is of the opinion that the Committee overstepped its remit in expressing an opinion on the constitutionality or otherwise of the transaction.” The Committee recommended that the whole transaction of the sale was 'unconstitutional and illegal' hence non and void. He was referring to portions of the report allegedly leaked to the media. Sections of the media had earlier ironically accused him of being behind the leakage.

It added that the neither the Executive nor Ministry of Communications has the powers to make such a pronouncement especially since there is a matter pending before the Supreme Court on the same subject.

The statement indicated the Government’s commitment to uphold the rule of law and respect the separation of powers principle under the 1992 Constitution since such a declaration or pronouncement on the constitutionality of International Agreements is the exclusive preserve of the Supreme Court of Ghana.

The Government, according to Haruna Iddrisu will formally state its official position on the Review Report within a fortnight and make relevant aspects of the report public after a careful examination of the Review Report and receipt of the advice of the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice.

The Committee was set up in pursuant of a promise made in August 2008 by Professor JEA Mills to reverse the sale of the telecommunications network. In statement carried by the Ghana News Agency on August 11, 2008 and signed by Mr. Koku Anyidoho, Head of Communications of the Mills Campaign, Professor Mills in no uncertain terms vowed to reverse the transaction so some people are of the view that the Committee's report is nothing strange as it is in line with his campaign promise. "Professor Atta Mills wishes to put it on record that, if the NPP muscles its way through and sells-off GT under terms that don't sit well with the norms of openness and transparency, as President, he shall ensure that the sale is reversed and persons found culpable of short-changing Ghanaians, shall face the full rigours of the law", the statement warned.

Have you searched your own name on FB yet?

Has it ever occurred to you that someone totally unrelated to you could be bear the same name as you? Would you be surprise to know that an opposite sex is infact bearing your own name? Well, it looks that on the social network site, Facebook. The Associated Press (AP) has just reported such an incidence. Even more interesting is the probability of coincidence  and intention  of marriage this month (October 2009) in the USA. Sadly, they do not think it makes sense to call their children by their first name. I will strongly urge to search your own name and who knows you too could end up becoming "Facebook same name couple".

A couple with the same name who found each other through social networking website Facebook are to tie the knot.

Kelly Katrina Hildebrandt, 20, was bored one evening last year when she put her name into the site and came across Kelly Carl Hildebrandt, 24.

She sent the only other Kelly Hildebrandt, of Lubbock, Texas, a message and they became friends.

Ms Hildebrandt, a student from Miami, Florida, said she believed the chain of events was "all God's timing".

Her fiance described her first message to him, in April last year, as reading: "Hi. We had the same name. Thought it was cool," reports the Associated Press news agency.

He said: "I thought she was pretty cute."

Mr Hildebrandt admitted, however, that he had worried they might be related.

Nevertheless, the two were soon in daily contact by phone and e-mail and he "fell head over heels" after visiting her in Florida.

In December, she found a diamond engagement ring he had hidden in a treasure box on a beach.

"I thought it was fun. I had no idea it would lead to this," Mr Hildebrandt said.

The couple plan to tie the knot in October and have confirmed that they do not plan to pass their first names on to any future offspring.

Fraud Fugitive in Facebook Trap

A man on the run, wanted for fraud by US authorities, inadvertently revealed where he was hiding through a series of extravagant Facebook updates.

Cameroon-born Maxi Sopo's messages made it clear he was living the high life in the Mexican resort of Cancun.

He also added a former US justice department official to his friend list who ended up helping to track him down.

US officials say Mr Sopo and an associate falsely obtained more than $200,000 in credit from banks.

In recent status updates Mr Sopo said he was "loving it", described himself as "living in paradise" and said he was "just here to have fun".

"He was making posts about how beautiful life is and how he was having a good time with his buddies," said Assistant US Attorney Michael Scoville.

"He was definitely not living the way we wanted him to be living, given the charges he was facing," he added.

The 26-year-old, who is currently in custody in Mexico City, initially sold roses in Seattle nightclubs after arriving in the US in 2003. He then allegedly moved on to bank fraud.

The former justice department official whom Mr Sopo befriended on the social networking site said he had only met the fugitive a few times in the city's nightclubs and had no idea that he was on the run.

He was able to discover exactly where Mr Sopo was living and the information was passed to the Mexican authorities who arrested him last month.

Source: BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8306032.stm

Worst Cars of the 2000s

Even with the strides that cars have made in recent years, let's face it: There have been some real stinkers, too. Whether poorly executed, ill-conceived or downright dreadful to look at, these 10 stand out for all the wrong reasons. A car had to be sold at any point in the 2000s to be eligible for this list; some of these models were only on the market for a few years, while others are still being sold today.

1. Smart ForTwo (2008-present)

We don't have a problem with small cars in general (we're big fans of the Mini Cooper), just with ones that don't deliver on the benefits of going small. The pint-sized ForTwo sacrifices a lot of passenger space for a relatively unimpressive 41 mpg on the highway, has an SUV-like propensity to roll over, and is equipped with an aggravating sequential manual transmission. Sure, the ForTwo looks cute, but after you drive it you won't be smiling anymore.

2. Chrysler Sebring (1995-present) 

The previous-generation Sebring wasn't a bad car in its day, but Chrysler dropped the ball with the redesigned 2007 model. With a weak base powertrain, uncomfortable front seats, poor interior quality and haphazard styling, it never had a chance in the highly competitive midsize-sedan segment.

3. Jeep Compass (2007-present)

We could have easily chosen the Dodge Caliber for this list — a compact hatchback with unremarkable gas mileage, refinement and crash-test scores — but the hapless Compass edged it out. Why? Besides the fact that you shouldn't spread lackluster product around to more than one division (the Compass is related to the Caliber), it doesn't belong in the Jeep lineup, a brand known and respected for its off-road ability. The Compass is a soft-roading poseur, and not a good one at that.

4. Toyota Echo (2000-2005)

The Echo subcompact's high seating position and center-mounted instrument panel were two well-intentioned features that were summarily rejected by consumers (though they would find their proponents in later years and other models). Call the Echo ahead of its time if you must; mainly it just wasn't a very good car. In taking over for the Tercel — a boring but popular choice against offerings from Suzuki, Geo and pre- renaissance Kia and Hyundai — the Echo proved that sometimes bland is better than bold. The problem wasn't that the youth-targeted Echo appealed more to older buyers than to younger ones; it was that there weren't enough of either.

5. Cadillac Catera (1997-2001)

To think that Germany's Opel is now the source of many of GM's strongest new models...

In the late '90s, the Opel Omega begat a Cadillac that was sporty in theory but soft and underpowered in practice, rear-wheel-drive in design but front-wheel-drive in feel. And that's just the car. Cadillac didn't help its case with advertising that included the tagline "The Caddy That Zigs," supermodel Cindy Crawford, an animated duck, and the suggestion to "lease a Catera" with the response, "Who's Lisa Catera?" The geniuses responsible for the Catera should have been exiled, but we suspect they went on to develop something called the Pontiac Aztek. Upgrades and deep discounts in 2001 couldn't save the Catera; it went to the duck blind in the sky in 2002.

6. Pontiac Sunfire (1995-2005)

The Sunfire managed the rare feat of having a worse interior than its GM twin, the Chevy Cavalier. Cheap interior plastics run amok, a coarse four-cylinder engine and horrendous crash-test ratings sealed its fate. On the flip side, the Sunburn was probably responsible for untold thousands of rental-car upgrades: "Honey, remember Fort Lauderdale last summer? Trust me, we want the Grand Am."

7. Jaguar X-Type (2002-2008)

In the early 2000s, the class of entry-level luxury cars was growing. Most were sporty and started at $30,000 or less. Wanting in, Jaguar came out with the X-Type. From the get-go, critics warned that a cheap Jag would be bad for the brand and that Ford — which bought the company in 1989 — would probably cut corners and sacrifice quality. That was before they saw the product. Sharing its front-drive platform with a European Ford Mondeo, the X-Type was a too-small, not-so-sporty sedan with all-wheel drive that was hamstrung by some of the forewarned quality issues. The trap was clearly visible from miles away, and Ford walked right into it. A 2002 Jaguar X-Type can be had for up to $8,500. A 2002 Honda Civic goes for up to $9,275.

8. Isuzu VehiCROSS (1999-2002)

The outrageous Isuzu VehiCROSS two-door SUV, whose extreme styling drew varied reactions, lasted from 1999 to 2001, and even that's surprising. The fanglike grille uprights made it look like it would eat you, which was scary mainly because inside the VehiCROSS was a place no one wanted to be. Headroom was minimal, and the low roof blocked even shorter drivers' view. If the noisy cabin didn't get to you, the punishing ride would. Isuzu deserved credit for taking a chance then on a design likely to find more admirers now, and it deserved scorn for a 2001 sticker price that would be just as preposterous in the current market. The VehiCROSS cost $30,350 by the time it fired up its interplanetary drive and went back where it belonged.

9. Daewoo Anything (1999-2002)

We had just tested a Suzuki Esteem and marveled at how competent even the cheapest little econoboxes had become when a leather-lined Leganza midsize sedan showed up — the best Daewoo had to offer. We mused over which would kill us first: the toxic gases from the cheap interior or the recalcitrant transmission and inconsistent acceleration. Three days into the loan, the first Daewoo crash tests in U.S. history came out, and we called Daewoo and told them to come pick up the car. We'd never done that before, and we haven't since.

10. Pontiac Aztek (2001-2005)

The Aztek was criticized for the duration of its life for its ghastly styling. Design is subjective, so what do you think of the Aztek shown here? Were the critics wrong? Yeah, we didn't think so.

What is a Trojan Horse?

A "Trojan Horse" has come to mean any trick that causes a target to invite a foe into a securely protected bastion or place.

The Trojan Horse was a tale from the Trojan War, as told in Virgil's Latin epic poem The Aeneid. The events in this story from the Bronze Age took place after Homer's Iliad, and before Homer's Odyssey. It was the stratagem that allowed the Greeks finally to enter the city of Troy and end the conflict. In the best-known version, after a fruitless 10-year siege of Troy the Greeks built a huge figure of a horse in which a select force of men hid. The Greeks pretended to sail away, and the Trojans pulled the Horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night the Greek force crept out of the Horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army, which had sailed back under cover of night. The Greek army entered and destroyed the city, decisively ending the war. 

Business

In business, a trojan horse is an advertising offer made by a company that is designed to draw potential customers by offering them cash or something of value for acceptance, but following acceptance, the buyer is forced to spend a much larger amount of money, either by being signed into a lengthy contract, from which exit is difficult, or by having money automatically drawn in some other method. The harmful consequences faced by the customer may include spending far above market rate, large amount of debt, or identity theft.

The term, which originated in New England during the 2000s, and has spread to some other parts of the United States, is also sometimes misused in reference to an item offered seemingly at a bargain price. But through fine print and other hidden trick, the item is ultimately sold at above market rate.

Some of the items involved in trojan horse sales include cash, gift cards or merchandise viewed as a high-ticket item, but the item actually being given away is made cheaply, has a very low value, and does not satisfy the expectations of the recipient. Meanwhile, the victim of the trojan horse is likely end up spending far more money over time, either through continual withdrawals from the customer's bank account, charges to a debit or credit card, or add-ons to a bill that must be paid in order to avoid loss of an object or service of prime importance (such as a house, car, or phone line).

Victims of trojan horses include those who are searching for bargains or the best price on an item, or those who are financially strapped. Many of these victims end up with overdrawn accounts or over-the-limit on their credit cards due to fees that are automatically charged.

Some of the businesses using trojan horse marketing include banks, internet and Mobile Phone Service providers, record and book clubs, and other companies in which the customer will be expected to have a continuing relationship.

Banks often offer cash initially for opening an account, but later charge fees in much larger amounts to the account holder.

Auto-manufacturers and car dealerships will often advertise free or subsidized gas to car buyers for a certain amount of time, but increase the cost of the car in other ways.

Mobile Phone companies use trojan horse marketing by attempting to sell items like ringtones to customers, who unknowingly are sold many more ringtones over time.

Computing

 In Computing, a Trojan horse, or trojan for short, is a term used to describe malware that appears, to the user, to perform a desirable function but, in fact, facilitates unauthorized access to the user's computer system. The term comes from the Trojan Horse story in Greek mythology. Trojan horses are not self-replicating which distinguishes them from viruses and worms. Additionally, they require interaction with a hacker to fulfill their purpose. The hacker need not be the individual responsible for distributing the Trojan horse. It is possible for hackers to scan computers on a network using a port scanner in the hope of finding one with a Trojan horse installed.

 Purposes of Trojan Horses in computing

Trojan horses are designed to allow a hacker remote access to a target computer system. Once a Trojan horse has been installed on a target computer system it is possible for a hacker to access it remotely and perform various operations. The operations that a hacker can perform are limited by user privileges on the target computer system and the design of the Trojan horse.

Operations which could be performed by a hacker on a target computer system include:

• Use of the machine as part of a Botnet (e.g. to perform Distributed Denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks)
• Data Theft (e.g. passwords, security codes, credit card information)
• Installation of software (including other malware)
• Downloading of files
• Uploading of files
• Deletion of files
• Modification of files
• Keystroke logging
• Viewing the user's screen
• Wasting computer space

According to a survey conducted by BitDefender from January to June 2009, "Trojan-type malware is on the rise, accounting for 83-percent of the global malware detected in the wild".
Source: Wikipedia