Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Gene could allow lab-grown teeth

Scientists believe they have found a way to grow teeth in the laboratory, a discovery that could put an end to fillings and dentures.

The US team from Oregon have located the gene responsible for the growth of enamel, the hard outer layer of teeth which cannot grow back naturally.

Other scientists are already growing the inner parts of teeth in animals - but they have no hard enamel coatings.

The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences work may plug this gap.

Experiments in mice have shown that the gene, a "transcription factor" called Ctip2, has several functions involving immune responses and the development of skin and nerves.

The work at Oregon State University made the link with enamel by studying mice bred to lack Ctip2.

Lead researcher Dr Chrissa Kioussi said: "It's not unusual for a gene to have multiple functions, but before this we didn't know what regulated the production of tooth enamel."

The scientists found that Ctip2 was crucial for the enamel-producing cells, called ameloblasts, to form and work properly.

Dr Kioussi said: "This is the first transcription factor ever found to control the formation and maturation of ameloblasts, which are the cells that secrete enamel."

Controlling the gene in conjunction with stem-cell technology could make the artificial creation of functional teeth a real possibility.

Alternatively, the knowledge could be used to strengthen existing enamel and repair damaged enamel, cutting decay and the need for fillings.

Dr Kioussi said: "A lot of work would still be needed to bring this to human applications, but it should work. It could be really cool, a whole new approach to dental health."

Paul Sharpe, an expert on tooth development at the Dental Institute at King's College London, said: "If you could find some way of growing ameloblasts that make enamel, you could find a way to repair teeth.

"Any gene like this is worth understanding. The more we learn about it the more we can use the information to make biological models of tooth repair."

source:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7907192.stm

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Government may lower DTH licence fee

The government is considering a proposal to decrease the licence fee for direct-to-home (DTH) players by 4 per cent. “We will deliberate on the matter. This amendment to the existing licence condition could lead to healthy competition among the DTH operators. Other delivery platforms will also be forced to innovate, bringing considerable benefit to the consumers,” said Sushma Singh, secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting at the sidelines of the conference.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and External Affairs, Anand Sharma, announced plans to set up a national centre for animation, gaming and VFX. The centre will address the growing need for skilled manpower in the newer industry verticals.

The minister added the government would raise the issue before the Empowered Committee on value-added tax. GST is slated for introduction from April, 1, 2010.

“We will consider the entertainment industry’s demand, articulated by Ficci, for inclusion of entertainment tax in GST itself, so that there is a single tax on the industry,” the minister said.

Responding to the observations made by Harsh Pati Singhania, president, Ficci, Sharma said the government was prepared to consider further requirements of the media and entertainment industry to help it weather any adverse fallout of the global economic crisis.

Sushma Singh added the government was working on devising a suitable regulatory framework for digitalisation of cable services. “This is a key factor in getting rid of problems such as under-declaration of subscribers and the practice of carriage fee being charged by cable operators, particularly in major TRP-providing cities.”

She added the government was in the process of amending the FM Phase II policy for the launch of FM Phase III in about 275 cities, with as many as 790 channels.

“We are also trying to resolve issues like music royalties. We hope that these initiatives will enhance the growth rate further,” Singh said.

source:http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/government-may-lower-dth-licence-fee/00/06/349347/

Thursday, February 05, 2009

India’s 10$ laptop is an expensive pen drive

India’s 10$ laptop is an expensive pen drive. The much touted 10$ laptop seems to have been fake, hoax or just a mere claim. The hype created by some government officials seems to have annoyed many a technology buffs who now think that the 10$ laptop was a bad publicity for India.

Raj Mehta, a computer engineer who works with a top technology firm in New Delhi says that the frenzy created by the unverified claim fizzled fast giving a bad name to the country.

Mehta says that as of now it is absolutely impossible to manufacture a laptop for rupees three or four thousand rupees let alone claiming that the laptop would cost around as low as rupees 500.

He says that the government agency seems to have got everything wrong. He says that the hoax also gives bad name to Indian Human Resources Development Minister Arjun Singh who unveiled the computing device.

Everybody from media to tech companies had expected something better from Indian government, notwithstanding the speculation that how and what exactly it will be. Every media outlet seemed to have been hit by the bug as they thought it may be something as good as least Nano car.

Rs 500 laptop or 10 dollar laptop has generated the same sort of buzz in technology circles like Rs 10000 Simputer generated a few years ago. But does anyone remembers that forgetful innovation called Simputer?

Only a few years ago, the Simputer was the biggest story to come out of the Indian IT industry. It was to be the first time that a computing product would be completely indigenously developed and marketed. What made the whole idea sweeter was that it would be a product that would take computing to the very interiors of India.

sources:http://www.khabrein.info/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19835&Itemid=88

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Scientists Clone Pet Dog

A South Korean-created dog clone becomes the first of its kind to live in the US

January 29, 2009 - Losing a pet can be devastating, especially when disease claims their lives. The bonds formed between humans and their animal companions (as we've learned from Fable 2) can last a lifetime, if by lifetime you mean about a dozen years or so. One American couple decided that they did not want to say goodbye to their cancer stricken pooch, and instead opted to have an exact clone of their Labrador created in a lab (oh, the irony) immediately after the original puppy passed away.

DNA samples of Sir Lancelot were taken and frozen over six years ago at the request of Edgar and Nina Otto, a wealthy couple with an apparent fetish for the Knights of the Round Table. After succumbing to cancer last January in 2008, the DNA of Lancelot was brought to BioArts International in South Korea, where for £108,000 the biotech firm generated a perfect clone of the dog, now disturbingly named Lancelot Encore, like some lame PC music program.

Lancelot Encore is now the first single-birth commercially cloned puppy to reside in the United States. The Otto's, who at ages 66 (Nina) and 79 (Edgar) are no strangers themselves to having death lurking around every corner, were extremely satisfied with the process.

"He looked just like my original Lancelot," said Nina. "The most interesting thing about this Lancelot we notice he's bonded immediately within an hour with every other pets in the house. He's the Alpha dog!"

A rep from another South Korean BioTech firm has since come out and said that cloning a pet will soon cost less than half the price paid the Otto's. RNL Bio claims to have developed a new method for cloning dogs using stem cells derived from fat tissue. Two cloned beagle puppies were born recently using this technique, which the company hopes will reduce the cost of pet cloning to £35,000 within the next three years.

sources:http://gear.ign.com/articles/949/949360p1.html

Saturday, January 24, 2009

PGDMA lauds transports sector for use of LPG, alternative fuels

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lauded today the transport sector for espousing the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and other alternative fuels as part of the government program to help deter global warming, dramatically reduce air pollution in the metropolis, and achieve energy independence in the soonest possible time.

The President made the commendation before 1,000 members and officers of various transport groups during the convention and exhibition of the Philippine Jeepney Operators and Drivers’ Alliance Foundation (PJODAF) this afternoon at the World Trade Center (WTC) in Pasay City.

Among those who welcomed the President were Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes and PJODAF president Orlando Marquez.

"Salamat sa inyong pagtangkilik sa LPG at lahat ng mga paraan kung paano mababawasan ang global warming sa pamamagitan ng clean transportation (Thank you for espousing the use of LPG and other means to reduce global warming through clean transportation)," the President said.

According to the President, the use of LPG and other alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG) would result in lower fares that would eventually benefit the Filipino riding public, including the workers.

"Kung dadami ang gagamit ng LPG at iba pang biofuels gaya ng CNG, sabi ninyo, ibababa pa ninyo ang pasahe sa ikabubuti ng manggagawa (Increased use of LPG and other biofuels such as CNG as you have said would result in lower fares to benefit our Filipino workers)," the President said.

She thanked the support of the transport sector which, she said, deferred the increase of its fares for so many years until it could no longer bear the steep increase of oil prices in the world market.

The President earlier toured the various exhibits at the WTC supporting the kick-off of the government’s engine replacement program for public utility jeepneys in Metro Manila which hopes to reduce by 10 percent the vehicular emissions in the metropolis by 2010.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

RealtyTrac: Colorado No. 5 in 2008 foreclosure rate, Denver No. 19

Colorado’s foreclosure rate for 2008 was fifth highest in the nation, but grew at a slower pace than the rest of the nation, according to an annual report released Thursday by RealtyTrac Inc.

The state saw 66,795 foreclosure filings on 50,396 properties in 2008, for a rate of 2.41 percent of Colorado homes, according to RealtyTrac, an Irvine, Calif.-based private marketer of foreclosure properties.

The state’s 2008 foreclosure rate was 27.90 percent higher than 2007 and 61.41 percent about 2006, the company said in its annual “U.S. Foreclosure Market Report.”

Nationwide, the 2008 foreclosure rate was 1.84 percent, RealtyTrac said. A total of 3,157,806 filings on 2,330,483 properties were tallied.

“Clearly the foreclosure prevention programs implemented to date have not had any real success in slowing down this foreclosure tsunami,” James Saccacio, CEO of RealtyTrac, said in a statement.

If there was any good news in the local numbers, it was that Colorado’s foreclosure-rate growth was outpaced by that of the nation as a whole, which saw a 81.24 percent increase over 2007 and a 224.80 percent jump over 2006.

In RealtyTrac’s parallel series of monthly foreclosure reports, Colorado was ranked highest in the nation for several months in 2006, but has slipped below several other states in more recent rankings. It was No. 10 in the September 2008 monthly report.

RealtyTrac’s reports are controversial in some quarters.

In the past, state officials have disputed Colorado’s high position in RealtyTrac’s rankings, saying that because the state’s public trustees report foreclosures at multiple stages of the process, RealtyTrac may overcount Colorado foreclosures. RealtyTrac officials have denied this, saying they have taken steps to ensure accurate counts.

A report issued Dec. 4 by the Colorado Division of Housing, based on information from Colorado’s county public trustees, said that foreclosure filings through the first nine months of 2008 were down 14 percent from the previous year, and completed foreclosure sales were down 9 percent. The state appeared to be on track to have fewer foreclosures in 2008 than it did in 2007, officials said.

Among U.S. metropolitan areas, the Denver-Aurora area’s 2008 foreclosure rate ranked No. 19 in the RealtyTrac report, at 3.20 percent of all housing units. The company tallied 32,920 foreclosure filings in the area in 2008, up 23.61 percent from the previous year.

Nevada’s 2008 foreclosure rate of 7.29 percent led the states in the RealtyTrac’s report. The report said one in 14 Nevada housing units received at least one foreclosure notice in 2008.

Nevada was followed by Florida (4.52 percent foreclosure rate), Arizona (4.49 percent), California (3.97 percent) and Colorado.

Vermont had the nation’s lowest foreclosure rate, 0.04 percent, RealtyTrac said. Only 124 filings were counted in Vermont.

The report said that among metro areas, Stockton, Calif., led the nation with a 9.46 percent foreclosure rate.

sources:http://www.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2009/01/12/daily48.html

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Indonesia ferry disaster illustrates transport woes

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Take a ferry in the vast Indonesian archipelago and there's a good chance your name won't show up on the manifest. Foot passengers often buy tickets on board, while car passengers are sometimes not recorded by name.

Indonesia's latest ferry disaster -- more than 200 people are missing after the Teratai Prima capsized and sank in a storm Sunday -- suggests the government still has a long way to go to improve safety standards in its creaking transportation system.

Officials have blamed bad weather for the ferry tragedy, raising questions over why the boat was allowed to sail from Sulawesi island for the city of Samarinda in East Kalimantan. There are also discrepancies over the passenger list, suggesting more people were on board than the official tally of 267.

But the issue goes well beyond basic safety standards for the millions of Indonesians who travel across the 17,000 or so islands sprinkled over a distance of 5,000 km (3,100 miles).

Poor infrastructure -- whether rustbucket ferries or badly maintained railways and roads -- is a burden.

It adds to the cost of doing business, hampers tourism and ultimately hurts growth in Southeast Asia's biggest economy.

"It's all about governance, this has been going on for years," said Erman Avantgarda Rahman, director of economic programs at the Asia Foundation in Jakarta.

"It shows the poor quality of infrastructure, they don't control the number of passengers ... the quality of the boats."

for more information log on to :http://uk.reuters.com/article/usTopNews/idUKTRE50C1GV20090113

Friday, January 09, 2009

Studios Try to Settle ‘Watchmen’ Dispute

LOS ANGELES — Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox are moving toward a settlement of their bitter legal battle over rights to the superhero film “Watchmen,” lawyers for both sides said at a hearing here on Friday morning.

The film has already been shot, at a cost of about $130 million, and Warner Brothers, which made the movie in partnership with Legendary Pictures and Paramount Pictures, is planning to release it on March 6. But even before shooting began, Fox stepped forward, saying it actually owned the rights to the dark, highly regarded graphic novel on which the film was based.

Louis A. Karasik, a lawyer for Fox, which filed suit last year, said that the studios in recent days had had “exchanges on the subject of resolution that have been productive.” Earlier, court-mandated settlement talks had failed, and the studios were headed for a showdown over Fox’s bid to block Warner from releasing the film.

The court fight has had considerable spectacle value for Hollywood, where major studios have seldom pushed each other quite so hard over a movie that stood so close to release.

Federal District Judge Gary A. Feess ruled here last month that Fox owned distribution rights to the movie, stemming from its 1980s acquisition of the graphic novel, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons.

Mr. Karasik, joined by lawyers for Warner, had asked a court clerk on Friday if the judge would conduct a hearing in chambers, because they planned to discuss what he called “settlement issues.” The clerk conferred with Judge Feess, then returned to say that the judge would insist on a session open to the public. In a brief status conference, the parties agreed to defer further issues in the case until a hearing on Monday afternoon.

Warner has been struggling to clear up uncertainty around the fate of “Watchmen,” to open the way for a marketing campaign that must soon begin if the audience at large is to connect with a film that has long been considered a difficult proposition.

for more information:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/10/movies/10watc.html

Studios Try to Settle ‘Watchmen’ Dispute

LOS ANGELES — Warner Brothers and 20th Century Fox are moving toward a settlement of their bitter legal battle over rights to the superhero film “Watchmen,” lawyers for both sides said at a hearing here on Friday morning.

The film has already been shot, at a cost of about $130 million, and Warner Brothers, which made the movie in partnership with Legendary Pictures and Paramount Pictures, is planning to release it on March 6. But even before shooting began, Fox stepped forward, saying it actually owned the rights to the dark, highly regarded graphic novel on which the film was based.

Louis A. Karasik, a lawyer for Fox, which filed suit last year, said that the studios in recent days had had “exchanges on the subject of resolution that have been productive.” Earlier, court-mandated settlement talks had failed, and the studios were headed for a showdown over Fox’s bid to block Warner from releasing the film.

The court fight has had considerable spectacle value for Hollywood, where major studios have seldom pushed each other quite so hard over a movie that stood so close to release.

Federal District Judge Gary A. Feess ruled here last month that Fox owned distribution rights to the movie, stemming from its 1980s acquisition of the graphic novel, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons.

Mr. Karasik, joined by lawyers for Warner, had asked a court clerk on Friday if the judge would conduct a hearing in chambers, because they planned to discuss what he called “settlement issues.” The clerk conferred with Judge Feess, then returned to say that the judge would insist on a session open to the public. In a brief status conference, the parties agreed to defer further issues in the case until a hearing on Monday afternoon.

Warner has been struggling to clear up uncertainty around the fate of “Watchmen,” to open the way for a marketing campaign that must soon begin if the audience at large is to connect with a film that has long been considered a difficult proposition.

for more information:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/10/movies/10watc.html

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

CES 2009: Asus shows touchscreen EeePC and Keyboard PC

Las Vegas (NV) - Asus took advantage of the crowd present at the first major press conference at CES 2009 and showed off next-generation of EeePC netbooks, Windows 7 on netbooks, a multitouch EeePC as well as a 4.3” screen PC that runs inside a regular notebook.


Netbooks and touchscreen products shape up to become two major stories at this year’s CES. Asus pioneered the segment two years ago and seems to have an edge over its competitors once again. The upcoming 8.9” EeePc T91 and the 10” EeePC T101H are the first netbooks with a swivel screen - much like what we have seen with tablet PCs in the past. Tablet PCs were first shown at Comdex 2001 and never achieved the initially set goal to grow into a major product category.

That may be different with the new EeePCs which should be much cheaper than tablet PCs. The devices shown at CES integrate a touchscreen and run Windows XP with a modified GUI (that actually looks much more like Linux than Windows). Microsoft was also on stage and touted its cooperation with Asus to make sure its software will run on future netbooks. To proof its point, the company showed an Asus EeePC netbook running its communications software as well as Windows 7 Ultimate.

The T91 comes with an Intel Atom Z520 processor (Silverthorne core), while the 10” T101H will get the N270 chip with Diamondville core.

A bit further out is the EeePC N20, Asus’ first multitouch netbook. It comes with its own interface and multitouch application, which kept crashing during the presentation and did not reveal much of its potential.


Much more interesting were two small PC products: The first was the Eee Keyboard, a compact keyboard with a 5” touchpad on the right side of the device and a fully functional PC inside. This “first wireless media center with integrated ultra-wideband HDMI” will be able to connect to any existing displays, including TVs - making it one of the most compact computers we have seen to date.

Asus also demonstrated a future notebook with a 4.3” touchscreen where you usually would expect a touchpad. While it can function as a touchpad, the device is driven by its own computing device to run display features such as email or even decode videos that can be projected on the larger screen. Asus claims the technology can extend the battery life of the notebook to up to 12 hours (if you spend a significant amount of time on the 4.3” device.)

Asus concluded its press conference with a concept PC: The company envisions mobile computers to become much more compact. In a brief video, the company revealed its “fold” notebook, a device that can fold into three different form factors and “slide” into other fold notebooks to enable screen sharing.

source:http://www.tgdaily.com/html_tmp/content-view-40863-145.html

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Bakrid

Bakrid, to be rightly called Idul-Azha or the festival of sacrifice, is the second of the two festivals of Islam. This festival is observed by Muslims all over the world. It falls on the 10th of Dhul-Hagg, the last month of the lunar year. It is celebrated in commemoration of Abraham's willingness to offer his only son as a sacrifice at God's command.In Kerala as in other parts of the world, this day dawns with the resounding of Thakhir (Allahu Akbar), the declaration that God is great. Every Muslim house wakes up with the spirit of sacrifice and festivity. Men, women and children, dressed themselves in their best attire and reciting the Thakbir, proceed to Id-Gah which is the wide open space set apart for public prayers. The whole atmosphere is filled with the resonance of "Allahu-Akbar". The Assembly then prepares for the congregational prayer led by the Imam. After the ceremonial Id prayer, the leader addresses the devotees, exhorting them to be conscious of their duties to God and follow the example of Abraham. The prayer and the sermon over, the gathering exchange greetings and as an expression of affectionate brotherhood, hug each other. The festivity at home commence after the ceremonial prayer with hearty feasts followed by social visits. Women enjoy this occasion by paying visits to the neighbouring houses and engaging in singing and dancing. All festivals of Islam have some religious significance and are occasions to express their gratitude to God.In Kerala on the occasion of Bakrid, special meetings are held in which distinguished members of sister communities participate. This occasion serves to foster brotherly relationship among members of various communities. A spirit of tolerance, mutual understanding and universal brotherhood pervades such gatherings.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Benefits of Venture capital

You get 30% income tax relief subject to an annual investment limit of £200,000 and a minimum holding period for shares issued in the tax year 2006-7 and onwards.Potentially you don't pay income tax on dividends received up to the maximum permitted investment of £200,000.Potentially you don't pay capital gains tax if the shares are sold up to the maximum permitted investment of £200,000.You can claim the tax relief upfront, without having to wait until you fill in your tax return.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Mandir Jain Tirth Shri Nakoda Ji

Cause of Establishment:The temple has been built as a result of religious devotion and strong faith. The temple has about 246 inscriptions which amply show that over the centuries, the temple was extended, renovated, rebuilt and additions were made to it.
Brief of the Diety: The main idol is that of Shri Nakoda Parshwanath. This statue was brought here from the village Nakoda which is near Sinduri., hence the place is called Nakoda Parshwanath temple. But this alone is not the attraction of the temple. The Nokaoda Bhaironji was installed by Acharya Shri Vijay Himachal Suri who also established idols of other Teerthankars in this temple.
Important Architectural Characteristics: The temple has a very high elaborate shikher which is a rare example of Architectural and sculptural elegance. There are unparalleled statuettes and other floral patterns. The temple in fact is treated as a pilgrimage and it is visited by all Janis, Hindus of the entire country.

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Fire opal

Fire opal is a variety of opal that is transparent to translucent and colored yellow-orange to red with a play of colors. Opal has a hardness of 5.5 to 6.5 and a specific gravity of 2.0 to 2.2. It has a vitreous or pearly luster. Fire opal can be found in lava flows in New Mexico. The word opal comes from the Sanskrit word upala meaning "precious stone." The ring shown at the left is orange common opal, whereas the faceted gem and rough specimen is fire opal.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Ganesh Puja

It wil conduted in the month of August-September, is also a festival of students mostly, but adults participate in it eagerly as tire god, son of Sival is the remover of all obstacles the path of success in ones endeavours. Ganesh has the head of an elephant supposed to have been grafted on his trunk after his head was destroyed by theevil look of the god Saturn. He is famed for his intellectual brilliance and so students are attracted to him to achieve similar powers.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Chottanikkara Temple

Famous for the Devi temple, an important pilgrim centre of Hindus. Navarathri is celebrated on a grand scale. The temple is located 15kms from Cochin City. The presiding deity here is Durga Bhagavathy. It is also that this deity was brought from Mookambika Temple in Karnataka and therefore there is a presence of Mookambika Devi till 7 a.m. in the morning at this temple. There is also one more temple as a part of the complex where deity is Bhadra Kali Devi. THe major festival is Makam Thozhal. It falls during February-march every year for a period of 9 days Temple is open from 4 am to 12 Noon and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Fatehpur Sikri

The royal city at Fatehpur Sikri, situated 26 miles west of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, was built under the orders of the great Mughal Emperor Akbar. In honour of saint Shaikh Salim Chisti, Akbar founded a magnificent city on Sikri ridge. In 1571, he ordered the construction of buildings for his own use and asked the noblemen to build houses for themselves.

Within a year, most of the work was finished and within the next few years, a well planned administrative, residential and religious buildings came into existence.

The Jami Mosque was perhaps among the first buildings to come up. Its epigraph gives AH 979 (AD 1571-72) as the date of its completion. The Buland-Darwaza was added some five years later. Among other important buildings are the tomb of Shaikh Salim Chishti, Naubat-or Naqqar Khana (drum-house), Taksal (mint), Karkhanas (royal workshop), Khazana (treasury), Hakim's quarters, Diwan-i-Am (hall of public audience), house of Maryam also called Sunahra Makan (Golden House), palace of Jodh Bai, Birbal's house, etc.

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Shopping in shimla

Handicrafts. Shawls and tweeds. Fruit juice and jams. Honey. Quality woollens. Silver jewellery. Rare books and etchings. Contemporary pahari miniature paintings. Metalware. Rugs and carpets. Handmade footwear. Wooden items like walking sticks.

Planning a Week in the Shimla Sector
A week’s time will give you a healthy sampler of Shimla. Dividing your time between the town and suburbs is suggested. You can also divide your stay between the town and the peripheral region. A good time to do the walks are the mornings. A visit to the Mall is the ideal plan for the evenings. When visiting the suburbs plan for most of the day. In season, an appropriate activity like activity – like ice-skating can be pursued. Let your hotel or an approved travel agent help you plan your itinerary – those few minutes will add a great deal to your stay.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Problems with excessive thinness

Being too thin can occur with anorexia nervosa, other eating disorders, or loss of appetite, and is linked to menstrual irregularity and osteoporosis in women, and greater risk of early death in both women and men. Many people -- especially women -- are concerned about body weight, even when their weight is normal. Excessive concern about weight may cause or lead to such unhealthy behaviors as excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting, and the abuse of laxatives or other medications. These practices may only worsen the concern about weight. If you lose weight suddenly or for unknown reasons, see a physician. Unexplained weight loss may be an early clue to a health problem.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Crude Oil

The petroleum industry often characterizes crude oils according to their geographical source, e.g., Alaska North Slope Crude. Oils from different geographical areas have unique properties; they can vary in consistency from a light volatile fluid to a semi-solid. Classification of crude oil types by geographical source is generally not a useful classification scheme for response personnel because they offer little information about general toxicity, physical state, and changes that occur with time and weathering. These characteristics are primary considerations in oil spill response. The classification scheme provided below is more useful in a response scenario.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Fruits and Vegetables Can Protect Your Health

Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Compared with people who consume a diet with only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts as part of a healthful diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers.

Friday, September 26, 2008

The Goldfish

The common goldfish is remarkably hardy, and it is the most commonly kept pet animal in the world. It ahs been kept as an ornamental fish for centuries, and graced the garden pools & aquariums of kings and emperors for a thousand years.

The goldfish is renowned for its spectacular red-gold colour, can grow to about 20cm in length, and live upto 10 years or more.

The body is protected by rows of overlapping scales that never increase in number, but increase in size as the fish grows. The circuli, or rings of growth, are well-spaced in summer when growth is rapid, but are laid down close together in winter and at other times of poor growth. The tightly-bunched circuli of winter tend to show up as distinct bands, or annuli, and it is these that indicate the years of a fish's life to a trained scale reader.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Chestnut

Chestnut trees are cultivated for their nuts or as ornamentals. Probably the most notable species was the large and graceful ornamental American chestnut (C. dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.) (fig. 73), which extended from Maine southwest to Arkansas (Munns 1938). It has been almost completely destroyed by blight. The Japanese chestnut (C. crenata Sieb. and Zucc.) and the Chinese chestnut (C. mollisima Blume) are both cultivated for their nuts.

Chestnut is a deciduous tree or shrub, which is cultivated in a similar manner to other deciduous nut trees. It bears brown nuts, about an inch in diameter, which are usually consumed after they are roasted. From one to nine nuts are produced in a spiny involucre or burr.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

What causes tornadoes?

Thunderstorms develop in warm, moist air in advance of eastward-moving cold fronts. These thunderstorms often produce large hail, strong winds, and tornadoes. Tornadoes in the winter and early spring are often associated with strong, frontal systems that form in the Central States and move east. Occasionally, large outbreaks of tornadoes occur with this type of weather pattern. Several states may be affected by numerous severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.
During the spring in the Central Plains, thunderstorms frequently develop along a "dryline," which separates very warm, moist air to the east from hot, dry air to the west. Tornado-producing thunderstorms may form as the dryline moves east during the afternoon hours.

Along the front range of the Rocky Mountains, in the Texas panhandle, and in the southern High Plains, thunderstorms frequently form as air near the ground flows "upslope" toward higher terrain. If other favorable conditions exist, these thunderstorms can produce tornadoes.

Tornadoes occasionally accompany tropical storms and hurricanes that move over land. Tornadoes are most common to the right and ahead of the path of the storm center as it comes onshore.

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

solar energy technologies program

The Solar Energy Technologies program focuses on developing cost-effective solar-energy technologies that have the greatest potential to benefit our nation and the world. Solar technologies diversify our energy supply, reduce our dependence on imported fuels, improve air quality, and offset greenhouse gas emissions. A growing solar industry also stimulates our economy by creating jobs in solar manufacturing and installation.

Monday, August 25, 2008

Auto and White goods

This sector has several opportunities for investment due to the availability of raw materials at close proximity and a large consumer market for the product both in and around the State. These advantages include:-

Presence of large steel plants as a source of easy freight; World class industries (in and around the State) create an excellent vendor base to support the sector; Several industries like Usha Martin, Timken, Cummins, Tinplate, Indal, etc. produce a wide range of engineering products; Various industrial units involved in activities like mining and coking coal; A good combined market for the sector is provided by Jharkhand along with Bihar, Orissa, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh; Demand for white goods like refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, etc is high in the State and is rapidly increasing, etc.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Sociology of education

The sociology of education is the learning of how social institutions and services have an effect on educational processes and outcomes, and vice versa. By many, education is understood to be a means of overcome the handicaps, achieve greater equality and acquire wealth and status for all (Sargent 1994). Learners may be provoked by aspirations for progress and betterment. Education is perceived as a place where children can expand according to their unique needs and potentialities. The principle of education can be to build up every individual to their full potential. The understanding of the goals and means of educational socialization processes differs according to the sociological model used.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Topsoil

Top Soil is the upper, outermost layer of soil, generally the top 2 to 8 inches. It has the most concentration of organic matter and microorganisms, and is where most of the Earth's biological soil activity occurs. Plants regularly concentrate their roots in, and obtain most of their nutrients from this layer. The actual depth of the topsoil layer can be purposeful as the depth from the surface to the first densely packed soil layer known as subsoil.

As one of the layers of soil on the Earth's surface, topsoil nowadays referred to as the A horizon. This layer is shaped from the deposition of eroded material as well as decaying organic matter. A variety of soil mixtures are sold commercially as topsoil, usually for use in civilizing gardens and lawns, or for ideal growing conditions in container gardens, by using potting soil, for example.

A most environmental concern known as topsoil corrosion occurs when the topsoil layer is blown or washed away. Without topsoil, little plant life is feasible. It takes approximately 100 years for one inch of topsoil to be deposited, if there is the correct ratio of organic material, inorganic material and moisture. This can be improved by using the terra preta system. However, there is 25 billion tons of topsoil absent each year.

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Cargo

Cargo or freight is a word used to signify goods or produce being transported normally for commercial gain, usually on a plane, ship, train, truck or van. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.

Cargo represents a concern to U.S. national security and is it was reported out of Washington, DC that in 2003 over 6 million cargo containers enter the United States each year. After the terrorist attacks of September 11th, the security of this extent of cargo has become highlighted. The latest US Government response to this threat is the CSI: Container Security Initiative. CSI is a program planned to help increase security for containerized cargo shipped to the United States from around the world.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Sundarbans National Park

The huge marshy delta of the two enormous Indian rivers, Ganges and brahamaputra enlarge over areas comprise of mangrove forests, forest island and swamps all intertwine in a network of small rivers and streams. It is a home of the royal Bengal tiger, covering an area of regarding 1330.10sq kms the largest mangrove forest in the world form the center of this area.

The Sundarban region has got its name from Sundari trees, once set up in great quantity here. The Ganges and the Brahmaputra form this alluvial archipelago of 54 islands watered by the Bay of Bengal. The islands Goasaba, Sandeshkali and Basanti form the northern boundary of the Sundarbans; on the south is the sea; to the west side of the Sunderbans Park is the Matla and Bidya Rivers and to the east is the international boundary of Bangladesh.
Flora in Sundarbans National Park

Motivating life forms await you in this largest estuarine delta in the world, Sunderbans. In April and May the flaming red leaves of the Genwa, edge the bright green islands. The crab like red flowers of the Kankara and the yellow blooms of Khalsi add to the amazing display.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Fitness boot camp

It is a kind of physical training program conducted by gyms, personal trainers, and former military personnel. These programs have been growing in popularity for the past several years. The training frequently combines running, interval training, and many other exercise using weights and/or body weight to lose body fat, increase cardiovascular efficiency, boost strength, and help people get into a practice of regular exercise. Many programs offer nutrition proposal as well. It is alled "boot camp" because it trains groups of people, typically outdoors, and may or may not be alike to military basic training.

The term 'Boot Camp' is currently used in the fitness industry to explain group fitness classes that support fat loss, camaraderie and team effort. They are designed to push people a little bit further than they would normally push themselves in the gym alone. Boot Camps are often prepared outdoors in parks using bodyweight exercises like push ups, squats and burpees, interspersed with running and competitive games. The idea is that everyone concerned works at their own pace as they team up and work towards one goal, either in pairs, small teams of 3 or 4, or even 2 teams head on. Everyone who joins a Boot Camp and sticks with it will see marked improvements in strength, endurance and stamina.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Archaeology

It is the study of human life and culture through progressively examining and interprets the material remains left behind. These material remains include archaeological sites (e.g. settlements, building features, graves), as well as cultural materials or artifacts such as tools and ceramic. Through the interpretation and categorization of archaeological materials, archaeologists work to be familiar with past human behavior from the initial evidence of cultural behavior (e.g. tool making of hominids) to today. In some countries, archaeology is often historical or art historical, with a strong emphasis on culture history, archaeological sites, and artifacts as art objects. In the New World, archaeology can be either a division of history and classical studies or anthropology. Anthropological archaeology is a method of analysis within cultural anthropology, which attempts to make out and reconstruct past life ways. In general, however, archaeology has stimulated on from an object-based collection of art objects, to a field that tries to understand motivations, causes, and effects in past cultures.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal of baseball is to score runs by striking a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four markers called bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond. Players on one team (the batting team) take turns hitting while the other team (the fielding team) try to stop them from scoring runs by receiving hitters out in any number of ways. A player on the batting team can discontinue at any of the bases and hope to score on a teammate's hit. The teams switch between batting and fielding whenever the fielding team gets three outs. One turn at bat for each team constitutes an inning; nine innings make up a professional game. The team by way of getting more runs at the end of the game wins.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Electronic waste

Electronic waste, "e-waste" or "Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment" ("WEEE") is a waste type consisting of any broken or unwanted electrical or electronic machine. Recyclable electronic waste is sometimes further categorize as a "commodity" while e-waste which cannot be reuse is distinguished as "waste". Both types of e-waste have raised concern allowing for that many components of such equipment are considered toxic and are not biodegradable. Respond to these concerns, many European countries banned e-waste from landfills in the 1990s.

The European Union would further advance e-waste policy in Europe by realize the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive in 2002 which holds manufacturers in charge for e-waste disposal at end-of-life. Similar legislation has been enact in Asia, with e-waste legislation in the United States limited to the state level due to delayed efforts in the United States Congress regarding multiple e-waste legislation bills.

Due to the difficulty and cost of recycling used electronics as well as lackluster enforcement of legislation regarding e-waste exports, large amounts of used electronics have been sent to countries such as China, India, and Kenya, where inferior environmental standards and working conditions make processing e-waste more profitable.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Home/School Liaison

The recommendations
Pupils should be encouraged to share good practice between home and school.
Schools should consider the benefits of sharing their policies and practice on Internet access and use with parents.
The support of parents should be sought.
The Click Thinking as a Family Resource can be photocopied and distributed for home use.
Where School Boards are in place, these bodies may be instrumental in forging good Internet liaison between school, parents and the community. School Boards should consider including discussion of children's use of the Internet at open forums for parents such as their AGM.
School handbooks should include information on Internet policies and practice, and also refer parents to the Local Authority, the school or the website for copies of the Click Thinking as a Family Resource.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Painting

Painting is the practice of apply color to a surface (support) such as, e.g. paper, canvas, wood, glass, lacquer or concrete. However, when used in an artistic sense, the term "painting" means the use of this action in combination with drawing, composition and other visual considerations in order to manifest the expressive and conceptual intention of the practitioner.

Paintings are used as a mode of representing, documenting and express all the varied intents and subjects that are as numerous as there are practitioners of the craft. Paintings can be naturalistic and representational as in a still life or landscape painting, photographic, abstract, be loaded with narrative content, symbolism, emotion or be political in nature. A large portion of the history of painting is dominated by spiritual motifs and ideas; sites of this kind of painting range from artwork depicting mythological figures on pottery to biblical scenes rendered on the interior walls and ceiling of The Sistine Chapel to depictions of the human body itself as a spiritual subject.

Tuesday, June 03, 2008

Electric car

An electric car is a vehicle that makes use of by chemical energy stored in rechargeable battery packs, and electric motors and motor controllers instead of an internal combustion engine (ICE).

Vehicles using both electric motors and Ices (hybrid electric vehicles) are examples of hybrid vehicles, and are not deliberate pure electric vehicles (EVs) because they operate in a charge-sustaining mode. Hybrid vehicles with batteries that can be charged externally to displace some or all of their ICE power and gasoline fuel are called plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), and are pure battery electric vehicles (BEVs) during their charge-depleting mode. Electric vehicles include automobiles, light trucks, and neighborhood electric vehicles.

Electric cars were among the earliest automobiles. They produce no exhaust fumes, and minimal pollution if charged from most forms of renewable energy. Many are capable of stepping up exceeding that of conventional vehicles, are quiet, and do not produce noxious fumes. Electric cars reduce dependence on petroleum and decrease or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions, depending on how their electricity is produced.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Mausoleum of Maussollos

The Tomb of Maussollos, Mausoleum of Maussollos or Mausoleum at Halicarnassus in Greek, was a tomb built among 353 and 350 BC at Halicarnassus (present Bodrum, Turkey) for Mausolus, a satrap in the Persian Empire, and Artemisia II of Caria, his wife and sister.

The arrangement was considered by the Greek architects Satyrus and Pythius. It stood approximately 45 metres (135 feet) in height, and each of the four sides was decorated with sculptural reliefs created by each one of four Greek sculptors - Leochares, Bryaxis, Scopas of Paros and Timotheus. The finished structure was considered to be such an aesthetic triumph that Antipater of Sidon identified it as one of his Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The word mausoleum has since come to be used generically for any grand tomb, though Mausol - eion originally meant building dedicated to Mausolus.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Festival

A festival is an event, normally staged by a local community, which centers on some private portion of that society.

Among numerous religions, a feast or festival is a place of celebrations in honor of God or gods. A feast and a festival are by tradition identical. On the other hand, the term "feast" has also entered regular worldly wise idiom as a synonym for every large or thorough meal. When used as in the meaning of a festival, most frequently refers to a religious festival fairly than a film or the art festival.

There are numerous types of festivals in the world. Although numerous have religious origins, others occupy recurring alteration or have some cultural impact. Also certain institutions party their own festival to stain some essential occasions in their history. These occasions might be the day these institutions were founded or any other event which they fix on to celebrate occasionally, usually annually.

Festivals, of numerous types, supply to meet specific social needs and duties, with to provide entertainment. These times of celebration propose a sense of belonging for religious, social, or geographical groups. Modern festivals that focus on cultural appear for to let know members of their traditions. In long-ago times, festivals were times when the aged shared stories and transferred some information to the next generation. Historic feasts regularly provided a way for unity among families and for people to find mates. Choose anniversaries have yearly festivals to honor previous important occurrences.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Embossing Printing Process

Embossing / Embossed Printing is also known as Blind Printing or Relief Printing. Embossed printing technique allows transfer of text or images as a relief into a variety of substrates including paper, cardboard and metal foils. The front side of the print shows the image as a relief, while the actual embossing is done on the back side.

The printing technique involves raising the area of the image or text on the paper; the image stands out charitable in a three dimensional effect. The technique enhances the look of the products and also increases the printing cost.

Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Yield curve

In finance, the yield curve is the relation between the interest rate and cost of borrowing and the time to maturity of the debt for a given borrower in a given currency. For example, the current U.S. dollar interest rates paid on U.S. Treasury securities for various maturities are closely watched by many traders, and are normally plotted on a graph such as the one on the right which is informally called "the yield curve." More formal mathematical descriptions of this relation are often called the term arrangement of interest rates.

The yield of a debt instrument is the annualized percentage increase in the worth of the investment. For instance, a bank account that pays an interest rate of 4% per year has a 4% yield. In general the percentage per year that can be earned is dependent on the length of time that the money is invested. For example, a bank may offer a "savings rate" higher than the normal checking account rate if the customer is prepared to leave money unharmed for five years. Investing for a period of time t gives a yield Y (t).

This function Y is called the yield curve, and it is often, but not always, an increasing function of t. Yield curves are used by fixed income analysts, who analyze bonds and connected securities, to understand conditions in financial markets and to seek trading opportunities. Economists make use of curves to understand economic conditions.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Landscape Archaeology

Landscape archaeology refers to a way of study of past people and their matter culture in the context of the wider environment. The landscape may be large, for example a wide marshy river delta or small, like a back garden. It is time and again employed in cultural resources management to be familiar with exposed sites. Landscape archeology addresses the difficult issues of the behavior that people purposely and deliberately shaped the land around them.

The question of what accurately constitutes a site has been discussed at length by generations of archaeologists. Areas of examination are not limited to the boundaries of an excavation but can as an alternative stretch for many miles. Excavation is characteristically impractical on such a scale and landscape archaeologists’ hub on the noticeable features that can be known and recorded on the ground surface to create a picture of human activity across a region.

Archaeological features covered just below the surface time and again leave tell-tale 'lumps and bumps', plough action in fields can lift archaeological matter to the surface, in areas of limited human activity, worked flint scatters can go on untouched for many centuries and standing buildings and field boundaries can be of big antiquity yet archaeologically unexamined.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Hedging

Investors use forex swaps to hedge their existing forex exposures by swapping temporary surplus funds in one currency into another currency for better use of liquidity. Doing so protects against unfavorable movements in the forex rate, but favorable moves are renounced.

Monday, April 07, 2008

Wallpaper

Wallpaper is substance which is used to coat and beautifully the interior walls of home, offices, and other buildings; it is one part of interior decoration. Wallpapers are generally sold in rolls and are place onto a wall by means of wallpaper glue.

Wallpapers can come into view both plain so it can be decorated or with patterned graphics. Wallpaper printing techniques include surface printing, gravure printing, silk screen-printing, and rotary printing. Mathematically speaking, there are seventeen necessary patterns, described as wallpaper groups, which can be used to tile a countless plane. All artificial wallpaper patterns are based on these groups. A single representation can be issued in numerous different color ways.

Monday, March 31, 2008

Screen Printing Technique

A screen made of a piece of porous, finely woven fabric including silk, polyester or nylon is prolonged over a wooden or aluminum frame. Areas of the screen are blocked off with a non-permeable material (a stencil) which in twist is a negative of the image to be printed.

The screen is placed on top of a piece of paper or fabric. Ink is placed on top of the screen, and a rubber blade is used to spread the ink regularly across the screen. The ink passes through the open spaces in the screen onto the paper or fabric below; follow by lifting of the screen. The screen can be again being re-used after cleaning. For multiple color screens printing on the same surface, the ink is allowed to dry and then the entire process is repeated with another screen and different color of ink.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Visual display unit

A visual display unit, frequently called simply a monitor, is a piece of electrical equipment which displays viewable images generate by a computer without producing a permanent record. The word "monitor" is used in other contexts; in exacting in television broadcasting, where a television picture is displayed to a high standard. A computer display device is typically either a cathode ray tube or some form of flat panel such as a TFT LCD. The monitor comprises the display device, circuitry to produce a picture from electronic signals sent by the computer, and an enclosure or case. Within the computer, either as a necessary part or a plugged-in interface, there is circuitry to convert internal data to a format compatible with a monitor.

Monday, March 17, 2008

Letterpress Printing Process

Letterpress Printing is one of the oldest printing techniques in use since the 13th century. Johann Guttenberg is known to have introduced printing from individually-cast, movable type-reusable letters set together in a frame in the 14th century.

Also known as Typographic Printing, this commercial printing technique, includes production of many copies of an image by repeated direct impression of an inked, raised surface against sheets or a continuous roll of paper.

Monday, March 10, 2008

Designer jeans

Designer jeans are high-fashion jeans that are marked as position symbols. The Nakash brothers (Joe, Ralph, and Avi) are usually credited with starting the trend when they launched their Jordache line of jeans in 1978. Designer jeans are cut for women and men and habitually worn skin-tight. The feature highly able to be seen designer names or logos on the back pockets and on the right front coin-pocket.

Thursday, March 06, 2008

Batsman

A batsman in the sport of cricket is, depending on context: Any players will perform for batting. A player whose expert in the game is batting. During the play of a cricket match, two members of the batting team are on the field, although their team-mates wait off the field. Those two players are the existing batsmen. Each batsman stands near one of the two wickets also end of the cricket pitch near the centre of the ground.

The two batsmen have different roles:

The striker stands in front of the wicket nearest him and attempts to protect it from balls bowled by the opposing bowler from the other wicket. The non-striker stands stopped near the bowler's wicket. While protecting his wicket, the striker may also hit the ball into the field and attempt to run to the opposite wicket, exchanging places with the non-striker. This score a run, the two batsmen may continue to exchange places, scoring additional runs, until members of the fielding team gather and return the ball to either wicket.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Inkless Printers

Inkless printers use paper with neutral dye crystals entrenched connecting the two outer layers of the paper. When the printer is twisted on, heat from the drum causes the crystals to colorize at different rates and become visible. The technology was worked on by Zink Imaging and is now available (2007). Because of the way it prints, the printer can be as little as a business card, the images are waterproof, and in fact, one product slated for release by Zink Imaging is a digital camera with a printer built into it. Xerox is also operational on an inkless printer which will use a strange reusable paper coated with a few micrometres of UV light sensitive chemicals. The printer will use a particular UV light bar which will be able to write and erase the paper. As of early 2007 this technology is at a halt in development and the text on the printed pages can only last between 16-24 hours before fading.

Monday, January 07, 2008

Olympic History

In 776 B.C. the early Olympic Games began in ancient Greece. The Games were so important to the Greek people, that they used periods in between the Games as a method of dating important historical events. The prize the winners received included free food and lodging for life. Winners were mentioned in poems, their figures set in sculpture, and their achievements known throughout Greece. To put it simply, winning the Olympic games made you a hero.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Football (soccer)

Association football, commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players, and it is the most fashionable sport in the world. It is a ball game played on a rectangular grass or artificial turf field, with a goal at each of the short ends. The purpose of the game is to score by manoeuvring the ball into the opposing goal. In general play, the goalkeeper is the only player permitted to use their hands or arms to propel the ball; the rest of the team usually use their feet to kick the ball into position, occasionally using their torso or head to intercept a ball in mid air. The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is tied at the end of the game, either a draw is declared or the game goes into extra time and/or a penalty shootout, depending on the format of the competition.
The modern game was codified in England following the formation of The Football Association, whose 1863 Laws of the Game created the foundations for the way the sport is played today. Football is governed internationally by the Federation Internationale de Football Association (International Federation of Association Football), commonly known by the acronym FIFA. The most prestigious international football competition is the World Cup, held every four years. This event, the most widely viewed in the world, boasts an audience twice that of the Summer Olympics.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Uses of Ginger

There are array of uses suggested for ginger. A tea brewed from the is a folk medicine for colds. Ginger ale and ginger beer have been suggested as "stomach settlers" for generation in countries where the beverages are made and ginger water was commonly used to avoid heat cramps in the US. Ginger has also been historically used to take care of inflammation which some scientific studies support, though one arthritis trial showed ginger to be no better than a placebo or ibuprofen. Research on rats suggests that ginger may be valuable for treating diabetes.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

Cricket in India

without doubt the first sport that comes to mind when one thinks of Indian sports today is cricket. Brought to India by her British colonisers, cricket so captured the nation’s thoughts that observers are more or less agreed that today it is the one religion that unites India.
In cities like Calcutta, with everybody glued to their TV sets, life grinds to a stop the progress of the days the Indian team is playing. One-day gear and test matches stimulate equal eagerness; for together, if the match is being played on Indian earth, which by the way supports spin slightly than pace, you’ll get aptitude crowds and a emotional atmosphere seldom matched anywhere outside the subcontinent. Allegations of murky match fixing and a fixed string of matches where the team managed to “grab defeat from the jaws of victory” notwithstanding, the attractiveness of the game continues to rise. Such is the strength of participation with the game that it even affects India’s international relationships. In the result of the 1999 Kargil war, India unilaterally overhanging cricketing relations with Pakistan. The discuss on whether politics and sports should mix enlivens many a discussion, and is yet unresolved.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

The Banyan Tree

In India the Banyan Tree is consider as National tree. This huge tree overlooks over its neighbors and has the widest reaching roots of all known trees, easily covering several acres. It sends off new shoots from its roots, so that one tree is really a interweave of branches, roots, and trunks. The banyan tree restart and lives for an incredible length of time--thus it is thought of as the everlasting tree.

Its size and leafy shelter are valued in India as a place of relax and mirror image, not to mention defense from the hot sun! It is still the focus and gathering place for local councils and meetings. India has a long history of worship this tree; it figures importantly in many of the oldest stories of the nation.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Abraham Lincoln

The brave man of the familiar People. It had been an extended time coming. Terribly separated by the issue of slavery, thirty-one million American citizens were in 1860
Called upon to vote for 16th President of the United States. The Democratic Party meets at its National Party Convention in Charleston, South Carolina, in order to choose their candidate in favor of the presidency. Split over slavery, each section, Northern Democrats on the one hand and Southern Democrats on the other, presented its own conflicting proposal for the party platform.
In February 1860, Senator Jefferson Davis of Mississippi claimed that neither the Congress of the United States nor the territorial parliaments had the control to handle slavery.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Adam Smith

He was born in 1723 in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland, fatherless. The accurate date of his birth is unidentified. He was baptized June 5, 1723. At the age of fifteen, he begins his school at Glasgow and Oxford. In 1751, after he finished school, he was obtained a job at Glasgow University where he became the new Professor of judgment. There he lectured on beliefs, expression, jurisprudence and the political economy.

Just eight years after his training career began; he published his work. The Theory of ethical Sentiments. This show that he could write and he recognized himself in the world. In 1776, a query into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations was published. Immediately the book was a success. It had a remarkable effect on how people attention. Although it took him ten years to write, he became a very rich man from it.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

A Team Player

The superiority of being a team player is one that everyone should enjoy. A team player is someone with good qualities who makes contributions and has the force to motivate each one around him or her. This individuality can be used in many areas such as games, family life, and in the company. You are more expected to be hired in the production if you have and demonstrate the qualities of a team player. As the business climate gets tougher before it gets improved, it is time to hike the talk if you want to develop.

Managers will require all the cooperation they can get. To land a high paying job with a major business you need to be a team player. Having good qualities is one of the most significant characters you can have. Being a team performer thinks of the team as a whole and is not selfish in their views and decisions.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

A Snapshot of Macro-Economics

Economics is the learning of making choices. High school and college students all over required to take economic courses in order to achieve a diploma. Why is economics so important because it provides a guide for students for real-world situations Economics is divided into two types microeconomics and macroeconomics. Microeconomics is the study of economics at a slim level. For example absorbed on how a detailed business functions is microeconomics.
Studying the world economy is classified as Macroeconomics; its center on a much broader level. All students must understand the concept of insufficiency. Scarcity is a condition that occurs because society has unlimited wants and needs however the amount of property is limited. Unlimited wants and needs are what encourage us to create goods and services. We are never satisfied therefore we always have a want or need. On the other hand our income is limited.

Tuesday, October 09, 2007

A cold winter morning

I am lying on a white, sandy beach with the glowing sun beating down directly on my tanned summer body. I notice the beautiful, Puerto Rican Cabana boy heading over to replenish my newly empty Margarita glass. I look around my private beach and at the crystal clear, sparkling ocean water tempting me warmly in to its open arms. I get up from my bed on the sand, walking gradually to the water. The sand is flaming my bare feet with such passion that I speed my walk up almost into a jog. As I reach the waterfront I stop, as a falling wave is heading toward my glazing body; I step closer to be in its direct path. I move smoothly in with such grace; I prepare myself for the cool, refreshing bath. I hear an alarm bell screaming, I look around in a panic as it is hurting my ears and giving me a powerful headache. My beach is wandering away, and then it is gone. The ‘warmness my body feels is gone.
I open my eyes; I am gloomy, lifeless room. My alarm clock is going off and the sound can only be compared with exhausted your fingernails across a chalkboard.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

A Business Plan

The following production plan has been formulated to obtain $200,000 in capital to launch a coffeehouse on the college grounds of Doane College named The Orange Cup. This arrangement will also serve as a formal sketch for the first five year's of operation. The financial forecasts show that this asset has significant pledge for the future.
The Orange Cup will provide for the Doane College Community a comfortable atmosphere while serve quality coffee at a reasonably priced with extraordinary service. An ample variety of coffee products including, gourmet coffees, latte, cappuccino, espresso, and iced coffee, will be offered at The Orange Cup. In addition, The Orange Cup will recommend juice, pop, and bottled water, hot cocoa, hot cider, and tea.

The marking plan for The Orange Cup is to attract students and staff to the coffeehouse to continue in a relaxed atmosphere, or for those customers with excited schedules, the expediency of our products.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

A simple Girl

Around and around it soared in brutal circles, tearing from side to side her animated temples. At a standstill, they did not do anything. Still, they simply laid there with faces of chalk, invalid of all human emotions. She could not look at them in hopes of relieve, for long. The cherry rivers that flowed across her eyes, streamed down her steaming cheeks, made vision impossible.
Life was simply the stack of decayed flesh that enclosed her. From his immortal lips hung the bodies of all those who died struggle for him and all those who had tampered with self luxury. For that, she dammed him for all eternity; in every form he understood she dammed him. He had been her guiding angle and now it became evident to her. No prayer would pass her conditions lips, for this had been his movement she had fought and they had lost other than just a clash.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Cucumber

Cucumbers are usually harvested while still green. They can be eaten unrefined or cooked, or pickled. Although a smaller amount nutritious than most fruit, the fresh cucumber seeds are still a source of vitamin K, vitamin C, and potassium, also providing nutritional fiber, vitamin A, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, thiamin, folate, and manganese. Cucumbers are used in the attractive food art, graded manger.

Cucumbers can be pickled for taste and longer shelf life. As compare to eating cucumbers, pickling cucumbers tend to be shorter, thicker, less regularly-shaped, and have rough skin with tiny white- or black-dotted spines. They are not at all waxed. Color can be different from creamy yellow to pale or dark green. Pickling cucumbers are sometimes sold fresh as "Kirby" or "Liberty" cucumbers. The pickling practice removes or degrades a large amount of the nutrient content, particularly that of vitamin C. Pickled cucumbers are waterlogged in vinegar or brine or a combination, often along with a mixture of spices.

• English cucumbers can cultivate as long as 2 feet. They are nearly seedless and are sometimes marketed as "Burp less."
• Japanese cucumbers (kyÅ«ri) are mild, deep green, slenderand have a bumpy, ridged skin. They can be used for slicing, pickling, salads, etc., and are available year-round.
• Mediterranean cucumbers are smooth-skinned, small and mild. Like the English and Mediterranean cucumbers are nearly seedless.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Java

Java (Javanese, Indonesian, and Sundanese: Jawa) is an land mass of Indonesia and the place of its capital city, Jakarta. Once the centre of controlling Hindu kingdoms and the heart of the colonial Dutch East Indies, Java now plays a governing role in the money-making and supporting life of Indonesia. With a population of 124 million, it is the most heavily populated island in the world; it is also one of the most thickly populated regions on Earth.
Java shaped mostly as the result of volcanic events, Java is the 13th leading island in the world and the fifth major island of Indonesia. A sequence of volcanic mountains forms an east-west spine along the island. It has three main languages, and most populace are bilingual, with Indonesian as their second language. While the popular of Javanese are Muslim (or at least supposedly Muslim), Java has a different mixture of religious beliefs and cultures.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Fashionable watches

At the end of the 20th century, Swiss watch makers were seeing their sales go down as analog clocks were considered unfashionable. They joined forces with designers from many countries to reinvent the Swiss watch. The result was that they could considerably decrease the pieces and production time of an analog watch. In fact it was so cheap that if a watch broke it would be cheaper to fling it away and buy a new one than to repair it. One of these Swiss watch manufacturers in progress a new brand, Swatch, and called graphic designers to revamp a new annual collection.

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

Coconut cream

Coconut cream is an mixture of tattered coconut and water. Coconut cream may also be complete with milk instead of water to obtain a richer product. Coconut cream is very comparable to coconut milk but contain less water. The difference is mainly reliability. It has a thicker, more paste-like uniformity, while coconut milk is normally a liquid.

Creamed coconut is disproportionate as coconut cream. Creamed coconut is a very determined coconut takes out without the water. Like coconut oil, it is tough at a low room temperature. It is basically coconut cream ponder, and can be made into coconut cream by mixing it with water, or into coconut milk by adding it with a larger amount of water. It is naturally sold as a 200ml block in a plastic bag inside a small box. In the UK it is easily available (from £0.30 to £1.00 per 200ml block) in Asian convenience stores and in the Asian sections of large supermarkets.

Coconut cream is soaring in healthy medium chain fatty acids and is very wealthy in flavor. Coconut cream is used in Bangladeshi, and its nonalcoholic variant Virgin Piña Coladas, and Piña Coladas cooks often add coconut cream to rice to give it some flavor.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Hardware

Hardware is the general name that is used to express physical body of a technology.It can be apparatus such as keys, hinge, locks, latches, wire, handles, corners, shackles, plumbing supplies, tools, cutlery, utensils, and machine parts, mainly when they are made of metal. In the United States, hardware has been customarily sold in hardware stores.Although often used interchangeably to mean "hand tools," hardware in olden times referred to the metal bits that were used to make wooden products stronger, more useful, and easier to build/assemble than if they did not have the benefit of metal fittings.

In a looser logic, hardware can be a major military equipment, or electronic equipment, or computer equipment. On the other hand, people don't talk about computer stores as "hardware supplies".In vernacular context, the term refers to trophies and other physical representations of award. The term "hardware" is used to specifically mean material or tangible parts of the computer when used in the context of computer systems and when compared to non-physical software running on the computer. Example: the CPU

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Affectional point of reference

Affectional orientation is another term for sexual orientation. It is based on the viewpoint that one's orientation is not restricted to sexuality but also to one's affectionality. To holders of this vision, one's orientation is defined by whom one is inclined to fall in love with, sexual pull being only a part of a better dynamic.

The word is also used by some who consider themselves asexual and only experience emotional attraction to explain the gender or genders they are lovingly attracted to. The terms used for different affectional orientations are typically the equal as are used for sexual orientations: homosexual, bisexual or heterosexual (though "homoromantic", "biromantic" and "heteroromantic" are not unknown, if uncommon).

Recently, the aforementioned terms are considered to lessen a whole category of desires and emotions, power and connection, to sex. There are also those who hold the view that their orientation is described by whom one has liking towards and that their sexual attraction is based on affection for another human being's personal qualities rather than their gender or exterior, sex and gender playing no part in the attraction. This does not essentially need either person to fall in love but is still based on an individual affection.

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Local area network

A local area network (LAN) is a computer network layer a small geographic area, like a home, office, or group of buildings.Current LANs are most probable to be based on switched IEEE 802.3 Ethernet technology, running at 10, 100, 1,000 or 10,000 Mbit/s, or on IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi technology. Every node or computer in the LAN has its own computing power but it can also access extra devices on the LAN subject to the permissions it has been permitted. These could include data, processing power, and the capability to communicate or chat with other users in the network.

The defining characteristics of LANs, in difference to Wide area networks (WANs), comprise their much higher data transfer rates, lesser geographic range, and lack of a need for leased telecommunication lines.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

Society

A society is a grouping of individuals, which is characterized by common interests and may have distinctive culture and institutions. In a society, members can be from a different ethnic group. A "Society" may refer to a particular people, such as the Nuer, to a nation state, such as Switzerland, or to a broader cultural group, such as a Western society. Society can also refer to an organized group of people linked together for religious, benevolent, cultural, scientific, political, patriotic, or other purposes.

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Motorcycle

A motorcycle is a two-wheeled , single-track motor vehicle powered by an engine. Styles of motorcycles changes according to the task for which they are designed. Motorcycles are the most widespread the least expensive forms of motorised transport in many parts of the world. Street and off-road motorcycle are the two major type of motorcycle. Within these, there are many different types of motorcycles for many different purposes.Choppers,Cruisers,electric motorcycles,Mini bikes,Mopeds,Scooters etc are street motorcycle.Motocross,Supermotos,Dual-sports,Enduros are the off-road motorcycle.
A motorcycle is broadly defined by law in some countries for the purposes of registration, taxation or licensing riders as a two-wheel motor vehicle "fit to drive." Other countries distinguished between mopeds and other small bikes and the larger, more powerful vehicles.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Pruning

Pruning in landscaping and farming is the practice of removing diseased, non-productive, or otherwise unwanted portions from a plant. The purpose of pruning is to shape the plant by controlling or directing plant growth, to maintain the health of the plant, or to increase the yield or quality of flowers and fruits. Proper pruning is as much a skill as it is an art, since badly pruned plants can become unhealthy or grow in undesirable ways.

Proponents of pruning, both gardeners and orchardists, often argue that it improves the health of the plant and makes sturdier structure, often referred to as the scaffold; opponents consider that pruning harms plants' "natural" forms.

Friday, June 22, 2007

Mango

The mango is a tropical fruit of the mango tree. Mangoes belong to the genus Mangifera which consists of about 30 species of tropical fruiting trees in the flowering plant family Anacardiaceae. The exact origins of the mango are unknown, but most believe that it is native to Southern and Southeast Asia including the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Burma, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh owing to the wide range of genetic diversity in the region and fossil records dating back 25 to 30 million years.
Mangos retain a special significance in the culture of South Asia where they have been cultured for millennia. It has been the national symbol of the Philippines. Reference to mangoes as the "food of the gods" can be found in the Hindu Vedas and the leaves are ritually used for floral decorations at Hindu marriages and religious ceremonies.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Water abstraction

Water abstraction, or water extraction, is the process of taking water from any source, either temporarily or permanently. Most water is used for irrigation or treatment to produce drinking water.
Depending on the environmental legislation in the relevant country, controls may be located on abstraction to limit the amount of water that can be removed. Over abstraction can lead to rivers drying up or the level of groundwater aquifers reducing unacceptably.
The science of hydrogeology is used to assess safe abstraction levels.

Friday, June 15, 2007

Butterfly Koi

Butterfly Koi, Longfin Koi, or Dragon Carp are a type of ornamental fish notable for their elongated finnage. The fish are a breed of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio, (which includes numerous wild carp races as well as domesticated koi ("Nishikigoi").

Butterfly Koi originated in the mid 20th century as a result of an effort to increase the hardiness of traditional koi. Japanese breeders interbred wild Indonesian Longfin river carp with traditional koi. The resulting fish had longer fins, long barbells, pompom nostrils, and were hardier than koi. These were known in Japan as “onagaoi” or "hire naga koi", or translated in English “long tail koi”. Randy LeFever, the son of Wyatt LeFever, a noted breeder of koi, is credited with suggesting they looked like butterflies, a trait for which the breed is named. They are also sometimes referred to as Dragon Koi.

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Coppicing

Coppicing is a conventional method of woodland organization in which young tree stems are cut down to a low level. In subsequent growth years, many new shoots will come out and after a number of years the cycle begins again and the coppiced tree, or stool, is ready to be harvested again.
Typically a coppice woodland is harvested in sections, on a rotation. In this way each year a crop is available. This has the side-effect of as long as a rich variety of habitats, as the woodland always has a range of dissimilar aged stools growing in it. This is helpful for biodiversity. The cycle length depends upon the species cut, the local custom, and the use to which the product is put. Birch can be coppiced for faggots on a 3- or 4-year cycle, whereas oak can be coppiced over a 50-year cycle for poles or firewood.

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

Ras malai

Ras Malai is a sweet dish found in the Indian subcontinent consisting of sugary, cream to yellow-colored balls or flattened balls of cottage or ricotta cheese soaked in sweetened, thickened, creamy milk.The milk is flavoured with pistachios, saffron, and rosewater.

Rasmalai originated somewhere in the coastal parts of the Indian state of Orissa. Sometimes shown as Rassmalai . or Ras Malai

Thursday, May 31, 2007

Cotton

Cotton is a soft fibre that grows around the seeds of the cotton plant , a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, with the Americas, India, and Africa. However, virtually all of the commercial cotton grown today worldwide is grown from varieties of the native American species Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium barbadense. The fibre is most often spun into thread and used to make a soft, breathable textile, which is the most widely used natural-fibre cloth in clothing today. The English name derives from the Arabic word al qutun, meaning "cotton fiber".
Cotton fibre, once it has been processed to remove seeds and traces of wax, protein, etc., consists of nearly pure cellulose, a natural polymer. Cotton manufacture is very efficient, in the sense that ten percent or less of the weight is lost in following processing to convert the raw cotton bolls into pure fibre. The cellulose is arranged in a way that gives cotton fibres a high degree of strength, durability, and absorbency. Each fibre is made up of twenty to thirty layers of cellulose coiled in a neat series of natural springs. When the cotton boll is opened, the fibres dry into flat, twisted, ribbon-like shapes and become kinked together and interlocked. This interlocked form is ideal for spinning into a fine yarn.

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Vegetarianism

Vegetarianism is the practice of not consuming the flesh of any animal (including sea animals) with or without also eschewing other animal derivatives, such as dairy products or eggs. Some vegetarians choose to also refrain from wearing clothing that has concerned the death of animals, such as leather, silk and fur. Veganism excludes all animal products from diet and attire, whether or not their manufacture has involved the actual death of an animal (dairy, eggs, honey, wool, silk and down feathers). Vegetarians have varied motivations including religious, cultural, ethical, environmental, social, economic, and health concerns.

Monday, May 21, 2007

Puppy

A puppy is a juvenile dog, usually less than one year of age. The term is sometimes abbreviated to pup, a term which is also used for the offspring of wolves.
Puppies are very playful and active. A lethargic or listless puppy is unusual, and often times a precursor to illness.

Types
Some breeds traditionally have their tails docked or ears cropped, or both. Many countries now ban cropping and docking for cosmetic purposes, but other countries have no such prohibitions. Some breeders favor to remove a dog's dewclaws to prevent future injuries. These procedures are usually performed within the first few days after birth, by a veterinarian, or by an experienced breeder.
Size varies among breeds, some puppies are 1-3lbs, while others are 15-20lbs. Coats can change color as the puppy grows older, this is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Business

In economic business is the social science of managing people to systematize and maintain collective productivity toward accomplishing particular imaginative and productive goals, usually to make profit.The etymology of "business" refers to the state of being busy, in the circumstance of the individual as well as the community or society. In other words, to be busy is to be doing commercially viable and profitable work.

The term "business" has at least three usages, depending on the scope — the general usage (above), the particular usage to refer to a particular company or corporation, and the comprehensive usage to refer to a particular market sector, such as "the record business," "the computer business," or "the business community" -- the community of suppliers of goods and services.

The singular "business" can be a legally-recognized entity within an economically free society, wherein individuals systematize based on expertise and skill bring about social and technological expansion.

However, the exact definition of business is disputable as is business philosophy; for example, most Marxist use "means of production" as a rough synonym for "business." Socialist advocate either government, public, or worker ownership of most sizable businesses.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Sun

The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. The Earth and additional matter (including other planets, asteroids, meteoroids, comets and dust) orbit the Sun, which by itself accounts for about 99.8% of the solar system's mass. power from the Sun—in the form of sunlight—supports almost all life on Earth via photosynthesis, and drives the Earth's climate and weather.

The Sun is composed of hydrogen (about 74% of its mass, or 92% of its volume), helium (about 25% of mass, 7% of volume), and draw quantities of other elements. The Sun has a spectral class of G2V. G2 implies that it has a surface temperature of about 5,500 K (or approximately 9,600 degrees Fahrenheit / 5,315 Celsius), giving it a white color which, because of atmospheric scattering, appears yellow as seen from the surface of the Earth. This is a subtractive effect, as the preferential scattering of blue photons (causing the sky color) removes enough blue light to leave a residual reddishness that is perceived as yellow.

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Coffee

Coffee is a generally consumed beverage prepared from the roasted seeds — usually referred to as beans — of the coffee plant. Though sometimes served cold, it is classically served hot. A typical 7 fluid ounce cup of coffee contains 80–140 milligrams of caffeine, depending on the bean and method of roasting and preparation.Some people drink coffee "black" (plain), others sweeten their coffee or add milk, cream or non-dairy creamer. Coffee represents 71% of all the caffeine consumption in the United States, followed by soft drinks and tea.Coffee, along with tea and water, is one of the the majority popular beverages world-wide, its volume amounting to about a third of that of tap water in North America and Europe.In 2003, coffee was the world's sixth largest agricultural export in value, behind wheat, maize, soybeans, palm oil and sugar.

Friday, May 04, 2007

Sarus Crane

The Sarus Crane is a occupant propagation bird in northern India, Nepal, Southeast Asia and Queensland, Australia. It used to be found on accasion in pakistan, but has not been found silence the late 1980's. It is the world's tallest flying bird.

This is a very huge crane, 156cm in length, which is found in freshwater marshes and plains. It nests on the ground laying two to three eggs in a bulky nest. Unlike many cranes that make long migrations the sarus crane does not, meaning it cans expent the energy to raise both chicks. Both the male and female take turns sitting on the nest, and the male is the main guardian.
Adults are grey with a nude red head and white crown and a long dark pointed bill. In flight, the long neck is reserved straight, unlike herons, and the black wing tips can be seen; their long red or pink legs trail at the back them.
Sexes are similar, but young flora and fauna are duller and browner. The Indian, Southeast Asian and Australian species differ mainly in plumage shade. There are some slight size differences, but on average the male is larger then the female, and the birds are six feet tall with an eight foot wingspan.
These extroverted birds forage while walking in thin water or in fields, sometimes probing with their long bills. They are omnivorous, eating insects, marine plants and animals, crustaceans, seeds and berries, small vertebrates, and invertebrates.

Monday, April 30, 2007

First stamps

1847 10c, Scott #2Congress finally provided for the issuance of stamps by passing an act on March 3, 1847, and the Postmaster-General instantly let a agreement to the New York City firm of Rawdon, Wright, Hatch, and Edson. The first stamp issues of the US were offered for sale on July 1, 1847, in NYC, with Boston receiving stamps the following year and other cities subsequently. They consisted of an engraved 5-cent red brown stamp depicting Benjamin Franklin, and a 10-cent value in black with George Washington. As for all US stamps until 1857, they were imperforate. Although a number of philatelists have studied these stamps for years, much remains unknown about the facts of the original contract, design process, and the printing of these stamps.

1 cent, 1851, type IIThe post office had become so well-organized by 1851 that Congress was able to condense the common rate to three cents, necessitating a new issue of stamps. Values integrated a 1c profile of Franklin in blue, a 3c profile of Washington in red brown, a 5c portrait of Thomas Jefferson, and portraits of Washington for 10c green and 12c black values. The 1c stamp achieved disrepute, at least among philatelists, because production problems led to considerable plate modifications, and there are no less than seven major varieties, ranging in price from $100 to $200,000, and sharp-eyed collectors occasionally find the rare types going unrecognized.

Civil war
The outbreak of the American Civil War threw the postal system into turmoil. On April 13, 1861 John H. Reagan, postmaster-general of the Confederate States of America, ordered local postmasters to return their US stamps to Washington DC, while in May the Union decided to withdraw and invalidate all existing US stamps, and to issue new stamps. Associate post offices were left without genuine stamps for several months, and while many reverted to the old system of cash payment at the post office, over one hundred post offices across the South came up with their own temporary issues. Many of these are quite rare, with only single examples existing of some types. Ultimately the Confederate government issued its own stamps; see stamps and postal history of the Confederate States.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Blue Hen Chicken

A chicken is a type of domesticated bird which is often raised as a type of poultry. It is believed to be descended from the wild Asian Red Junglefowl.Chickens are the most common bird in the world. The population in 2003 was 24 billion, according to the Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds.
General biology and habitat
Male chickens are known as roosters (in the U.S., Canada and Australia), cockerels, or cocks. Female chickens are known as hens. Roosters can be differentiated from hens by their striking plumage, marked by long flowing tails and bright pointed feathers on their necks. Both the male and female have characteristic wattles and combs. These organs help to cool the bird by redirecting bloodflow to the skin. In males, the combs are often more prominent, though this is not the case in all varieties.
Chickens are omnivores and will feed on small seeds, herbs and leaves, grubs, insects and even small mammals like mice, if they can get them. Domestic chickens are characteristically fed commercially prepared feed that includes a protein source as well as grains. Chickens often scratch at the soil to get at adult insects and larva or seed. Incidents of cannibalism can occur when a curious bird pecks at a pre-existing wound or from over-crowding. This is exacerbated in close quarters. In commercial production this is controlled with chick "de-beaking" (removal of 2/3 of the top half and 1/3 of the lower half of the beak) and red, or very subdued lighting to make blood indistinguishable from the rest of the bird.

Blue Hen Chicken

A chicken is a type of domesticated bird which is often raised as a type of poultry. It is believed to be descended from the wild Asian Red Junglefowl.Chickens are the most common bird in the world. The population in 2003 was 24 billion, according to the Firefly Encyclopedia of Birds.
General biology and habitat
Male chickens are known as roosters (in the U.S., Canada and Australia), cockerels, or cocks. Female chickens are known as hens. Roosters can be differentiated from hens by their striking plumage, marked by long flowing tails and bright pointed feathers on their necks. Both the male and female have characteristic wattles and combs. These organs help to cool the bird by redirecting bloodflow to the skin. In males, the combs are often more prominent, though this is not the case in all varieties.
Chickens are omnivores and will feed on small seeds, herbs and leaves, grubs, insects and even small mammals like mice, if they can get them. Domestic chickens are characteristically fed commercially prepared feed that includes a protein source as well as grains. Chickens often scratch at the soil to get at adult insects and larva or seed. Incidents of cannibalism can occur when a curious bird pecks at a pre-existing wound or from over-crowding. This is exacerbated in close quarters. In commercial production this is controlled with chick "de-beaking" (removal of 2/3 of the top half and 1/3 of the lower half of the beak) and red, or very subdued lighting to make blood indistinguishable from the rest of the bird.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Banksia

Banksia is a genus of around 80 species in the plant family Proteaceae. They are native to Australia, occurring in all but the most arid areas. Easily recognized by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones", Banksia are a well-known Australian wildflower and a popular garden plant. They grow in forms varying from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up to 25 metres tall. They are normally known as Banksias or Australian Honeysuckle Trees.
Banksias grow as trees or woody shrubs. The largest trees, the Coast Banksia, B. integrifolia, and the River Banksia, B. seminuda, often grow over 15 metres tall, and may be up to 25 metres tall. Banksia species that grow as shrubs are typically erect, but there are some species that are prostrate, with branches that grow on or below the soil.
The leaves of Banksia vary greatly among species. Sizes vary from the narrow, 1–1½ centimetre long leaves of the Heath-leaved Banksia, B. ericifolia, to the very large leaves of the Bull Banksia, B. grandis, which may be up to 45 centimetres long. The leaves of most species have serrated edges, but a few, such as B. integrifolia, do not. Leaves are usually arranged along the branches in irregular spirals, but in some species they are crowded together in whorls.
Banksias are most without difficulty recognised by their characteristic flower spike, and the woody fruiting structures that appear after flowering. The flower spike consists of a central woody axis with a furry coating; it is usually held erect, but hangs down in a few species. This axis is enclosed in tightly-packed pairs of flowers, which are attached to the axis at right angles. A single flower spike may have over a thousand flowers.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

"Wireless" factories and vacuum tubes

Marconi opened the world's first "wireless" factory in Hall Street, Chelmsford, England in 1898, employing around 50 people. Around 1900, Tesla opened the Wardenclyffe Tower facility and advertised services. By 1903, the tower structure neared completion. Various theories exist on how Tesla planned to achieve the goals of this wireless system. Tesla claimed that Wardenclyffe, as part of a World System of transmitters, would have permitted secure multichannel transceiving of information, universal navigation, time synchronization, and a global location system.
The next great invention was the vacuum tube detector, invented by a team of Westinghouse engineers. On Christmas Eve, 1906, Reginald Fessenden ransmitted the first radio audio broadcast in history from Brant Rock, Massachusetts. Ships at sea heard a broadcast that included Fessenden playing O Holy Night on the violin and reading a passage from the Bible. The world's first radio news program was broadcast August 31, 1920 by station 8MK in Detroit, Michigan. The world's first regular wireless broadcasts for entertainment commenced in 1922 from the Marconi Research Centre at Writtle near Chelmsford, England.

Friday, April 06, 2007

Satellite phone

A satellite telephone, satellite phone, or satphone is a mobile phone that communicates directly with orbiting communications satellites. Depending on the architecture of a particular system, coverage may include the entire Earth, or only specific regions.Satellite phone.The mobile equipment, also recognized as a terminal or earth station, varies generally. A satellite phone handset has a size and weight comparable to that of a late 1980s or early 1990s cell phone, but with a large retractable antenna. These are popular on expeditions into remote areas where terrestrial cellular service is unavailable.A fixed installation, such as used shipboard, may comprise large, rugged, rack-mounted electronics, and a steerable microwave antenna on the mast that mechanically tracks the overhead satellites.

Monday, April 02, 2007

Sand Hill Road

Sand Hill Road is a road in Menlo Park, California, prominent for the concentration of venture capital companies there. Its significance as a symbol of private equity in the United States may be compared to that of Wall Street in the stock market. Connecting El Camino Real and Interstate 280, the road provides easy access to Stanford University and Silicon Valley. For several years during the Dotcom boom of the late 1990s, commercial real-estate on Sand Hill Road was more expensive than anywhere else in the U.S. (even Manhattan).Some of the areas Sand Hill Road venture capitalists invest in:Sand Hill Road also serves as home to the Stanford Linear Accelerator.