Rare facts, strange news, amazing ideas

A visit to 155 years old railway station.

2011-07-08T08:47:00.003+05:30

My husband showed this photo and asked me if I can recognize the building. I said no but I could clearly see the railway track and so, it must be a railway station.

Yes! It is Royapuram railway station in Madras. It is said to be the oldest railway station that has survived nearly 155 years!

Knowing my love for deserted railway stations where a beggar and a couple of stray dogs who barely look up at trains that pass by, my husband urged me to visit a blog of his friend who has written more about the Royapuram railways station.

Click on the Royapuram railway station image above that would take you back to the British era.

Hunab Ku-The Great Mayan God.

2011-06-25T13:47:00.002+05:30

Being familiar with the Hindu mythology, I found Mayan mythology very much similar to it. I love reading about our ancestors irrespective of countries and civilization.

The Mayan civilization is fascinating to me. I suddenly remembered many things in Mayan mythology when I read a brief news story in Times of India today. It was about the contents of a tomb of a Mayan king who lived and died before the birth of Jesus Christ.

Hunab Ku is said to be the God creator of Maya. People of Mayan civilization believed that Hunab Ku rebuilt the world after three deluges which poured from the mouth of a sky serpent.

Anti depressant Zoloft causing birth defects.

2011-06-10T14:25:00.004+05:30

Anti-depressant is probably one of the widely used pills by every adult in the U.S. The market is loaded with a great range of anti-depressant medication and Zoloft is one of them. It is prescribed as a treatment for serious depression, stress in post-trauma and even panic!

When pregnant women took Zoloft to treat different forms stress and tension, some of them noticed heart defects in their new born children. When it was found out that Zoloft might have been reason, the victims took the matter to the legal court by filing what is now called Zoloft lawsuit

Even the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology stated that fetuses exposed to Zoloft during early pregnancy are vulnerable to heart defects.

If you happen to know anyone who had recounted their sorry tale, extend your help to them by asking them to contact personal injury lawyers O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath, who are fully experienced to handle even the most complex products liability claims.

What is Shin Kicking?

2011-06-09T08:44:00.000+05:30

Yes, Shin Kicking is a kind of sports. I don't understand how any activity involving two or more persons beating, kicking each other can be classified as a sporting event. (example: boxing)

Shin Kicking is a contest between two fighters as to who can knock the other down by the simple, honest method of kicking the shit out of one another's shins. See, this is what I meant-how can you call this as a part of sports?

Shin Kicking is part of the Cotswold Games, a four hundred year-old tournament that claims to be the oldest Olympiad in the world.

The Cotswold Games began in the early 1600s when a local attorney called Robert Dover organised the games a protest against the rampant growth of Puritanism. Because, if anything is going to make those prudes lighten up it's the horrific breaking of another man's shins.

Gratitude: Cracked.com

Mystery worm caused havoc in China.

2011-06-08T20:28:00.002+05:30

Looks like it came straight out of one of those HollyWood movies-eh?

It seems so but there just may be an unexplainable connection. That is what the Chinese believe so.

These mystery worms have forced a bunch of farmers in northwest China to abandon their livestock and fled to safety.

It looks ugly and scary to me. I am glad that I am not a farmer in China.

I have seen odd looking flying creatures in the country side but this definitely is scarier of them all.

Source

Would you consider Topamax lawsuit?

2011-06-08T09:02:00.000+05:30

A Topamax lawsuit might certainly turn out to redress the sufferings of the victims of Topamax- the widely prescribed medicine to treat epileptic seizures in adults and children. But why would such a useful medicine is causing horrible side effects?

Pregnant women who were prescribed Topamax to treat their migraine ended up giving birth to children with serious birth defects is shocking. The entire world has risen up to this and started supporting the victims of Topamax.

Apart from various corners, the legal wing is also ready to provide legal assistance to the victims by filing a lawsuit after determining the validity of a case.

The Topamax legal claims team at O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath says their attorneys understand the gravity of the situation and are in a position to help the victims to get financial compensation.

Contact Info:

O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath – Personal Injury Lawyers – 808 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701 – 512-494-9949

The relationship between Potato salad and Hotmail.

2011-05-31T08:03:00.005+05:30

Potato salad Image via Wikipedia
What is the actual relationship between Potato salad and Hotmail? There is nothing literally but there is after all something in common as of today.

As per Alexa.com, both 'potato salad' and 'hotmail' are hot topics in the Internet. Don't ask me how. I am only quoting Alexa.

To quench my curiosity, I first clicked on 'potato salad'. (what a way to begin the day). The resulting web page showed some obscure potato salad recipes. Oh, how did this banal topic is rated as hot?

Next, the click on hotmail failed to urge me to click on the resultant web page.

My Observation:
Definitely there is nothing common between potato salad and hotmail.

The safest places in the world.

2011-05-19T14:10:00.004+05:30

The first thought that came to my mind when I saw these two pictures that came through email was these two places are the safest places in the world for the polar bear cubs that look temptingly cuddly.

We find shelters to stay away from the snow but for the polar bears, the snow offers perfect shelter.

I forwarded these two images to my brother's daughter. She promptly and proudly showed them to her class mates. She instantly became the star of attraction.

Chocolate bouquet with real golf balls.

2011-05-15T12:41:00.003+05:30

Ah, what a bouquet of chocolates! But strangely, it is sold as "Golf Bouquet" by Indulge in Chocolates

This chocolate bouquet is arranged in a ceramic container shaped a like golf ball.

Among plenty of chocolate bars and candy bars in this chocolate gift, you will a find a juice drink plus a few real golf balls.

What a combination!

Read this before you visit McDonald's next time.

2011-04-27T15:21:00.000+05:30

You like this fast food at your nearest McDonald's outlet and so do I? It is perfectly alright to indulge in these junks once in way. To be more specific about 'once in a way', I would say once in a life time.

Oh, Ok, I given in; once in a year.

If your frequencies to the McDonald's are more than that, then, at least know this calorie fact. You will consume anything between 600 to 800 calories depending on the meat inside the burger you order.

Tell me frankly, do you burn at least half of that in the next 3 hours after you eat and wash down with COKE?

Oh, those French Fries! I did not include its calories above!

Source:

Do you know Shoe Flower?

2011-04-23T18:40:00.000+05:30

Like you, I too thought that a Chine hibiscus is different from the ones in our garden. But they are the same, only we (sorry, I) came to know only today that they are the same.

Probably, you will recognize this picture taken from Google images!

Hey, here is more surprise. This flower is also called China Rose and Shoe Flower!

This flower is one of the flowers offered to God in India. The flower has a lot of medicinal uses mostly as a great hair care product. The flower is also edible and it is said to contain soluble fibre.

Have you tasted it's nectar? I have tasted it when I was a child. I still remember the sweetness.

I don't know why it is called Chinese hibiscus. I have posted this questions on Yahoo! answers. Will post the answer when I get it.

One Pizza costs $1000.

2011-04-19T13:22:00.000+05:30

One of relatives recently returned from New York after completing her higher studies. The way she exited from New York created quite a stir in my family.

She is mad about Pizza. A few days before she was scheduled to leave the U.S., she had gone to party at Nino Selimaj's luxury (?) pizza outlet with her friends and paid through nose. She shelled out over $1000 plus tips.

When she came out of the shop, she went directly to her apartment, opened her laptop and looked out for Nino's pizza. What she read shocked her. The pizza she ate with her friends contained an expensive caviar. The other toppings of the pizza included a lobster!

The funniest things is she thought she ate a vegetarian pizza and that is why she was shocked when read the bill amount that crossed $1000!

Image via

iPhone ATM location finder.

2011-04-18T14:10:00.002+05:30

Though the ATMs of different banks have networked together thus enabling us to withdraw cash from any ATM using our credit card or debit card issued irrespective of the issuing banks, we still prefer ATMs of our banks.

When we go out of town, invariably our wallets also go out of cash as if they have been waiting for such a moment to desert us. How do we locate the ATMs of our bank?

By using our iPhone, we can locate the ATMs.

ATM Hunter
An iPhone application is developed by the might Master Card is now used in iPhones. This application is called as "ATM Hunter" that enables us to locate ATMs almost anywhere around the globe wherever they are installed such as supermarkets, shopping malls, hotels, theaters and even in bars.

Source inspiration

This is how a scary sand tsunami looks.

2011-04-04T10:31:00.003+05:30

I think it was last Sunday prior to yesterday when I tried to reach my brother in Kuwait. I got him but the call did not last for more than a few seconds. I only said hello before the line went dead.

Only after 4 hours he called me back that he got stranded in a sand storm. That didn't mean much to me. I could visualize a sand storm; so I could understand the severity of it.

When I said that to him, he sent me video clip of the sand storm which looked a like sand tsunami to me. The entire city was swallowed in a huge cloud of sand. Looks very scary.

Watch it below.

Have you heard of Topamax lawsuit?

2011-03-31T09:04:00.001+05:30

The frequency of inventions of new medicines that treat fatal diseases and common maladies has diminished in the past decade. Sadly, incidents of medicines causing harmful side effects have increased many folds. This keeps the personal injury lawyers on their toes as is evident through the press release of Texas based O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath, personal injury attorneys specializing in providing legal assistance to victims of medicines and devices.

The Topamax lawsuit has clearly exposed the medical field’s inadequacies in warnings and usage of drugs. Topamax is prescribed for convulsions in epileptic patients but look at who are affected! The new born children are at the receiving end of side effects of Topamax.

Some pregnant women who took Topamax to treat migraine (the added usage of Topamax) gave birth to babies (not all of course) with peculiar birth defects.

Please contact O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath – Personal Injury Lawyers – 808 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701 – 512-494-9949 to get all the facts of Topamax lawsuit.

Magic disc. A party amusement.

2011-03-21T07:47:00.003+05:30

Fiverr.com is an excellent place to get things done for $5 and vice-versa. I made a few sales and also bought some services. The place is buzzing with activities. I used to amuse myself by reading some of the offbeat services in the advertising category.

Today, I read about one such gig. The seller had advertised that he is selling a magic disc for $5. A small disc which when placed on a hard surface, jumps into air.

Very amusing and truly magical. The seller has placed a video of the magic trick which you can watch below.

Fiverr continues draw more visitors every day.

A tomato fight? What is that?

2011-03-14T15:59:00.000+05:30

A tomato fight? Must be related to one of the many bizarre festivals of Spain. Of course, the festivals look bizarre only to those that are not from Spain.

Tomatina Tomato Fight is held on the last Wednesday of August each year in the town of Buñol in the Valencia region of Spain. Tens of thousands of participants come from all over the world to fight in a brutal battle where more than one hundred metric tons of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets.

What an idea of a fight? Don't you think it is a colossus waste of resources when you think of hungry nations? And to know that this festival is held for week is disturbing really.

The week-long festival features music, parades, dancing, and fireworks.

In preparation for the dirty mess that will ensue, shopkeepers use huge plastic covers on their storefronts in order to protect them from the carnage.

What happens?
*The party or festival starts at 10 a.m.
*Many trucks haul the bounty of tomatoes into the center of the town, Plaza del Pueblo.
*The festival begins when one person climb to the top of a two-story high, greased-up wooden pole and reach the coveted ham at the top.
*The signal for the beginning of the fight is firing of water cannons, and the chaos begins.
*Participants wear protective safety goggles and gloves.
*They must squish the tomatoes before throwing for safety precautions.

Thank you Wikipedia.

NASA scientist points to aliens through bacteria fossils in meteors.

2011-03-08T06:35:00.000+05:30

NASA does it again through one of its scientists Dr Richard Hoover, an astrobiologist!

Astrobiologist? What next?

Well, we all know bacteria but never seen one. After all, they are not visible to naked human eyes. If that is the case, how about fossils of bacteria? I am not joking.

This scientist Hoover has studied fossils of bacteria and that fossils embedded in dead meteors found on all the strange and isolated places on Earth.

These bacteria fossils revealed to him that life apart from Earth exist. He comcluded based on the fact that while some fossils of bacteria are similar to the bacteria found on earth, other fossils of bacteria offered no clue to him.

Read more

Flying alien female tried to interact with Russian pilot.

2011-03-03T14:45:00.003+05:30

The UFO was reported to by flying at great speed, about at 6000 mph! Whoops! That is real speed.

In the UFO that appeared in the radar of Russian air traffic controller's office, an alien was flying and the voice indicated it is a female. The language of course was incomprehensible-just a sort of miao miao.

The UFO was flying over the diamond capital called Yakutsk in Russia. At least, that is what the radar position indicated. It was very clear that alien was trying to talk to humans at the air traffic control office.

More

What is a Ghost Rocket?

2011-02-28T15:55:00.001+05:30

This is true but certainly unbelievable! I know, I have deliberate reversed the word which would normally read as, "Unbelievable but true".

Sometimes during 1946, in Sweden, mysterious rocket like missiles were spotted. No, they were not UFO in the usual sense when disc shaped objectes were reported as seen. (BTW, why such sightings were always seen by farmers?)

But these so called ghost rockets were seen not by public but by radars and military establishments. Were these caused by meteors?

This mystery is still unresolved but there is one interesting information about these ghost rockets in Sweden. The Swedish army prohibited reporting such sightings in newspapers especially to the exact location of a sighting, or any information regarding the direction or speed of the object.

This widely circulated photo of a "ghost rocket," taken July 9, 1946, in Sweden, was most likely a meteor.

What a lady fern can do for you?

2011-02-21T16:47:00.006+05:30

This plant is very familiar to all of us-right? It is called 'Lady fern', an ornamental plant. We would have never thought its decorative purpose.

However, it is a medicinal plant. The juices of the leaves of Lady Fern will cure the stinging feeling caused when we accidentally touch nettles.

The Africans crush the leaves on their palms to heal minor cut injuries.

I believe some species of Lady Fern leaves are used to make organic tea to cure cough. I am yet to check on this news bit that I read in a local magazine long back.

What is Nordic Walking?

2011-02-15T15:12:00.000+05:30

Have you see the sticks that are also called 'poles' used by skiers? Well, if you use such poles while walking on any other surface apart from snow is called 'Nordic' walking.

This exercise is considered very good when compared to normal walking because you apply pressure with your arms on the poles you are carrying and this burns more calories. Other benefits include increase in overall body strength and fluidity in the joints.

What is important is the height of the poles which should be about 2/3 of the height of the user. Real Nordic Walking Poles utilize special Nordic Walking Straps - kind of like a fingerless glove, allowing power transmission through the strap and eliminating the need to uncomfortably grip the poles.

These Nordic walking poles come with removable rubber tips for better grip on hard surface and and hardened metal tips for trails, the beach, snow and ice. Most poles are made from lightweight aluminum, carbon fiber, or composite materials.

Image courtesy: Exel

Legal remedies for Accutane injury.

2011-02-10T20:36:00.001+05:30

These days it is mandatory to locate relevant medico legal information even before consulting a doctor when you experience harmful side effects of any medicine you take.

There are more reports of legal action such as Accuntane Lawsuit than feedbacks of satisfactory results of medical treatment. It seems the number of physicians who treat a particular disease match the number of personal injury attorneys who are ready to provide legal help to victims of medicines, devices and various other products.

Somehow, medical journals carefully avoid mentioning cases of injuries occurring because of taking medicines that include weight loss pills, Accutane to treat bowel inflammation and acne cure tablets.

If you or someone you know has been taking Accutane and experience harmful side effects, you should contact your physician immediately. In addition, you can consult the law firm of O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath – Personal Injury Lawyers located at 808 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701. Phone: 512-494-9949

Beautiful gold coin of Isle of Man.

2011-02-01T12:47:00.004+05:30

I received a stunning picture post from the Isle of Man which showed a spectacular calm ocean and a lovely Angel gold coin, one of the coveted collection of Isle of Man coins in the world.

Not many knew that the Isle of Man's history dates back to 8000 BC! The country which lies in the Irish sea is part of the British Isles and is headed by the British Queen.

This one ounce gold coin is called "Angel" gold coin is sold at goldeneaglecoin.com for $ 1472.24

Enjoy these (cat)chy photos.

2011-01-27T14:12:00.005+05:30

-->Look at this! Garden mugging?

Rare photos not only require good camera and alert eyes. You also require luck.

You must be at the right place, at the right time and with the right people.

This rule applied to bloggers too. Only, I would rephrase the words slightly differently.

Hmmm...protective or possessive?

Image source: http://www.coolpic.info/funny-animals/?utm_source=wahoha.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=wahoha

Aren’t beauticians compared to God?

2011-01-22T07:52:00.003+05:30

I wonder whether students of Regency Beauty Institute are given the freedom of creating new hairstyles just like trainee chefs are allowed to cook up new dishes with untested ingredient combination.

I seriously raised this question in a forum dedicated to appearance. There were some replies but they were not from working beauticians. One man jokingly written that he is ready to volunteer because, he has nothing to lose.

Regency Beauty Institute is the leading beauty schools in the U.S. 50 Years ago, they founded it in Minneapolis but today, they have campuses in 19 states. I learnt that graduates from Regency Beauty Institute are more willing to set up their own beauty saloon than working for hotels and cine stars.

If only Regency Beauticians come to India, they would be quickly grabbed up the rich Indian film industry.

Aren’t beauticians compared to God?

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com or contact Regency Beauty Institute – 10217 North Metro Parkway West – Phoenix, AZ 85051

The plant with no leaves, stems or roots.

2011-01-20T15:02:00.004+05:30

It is a natural flower alright. Some would say it is beautiful and some would not agree by calling it ugly.

It is called 'Corpse Flower' because it emanates very bad smell which would our nostrils even from a distance.

Its real name is Rafflesia.

Here is the uniqueness of Rafflesia.

The plant has no stem, leaves or roots. It is also known as a parasitic plant.

2 million dollar bra!

2011-01-14T14:40:00.004+05:30

It is alright when a saree or churidhar or a men's suit cost around a million U.S.dollar but how will you react when you hear that a bra that contains a few centimeters of cloth costs $2 million?

Here is the Brazilian model Ariana Lima wearing a bra that is said to be priced at $2 million.

Though there is now I could find out why it is so expensive, I thought I saw something shining on it. Are my deceiving me?

I don't understand the desire to buy an inner garment that nobody would see at such a high price!

Source

Ostrich and lion steal the show.

2011-01-06T14:14:00.004+05:30

The weather is pleasant here at this time of the year. Even at 3.00 PM, there is a mild chillness in the air. I thought it is an ideal time to browse through my favorite of book of rare natural facts. I have not opened it since last October.

Some of them really amused me and I though I would share a few rare facts with you.
* Have ever you seen an Ostrich running? It is a delightful sight to watch. They are graceful runners. Do you know they can run faster than horses?

* Here is a new, rather unknown fact. Contrary to the popular belief, the lions are selective hunters and they definitely don't spend their entire time hunting down. I read that they have a limit of just 20 killings in a YEAR! Here is another interesting fact. The lioness does 90% of the hunting!

While both the above seem to be authentic, I can't say the same about this:
Cows have four stomachs!

Want to see an Ostrich dance?

Do you know recycled hotels?

2010-12-29T09:03:00.006+05:30

You have heard of recycled papers, But have you ever heard of recycled hotels? This is an amazing and thoughtful business acumen. A few highly enterprising businessmen have converted
* discarded containers,
* dumped pipes
* a jail
* a tram coach
* garbage collected at beach
* wine barrels

into hotels that attarct eager and adventerous travelers from all over the world.

The images throw more light on hotels room made of French wine barrels and German trams.

I wonder why they are not all that popular in the Internet. I appreciate webecoist.com for publishing this story. Thank you web ecoist!

Read more: http://webecoist.com/2010/12/20/sleeping-in-trash-trains-drains-14-recycled-hotels/

Moving leaves and sticks.

2010-12-24T07:22:00.010+05:30

In the first four images below, you can spot a frog, a fish, a sea horse and a moving leaf.

All are live creatures though living under camouflage and you can all these camouflages are nature's best creation. There may be more such creations from the God who has obviously chosen not to reveal all of them to man which itself is a proof that God is technologically highly advanced than man.

When I saw these pictures at webecoist, my mouth fell agape. I could not suppress my deep appreciation for the God who gave these survival methods to the creatures.

The last image is of course of a man who is trying to merge with the surroundings. What a poor attempt!

Thank you webecoist.

Karonda fruits of Bombay.

2010-12-14T10:13:00.004+05:30

Karonda is supposed to be India's answer to cranberries. This how Yahoo! described it in its article http://beta.in.news.yahoo.com/mumbai-s-13-weirdest-fruits-.html

I saw the image of Karonda in Google. These red and pink fruits are quite tempting to pop them in the mouth.

I have neither tasted Cranberries or Karonda. After reading the article, I think I won't bother with the fruit which is known to leave irremovable stain.

The author of the Yahoo! article has described the taste of Karonda as below:

Biting into a Karonda, you will experience a strange, dry astringent-like feeling in the mouth. Although it definitely tastes weird, it’s really fun to eat with a little sea salt sprinkled on.

Trivia:
Is it true that the seeds of Karonda are used in wine manufacturing?

Sources for vitamins A to V.

2010-12-09T10:34:00.003+05:30

People have been trying to find out the greatest vitamin. Well, every vitamin with its own in-built properties is essential to us. I think it is impossible to pinpoint one vitamin as the greatest of them all.

Let us examine the various vitamins from A to V and their natural resources.

Vitamin A Egg, fresh green vegetables, milk

Vitamin B1 Brown rice, yolk of the egg, whole wheat

Vitamin B2 Yeast and molasses, nuts, legumes

Vitamin B3 Peanuts, milk, fish, chicken, potato

Vitamin B4 Soybeans, fish, organ meats

Vitamin B5 & B6 Whole grains, fish, egg yolk

Vitamin B7 Yeast, unpolished rice

Vitamin B8 Nuts, Milk, Citrus fruits

Vitamin B9 Leafy vegetables, roots and milk

Vitamin B12 Cheese, milk, nuts, banana fruit

Vitamin B13 Roots

Vitamin B15 Sunflower seeds, brown rice, steak

Vitamin B17 Plums & peaches, apricots

Vitamin C Melon, citrus fruits, gooseberry, cauliflower, cabbage

Vitamin D Milk, sunflower seeds, sprouted grains, milk

Vitamin E Egg, nuts, roots

Vitamin F Butter, vegetable oils

Vitamin K Cauliflower, leafy vegetables, egg yolk

Vitamin Q Soybeans, pinto beans

Vitamin T Butter, sesame seeds

Vitamin V Leafy vegetables

That's all folks. Nature has all the vitamins for us. We never need to look for vitamin pills.

Who cares for rose gold?

2010-12-05T15:21:00.001+05:30

Every new trend and every hot fashion come to a natural end and they are replaced by new style, which becomes hot trend before cooling down. Do you remember the rose gold jewelry that stole the heart of women all over the world once? Well, the rose gold jewelry fashion lasted a little longer than expected because men too started wearing rose gold watches.

My father who went to buy gold coins for all of his daughters returned home with rose gold bracelets when I was studying in sixth standard. I screamed with delight when I first looked at the rose gold color.

I hear that the romantic rose gold jewelry might enjoy a second innings. However, I predict only youth might look at it favorably. Oldies definitely prefer the yellow gold they buy from the United States Gold Bureau, America’s largest seller of precious metals.

Image from Google images.

Who is a boy?

2010-12-05T06:20:00.000+05:30

Go ahead and address your boy friend as a girl. He should not be humiliated though he will. In modern Tamil movies, it is a fashion to address male as female and vice-versa. This is an affectionate call.

But there is a history behind this. During the 13th century or up to that time, girl meant any young person, male or female.

Then how did they distinguish the two?
Mostly, a female is known as a gay girl and a male as a knave girl.

Quite difficult even to imagine-eh? So, what's in a word?

There may be quite a lot of amusing facts in this category. Do you know any thing?

ET called?

2010-12-04T15:15:00.000+05:30

I had to dig for this news report about ET because of a request from my brother's daughter.

ET-Extra terrestrial-the movie which we all watched and enjoyed so long is still remembered and appreciated for the ingenious concept and great imagination.

Well, it seems the ET might really want to communicate with the movie producer, probably to ask if he would make another film with a live ET.

"KTVU reported scientists have received an odd signal from space and some readers may have interpreted this as a confirmed extra-terrestrial contact."-was it imagination or a desire?

Ok, it is for the technologists to interpret the signal and tell us in our terms what it is all about. In the meanwhile Allen array in California is now actively searching for more of these signals.

Image from www.star.le.ac.uk

Your cell phone has gold!

2010-12-03T16:01:00.000+05:30

Are you surprised?

You and I buy gold for investment purpose or as ornaments like rings and bracelets. Gold is used in various industries that include electronic components. Because gold is a good conductor of electricity, it is used in small quantities in mobile phones.

The U.S. Gold Bureau says every cell phone has gold worth of $0.50. Ah, I see you are disappointed.

The latest trend among bullion investors is to buy gold coins from different countries. Even the Americans are actively buying Canadian Gold Maple Leaf and the Chinese Gold Panda.

However, I wonder whether the Aussies and the Chinese are showing interest in American Eagle gold coins.

One more piece of amazing information from the U.S. Gold Bureau:

Archeologists once discovered golden hats in Central Europe area. The uniqueness is the discovery was made during Bronze age!

Your favorite books reveal who you are.

2010-11-28T06:37:00.000+05:30

If dating sites such as http://www.alikewise.com/ found out that couples react positively if they find similar literary tastes, I would say it is a very late discovery to be implemented in match making sites.

How much late? They are late by a minimum of 25 years!
Yes it was then I found out my man when his mother showed me his hidden chest of drawers in which he had kept the books he treasured most and did not want to share with every casual onlooker.

Alikewise.com, users' can include in their profiles, their favourite books. This is definitely an effective strategy to find like minded individuals.

Do you know Sympathetic Magic?

2010-11-24T10:06:00.000+05:30

There is said to be belief (in metaphysics) that like affects like.

Here is one more:
"Sympathetic magic is the basis for psychometry, the claim of psychic detectives that touching an item belonging to a victim gives magical contact with the victim."

The reason why I raised this topic here is my curiosity on the subject that was rather imposed on me through a spam email. (I always believed that even spam can be useful)

There were several movies in India in the earlier days that will usually project the bad character who will claim that he cannot be killed physically because his life (soul) is inside a parrot that is hidden in a remote island.

This idea is derived from the belief that an effect on one object can cause an analogous effect on another object, without an apparent causal link between the two objects. This is also a form Sympathetic Magic.

For more reads, please search in Wikipedia and Skepdic

Still storing your gold bars under the bed?

2010-11-20T16:28:00.001+05:30

Are you surprised I asked this question? Do you wonder how did I find out the hiding place for your gold?

You are not alone buddy. I too stored my gold ornaments under my bed confident that my mother-in-law won’t look for it there. Of course, I don’t buy gold bullion every other day. My father would buy for me and give it to me secretly. I once suspected that the hiding place is uncovered and I switched them to the pillowcase.

Now, all my gold has gone. I mean, they are now stored at an independent bank and this facility was arranged by the United States Gold Bureau, home to a large and dedicated staff of hard asset professionals committed to serving my precious metals investment needs.

Do you know my pillowcases are now happy as they are home to the all the documents related to my gold storage?

BTW, the smart Americans are quietly accumulating their gold purchase as the advice of the U.S. Gold Bureau. Yes, gold is expected to go up again.

Sculptures made of computer parts.

2010-11-19T16:20:00.003+05:30

Definitely not an alien creature. This dragonfly is purely made of junk hardware-the things taken from our disposed computer and accessories.

You can see a fan, PCBs, led bulbs etc-right?

The artist behind this is, Steven Rodrig, a computer geek.

My son used to do this kind of art, only his raw material were buttons, waste wires, plug pins and pen caps.

Source: http://www.geek.com/articles/chips/artist-turns-old-pcbs-into-sculptures-20100323/

Wall Street woos bullion.

2010-11-15T08:00:00.002+05:30

This is of course the first time that Wall Street Journal aka WSJ encourages the public to invest on bullion. Nevertheless, the bullion investing community believes that both the WSJ and the United States Gold Bureau are of the same opinion for the first time simultaneously.

Personally speaking, I think the WSJ is not that much active in encouraging the world population to invest in gold and silver. If the American public would indulge in some reminiscences, they would surely express their sincere gratitude to the Unites States Gold Bureau for helping them to protect their wealth through their frequent press releases that spoke about the gold price movements and predictions.

Now that the WSJ says Buy Gold, I think we should all take it as a confirmation of the U.S. Gold Bureau’s decrees and start buying gold at least now.

Trees to replace street lights.

2010-11-12T07:30:00.003+05:30

I agree we don't have a Einstein in us to wonder on myriad things that will lead to world changing inventions.

For example, have you ever wondered on new alternative energies? Do we have to depend only on electricity to survive?

Here is someone that imagined all the trees to glow which can immediately replace the street lights! Would not that make the whole world glow like a dream cinema setting?

See a sample of glowing tree below:

How can you make this possible?
Popular science, a leading web site that writes about technology and science says if trees are infused with gold nanoparticles, then, we can do away with street lights.

Other advantages:
* Reduce carbon emissions
* Reduce the cost of electricity
* Minimize light pollution

Interesting-eh?

Colour Yellow speaks.

2010-11-09T14:05:00.001+05:30

Do you like yellow color like me? Would you like to know some amazing facts about the color yellow that might also tell you a bit about you?

I blog about obvious things that pack rare and amusing facts. Well, we all have seen beautiful yellow t-shirts, jerkins, flowers, birds and animals but never thought anything beyond our casual look and a little of appreciation.

Here are some popular yellow products:
* Post-it sticky notes
* Yellow card used in soccer.

I like:
* Canary bird
* Yellow parakeet
* Yellow jerkins
*Yellow gates

Funky-facts.blogspot.com is a similar blog like mine that has published amazing facts about yellow color.
I reproduce some of them below:

Yellow is a color associated with sun which when interpreted, corresponds to warmth, happiness, fun, friendship etc.

In India, yellow is considered very auspicious and a sign of good omen where the Japanese consider yellow as the color of courage whereas he American mean cowardice when the abuse a person as 'you are yellow'.

Strangely, the Egyptians associate the yellow color to mourning.

Read more: http://funky-facts.blogspot.com/2010/06/facts-about-colour-yellow.html

Is gold heading for another run up?

2010-11-04T17:26:00.000+05:30

Gold bullion is getting ready for another run up as per the U.S. Gold Bureau. It is echoed by top bullion market investment analysts.

On the other hand, there is really no need to wait for such predictions before you buy gold coins-right? Gold has never betrayed the trust placed on it from the times of ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans.

Time and gain, the ever-dependable bullion had its last laugh on people who placed their wealth building effort on other financial markets. Even real estate that is preferred next only to gold as an investment avenue, had deserted us in times of economic depression.

At least until another metal is discovered that can beat the value of gold (so unlikely), there is no alternative for us than to trust gold for our safe investment.

Stunning facts about fruits.

2010-10-31T17:13:00.001+05:30

Calling stunning or amazing, the fact is it is worth knowing about, at least for academic interest.

This blogs is always looking for rare facts about people, animals, birds, places and plants. Two days before, I stumbled on to a blog funky-facts.blogspot.com that published similar blog posts that include weird facts about people, animals, earth and more.

I clicked on the title, "amazing fruit facts' and saw a video clip for about 3 minutes. At the end of it, I am richer by interesting knowledge about different fruits that are not known to many.

Here is a sample for you:
Do you know that the pappaya fruit contains a mineral called Papain that is considered as a natural meat tenderizer?

Here it is, the video clip about amazing facts about fruit.

Download:

FLV MP4 3GP

Cheap silver bullion.

2010-10-21T16:38:00.000+05:30

Do you know that you can buy silver bullion at dealers’ cost?

I used to work in an advertising agency long back where most of the colleagues’ dining room talk was always on bullion buying and selling. At that time, I just graduated and it was my first job.

I did not know anything about trading in silver and gold bullion.

Today, the story is different. I have become a highly experienced precious metals investor due to my association with several gold clubs. The most useful among them is the U.S. Gold Bureau.

I have been a regular visitor to usgoldbureau.com and I have subscribed to their valuable newsletter called ‘Gold Monitor’.

Just 5 days before, the U.S. Gold Bureau had announced a special Internet sale of some rare bullion coins at cheap rates.

I am yet to avail of this wonderful investment opportunity. I though I would let you know about this great news.

Do you know how to find out the number of back links for your website?

2010-10-17T08:40:00.000+05:30

If you are a serious internet marketer, you cannot deny your effort to build up backinks for your website-agreed?

How do we generally build up backlinks?

We submit our site to directories.
We write articles and submit to article directories.
We make our site interactive by adding ‘Blogs’ to our site.
We integrate RSS feeds to our site so that visitors to our site are given the facility to subscribe to out site and view the updates immediately in their browser with the help of a news aggregator.
We visit sites that are related to our website and request a link exchange.
We use social bookmarking sites to tag our web content.

After all these relentless, surely we would like to know how many websites are linking to our website.

I happened to stumble on this wonderful tool, that instantly displays the backlinks.

All you need to do is, enter your website url into the box provided and click ‘submit’ to see the number of your website’s backlinks.

Try it mate. If you like, please pass it on; Share.

I express my gratitude to the owner of this tool.

tool to find backlinks

Do you know red tide?

2010-10-12T08:48:00.005+05:30

Don't be afraid of this sea tide. It is neither blood nor any oil slick.

What you see is called Red Tide. The red color is because of a single cell algae.

The red-tide is mostly harmless though it is said to be fatal to fishes and mammals including human beings.

Red tides occur due to what is termed as algal blooms which means when the microscopic plankton becomes too abundant even for the ocean to bear, they get washed away on the sea shore.

However, there has never any death of a man due to red tide.

What a color combination! It is a beautiful sight-eh?

Bluebonnet won't be picked by the Texans.

2010-10-08T07:15:00.008+05:30

The first time I spotted live the beautiful lavender colored bluebonnet (a misnomer?)
in Bangalore, I screamed in sheer delight! My God! What a color.

Below, you can see some of the images of this wonderful flower Bluebonnet. The pictures were taken in the state of Texas.

Look at the spread along the entire stretch.

No wonder the Texans don't pick the Bluebonnet. It is their state's pride that attract tourists who I am sure won't move further from the spot for a long time.

Their cameras can't take them all. People should fill their memory's full content to recall and enjoy.

Highway 306 from New Braunfels to Purgatory Road (almost to Canyon Lake )

Highway 71 from Austin to Brady

Another lovely hue of the flower.
(spot the python)

I read the Texas Government is actively planting the seeds of Bluebonnet along all the highways in their state.

Beautiful blue animals and creatures.

2010-10-03T12:41:00.002+05:30

When I blogged about beautiful red colored animals, my husband asked me if I know of any blue colored animals. I said 'no' then.

Today, I pulled him from newspapers and showed him the beautiful blue animals.
Watch some of them below.

Here is a strikingly blue macaw called Hyacinth Macaw. The south Americans are again the pride people to say these birds belong to their geography.

The area surrounding their eyes are bright yellow. What a contrast!

This is a poisonous blue frog named 'Blue Arrow'. It seems there frogs of every imaginable color-eh? Again, it is Amazon forests that houses them.

Blue Ribbon Eel:

Blue Lobster:
Yes, you can eat it but it will mot be blue inside. Only the shell is blue.

Courtesy: Webecoist.com

Do you know Crohn’s disease?

2010-10-02T16:30:00.001+05:30

I did not know what Crohn’s disease is until today. Without scaring you, I will tell you briefly about Crohn’s disease. On the other hand, would you rather learn it yourself?

If that is your wish, then it is better you first visit the website of O’Hanlon, McCollum & Demerath, a Texas based team of personal injury lawyers who are at present busy in handling Accutane lawsuit.

Why I am asking you to visit a legal site to learn about Crohn’s disease instead of directing you to an in depth article about Crohn’s disease? Because, eventually you will end up in a medico legal site as most of the articles related to Crohn’s disease would direct you there.

For those who would prefer to read the relevant information about Crohn’s disease here itself, please read below.

Crohn’s disease is related with intestinal disorders (bowel disease) that occur after taking a medicine called Accutane to cure certain acne!

Unbelievable-is it not?

Amuzing facts.

2010-09-29T05:05:00.000+05:30

My son, a software engineer is working for an I.T. major in India. These I.T. guys have worldly knowledge and quickly develop a global network of friends.

My son used to forward amazing video clips, rare technological information, humorous video clips and strange facts through email.

I reproduce below some of them for your amusement and party smart conversation.

* The liquid inside young coconuts can be used as a substitute for Blood plasma.

* Donkeys kill more people annually than plane crashes or shark attacks.

* You burn more calories sleeping than you do watching television.

* The King of Hearts is the only king without a moustache.

* American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one (1) olive from each salad served in first-class.

* It is possible to lead a cow upstairs but, not downstairs.

Shake to lose weight.

2010-09-25T06:24:00.001+05:30

Fitness equipments that focus on weight loss are the most bought gym items in the world. More and more ingenious ideas are being developed to lose weight as well as tone up biceps.

The biceps in the arms are a matter of big concern to those who are above 50. It tends to sag ugly.Here is a new fitness equipment that enables one to shed fat and tone up arm muscles.

Watch the video carefully and see how the women are using a device which is lifted in one hand and shaken.

Very innovative idea.

Download:

FLV MP4 3GP

Meet the orange man.

2010-09-21T15:19:00.005+05:30

Vegetable art is taking the world by storm. This art that requires plenty of patience and creativity is admired by everyone, irrespective of age and culture.

In India, the wedding reception attracts quite a number of admirers of the vegetable art production that will be spread on a huge table.

Once, I watched for more than two hours an artist cut the red pumpkin and carved out a maharaja. Not once did he look up at me during the entire two hours.

What a concentration and dedication!

Via

Vegetegarian desserts recipes.

2010-09-15T15:05:00.003+05:30

A few decades before, a staunch meat eater will not like it at all if you ask to turn a vegetarian. Today, it seems like an easy task. Westerners who are born non-vegetarians now started accepting the fact that one can still survive without eating meat!

Initially, they found it difficult to eat vegetarian food as they were not aware of vegetarian recipes. If you tell them you can make cakes and ice creams without using egg, they would laugh at you.

Now, egg less cakes are sold in special counters in all the cake shops.There are many recipes for making vegetarian desserts, pies and puddings.

Using the chocolates, coconuts, milk and honey, here are 20 exciting vegetarian recipes for making desserts.

Chocolate coconut cream pie:

Will gold become a currency again?

2010-09-11T07:42:00.001+05:30

If I say that there is a possibility of bullion becoming a true trading medium again, I might be called crazy. I don’t think people will learn ever even if they witness a dozen more economy catastrophe that will prove paper money as the most dubious form of currency to buy and sell goods.

What if I site one or two examples of gold being used as a medium exchange to buy and sell day to day needs?

Yes, I will be accused of fabrication.

However, I know for sure that in certain places in the world today, gold is treated as a currency.

In fact, I wish it to become a reality all over the world.

Buy pure gold in the form of coins and bars from the United States Gold Bureau, home to a large and dedicated staff of hard asset professionals and America’s best dealer in precious metals.

Can trees scare you?

2010-09-08T12:53:00.008+05:30

Well, not all tress but tress that display bizarre formations due to vagaries of nature can scare even me, an ardent tree lover.

Look at these two trees for example:

Here is another tree-a betel nut tree in Malaysia showing bizarre natural formation.

What you see below is real. Yes, the head of the Budhha statue is real. The rest of the body is separated during the Burmese sacking of Ayutthaya in Thailand several hundred years ago.

The name given to such natural images is "Pareidolia". What we see as images in Moon and Mars also belong to Pareidolia. I welcome more images in this category.

Images:
http://www.oddee.com/item_97078.aspx

Health food? Are you kidding?

2010-09-06T07:20:00.000+05:30

Once, several years before when I got married, I used to impatiently await Friday newspapers because of articles about new restaurants, healthy recipes and ads for healthy foods.

I have relentlessly chased the restaurants to try their healthy foods.

Now, after 25 years, I have realized the stupidity of my assumption that all that appears in newspapers are genuine and authentic.

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

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

One doctor took the pain of explaining to me 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.

What do you say?

Rural India might push up gold price.

2010-09-03T09:03:00.000+05:30

I don’t agree with the recent reports in various media that the Indian rural population can’t afford to buy bullion and that is why they are buying silver in larger quantities than the city dwellers.

On any day, you can find large numbers of rural people in the crowded gold jewelry shops in Madras. Their purchasing power too has increased though they may not be informed bullion buyers like urban people.

Veteran precious metals investment analysts have opined that the silver demand has come down mainly because of poor patronage to silver by city population, which is contrary to the press release of U.S. Gold Bureau that says the U.S. has been buying silver since 1990 as they foresee a demand supply gap in silver.

The overall gold buying in India and China might push the gold price to $2000 in 4 months.

Amazing butterfly migration.

2010-09-01T09:26:00.001+05:30

It is natural that you can't find anything clear in the picture below. So, view the second picture.

Now, do you recognize the familiar Monarch Butterfly? The picture above shows millions of Monarch butterflies on their migrating move.

Monarch butterflies hold the record of longest distance covered during migration in the insects segment.

Hey, do you that this amazing fact was not discovered until 1975?

Scientists believe that many changing world geography, flora and fauna might affect this fantastic migration phenomenon.

Courtesy: webecoist.com

Premature burials and not prematured death.

2010-08-29T09:04:00.000+05:30

Have you read a book titled, "Premature Burials..." published in 1905. The book cited several cases where people were buried in coffins before ensuring their death by a medical doctor.

It is surprising to note that even in 1905, there were fewer medical equipments to find life and this led to premature burials. In the book, real life (death) experiences were narrated by people who have regained their consciousness in their coffin buried under the earth.

One most published story of premature burial involved a certain woman called Madam Blunden in England who was buried in school. The students of the school, while playing, heard noise coming from underneath.

When dug up, they found the woman died just then after frantically trying to escape from the coffin.

Source: Daily mail.

India causes bullish trend in bullion.

2010-08-26T16:36:00.002+05:30

Do you know that India’s consumption of gold bullion now stands at 365 tons until 30^th June 2010?

So what is special?

Well, for the same period in 2009, it was only 188 tons! The percentage of rise in the demand for gold is a whopping 94%.

China too has reported tremendous growth in gold demand. It is no wonder the World Gold Council has predicted bullish bullion market mainly because of India and China’s gold investing attitude.

All this has happened much earlier to the festivals and marriage season in India, which are around the corner. One can very well imagine how the year 2010 is going to end for bullion investors.

This is no hype folks. Yesterday, (Wednesday 25^th August 2010), the gold price hit a seven-week high!

Echoing the current precious metals market trend, the U.S. Gold Bureau has launched three new gold bars at attractive rates.

Who created Vishnu, Siva and Brahmma?

2010-08-22T08:20:00.004+05:30

I am a staunch vaishnavite. However, some odd mythological references here and there in the web or in offline magazines that might be in total contrast to my beliefs don't make me angry.

In fact, I am amused when I read such tidbits.

Here is a sample.

Before the beginning of time, there existed a Goddess named Ammavaru. She laid an egg and from it, the triumvirate Brahmma, Vishnu and Siva came out.

Look, I have not created this myth; it is available in the web.

Here is the source:

"Ammavaru."

I dug deep and learnt that the South Indians worshiped Ammavaru in a symbolic way. They filled a metal pot with rice, placed a painted coconut on top of the rice and the pot was covered with a saree.

The image of Ammavaru found in wikipedia.

Natural geyser attarcts tourists.

2010-08-17T08:35:00.005+05:30

I don't know about you but I would like to visit this Yellowstone wonder. It is one of the world's natural geyser that was found in 1870 and since then, it has not stopped shooting up hot water.

It is reported that the water reaches up to height of 100 feet! People say that it erupts almost every hour now and pumps out 8400 gallons of hot water.

Yellowstone park is located in Wyoming where one can sight very bairds and repltiles too. The Yellowstone park has been in operation since 1872.

Snow Coaches:
Probably, Yellowstone is the only place in the world that uses snow coaches to transport people during winter.

You see below the live eruption of Yellowstone and people watching it from a safe distance.

Download:

FLV MP4 3GP

Do you know the Tola gold bar?

2010-08-12T09:15:00.004+05:30

Tola gold bar was actually imported from Europe even though the word ‘Tola’ indicates a weight in India that was used long ago. A Tola is equal to 11.66 grams. The Tola gold bars mostly minted as 10 Tola bars which in Europe is equal to 3.75 ounce.

Tola bars were once widely circulated in India, Pakistan, and Singapore and in Gulf countries.

Though the Indians bought them in large quantities, later, the Pakistanis started buying to make wedding jewelries. Do you know that a marriage necklace in Pakistan weighs as much as 500 grams?

However, all these are history now! People buy gold bars in very small sizes ranging from 5 grams to one ounce. Only Governments are buying gold bars that weigh 100 grams or more.

The most authentic source to buy bullion is the U.S. Gold Bureau from whom one can purchase silver, gold or other precious metals and coins for immediate personal delivery or arrange for convenient and safe storage at an independent bank or depository.

Image courtesy: Google Images

Ajanta caves-a must see place in India.

2010-08-12T08:43:00.003+05:30

The picture you see here is where the ancient caves of Ajanta are located.

Inside the caves, anyone from any nation can see the glimpses of ancient India through stunning sculptures.

The many facets of Indian religion are true examples of the religious tolerance practiced by every Hindu ruler that have governed India until the advent of Turks and English.

Apart from carvings out of granite rocks, one can enjoy the finest paintings depicting the Buddhism that had stood over several centuries inside the safety of caves of Ajanta.

Ajanta caves can be reached from the city of Aurangabad in just two hours by road.

If you visit once, you would want to visit again and again. Yes, it takes many days to stay in Aurangabad to explore the caves fully.

Ajanta caves are a pride to Indian art.

Angel Falls-the highest Waterfall in the world.

2010-08-11T08:01:00.000+05:30

Water-the planet earth's most attractive element has more surprises for us than any other basic element like fire, air, earth and space.

Water is the only force that we all watch happily. The pictures you see here are taken from super angles to project the real height and fall of the magnificent waterfall-the Angel Falls.

It is estimated to be fifteen times taller than Niagara.Angel Falls is the world’s highest waterfall, with a height of 979 meters (3,212 ft) and a plunge of 807 meters (2,647 ft).

Location of Angel Falls:
It is located in the Canaima National Park , Venezuela. This is an UNESCO World Heritage site.

Trivia:
* The mist from the falling water can be felt a mile (1.6 km) away!
* It is named after Jimmie Angel, an aviator who first discovered it in 1933.

No good news from the U.S.

2010-08-11T06:38:00.000+05:30

“There is no good news coming from the U.S. and the Euro zone” feels the Aussies and this has made them to buy gold coins in huge quantities. This was revealed by George Vo, Precious Metals Sales Manager of Gold De Royale in a press release in May 2010.

This is the first time I am hearing about the gold hysteria in Australia. Generally, news about the attitude of Australian investors is rarely published in newspapers.

I believe they too are sincerely reading the newsletters of the U.S. Gold Bureau, the number one authority on precious metal investment. They have been educating the Americans about the importance of diversifying their savings.

The news about the safety of investing in gold and silver have even prodded the Australian farmers to follow the mass.

I wish the Indian farmers too took a note of this wisdom of buying at least silver bullion, which they can easily afford.

Scary creatures. Rare Photos.

2010-08-06T08:30:00.000+05:30

The pictures below are all creatures photographed in Planet Earth though, all of them look like aliens. These creatures look scary.

.
Source: smilepanic.com/animals-or-aliens

Crazy theme park rides.

2010-08-02T09:02:00.006+05:30

Why I call the rides at Diggerland (http://www.diggerland.com/devon/) theme park as crazy?

Because, only huge machines that we all have seen at construction sites are used for providing exciting and thrilling rides. These machines are real buddy!. The earth movers, bulldozers and cranes are used as ride providers.

Look at the picture below and you will understand what I am speaking about. Digger Land is in England only at a few locations.

I don't think I will ever get up in one of the earth movers though get lifted by a crane would suit my nerves.

Give me red.

2010-07-28T07:06:00.000+05:30

I like red birds but a red Heron? See this picture. Do you think it is beautiful to see such a huge bird in blood red color?

You have seen them all-red bugs, red fish and probably even a red frog though I have not yet seen it.

In webecoist.com, you can see several red animals and craetues that include red lizard, a red snake and of course the red Ibis that I mentioned wrongly (does it matter really?) as Heron.

These Scarlet Ibis are found in the Caribbean Islands and of course in South America where most of world's exotic birds are living.

A stunning red star fish is splendid to look at. What a creation! The most stunning of them all is a full red sheep covered with bright red wool. Hey, the color looks artificial man!

Realistic paintings of Roberto Bernardi.

2010-07-24T06:47:00.000+05:30

Would you believe if I tell you these are not images of real food shelves or kitchen sink but they are paintings?

Probably not!

Have you ever heard of these painters that are known to produce such realistic masterpieces of art?
* Roberto Bernardi
* Eric Christensen
* Steve Mills
* Pedro Campos
* Tom Martin
* Jason Degraaf

Roberto Bernardi is only 36 years. This Italy born genius painter had produced marvellous works of hyper-realistic art.

Fr more pleasures of viewing: http://smilepanic.com/hyper-realistic-paintings

Who minted the most beautiful coins?

2010-07-20T14:06:00.000+05:30

I am not a qualified numismatist to rate ancient gold coins of Egypt and Rome but I can (you too can) agree when shown a coin as the most beautiful. Ptolemy’s coins were carved with much creativity.

My small possession of American eagle gold coins that I bought from the U.S. Gold Bureau is my cherished treasure. If I go by their recent press release, I should buy some silver coins too. Somehow, I will have to manage my finance to purchase a few silver coins. This seems to be the right moment to invest in silver.

The United States Gold Bureau offers to store your precious metals purchase safely. I feel it is the right option to exercise instead of taking personal delivery and worrying over guarding them.

Still, the sight of silver and gold coins gives you immense confidence.

Freelancer.com turnover exceeds $60 million.

2010-07-18T14:09:00.002+05:30

Freelancer.com says their total value of outsourced work has exceeded $60 million so far. Quite impressive considering low pay rates for most of the jobs.

Sure, it is a rare fact. You don't come across such astronomical figure these days in the dot com business. This is encouraging for the world economy. The dot com bust is now a thing of the past. The Internet money flow is picking up and the entire community of freelancer is happy with increased work availability.

Now, Freelancer.com has launched another website freemarket.com. It is where you and I can sell our digital content like templates, scripts and logos.

I browsed through the listings and there are not many. I wish they add more categories like pdf tutorials and video tutorials.

Rain prediction for next 40 days!

2010-07-15T08:29:00.003+05:30

I thought only Indian folklore is riddled with strange beliefs till I read about this tidbits about St Swithin's day. As per their folklore, if it rains today, it will continue to rain for forty days.

Is it so?

Incidentally, today (15th July) is his feast day. He was an affable bishop lived in Winchester. He patronized charity ardently like any Christian religious leader.

There are several legends associated with St Swithin including a miracle.

Find out more about St Swithin.

Bruce Lee's secret of defence.

2010-07-09T04:26:00.000+05:30

We all know Brucee Lee is the master of Kung Fu. But its real name is Wing Chun. Bruce Lee's master was Yip man.

When Bruce Lee became a champion of Wing Chun, he felt it is not sufficient to defend oneself and introduced several modifications. He invented his own method later.

His version of Kung Fu involved in blocking the opponent's attack with just one hand and use the other hand to deliver a punch in the chest simultaneously. This proved a deadly combination. Speed was his prime weapon.

The Celtic goddess known as Silver Wheel.

2010-07-05T09:28:00.003+05:30

The Welsh (Celtic) Mythology is an interesting study for historians and history buffs. I believe the Celtic mythology is not that well known as Greek or Roman mythology.

There is some amazing story about the Celtic moon-mother goddess, called the "silver wheel" also known as Arianrhod.

There intriguing mentions about 'sea spirit', magic rod, mystic ways to test the virginity of a woman etc.

This goddess's mother name is Don. Very interesting. Even I, as typical mathematician that never like history, found myself glued to the rare history book that my husband got it recently in an used books den in Madras.

The world's lesser known beauty in Turkey.

2010-06-30T04:29:00.000+05:30

First, click on the image for a larger view to appreciate the sheer beauty of one of the UNESCO world heritage paces in the world.

This place is in Turkey. Name of the place is Pamukkale.

It has been in existence since 2000 years. This place came to be after a series of earthquakes in Turkey that made the hidden hot springs to surface and along with it calcium carbonate.

When the water dried up, the chalky calcium carbonate condensed and formed layer-upon-layer of Travertine over all these years.

The demon to fall from the sky.

2010-06-26T06:04:00.001+05:30

This had happened in 1702 AD. A very fortunate innkeeper in a remote village called Prahova located in Romania saw something like a slab of ice to fall from a dark sky. The innkeeper saw it as very odd as the ice seemed to have something embedded in it.

He let the ice melt only to see a monkey like figure that was devoid of hair. Very strange he thought because the figure was in blue color. There were indications that the monkey had wings and tail that looked like a whip!

The inquisitive innkeeper had the creature skinned and mounted over the bar trestle. This drew visitors for three years until a monk advised that it be burnt as he suspected to have been demon.

(Source: Egorov Raczaw: 1728 – Prahova Travel Journals through aquiziam.com)

Forgive me, no pictures.

Are you afraid of ventriloquist’s dummies?

2010-06-22T15:12:00.005+05:30

Ventriloquists' dolls or dummies as they are called won't scare anyone. But can you stand the sight of thousands of ventriloquists' dummies?

Obviously not! Those bizarre looking figures with bulging eyes, unshapely face and all that will scare anyone.

There is a special museum in New Haven, Connecticut. It holds only thousands of old ventriloquist’s dummies. People who fear artificial human figures are supposed to be affected by Autonomatonophobia.They will surely stay away from this eerie museum.

But if you think you don't have such strange phobia, you may get one after visiting the museum.

Image from magicmagicmagic.com/images/dummies7.jpg

How to preserve the shine on gold coins?

2010-06-18T14:14:00.000+05:30

I had absolutely no intention to buy gold coins yesterday but still I ended up buying five American Buffalo gold coins from the United States Gold Bureau. Call it an impulsive buying!

Only after I bought the treasure, I leant that I bought from the most respected gold coins dealer in the world. United States Gold Bureau comprises of hard asset professionals committed to serving your precious metals investment needs.

This is the first time I bought gold coins online. I intend to keep it for a long time and pass it on to the next generation. Therefore, I went about searching for ways to keep the gold coins as new and shining.

I gathered plenty of tips to preserve gold coins intact. During that process, I came across a coin cleaner. Until that time, I did not know about coin cleaners at all. It is supposed to remove tarnish and finger marks. What a useful product!

The Night before Christmas.

2010-06-15T15:43:00.003+05:30

Image via Wikipedia

The jolly elf image of Santa Claus had received a big boost with the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas," now better known as "The Night Before Christmas." was written in 1823.

Sure, Santa Claus, and Christmas Gifts are synonymous.

When St.Nicholas was brought by the first Europeans who arrived in the New World, he was regarded as a kindly Christian saint, good Bishop.

So when, St. Nicholas became a red-suited American symbol for merry holiday festivity?Before you know that please be aware of his difficult time during the 16th century Protestant Reformation which took a dim view of saints.

Even though both reformers and counter-reformers tried to stamp out St. Nicholas-related customs, they had very little long-term success, because the common people so loved St. Nicholas.

He survived on the European continent as people continued to place nuts, apples, and sweets in shoes left beside beds, on windowsills, or before the hearth.

Deriving from some of the legendary snippets such as St. Nicholas comes down chimneys to bring gifts, Washington Irving, first gave the modern day image of Santa Claus in his satirical fiction, Knickerbocker's History of New York, published in 1809.

When Nicholas was shown in a gift-giving role with children's treats in stockings hanging at a fireplace by artist Alexander Anderson, people loved it instantly and the rest is history.

Enough of history? Ready to envision the next Christmas’s custom made gift baskets?

Order online with gourmetgiftbaskets.com for unique, high-quality gourmet Christmas gift baskets that are fantastic gifts for both personal and corporate gift giving.

Men with a body of a fish.

2010-06-10T08:45:00.003+05:30

For Indians, women with a body of a fish (machha kanni)is nothing new. But, even for them, men with a body of a fish is news.

In the Mesopotamian mythology, civilization was given to mankind by seven men, whose lower body (torso) resembled a fish. These seven men were known as "Abgal" or "Apkallu". They rose from Absu, a fresh water body.

There were mentions in the history of Mesopotamia that these seven Apkallu were said to have wings.

Mesopotamian civilization gave much to the modern world. Mesopotamia was a region between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates in western Asia. Modern Iraq might have been the early Mesopotamia.

Abarimons' had backward feet.

2010-06-07T14:06:00.003+05:30

The myriad range of popular and unpopular beliefs and customs in India are all derived from the four Vedas. But the western cultures view the India or other Asian cultures as false beliefs.

These will be very interesting. I am generally interested in Anthropology and the mythologies of all the six continents.

I will do periodical research in the Internet and blog about wonderful beliefs, cultures of the whole world. My blog posts will make you to come and again to my blog.

The facts that will you will find here won't be easily available for you anywhere in the Internet. I have done extensive research in the Internet and compiled voluminous content. More research is being done.

Here is a sample on Hindu mythology:
Abarimon:
Do you that Abarimon was a human race and their feet had turned backwards? They ran faster than animals in spite of their physical oddity.

They were said to have inhabited the Himalayas. Pliny the Elder was the first to have spotted them and wrote in his book.

The safest insurance for retirees.

2010-05-31T17:52:00.002+05:30

“Gold is what people worship if they don't go with the invisible God”-I like this quote and I thank whoever said it. I differ slightly though; I worship both the God and the Gold. After all, there is only one extra letter in gold.

I am serious about investing in gold. Moreover, I have become a seasoned precious metals investor and rare coins collector. However, I do not buy gold coins as enthusiastically as before, I keep myself updated with the bullion market through newsletters circulated by the U.S. Gold Bureau.

My certified rare coins are worth a small fortune now. I have bought them mostly on the advice of the U.S. Gold Bureau. I have developed good contacts who are experienced precious metals investment analysts. They do pass on useful tips that brought me good profits.

I would say gold is the only insurance you need after you retire.

Watch this video. Man defies gravitational pull.

2010-05-31T08:21:00.006+05:30

In India, people are used to see amazing feats of roadside dwellers performing dare devil rope walking and squeezing themselves (yes, two at a time) in a small metal ring.

But this gravity defying act is mind boggling. Unbelievable act by Joham Lorbeer has attracted large crowds.

Do you know that he remains still in such positions (see picture) for several hours?

Moreover, he keeps talking to the onlookers all the time remaining in his hanging posture.

BTW, he is a German. I wonder how goes up there in the first place?

Watch this video clip showing his hanging position.

Hold on to your gold.

2010-05-30T07:55:00.001+05:30

If the finance condition of Greece did influence the bullion market, pulling the gold price down, the German issue put the gold back on its place. For small timers who buy gold coins irrespective of any major politico-economic setbacks, both the international crisis did not mean anything to them.

How can I say this?
Because, I too bought and sold gold coins on both the eventful days as if nothing has happened on the gold front.

The U.S. Gold Bureau, in its periodic web release has pointed out that the gold is holding on nicely when compared to oil and palladium, which belongs to the platinum metals group.

Even though India is the largest consumer of Gold and Silver, the Indian economy never bothered the world gold market. Some point to ponder-eh?

Baby's name:Audio Science

2010-05-25T07:14:00.001+05:30

Some people say that Shannyn Sossamon is beautiful. She has a charm that is almost boyish.

She is a celebrity now. She is an actress and dances well. She hails from Hawaii. She worked as a model before attracting the film world. She shot to stardom for her role in 'A Knight's Tale'.

Well, I am sure you know all these. But do you know her baby's name?
It is 'Audio Science'.

Shannyn announced to the world that for her son, she did not want a name; she wanted a word.

She prefers calling her son 'Science'.

Great Temple Abu Simbel.

2010-05-19T15:48:00.002+05:30

If you too share my fascination for Egyptian Gods, Egyptian Temples and Egyptian History, you will like this piece of rare information.

The picture is the Great Temple Abu Simbel. pharao Ramses II.

Of the four statutes, the first shows the King Ramses II. The other statues are Amon-Ra, Ptah and Ra-Harakhte.

Right above the entrance stands a figure of the god Re-Harakhte in a small niche. The top of the facade is crowned by a row of baboons.

The temple is located in a remote area in Egypt. It was constructed in the year 1224 BC.

Do you know that mud clears pores?

2010-05-13T13:59:00.003+05:30

We generally think mud will close fine pores. But do you know that mud is used medically to clear clogged pores?

It is truly amazing to know such strange facts. In Kerla, India, mud bath is often the best treatment for people suffering from Arthritis. In rural Tamilnadu, plying in a pond of mud is test for strength and stamina.

Look at some of the images of mud game in Switzerland's music festival.
http://www.thisblogrules.com/2009/07/dirty-fun-at-mud-festival.html

Tina Turner's songs to drive away birds.

2010-05-04T12:29:00.002+05:30

Bird hit is a problem faced by every other plane-be it a small plane or a real big jumbo jet. We have read so many horror stories of plane crashes because the plane was hit by a tiny bird.

Don't imagine that only high flying eagles target the planes. Even doves crash on the plane's dashboard causing the plane to crash, endangering all aboard.

In 1995 there was a collision between 30 geese and a jet at the Elmendorf Air Force Base in Anchorage, Alaska. Sadly all 24 people aboard, were killed.

To solve this perennial headache, airports have:

* shot birds

* poisoned them

* set off firecrackers

* installed loud sirens

* resorted to dog patrols

Here is where Tina Turner steps in:

Airport officials at Gloucestershire, England, came up with a solution that drove the doves (and everything else) away. They replaced their recordings of bird distress calls, with some by Tina Turner - played at top volume.

Tina-did you hear? I am your big fan.

Useless rare facts.

2010-04-27T05:05:00.000+05:30

What to do? We come across so many things in our daily browsing. Some news interests us while most don't. We either blog that amuses us or just dump after reading.

As a rule of thumb (?), I don't dump anything as useless. What is useless to me may be very useful to others.

1. The phrase "rule of thumb" is derived from an old English law which stated that you couldn't beat your wife with
anything wider than your thumb.

2. Hawaii's Mount Waialeale is the wettest place in the world - it rains throughout the year and about 460 inches
per annum.

3. In the 1930's, American track star Jesse Owens used to race against horses and dogs to earn a living.

Care to pass it on? Give Amusingfacts.com, the true credit.

The biggest flower probably.

2010-04-24T07:21:00.004+05:30

An article that I read just a few minutes ago piqued my interest as I am avid knowledge seeker about flowers. The article mentioned about a flower called 'Poinsettia'. If you can spot the 'Poinsettia' flower in the jungles, you will be amazed to see its broad leaves that are said to measure 8 inches across.

Hmmm... that is really big. It is reported to have reached a height of 12 feet!

So I looked up in the Internet for 'Poinsettia' flower hoping to see it for the first time but what I saw in Yahoo! took me by surprise. I have seen Poinsettia already! I forgot its Tamil name but I am sure I have seen it before.

The vivid red color is taken off by the manufacturers of dyes. The flower is known with different names in different regions. For example, it is called as the 'Crown of the Andes' in Chile.

Appearing beautiful until death.

2010-04-21T09:10:00.002+05:30

Go and tell a woman who is just stepping into a beauty parlor or a teenage girl who has ambitions to study in the Cosmetology school in Colorado that beauty is only skin deep or beauty lies in the soul and not on the body and you are sure to get a painful kick in your a…

Those banal clichés are for yester years or to be more precise, they belong only to the Shakespearean era where romance existed only in dramas.

Today, appearing beautiful until death is the most important quality that we are expected to possess. And for that, we need professional beauticians who have studied cosmetology in world reputed beauty schools like Regency Beauty Institute.

Regency Beauty Institute was founded more than 50 years ago in Minneapolis.

Regency is the fastest growing beauty school in the country and its graduates are recognized and sought after throughout the United States.

For more information, visit www.regencybeauty.com.

Image courtesy: Google images

What are pop-up toilets?

2010-04-21T05:09:00.000+05:30

Don't assume that Indians alone urinate on the walls. This can be seen in all the countries irrespective of how advanced their culture is. After all, we can't suffocate nature-right?

Some time before, the London administration wanted to curb the habit of men urinating on the walls and doors during night. They discussed and concluded that pop-up toilets will solve the issue.

These pop-up toilets are hidden under the ground and will rise when it is needed. They are self-cleaning toilets.

These pop-up toilets can be retracted back into the ground through a remote control device. I just watched how they are operated. It is truly amazing. I salute the British for this extraordinary technology.

Watch this here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/flash/0,5860,824329,00.html

The turtle that bites a baby crocodile!

2010-04-20T19:49:00.002+05:30

If you see a newspaper story about how a baby crocodile cried because a small turtle bit it, will you believe it?

Probably not but it is true. There is this turtle that is known as snapping turtles. These turtles react swiftly when trespassed. In fact, it doesn't have teeth but a mean beak at the end of its nose.

Other peculiarities of snap turtle:

* It can't withdraw its head into its shell because it has scales on its head.

* Even its legs are exposed because of its rather small shell.

* Capable of biting a man's hand too with its mean beak.

*Police use snap turtles to find dead bodies in water because snap turtles feed on dead fish and other dead creatures.

Where do you buy trusted gold?

2010-04-20T13:14:00.000+05:30

I wonder why there are fewer wise men in this world when we all eat the same food and drink the same water!

For example, why doesn’t everyone buy gold bullion whenever there is a slump in the price of gold? You see, there is a scamper for shares when the stock index slips but the same cannot be said for gold or silver.

There is a green signal to buy gold if the U.S. dollar drops. It is no secret that gold typically and historically moves inversely to the dollar. However, how many investors move in this direction?

I pick up very valuable and sensible tips about investing in gold from the blog of U.S. Gold Bureau. Even a novice investor will appreciate the service rendered by the U.S. Gold Bureau.

Read their blog post, dated January 15^th about why the gold price will be steady always. I quote them below:

“There is only a certain amount of gold that exists. As time goes on and more gold is sold, that means less gold on the market…”

The U.S. Gold Bureau sells the most authentic gold in the world.

Humorous bumper stickers.

2010-04-16T12:25:00.000+05:30

My husband always carries a pocket notebook and whenever he sees an interesting sticker either on the bumpers or on the back of the car going in front of his car, he will write it down and Tweet them as soon he sits in front of his PC.

Here are some wonderful bumper stickers:

* Only quitters join rehabs.

* Don't drink while driving; you will spill the liquor on your car seats.

* Don't giggle! Your daughter may be inside this car!

* Expenses are not hard to meet; they are everywhere.

* I am in hurry; I am just going to work.

Hi hi, I compiled these from dumbbumpers.com

Jelly Beans and Ronald Reagan.

2010-04-12T13:48:00.002+05:30

I did not know about Ronald Reagan's liking for Jelly Beans. Yesterday, when I was chatting with my 9 year old niece, she showed me what she was doing. There was a small bowl full of jelly belly candies and she told me that she is going to be the president of America because she is eating the favorites of Ronald Reagan.

Is it true?

I dug around and came with a few odd bits regarding Jelly Belly and Reagan.

*Jelly Belly company created the flavor Blueberry in 1981, to celebrate his inauguration.

* Reagan is said to have kept a jar of the candies on his desk and n his private plane.

Hmmm.. I should find out what is Manmohan Singh's favorite.