The Uape Indians' starnge custom.

First, do you know where the Uape Indians live?
Yes, you guessed it right! They live in the Amazon jungles. It is my dream place to visit mainly to see the much talked about rare birds.

These Uape Indians practice a strange custom. After they burn a human body, the collect the ash and mix it with a native beer made from cassava root and drink it.

This drink is said to be very potent.

The ash mixed drink is consumed by the dead's relatives while remembering his/her life deeds.

Uape Indians-image from Google images.

Why it is called Soap Opera?

We call all those engrossing (?)television serials (in every language) as Soap Operas. But do we really know the reason as why they are called Soap Operas?

It is an amusing fact.These women centered mega television serials were originally used to advertise soap powder. In the early days of American Radio, advertisers literally wrote stories mainly to advertise their soap powder.

These television serial producers enjoy the maximum freedom of twisting their stories to an extent whereby, even they tend to forget why the serial was originally started.

Boxing Day in Canada means...

Though Boxing Day owes its origin to the good old U.K., different countries have different meanings.

The day after Christmas is the Boxing Day for the Americans and Aussies.

The Canadian holiday Boxing Day is when the servants were given boxes which had money hidden inside them from their employers.

The Kiwi Boxing day is when you put your old toys into the boxes your new Christmas presents came in and then you take them to an orphanage.

I wonder what the Americans, Australians and the English men do on Boxing Day!

Chewing gum stops onion tears.

There are probably more tips to stop shedding tears while chopping onion than any other kitchen tips.

Ever since onion was discovered, people took it in their stride when their eyes got irritation while cutting onions.

Of late, I have been reading various useful tips to avoid onion tears and here is the latest one, a bit weird too.

"Chew on gum while cutting onion to avoid producing tears."

Any idea?

Strange beliefs about silver coins.

Some of the weird beliefs of people with a silver coin are amazing.
* A silver coin is placed at the mast of a ship for good luck
* A silver coin kept in the rice storing containers will keep the container full always
* A silver coin worn around a child’s waist will ward of evil spirits

But I have a different but more common belief. For me, a silver coin is an asset that can be liquidated in times of cash crunch.

I even thought of buying rare silver coins for investment purposes with the assistance of Monaco Rare Coins who has extraordinary resources about buying, validating and selling rare coins.

Monaco Rare Coins know the rare coins market pulse and they have established wide dealer network across the world. They can help anyone who aspires to trade in rare coins.

But somehow, I resisted the temptation to buy rare silver coins but I have bought a few rare copper coins and still hold them, expecting to reap big profits.

How can you sleep with eyes open?

I know my uncle sleeps standing but his eyes are closed when he sleeps. Can you call it sleep when eyes are wide open?

Sleep-one of the mysteries for us has in fact several mysterious and amazing facts. Do you know 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.

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

A doorless village.

We have our own various ways to safe guard our belongings, house and other assets. We use ordinary locks, engage dogs, install surveillance cameras, post security guards etc.

But the people of Shani Shingnapur use none of the above. Not even windows and doors are latched on.

Shani Shingnapur is a small village in Maharashtra in India. They believe that their chief deity of he village Shri Shanidev (God of Saturn) protects them and their assets.

This faith is being practiced in several villages across India.

Faith not only moves but also protects-eh?

Source

The building that was never built by Hitler.

Hitler-every time we read the name, our interest and curiosity is aroused-right?

Man, what man he was!

There was a plan to build a large public hall named Volkshalle by Adolf Hitler . It was originally designed by Hitler's architect Albert Speer.

Hitler was forced to give up building that hall due to the advise of his architect who said the building however large cannot be home to 180,000 people during cold season and it might be like an indoor rain caused by the breathing and perspiration of 180,000 occupants of the Volkshalle.

Here is an image of Volkshalle


Image source

Live demo of making a glass horse.

The art of making artifacts from glass is extremely difficult. It requires consummate skill with hands and quick timing before the molten glass becomes solid.

Anything can be made from glass as long as the glass is still in molten state. My who was once working in a glass factory used to explain to me how a total of 8 skilled workers were involved in making inner shells for thermos flask.

Watch this video clip where a great artist shape out a glass horse standing on two legs.

It is just superb!

Two headed snake.

This two headed snake is born in China.

Such an abnormal is said to be rare among snakes and that too in a cobra.

I wonder why nature is bothered whether it is a cobra or a rattle snake.

What struck me odd is the news that this snake has a owner. Yes, there is this Chinese who breeds snake as a hobby!

Do you know Lapis Lazuli?

Lapis Lazuli-A tongue twister-eh? At the first sight of this word, I thought is a Nepali language.

This dark blue semiprecious stone is high prized because of its rarity. I was surprised to read that the home for this beautiful stone is Afghanistan and its antiquity goes back to 6500 years!

Look at this trivia! It involves the legendary Cleopatra!

The blue pigment derived from Lapis Lazuli may have been used as eye shadow by Cleopatra.

Image via

What is WiMax?

When expanded it reads Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access.

What exactly it is?
WiMAX is a wireless technology that provides high-throughput wireless broadband connections up to 50 KMs


Where it is applied?
Can provide broadband internet access without cables.
WiMAX is used for last mile broadband connections, hotspots and cellular backhaul, and high-speed

News:
Samsung calims the world’s first mobile WiMAX phone. Based around Windows Mobile for pocket PC the handset itself comes with a 65,536 colour 2.8in TFT screen running a resolution of 240 x 320 pixels.

Wimax is on its way to signing up 70 million subscribers by 2013.

Courtesty: Wikipedia, wimaxxed
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Do you know Devil's Bible?

Devils Bible-quite an odd and eerie name-right?

The Codex Gigas is said to be an original manuscript that belongs to the medieval era. There is a drawing of devil in it and that is why it is called as the Devils' Bible.
This rather bulky codex is now in the National Library of Sweden-Stockholm.

The text in the codex is believed to be cursed and that may also be another reason for the name Devil's Bible.

The legend says that a monk was responsible for this manuscript but since he betrayed some his religious code during the process, he was said to been walled alive.

There are more bizarre facts about this Codex Gigas.

A reincarnation of Buddha?

If you still believe that westerners scorn the very theory of reincarnation, then, you are wrong. They have started accepting many Asian mystic beliefs and one of them is about reincarnation.

Now, you tell them about a Nepalese teenager who lives in a jungle and he is attracting thousands of pilgrims because he is considered as Buddha reincarnate and tell me what is their reaction.

The teenager's name is Ram Bahadur Bamjan.


Naturally, such news will attract journalists who are always looking for sensational stories and that again will lead to controversies.

Well, this boy seems to be center of reverence and controversies.

Read story.

Exotic Green Honeycreeper.

Hey, what is this stunningly colored bird called?
Look at its plumage! Isn't it brilliant?

Ah, here it is. It is called Green Honeycreeper. I dug out its name somehow.

Yes, you can engage me as your personal image search engine.

Where can they be found?
Again, I envy the people of South America. They seems to live among the most colorful birds in the world.

This beautiful bird Green Honeycreeper is found in Mexico and Brazil.

Image via

Amitab Bacchan, the Emperor.

I stumbled on to news item about giant penguins that lived 65 million years ago.

CNN reports that this big bird is the real thing, its recently discovered fossils providing researchers with several scientific oddities. Not only are the birds extra large by modern standards, they thrived in one of the warmest periods in the past 65 million years.

Why this sudden interest in Penguin?
I came to know that Indian film start Amitab Bacchan gave to voice to the famous film on Penguin titled, "The Emperor".

Do you know the Island of Women?

Not everyone knows where the Island Of Women is but everyone knows where Isla Mujeres is. Ha, ha, both are same buddy and it is located in Cancun, Mexico.

No further information is revealed to me as I came to know about this cute little island only when I left Cancun with a heavy heart. People who have gone there would know what I mean.

The rather costly romantic vacation riviera maya ended sooner than I thought. The four days flew like four hours. It was a life time fascinating experience for my family. The all inclusive stay at Karisma Hotel beach resort was heady.

The service and the gourmet food were more intoxicating than the occasional Mexican tequila we had. We stayed at the El Dorado Royale Resort – and it was everything royal there-the Casita suites, giant Jacuzzi, artificial river leading to a swimming pool-all were beyond our expectation.

I hope I didn’t miss much by not going to the Island of Women.

Tempted already? For more information, please contact Pamela Johnston at pamela@pjinc.net or Amanda Deveaux at amanda@pjinc.net or call 212-629-8445.

Isla Mujeres by Google images

Hairy art if you call it.

So, what do you think is made of, this building?

It is not a brick and mortar building buddy but it is made of human hair!

But surely that would require tons of hair?

The builder of this unique building, a replica of Gate Tower in Peking’s Tiananmen Square, is Huang Xin, is an hair dresser and the remains of his hair dressing saloon are his raw material.

Source

Charlie Chaplin's famous sentences.

I, like my father, love to read the life histories of famous people who are known for their inventions and discoveries, for their literary achievements, for their philanthropic living.

Quotes by famous personalities is my all time favorites. I have compiled a huge database of quotable quotes.

Here are three famous sentences said by Charlie Chaplin.

“Nothing is permanent in this world, not even our troubles”

“ I like walking in the rain, because nobody can see my tears”

“The most wasted day in life, is, the day, in which, we have not laughed”

Image courtesy

Tiger spotting in Kaziranga forest.

Kaziranga forest in India is famous for one horn Rhinoceros. The forest is home to several wild animals and tigers are roaming in the forest with freedom.

This video clip shows tiger spotting adventure in Kaziranga. Watch out! Be careful!

Do you know man-eating wolf-like animals?

It is awesome and most bizarre. These man-eating wolf-like animals are called Beast of Gévaudan. The name is derived from the fact that these man eaters roamed in the Margeride Mountains and more particularly in the former province of Gévaudan.

Oh, you don't know where is the Margeride Mountains-right? It is located in the south-central France.

These man eaters that looked like wolf are said to have huge teeth and long nails. They were covered in red fur. And man, they smelled very bad!

Image

Baby and Cobra-the most bizarre video.

This is the most bizarre video I have ever seen. Such scenes regularly appear in films but we all know how they are made.

But this is real and very scary. I don't whether it was deliberately shot or naturally shot. Who will allow their child near a cobra?

I have a few more rare video clips. Keep coming back to this site so as not to miss a few moments of happiness.

Do you know Sokushinbutsu?

Once upon a time, some where in Japan, many monks died not because of any public outcry of illhealth but because of their own belief.

Sokushinbutsu were Buddhist monks or priests who caused their own deaths in a way that resulted in their mummification. I mean, they prepare their mind and body in such a way that when they die, their bodies said to attain the stage of a mummy.

This belief is because they will be revered as Buddha.

What a belief!

But how did they achieve this?
It is reported that the monks would go on a long diet. For about 1000 days, they ate only a special kind of food consisting of nuts and seeds.

Then, for the next 1000 days, they consumed a kind of poisonous tea and a tree bark.

Oh, more bizarre things happened. You read the rest yourself elsewhere.

Video is shot from a special angle.

This video clip is a treat to watch. It shows how a fighter plane takes off vertically from a plane carrying ship.

This video is shot from a special angle and close quarters too. After the vertical lift, the plane takes a wild swing before surging forward.

Beautiful!

How envious birds thwart advances?

Jealousy is not an attribute of human beings alone. A recent find revealed how a particular bird changes its voice so that her spouse won't fall a prey to calls of lonely females.

South America always is fortunate to house rare birds. Every other new news about rare birds that are stunning beautiful are found to roam in the forests of South America.

Times of India has published a news today that warbling antbirds (females), which form lifelong partnerships in the tropical forests of South America, change the way they sing to prevent males from flirting with other females.

The story turns interesting here. Male birds who practice adultery respond by changing their songs to avoid this interference from their mates.

Very interesting and amazing really!

How I help people sell gold!

I don’t advise people what I don’t do myself. For example, I don’t sell gold when the economy is supposed to be down. Gold is the only thing in the world that has withstood thousands of recessions and still gleaming.

I know people will try to generate cash out of their meager gold possessions and if possible, I used to help them out by buying their offer at a price slightly better than the market rate.

Though such occasions are very rare, it is the only time I buy gold from other resources apart from my trusted source Monex, 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.

Uneatable cakes of Japan.

You see the sign above in front of a cake shop in Japan, near a local railway station. You find lovely looking cakes and pastries as below.

But don't eat them yet. They are uneatable. They are only soaps to wash your face and hands.

Can be a perfect gifting idea-eh?

Via

The most exotic bird on the earth.

I have never seen this bird even in zoos or in any book of nature. Not even my favorite Reader's Digest has no record of such an exotic bird.

Look at the way it moves! It is actually dancing in delight! It might have probably happy to have identified its mate?

The teasing of another bird looks comic.

What is the name of this bird? Where it is found on the world?
Any clues readers?

Sqirrels playing cards.

Don't analyze how this photo was made, whether it is trick shot ot graphics are used....

Just smile and enjoy this picture.

Ah, yes, if you feel like, forward to your friends and visualize their smiling face

Courtesy

Rare photos of Sourav Ganguly and Schin Tendulkar.

Yes, I can recognize this face but only after I was told who he is at present.
You will too when you browse further down.


I can spot Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly. Who is in the middle?



Prefect match.


Ganguly at his Calcutta bungalow.


The two big cricketing families of India seen together-isn't it a very rare photo?

Snoqualmie Falls, Washington.

This image by National Geographic Channel shows the Snoqualmie Falls, Washington.

At first sight, it doesn't look like a water fall-right?

I heard that every Indian who are great lovers of water bodies, include Snoqualmie Falls in their itinerary. The falls is equipped with an observation deck, and a gift shop.

During high water, the falls take on a curtain form and this picture might have been taken at one such time.

The mists rising from the base of the waterfall are said to serve to connect Heaven and Earth.

The world's smallest whale shark

This is the world's smallest whale shark. And we thought these killer sharks are always huge!

But this species is quite harmless and they travel along the shores of the Philippines every year from December to May. Tourists throng the shoreline to witness this spectacular whale.

Do you its length boss? It measures only 15 inches!

I hope they don't imprison them in aquariums. It is such a crime!

via

Silky facts.

Not many people are aware of the fact that it is only Chinese that made the first silk from silk worms. It was as early as 5000 years ago. But we Indians still believe that we only made the silk first.

I think, somehow Indians too learnt to make silk from silk worm 3000 years ago. I give below some pictures of silk being made from silk worm cocoons.


It takes around 30,000 silkworms to produce 12 pounds of raw silk.

Silk worms are fed only mulberry leaves.































































An umbrella made of silk fabric:











Courtesy

Do you know indigo children?

Image of an indigo child via Wikipedia

Psychic children are those that are gifted with extra sensory perceptions. It is their birth gifts.

Psychic children are also known as indigo children and crystal children. They posses mysterious paranormal powers such as clairvoyance, clairaudience and future prediction.

Medical field has no clues for this skill.

In my family, I know of a person who at his very young age of just 6, used to solve complex mathematical problems. Yes, he was a math prodigy.

Some rare psychic children are also empowered with clairsentinence which can help feel the sense of feelings of others. This is truly a phenomenal paranormal ability indeed.

Triangular shaped UFO sighted.

UFO-man's eternal mystery but so far concretely unresolved, evokes immense interest whenever some UFO sightings are reported in newspapers.

UFO sightings reported thus far were always about a disc shaped object. Now, for the first time, a triangular shaped UFO sighting is reported in Ohio. Not one buddy but two UFO appeared to a man who was reported to have seen the UFO while driving.

They were seen at low altitude with flashing lights.

The observer said, "The lights beneath the craft seemed to behave somewhat erratically. I slowed my car and watched from the side of the highway for several minutes."

Via

Amazing Ice Architecture.

Even today, if you go to the Marina beach in Madras, you can see stunning creations in sand. Buildings, palaces, hills, images of various Gods are some of the creativity you can see and you can watch a live creation in progress.

Here are four pictures that show fantastic work on ice. Truly brilliant.

I like the White House. It is superb.





































































The pictures were forwarded by my son through email.

Do you know Paleo Eskimo?

Recently I watched an ad for a mobile phone that featured Eskimos.

Greenland was home to a number of Paleo-Eskimo cultures in prehistory, the latest of which disappeared around the year 200 AD. Hereafter, the island seems to have been uninhabited for some eight centuries.

I think I was in my 5th standard when I first studied about Eskimos and their amazing huts. From that time onwards, I wanted meet an Eskimo in person but that is impossible in this hot Madras.

So, I was fascinated to watch Eskimos on the television advertisement but are they real or just made up?

Whatever it may be, I enjoyed the advertisement.

Do you know Paleo Eskimo?

Wikimedia merchandise in Cafe Press.

Very cute-eh? Where it is available?
Where else than Cafe Press. It is one huge store for corporate gifts. Now, you can find wikimedia store too.

Finally, Wiki fans, you’re in luck. The Wikimedia Store on CafePress is open for business.

I used to be an active member in Cafe Press and in fact lined up a few goods there but I gotten busy with mt blogging e-course.

Show your support for free and open culture by purchasing shirts, posters, mugs, mouse pads and messenger bags bearing the logos of your favorite Wikimedia projects.

There is more, much to the wikimedia merchandise in Cafe Press.

Why spend money before you make money?

If you think you had had enough of investing that yielded no returns, how about this business idea?

The rare coin business involves buying and selling rare coins.

Wait! You don’t buy it actually. Go to zoomcoin.com also known as Monaco Rare Coin that is a part of the Monex family of companies, a trusted leader in precious metals and rare coins for nearly 40 years.

Learn the nuances of rare coin market. Study what is available for sale and who are ready to buy what?

Use this information and be a middle man.

You can bank on Monaco Rare Coin. They offer a unique, vast and impressive array of resources for investors and collectors alike.

You can rely on Monaco’s established two-way buy-and-sell market for rare coins and precious metals products.

How Afghanistan protects itself from Swine flu?

There is only one known pig in Afghanistan and it is now safely quarantined. Visitors to the zoo may miss that pig as pig is still a curiosity in Afghanistan.

Pig is not eaten in Afghanistan; it is against their religion. Thus Afghans are very safe from this Swine flu disease which has caused quite a flutter in the world so far.

We read so many reports of Swine fly victims daily. WE also read about the various safety measures adopted by several countries.

Worldwide, more than 1,000 people have been infected with the virus, according to the World Health Organization, which also says 26 people have so far died from the strain.

Do you know that Mexico is the epicenter of this killer disease and so far only one death has occurred in Mexico because of Swine flu?

Via

The shy Chinese don't say ‘I Love You Mom’

Every mom in the world expected an expression of love from her offspring occasionally if not often- There is no exception to this universal expectation-right?

Here is an odd thing. I am sorry to tell you about this with Mothers Day behind us only 3 days before.

In China, both the mother and her children are too shy to say “I Love you” to each other. India too should rank along with China.

Though 67% of those responding to an online survey said that they would give their mother a gift to mark the day, only 25% said that they would verbally express that love to their mothers on the blessed day. And while that number may seem low, it’s not a reflection of less love - just less love expressed in language.

Many of the 6,000 responding to the online poll from Zhaopin.com said that they were “too shy” to tell their mothers how they felt.

Weird Asia News

Roman public baths in the heart of Paris.

The Roman public paths are placed in the heart of Paris, at the intersection of the Boulevard St. Michel and the Boulevard St. Germain.

But, don’t be prepared to take a bath there. It was a ‘once spot’. This spot was once the site of Roman public baths, a place of leisure for local residents in the first to third century A.D.

These archelogical discoveries are not mere history dear. They tell you many tales. The culture, belief, public welfare practices by the rulers, plumbing and fixtures, privacy-so many things can be learnt from ancient civilization when brought into contemporary world in reality.

Source

Do you know weeping fig?

Very interesting piece of information here.

Weeping fig that is also known as Benjamin plant is one of the most poisonous plants in the world. Its leaves when touched will cause itching on your skin. Invariably, you will have to contact your doctor because, you will be alarmed at the inflammation on your skin.

Surprisingly, this is grown as house plant in pots and tubs. This is mainly grown in warm climate ares. This ficus can't stand cold.

What a plant!

Do you know Brown Bear?

We all know black bear and white polar bear. But have you heard of Brown Bear? Where can they be seen?

They can be seen in plenty at Katmai National Park, at he base of Alaskan mountains. It is one of the brown bear viewing areas in the world.

There is a place called "Brooks Falls" there where these brown bears come to feed sockeye salmon. As usual, viewers are requested not to disturb the wild animals and they are allowed to view the brown bear from a viewing platform only.

These bears weigh up to 700 KG and they also eat vegetation though their favorite dish is fish and especially Salmon.



































Images are taken from Google Images.

Pet sacrifice.

Don't be alarmed that some one is sacrificing his pet as part of a religious belief. This sacrifice is something else.

A woman is making clothes by recycling pet's fur. Her name is Danelle German. She lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina.

She owns a business of recycling cat fur. She sais she was inspired when her friend asked her to clip her pet's hair so that it could be spun into yarn.

It is not uncommon for owners of pet to shorn their fur during summer. Now, Danelle capitalizes on the shaved of pet fur.

Here, watch this YouTube video clip:

Here is book titled "Knitting With Dog Hair:" that tells you how to make a sweater made from dog hair.

It is for sale at Amazon for $13.67

Source

Camelback displays increases the sales.

Call me a conservative; I don’t care. I have a reason for going to the same hotel every year on our wedding anniversary. No, it is not because of the food but because of the way the food is displayed using highly attractive table covers.

The dessert area in the buffet room is my favorite spot. The range of ice creams and fruit salads decorate the circular table as seen in the picture here.

Even at the entrance of the restaurant, visitors to the hotel will stop at the Octagon shaped table top display that mentions the special food and beverages being served at the restaurant.

Like me, it seems the hotel too is firm on using creatively arranged trade show exhibits to mount nearly 50 courses of food and more than 15 varieties ice creams.

My husband who never fails to pass on his heart felt compliments to the hotel staff, will be received with remembrance and shown to the coolest spot in the restaurant.

So, we have to wait for exactly 30 more days to celebrate our 25^th wedding anniversary at.. yes, the same hotel that we have been going for the past 20 plus years.

Best syringe for insulin injections.

Needles that are called as syringes in the medical world came into vogue as early as 13^th century but the fine syringes that we use to pierce the skin with minimum discomfort were developed by Charles Gabriel Pravaz and Alexander Wood in 1853.

The world’s largest syringe manufacturers are located in Britain and the world’s largest medical supplies dealer is AllegroMedical.com. They are probably the oldest online dealer of life enhancing products.

They later diversified their range of products to Exercise & Fitness Equipment, Nutritional Dietary Supplements, Maternity/Baby Supplies and Outdoor Gear.

Allegromedical.com offers extraordinary search facility of their products. You can search for products by brand name as well by category. Another unique feature of their search engine is you can use it to search for products by body condition.

It is a big website with over 55,000 medical, health and nutrition products. My husband buys syringes from them for his insulin shots.

361 intelligent civilizations in our galaxy .

We believe we are an intelligent civilization in the Milky way Galaxy. We also know that that there thousands of other such galaxies and we expect to find earth like civilizations in those galaxies.

As of February 2009, scientists have counted 361 intelligent civilizations in our galaxy alone. There may be more also.

What we fail to guess is we firmly believe we are the only intelligent life and so, we only look for similar form life. Human eyes and other senses are very inferior. We can't hope to see and identify other forms of life that surround us and in the space.

Milky way Galaxy Image by Sir Mervs via Flickr

The discovery of more than 330 planets outside our solar system in recent years has helped refine the number of life forms that are likely to exist.

BBC news

Do you know Shakuntala Devi?

Shakuntala Devi, the prodigal mathematician is believed to be a reincarnation of Ramanujam though both had different skills in mathematics.

While Ramanujam saw mathematical relationships as expressed in equations and identities; Shakuntala Devi iss a genius in mental mathematics.

S. Devi is also a calendar calculator. If you give her a date in the past, she will tell you the day of that date in a few seconds. Remarkable!.

Do you know that Shakuntala Devi never attended school? In fact she never got training formally in math.

Do you know that her father was a lion tamer in a circus?

Image