::::Cool; Known and Unknown Facts:::::::Crazy News:::

Facts on T20 Cup

2008-06-26T23:49:00.000-07:00

1) Twenty20 cricket was first introduced in England in 2003.

2) An average Twenty20 match is completed in less than three hours, compared to five days for Test cricket and one day for, er, one-day cricket.

3) The first Twenty20 game held at Lord’s attracted a crowd of 26,500, the largest attendance for any county cricket game, other than a one-day final, since 1953.
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4) Teams are penalised six runs if they fail to bowl the full 20 overs in their allocation of 75 minutes.

5) Only two fielders are allowed outside an inner circle for the first six overs of an innings.

6) Umpires may award five-run penalty runs at their discretion if they believe either team is wasting time.

7) West Indies’ Chris Gayle is the only cricketer to score a century in a Twenty20 International. He struck 117 against South Africa during the inaugural Twenty 20 World Cup in September 2007.

8) The record for the lowest domestic T20 innings total is held by Sussex who managed only 67 against Hampshire in 2004.

9) In the event of a tie in T20 cricket a bowl out takes place. To see how it works take a look at the clip below from the Twenty20 World Cup
10) Mark Ealham struck a record nine sixes in an innings for Notts against Yorkshire in 2004.

11) Surrey’s Nayan Doshi has taken more T20 wickets than any other bowler in all domestic and international competitions. He has 53 scalps at an average of 14.66.

12) The Kent Spitfire is the current holder of the Twenty20 Finals Day Mascot Race crown.

13) During last year’s Twenty20 World Cup England’s Dimitri Mascarenhas struck four sixes in a row against New Zealand
14) During the same tournament England’s Stuart Broad was taken for 36 off an over by Pakistan’s Yuvraj Singh.
15) Veteran England all-rounder Chris Lewis, who retired from cricket in 2000, has come out of retirement this season to play Twenty20 cricket for Surrey.

16) England captain Michael Vaughan has never represented his county Yorkshire in Twenty20 cricket.

17) In the 2006 Twenty20 Cup Somerset’s Craig White and Justin Langer put on a record 186 run partnership for the second wicket.

18) The fastest T20 hundred was struck by Andrew Symonds in 2004. Playing for Kent against Middlesex it took him just 34 balls to reach three figures.

19) Our friends over at Betfred tell us that Sussex and Lancashire are joint favourites for this year’s cup
20) There is a campaign afoot to have Twenty20 cricket included in the Olympic Games, possibly at London 2012.

VODKA ??? - Too good not to share!

2008-02-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

VODKA ??? - Too good not to share!

Health Tip of the Day - Who knew?!!!!

1. To remove a bandage painlessly, saturate the bandage with vodka.
The stuff dissolves adhesive.

2. To clean the caulking around bathtubs and showers, fill a trigger-spray bottle with

vodka, spray the caulking, let set five minutes and wash clean.

The alcohol in the vodka kills mould and mildew.

3. To clean your eyeglasses,simply wipe the lenses with a soft, clean cloth

dampened with vodka. The alcohol in the vodka cleans the glass and kills germs.

4. Prolong the life of razors by filling a cup with vodka and letting your safety

razor blade soak in the alcohol after shaving.

The vodka disinfects the blade and prevents rusting.

5. Spray vodka on wine stains, scrub with a brush, and then blot dry.

6. Using a cotton ball, apply vodka to your face as an astringent to cleanse

the skin and tighten pores.

7. Add a jigger of vodka to a 12-ounce bottle of shampoo.

The alcohol cleanses the scalp, removes toxins from hair, and stimulates the growth of healthy hair.

8. Fill a sixteen-ounce trigger-spray bottle with vodka and spray bees

or wasps to kill them.

9 Pour one-half cup vodka and one-half cup water into a Ziploc freezer bag and

freeze for a slushy, refreshing ice pack for aches, pain or black eyes.

10. Fill a clean, used mayonnaise jar with freshly packed lavender flowers, fill

the jar with vodka, seal the lid tightly and set in the sun for three days.
Strain liquid through a coffee filter, then apply the tincture to aches and pains.

11. To relieve a fever, use a washcloth to rub vodka on your chest and back as

a liniment.

12. To cure foot odour, wash your feet with vodka.

13 Vodka will disinfect and alleviate a jellyfish sting.

14. Pour vodka over an area affected with poison ivy to remove the urushiol

oil from your skin.

15. Swish a shot of vodka over an aching tooth. Allow your gums to absorb

some of the alcohol to numb the pain.

Couples Paid To Stay Married

2008-02-21T20:30:00.000-08:00

Couples who sign up with uTango spend online and get cash back each year for spending habits as well as larger bonuses for every 10 years they stay married.

Many married couples are signing up for a program that offers them big rewards to stay married. The program called uTango is an online rewards program that urges couples to stay together through financial perks. As they spend money online at one of 300 companies, they earn points. These points add up to cash back bonuses at the end of the year and even larger bonuses when couples reach marriage milestones. These bonuses can add up to a million dollars. All they have to do is stay married.

The company is headed by CEO Jim Miller who believes that couples who stay married deserve extra perks for their accomplishments. Single and engaged couples are also permitted to join as well as newlyweds. If and when these couples do decide to marry, they can use their cash back bonuses to pay for their wedding expenses. Married couples who join must be married less than three years.

Different plans require different online spending requirements each year, promoting online spending as often as possible. There are three types of plans that users can choose from. These include the $250,000, $500,000, and $1,000,000 rewards plan. Each plan names the amount that couples receive when they hit their 30th anniversary. Each has a different yearly online spending requirement with $5,000 being the minimum on the lowest plan and $20,000 with the highest plan. Once married, couples get $10,000 on their 10th anniversary, $100,000 on their 20th anniversary, and those who sign up for the most expensive plan can get up to $1 million on their 30th anniversary. If they get divorced, the cash stops coming.

There are 15 shopping categories to choose from on the site to help couples reach their spending requirements. These categories range from clothing to travel and include toys, jewelry, electronics, and lawn and garden. Such a service is likely to be a success in this country which has growing numbers of online buying practices. According to a recent online shopping survey conducted by Pew Internet & American Life Project last year, online buying increased from 22 percent to 49 percent since June 2000 to September 2007. In fact, about 66 percent of Americans who have internet access have purchased at least one item online. The uTango service may be one of the services that help increase the number of online spenders as well as promote long term marriages, blending modern technology with traditional values.

Strange Things You Probably Never Knew !!!

2008-02-20T22:54:00.000-08:00

A rat can last longer without water than a camel.

Your stomach has to produce a new layer of mucus every two weeks or it will digest itself.

The dot over the letter "i" is called a tittle.

A raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and
down continuously from the bottom of the glass to the top.

A female ferret will die if it goes into heat and cannot find a mate.

Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

A 2 X 4 is really 1-1/2" by 3-1/2".

During the chariot scene in "Ben Hur," a small red car can be seen
in the distance (and Heston's wearing a watch).

On average, 12 newborns will be given to the wrong parents daily!
(That explains a few mysteries....)

Sherlock Holmes NEVER said, "Elementary, my dear Watson."

Because metal was scarce, the Oscars given out during World War II were made of wood.

The number of possible ways of playing the first four moves per
side in a game of chess is 318,979,564,000.

There are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with orange,
purple and silver.

Astronauts are not allowed to eat beans before they go into space
because passing wind in a spacesuit damages them.

The very first bomb dropped by the Allies on Berlin in World War II killed the only elephant in the Berlin Zoo.

Weatherman Willard Scott was the first Ronald McDonald.

If one places a tiny amount of liquor on a scorpion, it will
instantly go mad and sting itself to death. (Who was the sadist who
discovered this??)

Bruce Lee was so fast that they actually had to s-l-o-w film down
so you could see his moves. That's the opposite of the norm.

The first CD pressed in the US was Bruce Springsteen's "Born in
the USA."

The original name for butterfly was flutterby.

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.

The first product Motorola started to develop was a record player
for automobiles. At that time, the most known player on the market was Victrola, so they called themselves Motorola.

Roses may be red, but violets are indeed violet.

By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you cannot
sink into quicksand.

Celery has negative calories. It takes more calories to eat a
piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.

Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin
look-alike contest.

An old law in Bellingham, Washington, made it illegal for a woman
to take more than three steps backwards while dancing!

The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book
most often stolen from public libraries.

The glue on Israeli postage is certified kosher.

Bats always turn left when exiting a cave!

Thanks to Deborah for submitting this!!

And another via email --this comes by Suzie T....

In the 1400's a law was set forth that a man was not allowed to beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb. Hence we have "the rule of thumb"

The first couple to be shown in bed together on prime time TV were Fred and Wilma Flintstone.

Men can read smaller print then women can; women can hear better.

It is impossible to lick your elbow.

The State with the highest percentage of people who walk to work: Alaska

The average number of people airborne over the US any given hour: 61,000

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

The first novel ever written on a typewriter: Tom Sawyer.

The San Francisco Cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.

111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321

Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great king from history:

Spades - King David
Hearts - Charlemagne
Clubs -Alexander, the Great
Diamonds - Julius Caesar

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes.

Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?

A. Their birthplace.

Q. If you were to spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you would find the letter "A"?

A. One thousand

Q. What do bulletproof vests, fire escapes, windshield wipers, and laser printers all have in common?
A. All invented by women.

Q. What is the only food that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey

In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase......... "goodnight, sleep tight."

It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month, which we know today as the "honeymoon".

Car fun Facts

2008-02-19T20:15:00.000-08:00

The car is one of the most recognizeable inventions of the modern era. Without cars there would be no suburbs, car trips, endless drop-offs and pick-ups most parents are all to familiar with. Here are some fun facts about cars and their colorful past.

* The first cars did not have steering wheels. Drivers steered with a lever.
* The New York City Police Department used bicycles to pursue speeding motorists in 1898.
* The first speeding ticket was issued in 1902.
* In 1916, 55 percent of the cars in the world were Model T Fords, a record that has never been beaten.
* The first gas gauge appeared in cars in 1922.
* In 1923, 173 new inventions by women for cars had been reported. Among these inventions were a carburetor and an electric engine starter.
* The first car radio was invented in 1929.

* Buick introduced the first electric turn signals in 1938.
* The Peanuts characters were first animated in 1957 for a Ford Fairlaine automobile commercial.
* Most American car horns beep in the key of F.
* The automobile is the most recycled consumer product in the world today

Rolls-Royce facts

2008-02-19T20:10:00.001-08:00

The first 10 hp Rolls-Royce was sold for £395...Today it is worth over £250,000

More than six out of ten of all Rolls-Royce Motor cars built are still roadworthy

At the Rolls-Royce factories in Crewe and London the cars are always referred to as Royces.
They are never called Rollers

The Rolls-Royce radiator grille is made entirely by hand and eye - no measuring instruments are used
It takes one man one day to make a Rolls-Royce radiator, and then five hours are spent polishing it

The Rolls -Royce radiator was not registered as a trademark until 1974

It takes over 800 man-hours to make the body of a Phantom VI

During the First World War Rolls-Royce made rifles

You will never open an ashtray in a modern Rolls-Royce and find a cigarette end.
It empties automatically

A Rolls-Royce does not break down. It 'fails to proceed.'

Notices have been hung around the factory bearing the legend: 'Beware silent cars.'

Even today every Rolls-Royce engine is completely hand built

The cooling capacity of the air-conditioning system in the Silver Spirit is equivalent to that of
30 domestic refrigerators

No one is certain who designed the Rolls-Royce radiator grille or the interlinked RR badge

The hydraulic tappets on Rolls-Royce and Bentley motor cars are given a natural finish
of a 16-millionth of an inch

The oldest known Rolls-Royce still on the road is the 1904 10hp owned by Mr Thomas Love Jr of
Scotland

Rolls-Royce did not make a complete car until after the Second World War. Before that they made only
chassis, the bodies being added by outside coachbuilders

Sir Henry Royce's first job was a newspaper delivery boy for W H Smith & Son Ltd

Sir Henry Royce was always known as 'R' at the factory. The practice of addressing people by their initials,
especially on written memorandums, is still continued at the factory

In 1949 an Italian owner, seeking permission to modify his Rolls-Royce, commissioned a seance to
call up Henry Royce's spirit. Rolls-Royce legend has it that the advice from beyond the veil was:
"Consult your authorised distributor"

Examine the coachline that extends the full length of the Silver Spirit, you may be surprised to learn that it is
applied by hand. This unerring line is 15' 6" long.

At one time, Rolls-Royce engines held World Speed Records in the Air, on Land and on Water,
simultaneously.

It is possible that Rolls-Royce Motors is the best known British company name in the World. Letters have
been received from remote corners of the globe addressed to the Royal Family, care of Rolls-Royce, England.

There are 27 Electric Motors in every Silver Spirit.

The Vicar of St Marys, Nantwich, took a Rolls-Royce into his church and blessed it, along with fruit &
vegetables at the Harvest Festival service. A member of the congregation remarked "It's going in for it's first service".

The badge on the Rolls-Royce was changed from Red to Black not, as popularly
believed to commemorate Henry Royce's death, but because Royce himself decided
Black was aesthetically more appropriate. Some customers complained that the red badge often clashed with the
colour of the car. The Prince of Wales was particularly outspoken on the subject.

Every piece of glass in a Silver Spirit is given a final polish with powdered pumice of a fineness normally used for polishing optical lenses

Just inside the main entrance to the offices at the Roll-Royce factory in Crewe, there is a bust of Henry Royce facing one of Charles Rolls. For many years the bust of Royce stood in No 1 shop at the Derby factory and contained his ashes, until they were sent to Alwalton church were Royce had been christened.

The 4 final polishings on some gearbox components was not done with jewellers rouge (which is too coarse) but fine ground oat husks

Although he designed some of the great aero engines of all time, Royce never travelled in an aircraft.

'I have only one regret' said Royce as he lay dying, 'that I have not worked harder.'

After singing the praises of Rolls-Royce Cars over tea with Henry Royce, an aristocratic lady asked,
as an afterthought, 'but Sir Henry, what would happen if the factory at Derby produced a bad car?'
Sir Henry answered,
"Madam. the man on the gate would not let it out of the works."

Royce left £112,000 in his will, mostly to his faithful nurse, Ethel Aubin.

elearning Facts

2008-02-14T22:48:00.000-08:00

Research shows that elearning students are usually career orientated professionals who have families.

So even if you are in a full time job or have a young family it is possible to study, advance your career or learn something new. You can study whenever and wherever suits you!

50% of employee skills become outdated in 3 years. (Source: Merrill Lynch "The Book of Knowledge")

Knowledge and skills are key to succeed in a competitive and fast moving industry. Our courses are fully up to date and incorporate new legislation allowing you to rapidly and regularly re-train to ensure you meet the demands created by a highly technical and continuously changing industry.

IDC Research demonstrates that 15% to 30% of an employee's time is spent looking for information, and they find it only 50% of the time.

Our e-learning courses and material presents exactly what you need to know in a clear format, meaning that this time can be put to better use.

Research shows that less than 20% of the information available to a company is actually used.

Interesting Facts of English Counting

2008-02-07T01:39:00.000-08:00

Letters 'a', 'b', 'c ' & 'd' do not appear anywhere in the spellings of 1 to 99

Letter 'd' comes for the first time in Hundred

Letters 'a', 'b' & 'c ' do not appear anywhere in the spellings of 1 to 999

Letter 'a' comes for the first time in Thousand

Letters 'b' & 'c' do not appear anywhere in the spellings of 1 to 999,999,999

Letter 'b' comes for the first time in Billion

And

Letter 'c' does not appear anywhere in in the spellings of entire English Counting

Right click at right time (best photographs)

2008-02-07T01:25:00.000-08:00

Ever heard about Aeroplane Crossing ... ?

2008-02-07T00:48:00.000-08:00

We have heard about railway crossing or bus crossing or even ship crossing under the bridges. But have u ever heard about Aeroplane crossing ... ?

See the picture where the vehicles wait for the aeroplane to cross the road. This is in Germany where the runway crosses a road.

25 crazy , true but unknown facts from the world

2008-02-07T00:35:00.001-08:00

1	69% Americans use Internet & 5.5% Indians only.
2	El Azizia in Libya recorded a temperature of 136 degrees Fahrenheit (57.8 Celsius) on Sept. 13, 1922 - the hottest ever measured.
3	Plastics take 500 years to break down.
4	America has 30.30% airports of the world & India has only 0.70%.
5	There are roughly 4,000 known minerals, although only about 200 are of major importance.
6	The total surface area of the Earth is 197 million square miles.
7	Crocodile only animal & reptile that sheds tear while eating.
8	The world’s deadliest recorded earthquake occurred in 1557 in central China, more than 830,000 people were killed.
9	Angel Falls in Venezuela is the worlds highest waterfall, The water of Falls drops 3,212 feet (979 meters).
10	The sunrays reached at the earth in 8 minutes & 3 seconds.
11	8.7 million of United State residents who were born in Asia.
12	The world’s population has been increased 3.1 billion in last 40 years.
13	180 million nos. of Valentine’s Day cards exchanged annually, making Valentine’s Day the second-most popular greeting-card-giving occasion.
14	3,467 Nos. of confectionery nut stores in the United States, they are among the best sources of sweets for Valentine’s Day.
15	4% people drink cold drink daily.
16	Traffic lights are being used before the invention of motor car.
17	More than 50 million Americans said they had a disability; for 32.5 million of them, the disability was severe.
18	About 40% Proportion of all Valentine card purchases which parents account for.
19	First Stock Exchange of America was in Philadelphia & it was established in 1791.
20	Girls however are slightly more likely than boys to use home computers for e-mail, word processing and completing school assignments than playing games.
21	A normal person laughs five times in a day.
22	Approximate 300 million film tickets are sold every year in India.
23	In Britain 70% mothers go for work.
24	More artists live in California than any other state in the United States. There are 10,000 arts organizations in California.
25	Alfred Southwick developed the idea of using electric current & Professionally he was a Dentist (MDS, DDS).

HANDWRITING -- I would like to know ..

2008-02-06T20:08:00.000-08:00

Handwriting analysis is a complex subject. Many, many books have been written about it. Formal study, sometimes at the college level, is usually required in order to practice it professionally. There are even graphology organizations with regular conferences discussing all the nuances of this fascinating field.

If you’re interested in handwriting analysis, but don’t want to turn it into a career, here are just a few tidbits that you may find interesting:

People
When the painter Thomas Gainsborough was doing a portrait, he preferred to work with a sample of the subject's handwriting nearby. He believed that it gave him a better understanding of his subject—which in turn helped him more closely capture that person's image on canvas.

The poet Emily Dickinson became more reclusive as she got older. Her handwriting during this time became increasingly disconnected, seeming to reflect how disconnected she probably felt from the world around her.

Left or right?
A study of identical twins showed that it was common for the writing of one twin to slant to the left, while the writing of the other slanted to the right. The slant of the handwriting can indicate handedness, and this seemed to be true in this case, since it was common for one twin to be left-handed while the other was right-handed.

Physical, mental, and emotional considerations
People who are feeling very emotional tend to write faster than they do when they're calm.

Low blood sugar, perhaps because it affects a person's mood, may cause the baseline of the handwriting to be inconsistent.

People who are developmentally delayed may write with large spaces between their words, indicating their isolation and difficulty communicating with others.

People with speech problems—for example, stuttering—will also have problems writing smoothly. In fact, it may be possible to help their speech by working with their handwriting.

Pollution Facts .... (Wake Up ...before it's late)

2008-02-06T19:47:00.000-08:00

More than 100 active pesticide ingredients are suspected of causing cancer, birth defects, and gene mutation.

According to the World Health Organization, if you are one of the 18 million residents of Cairo:
- Breathing daily air pollution is like smoking 20 cigarettes a day
- You take in over 20 times the acceptable level of air pollution each day

The cost of one nuclear weapons test alone could finance the installation of eighty thousand hand pumps, giving third world villages access to clean water.

The risk of cancer from breathing diesel exhaust is about ten times more than ingesting all other toxic air pollutants combined, with diesel emissions contributing to over 70% of the cancer risk from air pollution in the USA. – reported by Environmental Defense

Nitrogen is essential to crops but too much will leak into groundwater and rivers causing nutrient pollution in rivers and oceans and severe human health problems from nitrate pollution.

Emissions from ocean-going ships contribute to approximately 60,000 deaths each year, mostly from heart and lung-related cancers. Shanghai, Singapore and Hong Kong rank within the world’s top 5 busiest ports, and experience a higher impact from emissions-related health issues.

Useless Men Facts (Funny for all)

2008-01-29T22:32:00.000-08:00

1. Men are like .Laxatives ...... They irritate the crap out of you.
2. Men are like. Bananas . The older they get, the less firm they are.
3. Men are like Weather . Nothing can be done to change them.
4. Men are like ... Blenders You need One, but you're not quite sure why.
5. Men are like ... Chocolate Bars . Sweet, smooth, & they usually head right for your hips.
6. Men are like .. Commercials ?....... You can't believe a word they say.
7. Men are like Department Stores . Their clothes are always 1/2 off!
8. Men are like .....Government Bonds ?.... They take soooooooo long to mature.
9. Men are like ....Mascara . They usually run at the first sign of emotion.
10. Men are like Popcorn ... They satisfy you, but only for a little while.
11. Men are like Snowstorms . You never know when they're coming, how many inches you'll get or how long it will last.
12. Men are like .......Lava Lamps .. Fun to look at, but not very bright.
13. Men are like Parking Spots All the good ones are taken, the rest are handicapped.

What you don't know about Soccer ?

2008-01-29T22:12:00.001-08:00

Soccer has become increasingly more popular in the United States in the last 30 years, with nearly 3 million children between the ages of 5-19 now playing in youth soccer leagues throughout the nation.

Soccer began in England in the mid-1800's, and was originally played by the higher, more aristocratic English classes in their boarding schools and private clubs. The ease and inexpense of the sport quickly moved it ahead as a sport for the masses however. Today soccer is ranked as one of the world's leading sports for commoners.

#1. Soccer is called football in other countries besides America.

#2. Major League Soccer set all-time attendance record for a United States-based professional soccer league game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on June 16, 1996. That day, 92,216 fans watched the Los Angeles Galaxy win a 3-2 shootout victory over the Tampa Bay Mutiny.

#3. His real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, But the soccer world knows him as Pele. A native of Brazil, Pele retired as a player in 1977 but is still considered by many the greatest soccer player who ever lived. Since his retirement, he has been a worldwide ambassador for his sport. Wherever soccer is played, the name of Pele will always be magic.

#4. A standard soccer ball is made of leather and is between 27 and 28 inches in circumference. Unlike basketball, young players can use a smaller ball. For kids 8 years old or younger, a ball of 23 to 24 inches in circumference is recommended. For kids 9 to 12, a ball of 25 to 26 inches is often used.

The London Football Association was founded and 1863 and is responsible for standardizing game rules throughout Europe. In less than 20 years, professional players and teams were hitting the field.

Soccer began to spread throughout Europe almost immediately, with Spain, Germany, Italy, and France all taking up the game b the early 20th century. As interest in the sport grew throughout the world, so did an interest in formal competition. In 1900, the first soccer game was played at the Olympics, with medals introduced just eight years later. Professional players, however, were exempt from competition in the Olympic Games for more than 80 years.

In 1904, The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), was formed, followed by the first World Cup international competition in 1930. A round-robin style tournament that pits teams from individual nations against each other every four years, the World Cup has grown into an international affair, with nearly 200 teams now seeking admittance. Only 24 are permitted to compete.

Although it took the United States years to enter the soccer arena on a widespread basis, the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) was formed in 1913. Unfortunately, most Americans preferred watching (and playing) a different form of the sport -- American football -- until a Brazilian named Pele, (considered to the greatest soccer player of all time), joined the N.Y. Cosmos team in 1975. With such an amazing player to watch in America, popularity of the sport grew throughout the states, until his retirement in 1977, when soccer once again took a backseat to football. Following Pele's retirement, the North American Soccer League slowly lost fan support, finally dissolving in 1985.

It wasn't until the men's World Cup competition, was held in the United States in 1994, that soccer interest was renewed among American youth. The Major League Soccer (MLS), was founded in 1993, and began its first season in 1996 with 10 teams and 32 regular season games. More than 3 million fans watched the playoffs that year. By 1991, women were finally allowed to play on a professional level, when the Women's World Cup competition was introduced for the first time.

The interest in youth soccer remains strong throughout the United States today. Sports teams and leagues are now available in nearly every American community. From pee-wee players who aren't even in school yet, to semi-professional high school teams, players of all interest and abilities are now hitting the soccer field for both spring and fall competition. The U.S. Youth Soccer, a division of the USSF, now includes nearly 3 million official players.

"46 " Amazing Facts About New York

2008-01-09T22:03:00.001-08:00

1. The first American chess tournament was held in New York in 1843.

2. The 641 mile transportation network known as the Governor Thomas E. Dewey Thruway is the longest toll road in the United States.

3. A brewer named Matthew Vassar founded Vassar College in Poughkeepsie in 1861.

4. In 1979 Vassar students were the first from a private college to be granted permission to study in the People's Republic of China.

5. The Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan is the only school in the world offering a Bachelor of Science Degree with a Major in Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing.

6.Union College in Schenectady is regarded as the Mother of Fraternities because Delta Phi is the oldest continually operating fraternity and Kappa Alpha and Sigma Phi Societies were started on the campus.

7. The Woodstock Music and Arts Fair was actually held in Bethel.

8. Dairying is New York's most important farming activity with over 18,000 cattle and or calves farms.

9. In 1807 The Clermont made its maiden voyage from New York City to Albany making the vessel the first successful steamboat.

10. Sam Schapiro began the Kosher wine industry on New York's Lower East side with their famous extra heavy original concord wine in 1899.

11. New York City has 722 miles of subway track.

12. Power Mill Park situated outside Rochester has a house on Park Road shaped like a group of mushrooms.

13. Chittenago is the home of L. Frank Baum, author of the "Wizard of Oz". It features a yellow brick inlaid sidewalks leading to Aunti Em's and other Oz-themed businesses. Chittenago is the location of an annual Munchkins parade.

14. Oneida has the world's smallest church with the dimensions of 3.5' X 6'.

15. The first daily Yiddish newspaper appeared in 1885 in New York City.

16. The first international sports hero, boxer Bill Richmond of Staten Island, was born August 5, 1763.

17. The "New York Post" established in 1803 by Alexander Hamilton is the oldest running newspaper in the United States.

18.John Babcock invented both the indoor rowing machine and the sliding seat during the winter of 1869/1870.

19. The first railroad in America ran a distance of 11 miles between Albany and Schenectady.

20. The first capital of the United States was New York City. In 1789 George Washington took his oath as president on the balcony at Federal Hall.

21. Hartsdale has a pet cemetery established in 1896 and containing 12,000 plots.

22. In November for Boy Scouts and in March for Girl Scouts the annual Urban Camp-Outs are hosted at the Empire State Building.

23. The Catskills are the home of the legend of Rip Van Winkle, brown trout and flycasting.

24. The first presentation of 3D films before a paying audience took place at Manhattan's Astor Theater on June 10, 1915.

25. Sam Wilson, a meatpacker from Troy who's caricature Uncle Sam came to personify the United States is buried at Troy's Oakwood Cemetery. During the War of 1812, he stamped "U.S. Beef" on his products which soldiers interpreted the U.S. abbreviation as meaning Uncle Sam.

26. The Genesee River is one of the few rivers in the world that flows south to north.

27. Rochester is known as both the Flour City and the Flower City. The community is home to the first abolitionist group, bloomers, marshmallows, Jell-O, French's Mustard, baby shoes, gold teeth and the mail chute.

28. Gennaro Lombardi opened the first United States pizzeria in 1895 in New York City.

29. On July 28, 1945 an Army Air Corps B-25 crashed into the Empire State Building at the 79th floor level.

30. New York's largest lake in Oneida measures 79.8 square miles.

31. New York's highest waterfall is the 215 foot Taughannock.

32. The Erie Canal, built across New York State in the 1820s, opened the Midwest to development and helped New York City become a worldwide trading center.

33. The first Boy's Club was established in New York City in 1876.

34. European settlers who brought seeds to New York introduced apples in the 1600s.

35. The Big Apple is a term coined by musicians meaning to play the big time.

36. The first Eagle Scout was Arthur R. Eldred from Troop 1 in Oceanside. He was bestowed the honor in May 1912.

37. Ten Mile River Boy Scout Camp in Narrowsburg is the largest council owned camp in the country.

38. Joseph C. Gayetty of New York City invented toilet paper in 1857.

39. Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken Jr. played against each other in Rochester vs. Pawtucket Red Sox in the longest game in baseball history. The game went a total of 33 innings.

40. The oldest cattle ranch in the US was started in 1747 at Montauk on Long Island.

41. Adirondack Park is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Olympic Parks combined.

42. New York was the first state to require license plates on cars.

43. Niagara Reservation became the first state park in the United States.

44. Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site in Newburgh was the first publicly owned historic site.

45. New York State is home to 58 species of wild orchids.

46. New York has over 70,000 miles of rivers and streams.

Amazing Bird Facts

2008-01-09T21:59:00.000-08:00

Birds in general display a wide range of behaviors. All though some of the behaviors may strike humans as being amazing, most behaviors help animals survive in their environments. Take a look at some of the interesting ways birds cope with the world around them.

The Woodpecker Finch of the Galapagos Islands uses a cactus spine or twig to probe in to tiny holes and cracks for insect grubs. As the grub wriggles out, the finch drops the tool and nabs it. Other Galapagos finches occasionally use this technique.

Some birds, such as Eurasian Cuckoos, lay their eggs in the nests of other birds. Cuckoos lay eggs that mimic those of the host species in color. After hatching, the young cuckoo shoves the other eggs and young out of the nest. The foster parents devote all their energy to raising the young cuckoo that grows larger than themselves.

Phalaropes spin rapidly like a top while sitting on the water. This action creates a whirlpool of water which sucks tiny plankton to the surface. The phalarope picks up the food with its long, narrow bill.

Oxpeckers feed on ticks and blood-sucking flies that live in the hair of oxen, rhinos, and other large African mammals. The oxpecker benefits by having a constant source of food. The mammal benefits because the bird eats insects that carry disease. Oxpecker tails are stiff like those of woodpeckers to help brace them on the sides of their mammal hosts.

Male bowerbirds of Australia and New Guinea build elaborate bowers to woo females. Depending on the species, bowers may consist of parallel hedges of twigs and grass or be made of twigs leaned up against a sapling, like a thatched hut. These can be nine feet high! Males decorate a dance stage with neat piles of colorful and shiny objects such as shells, flowers, fruits, glass, and coins. Each species of bowerbird has its own color preference for objects and the dullest-colored bowerbirds construct the fanciest bowers. Satin Bowerbirds paint their bower with colored fruit pulp using a bark brush.

Frigatebirds harass smaller birds, such as boobies, stealing their fish or forcing them to disgorge a fish they just swallowed. These aerial pirates then seize the fish in midair. Frigatebirds also pluck fish from the water's surface. They cannot land on water because their feathers are poorly water-proofed and, with their long, thin wings, frigate birds would not be able to get enough of a down stroke to take off again.

Shrikes often impale their prey- lizards, mice, small birds, and insects -on a thorn or barbed-wire fence to cache it. Other birds store food, such as seeds, as well. In cold climates, owls may store their prey frozen, then thaw it out to eat by sitting on it like an egg.

Long-legged birds often stand on one leg during cold weather to conserve heat. By drawing one leg up near the warmth of the body under the belly feathers, the bird cuts in half the amount of body heat lost through its bare legs.

Green Herons sometimes drop live insects, berries, or other objects onto the water's surface to attract fish. When an inquisitive fish appears, the heron grabs it with a quick thrust of the bill.

A few cave-dwelling birds use "echolocation" to find their way in the dark, just like bats. Oilbirds and some swiftlets make small clicking sounds and use the echoes to gauge distances in the dark caves where they nest.

African honeyguides, relatives of the woodpecker, feed on beeswax. They rely on people or honey-badgers to break apart the beehives so they can get to the wax. Honeyguides have evolved special calls and actions to lead these honey-eating mammals to a hive they've spotted.

Sugary Facts (Cheene Kam)

2007-12-12T19:14:00.001-08:00

Did you know... sugar was one of the first pharmaceutical ingredients used, as it still is today, to mask the bitter taste of medicines?

Did you know... in 1899, the very first carton was used to pack sugar? This revolutionized the sugar business, greatly improving upon the crude wooden barrels from which sugar was originally scooped for customers.

Did you know... that in the late 16th Century, a mere teaspoon of sugar cost the equivalent of five dollars in London?

Did you know... that sugar is the only taste humans are born craving?

Did you know... a can of Coke has 39 grams of sugar and a can of Pepsi has 41 grams of sugar. That is about seven teaspoons or 13 lumps of sugar per can!

Did you know... Lemons contain more sugar than Strawberries.

Did you know... When the sun explodes, it will compress itself and become so dense that a piece of it the size of a sugar cube will weigh the equivalent of 1 ton.

Did you know... The trick to curing hiccups is to get the nerves that regulate breathing synchronized by taking a teaspoon of granulated sugar.

Did you know... Sugar hardens asphalt. It slows the setting of ready-mixed concrete and glue.

Did you know... Sugar is used in leather tanning, printers' inks and dyes and even in textile sizing and finishing

Did you know... Chemical manufacturers use sugar to grow penicillin.

Did you know... 'Sure' and 'Sugar' are the only two words in the English language that are spelt 'su' and pronounced 'sh'. ... '.

BEATLES TIMELINE FACTS

2007-12-11T00:41:00.000-08:00

July 7, 1940 - Richard Starkey (Ringo Starr) is born in Liverpool.

October 9, 1940 - John Lennon is born in Liverpool.

June 18, 1942 - Paul McCartney is born in Liverpool.

February 24, 1943 - George Harrison is born in Liverpool.

1957 - John Lennon, age 16, forms the Quarry Men, a band comprised of pals from his school, Quarry Bank Grammar.

July 6, 1957 - Paul McCartney, age 15, meets John at a Quarry Men performance at Woolton Parish Church fete. Soon after, John invites him to join the band.

February 1958 - George Harrison, age 15, joins the group.

January 1960 - Stu Sutcliffe, a friend of John's at Liverpool College of Art, is asked to join the group as bass guitarist. The band changes its name to Silver Beetles, then Silver Beatles.

August 1960 - Drummer Pete Best joins group, now known as simply the Beatles. He accompanies the band to Hamburg where, over five visits between now and December 1962, the group hones its sound at the Indra, Kaiserkeller, Top Ten and Star clubs.

December 27, 1960 - Having returned to Liverpool the Beatles appear on this date at a local public hall, Litherland Town Hall, prompting fan frenzy. Their popularity secure, they work the North West of Britain steadily to committed followers for the next two years.

Spring 1961 - Stuart Sutcliffe quits the Beatles.

November 1961 - The Beatles meet Brian Epstein, who becomes their manager. They start to polish their image and seek a recording contract.

January 1, 1962 - They audition (unsuccessfully) for Decca Records in London.

April 10, 1962 - Stuart Sutcliffe dies of a brain hemorrhage in Hamburg.

June 6, 1962 - The Beatles audition for George Martin, a producer at EMI. He signs them, and becomes their producer throughout the Beatles' career.

August 16, 1962 - Pete Best leaves the Beatles.

August 18, 1962 - Ringo joins the band.

October 5, 1962 - The Beatles' first single, "Love Me Do" is released in the United Kingdom. It rises to a respectable #17 on the British charts.

January 11, 1963 - The Beatles" second single, "Please Please Me," is released in the U.K.. It goes to #1 on the British charts on February 22 and stays there for two weeks.

February 11, 1963 - In a single day, the Beatles record their first full album, also entitled "Please Please Me." They record ten songs, which were added to the previously recorded "Love Me Do," "Please Please Me," "P.S. I Love You," and "Ask Me Why."

March 22, 1963 - The album "Please Please Me" is released in the U.K. and becomes a runaway hit. Once it hits number one, it remains there for 29 weeks. The Beatles have taken Britain by storm and successive singles all hit number one: "From Me To You," "She Loves You," "I Want To Hold Your Hand." The album is released in America in July with the title, "Introducing the Beatles," and initially flops.

October 1963 - Beatlemania spreads through Europe. (This is the month biographers and Beatles scholars often point to as the start of the Beatles' phenomenal popularity).

October 13, 1963 - Beatles play on ITV's "Sunday Night at the London Palladium" which is broadcast to 15 million viewers. (This show in the United Kingdom was analogous to "The Ed Sullivan Show" in the U.S.)

November 4, 1963 - The Beatles appear at the Royal Command Performance, performing for the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. Before beginning "Twist and Shout," John tweaks the crowd with his comment, "Will the people in the cheaper seats clap their hands? And the rest of you, if you'll just rattle your jewelry."

November 22, 1963 - The band's second album "With the Beatles" is released in the U.K., remaining in the top position on the British charts for 21 weeks. It features the songs "All My Loving," "Please Mr. Postman," "Roll Over Beethoven," and others. It succeeded the first album in the number one spot, and together the Beatles were top on the album charts for 51 consecutive weeks.

November 29, 1963 - The single "I Want To Hold Your Hand" is released in the U.K. and immediately hits number one on the charts. It is released in the U.S. December 26 that year, and spends seven weeks at number one.

January 20, 1964 - The album, "Meet the Beatles!" is released by Capitol Records in the U.S. On February 15 it hits number one on Billboard's chart in America, where it remains for 11 weeks.

February 7, 1964 - The Beatles land at JFK Airport in New York. The British Invasion begins. Fans surround the Plaza Hotel, where the Beatles are staying.

February 9, 1964 - The Beatles perform on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and are watched by a record-setting 73 million people (23,240,000 households, according to A.C. Nielsen). They perform five songs, "All My Loving," "Till There Was You," "She Loves You," "I Saw Her Standing There" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand."

February 11, 1964 - The Beatles give their first live performance in the U.S. at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C.

February 12, 1964 - The Beatles perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

February 16, 1964 - The Beatles perform for the second time on "The Ed Sullivan Show," performing live from the Deauville Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. Approximately 70 million people tune in (22,445,000 households).

February 23, 1964 - The Beatles appear for the third time on "The Ed Sullivan Show," this time with a taped performance of three songs.

March 2, 1964 - Filming commences on the Beatles' first film, "A Hard Day's Night," and is completed in eight weeks.

March 31, 1964 - The Beatles hold the top five slots on Billboard's chart: (1) Can't Buy Me Love, (2) Twist and Shout, (3) She Loves You, (4) I Want To Hold Your Hand (5) Please Please Me--a musical first.

April 4, 1964 - The Beatles hold 14 slots on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

July 6, 1964 - "A Hard Day's Night" premieres in London. It cost $500,000. The film is well-received by critics and the public.

July 10, 1964 - The album "A Hard Day's Night" is released in the U.K., hitting number one there, as well as in America after its U.S. release in August.

August 11, 1964 - "A Hard Day's Night" opens in America and is a huge hit.

August 19, 1964 - The Beatles perform at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California, in the first concert of their USA/Canada tour, which lasts a month.

December 4, 1964 - The album "Beatles For Sale" is released in the U.K. and hits number one.

February 23, 1965 - Shooting begins in the Bahamas on the Beatles' second film, "Help!"

June 12, 1965 - The Beatles are named Members of the British Empire by the Queen, and in October they are presented with medals at Buckingham Palace.

July 29, 1965 - The Beatles second feature film, "Help!" opens in London. It opens in the U.S. on August 11 that year. It cost $1.5 million to make and was very successful.

August 6, 1965 - The album, "Help!" is released in the U.K. and becomes a number one hit there and in the U.S.

August 15, 1965 - The Beatles play for a record-breaking 55,600 people at New York's Shea Stadium, grossing $304,000 dollars. The Beatles' share was $160,000.

December 3, 1965 - The album, "Rubber Soul," is released in the U.K. and goes to number one there and in the U.S.

August 5, 1966 - The album, "Revolver," is released in the U.K. and hits number one there and in the U.S.

August 29, 1966 - The Beatles give their last live concert, in San Francisco, California.

June 1, 1967 - The album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," is released in the U.K. It tops the charts all over the world, holding the number one slot in Britain for 27 weeks and for 19 in America. It receives four Grammys including Best Album.

June 25, 1967 - The Beatles star in "Our World," a two-hour satellite television program transmitted live by satellite to five continents and 24 countries. They perform "All You Need is Love." This was the first live television satellite program to air worldwide.

August 27, 1967 - Brian Epstein dies. The Beatles learn of his death while they are visiting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Bangor, Wales. The spiritual leader is introducing people to Transcendental Meditation (TM).

November 27, 1967 - The album, "Magical Mystery Tour," is released in the U.S. where it hits number one. It is released in the U.K. eleven days later as an extended play disc, without three singles.

December 26, 1967 - "Magical Mystery Tour," the Beatles' hour-long television special airs in the U.K., where it is seen by approximately 14 million viewers and not liked by critics.

February 1968 - The Beatles travel to Rishikesh, India, to attend a TM seminar hosted by Maharishi at his center. They stay a few weeks.

May 14, 1968 - John and Paul appear on "The Tonight Show" (with guest host Joe Garagiola) to announce that their company, Apple, desires to help young artists.

July 17, 1968 - "Yellow Submarine," the animated film, premieres in London. It opens in America several months later and becomes a great success.

November 22, 1968 - The album, "The Beatles" ('White Album'), is released and zooms to number one in Britain and America.

January 13, 1969 - The soundtrack, "Yellow Submarine," is released in the U.S. and reaches the number two position on the British and American charts (number one was held by the White Album).

January 30, 1969 - The Beatles perform together for the last time live, singing many songs, on the roof of Apple's London office. The scenes were included in what became the documentary "Let It Be."

Mid-September, 1969 - John decides to "divorce" the Beatles, but he does not announce it publicly because of contract negotiations taking place with EMI. By this time, George and Ringo have each quit the band for short spells, returning soon after.

September 26, 1969 - The Beatles last studio album, "Abbey Road," is released in the U.K. It tops the charts there and in America.

November 25, 1969 - John returns his Member of the British Empire medal to Buckingham Palace as an anti-war protest, and, he says in his letter to the Queen, in protest against his single "Cold Turkey" slipping down the charts.

April 10, 1970 - Paul announces publicly that he has left the Beatles.

May 8, 1970 - The Beatles last album, "Let It Be" (recorded before "Abbey Road"), is released in the U.K. and hits number one there and in the U.S.

May 20, 1970 - The movie, "Let It Be," premieres in London. None of the Beatles attend.

Weird, Strange but true facts about the Earth

2007-12-10T23:40:00.000-08:00

In 1783 an Icelandic eruption threw up enough dust to temporarily block out the sun over Europe.

About 20 to 30 volcanoes erupt each year, mostly under the sea.

A huge underground river runs underneath the Nile, with six times more water than the river above.

Lake Bosumtwi in Ghana formed in a hollow made by a meteorite.

Beaver Lake, in Yellowstone Park, USA, was artificially created by beaver damming.

Off the coast of Florida there is an underwater hotel. Guests have to dive to the entrance.

Venice in Italy is built on 118 sea islets joined by 400 bridges. It is gradually sinking into the water.

The Ancient Egyptians worshipped a sky goddess called Nut.

The world's windiest place is Commonwealth Bay, Antartica.

In 1934, a gust of wind reached 371 km/h on Mount Washington in New Hampshire, USA.

American Roy Sullivan has been struck by lighting a record seven times.

The desert baobab tree can store up to 1000 litres of water in its trunk.

The oldest living tree is a California bristlecone pine name 'Methuselah'. It is about 4600 years old. The largest tree in the world is a giant sequoia growing in California. It is 84 meters tall and measures 29 meters round the trunk. The fastest growing tree is the eucalyptus. It can grow 10 meters a year.

The Antartic notothenia fish has a protein in its blood that acts like antifreeze and stops the fish freezing in icy sea.

The USA uses 29% of the world's petrol and 33% of the world's electricity.

The industrial complex of Cubatao in Brazil is known as the Valley of Death because its pollution has destroyed the trees and rivers nearby.

Tibet is the highest country in the world. Its average height above sea level is 4500 meters.

Some of the oldest mountains in the world are the Highlands in Scotland. They are estimated to be about 400 million years old.

Fresh water from the River Amazon can be found up to 180 km out to sea.

The White Sea, in Russia, has the lowest temperature, only -2 degrees centigrade. The Persian Gulf is the warmest sea. In the summer its temperature reaches 35.6 degrees centigrade.

There is no land at all at the North Pole, only ice on top of sea. The Arctic Ocean has about 12 million sq km of floating ice and has the coldest winter temperature of -34 degrees centigrade.

The Antarctic ice sheet is 3-4 km thick, covers 13 million sq km and has temperatures as low as -70 degrees centigrade.

Over 4 million cars in Brazil are now running on gasohol instead of petrol. Gasohol is a fuel made from sugar cane.

Statue of Liberty (U DID NOT KNOW)

2007-12-10T23:13:00.000-08:00

Event at which a gift from France to the US was conceived: Dinner Party Date: 1865 Location: Glatigny, France (near Versailles) Host: Edouard-Rene Lefebvre de Laboulaye (1811-83) Honored Guest: Frederic Auguste Bartholdi (As accounted by Bartholdi in 1885 - ref: Trachtenberg)

Date Construction of the Statue began in France: 1875 Title of Statue: "Liberty Enlightening the World"

Sculptor: Frederic Auguste Bartholdi Bartholdi's Military Rank: Quartermaster to a force of five thousand soldiers Bartholdi's Commander at Autun during Franco-Prussian War in 1870: Giuseppe Garibaldi (FS1986)

Structural Engineer: Gustave Eiffel Method of Fabrication: Repousse Process

Statue completed in Paris: June 1884 Statue presented to America by the people of France: July 4, 1884 Statue dismantled and shipped to US: Early 1885

Number of individual pieces shipped to US: 350 Number of crates required: 214 Location of Statue: Liberty Island, formerly Bedloe's Island and Fort Wood (fortress for protection of New York Harbor 1811) Reaction in Paris to Liberty leaving for New York: On July 4, 1889 the American community in Paris offered the French people a gift of a bronze replica of the Statue of Liberty, 1/4 scale, about 35 feet high. It still stands now, on Ile des Cygnes an island in the Seine River, next to the Pont de Grenelle, a bridge crossing the Seine, 1.5 km downstrean (South) of the Eiffel Tower.

Cricket {Sports} ..intresting facts shared

2007-12-10T01:51:00.000-08:00

The first international cricket match was held between the US and Canada in 1844. The match was played in New York and Canada won by 23 runs.

India were all out for 54 in October 2000, their lowest ever total in One Day Internationals against Sri Lanka.

Sir D. Bradman of Australia is considered the bestbatsman of all times. He played 80 test innings with an average of 99.9. He scored 29 centuries and 13 fifties. His highest score was 334.

Australia holds the record of most consecutive wons in test matches i.e. 16 consecutive test matches won.

West Indies holds the record of Most consecutive test matches drwan i.e. 10 test matches drawn consecutively.

Pakistan's Mohammed Yousuf holds the record of most runs in a calender year and most centuries in a calender year. He broke both these records in 2006.

Australia has the best win record in test matches, that is 63.92% wins, they have won 319 of 686 test matches since march 1887.

Shahid Afridi of Pakistan scored fastes ODI century in 1996. It was scored on 37 balls. He still holds that record

The longest test match of all was played between England and South Africa at Durban in 1938-39. This was a timeless test which lasted for 9 days, despite which the match ended in a draw since the England players had to leave to catch the boat back to England!

Only four test series have ended 0-0 with all five matches being drawn. India was involved in three of them, including two in a row against Pakistan.

Two spectators were killed and several injured when a stand collapsed during the India v England game at Nagpur in January 1985

England's John Jameson, who was born in India, made his highest Test score( 82 ) against India.

South African player Herschelle Gibbs was banned for two test matches after abusing Pakistani spectators in the first test match of a 3 test match series against pakistan in 2007.

At an individual level, 1982 Duleep Mendis of Sri Lanka scored 105 in both innings against India. He is the only batsman to hit identical hundreds in both innings of a test match.

Hinduism Facts...

2007-12-06T21:12:00.000-08:00

The term ‘Hinduism’ is really a term used by travellers to India in the 18th and 19th centuries to describe the different but related religious ideas, cultures and philosophies which they found there.

It has been suggested that it is more accurate to speak of “Hinduisms” rather than a single tradition. Hindu religious leaders prefer to use the term Sanatana Dharma (the universal law of order – unity in diversity) instead of Hinduism. (The word ‘Hindu’ stems from the Sanskrit term to describe India – Sapta Sindhu [pronounced Hapta Hindu] – the land of seven great rivers: Ganges, Yamuna, Sarasvati, Godavari, Indus, Narmada, and Cauvery.)

The Hindu traditions are believed to have come to India through the arrival in India of the Aryans. They came from the west around 1700-1500 BCE, though some dispute this and point to earlier traditions native to the Indus Valley.

The oldest of the Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, were written in the period between 1500 and 500 BCE, known as the Vedic Period.

The origins of the Om (sometimes given as Aum) symbol are obscure but the sound is believed to be an aspect of the creation of the cosmos.

Another significant Hindu symbol is the swastika, which is found all over Hindu temples, signs, altars, pictures and iconography in India and Nepal. It is seen as pointing in all four directions (North, East, South and West) and thus signifies stability and groundedness. The swastika is considered extremely holy and auspicious by all Hindus and is regularly used to decorate all sorts of items to do with Hindu culture. (The symbol is found widely in the ancient world but was taken over by the Nazis in the 1920s as a symbol of white supremacy.

Since the 1830s many Hindus have migrated from India to other parts of the world – often to work on plantations in the Caribbean, eastern and southern Africa and also to parts of the Pacific.

Since the Second World War (and following Indian independence) many have also migrated to Britain, Ireland and North America, where there are now substantial Hindu communities.

Hindu temples range from the small and simple to the very grand and elaborately decorated, outside as well as inside. Each temple has at least one priest who looks after the images of the gods and leads the prayers.

People may come to worship individually or in groups. Group worship normally involves the singing of hymns from the Vedas, saying prayers and lighting a small fire, and waving a live flame over the images of the gods.

The popular festival of Diwali, which is also celebrated by Sikhs, marks the start of the New Year (in October or November) for many Hindus.

The Gayatri Mantra from the Rig Veda (which altogether contains over one thousand poems) is used by many Hindus in morning worship:

“We meditate on the most excellent splendour of the Creator.

May we be guided and inspired by his wisdom.”

The Upanishads (meaning ‘sit down near’ or ‘lessons’) are the last part of each Veda. They were written around 600 BCE and introduced the idea of reincarnation. People used to sit down near wise teachers and learn from them.

The Sutras (meaning ‘threads’) are short sayings and verses based on the Vedas and were written between 500 and 100 BCE.

There are also several famous epic spiritual poems, best known of which are the Ramayana which tells the story of Prince Rama (written around 100 BCE and 100 CE) and the Bhagavad-gita (the Song of God) written around 250 CE.

Hunger (Hungry ) Facts...

2007-12-06T20:57:00.000-08:00

1) Hunger and malnutrition kill more people every year than AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined.

2) Every five seconds a child dies because he or she was hungry.

3) There are more than 800 million people around the world who know what it is like to go to bed hungry.

4) The world produces enough food to feed everyone but still these 800 million remain chronically hungry.

5) In Sub-Saharan Africa alone, there are 198 million hungry people.

6) More than 2 million people are likely to be dependent on food aid in the Darfur region of western Sudan by next year.

7) Almost 10 million people are killed around the world each year by hunger and malnutrition. That is more than the total number of people who died in World War I.

8) One out of every three people in Sub-Saharan Africa suffers from hunger.

9) Almost a quarter of the world's hungry people live in Africa.

10) Good nutrition helps prolongs the life of HIV sufferers.

11) Africa has already lost more farmers to AIDS (7 million) than there are farmers in Europe and North America.

12) By 2020, HIV is expected to have killed 20% of southern Africa's farm workers.

13) HIV and hunger work together. Malnutrition accelerates the progress of HIV. HIV worsens malnutrition.

14) There are 11 million AIDS orphans in sub-Saharan Africa. Most never learnt how their parents grew or prepared food.

15) 10 pence a day is all it takes to feed a hungry child at school.

16) Hunger is inherited. Each year 17 million children are born underweight because their mothers are malnourished.

17) Providing pregnant mothers with nutritionally balanced food can reduce the likelihood of an underweight baby by 32%.

18) In the 1990s, global poverty dropped by 20% but the number of undernourished people around the world increased.

19) The World Food Programme devotes a larger proportion of its assistance (on average half) to Africa than any other UN agency or individual government donor.

20) Food aid from the World Food Programme has reached 1.2 billion of the world's poor over the past 4 decades - that's almost the equal to the population of India.

Melinda Doolittle Fast Facts

2007-11-30T02:02:00.000-08:00

She is a singer that made it to third place in American Idol. Before she tried out for American Idol she was a back up singer.

Melinda Marie Doolittle (born on October 6, 1977) is an American singer who finished as the third place finalist on the sixth season of American Idol.
Prior to her appearance on American Idol, Doolittle worked as a professional back-up singer for, among others, Michael McDonald, Kirk Franklin, Aaron Neville, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Alabama, Jonny Lang, Vanessa Bell Armstrong, and Anointed1.
Melinda graduated at Union High School in Tulsa.
She has been singing since seventh grade.
At Doolittle's audition all the judges admired her.
Melinda was voted off on May 16, 2007 after almost 60 millon votes.
She auditioned for American Idol when she was 28.
Her vocal coach, Janet Kenyon, has been provided since collage.
When Melinda was voted off American Idol every one was surprised. Even Simon Cowell (a judge from American Idol.)
During her audition for American Idol - in Memphis, Tennessee - she sang "For Once in My Life".
Hero’s in life : mom, dad, my vocal coach (Janet Kenyon)
Lucky charms: Bible

Britney Spears Trivia - Britney Spears Facts - Britney Spears Information

2007-11-29T05:48:00.000-08:00

Full Name: Britney Jean Spears

Birth Date: December 2, 1982
Born: Kentwood, Louisiana
Hair: Naturally brown. Blonde with brown.
Eyes: Brown
Favorite actor: Ben Affleck
Favorite cereal: Captain Crunch
Favorite City: Chicago (1999) - London (2004) - Marid (2004)
Favorite color: Baby blue
Favorite food: Mom's home cooking!
Favorite movie: Steel Magnolias
Favorite song: Purple Rain by Prince
Favorite sport: Basketball
Favorite TV Show: Friends, Sex & The City
Favourite Song from "...Baby One More Time" Album: "From the Bottom Of My Broken Heart"
Favourite Song from "Britney": "Slave 4 U"
Favourite Song from "In The Zone": "Everytime" and "Boom Boom"
Favourite Song From "Oops!... I Did It Again" Album: "Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know"
First Hit Single: (debut) "...Baby One More Time" on late 1998
At age seven Britney won $50,000 in a singing contest.
Biggest Influence: Madonna
Britney auditioned to play Allie Nelson in The Notebook, but lost the part to Rachel McAdams.
Britney confirmed that her 5th studio album will be coming out in 2007.
Britney has a song with her ex-boyfriend Justin Timberlake called "What is like to be me" on her album "Britney."
Britney has one Grammy award (won in 2005) and has six nominations: two nominations each in the 2000, 2001 and 2003 ceremonies. She also has had a total of 16 MTV Video Music Award nominations.
Britney has taken to signing autographs "Britney Federline," rather than "Britney Spears."
Britney hates flying on airplanes.
Britney performed on Star Search when she was eight years old. She also first auditioned for The Mickey Mouse Club when she was eight but was turned down because she was too young.
Britney was voted the female star internet surfers are hungry to read about by the Pipex survey of 16-24-year olds.
Contract with Jive Records: signed at age 15
Crush: Brad Pitt
Dislikes: Her feet
Ex-Boyfriends: Reg, Justin Timberlake
Ex-Husband: Jason Allen Alexander
Hobbies: singing, dancing, shopping, watching tv and going to the movies, travelling, spending the day at a spa, long baths, going to the beach, reading romantic novels
Husband: Kevin Federline
She sang "New York, New York" (Frank Sinatra) on her "Broadway" phase, performing in NY.
She sang "Open Arms" (Mariah Carey) at her neighboard's wedding and send the tape to Jive when she was trying to get a record deal.
She'd like to duet with Robbie Williams.
She'd like to work on a movie with George Clooney.
In the film "Seed of Chucky", Chucky runs 'Britney Spears' off the side of the road, causing her car to explode. Britney was portrayed by a look-alike, and TV spots displayed a cautionary bumper: "Britney Spears Does Not Appear In This Movie". Britney was concerned movie-goers might think she had actually died.
Nicknames: Brit, Bit-Bit, Pinky
On May 9, 2006, Brittany announced on The David Letterman Show that she was pregnant with her second child.
Parents' jobs: her father worked at construction, has owned a gym, and now owns a fast food restaurant JJ Chill at LA, and her mum used to be a primary school teacher.
Parents: Jamie & Lynne Spears
Pets: 3 dogs from childhood n up to 2004 + 3 new dogs
She appeared on Star Search twice and won once.
She sang "I'm a brass band" in one of the tapes she used for 'promoting' herself wen she was little.
She sang "Lavender's blue" in some kind of small event, with a blue shirt and a bow on her head, very cute.
Siblings: Jamie Lynn and Bryan
Tattoos: Fairy on her lower back, Chinese symbol on her lower tummy, Daisy on her toe
TV Break: The New Micky Mouse Club (11 yrs old)
When Britney first started in 1999, she was often compared to fellow mouseketeer, Christina Aguilera. There were many rumors of them feuding, while none were true.
When Britney gets angry and yells, Britney calls this alter-ego 'Mona Lisa'. Mona Lisa is credited as director for the music video 'Do Somethin'.
Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

Eco-car more efficient than light bulb

2007-11-29T04:54:00.000-08:00

An eco-car that can travel the world using a fraction of the electricity it takes to power a light bulb has been unveiled by its British creators.

The hydrogen-powered Ech2o needs just 25 Watts -- the equivalent of less than two gallons of petrol -- to complete the 25,000-mile global trip, while emitting nothing more hazardous than water.

But with a top speed of 30mph, the journey would take more than a month to complete. Ech2o, built by British gas firm BOC, will bid to smash the world fuel efficiency record of over 10,000 miles per gallon at the Shell Eco Marathon.

The record is currently ... 5,385 km/per liter [12,900 mpg!]. John Carolin, BOC global director sustainable energy: "It sounds unbelievable how little power is used to keep the BOC Ech2o moving, but it demonstrates the impact of careful design and is a valuable lesson for car makers in the future.

Note: If these small test cars get over 10,000 miles per gallon, why aren't new cars getting at least 100 mpg?

http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/07/04/eco.car

Wrigleys, Gum History & Facts

2007-11-29T04:48:00.001-08:00

The largest piece of gum produced was the equivalent of 10,000 pieces of gum, it was presented to baseball great Willie Mays from 1974.
To grow all the mint Wrigley needs for its mint flavored gums would take 53 square miles of farmland – about 30,550 football fields!
Wrigley's chewing gum is enjoyed from more than 150 countries throughout the world.
The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company grows enough mint for the Spearmint gum to fill about 16,300 football fields from just one year and all of it is grown on U.S. farms.
Wrigley fact: If each stick produced annually at this one plant were laid end to end, the gum would stretch around the world 19 times.

Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit and Spearmint gums are more than 100 years old. Your grandparents probably chewed these when they were kids!
The first commercial chewing gum, State of Maine Spruce Gum was introduced from 1850.
William F. Semple of Mount Vernon, Ohio, patented chewing gum from 1869.
William Wrigley Jr entered the market from 1891 using the Lotta and Vassar brands.
Wrigley’s Spearmint and Juicy Fruit followed from 1893.
William Wrigley Jr, from the early 1900s, was one of the first to promote the sale of branded goods through advertising. Spearmint quickly became a best seller.
ORBIT was invented as a special wartime brand and was supplied to the Armed Forces, since it was recognized that gum eases tension, promotes alertness and improves morale.

People have chewed on natural materials for hundreds of years, including thickened resin and latex from certain trees, sweet grasses, leaves, grains and waxes.
The use of spruce continued until the 1850s when paraffin wax became the new popular base for chewing gum.
Cinnamon, spearmint and peppermint are among the most popular flavors of chewing gum today.

In A.D. 50, Ancient Greeks were believed to chew mastic, tree resin taken from bark of the Mastic tree. Grecian women favored chewing this to clean their teeth and sweeten their breath!
An Indian civilization that inhabited Central America enjoyed chewing chicle. This is a natural gum that comes from the latex of the Sapodilla tree and became the main ingredient from chewing gum.
American Indians used to quench their thirsts by chewing the gum-like resin that forms on spruce trees when the bark is cut. Spruce became the first commercial chewing gum, being sold and traded from lumps.
During WW2, US military personnel spread the popularity of chewing gum by trading it and giving it as gifts to people from Europe, Africa, Asia and around the world.
The country using the largest number of chewing gum manufacturers is Turkey, using more then 60 companies manufacturing chewing gum!
The head of the Philadelphia Chewing Gum Company (makers of Swell Bubble Gum), Edward L. Fenimore, has been said to have blown a bubble within a bubble within a bubble (a triple whammy).
Humans are the only animals on earth that chew gum.
Ancient Greeks chewed gum thousands of years ago.
The ages of 12 to 24 chew more gum than any other age group.
A study by specialists of a sociological service of the Youth Press agency, questioned 1000 kids from ten Russian cities and found that about two thirds of them had collections and that 22% of them collected chewing gum wrappers and labels.

Why is bubble gum pink? The color of the first successful bubble gum was pink because it was the only color the inventor had left. The color "stuck" and today bubble gum is still predominantly pink.

Can you really remove gum from your hair using peanut butter? It has been proven that if you knead a small amount of peanut butter between your fingers and the gum, the gum will disperse enough so you can remove it.
Detectives have been known to identify criminals by comparing the suspect's chewed gum to their dental records.
Some people use gum to help break bad habits such as smoking and/or overeating. Studies have been done showing that chewing on gum relaxes muscles and helps relieve stress and tension from people.
Because of gravity, you must measure bubble gum bubbles by their width, not their height.
Japanese chemists have invented 'Mood Gum'. Like the Mood Rings popular from America, Mood Gum changes color when you're happy, sad, angry, etc.
Chewing bubble gum is said to keep you from crying.
Swallowed bubble gum will not get stuck from your intestines, but it will pass through your system, because gum base can not be digested.

Sources: The Wrigley Company. The Chewing Gum Book, Robert Young. 1989 Dillon Press.

http://www.betteroralhealth.info/orbit_us/about-wrigley/fun-facts/index.htm

Vietnam War Facts

2007-11-29T04:45:00.000-08:00

While many aspects about the Vietnam War are debatable, the facts and figures of the war have a voice of their own and are indisputable.

On these pages we list some of the commonly accepted facts about the Vietnam War.

58,148 Americans were killed and 304,000 wounded out of 2.59 million who served.
The average age of those killed in Vietnam was 23.11 years.
50,274 were enlisted, average age 22.37.
The average infantryman in the South Pacific during World War II saw about 40 days of combat in four years. The average infantryman in Vietnam saw about 240 days of combat in one year, thanks to the mobility of the helicopter.
After Vietnam the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand managed to stay free of communism. The Indonesians expelled the Soviets in 1966.
During the Vietnam War the national debt increased by $146 billion (1967-1973). Adjusted for inflation, the debt in 1992 dollars was $500 billion.
6,598 were officers, average age 28.43.
91 percent of Vietnam veterans say they are glad they served.
74 percent said they would serve again even knowing the outcome.
1,276 were warrant officers (NCOs), average age 24.73 years.
11,465 were less than 20 years old.
From 1957 to 1973 the National Liberation Front assassinated 36,725 South Vietnamese and abducted 58,499. Death squads focused on leaders that included schoolteachers and minor officials.
The number of North Vietnamese killed was approximately 500,000 to 600,000. Casualties: 15 million.
One out of every 10 Americans who served in Vietnam was a casualty. Although the percentage who died is similar to other wars, amputations or crippling wounds were 300 percent higher than in World War II. 75,000 Vietnam veterans are severely disabled.
The Tet '68 offensive was a major defeat for the VC and the NVA.
Two-thirds of the men who served in Vietnam were volunteers, two-thirds who served in World War II were draftees.

Weird News:: Two-Headed Turtle Found in China

2007-11-29T02:34:00.000-08:00

In biology, two heads are rarely better than one. But this unusual golden coin turtle, found in China, appears to be doing just fine. A businessman from the city of Qingdao says he bought the reptile at an animal market last year.

According to press reports released Wednesday, the turtle's two heads cooperate well and can even eat at the same time. Its owner says the reptile eats more than one-headed turtles do and has grown over the past year.

The creature most likely developed its unusual anatomy while still in the egg. Its embryo began to split in two—the process that gives rise to identical twins—but then failed to fully separate.

While uncommon, abnormalities caused by incompletely split embryos occur in many animal species, including fish,snakes, rats, cows—even humans, where the phenomenon leads to what are known as Siamese, or conjoined, twins.

Experts say survival rates for two-headed animals tend to be lower in the wild. But in captivity such animals can prosper. At the San Diego Zoo a two-headed corn snake named Thelma and Louise produced 15 normal offspring before it died.

Space Facts

2007-11-27T05:40:00.000-08:00

Isaac Newton was the first man to give the space laws.

The first artificial satellite to be launched was the Russian Sputnik.

The first living being sent up to space was Laika, the dog.

The first manned space flight was Vostok 1.

The first space shuttle was the Colombia (US-1981).

The first woman cosmonaught was Valentina Tereshkova(1963).

Some facts about mercury

2007-11-27T05:38:00.001-08:00

ALTHOUGH best known as the silver liquid in thermometers, mercury has over 3,000 industrial uses. It occurs in nature mostly as mercuric sulphide, known as cinnabar, which has been refined for its mercury content since the 16th century. Mercury is present in numerous compounds and is toxic even in its elementary form.

A blob of the silver liquid, which is toxic even in its elementary form.

Properties such as the ability to alloy with most metals, liquefy at room temperature, vapourise and freeze with ease and conduct electricity make mercury an important industrial metal. Mercury in elemental or inorganic form is transformed into organic forms (especially the methylated form) by biological systems when it comes into contact with micro-organisms in the soil and water.

Humans come into contact with mercury through environmental, occupational or accidental exposure. Methylated mercury compounds are toxic and can accumulate in the environment and in the food chain.

Mercury magnifies up to 100,000 times in predatory fish. In the 1950s, the consumption of fish contaminated by methylated mercury led to the poisoning of thousands of fishing families in Minimata, Japan. The pollution, caused by an acetaldehyde manufacturing unit owned by the Chisso industrial group, affected over 10,000 people over a period of three decades.

Occupational exposure to mercury occurs through the inhalation of contaminated air, skin contact with liquid mercury, or oral exposure through contaminated hands or food. Mercury can cause acute or chronic health problems. It accumulates in the kidney, the brain and the blood. The amount of mercury absorbed by the body - and thus the degree of toxicity - depends upon its chemical form. Elemental mercury, the form workers are exposed to, is the most hazardous when inhaled. Only about 25 per cent of the inhaled dose is exhaled.

Very high exposure to mercury vapour can cause acute poisoning. This may lead to pneumonia and can be fatal. People with chronic mercury poisoning experience wide mood swings and become irritable, depressed or excited for no apparent reason. The earliest symptom is tremor of the hand, tongue and eyelids, which can progress to problems with balancing and walking.

Over 40 States in the United States and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have issued at least 2,000 public health warnings about mercury contamination. Several States and municipal administrations have begun to check the amount of mercury in the environment by banning mercury thermometers, as "even if one thermometer contaminates a drinking water supply source, it can be permanently unusable".

Do you know !!! about Biiliards.

2007-11-27T05:32:00.000-08:00

Billiard Origin

The origin of all billiard games is an outdoor game similar to croquet, used to be played in France on the 14th century. Due to the game popularity among royalty as well as common people and thanks to the capriciousness of the European weather, the billiard game was born as an indoor game. Billiard was played on a table covered with green felt in order to resemble the lawn on which the ancestor game was played.

Billiard and the Law

The billiard game was outlawed for many years and in different countries: still at the early days of billiard, the game was accused of being immoral. Therefore, this faulty activity and its devoted players were chased by the Church. On the early history of American billiards, when the term "pool room" was still a synonym for horse betting parlor, the game was illegal in many states. Even Thomas Jefferson had to hide a billiard table in his residency.

1st World Championship

Nevertheless, the first world championship in sports history was the 1873 World Billiards Championship. William Cook won the title. John Roberts was the runner up.

Billiard and Celebs

Other historic celebrities who had owned a billiard table include King Louis XI and Mary the Queen of Scots (whose billiard table cloth was used by her assassins as cerements). Captain Mingaud, whose responsible for inventing the leather cue tip, had a billiard table in his prison cell.

Pool halls History

The first public pool hall in history was built in England during the end of the 18th century. The pool hall featured one billiard table with one pocket. The biggest pool hall in history was built in Detroit in the 1920s; it featured more than 100 tables in addition to an exhibition room attached to a 250-seats theatre hall.

Billiard's French Origins

The term "billiard" is derived from the French word for mace – billiart. Before the cue stick was invented (the term "cue" also has French origins. Queue, is tail in French), a wooden mace with a handle, similar to a tail, was used to shoot the balls. For a long period after the cue stick invention, only men were allowed to use it; women billiard players were automatically accused of misusing the cue and ripping the table cloth.

Billiard's 1st Female ChampionThe first woman who won in World Billiard Champion was actually a man. The woman billiard champion, who was known by the name of Frances Anderson and for outplaying (almost) every man and woman in both the American and European billiards world throughout the first centuries of the 20th century, came out as a man that was born under the name of Orie and created quite a stir on the 1920s billiards circle.

Useless Historical facts about life in England

2007-11-27T05:27:00.000-08:00

In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were secured on bed frames by ropes. When you pulled on the ropes the mattress tightened, making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the phrase "goodnight, sleep tight".
It was the accepted practice in Babylon 4,000 years ago that for a month after the wedding, the bride's father would supply his son-in-law with all the mead he could drink. Mead is a honey beer and because their calendar was lunar based, this period was called the honey month or what we know today as the honeymoon.
In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts. So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them to mind their own pints and quarts and settle down. It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's".
Many years ago in England, pub frequenters had a whistle baked into the rim or handle of their ceramic cups. When they needed a refill, they used the whistle to get some service. "Wet your whistle" is the phrase inspired by this practice.
In Scotland, a new game was invented entitled: Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden....and thus the word GOLF entered into the English language.

TEN MYTHS ABOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS

2007-11-27T05:16:00.000-08:00

1. Nuclear weapons were needed to defeat Japan in World War II. This is not the opinion of many leading US military figures in the war. General Dwight Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe during World War II and later US president, wrote, “I thought that our country should avoid shocking world opinion by the use of a weapon whose employment was, I thought, no longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives.
It was my belief that Japan was, at that very moment, seeking some way to surrender with a minimum loss of ‘face’….”

2. Nuclear weapons prevented a war between the United States and the Soviet Union. There were many deadly conflicts and “proxy” wars carried out by the superpowers in Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Vietnam War, which took several million lives, is a prominent example. These wars made the supposed nuclear peace very bloody and deadly.

3. Nuclear threats have gone away since the end of the Cold War. In the aftermath of the Cold War, a variety of new nuclear threats have emerged. Among these are the following dangers:
•
Increased chances of nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists willing to use them;
•
Policies of the US government to make nuclear weapons smaller and more usable;
•
Use of nuclear weapons by accident, particularly because of decaying Russian infrastructure; and
•
Spread of nuclear weapons to other states that may perceive them to be an “equalizer” against a more
powerful state.

4. The United States needs nuclear weapons for its national security. US national security would be far improved if the US took a leadership role in seeking to eliminate nuclear weapons throughout the world. Nuclear weapons are the only weapons that could actually destroy the United States, and their existence and proliferation threaten US security.

5. Nuclear weapons make a country safer. By threatening massive retaliation, the argument goes, nuclear weapons prevent an attacker from starting a war. There are many ways, though, in which deterrence could fail, including misunderstandings, faulty communications, irrational leaders, miscalculations and accidents.

6. No leader would be crazy enough to actually use nuclear weapons. US leaders, considered by some to be highly rational, have used nuclear weapons in war, against Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Globally and historically, leaders have done their best to prove that they would use nuclear weapons.

7. Nuclear weapons are a cost-effective method of national defense. The cost of US nuclear weapons research, development, testing, deployment and maintenance has exceeded $7.5 trillion.

8. Nuclear weapons are well protected and there is little chance that terrorists could get their hands on one. In the aftermath of the Cold War, the ability of the Russians to protect their nuclear forces has declined precipitously.

In addition, a coup in a country with nuclear weapons, such as Pakistan, could lead to a government coming to power that was willing to provide nuclear weapons to terrorists.

9. The United States is working to fulfill its nuclear disarmament obligations. The United States has failed for nearly four decades to fulfill its obligations under Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, requiring good faith negotiations to achieve nuclear disarmament. The United States has failed to ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and has withdrawn from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

10. Nuclear weapons are needed to combat threats from terrorists and “rogue states.”
The threat of nuclear force cannot act as a deterrent against terrorists because they do not have a territory to retaliate against. If the leaders of a rogue state do not use a rational calculus regarding their losses from retaliation, deterrence can fail

More Details at :
http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/2007/10/facts_myths.pdf

NOKIA Phones - Known , Unknown Facts

2007-11-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

1. Unlike other modern day handsets, Nokia phones do not automatically start the call timer when the call is connected, but start it when the call is initiated. (Except for Series 60 based handsets like the Nokia 6600)

2. The name of the town of Nokia originated from the river which flowed through the town. The river itself, Nokianvirta, was named after the old Finnish word originally meaning sable, later pine marten. A species of this small, black-furred predatory animal was once found in the region, but it is now extinct.

3. The native Finnish pronunciation of “Nokia” is [’no.ki.a], i.e. stress on the first syllable and all vowels short. English speakers often pronounce the name approximately [nou.ki.ə] (adapting the Finnish short ‘o’ [o] to the English “long O” [əυ]) or [nak’kii.ə] (postponing stress and replacing the short ‘i’ [i] with a “tense I” [ii]).

4. The “Special” tone available to users of Nokia phones when receiving SMS (text messages) is actually Morse code for “SMS”. Similarly, the “Ascending” SMS tone is Morse code for “Connecting People,” Nokia’s slogan. The “Standard” SMS tone is Morse code for “M” (Message).

5. The ringtone “Nokia tune” is actually based on a 19th century guitar work named “Gran Vals” by Spanish musician Francisco Tárrega. The Nokia Tune was originally named “Grande Valse” on Nokia phones but was changed to “Nokia Tune” around 1998 when it became so well known that people referred to it as the “Nokia Tune.”

6. Nokia is sometimes called aikon (Nokia backwards) by non-Nokia mobile phone users and by mobile software developers, because “aikon” is used in various SDK software packages, including Nokia’s own Symbian S60 SDK.

7. Nokia sponsored several pan-European Alternate Reality Games from 1999 to 2005, under the name Nokia Game. These were used to promote their latest phones, as well as introducing the ARG format to Europe.

8. Nokia was listed as the 20th most admirable company worldwide in Fortune’s list of 2006 (1st in network communications, 4th non-US company).[6]

9. Nokia is currently the world’s largest digital camera manufacturer, as the sales of its camera-equipped mobile phones have exceeded those of any conventional camera manufacturer.

10. In the mobile phone market, Nokia is in direct competition with Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung Electronics, LG, Philips, Kyocera, SAGEM, among others.

11. In Asia, the digit 4 never appears in any handset model number, because 4 is considered unlucky in many parts of Southeast/East Asia.

12. The Nokia corporate font (typeface) is the AgfaMonotype Nokia Sans font, originally designed by Eric Spiekermann. Previously in advertising and in its mobile phone User’s Guides Nokia mostly used the Agfa Rotis Sans font.

Important Facts About Alexander the Great

2007-11-27T04:51:00.000-08:00

Born around July 20, 356 B.C.
Son of King Philip II of Macedon and Olympias, daughter of King Neoptolemus I of Epirus. Olympias was not the only wife of Philip and there was much conflict between Alexander's parents.
Tutored by Leonidas (possibly his uncle) and the great Greek philosopher Aristotle.
During his youth, Alexander tamed the wild horse Bucephalus. Later, when his beloved horse died, Alexander renamed a city in India for Bucephalus.
In 340 B.C., while father Philip went off to fight rebels, Alexander was made regent in Macedonia. During Alexander's regency, the Maedi of northen Macedonia revolted. Alexander put down the revolt and renamed their city Alexandroupolis.
In 336 B.C. his father Philip was assassinated, and Alexander the Great became ruler of Macedonia.
Had several rivals executed in order to secure the throne.
Alexander the Great had three wives: Roxane, Statiera, and Parysatis.
Children: Herakles, son of Alexander's mistress Barsine, and Alexander IV, son of Roxane. Both children were killed before they reached adulthood.
One of the legends about Alexander the Great is that when he was in Gordium, in Turkey, in 333 B.C., he undid the Gordian Knot which had been tied by the legendary King Midas. The prophecy about the Gordian knot was that the person who untied it would rule all of Asia. Alexander the Great is said to have undone the knot by slashing through it wilth a sword.
In 323 B.C. Alexander the Great returned to Babylonia where he became ill suddenly, and died at age 33. The cause of his death is unknown. It could have been disease or posion.

Further Reading:

The World of Royalty Biography of Alexander the Great - Begins with the early years of Alexander the Great and continues through his life. Site includes bibliography.

Kohinoor, World's Best Diamond

2007-11-27T04:37:00.000-08:00

Information about the famous Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
Discover some fascinating information about the famous Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)

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Facts and Information about the Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
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The Curse of the Koh-i-Noor diamond
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History & Timeline of the Kohinoor Diamond
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Kohinoor Diamond - one of the World's most famous diamonds the Koh-i-Noor diamonds

Description of the Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
The Kohinoor Diamond is one of the most famous diamonds in the world. The Kohinoor diamond was first mentioned in 1306 when it was taken from a Rajah of Malwa, whose family had held the diamond for centuries. It was described as weighing 186 carats and was an oval cut white diamond - the shape and size of a small hen's egg. The Kohinoor diamond belonged to various Indian and Persian rulers but it became part of the Crown Jewels of England at the time that Queen Victoria was proclaimed empress of India. The Kohinoor was re-cut at this time and now weighs 108.93 carats and is kept in the Tower of London.

Origin / Meaning of the name Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
The Kohinoor (Koh-i-Noor) originated from India in Golconda at the Kollur mine and was specifically mined from the *Rayalaseema diamond mine (meaning *Land of Stones) during the rule of the Kakatiya dynasty. The Kohinoor was then passed from one ruling dynasty to the next. The original name of the diamond was ‘Samantik Mani’ (Prince and leader among diamonds). In 1739 Nadir Shah, the King of Persia, invaded India and was said to refer to the diamond as the "Mountain of Light". The Persian-Arabic words for "Mountain of Light" were Koh-i-Noor. The magnificence of the diamond and its value symbolized the power of an Empire. It was said that "He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes." Possession of the Kohinoor led to murder, torture, mutilation and treachery and stories of the Curse of the Kohinoor Diamond...

The Curse of the Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
The Curse of Kohinoor Diamond dates back to a Hindu text from the time of the first authenticated appearance of the diamond in 1306. The Curse of the Kohinoor Diamond reads:

"He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all
its misfortunes. Only God, or a woman, can wear it with impunity."

The history and lives of the rulers who owned the Koh-i-Noor diamond were filled with violence, murders, mutilations, torture and treachery. Whether or not people believe in the Curse of the Kohinoor Diamond, the history of the stone is undeniable - and the threat of the Koh-i-Noor curse is enough to make people cautious. The British Royal family were obviously aware of the Curse of the Kohinoor and from the reign of Queen Victoria, when the Kohinoor diamond came into their possession, it has always gone to the wife of the male heir to the British throne. The History Timeline details the story of the Kohinoor diamond.

History of the Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
Myths and legends surround the stone. It was of incredible value and described by one of its owners, the Emperor Babur, the Great Mogul, as "Worth the value of one day's food for all the people in the world". The men who fought for it, and the Kingdoms and great Empires that were won and lost, produced many stories of ill-luck that plagued the owners and became part of the history of the Kohinoor diamond.

The History Timeline of the Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)
The following timeline & history of the Kohinoor details important historical events and dates:
Dates in History of the Kohinoor Timeline & History of Kohinoor Diamond (aka Koh-i-Noor)

1200 - 1300's

There were many dynasties who owned the Kohinoor diamond including the Slave dynasty (1206-90), the Khilji dynasty (1290-1320), the Tughlaq dynasty (1320-1413), the Sayyid dynasty (1414-51), and the Lodi dynasty (1451-1526)These were all brief reigns ending with war and violence
1306 In 1306 the Rajah of Malwa was forced to give the diamond to the rulers of the Kakatiya Empire
1323

Soon after, in 1323, the Kakatiya Empire fell after a rule stretching from 1083 to 1323. The diamond was taken by Muhammad bin Tughluq who became the Sultan of Delhi from 1325 to 1351
1323 - 1526

The diamond came into the possession of the Delhi Sultanate which consisted of many Muslim dynasties that ruled in India to 1526. During the Delhi Sultanate Muslim armies consisting of Mongol, Turkic, Persian, and Afghan warriors invaded India
1526

In 1526 the Kohinoor Diamond passed to the Mughal Empire when the Timurid Prince Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi, the last of the Delhi Sultans, at the First Battle of Panipat. Mughal is the Persian word for Mongol

Babur mentions in his memoirs, the Baburnama, that the diamond had belonged to an un-named Rajah of Malwa

The Mughal Empire ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for two hundred years and the Kohinoor passed from one Mughal Emperor to the next. Violence and bloodshed followed these years often marked by the sons of the Emperors rebelling and overtaking their fathers

The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan (1592 – 1666), who was famous for building the Taj Mahal, had the Kohinoor Diamond placed into his ornate Peacock Throne
1639

The Koh-i-Noor changed ownership several more times until the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan took the throne. In 1639 a struggle for the Empire started between his four sons - Dara Shikoh, Shah Shuja, Aurangzeb and Murad Baksh when brother killed brother. Shah Shuja executed his brother Dara Shikoh and in then 1658 Aurangzeb defeated Shuja and Shuja who was tortured to death together with all his family
1665

In 1665 Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605 – 1689), French traveller and pioneer of jewelry and diamond trade with India, recorded his experiences in which he describes a great Mughal diamond said to be the biggest in the world. It was called the "Great Mogul" by Tavernier
1739

In 1739 the Persian King Nadir Shah invaded the Mughal Empire defeating their Emperor and stole the great Koh-i-Noor diamond (Nadir Shah is credited with giving the diamond the name it is known by today). The Koh-i-Noor Diamond was taken to Persia
1747

In 1747 the empire of Nadir Shah quickly disintegrated after he was assassinated - the Curse of the Kohinoor strikes again? After Nadir Shah's assassination, the diamond passed to his successors, each were dethroned and ritually blinded (Blinding was used to render an enemy powerless and make him a burden on his community.)
1800

1800 - Ranjit Singh took the Empire and possession of the Kohinoor diamond. Rajah Ranjit Singh died in 1839 and his successors lacked his bravery and vision

The Sikh kingdom became weak and the British conquered India which became part of the British Empire and the British Raj or rule gained control of India from 1858 - 1947

The British Governor-General of India, Lord Dalhousie, was responsible for the British acquiring the Koh-i-Noor

1851

1851 - Dalhousie arranged that the Kohinoor diamond should be presented by Ranjit Singh's successor, Duleep Singh, to Queen Victoria, the Empress of India
1851

1851 - The Great Exhibition was staged in Hyde Park in London when the Koh-i-Noor was put on view by the British public
1852

In 1852 Prince Albert ordered that the Koh-i-Noor diamond to be re-cut from 186 carats to its current 105 carats thus increasing its brilliance. The Koh-i-Noor diamond was mounted in a tiara with more than two thousand other diamonds

The Koh-i-Noor diamond was then used as the centre piece of the crowns of the Queen consorts to the British Kings. The Queen Consorts Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary wore the crowns
1936

In 1936, the stone was set into the crown of the wife of King George VI, Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother), wife of King George VI
The British Royal family were obviously aware of the Curse of the Kohinoor - "He who owns this diamond will own the world, but will also know all its misfortunes. Only God, or a woman, can wear it with impunity." And from the reign of Queen Victoria the Kohinoor diamond has always gone to the wife of the male heir to the British throne

In 1850, it was given to Queen Victoria in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Oriental India Company. The Queen asked for the stone to be cut again, its 186ct then became 108,93. In 1911, a new crown was made for Queen Mary with the Koh-I-Noor as central stone. In 1937, it was transferred to the crown of Queen Elizabeth for her Crowning.
The diamond is now, along with other famous diamonds, part of the Imperial State Crown of Great Britain. The government of India has repeatedly lobbied the British Government and the British monarchy for the return of this diamond, claiming legitimate ownership. As of 2003, nothing has come of these requests.

Origin of Vastu

2007-11-27T04:28:00.000-08:00

Origin of Vastu

These days, the concept of consulting Vastu expert for creating peaceful settings at home and workplace, has gained popularity. This architectural scientific study of directions, more popularly known as Vastu is not new. In fact it has its origin in the Stapatya Veda, a part of the Atharva Veda. Thus, the origin of vastu study can be said to have taken place thousands of years ago. It is interesting to explore facts about Vaasthu origin. Read further to know about Vaastu shastra history…

The early principles of Vastu were framed on the basis of observation of the sunrays at different durations during the day. Vastu study has incorporated the principles of sculptures, construction and architecture, as were described in the epics. One can find its mention in different epics like Mataysya Purana, Skanda Purana, Agni Purana, Garuda Purana, and Vishnu Purana.

References can also be found in the Mahabharata; of different houses built for the kings, which were constructed following Vaastu guidelines. Even Buddhist literature makes numerous mentions of different buildings based on Vaasthu. It has become a tradition of passing the knowledge of Vastu shashtra from one generation to another.

India Facts

2007-11-27T01:12:00.000-08:00

India is the world's largest, oldest, continuous civilization.

2. India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history.

3. India is the world's largest democracy.

4. Varanasi, also known as Benares, was called "the ancient city" when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C.E, and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today.

5. India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.

6. The World's first university was established in Takshashila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.

7. Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987.

8. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place in our civilization.

9. Although modern images of India often show poverty and lack of development, India was the richest country on earth until the time of British invasion in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus was attracted by India's wealth.

10. The art of Navigation was bornin the river Sindhu 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'.

11. Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days.

12. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century long before the European mathematicians.

13. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10**53(10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BCE during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera 10**12(10 to the power of 12).

14. IEEE has proved what has been a century old suspicion in the world scientific community that the pioneer of wireless communication was Prof. Jagdish Bose and not Marconi.

15. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.

16. According to Saka King Rudradaman I of 150 CE a beautiful lake called Sudarshana was constructed on the hills of Raivataka during Chandragupta Maurya's time.

17. Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India.

18. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India. Over 125 surgical equipment were used. Deep knowledge of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many texts.

19. When many cultures were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley (Indus Valley Civilization).

20. The four religions born in India, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism, are followed by 25% of the world's population.

21. The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.

22. India is one of the few countries in the World, which gained independence without violence.

23. India has the second largest pool of Scientists and Engineers in the World.

24. India is the largest English speaking nation in the world.

25. India is the only country other than US and Japan, to have built a super computer indigenously.

Famous Quotes on India (by non-Indians)

Albert Einstein said: We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made.
Mark Twain said: India is, the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great grand mother of tradition. Our most valuable and most instructive materials in the history of man are treasured up in India only.
French scholar Romain Rolland said: If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India.

Hu Shih, former Ambassador of China to USA said: India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border.

partial source: http://india.gov.in/myindia/facts.php

Dinosaur Fact Book....

2007-11-22T08:17:00.000-08:00

The study of dinosaurs stretches our imaginations, gives us new perspectives on time and space, and invites us to discover worlds very different from our modern Earth.

When did the dinosaurs first appear on Earth?
The oldest dinosaur types are known from rocks in Argentina and Brazil and are about 230 million years old. The most primitive of these types, Eoraptor, was a small meat-eating dinosaur. Because Eoraptor's skeleton shows some advanced skeletal features, older dinosaurs may yet be found.

OTHER FACTS:
Some dinosaurs were as small as a hen, but the typical dinosaur weighed about as much as a hippopotamus or an elephant.

Dinosaur eggs are smaller than those of modern birds (relative to the weight of the mother). In fact, the largest known dinosaur eggs are much smaller than those of the extinct elephant bird of Madagascar.

Instead of chewing their food, some sauropods ground their food between stones in a portion of the digestive tract, much like the gizzard of a modern bird.

How fast could dinosaurs walk or run?
Estimates of dinosaur speeds vary because several different methods are used to calculate them. One recent estimate suggests that an average person might have been able to to outrun an adult Tyrannosaurus (although you probably would not volunteer to try). The two basic approaches for estimating dinosaur speed are comparing to recorded speeds of modern animals of similar body size and build, and measuring distances between fossil footprints in a trackway and using these distances to calculate estimated speed. Walking-speed estimates for medium-sized bipedal (two-legged) dinosaurs vary from 4 kph to 6 kph, and peak running-speed estimates vary from 37 kph to 88 kph. The highest figure (88.6 kph) is the same as the peak speed of the currently fastest land animals, such as the North American pronghorn "antelope" (Antilocapra americana), and very probably is too high.
OTHER FACTS:
The earliest dinosaurs resembled two-legged, short-headed crocodiles, but later dinosaurs were oddly reminiscent of giant mammals and birds.

Some dinosaurs spent time in the water, but no dinosaur could swim very well.

Dinosaur bones have been found on all of the continents, but the fossil record is most complete in North America and Asia.

Dinosaurs had tiny (or completely absent) outside fingers and toes.

It's easy to tell a dinosaur skeleton from that of a modern reptile because dinosaur skeletons have a strong joint between the backbone and hips.

Small, two-legged dinosaurs could turn rapidly by swinging their tail abruptly in a direction opposite to where they wished to turn.

Some dinosaurs had feathers.

Dinosaurs generally are named after a characteristic body feature, after the place where they were found, or after a person involved in the discovery. Usually the name consists of two Greek or Latin words (or combinations); in order, these are the genus (plural, genera) and the species name. For example, the Greek and Latin combination (binomen) Tyrannosaurus rex means "king of the tyrant lizards." Biologists name modern animals exactly the same way. Some examples include humans (Homo sapiens), domestic dogs (Canis familiaris), golden eagles (Aquila chrysaetos), box turtles (Terrapene carolina), and rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus).

More Info at:

Farlow, J.O., 1993, The dinosaurs of Dinosaur Valley State Park -- Somervell County, Texas: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin
Glut, D.F., 1982, The New Dinosaur Dictionary: Secaucus. Citadel Press
Lambert, D., and the Diagram Group, 1990, Dinosaur Data Book: New York, Avon Books
Norman, D., 1985, Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs: New York, Crescent Books
Russell, D.A., 1989, An Odyssey in Time, the Dinosaurs of North America: Minocqua, North Word Press,
Thulborn, T., 1990, Dinosaus Tracks: London, Chapman and Hall

Children Books:

Tyrannosaurus Drip by Julia Donaldson and David Roberts (Macmillan)
Astrosaurs: Riddle of the Raptors by Steve Cole (Random House)
Dinosaur Chase by Benedict Blathwayt ( Red Fox)
Rotten and Rascal! by Paul Geraghty (Red Fox)

Ten things you probably didn't know about Africa:

2007-11-21T02:57:00.000-08:00

The Nile is the longest river in the world, flowing through Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt - if all the bends in the river were straightened out, it would flow from the Equator right up to the Scottish Highlands.
Many children in Africa don’t get the chance to go to school. If you grew up in Mali in west Africa, for example, you’d only have a one in three chance of being able to go to primary school. Puts things in perspective rather yes?
Four of the five fastest land animals live in Africa – the cheetah, which can run at an amazing 70 miles per hour, wildebeest, lion and gazelle.
Lake Malawi in southern Africa is home to around 500 different types of fish. That’s more than anywhere else in the world! Gosh!
Africa is almost an island. Its only connection to other land is the tiny Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
Africa is the home of the Human species, which developed there about 5 million years ago.
More people are killed in Africa by crocodiles than by lions. We probably should include crocs on our scary stuff page .. oh well, too late!
The banjo as we know it originated from a single-string, gourd-bodied African lute (sometimes called the "hodu") which the Griots of West Africa played to accompany storytelling. Now, bet you feel better for knowing that!
Only three countries in the world are bigger than the Sahara Desert – Russia, Canada and China. The Kalahari Desert in southern Africa covers an area larger than France.
The only street in the world to house two Nobel Peace prize winners is in Soweto, South Africa. Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu both have houses in Vilakazi Street.

Turtles can cry (amazing facts)

2007-11-21T02:52:00.000-08:00

1. Sea turtles cry. The green sea turtle lives in the salty ocean, and gets rid of the excess salt from its body by way of its eyes, in very salty tears.

2. All turtles lay their eggs on land, even turtles that never come out of the water otherwise such as the giant sea
turtles.

3. Most turtles can live much longer than people can. One turtle was estimated to be fifty years old when it was
caught, and it lived another one hundred and fifty-two years after that!

4. Turtles are cold-blooded, like all reptiles. But the Blanding's Turtle, a common North American freshwater
species, has been seen swimming under the ice in the Great Lakes in winter.

5. Some water turtles can absorb oxygen through their skin on their necks and cloacal areas (their rear ends), so they can not only stay underwater for long periods, they can hibernate underwater.

6. Some land turtles can outrun a person on level ground. But they still can't outrun a hare.

7. A turtle's shell is made of over sixty bones all fused together, and they are connected to the bottom shell, so a
turtle can't really take off its shell like they do in the cartoons.

8. The largest turtle ever found was a fossil of a sea turtle that was over fifteen feet long! The largest turtle
species living now is the Leatherback Sea Turtle, which can grow to as large as nine feet long, six feet wide and can weigh over 1,000 pounds.

9. Some aquatic turtles such as the snapping turtle and soft-shelled turtles have eyes that let them easily look up. They can sit on the bottom under the water and look up for predators or food swimming by, or lay in shallow water with just their eyes and nostrils above the water so land predators can't see them.

10. No turtles have teeth. Instead they have a strong beak to cut and chew their food. Many also have sharp ridges on their beaks to saw through their food. Some turtles catch and eat fish; so those beaks work pretty well.

Facts on languages worldwide

2007-11-21T02:48:00.000-08:00

Widow is the only female form in the English language that is shorter than its corresponding male term (widower).

Victor Hugo's Les Miserable contains one of the longest sentences in the French language 823 words without a period.

There is only ONE word in the English language with THREE CONSECUTIVE SETS OF DOUBLE LETTERS.... Bookkeeper

There is a word in the English language with only one vowel, which occurs five times: "indivisibility."

There is a seven letter word in the English language that contains ten words without rearranging any of its letters, "therein": the, there, he, in, rein, her, here, ere, therein, herein.

There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: "abstemious" and "facetious."

There are thirteen languages spoken by more than 100 million people. They are: Mandarin Chinese, English, Hindi, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Bengali, Portuguese, Malay-Indonesian, French, Japanese, German, and Urdu.

There are roughly 6,500 spoken languages in the world today. However, about 2,000 of those languages have fewer than 1,000 speakers. The most widely spoken language in the world is Mandarin Chinese. There are 885,000,000 people in China that speak that language.

There are only two sequences of four consecutive letters that can be found in the English language: "rstu" and "mnop." Examples of each are understudy and gynophobia.

There are only 4 words in the English language which end in "duos": tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.

There are at least two words in the English language that use all of the vowels, in the correct order, and end in the letter Y: abstemiously & facetiously.

There are 41,806 different spoken languages in the world today.

The word "queue" is the only word in the English language that is still pronounced the same way when the last four letters are removed.

The word "honcho" comes from a Japanese word meaning "squad leader" and first came into usage in the English language during the American occupation of Japan following World War II.

he shortest word in the English language with all its letters in alphabetical order is the word "almost."

The Philippines has more than 1,000 regional dialects and two official languages.

The only MLB team to have both its city's name and its team name in a foreign language is the San Diego Padres.

The longest word in the Finnish language, that isn't a compound word, is 'epaejaerjestelmaellistyttaemaettoemyydellaensaekaeaen'. In English it means 'even with their lack of ability to disorganize'.

The longest word in the English language, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis. The only other word with the same amount of letters ispneumonoultra-microscopicsilicovolcanoconioses, its plural.

The longest word in the English language is 1909 letters long and it refers to a distinct part of DNA.

The longest one syllable word in he English language is "screeched".

The letter most in use in the English language is "E" and the letter "Q" is least used.

The computer programming language ADA was named in honor of Augusta Ada King. The U.S. Defense Department named the language after the Countess of Lovelace and daughter of Lord Byron because she helped finance and program what is thought to be the first computer, the “analytical engine” designed by Charles Babbage.

The Chinese language does not require punctuation.

The "huddle" in football was formed due a deaf football player who used sign language to communicate and his team didn't want the opposition to see the signals he used and in turn huddled around him.

South Africa used to have two official languages, now it has eleven.

Some biblical scholars believe that Aramaic (the language of the ancient Bible) did not contain an easy way to say 'many things' and used a term which has come down to us as 40. This means that when the bible -in many places -refers to '40 days,' they meant many days.

Seoul, the South Korean capital, just means "the capital" in the Korean language.

You can SEE all facts on EYES here

2007-11-21T02:41:00.000-08:00

We should never put anything in or near our eyes, unless we have a reason to use eye drops. We would only do that if our doctor or parent told us to use them.

Blinking helps to wash tears over our eyeballs. That keeps them clean and moist. Also, if something is about to hit our eye, we will blink automatically.

Our body has some natural protection for our eyes. Our eyelashes help to keep dirt out of our eyes. Our eyebrows are made to keep sweat from running into our eyes.

Our eyes are very important to us, and we must protect them. We don't want dirt, sand, splinters or even fingers to get in our eyes. We don't want our eyes to get scratched or poked. That could damage our sight!

The study of the iris of the eye is called iridology.

The shark cornea has been used in eye surgery, since its cornea is similar to a human cornea.

The number one cause of blindness in adults in the United States is diabetes.

The eyeball of a human weighs approximately 28 grams.

The eye of a human can distinguish 500 shades of the gray.

The cornea is the only living tissue in the human body that does not contain any blood vessels.

The conjunctiva is a membrane that covers the human eye.

Sailors once thought that wearing a gold earring would improve their eyesight.

Research has indicated that a tie that is on too tight cam increase the risk of glaucoma in men.

People generally read 25% slower from a computer screen compared to paper.

Men are able to read fine print better than women can.

In the United States, approximately 25,000 eye injuries occur that result in the person becoming totally blind.

All babies are colour blind when they are born.

A human eyeball weighs an ounce.

If the lens in our eye doesn't work quite right, we can get glasses to help us see. Glasses have lenses in them that work with our eye's own lens to help us see better.

Babies' eyes do not produce tears until the baby is approximately six to eight weeks old.

The reason why your nose gets runny when you are crying is because the tears from the eyes drain into the nose.

The most common injury caused by cosmetics is to the eye by a mascara wand.

Some people start to sneeze if they are exposed to sunlight or have a light shined into their eye.

The highest recorded speed of a sneeze is 165 km per hour.

It is impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.

The space between your eyebrows is called the Glabella.

Inside our eye, at the back, is a part called the "retina." On the retina are cells called "rods" and "cones." These rods and cones help us to see colors and light.

Just behind the pupil is a lens. It is round and flat. It is thicker toward the middle.

Over the front of our eye is a clear covering called the "conjunctiva."

The white part of our eye is called the "sclera." At the front, the sclera becomes clear and is called the "cornea."

Around the pupil is a colored muscle called the "iris." Our eyes may be BLUE, BROWN, GREEN, GRAY OR BLACK, because that is the color of the iris.

Our eyes have many parts. The black part on the front of our eye is called the "pupil." It is really a little hole that opens into the back part of our eyes.

Your eyes blinks over 10,000,000 times a year!

Hitler Facts ....

2007-11-21T02:37:00.000-08:00

Since Congress passed the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act in 1998, almost 3 million classified files have been opened to the public - including a 1942 secret profile of Adolf Hitler compiled by the OSS. Here are some excerpts.

PERSONAL APPEARANCE

• Hitler never allows anyone to see him while he is naked or bathing. He refuses to use cologne or scents of any sort on his body

• No matter how warm he feels, Hitler will never take off his coat in public

• In 1923, Nazi press secretary Dr. Sedgwick tried to convince Hitler to get rid of his trademark mustache or grow it normally. Hitler answered: "Do not worry about my mustache. If it is not the fashion now, it will be later because I wear it!"

SOCIAL BEHAVIOR

• While dining with the others, Hitler will allow the conversation to linger on general topics, but after a couple of hours he will inevitably begin one of his many monologues. These speeches are flawless from start to finish because he rehearses them any time he gets a moment.

• His favorite topics include: "When I was a soldier," "When I was in Vienna," "When I was in prison," and "When I was the leader in the early days of the party."

• If Hitler begins speaking about Wagner and the opera, no one dares interrupt him. He will often sermonize on this topic until his audience falls asleep.

PERSONAL HABITS

• Hitler has no interest in sports or games of any kind and never exercised, except for an occasional walk.

• He paces frequently inside rooms, always to the same tune that he whistles to himself and always diagonally across the room, from corner to corner

• Hitler’s handwriting is impeccable. When famous psychologist Carl Jung saw Hitler’s handwriting in 1937, he remarked: "Behind this handwriting I recognize the typical characteristics of a man with essentially feminine instinct."

ENTERTAINMENT

• Hitler loves the circus. He takes real pleasure in the idea that underpaid performers are risking their lives to please him.

• He went to the circus on several occasions in 1933 and sent extremely expensive chocolates and flowers to the female performers. Hitler even remembered their names and would worry about them and their families in the event of an accident.

• He isn’t interested in wild animal acts, unless there is a woman in danger

• Nearly every night Hitler will see a movie in his private theatre, mainly foreign films that are banned to the German public. He loves comedies and will often laugh merrily at Jewish comedians. Hitler even liked a few Jewish singers, but after hearing them he would remark that it was too bad he or she wasn’t Aryan.

• Hitler staff secretly made films for him of torture and execution of political prisoners, which he very much enjoyed viewing. His executive assistants also secured pornographic pictures and movies for him.

• He loves newsreels - especially when he is in them.

Weird and Wacky Facts on Beards

2007-11-21T02:31:00.000-08:00

Longest Male Beard:
Back in 1997, Shamsher Singh of Punjab, India, had his beard officially measured at an impressive 1.83 m (6 ft) from the end of chin to the tip. This is the longest beard on a living male.
The longest beard ever was grown by Hans Langseth of Norway, whose whiskers stretched an incredible 5.33 m (17 6 in) when measured upon his death in Kensett, Iowa, in 1927. The beard was presented to the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, in 1967.

Longest Female Beard:
Vivian Wheeler of Wood River, Illinois, USA, grew a full beard after the death of her mother in 1990. The longest strand from the follicle to the tip of hair was measured at 27.9 cm (11 in) in 2000.

Some random facts about beards:
Number of inches whiskers grow per year: 5.5.
Length of beard an average man would grow if he never shaved: 27.5 feet.

Amount of time an average man spends shaving: 3350 hours.

Number of whiskers on the face of the average man: 30,000.

"Werewolf syndrome" or hypertrichosis:
Where even the women of the family are covered with a light to medium coat of hair, while the men have thick hair on every inch of their bodies, apart from their hands and feet. Far out, how about that.

According to a study in Quebec:
The hypothesis according to which male common baldness has developed in the human species as a compensation for the growth of a beard in order to achieve heat loss has been tested In 100 clean-shaven men. During light hyperthermia the evaporation rate on the bald scalp was 2 to 3 times higher than on the hairy scalp. The results support the hypothesis that male baldness is a thermoregulatory compensation for the growth of a beard in adults. - No shit, they needed a study to tell us that?

ZZTop Facts:
The only guy without a beard in ZZTOP has the surname Beard. I've always known they had class.

Pogonophobia or fear of beards:
refers to an abnormal and persistent fear of beards. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, sweating, nausea, and overall feelings of dread, although everyone experiences pogonophobia in their own way and may have different symptoms

30 facts on SHARKS...

2007-11-20T22:15:00.000-08:00

Films such as Jaws and Open Water have projected sharks as super predators eager to take a bite out of human flesh, but there is more to these fish, Sharks are magnificent creatures which are not only endangered, but also vastly misunderstood.

Skin of a Whale shark can be up to 4 inches (10 centimetres) thick

Great white sharks grow about 10 inches per year. Great whites can grow to mature lengths of 12 to 14 feet.

The Porbeagle is among the fastest sharks. It can jump fully out of the water, a behavior observed in only a few sharks.

New teeth are constantly being formed in rows in a shark's jaw. Shark's teeth are normally replaced every eight days.

Some species of sharks can shed as many as 30,000 teeth in their lifetime.

In 1956, one single Whale shark egg was found off the Mexican coast. This led scientists to believe that the Whale shark was an oviparous species, but now we know that this erroneous Whale shark fact was based on false assumptions. (Oviparous fish species lay undeveloped eggs that are fertilized and developed outside the body of the female fish.)

Whale sharks have approximately 300 rows of teeth, with hundreds of tiny teeth in each row.

It has also been estimated that of all documented great white shark attacks on humans, more than half have occurred within the Red Triangle (Red Triangle is roughly triangle-shaped region off the coast of northern California, extending from Bodega Bay, north of San Francisco

Dried shark skin (shagreen) was used in the past as sandpaper. In Germany and Japan, shark skin was used on sword handles for a non-slip grip.

In 1937, shark liver oil was discovered to be rich in vitamin A. Sharks were hunted for the vitamin until 1950, when a synthesizing method was developed for vitamin A.

SHARK ATTACK VIDEO

Tiger sharks have developed a specialized form of gill slit known as a spiracle. The spiracles are situated right behind the eyes of the Tiger shark and this arrangement ensures a constant flow of oxygen directly to the brain and the eyes of the shark.

The average life span of a shark is 25 years, but some sharks can live to be 100.

The dogfish sharks are named for their tendency to attack their prey as a pack of wild dogs would.

The porbeagle is mainly a pelagic shark, but can be found in coastal waters.

Great white sharks can go as long as three months without eating.

The Tiger sharks are equipped with special electro receptors that can detect even slight electrical currents in the water
The most distinguishing characteristic of the Porbeagle is a white patch on the trailing edge of the dorsal fin.

Not all sharks have to be in continuous motion to breathe.

Newly born Tiger sharks are roughly 50-75 centimetres long (20-30 inches)

Bull sharks can tolerate a wide range of salinity and are often found in freshwater rivers and lakes in Africa and South America.

More people are killed each year by dogs, pigs and deer than by shark attacks.

The pygmy shark has a maximum length of 11 inches.

Sharks have no bones. A shark's skeleton is made up of cartilage.

There are more than 340 known species of sharks.

They have about 3000 teeth, arranged in several rows. The first two rows of teeth are used for grabbing and cutting prey, while the teeth in the last rows rotate into place when front teeth are broken, worn down, or fall out. The teeth are triangularly shaped with serrations on the edges

Sharks first appeared in the fossil record over 400 million years ago.

A significant physical trait that separates a modern shark from an ancient shark is the protrusile jaw, which gives the modern shark more biting force.

Sharks can generate about six and a half tons per square inch of biting force.

A shark's skin is embedded with dermal denticles, which resemble teeth.

The shortfin mako shark is probably the fastest fish in the ocean, clocked at about 60 mph.

Manmade UFO- The Nazi Connection

2007-11-20T21:38:00.000-08:00

Did Nazi Germany Develop Flying Saucers as Secret Weapons Near The End of WW II ?

The concept of "flying saucers" has become synonymous with that of UFO, and by logical extension, to "extraterrestrial spacecraft." The truth is that these concepts are not necessarily related.

Long before Kenneth Arnold initiated the modern age of the societal phenomenon known as UFO, there were already "flying saucers" that had little in common with spacecraft from other planets.

Any enthusiast of aviation history will have encountered sketches of "flying saucers" and discoidal aircraft more than once in aviation catalogues and publications. In his own day, Leonardo Da Vinci had already sketched the outlines of circular vehicles: war wagons, movable fortresses, and other artifacts which, had they been endowed with the power of flight, would be the perfect ancestors of our "flying saucers."

During the 1930's, a number of circular wing aircraft were built in the United States, some of which would eventually confuse ufologists, who took them as evidence of UFOs which had crashed on American soil. On one hand, H. Zimmerman conducted several tests in 1932 with a variety of circular wing aircraft inside a wind tunnel in order to prove the lesser degree of distension in their extremities. The results of these tests were published in "Technical Report 431," issued by NACA (known today as NASA), producing a genuine sensation and leading to the creation of US patent 2,108,093. A practical use for them would be found later on in the "Chance Vought 173" whose maiden flight occurred in 1942.

In its February 1989 issue, the German magazine Flugzeug published the following report made by a German aviation official who, allegedly, been the protagonist of the astonishing sighting involving a "flying saucer" at the Prag-Gbell (formerly Praha-Kbely) aerodrome in 1943.

The controversial report follows: "Place of Sighting: C 14 Flight School at the Prag-Gbell aerodrome. Date of Event: August/September 1943, supposedly on a Sunday (I seem to recall there were no services on that day. The weather was good, dry and sunny. Kind of Observation: "I was with my flight comrades on the air strip, more precisely, near the school buildings, some 2000 meters away from the arsenal (located to the extreme left). See adjoining diagram.

The device was inside the hangar: a disk some 5-6 meters in diameter. Its body is relatively large at the center. Underneath, it has four tall, thin legs. Color: Aluminum. Height: Almost as tall as a man. Thickness: some 30 - 40 cm., with an rim of external rods, perhaps square orifices.

The upper part of the body (almost a third of the total height) was shrunken over the upper half of the disk. It was flat and rounded. See the attached sketch for the lower
half.

Along with my friends, I saw the device emerge from the hangar. It was then that we heard the roar of the engines, we saw the external side of the disk begin to rotate, and the vehicle began moving slowly and in a straight line toward the southern end of the field. It then rose almost 1 meter into the air. After moving around some 300 meters at
that altitude, it stopped again. Its landing was rather rough.

We had to leave the area while some custodians pushed the vehicles toward the hangar. Later on, the "thing" took off again, managing to reach the end of the aerodrome this
time.

Afterwards, I made a note in my flight log of the members
of the FFS C14 who were present at the moment: Gruppenfluglehrer (group flight instructor) Ofw. Michelsen; Fluglehrer Uffz. Kolh und Buhler; Flugschüler (flight students): Ogefr, Klassmann, Kleiner, Müller, Pfaffle, Schenk, Seifert, Seibert, Squarr, Stahn, Weinberger, Zoebele, Gefr, Hering, Koza, Sitzwohl, Voss, and Waluda."

Certainly, even Flugzeug's editors treat the report cautiously: "the device described by these observers is antithetical to those described by Schreiver, Habermohl, Miethe, and Bellonzo with their vast basic dimensions." And these German experts cannot be mistaken, since it is known to all of those who are well-versed in aeronautics that during the history of Nazi aviation at least two circular-wing aircraft were built, and fifteen others were designed, although there remains the possibility that the object supposedly tested at Prag-Gbell was one of the prototypes destroyed by the Nazis in order to keep it from falling into Allied hands after the fall of the Third Reich.

A C.I.A. document dated August 18, 1952 mentioning that the Germans were building "flying saucers" as early as 1941. From the German book Die Dunkle Seite Des Mondes (The Dark Side of theMoon) by Brad Harris (1996, Pandora Books, Germany).

What happened to these craft after the war? Our source says that both the Russians and Americans were aware of the ultra-secret German disc research programs and had an agreement they would not shoot the discs down or apparently bomb the research facilities because the craft posed no hostile threat...unlike the facilities at Peenemunde. The eventual outcome of the war was a virtual certainty and both countries wanted the disc technology as one of the prime spoils of war.

As research continues probing the advanced German WWII programs, it is becoming more evident that at least some of the early - and current - UFO sightings may be directly related to, and descendants of, disc craft like the one depicted in this newly unearthed historic drawing.

More info & original document at :

http://missilegate.com/rfz/chapter1.htm

http://www.members.tripod.com/uforeview/nazi2.html

Rehabilitation Facts -- animals

2007-11-20T03:07:00.000-08:00

SEALS

"The average cost of rehabilitating a
seal after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska was $80,000. At a
special ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were
released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers. A
minute later, in full view, a killer whale ate them both. "

PENGUINS

"The highlight of Dyan's career was flying to South Africa as part of an international team of penguin experts to help save 20,000 penguins from an oil spill. The rehabilitation effort took three months and 556,000 hours of volunteer labor, and due to the incredible response to the penguins in crisis, 91% of the oiled birds were saved and released back into the wild. This event was historic in its size and success rate, and represents the largest number of animals within a species ever to be rescued and rehabilitated. Dyan calls her participation in this rescue the most challenging, yet most rewarding, experience of her life.

More details at: http://www.thepenguinlady.com/ "

Crime and Criminal Facts

2007-11-20T03:02:00.000-08:00

1. On average, 80 people shoot at the Goodyear blimp each year.

2. In Miami in August, Levon Howard lost a shoot-out with his roommate Edwin Heyliger. Howard broke into Heyliger's room, angry that someone had drunk his Kool-Aid, and in the ensuing argument, both scrambled for guns.

3. In June 1995, in Liberty, Ohio, police officer Bradley L. Sebastian, tired of waiting for his food order at Denny's, stormed into the kitchen, held his gun to the cook's head, and told her he would kill her if she didn't hurry up.

4. Chances that a drug offense by a black U.S. juvenile with no prior jail time will result in imprisonment: 48 in 100,000. Chance that a drug offense by a white juvenile with no prior jail time will do so : 1 in 100,000

5. In 1471, a chicken in Basel, Switzerland, was accused of being 'a devil in disguise' after laying a brightly colored egg. The chicken stood trial, was found guilty and burned at the stake.

6. The LAPD purchased 40 semiautomatic paint-ball rifles in preparation for this the April 2000 Democratic convention.

7. Lincoln was shot on April 14, 1865 on Good Friday and in 1995 Good Friday was also on April 14. When Booth shot Lincoln, some people thought it was part of the play.

8. A frightened Englishwoman rang the police emergency line, she could hear burglars, she was sure, drilling into her house from a building site next door. However, when the law arrived they found the rapid thumping noise was caused by a faulty sex toy, that was humming along all by itself in a bedside cabinet.

9. One Saturday, police received not one or two or ten but thirty five emergency calls from Razorback Stadium. The local team were "battering the oposition" (final score 58-6), but there was no clear emergency happening. Eventually the calls were traced to a fan with his trendy little cellphone tucked into a back pocket. Every time he stood up to cheer, and sat down he was hitting the 'one button dial' feature.

10. According to one study, people who keep guns at home nearly triple their chances of being murdered, usually by friends or relatives, but fail to protect themselves from intruders. However, Paul Blackman, research coordinator at the National Rifle Association, criticized the study, "These people were highly susceptible to homicide," he said. "We know that because they were killed."

Japanese love taking pictures ...facts

2007-11-20T03:00:00.001-08:00

Lakshmi -- Amazing child with 8 Limbs

2007-11-19T21:16:00.000-08:00

Partway through a mammoth 40-hour operation on a 2-year-old girl born with four arms and four legs, surgeons in India said the procedure is going according to plan, with no problems encountered.The conjoined twin stopped developing in the mother's womb, and has a torso and limbs, but no head. It was joined to Lakshmi at the pelvis.

When Lakshmi was born into a poor, rural Indian family, villagers in the remote settlement of Rampur Kodar Katti in the northern state of Bihar believed she was sacred. As news of her birth spread, locals waited in line for a blessing from the baby.

Her parents, Shambhu and Poonam Tatma, named the girl after the Hindu goddess of wealth who has four arms. However, they were forced to keep her in hiding after they were approached by men offering money in exchange for putting their daughter in a circus.

A team of 30 doctors began removing the extra limbs and organs on Tuesday, surgery that if successful would give her a good chance to live past adolescence. The procedure included separating the fused spines along with removing the extra limbs and the rest of the "parasite," said Patil, the orthopedic surgeon leading the operation.

Children born with deformities in deeply traditional rural parts of India, like the remote village in the northern state of Bihar that Lakshmi hails from, are often viewed as reincarnated gods. The young girl is no different — she is named after the four-armed Hindu goddess of wealth.

The complications for Lakshmi's surgery were myriad: She was born with four kidneys, entangled nerves, two stomach cavities and two chest cavities.

WRITE A SECRET MESSAGE

2007-11-19T03:01:00.001-08:00

Write an invisible message on a mirror using a soapy solution and a cotton swab. The secret message will appear only in a foggy room.

What You Need:

liquid dishwashing detergent
cup of water
a few cotton swabs
hand mirror or bathroom mirror

What You Do:

Place a few drops of dishwashing detergent into the cup of water. stir to mix well. This is your secret message “ink”.

Dip a cotton swab into the soapy solution. Write a short message on the mirror. When the liquid dries, the message will be invisible. (If not, use a little less of the solution.)

When you take a hot shower or bath, do not get the mirror wet, but get the mirror close enough to the steam from the water so that it gets fogged up. Close the door so the steam stays in the bathroom.

Observe what happens. Can you read the message?

Vladimir Demikhov, (1st heart Transplant)

2007-11-19T01:48:00.000-08:00

The first half of the XX Century was characterized by important developments in the areas of physiology and surgical techniques, providing the bases for what we now know as “Modern Surgery”. Demikhov is among the forgotten pioneers of high specialty surgery that are routinely performed in our days. He dedicated all his professional life to the development of thoracic surgical procedures. His experimental work included mainly the creation of an artificial heart system, the use of staples for vascular anastomosis, coronary revascularization surgery, and cardiopulmonary transplants. Although unknown for many, his research complemented the initial works of Carrel, giving rise to the possibility of performing open-heart surgery and transplants.

DIED. VLADIMIR DEMIKHOV, 82, pioneering transplant surgeon; in an undisclosed location in Russia. Demikhov performed the world's first heart transplant, on a dog, in 1946.

More Info at : http://www.tvdata.ru/catalog.php?dir=11&did=365&lang=eng

The "Orange" Word...

2007-11-19T01:41:00.001-08:00

The name of the fruit was NARANJ in Sanskrit. This language was spoken in ancient India. Indians traded with Arabs, so the word passed into Arabic as NARANJAH. The Spaniards were ruled by north African Arabs who passed the fruit and word into Spanish as NARANJA (pronounced as NARANHA).

This came into English where the fruit was a NARANJ. Words ending in J are not common in English so the spelling quickly changed to a NARANGE.

The initial N moved to the a because of mis-hearing to give an ARANGE

Over time, the initial A became an O to give an ORANGE.

18 Unknown Facts About Watermelon

2007-11-19T01:18:00.000-08:00

1. To find out if a watermelon is ripe, knock it, and if it sounds hollow then it is ripe.
2. Watermelons are more than 90% water. That's the secret behind the name! In ancient times travelers used watermelons as a replacement for water.
3. Watermelons are found in varied shapes and sizes and the latest addition is a SQUARE watermelon grown by the Japanese. These square watermelons were created to save space and to ensure that the watermelons fit in the refrigerators more easily. The farmers put the watermelons in a square tempered glass box, when the watermelon is still growing on the vine. The square boxes are of exact dimensions of the Japanese refrigerators that allows full-grown watermelon to fit in conveniently and precisely in refrigerator shelves. The square watermelons are generally priced at a very high premium.

4. The largest watermelon weighed 262 pounds. It was grown by Bill Carson of Arrington, Tennessee in 1990. (Reference: Guinness Book of Records)
5. A Watermelon is completely edible. While most of us relish the flesh part, the watermelon seeds can be roasted and eaten. Watermelon rind is used for making preserves, pickles and relish.
6. Over 1200 varieties of watermelons are grown worldwide.
7. By weight, watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew.
8. A watermelon was once thrown at Roman Governor Demosthenes during a political debate. Placing the watermelon upon his head, he thanked the thrower for providing him with a helmet to wear as he fought Philip of Macedonia.

9. The word "watermelon" first appeared in the English dictionary in 1615.
10. Every two years, the town of Chinchilla pays tribute to the melon harvest with the Chinchilla Melon Festival. The highlight of the festival however is Water Melon Skiing. They put down a long tarpaulin and make it slippy with the insides of a few dozen watermelons. Players take it in turns to stand at the beginning of the run, each foot encased in a scooped out watermelon. They then hold onto a rope being held by two people standing either side of the tarpaulin. These two players run down the course dragging the watermelon skier behind them. The person who remains on his feet for the longest distance is the winner.
11. The first cookbook published in the U.S. in 1776 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.
12. Though watermelon is commonly considered as a fruit it is actually a vegetable! It is a member of the cucumber family and is kin to the gourd.
13. Watermelon is a certified heart healthy food by the American heart Association
14. Watermelon originated in the Kalahari Desert in Africa

15. Watermelon is the Lycopene Leader among fresh fruits and vegetables
16. In 1939 seedless watermelon was developed for the first time by treating the un-pollinated flowers of watermelons with a specific acid, which resulted in the seedless watermelon.
17. The World record for eating Watermelon lies with Richard LeFevre who ate 11 1/2 pounds of watermelon in 15 minutes.
18. In southern Russia a beer is made from watermelon juice. Also they boil down watermelon juice to heavy syrup like molasses for its sugar.

More details: http://archives.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/east/06/15/square.watermelon/index.html

Shoes also have an History...

2007-11-19T01:10:00.000-08:00

Sandals were the most common footwear in most early civilizations, however, a few early cultures had shoes. In Mesopotamia, (c. 1600–1200 BC) a type of soft shoes were worn by the mountain people who lived on the border of Iran. In India various epics and regions have indicated usage of a wooden sandal “Khadaon” which were used.

The soft shoe was made of wraparound leather, similiar to a moccasin. "As late as 1850 most shoes were made on absolutely straight lasts, there being no difference between the right and the left shoe."

The firt rubber heel for shoes was patented on January 24, 1899 by Irish-American Humphrey O'Sullivan. O'Sullivan patented the rubber heel which outlasted the leather heel then in use.

The first rubber soled shoes called plimsolls were developed and manufactured in the United States in the late 1800s. In 1892, nine small rubber manufacturing companies consolidated to form the U.S. Rubber Company. Among them was the Goodyear Metallic Rubber Shoe Company, organized in the 1840s in Naugatuck, Connecticut.

Crazy People..

2007-11-19T00:51:00.000-08:00

5 most Amazing Flowers..

2007-11-19T00:43:00.000-08:00

| View | Upload your own

Bermuda Triangle Mysteries: Is it real ...

2007-11-15T02:38:00.000-08:00

Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean in which a number of aircraft and surface vessels have disappeared in what are said to be circumstances that fall beyond the boundaries of human error or acts of nature.

The Bermuda Triangle has been a topic of hot discussion and interest for many years because so many strange occurrences have taken place in this area of the world that lies between the southern eastern coast of the United States and the islands of the West Indies. Basically, if you draw a line from Miami to Puerto Rico and Puerto Rico to Bermuda and then Bermuda back to Miami you would have the area that is known as the Bermuda Triangle.

Many boats, airplanes, and ships have mysteriously disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle with no explanation for what happened to the crafts or the individuals on board. In the past 100 years, more than 1000 lives have vanished in the Bermuda Triangle. For many years individuals attributed the disappearances and strange events to extraterrestrials or aliens because there simply was no other explanation for what was happening in this area of the world.

In fact, in 1974 Charles Berlitz wrote about the mysterious Bermuda Triangle in a book that sold almost 20 million copies in more than 30 languages. This is because the entire world is intrigued by the unknown that is the Bermuda Triangle.

However, the unknown of the Bermuda Triangle does have some explanations other than extraterrestrials or aliens flying down and snatching up boats, ships and airplanes. Some simply say that accidents happen and while some of those accidents occurred in what is known as the Bermuda Triangle, many more have occurred outside of it. Then, there are those looking for something more substantial to answer the questions of the Bermuda Triangle. One such result is that methane gas hydrate is the explanation for the disappearances of boats and planes over the years.

In 1981 a geochemist by the name of Richard McIver introduced his theory of the role methane gas hydrate plays in the disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle. His theory was that to the North of the Bermuda Triangle huge landslides occur on the continental shelf, which results in large stones and sludge falling rapidly to the sea floor and ultimately rupturing the sea floor which covers a layer of gas hydrate. When the seafloor is ruptured the hydrate is released rapidly as well as methane within the hydrate causing a huge surge of gas which erupts from the surface of the water with no warning. When this happens any ship, airplane, or boat within the vicinity will be in immediate peril because the water and air no longer have the same density, causing the vessels to sink rapidly and lie to rest covered by sludge on the floor of the ocean.

While this is a somewhat viable theory, most people prefer to believe in something more extraordinary that happens in the Bermuda Triangle. Because of its triangular shape and strange events many individuals believe it is a portal to another world, outer space, or even the Lost City of Atlantis. Also, people claim to have an unusual feeling when they are in the Bermuda Triangle, as if something is calling to them from another place and time. Many claim there is something strange about the Triangle because it is the only place on earth where the compass points true north. There are no definitive answers as to which theory is the truth behind the Bermuda Triangle, or if the extraordinary Bermuda Triangle is simply a myth that has been created over the years.

However, no matter whether you choose to believe in one myth or other, or a combination, or simply believe the Bermuda Triangle is nothing more than a lot of hype, you will probably still be apprehensive when traveling in the area simply because of the question, “What if.” So, until more concrete information is found that points to one solid answer behind the disappearances of boats, ships, planes and people in the Atlantic’s Bermuda Triangle it is up to you to decide if the Bermuda Triangle’s disappearances are simply accidents played up into something dramatic or whether there truly is something otherworldly about the Bermuda Triangle. So, what do you think? Are the Bermuda Triangle myths fact or fiction?

Books for additional Information:

# Into the Bermuda Triangle: Pursuing the Truth Behind the World's Greatest Mystery, Gian J. Quasar, International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press (2003) ISBN 0-07-142640-X. (Reprinted in paperback (2005) ISBN 0-07-145217-6).
# The Bermuda Triangle, Charles Berlitz (ISBN 0-385-04114-4).
# The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved (1975). Lawrence David Kusche (ISBN 0-87975-971-2).
# Limbo Of The Lost, John Wallace Spencer (ISBN 0-686-10658-X).
# The Evidence for the Bermuda Triangle, (1984), David Group (ISBN 0-85030-413-X).

How did these Words origin.....(Multiple Sources)

2007-11-15T02:20:00.000-08:00

Bonds. This term is taken from the early English word band, which means a fastening. The word bond implies that one is "bound" to repay an obligation.

Borrow. The word borrow derives from the Old English word borg, which means "pledge".

Budget. In the Middle Ages, French merchants carried their money in a bougette, or "little bag". The word borrows from the Latin word bulga, meaning "a leather bag". Within the bag, one's monetary resources were kept.

Business. Business originally applied to a person suspected of taking part in mischievous activity. Eventually, it related to any type of activity, and later still to a type of vocation.

Capital. This word comes ultimately from the Latin word for "head". The words capital and cattle come from this same root. Cattle were and are a source of wealth, and are typically measured in terms of how many "head of cattle".

Cartel. This word originates with the Latin word charta, which means "paper" and led to the English word for chart. Initially, the word referred to a written challenge to a fight. Later, it changed its meaning and referred to a libelous written statement. By the 1600s, it became an agreement associated with prisoner of war exchanges. Eventually, the word came to take on its current meaning, "an agreement in restraint of trade".

Cash. This word stems from the Latin word for "box", cassa. Originally, the French used this term to refer to the "moneybox" holding any cash, but later the term applied to the cash itself.

Coin. The word coin comes originally from the Latin word cuneus, meaning "wedge". The term came to apply to the wedge-shaped die that made these small pieces of money. Later, the word coin was applied to the stamped image on the money, but eventually referred to the money itself.

Commerce. This word is a combination of two Latin words: com, meaning "together"; and merx, meaning "goods".

Communism. This is a term developed by Karl Marx from the Old French word for "common" and based upon the Latin word communis, or "essential goods". It was thought that essential goods should be owned in common and thus shared.

Company. The Latin words cum, "with", and panis, "bread", combine to form the source of the word company. Initially, the word was relational, corresponding with the word companion. Eventually, it came to exist within a business context as well.

Consumer. The Latin term consumo means "eat up completely", which understandably led to our current use of the term consumer.

Deposit. Deposit is created by putting together two Latin words: de, a relatively common prefix that means "away"; and positus, meaning "placed".

Economist. This important word is taken from the Greek word oikonomia, which means "house management". It originally applied to persons who were good administrators within a community, business or home.

Finance. Finance derives from the Latin and Old French word for fine, which originally meant "end". The French word for finance came to mean both "payment" and "ending", but in the 18th century the English adapted it to mean "the management of money".

Labor. This word comes from the Latin word laborare, which means "to be tired". Beginning with the Reformation, labor supposedly came to be regarded as a duty.

Manager. The word manager comes from the Italian word maneggiare, "to train horses", which derives from their word mano, meaning "hand".

Merger. The Roman word for "plunge" or "sink" is mergo.

Money. One of the responsibilities of the Roman goddess Juno was to warn the Romans of impending danger. In this capacity, she was called Juno Moneta, where the name Moneta derives from a Latin word meaning "warn". As a tribute to Juno, the Romans built a temple in her honor on Capitoline Hill, which later became the place where coinage was kept. Becoming known also as the guardian of finances, the name Moneta would evolve into our word money.

Monopoly. In Greek, the word monopolion means "the right to exclusive sale".

Revenue. The word revenue was created by combining the Latin words: re, which means "back"; and venio, which means "come".

Salary. The Latin word salarium, meaning "salt allowance", is the origin of the word salary. A necessary part of one's diet, Roman soldiers were supposedly given an allowance to buy salt as part of their income. In time, this word applied more generally to one's wages.

Securities. The Latin words se and cura combine to form this word. Translated literally, these words mean "without care".

Socialism. This term originates with the Latin word socius, which had the basic meaning of "sharing", but was also used to refer to a comrade, a sharer or an ally.

Stocks. Stocks originates from the Old English word stocc, a word for tree trunk. It implied that something was solid, or even safe.

Surplus. The word comes from two related French words: sur, which means "over"; and plus, which means "more".

Tariff. This word comes from an ancient Arabic term, tarrif, which means "notification".

Trade. When suppliers were less mobile, they walked between places where their goods were sold. The Old English word for "tread" is trod, and the root of the word trade.

Crazy Laws (International)

2007-11-15T02:13:00.000-08:00

Australia

Children may not purchase cigarettes, but can smoke them.
You may never leave your car keys in an unattended vehicle.
It is illegal to roam the streets wearing black clothes, felt shoes and black shoe polish on your face as these items are the tools of a cat burglar.
It is illegal to read someone's tarot, or give them a psychic reading as these are forms of witchcraft.
Under Australian Communications Authority (ACA) regulations, your modem can't pick up on the first ring. If it does the ACA permit for your modem is invalid and there's a $12000 fine. - Telecommunications Act 1991.

England

Those wishing to use a television must apply for a license.
It is illegal to leave baggage unattended.
Picking up abandoned baggage is as act of terrorism.

France

Between the hours of 8AM and 8PM, 70% of the music in the radio must be by French composers.

Thailand

It is illegal to leave your house if you are not wearing underwear.
You must wear a shirt while driving a car.
You must pay a fine of $600 in Thailand if you're caught throwing away chewed bubblegum on the sidewalk. If you do not pay the fine, you are jailed.
No one may step on any of the nation's currency.

Source (http://www.dumblaws.com)
If there is any correction , Pls comment - I would immediately do the needfull

MIx facts...

2007-11-15T01:58:00.000-08:00

When Leo Tolstoy and his brother were children, they created a club with a peculiar, almost impossible initiation ceremony. In order to become a member, one had to stand in a corner for a half an hour and not think of anything white.

Most elephants weigh less than the tongue of the blue whale

Mrs. Caroline Squires of Cincinnati filed for a divorce from her husband in 1949 on grounds of desertion. She testified he'd stepped out "for a beer" on the Fourth of July, 1917, and had never come back.

The French national anthem, "La Marseillaise," derived its title from the enthusiasm of the men of Marseilles, France, who sang it when they marched into Paris at the outset of the French Revolution. Rouget de l'Isle, its composer, was an artillery officer. According to his account, he fell asleep at a harpsichord and dreamt the words and the music. Upon waking, he remembered the entire piece from his dream and immediately wrote it down.

A law passed in Nebraska in 1912 really set down some hard rules of the road. Drivers in the country at night were required to stop every 150 yards, send up a skyrocket, then wait eight minutes for the road to clear before proceeding cautiously, all the while blowing their horn and shooting off flares..

Birds do not sleep in their nests. They may occasionally nap in them, but they actually sleep in other places.

The formula for cold cream has hardly changed at all in the 1,700 years since it was originally made by the Roman physician Galen.

George Lumley, aged 104, married Mary Dunning, aged 10, in Nortallerton, England on August 25, 1783. She was the great-great granddaughter of the woman who'd broken her engagement to Lumley, eighty years before.

Caesar salad has nothing to do with any of the Caesars. It was first concocted in a bar in Tiajuana, Mexico on July 4, 1924 by Caesar Cardini (born Cesare) (1896-1956), an Italian hotel owner, restaurateur and chef.

Objects weigh slightly less at the equator than at the poles.
If the Earth was a non-rotating sphere, it would show equal gravitational values (values of g) at any point on its surface. However, the Earth is not spherical but elliptical, with a greater radius at the equator than at the poles. As a result, one might expect gravitational readings to be lower at the equator than at the poles. And, because the Earth is rotating, there is a tendency for objects to be thrown away from the Earth. This tendency is greatest at the equator and zero at the poles, reducing the gravitational attraction.

Crocodiles and alligators are surprisingly fast on land. Although they are rapid, they are not agile; so if you ever find yourself chased by one, run in a zigzag line. You'll lose him or her every time.

After Albert Einstein had been at Princeton for some months, local news hounds discovered that a twelve-year-old girl happened to stop by the Einstein home almost every afternoon. The girl's mother hadn't thought to ask Einstein about the situation until the newspapers reported it, but when she got the opportunity after that she did so. What could her daughter and Einstein have in common that they spent so much time together? Einstein replied simply, "She brings me cookies and I do her arithmetic homework."

When the French Academy was preparing its first dictionary, it defined "crab" as, "A small red fish which walks backwards." This definition was sent with a number of others to the naturalist Cuvier for his approval. The scientist wrote back, "Your definition, gentlemen, would be perfect, only for three exceptions. The crab is not a fish, it is not red and it does not walk backwards."

This is Not crazy -- Global Warming is real...

2007-11-15T01:42:00.000-08:00

Spam Email -- History and Facts

2007-11-12T10:53:00.000-08:00

How annoyed are people about spam?

77 percent of Yahoo! Mail poll respondents said they are more aggravated by weeding through spam than they are by cleaning a dirty toilet. 1

Spam is already considered more annoying than junk postal mail and door-to-door salespeople, and it is quickly becoming as annoying as telemarketing calls. 1 Most annoying forms of spam are as follows:
Telemarketing calls
Spam e-mail
Door-to-door salespeople
Junk postal mail

Three-quarters of e-mail users think spammers should be punished, with the majority favoring stiff fines as the ideal punishment , while 8 percent think spammers should do jail time. 1

How spam affects trust
With the increase in spam, people are not comfortable giving out their primary e-mail address:
When purchasing products online: 45 percent
When subscribing to a newsletter: 56 percent
When joining an online community: 72 percent 2

As a way to control spam, one out of three survey respondents would feel more comfortable conducting online transactions with a disposable e-mail address.

How users are helping spammmers
48 percent of e-mail users still think that they can unsubscribe from spam by responding to spammers. 1 (You should only unsubscribe from a unsolicited email if you know and trust the sender.)

35 percent of e-mail users still post their addresses on message boards. 1 (Use an
AddressGuard™ disposable address when posting online to protect your primary address from being harvested by a spammer.)

Why is junk email called spam? The history of spamÂ…
Unsolicited email earned the name "spam" because it resembled a Monty Python skit where a chorus of Vikings drowned out other sounds by singing "spam, spam, spam."
Early digital marketing pioneers contend that spam is actually an acronym for Simultaneously Posted Advertising Message.
The first spam email may have been sent in 1978 by a Digital Equipment Corporation salesperson to announce a product presentation. Source: The New York Times, February 9, 2003.

1. Internal Yahoo! data based on 28,000 Yahoo! Mail survey respondents, August 2003
2. Harris Interactive Survey, September 2003

(Source :http://antispam.yahoo.com/funfacts
Copied as it is , no offence meant , information is worth sharing ..Thanks Yahoo)