The image of an Angel.

This is probably this century's great photograph taken as on date.

Angel, the invisible that we all would like to see ( a paradox?). The good deeds doers, Angels always kindle our fascination whether be believe in them or not.

There is a familiar saying that goes like this: "There is no proof of Angels, but also there is no against them".

But not any more dear; there is a proof of existence of angels and here is a photograph of an angel.












This photo shows an “angel” of light Chelsea's mother saw at Presbyterian Hospital in November.

Some seven weeks after Chelsea was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia when she was about 2 years old, a nurse called others' attention to a monitor showing the door to the pediatric intensive care unit.

“On the monitor, there was this bright light,” Colleen recalls. “And I looked at it and I said, ‘Oh my goodness! It looks like an angel!”

Full story here.

Are comets the cause of epidemics?

Image of the comet Hale-Bopp via WikipediaThe word epidemic won't invoke any great emotion to the modern generations but history has recorded the suffering of millions of people in various parts of the world due to epidemic strike.

Researchers might have pinpointed something or the other that might have caused the eruption of a epidemic disease. But later discoveries have led to various theories that may not always be concurred on the causes.

In 1978, Science Frontier had published a discovery that stated that comets that have entered the earth orbit might have brought with them bacterias and viruses.

To me, it sounds unscientific because viruses and bacterias survive where there is life. Do the discoveries imply that the comets picked up the diseases causing viruses enroute?

"But recent spectroscopic studies of interstellar matter and comets themselves indicate a richness of life-associated compounds that infers that outer space might well be the breeding ground of simple life."-SF dt Jan 1978

Clay spheres as bills of lading in 8500 B.C.

What do you reckon these figures might represent? Toys, drawings by a child, some ancient coins?





If you have answered anyone of the above, you got it all wrong!

These clay objects that look like geometrical shapes (cones, spheres, disks, etc.) were actually symbols used in commerce to indicate numbers and types of commodities (sheep, oil, etc.). Unbelievable-right? But the guess work is done by a scholar named Denise Schmandt-Besserat, University of Texas at Austin.

As per Denise, the clay objects which were less than an inch in size were apparently sealed in hollow clay spheres to make bills of lading as early as 8,500 B.C. This is 5,000 years before two-dimensional clay tablets were introduced for writing.

Denise Schmandt is a professor emerita of Art and Middle Eastern Studies. Her specialization is "the origin of writing and counting".

Gratitude to Science Frontiers.

The most intricate bird's nest.

Inside the campus where my son now works and lives, there is a small forest. Yesterday, while he along with his friends took a walk inside the forest, he stumbled upon a bird's nest that beat a highly skilled architect's skill.

Look at it below.


This cup shaped nest is so thoughtfully and lovingly built by a bird called Fantail. The size of the nest indicates it can accommodate at least 5 of her offspring. Isn't it ingenious?

My son only took the photo of the nest. I found out that it belongs to Fantail from a general knowledge book that my husband guards over. The image of the stunningly beautiful Fantail is taken from Wikipedia.

Weird Cars entangled.

I am not an avid collector of funny pictures and videos but I do appreciate when I come across such things by chance.

Sometimes, seeing this blog's topic, people used to send photographs of animals, birds, toys and flowers that look out of the ordinary. I mean, you might not have seen them anywhere except in the might Internet.

The picture below is one such a rare one that I did see it in a blog. My first thought when I saw this, "You too?".

Source:

World's tallest dog.

World's tallest dog is a ; it is 7 foot tall.

I was sent a video clip of this dog by a dog lover who also happens to read this blog regularly. He inquired if I can write about this dog.

I am not an animal lover. I generally stay away from animals-pet or no pet. But I don't mind looking at their pictures. Quite harmless-eh? (smile)

I have seen 5 ft dogs in countryside while traveling but this dog is amazing. His name is Gibson and he has officially entered the records of Guinness.

Watch a slide show here.

Bright ideas if you want some action.

Even the most bubbly person might lay low at times. Bored, sullen, lazy are some of the feelings and emotions that are attached at such times.

These are the times, you require someone to come up with bright ideas to put you back into action. Not that you can't cook up something on your own; it's just that others' ideas will work better than yours.

Ok, what if nobody is around? What if your repeated calls and voice messages are unfortunately not answered?

Ask The Hat!

Hugh, come again!

I said, "Ask The Hat" and let the hat decide!

Still buying 19th century toys?

“What’s wrong with 19^th century toys”? –you might ask. Of course there is nothing wrong with them but do you seriously think your children will touch them?

But, yes, you can regale your children about 19^th century toys such as Slinky, Lego, Tonka trucks if you happen to own book titled, “Timeless Toys”, an extraordinary book of resources on more than 400 toys.

Now, you can buy cheap toys that are also fun and educative. There is a new arrival at Savebuckets.co.uk called Bacardi Kit that will make a wonderful gift for Christmas.

For those who are unfortunately less creative and are always short of gift ideas, I would suggest you look for puppets in savebuckets.co.uk. Puppets are any time favorites of children up to age 8.

This website is huge, that will give you hundreds of options when you search for any product. You can also compare the prices of the toys from different manufacturers.

Great errors in judgment.

Do you know that the ex-president of IBM Thomas J. Watson(1958) predicted that there is no world market for computers?

Does it mean that he lacked faith in his own product? Or did he believe that computers' capability is lower than man's own?

There are several such bizarre predictions in the past that went topsy-turvy within a few years. Such errors in predictions have come experts also apart from the general public.

Even Edison is said to have declared his own reservations about his invention 'The Phonograph'. His own words were,"not of any commercial values". (1915)

Source: Reader's Digest

The plant that saved a whale species.

---> Jojoba plant

The Sperm Whale species faced cruel extinction once when it was hunted in great numbers for its valuable oil that is needed for lubricants industry.

The plant that saved is called Jojoba. Known only to the Mexican Indians till 18th century for its medicianl properties, its true worth was discoverd only in 1933.

Lets look at the varied use of Jojoba:
Treats dandruf and skin disorders
Jojoba oil is used to dress hair
Used in preservatives and food processing
Used to make floor waxes, car waxes, disinfectants, shampoo etc


-->Jojoba oil

All this was possible because reserachers found that its oil did not contain fat but pure liquid wax.

Images: Google and Wikipedia

Amazing vegetable sculpture.

I think the image would make Picasso sit up. This is the ultimate creativity.

This is not a painting folks but a real sculpture made of vegetables! This art is very predominant in South India. Marriage contractors would appoint a special team who would show brilliant art in turning vegetables into real life shapes of flowers, ships and even a marriage hall.

Ju Duoqi-a 35-year-old artist uses boiled, dried, fried, and pickled vegetables, finishing with the fastest-rotting ingredients to create her masterpiece versions made entirely out of vegetables.

Visit her studio.

I dreamed of Meerkats.

---> Meerkat

The dream was a bit vague really. I think there were Meerkats on my dining table of all the places. Before I entered the kitchen, I thought I heard a different sound. Was it the barking sound of a Meerkat? Did I watch an episode in "The Animal Planet" recently?

Then why the Meerkat of all the animals?

Hey, do you know why the Meerkats stand on two legs most of the time? To threaten the predators they stretch their legs, arching their bodies, and holding their tails stiffly erect. Once this is done, the entire group continually leaps into the air and growls aggressively.

Do you know that Meerkats prey on snakes too as they are immune to the poison from a snake or a scorpion?

Thank you Reader's Digest!

Bertrand Russell died twice?

Bertrand Russell is my favorite author for his new insights on education. I had actually collected several of his books but read only one book fully. The remaining books have been donated to my college library.

I remember many paragraphs still from his book "Human Knowledge: Its Scope and Limits". Though I am a mathematician by profession, I never read his wonderful books on mathematics.

Here is an interesting fun fact about him.

"Bertrand Russell (British mathematician) - reported in print as having died in 1937, had to have his obituary reprinted when he actually died in 1970."

Do you know the largest single-span arch bridge ?

The largest single-span arch bridge in the world is called Stari Most. Its actual meaning is "Old Bridge". How appropriate!

It is located in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It is built across the river Neretva in Mostar town.

Stari Most

When it was built in the 16th century, it was hump-backed (still hump-backed of course), 4 meters wide and 30 meters long. You can look down at the river from the height of 24 meters. That will be quite a frightening sight.

I read that people are still wary of visiting Sarajevo, the national capital in spite of being rated as the 43rd best city in the world by the 'Lonely Planet', the leading travel portal in the web.

Source: The Free Dictionary

Do you know Marie-Therese Walter?

It is hard to guess mate, so give up. Marie-Therese Walter was Pablo Picasso’s mistress. Of course none of us, who are not contemporaries of Picasso, could have seen her. But I wonder what the artist has seen in her!

One of the most talked about Las Vegas Shows in recent times offers an opportunity for all of us to see her in a painting. This master piece art work depicts her sleeping in a chair. I hope I have kindled your curiosity.

The show is named “Le Reve” and getting tickets for this show is a Herculean task. But you are in luck. If you visit showslasvgas.com, you can buy your ticket well in advance.

The entire 70 minute show is said to be sensual under dream settings. The tickets are offered at great competitive prices as showslasvegas.com have negotiated exclusive rates directly with the individual shows.

There are more chickens in the world than people.

Could you believe it-there are more chickens in the world than people.? Meat eaters-have you ever afraid the chicken will soon vanish and deprive you of a good meal?

If so, no sweat. There are more chickens in the world than people. Is it true? Should be, as how else you continue to get the chicken you order either from the restaurant or from shopping mall?

There are most such interesting facts we probably don't know.

For example, do you know that people whose mouth has a narrow roof are more likely to snore because they have less oxygen going through their nose?

More facts about finger nails, Pinocchio in Daves Daily, a web site I visit often to relax.

Do you know Bugun Liocichla,?

Hi hi, tough pronouncing the name-eh? I wonder how the bird calls?

This beautifully colored bird named 'Bugun Liocichla", is said to a rare species found in India. A rare discovery of a new species of bird in 50 years.

Who discovered and where?
It was spotted in May in the remote Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh near the border with China. Ramana Athreya who discovered the bird named it after the Bugun tribe, which lives in the area.

My husband, a bird watcher used to tell me about North Eastern India is abundant with beautiful birds. Has this bird species discover been recognized and recoded? I know such are usually ignored by an amateur bird watcher.

"Birdlife International, a global alliance of conservation organizations, described it on its Web site as the most sensational ornithological discovery in India for more than half a century."

More...

Image courtesy: Wikipedia

Do you know the Dog Bark Park?

It is actually Dog Bark Park Inn. It is located in Cottonwood, ID, U.S.A.

So what's special about this unusual hotel? Look at the picture and you will understand. The accommodation is given inside the body of a dog like structure. Hmm.. isn't it unusual?

Other features of this hotel:
* Continental breakfast that included a variety of teas, coffees, juices, fresh fruits, boxed cereals, milk, yogurts, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, bagels, locally made pastries & breads.
* A queen bed that can take in 4 persons
* Bathroom attached
* Coffee maker

The owners of this unusual hotel are of course dog lovers.

Interesting facts about Clint Eastwood.

Are you a fan of Clint Eastwood? I am not. But my husband is still crazy about Clint, his laconic style, his slender stature et al.

Now, I am going to stun my husband with a few interesting facts about Clint Eastwood.
* He was born in San Francisco
* He is the father of seven children
* He acted with an Orangutan in a film called "Every Which way But Loose" that is supposed to have made him a big profit
* He can sing
* He hates violence. (wow!)
* He is a vegetarian

Enough?

Want more? Visit this site then.

Inspiring podcast from Capella university

I am glad that a small act of mine inspired someone in my area to apply for a bachelor’s degree in a university online. The university she applied for is none other than the high profile Capella University, a fully accredited online university that is currently serving nearly 25,000 students from as many as 45 countries.

All I did was to make her subscribe to the Capella’s ‘Inside Online Education’, a 15 minute podcast that has interviews with Capella students, faculty and staff who share the experience of online education from a first-person point of view.

My friend sought my guidance about which subject is the best for her as I knew her capacity. I suggested she choose IT knowing that she has displayed glimpses of aptitude for that.

The latest podcast features a discussion of state-approved reading and literacy program.

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.

Has the world forgot the Angel Falls.

Breath taking-literally is the sight of Angel Falls which a web pages say that it is a forgotten wonder of the world.

It is said to fall from 1000 meters above the ground level and because of that, the water is vaporized by the strong winds and turned into mist.

Where is it located?
It is in Venezuela but quite hidden in a wilderness region, called the Gran Sabana.

The Angel Falls were discovered by accident in 1935 by Jimmy Angel (1899-1956), an American adventurer and bush pilot who operated in Central and South America.

Thank you Wikipedia!

Sleep with open eyes.

I know my uncle sleeps standing but of course his eyes were closed when he slept. But people sleeping with their eyes wide open?-then how can you call it sleep?

Sleep-one of the mysteries for us has in fact several mysterious and amazing facts. Do you my husbands sleeps only three hours daily and still remain active throughout the day?

Do you know that people can take cat naps with their eyes open without even being aware of it?
Here is another amazing fact:
Some scientists believe we dream to fix experiences in long-term memory, that is, we dream about things worth remembering. Others reckon we dream about things worth forgetting - to eliminate overlapping memories that would otherwise clog up our brains.

dRead more marvelous facts about sleep in the National Sleep Research Project.

How to get rid of bugs?

Yes, you know how to get rid of bugs using sprays that is not liked by anyone. How can anyone tolerate such bad smells in spite of its utility?

Bugs are quite a menace. Apart from physical harm, they do much arm to our mind as well; when we think of going home and stay up in the cozy comfort of bed and also get reminded of the bugs there, it adds tension to us.

So, is there a way to get relief from bugs without the usage of chemicals?

Yes, you bet. Have you tried a small branch of neem? It works dear.
Also, I heard bay leaves are number one enemies to bugs. Yet to try it though because we have no bugs at our home.

Do you know the truth about health foods?

Come Friday, our local newspaper is crammed with new restaurants, health foods, regional cuisines and more.
We too try out as many as possible and end up making an appointment with our doctor complaining about stomach upset.

We really don't care to read between the lines of ads and we simply yield to enticing ads.

There are facts that we all should know about the so called 'heath foods'.

For example, do you know that "health foods" are actually cleverly disguised junk foods that actually stimulate you to gain more belly fat... yet the diet food marketing industry continues to lie to you so they can maximize their profits?

Read more...

Do you know the Hagia Sophia?

Hagia Sophia also known as "tent of the heavens" is a mammoth structure originally built by the emperor Constantine on the shores of river Bosporus in A.D. 326. Till the year 532 when it was destroyed, both the Christians and the Muslims revered it as the holiest place of their religion.

The destruction had occurred in 532, during the reign of Justinian the Builder, who started the reconstruction of Hagia Sophia only after 39 days after the destruction.

Justinian embellished the interior with riches. Four acres of gold mosaics shimmered from the ceiling, and multicolored marble gleamed from the floors, columns, and wall panels.

Again, during the year A.D. 558 much of it collapsed due to the many earthquakes in the region.

There are more stories of collapses and reconstruction during the following years.

Read here fully.

Snake died after mouse bite.

Imagine, a little mouse attacked a venomous snake and bit it to death!

Tossed into a cage, the mouse fought for nearly 30 minutes and subdued his scaly nemesis. This is really bizarre incident!

What might have gotten into that mouse to launch an attack on a much bigger animal? Or, what might have left the viper's body to lose its life?

Fire team leader Lan Sengqiu said: "It attacked the snake continuously, biting and scratching it. "Perhaps it used up all its venom when we caught it as the mouse barely had a scratch on him."

Look at the photos here; what a shot!

Source: Mirror News

OLED film could make house lights obsolete.

Our cherished as well as ancient wall scones, mercury tube lights, florescent lighting fixtures may soon find the garbage bins. They are going to be obsolete but we may have to wait for a few more years.

What is going to replace the traditional lamps is a film, a plastic film coated with chemicals and sealed by a metal foil. Apply electric current to the resulting sheet, and it lights up with a blue-white glow.

Ok, where can you fix that sheet?
You could tack that sheet to a wall, wrap it around a pillar or even take a translucent version and tape it to your windows.
How it works?
The sheets owe their luminance to compounds known as organic light-emitting diodes, or OLEDs. While there are plenty of problems to be worked out, it’s not the dream of a startup.

OLEDs are beginning to be used in TVs and cell-phone displays, and big names like Siemens and Philips are throwing their weight behind the technology to make it a lighting source as well.

Source:Times of India

The only beach in the district of Columbia!

The Fishing Shore Beach that is located at the shores of a nature reserve along the Canal Road NW, and it lies beside the Georgetown Reservoir is the only beach in the district of Columbia. Americans are crazy about beaches for the warmth they provide.

The Fishing Shore beach forms a part of the boundary of the District of Columbia County in the District of Columbia, USA.

Who visits this lonely beach? What attraction does it offer? Is there a particular season to visit this beach?

Are there places worthy of seeing around Fishing Shore beach?

The beach is said to flat like the beaches in India without any major sand dunes or majestic hills. So, one might find people stretched out on the sand during summer.

More details...

Do you know the Chinese phoenix?

Phoenix-the legendary bird that many including I have not seen but wish to see. Any mention about this bird (can it really fly?) anywhere evokes avid interest-right?

I read about it recently in the Internet that this Chinese phoenix also known as the fenghuang, is a mythical Chinese bird fabled to reign over all other birds.

Though there was initially a distinction between the male which is called as feng and the female as huang, today the two are often combined into a single feminine entity that pairs with the masculine Chinese dragon to symbolize the yin-yang principle with respect to marital harmony.

Of course, it ate snakes!

Thank you Wikipedia!

Do you know the Shih-tzu dog?

Yes, this is a dog called Shih-tzu. I happen to see this in Times of India today. The image of the dog in the newspaper didn't look like a dog at all. So I searched for other images of it in Google and that is what you see here.

Here is another image taken from Wikipedia:















This odd looking dog is also known as Chinese Lion dog. This breed is the most ancient one as per DNA analysis. This dog is said to be friendly and intelligent.

Times of India reported that this dog is participating in Europe dog show in Budapest.
This is the image of Shih-tzu dog published in Times of India.

Do you know Skateboarding Dogs?

Have you ever watched the movie, "Eight below"? No, the dogs in that movie are not called skate board dogs.

What then are Skateboard Dogs? See the image here and you will know what I am talking about. I think this dog belong to the 'Pug' breed, the one that is shown in the ads of Hutch mobile phone service provider.

This dog can ride on 3 legs and kick with the other before jumping on, steer left and right around corners, and even tackle ramps, weaving in and out of amazed bystanders at breakneck speeds.

And when he comes a cropper he coolly flips the board over, tucks it under a paw and lifts it up with his teeth before putting it back on the ground.

Source: Life in the fat lane.

Do you know head transplant?

Yes, I mean head of an animal or man being replaced with the head of a similar species of course! (Smile)

Was it ever done successfully-the head transplant?
Yes, a monkey was fortunate to have fitted with the head of another monkey as early as in 1970. But successfully? No is the answer. Yes, the fitted perfectly and this new organ was accepted by the body but the part of the body below the head was totally paralyzed.

Can a man expect this miracle for their benefit?
Of course not yet! The reason is this:
"A human head transplant would most likely require cooling of the brain to the point where all neural activity stops. This is to prevent neurons from dying while the brain is being transplanted. Ethical considerations have thus far prevented any reported attempt by surgeons to transplant a human being's head"

I dare not think of me having another head! It is so bizarre even to think-eh?

Source:http: Encyclopedia

How to cut a fish?

Imagine a staunch vegetarian teaching you how to cut a fish! No, it is not me who does the teaching (I teach only mathematics) but this innovative toy shows even a kid how to cut a fish and clean it too.

Hey, do you know that this is just a toy that is used to teach a 3 year old to cut open the fish neatly and clean it?

Will it also teach how to remove the scales?

Courtesy: The Internet. ( I am sorry, I forgot to note down the source)

Do you know the name?

I have been searching the Internet for the name of this bird and its native land. I drew a blank so far. Isn't this bird stunning? I am at awe at God's imagination while creating this bird. God must have been in an excellent mood to have visualized this fantastic color combination.

In Flickr, where this picture is posted, every viewer wanted to give award for the photographer. I also liked the short description beneath the photo that reads:

"This is similar shot to my previous posting except that this bird is looking beyond the horizon asking what future lies ahead of him/her. Will he/she be a model, a dancer, an actor/actress and then realize what ever he/she be will be, our future is not ours to see..."

Visit the Flickr link above and read the comments of appreciation.

Do you know Salerno butter cookies?

Salerno butter cookies are said to be the tastiest butter cookies. But I heard that it is not available all over America. I think one can buy them in Chicago area only.

I once tasted them long back when someone brought Salerno butter cookies from the U.S. I don't even remember who brought them elae I would have gained more information on it.

Now, suddenly, a question I read about it somewhere in the web kindled my memories and I am now craving for Salerno butter cookies.

I did a search in the Yahoo! but nothing was in its search results. Any help please?

Image Courtesy: Flickr.com

Do you know The Huaorani?

The likeness of Japan is surely deceiving us because the word refers to something definitely not Japanese.

What is it then?
The actual meaning of Huaorani is 'human'. This refers to a sect of people living in the depth of Amazon jungles. They are said to be of native of Ecuador.

Now, there are only about 2000 of Huaorani people. They speak a language called Huao Terero. Several Huaorani communities have rejected all contact with outsiders and move often to progressively more isolated areas.

In 1956, a group of five American missionaries, led by Jim Elliot and pilot Nate Saint, made contact with the Huaorani in what was known as Operation Auca. Two days after friendly contact with three Huaorani, all five of the missionaries were killed in a spearing attack by a larger group from the same Huaorani clan.

Courtesy: Wikipedia

Do you know wish fulfilling trees?

I am not kidding. There are beliefs that certain trees are capable of fulfilling our wishes. Of course, faith and belief play the major part here.

Hindu mythology quotes incidences and trees for granting wishes. Even water bodies such as tanks and rivers are said to possess such powers.

Wish trees are individual trees which have been distinguished—often by species, position, or appearance—as the objects of wishes. Visitors commonly offer up coins, liquor, and other gifts in order to gain fulfillment of their desires.

Among the most famous wish tree visitors was Queen Victoria, whose 1877 visit to an oak in the Scottish Highlands brought it much fame.

One such tree is hawthorn (see image above) which still stands near Ardmaddy House in Argyll, Scotland. The trunk and branches are covered with hundreds of coins which have been driven through the bark and into the wood. The local tradition is that a wish will be granted for each of the coins so treated.

Are Christmas trees connected to the concept of wish trees?

Do you know Synchronicity?

Synchronicity is not the name of any place on planet earth. It is used to describe some unusual coincidences that are often considered as meaningful.

You can come across this term 'Synchronicity' in psychological books and spirituality books. Some may call this as miracle.

This word was first coined by psychologist Carl Jung to describe the experience of two or more causally unrelated events that are conceptually similar and have very little chance of occurring together randomly—such as the discovery of the same idea by two different people at approximately the same time. Jung felt the principle was conclusive evidence for his concept of the "collective unconscious,".

For example, when you follow certain new methods to control your mind's uncontrollable journey, you notice strange events, new acquaintances that will lead you to your desire or goal. This turn of events are called synchronicity.

Do you know Urine Dipstick?

I don’t want to relive all the not so pleasant memories but still, just for information purpose, let me briefly tell you what is a Urine Dipstick?

It is an easy way to find out the presence of Albumin in the urine. Albumin is a form protein which if exceeds the prescribed level can cause Female Urinary Tract Infections. Women are most vulnerable to Urinary Tract Infections.

I have gained pages of information about this infection, causes, symptoms and treatment from Epocrates Online Inc, developers of medical software used by over 500,000 healthcare professionals.

Yes, I also owe my gratitude to my sister-in-law, a gynecologist who tirelessly treated me for urinary infection several times in the past.

Clinicians seeking information online or patients interested in learning more about their health care can visit www.epocrates.com/online for access to this free resource.

This announcement was paid for by Epocrates.

Do you know photographic mosaic?

Can you identify the technique used to form this image? It is called 'photographic mosaic.'

Let me refresh your memory. I was studying 10th standard when I was taught this method of art. I was given an assignment of drawing the map Japan in size of 6 by 6. The idea used was like the photographic mosaic where a picture made of smaller pictures.

You might have seen the pictures of Mona Lisa, made by using the technique of photomosaic.

We draw several smaller rectangular sections of an image with smaller pictures or photographs of an appropriate average color. When viewed from afar, a primary image is visible, but when examined closely, the hundreds or thousands of smaller images acting as pixels are revealed.

Thank you The Free Dictionary!

Do you know this Purple Zennia?

Image by blipars via Flickr This is one flower that is truly missing from my neighbour's garden. I was approached to look out for more information on Purple Zennia by my neighbour.

I have been trying to some data on it for the past 20 minutes but nothing concrete so far has been dug.

I searched the search engines and a fe flower related forums, It seems everyone is trying to know mote this gorgeous looking flower.

Any help please?

Do you know breast feeding pillow?

A lot of women don’t put on weight even after marriage. I was one among them. Even during the final stages of my pregnancy, I was as skinny as a walking stick. I was weighing only 36 KGs.

It was quite a stress holding my baby while feeding, though he was weighing less than 3 KGs. In fact my arm bones were hurting him. I used to stuff a soft towel underneath the baby’s head.

Yesterday, I happened to see this breast feeding pillow that could have come in handy to me 22 years ago. This thoughtful product is from AllegroMedical.com, one of the largest and most technologically advanced independently owned online retailers of medical supplies and life enhancing products in the United States.

This pillow is nicely called Bosom Baby Pillow and it facilitates the perfect position for mothers to raise baby up to breast level, making the latch-on process easier. The unique V-shape also makes a cozy, comfortable maternity sleeping pillow.

Allegro Medical’s great range of products (55,000 products, under 50 categories and hundreds of sub-categories) include Exercise & Fitness Equipment, Nutritional Dietary Supplements, Maternity/Baby Supplies and Outdoor Gear.

Allegro Medical (AllegroMedical.com) is a division of Allegro Enterprises, Inc., a privately-owned company based in Tempe, Arizona.

The tea that helps you shed weight!

This can be the ultimate solution for losing excess weight that is formed due to accumulation of fat and unwanted toxins.

I blogged about so many diet pills to reduce weight but this is the best way to reduce fat.

This following news story appeared in the front page of Times of India today.

”Try the slimming tea brewed in the rural backyards of Tamil Nadu — Tinneveli senna tea. People across the world, from Japan to the US, have taken to drinking tea from Tamil Nadu before dinner to shed weight or relieve constipation.

The leaves, pods and extracts of the senna herb from the arid regions of Tuticorin and Virudhunagar in southern Tamil Nadu are sitting on shelves of stores in Hong Kong, Tokyo, California and Berlin. “Senna tea bags are a big hit abroad. And the market is set to grow further,” says B S Sajwan, chief executive officer of the Union health ministry’s national medicinal plants board. “

Read full story

Do you know Puffins?

Puffins are beautiful looking birds that are said to be noisy and flamboyant.
I have not seen this bird in flights but the link in this blog post has got stunning photographs of them in real closeup.

Puffins spend the winters at sea, floating, swimming and diving for food, coming to land only during the nesting season. But massive numbers of the puffins are not returning to the islands to breed after wintering in the North Sea.

They’re more flexible feeders than other seabirds, catching fish, squid, worms and other much smaller marine organisms in winter.

The sad news is their decline in numbers in North Sea.

Full story: Life in the fast lane.

Do you know Marie-Fortunée Lafarge?

Marie-Fortunée Lafarge was French and she was convicted of murder. She was accused of murdering her husband by poisoning his food-the very ancient method that we have read in mythological stories.

Lafarge must have been a fan of reading such stories and got that idea of committing this heinous act. The trail was reported widely in news papers and attracted widespred public following.

The muder was committed in the year 1840.

Earlier, she was believed to have stolen jewels from her friend's house.
Courtesy: Wikipedia

Do you know parahumans?

Image via Wikipedia
Indians won't be surprised about mention of parahumans in any literature. Indian mythology is abundant with stories of parahuman characters. Even God is depicted as a parahuman (paraGod?) with a human head in an animal body.

There is the legends of Lord Narashimah, the sacred cow Kamadhenu (picture at the right) etc are examples of parahuman characters.

Now those mythological mentions have entered the realm of reality. Efforts to combine genes from different species for medical and industrial purposes are now fairly common. Though such research could prove useful for the production of drugs and transplant-ready organs, it has raised numerous ethical, moral, and legal issues.

Nevertheless, British scientists plan to create hybrid embryos by injecting human DNA into the ova of what animal?

Thanks to thefreedictionary.com

Do you know carnivorous plants?

Carnivorous plants?

I remember such mystic stories when I was growing up but gave another thought till I read about it today in the Internet.

They are mostly found in places where the soil is not so fertile. This makes the plants look for alternative sources for food. They are naturally equipped to attract/trap insects and sometimes small animals too.

There are as many as 600 such species. Here is the image of one such plant called Heliamphora that is found in South America.

South America, it seems to offer more for nature lovers with Amazon and the likes of it-right?

Courtesy:Wikipedia

Do you know Survivalism?

Yes, it was in the 1970s, the nation was gripped with widespread rumor about the several natural calamities that were expected to affect the world at large.

It is so widespread that people for a moment didn't treat it as a rumor and started instinctive developing a sense of survivalism. This involved stockpiling of food and water, build shelters, and learn skills that they believe will help them live through apocalyptic chaos. Today, many survivalists exchange information via the Internet.

The roots of the modern survivalist movement in the United States and Britain can be traced to several sources, including government policies, religious beliefs, and writers warning of social or economic collapse.

What are Alpha-Rubicon and the Zombie Squad?

Read at the free dictionary.

Do you know the flying squirrels?

Flying squirrels-do they really fly or jump long distances with the aid of wing like organs? Is it a misnomer?

Do you know that there are 43 species of flying squirrel that actually cannot fly but only glide while moving between trees?

Once airborne, the squirrels have a high degree of maneuverability and are able to steer by adjusting the tautness of the patagia and using their tails as stabilizers.

How do they "brake"?
I have seem them in action but I never wondered how do they halt? In other words, how do they brake?
"The tail acts as a stabilizer in flight, much like the tail of a kite and as an adjunct airfoil when braking prior to landing on a tree trunk. "

Source: The Free Dictionary

Do you know the most expensive remote control?

Remote Control-the one gadget that made us all accumulate blood glucose, unnecessary fat and an inertia. Also, it made us all look ugly and manners less because we order people around like to switch on the light, move that leg rest here while we laze around with the remote control.

Now, someone has invented the most expensive remote control in the world; I believe it costs around $55,000.

Yes, 55 grand dollars!

"This Danish hi-tech manufacturer specializes in developing individual subsystems covering entertainment, surveillance, lighting and electronics control. Lantic Systems presented the Gold RC1 Remote Control at The Worlds Biggest Marine Equipment Trade Show at METS 2007 in Amsterdam, Holland."

Source with gratitude: Gadget for Girls.

Who is born on 8/8/08 at 8.08 AM?

Hailey Jo Hauer was born on the eighth day of the eighth month in 2008 at 8:08 a.m.
What a birthday to remember! Oh, God, I am too old to sire a child!

And did she weigh 8 pounds and 8 ounces?

When the mother of the baby Lindsey Hauerwas told of the birthday timings, she could not believe it. The baby would hit several headlines in newspapers across the world, happily unaware of her celebrity status.

The staff at the hospital where she was delivered are planning to buy her a bunch of lottery tickets. I would place the odds heavily on her favor.

Is there another baby born at the same hour?

Source: Fergusfalljournal.com

Who's Getting Paid During the Subprime Crisis?

Wouldn't we all like to know the answer to this big question? Even Indian economy is affected by this enigmatic subprime crisis!

What exactly is Subprime crisis? How it started? Who is responsible for its origin?

Newspapers scream that only the U.S people are responsible for this world economic crisis. There may be some truth in it but I don't think they alone should take the blame.

Then who else should take the blame?

Traditional industry consensus is that consumers typically pay their bills according to a certain hierarchy. The subprime mortgage dilemma, however, has facilitated an emerging trend in consumer payment prioritization. This white paper details Equifax research that examines how prevalent this reprioritization is and provides insight into the type of consumers who exhibit this behavior.

Request for your free white paper.

Do you know the dark side?

Do you know the dark side of psychiatry? Yes, there is more to it than just pure fascination.

I have met several youth who were taken to the legendary couch but never got up after that. They were made to dependent of psychiatrists for he rest of their life. Of course, there are always exceptions that can't be brushed aside.

Students in India who are not good performers in their schools and colleges were subjected to this misery mainly by their parents because of too much expectations from their children.

Read here for more information on the dark side of psychiatry.

Do you know the ghost chili?

We spell it 'chilli' because we pronounce stressing on the double 'L'. I think it ads flavour when you pronounce 'chilli'.

Ok, Chilli it is then. It is the number ingredient in our cuisine. Do you know that there are more than 20 varieties of chilli in India?

But the ghost chilli is new to me. No, I am not ashamed to admit ot even though it grown in India. It has another name-"poison chili; and another-"naga jolokia". It is said to be the hottest chili pepper in the world, as certified by Guinness World Records in 2007.

Originally grown in northeastern India and Bangladesh, the naga jolokia has measured over 1,000,000 on the Scoville scale, a system developed to measure the "hotness" or piquancy of chili peppers. In comparison, jalapeño peppers range from 2,500 to 8,000.

Source: Did you know?

Text messaging? It injures the composer.

The growing health hazards that arise from using cell phone excessively has added one more concern to the long list.

Now it is the excessive sending of short messages (SMS) that adds to the vulnerability to ill-health. The name christened to this ailment is TMI (Test message injury). Quite straight forward name-right. I was expecting a word that ends with 'itis' like arthritis.

Symptoms include aches and strains in the hands, wrists, arms, shoulders and neck.The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy said 16 per cent of 16 to 24 year-olds have had TMI or Text Message Injury.

Retict txt ssns to 5-10 mtes. I suppose you can make out what preceded this sentence.

Abbreviations are recommended while texting.

Source: yahoo! News.

Do you know Tangram?

TANGRAM-a Chinese puzzle in the mould of zigzag puzzle that can be played online.

Yes, can you imagine playing the zigzag puzzle online without physically holding the objects? Here you will be given 7 tans after you have chosen the puzzle to solve. The seven pieces include 5 triangles, 1 square and 1 parallelogram.

Then you drag and drop the odd sized tans into the middle of the page where you try to assemble and get the picture.

I did try it, could rotate the virtual objects easily and solved the game in less three minutes. A real fun filled game.

Do you know the Red Kangaroo?

Somehow I have not developed a fascination for Kangaroo. Without hurting their pride, I would say they are not good looking with those odd sized legs.

I agree, nature saw it fit to create them with different sized front and rear legs.

There was a purpose for me to learn something about kangaroo and in that process, I came to know about Red Kangaroo. I was only disappointed to nte that the red color did not match my knowledge of red color.

The Red Kangaroo is the largest marsupial-you know the pouched animals are called marsupials?

Image: Yahoo!

Gold price is down by 24 dollars.

So, naturally, it is the best time to buy a few grams of gold. You can quickly book a profit of $24 per ounce in less than a week. This is how I have been taught by my dear Monex Deposit Company for which no introduction is necessary as they are the number one precious metals dealer in the U.S. for more than 30 years.

There is an interesting article published in my local daily. Every week, on Monday, they will publish an article that compares our investment (hypothetical of course) on stock index and bullion market and the resulting performance.

Yes, at times, bullion would have yielded less profit than share investment but it would always retain its intrinsic value irrespective of stock market performance.

Monex Precious Metals is home to a large and dedicated staff of hard asset professionals committed to serving your precious metals investment needs and being America’s best dealer with a convenient market and competitive precious metals prices.

Do you know Chocolate Tulips?

Yes I know that you know chocolates and Tulips but about Chocolate Tulips? Unheard of-right?

This gourmet bouquet is an innovate concept that can please anyone you give to. Pluck these tasty tulips from your own candy garden, nip the beautiful bud and you will be munching a melting chocolate.

Each bouquet is bunched together with 6 semi-solid milk chocolate tulips. It is available at Candy Warehouse for $28.50 and weighs 2 lbs.

I think it will be costlier if you add the shipping cost since the weight is 2 lbs. There is a facility at the web site to calculate the shipping cost.

Do you know Hawaiian Goddess Smoothie?

Asians, Japanese are not likely to know what is a smoothie but Americans are supposed to know. Yes, it is a food and that to an eco friendly drink. Yes, it is vegetarian. Purely natural.

This is the type of drink recipe I was interested and the Internet made me learn about it as if sensing my desire.

As for the ingredients, you need a papaya, a banana, some vanilla, soya milk and a few macadamia nuts. Well the last one is not available everywhere, so you can use even cashew nuts.

Be sure to buy the fruits from an organic food store. It means, the fruits should have been cultivated without the use of chemical fertilizers.

For recipe, please read here.

Image courtesy: Google Images.

Epocrates content on iPhone.

My son was using an outdated PDA which he gifted to me (how magnanimous!) when his friends presented to him a smart iPhone.

But then, I don’t have any use for PDA! I use an ordinary mobile phone just to stay connected with my students and their parents. Two days after, I remembered how this PDA can be effectively put into use. I decided to give it to my sister-in-law, a busy doctor who is determined to increase the world population.

When I gave it to her I also informed her how she can use it exclusively to access latest medical news and medicines. With the Epocrates’ free medical PDA software loaded on their PDA or iPod, clinicians can immediately access the information needed to make prescribing decisions – such as drug dosing, side effects and health plan coverage.

Clinicians can also learn about Epocrates online drug reference, which can be accessed from any Internet-connected desktop.

This announcement was paid for by Epocrates.

Do you know Travel Writing Secrets ?

Probably one of the lucrative field for professional and freelance writers is writing travel related articles, books and blog posts. This is because, the travel industry is the second largest business in the Internet and Internet is the only place where vacationers look for authentic and detailed information.

I can't be considered as travel writer but I am a good blogger because I can guide you to places of information immediately. Well, don't you think it is a special talent? (smile)

Would you like to learn travel writing? If you learn and apply your knowledge and skill, you can really make some big money.

In a short period of time, you will get free first class flight tickets to places to see, to resorts and hotels, you get free food and booze. Yes, I know travel industry will offer you all these.

But, first spend a small amount of money to get educated and build a fortune. Hey, isn't it logical-"in order to gain something you have to lose something?"

Do you know Drinkometer?

This is for adults who are above 18 years and not started drinking before that.

Here is a splendid web site with funny pictures that lets you find out for yourself how much you have been drinking since you started and how must it cost you so far and how long you can go ahead before call it quits.

This Drink-o-meter also tells you about your kidneys' state. First you are asked to enter your age and a few more questions later, it calculates the damage done till now.

Very funny interface and quite interesting. Share it please with others.

Do you know the science of getting rich?

Yes, you can get rich if you know the science of it. But you need think and become like Einstein to know this science of getting rich. I am aware that the entire Internet knows about the the science of getting rich but I believe there are quite a handful of people who are to get exposure to this amazing secret.

For the first time in history, the world`s leading scientists, authors and philosophers gather to reveal ALL the resources you`ll ever need to be as successful as those who knew The Secret... plato, Newton, Carnegie, Beethoven, Shakespeare, Einstein.

Here is your opportunity to learn and grow and make money in the process.

Do you know the journey woman?

The Journey Woman is as the name suggests-who travels a lot like globe trotting businessmen of high profile corporate sectors.

It is a sort or resource site for traveling women.

The site features the following:
Women oriented travel classifieds
Travel tips and guidelines
Best shops around the world as the traveling women find them.

You can read about a driver in London, a guide in Paris to show you around and their contact information is also given in the website.
For example read here about Nan McElroy.
"he lives in Venice, for a start, comes from the US so there's no language issue but of course she speaks Italian; she's written an incredible little guidebook called Italy: Instructions for Use which is a treasure trove of practical information; she's smart and sassy and knows her stuff. You can contact her via her site: http://italyinstructions.com/ " -posted by one Linda, Venice, Italy.

This is the best travel guide website in the Internet.

But why not men can use this site?

You can't fool me anymore Cuckoo!

Nature acts in a strange way; why else it has created Cuckoo to lays its eggs on other birds' nest? Why the Cuckoo is deprived of laying its eggs in its own nest?

Till now, Cuckoo seemed to have gotten away fooling other birds but a few birds have started identifying eggs in their nest that are now lid by them.

According to a new study, song thrushes have the ability to identify the eggs of rogue species like cuckoos in their own nests.

Auckland University researchers placed eggs in song thrushes' (see picture)nests, painted to resemble their own. But the birds ejected the “foreign” eggs, particularly those with differences in reflecting ultraviolet or short-wavelength light.

Via: Times of India