Infinitely CRAZY

The Gartner Symposium

2009-04-17T05:41:00.000+05:30

The Gartner Symposium / ITXPO - where technology meets business
It is the industry's largest and most strategic conference for senior IT and business professionals together with ITxpo - the interactive exhibit floor loaded with the latest technology solutions. There is no other event in the world like it.
The aim is to meaningfully interact with the leading solution providers in a no-hype environment.

In the past, the Gartner Symposiums have received immence positive feedback from the attendees - and have been lauded for the professionalism and elegance of the conferences. Let us hope that the remaining four this year are no exception.

Upcoming Conferences:
Cape Town - South Africa - 3 to 5 August
Orlando, Florida - USA - 18 to 22 October
Cannes - France - 2 to 5 November
Tokyo - Japan - 11 to 13 November
Sydney - Australia - 16 to 20 November

You can register for the Gartner Symposium or find more information about it from their site - Gartner Symposium/ITPXO

TT - Interesting Facts About Germany

2009-03-16T02:09:00.000+05:30

Germany is the most populous European country (apart from Russia), with a population of 81 million.

Germany's land area was over 50% larger during the Second Reich (1871-1918) and included most of present-day Poland and parts of Lithuania.

German people are the second biggest consumers of beer in the world (after the Irish), with an average of 119 litres per person per year (or 0.32 l per day).

The German language was once the lingua franca of central, eastern and northern Europe, and remains the language with the most native speakers in Europe.

15 million people in Germany are of non-German descent (first and second generation), i.e. 18.5% of the population. About half of them are foreign residents, not German citizens.

About a quarter of all American citizens claim at least partial German ancestry.

Germany has nearly 700 zoological gardens, wildlife parks, aquariums, bird parks, animal reserves, or safari parks, including 414 registered zoos (more than the USA) ! Berlin's Zoologischer Garten is the largest zoo in the world, both in terms of number of species (1,500) and animal population (14,000).

The world's youngest billionnaire is the German Prince Albert II von Thurn und Taxis, with net worth is estimated at around $1.9 billion (USD) as of 2006.

German athletes have won a total of 1548 Olympic medals (summer and winter combined), i.e. more than any other country in the world except the USA.

The Fairy Grottoes (Feengrotten) in Saalfeld, Thuringia, are the world's most colourful caves, according to the Guinness Book of Records.

There are some 2.5 million half-timbered houses in Germany, by far the highest number of any country worldwide.

The Germans can be credited for the invention of the clarinet, the pocket watch, the automated calculator, the light bulb, television (partly), petrol/gasoline & Diesel engines, the automobile ( as well as the engine, differential gear and other important devices), the motorcycle, the jet engine, the LCD screen and the Walkman.

There are 1,300 beer breweries in Germany, making some 5,000 kinds of beer. German people are the world's third biggest beer drinkers after the Czechs and the Irish.

TT - Interesting Facts About Paris

2008-08-14T04:00:00.000+05:30

Paris is the capital city of France, the largest country of Western Europe with 550 000 km² and with about 60 millions inhabitants in the Whole of France.

The City of Paris has about 2,160,000 people living there and it covers about 41 square miles. The altitude of Paris averages between 90ft and 120ft above sea level.

Some of the attractions of Paris include The Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame Cathedral, The Arc de Triomphe, The Louvre Museum, The Champs-Elysées, and Musé d'Orsay.

The Eiffel Tower is probably one of the most famous symbols of France and was built for the International Exhibition of Paris of 1889, took 2 years to complete and it was the world's tallest building up until 1930.

The Eiffel Tower has over 2.5 million rivets, 15,000 iron pieces, over 40 tonnes of paint and there are 1652 steps to the top.

The River Seine actually breaks the city into the Rive Droite (Right Bank) north of the river and the Rive Gauche (Left Bank) south of the river.

Paris is a huge tourist destination and every year 13 millions visit Disneyland Paris, 5.5 million visit the Eiffel Tower, about 5 million visit the Louvre museum, and about 3.25 million visit Versailles Palace.

The Tour de France is a race which occurs each summer were more than 100 professional cyclists take part in a 2,000 mile race. The race lasts up to three weeks and the route changes from year to year. Once the Tour de France actually included Ireland.

Tourists may like to know that the average January Temperature is 39F and the Average July Temperature is 69F. The time is 1 hour ahead of GMT (or 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time, New York), the Country Dialing Code is 33 and the Paris area code is 1. Electricity in Paris and France is 220 Volts AC, 50 Hz and plugs are round with two-pins.

Paris has over 70 Museums, monuments and cultural tourist stops. Some of the best art in the world is housed in Parisien Museums.

The region of Paris was settled since around 4200 BCE. The city itself was founded by the Parisii, a Celtic tribe, around 250 BCE. The Roman renamed it Luteca from 52 BCE, and it only became known as "Paris" after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century.

20% of the French people live in the Parisian region.

Paris is also known as the Capital of Romance

Thursday Thirteen - More Piano Facts

2008-08-11T04:26:00.000+05:30

Spinet pianos were made by Samuel Blythe as early as 1789 at Salem, Mass.

The term Grand was first used in 1777.

Abraham Lincoln used Chickering Grand #5070 while at the White House.

During 1869 the US produced 25,000 pianos valued at $7,000,000, during 1910 production was 350,000 pianos valued at $100,000,000 !

The term "Tickle the Ivorys" refers to playing the ivory keys of the piano, however, ivory has not been used to make piano keys since about the 1950's (they are plastic, sometimes referred to as "Ivorine").

That there are currently over 50 Brand Names of pianos?

During the past 100 years there have been approximately 5000 Brands of pianos placed on the market. Most are still on display in homes or elsewhere.

Pianos are made of thousands of pieces of wood glued together to form various parts of the playing mechanism as well as the cabinet. Felt, buckskin, paper, steel, iron, copper, and other materials are also used.

Don't forget to visit PianoSuppies.com for piano lamps, bench cushions, tuning equipment and more !
Or the Piano Book Store for great books about pianos .

Independent studies show that children who learn piano tend to do better in school. This is attributed to the discipline, eye-hand coordination, social skills building, learning a new language (music) and the pleasure derived from making your own music.

It should also be noted here that anyone considering a career in any facet of music should consider studying the piano . Many music schools require at least one semester of piano, regardless of your major.

Over the years there have been many attempts at "improving" the piano. One such experiment was to replace some of the wooden action parts with plastic. It didn't work, they cracked with age. (If you own one of these pianos, you might want to check out Piano Tuners to get it repaired or even Piano Dealers to replace it).
There were many other ideas that tried and failed including the Jensen piano which had 2 keyboards, a vertical grand, one that had a keyboard that was more like a typewriter and many others.

Spinet pianos were made by Samuel Blythe as early as 1789 at Salem, Mass.

The term Grand was first used in 1777.

Abraham Lincoln used Chickering Grand #5070 while at the White House.

During 1869 the US produced 25,000 pianos valued at $7,000,000, during 1910 production was 350,000 pianos valued at $100,000,000 !

The term "Tickle the Ivorys" refers to playing the ivory keys of the piano, however, ivory has not been used to make piano keys since about the 1950's (they are plastic, sometimes referred to as "Ivorine").

That there are currently over 50 Brand Names of pianos?

During the past 100 years there have been approximately 5000 Brands of pianos placed on the market. Most are still on display in homes or elsewhere.

Pianos are made of thousands of pieces of wood glued together to form various parts of the playing mechanism as well as the cabinet. Felt, buckskin, paper, steel, iron, copper, and other materials are also used.

Don't forget to visit PianoSuppies.com for piano lamps, bench cushions, tuning equipment and more !
Or the Piano Book Store for great books about pianos .

Independent studies show that children who learn piano tend to do better in school. This is attributed to the discipline, eye-hand coordination, social skills building, learning a new language (music) and the pleasure derived from making your own music.

It should also be noted here that anyone considering a career in any facet of music should consider studying the piano . Many music schools require at least one semester of piano, regardless of your major.

Over the years there have been many attempts at "improving" the piano. One such experiment was to replace some of the wooden action parts with plastic. It didn't work, they cracked with age. (If you own one of these pianos, you might want to check out Piano Tuners to get it repaired or even Piano Dealers to replace it).
There were many other ideas that tried and failed including the Jensen piano which had 2 keyboards, a vertical grand, one that had a keyboard that was more like a typewriter and many others.

"You can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish"
Answer: Sure you can, you just adjust it's scales!. This was a joke

TT - Interesting Facts About France

2008-08-06T03:57:00.000+05:30

Nearly 20% of the territory of France lies outside Europe and known as "DOM-TOM" (overseas departments and territories), where over 2.5 million French citizens live.

More tourists visit France each year than any other country in the world, with 67 million annual tourist arrivals (more than the country's population).

André Gide, French writer and Nobel Prize of Literature, said "French people are Italian people in bad mood".

The tides in the region of Brittany and Normandy are the strongest in Europe, with a difference in level of up to 15 meters between high and low tide.

French used to be the language of the nobility and diplomacy all across Europe and in the Ottoman Empire, then the world's first real international language until English replaced it in the mid-20th century.

The name "France" comes from "Frank", a Germanic tribe that invaded the Western Roman Empire in the 6th century and founded the first independent kingdom covering most of today's France.

The French state is one of the oldest in Europe; it was founded in 843, splitting from the Carolingian Empire based in Aachen (Belgo-German border).

The spectacle "Ionesco" has been playing at the Théâtre de La Huchette since 1957, with over 15,000 performances - a world record.

The capital of Malta, Valletta, was built by and named after the French nobleman Jean Parisot de la Valette (1494-1568), Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller and ruler of the island.

"La Marseillaise", France's national anthem, was composed in Strasbourg in 1792, not in Marseilles as its name might induce to think.

France has won the 4th most Summer Olympic medals (including gold) in history after the USA, USSR and UK.

France has won the most Nobel Prizes for Literature of any country (13 so far) and the second highest number of Field Medals (mathematics) after the USA.

On 10 June 2007, a sabre having belonged to Napoleon I was sold at an auction for € 4.8 million - the most expensive weapon ever sold.

WW - Underwater Pumpkin Carving

2008-08-01T18:26:00.000+05:30

The World’s Biggest Chocolate Fountain - 3

2008-07-20T13:14:00.000+05:30

The record holding chocolate fountain is located in Las Vegas, inside Bellagio. With the hight of 27 feet, it’s the biggest chocolate fountain in the world. The fountain is filled with 2100 pounds of dark, milk and white chocolate.

Thursday Thirteen - More Interesting Facts about New Year Celebrations around the World

2008-07-17T04:28:00.001+05:30

The oldest of all holidays, the new year was originally celebrated with the first New Moon, on the first day of spring.
Fire crackers are set off to frighten off evil spirits on New Year's Day in China.
Small oil lights are lit all along the roofs of buildings in western India as part of their New Year celebration.
The ancient Greeks were the first to use a baby to signify the New Year; they paraded around in the streets with a baby in a basket.
To burn up the old year and roll in the new one, people in some areas of Scotland barrels of tar are set afire and rolled down the streets.
Traditional New Year foods held great significance years ago; anything with a round shape symbolized completing a year's cycle, and was thought to bring good luck.
Greek children leave their shoes by the fireplace on New Year's Day, hoping Saint Basil will come and fill their shoes with gifts!
Ancient Babylonian New Year celebrations lasted eleven days; each day was celebrated in a different way.
The tradition of making a New Year's resolution began in ancient Babylon.
In many parts of the United States, people celebrate the New Year by eating black-eyed peas accompanied by ham; peas and other legumes are thought to bring good luck, and ham symbolizes prosperity.
The Tournament of Roses Parades can be dated back to 1886, when members of the Valley Hunt Club decorated their carriages with flowers to celebrate the ripening of California's fruit crop.
In some parts of Switzerland and Austria, people dress up to celebrate Saint Sylvester's Eve as part of their New Year's Day celebration.
In China, New Year's Day is celebrated with the Festival of Lanterns. Crowds of people gather in the streets with their lanterns - used to light the way to the New Year.

TT - Yet More Alcohol Trivia

2008-07-10T02:32:00.001+05:30

Martha Washington enjoyed daily toddys. In the 1790s, "happy hour" began at 3:00 p.m. and cocktails continued until dinner.
Tom Arnold, Sandra Bullock, Chevy Chase, Bill Cosby, Kris Kristofferson, and Bruce Willis are all former bartenders.
Frederick the Great of Prussia tried to ban the consumption of coffee and demanded that the populace drink alcohol instead.
President Lincoln, when informed that General Grant drank whiskey while leading his troops, reportedly replied "Find out the name of the brand so I can give it to my other generals."
Being intoxicated had desirable spiritual significance to the ancient Egyptians. They often gave their children names like "How Drunk is Cheops" or "How Intoxicated is Hathor."
The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, rather than continue sailing because they were running out of supplies, especially alcohol beverage. 3b
The bill for a celebration party for the 55 drafters of the US Constitution was for 54 bottles of Madeira, 60 bottles of claret, 8 bottles of whiskey, 22 bottles of port, 8 bottles of hard cider, 12 beers and seven bowls of alcohol punch large enough that "ducks could swim in them."
During the reign of William III, a garden fountain was once used as a giant punch bowl. The recipe included 560 gallons of brandy, 1200 pounds of sugar, 25,000 lemons, 20 gallons of lime juice, and five pounds of nutmeg. The bartender rowed around in a small boat, filling up guests' punch cups.
The Manhattan cocktail (whiskey and sweet vermouth) was invented by Winston Churchill's mother.
Desi Arnaz's grandfather was one of the founders of the largest rum distillery in the world.
If a young Tiriki man offers beer to a woman and she spits some of it into his mouth, they are engaged to be married. Hmmmmm.....that makes the single life seem a little more attractive.
Among the Bagonda people of Uganda, the several widows of a recently deceased king have the distinctive honor of drinking the beer in which his entrails have been cleaned.
Alcohol is considered the only proper payment for teachers among the Lepcha people of Tibet.

Thursday Thirteen - Interesting Facts about New Year Celebrations around the World

2008-07-03T02:29:00.000+05:30

As part of Scottish folklore, if the first person to enter your house during the New Year is a man with dark hair bearing a gift, you will be blessed with good luck.
The ancient Egyptians celebrated the New Year at the time the Nile River flooded - near the end of September - which enabled the people to grow crops.
The Celts called their New Year festival Samhain, meaning summer's end.
To keep out evil spirits, some Japanese hang a rope of straw across the front of their house on New Year's Day.
The people in northern India wear flowers on New Year's Day; a yellow flower, to them, is the color of spring.
In ancient Egypt, New Year was celebrated with singing, dancing, and feasting for an entire month.
A traditional polar bear swim event is held New Year's Eve in British Columbia, Canada; people don bathing suits and plunge into the icy cold water surrounding Vancouver.
Vietnamese believe that a god resides in every home, and on New Year's Day the god makes a trek into heaven.
New Year's Day is also the Festival of Saint Basil in Greece.
The Persians put grains of wheat or barley in a dish to grow a few weeks before their New Year's Day in March, so that roots would be produced in time for the celebration - reminding them of new life.
The Jewish New Year is called Rosh Hashanah. At this holy time, people consider past mistakes; commitments are made to behave and do things better in the future.
The New Year festival of the Celts is called Samhain, which takes place at the end of October. Mistletoe is gathered to keep the ghosts of the dead from returning to haunt the living.
In early Roman days, people believed that the Roman god, Janus, had two heads; he looked back at the last year, and forward to the New Year.

TT - 13 Facts about French Food

2008-06-26T04:04:00.000+05:30

The famous Petit Suisse ("little swiss cheese") of Gervais are not from Switzerland, but from Normandy, in France.

Crêpes, one of the most popular food in Europe, originate from Brittany, in the west of France.

Wine has been made in France since Roman times.

There are 450 different wine appellations in France. There are tens of thousands of small wine-producing domain, but only 15% of all French wines enjoy the marketing benefits of AOC designations.

Bordeaux alone has over 9,000 different châteaux.

72% of the adult French population finds it difficult to understand French wine labels.

In 2004, France produced 56.6 millions hectoliters of wine.

Wines from the North of France (e.g. Alsace) are usually made from a single variety of grape (e.g. Pinot Noir), whereas wines further south are typically blends of varietals (e.g. Carbernet Sauvignon + Merlot), which is why they do not mention them on the label like in Australia, California, Chile or South Africa.

France produces some of the world's most famous liqueurs, such as Grand Marnier, Cointreau, Triple Sec, Mandarine Napoleon, Cognac, Armagnac, Crème de Cassis, Pastis, Chartreuse, etc.

There are about 2 new cooking books published every day in France.

There are over 300 kinds of cheese made in France.

French people are the second biggest consumers of alcohol per capita in the Western world - after Luxembourg...

Foie gras may be part and parcel of French cuisine, but its origins go back to 4,500 years ago in Ancient Egypt, from where it spread to Greece (500 B.C.E.), then to the Romans, ancestors of the modern French.

Egginess

2008-04-23T05:46:00.000+05:30

This crazy stuff has been made using EGGS and EGSHELLS

2,008 Chickens Baked in 100 Minutes

2008-04-20T18:31:00.000+05:30

A Chinese chef staged a stunning show by baking a total of 2,008 chickens in 100 minutes in a move to welcome the 2008 Beijing Olympics, official website Xinhuanet reports.

WW - Crazy Cars - 3

2008-04-16T13:51:00.000+05:30

Geeks Christmas Tree - 3

2008-04-09T13:18:00.000+05:30

Neptune Quick Facts

2008-03-28T13:29:00.001+05:30

Diameter
49,572 km

Density
1.64 g/cm3

Mass
1.024 x 1026 kg

Volume
6.379 x 1013 km3

Temperature Range
-223° C to >-220° C

Atmosphere
Hydrogen, Helium, Methane

Winds
Up to 2400 m/s

Moons
13

Average Distance from Sun
4,504,300,000 km

Orbital Period
164 Years, 288 Days, 13.0 Hours

Rotation
0 Days, 16.11 Hours

Tilt
28.31°

Rings
Yes

Composition
Hydrogen and Helium

Magnetic Field
Up to 20 times its radius

Coolest BBQ Grills - 4

2008-03-12T13:29:00.000+05:30

The Supreme - Diamond Plated BBQ Grill

Dragon BBQ Grill

Motor Head Grill

Handgun BBQ Grill

HEMI-Powered BBQ Grill

Coolest BBQ Grills - 3

2008-03-05T13:37:00.000+05:30

Redneck Pool Heater

Santa Maria

Superior Welding’s BBQ Swing-A-Way Grill

Talos Outdoor Cooking Suite

Gator Pit’s Texas Legend

WW - The Hanging Coffins of Sagada - 1

2008-02-27T13:51:00.000+05:30

Sagada couldn’t get more mystifying without the elements of the mummies. When you go to Sagada caves in Philippines there are hanging coffins to be found on the cliffs made of limestone.About six hours by bus (twice this amount of time in the wet season) from the Luzon island town of Banaue, north of Manila, the people of Sagada have devised a unique burial ritual involving the placement of dead relatives into caves after carefully preparing a hollowed out log. These coffins are carved by the elderly before they die; if they are too ill or weak their son or other close relative will do it for them. This ritual involves pushing the bodies into the tight spaces of the coffins, and often bones are cracked and broken as the process is completed. After the deceased are put inside these coffins they are then brought to caves high in the cliffs where they join the coffins of other ancestors. The Segada people prefer to be buried in the cliffs than to be buried in the ground and have been doing this for more than 2,000 years. In some caves hundreds of coffins are lined up, and unfortunately tourists are unregulated in this area, some have even taken some of the bones as souvenirs. If you do visit these caves, make sure you get a guide as some of the caves are hard to find and the roads can be tricky to navigate.

The World’s Biggest Chocolate Fountain - 2

2008-02-20T13:13:00.000+05:30

Coolest BBQ Grills - 2

2008-02-13T13:40:00.000+05:30

Vintage Jaguar Austin-Healey BBQ Grill

Monster Pitt

RUB Restaurant’s Mobile Barbecue Pit

Traeger’s Novelty BBQ Grills
Traeger’s Novelty BBQ Grills

Gartner Business Process Management Summit

2008-02-10T02:16:00.000+05:30

Date: 4-7 February 2008
City: Las Vegas, NV
Venue: Caesars Palace

The Gartner Business Process Management Summit 2008 offers the latest insight on creating and sustaining an agile process-powered organization. Align business strategy and IT to maximize operational agility, providing new opportunities to expand revenues and productivity.

You can visit their site at: Gartner Business Process Management Summit

Geeks Christmas Tree - 2

2008-02-06T13:16:00.000+05:30

WW - Crazy Cars - 2

2008-01-30T13:44:00.000+05:30

Thursday Thirteen - Mercury Quick Facts

2008-01-24T13:27:00.000+05:30

Diameter :4879.4 km

Density :5.43 g/cm3

Mass :3.303 x 1023 kg

Volume:6.084 x 1010 km3

Temperature Range :-173° C to 427° C

Atmosphere :Some Hydrogen, Helium, Oxygen

Winds :None

Moons :None

Average Distance from Sun :57,910,000 km

Orbital Period :0 Years, 87 Days, 23.3 Hours

Rotation :58 Days, 15.5 Hours

Tilt :0.00°

Composition :Iron Core, Silicate Surface

The World’s Biggest Chocolate Fountain - 1

2008-01-23T13:13:00.000+05:30

Geeks Christmas Tree - 1

2008-01-16T13:16:00.000+05:30

TT - Even More Alcohol Trivia

2008-01-11T04:33:00.000+05:30

The Chagga people of Tanganyika believe that a liar will be poisoned if he or she consumes beer mixed with the blood of a recently sacrificed goat.
Beer is mixed with saliva and blood for a drink that is shared when two Chagga men become blood brothers.
The national anthem of the US, the "Star-Spangled Banner," was written to the tune of a drinking song.
The shallow champagne glass originated with Marie Antoinette. It was first formed from wax molds made of her breasts.
Beer was not sold in bottles until 1850; it was not sold in cans until 1935.
In the 1600's thermometers were filled with brandy instead of mercury.
A raisin dropped into a glass of champagne will repeatedly bounce up and down between the top and the bottom of the glass.
As late as the mid-17th century, the French wine makers did not use corks. Instead, they used oil-soaked rags stuffed into the necks of bottles.
The corkscrew was invented in 1860.
The longest recorded champagne cork flight was 177 feet and 9 inches, four feet from level ground at Woodbury Vineyards in New York State.
In the 1800's, rum was considered excellent for cleaning hair and keeping it healthy. Brandy was believed to strengthen hair roots.
The purpose of the indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle is to strengthen the structure of the bottle.
In the U.S., a barrel of beer contains 31 gallons, which is equivalent to about 330 twelve-ounce bottles or cans.

Coolest BBQ Grills - 1

2008-01-09T13:22:00.000+05:30

The Bar-B-Q Shack

Chevy V8 Grill

Classic Holden Monaro GTS Grill

The King of Barbecues Grill

David Klose’s Baby Carriage BBQ Pit

Thursday Thirteen - Mars Quick Facts

2008-01-03T13:25:00.000+05:30

Diameter
6794.4 km

Density
3.94 g/cm3

Mass
6.421 x 1023 kg

Volume
1.643 x 1011 km3

Temperature Range
-140° C to 20° C

Atmosphere
Mostly Carbon Dioxide

Winds
Up to 100 km/hr

Moons
2

Average Distance from Sun
227,940,000 km

Orbital Period
1 Years, 320 Days, 18.2 Hours

Rotation
1 Days, 0.67 Hours

Tilt
25.19°

Composition
Iron Oxides and Silicates

WW - Crazy Cars - 1

2008-01-02T13:42:00.000+05:30

Thirteen Closest Star Systems to the Earth

2007-12-27T13:11:00.000+05:30

Distance (LY), Star System
0.00, Sun
4.24, Proxima Centauri
4.36, Alpha Centauri
5.96, Barnard's Star
7.78, Proxima Leonis
8.29, Proxima Ursae Majoris
8.58, Sirius
8.73, Proxima Ceti
9.68, Proxima Sagittarii
10.32, Proxima Andromedae
10.52, Epsilon Eridani
10.74, Proxima Piscis Austrini
10.92, Proxima Virginis

http://naturefactfile.blogspot.com/

Whaddaya see??? #2 - Wordless Wednesday

2007-12-26T05:36:00.000+05:30

What do you see??

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--------|;(;;;-""-------`'-.,';;;;;\
---------\;'-------------------';;);/
--------/------------------------\;'
-------/------.;.-------.;.--------\
------|------;;o;;----;;o;;------|
------ ;----- '"-'`----`'-"'----- /
------/\-----------._. ---------/
-----;;;;;;_-----,_Y_,---- _.'
----/;;;;;;;\-`---.___.--- ';.
---/|;;;;;;;;;.__.;;;.-------\\
--; -\ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;\------;\__--.;.
--|-----';;;;;;;;;;=;;;;'-------|-__;;;;/
--|-------`""`- .------._-----/;/;;\;;/
-/ ;------------/;;;;;;;-;/;;;;;;;/--|;/
-\_,\----------|;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;|-|

TT - Sigh...Even More Alcohol Trivia

2007-12-20T04:34:00.000+05:30

Alcohol consumption decreases during the time of the full moon.
Drinking lowers rather than raises the body temperature. There is an illusion of increased heat because alcohol causes the capillaries to dilate and fill with more warm blood.
Rhode Island never ratified the 18 Amendment establishing Prohibition.
"Whiskey" is the international aviation word used to represent the letter "w."
Most vegetable, and virtually all fruit juices, contain alcohol.
There are 83 dry towns and villages in Alaska.
In West Virginia, bars can advertise alcohol beverage prices, but not brand names.
There is a cloud of alcohol in outer space with enough alcohol to make four trillion-trillion drinks. It's free for the taking. . . but it's 10,000 light years away from Earth.
The Mayflower, well-known for bringing the Pilgrims to the New World, ordinarily transported alcohol beverage between Spain and England.
Wine has about the same number of calories as an equal amount of grape juice.
Johnny Appleseed probably distributed apple seeds across the American frontier so that people could make fermented apple juice ("hard" cider) rather than eat apples.

White wine gets darker as it ages while red wine gets lighter.
"There's no free lunch." Pennsylvania outlawed free lunches in 1917 to prevent taverns from giving free sandwiches to customers who bought beer to drink with them. This led some shop keepers to sell sandwiches and give away the beer.

WW - Cool Magazine Illusions II

2007-12-19T04:42:00.000+05:30

Thursday Thirteen - Yet More China Facts

2007-12-12T04:18:00.000+05:30

In 550 AD, two Chinese monks smuggled silkworms out of China and started the western world's silk boom.

Shi Huang-Ti was the first emperor of China and founder of the Qin dynasty. Had he been a European ruler, he would likely be considered great today. The Chinese, on the other hand, have given him a black reputation for his ruthlessness, his massive conscription of labour, his wars, his harsh laws, and his burning of books in 213 B.C. [ China | Royalty ]

Chinese Emperor Shi Huang-Ti built a network of 270 palaces, linked by tunnels, and was ao afraid of assassination that he slept in a different palace each night.

In 213 B.C., the Chinese emperor Shi Huang-ti ordered the burning of all of China's books, except for a select few on subjects such as agriculture and medicine. He ordered the burning because people used several of those writings to criticise the emperor, and also because Shi Huang-Ti styled himself as the "First Emperor". Vast numbers of valuable works were lost and it was only through the efforts of a few brave teachers and scholars that any of the earlier literature of China survived. It was nearly 150 years before it was safe to bring the surviving books from their hiding place. [ China | Royalty ]

The Ch'in Dynasty (221-207 B.C.) buried alive many scholars in its programme to suppress learning and Confucianism.

A terracotta army of six thousand men and horses was buried with Shi Huang-Ti, China's first emperor, at Xianyang.

The purpose of the Great Wall of China, the monumental fortification separating China from Mongolia, was not especially to keep out the Huns from the north. The Huns could easily find places along the stretch that they could scale with ladders. But they couldn't get their horses across. Without their horses, they weren't very effective warriors.

The Chinese physician Hua T'o, born sometime between 140 and 150 A.D., was the first doctor known to perform surgery under general anaesthetic. The potion used to render his patients unconscious was a mixture of hemp and strong wine called ma fei san. Prior to the communist revolution, a national holiday commemorated his birth. [ China | Medicine ]

The Sui, who ruled China briefly around 600 A.D., devoted much of their reign to constructing the Grand Canal, a waterway 100 feet wide, lined with roads and trees, and stretching for 1,000 miles. The canal was completed in less than 25 years, at a terrible cost in human life. Almost 5.5 million people were involved in the construction, and it has been estimated that 2.5 million died due to the harshness of the working conditions. The canal, extending from Peking to Hangchow, is as navigable today as when it was built almost 1,400 years ago.

Fingerprinting was used in China as early as 700 A.D.

Liu Ch'ing, who became the governor of China's Shansi province in 955 A.D., was born with two pupils in each eye.

The brightest astronomical event in historic times was the supernova of 1054, which produced the Crab Nebula. The supernova was far brighter than Venus. It was bright enough to be visible in daylight and to cast a shadow at night. We know of it through the astronomical records of China, Japan, and the Middle East.

In Kublai Khan's China, anyone who had crops struck by lightning was excused taxes for three years. This was not selfless charity, as the Chinese believed that lightning was a sign of God's disapproval. So, if the Khan had accepted money from someone who had incurred God's wrath, he could have brought ill fortune upon himself.

WW - High Speed Photography - 3

2007-12-11T18:40:00.000+05:30

TT - MORE Alcohol Trivia

2007-12-06T04:35:00.000+05:30

During World War II, a group of alpine soldiers who were stranded in mountain snows survived for an entire month on nothing but a cask of sherry.
White lightning is a name for illegally-distilled spirits. All spirits are clear or "white" until aged in charred oak barrels. Moonshiners skip the aging process to reduce risk of arrest, hence the name of their product. Moonshining is profitable because the taxes on legally-produced spirits are so high.
It is estimated that the federal government takes in 14 times more in taxes on distilled spirits than producers of the products earn making them. That does not include what states and localities additionally take in taxes on the same products.
President Jimmy Carter's mother said "I'm a Christian, but that doesn't mean I'm a long-faced square. I like a little bourbon."
President Thomas Jefferson was the new U.S nation's first wine expert.
It's impossible to create a beverage of over 18% alcohol by fermentation alone.
Temperance activists, who strongly opposed the consumption of alcohol, typically consumed patent medicines that, just like whiskey, generally contained 40% alcohol!
In Malaysia, drunk drivers are jailed and so are their spouses.
Spectators at Indy car races consume more blush wine than the average American, according to interviews of 200,000 adults in the top 75 markets. The inteviews also found that golfers drink domestic beer 64% more often than imported beer and that attendees of R&B, rap or hip-hop concerts are 94% more likely than the average person to drink champagne.
The word "liquor" is prohibited on storefronts in some states of the U.S.
Letters from “drink to your health” can be used to spell “ideal heart diet.” Drinking alcohol in moderation reduces the risk of heart disease by an average of about 40%.
Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the US, stated that "It has long been recognized that the problems with alcohol relate not to the use of a bad thing, but to the abuse of a good thing."
Beer and Bras. British men have been found twice as likely to know the price of their beer as their partner's bra size. A poll reported in Britain's Prima magazine found that 77% of males knew how much their beer costs but only 38% knew the correct size of ther mate's bra.

WW - Super Long Lasagna

2007-12-05T18:24:00.000+05:30

A kitchen staff lays out part of a 560 metre (1,837 feet) long lasagna on tables that surround a hotel in Singapore October 21, 2007.

Uranus Quick Facts

2007-11-29T13:29:00.000+05:30

Diameter
51,118 km

Density
1.29 g/cm3

Mass
8.686 x 1025 kg

Volume
6.995 x 1013 km3

Temperature Range
-214° C to >-205° C

Atmosphere
Hydrogen, Helium, Methane

Winds
Up to 160 m/s

Moons
16

Average Distance from Sun
2,870,990,000 km

Orbital Period
84 Years, 3 Days, 15.66 Hours

Rotation
0 Days, 17.25 Hours

Tilt
97.86°

Rings
Yes

Composition
Hydrogen and Helium

Magnetic Field
Extends 15 times planet radius

Wordless Wednesday - World's Highest Escalator

2007-11-28T05:55:00.000+05:30

The Umeda Sky Building is the seventh-tallest building in Osaka City, Japan, and one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. It consists of two 40-story towers that connect at their two uppermost stories, with bridges and an escalator crossing the wide atrium-like space in the center. The escalater ride is an event in itself as it feels like you are floating up into the sky. This is a cheap way to see the city, less than 10 USD to go up to the observation area.
The 173 m (568 ft) building was designed by Hiroshi Hara. It was constructed by Takenaka Corporation and was completed in 1993.

WW - High Speed Photography - 2

2007-11-21T18:39:00.000+05:30

Thursday Thirteen - More China Facts

2007-11-15T04:17:00.000+05:30

Chinese President Hu Jintao's first visit to the United States was part of a world tour. He also visited Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Nigeria.

Chinese President Hu Jintao loves Starbucks coffee (and so does Bill Gates).

Whenever George W. Bush mentions China, he likes to mention their appalling human rights record in an attempt to make his own government look better by comparison.

Chinese believers in Falun Gong are routinely executed and have their organs sold on the black market. The Chinese government also uses Falun Gong prisoners to conduct medical experiments. Some countries now ban organ exports from China due to their illegal practices.

The United States has a $202 billion annual trade deficit with China. That is basically $202,000,000,000 of American wealth that is shipped over to China every year (and each year the trade deficit grows).

The United States has $7 trillion national debt, much of which has been loaned to the USA from wealthy Chinese banks.

Paper was first invented in China in 105 AD. It was a closely guarded secret and didn't reach Eurupe until the 8th century.

Paper was invented by the eunuch Ts'ai Lun. According to the official history of the Han dynasty (3rd century A.D.), Ts'ai Lun was given an aristocratic title after he presented Emperor Ho Ti with samples of paper. In 751 A.D., Chinese papermakers were captured by the Arabs at Samarkand, and by 794 A.D. several state-owned paper mills operated in Baghdad. The Arabs were manufacturing paper in Spain around 1150. It was not until 1590 that the first English paper mill was founded, at Dartford.

China exported $9 million US worth of garlic and ginseng to South Korea in 1999.

China exported $593.4 billion US in 2004. They exported only $474.7 billion in 2003.

In 2001 China exported $365 million worth of machinery/electronics to Canada.

In 2004 the Chinese government spent $700-million to build a new oil pipeline to Afghanistan. It is now waiting for the Unites States to attack Iran and finish building the rest of the pipeline which will bring oil from Iraq all the way across Iran and Afghanistan to the new oil pipeline.

China exported #134 million US in textiles (hats, clothes, umbrella, ect) to Canada.

WW - High Speed Photography - 1

2007-11-07T18:37:00.000+05:30

Jupiter Quick Facts

2007-11-01T13:23:00.000+05:30

Diameter
142,984 km

Density
1.33 g/cm3

Mass
1.900 x 1027 kg

Volume
1.377 x 1015 km3

Temperature Range-
163° C to >-121° C

Atmosphere
Hydrogen, Helium, Methane

Winds
Up to 150 m/s

Moons
60

Average Distance from Sun
778,330,000 km

Orbital Period
11 Years, 315 Days, 1.1 Hours

Rotation
0 Days, 9.925 Hours

Tilt
3.13°

Composition
Hydrogen and Helium

Magnetic Field
Extends 1,600,000 km

WW - Expensive Quran!

2007-10-31T18:21:00.000+05:30

A Quran written in 1203, believed to be the oldest known complete copy, has sold for more than $2.3 million at an auction.
The holy book, which had been estimated to sell for up to $715,000, fetched $2,327,300 at Tuesday's auction in London, Christie's said.

That was a record auction price for a Quran or any type of Islamic manuscript, the auctioneer Christie's said.

A nearly complete, 10th-century Kufic Quran, thought to be from North Africa or the near East, sold $1,870,000.

Both were offered for sale by the Hispanic Society of America, and were purchased by trade buyers in London, Christie's said.

The record-setting Quran was signed by Yahya bin Muhammad ibn 'Umar, dated 17 Ramadan 599 (June 1203).

It was acquired in Cairo in 1905 by Archer Milton Huntington, who founded the Hispanic Society in New York City in 1904. Huntington, the adopted son of railroad and ship-building magnate Collis P. Huntington, died in 1955.

The calligraphy in the manuscript was done in gold outlined in thin black lines, and the marginal notes are in silver outlined in red.

The kufic Quran bridges a gap between the earlier style, copied on parchment of horizontal format, and the later style of vertical composition, often on paper, Christie's catalog said.

The kufic script takes its name from Kufah in Iraq, an early center of Islamic scholarship, according to the British Library.

Because the script's vertical strokes were very short but the horizontal strokes elongated, it was written on papers in a landscape format.

The Hanging Coffins of Sagada - 0

2007-10-27T13:52:00.000+05:30

Thursday Thirteen - Interesting Facts about China

2007-10-25T04:16:00.000+05:30

China is the world's largest economy.

The exact population of China is unknown. Many of its people are "undocumented" by their own government. Its official population ranges from 1.3 billion to 2 billion people.

24% of the world speaks Chinese (there are over 200 different Chinese languages and regional dialects). The official state language is Pu-tong-hwa (Mandarin).

According to economists, China will become the world's wealthiest nation by the year 2012.

The Great Wall of China is NOT visible from outer space. Its too thin. Its just a myth that it can be seen. The only man-made structures visible from space are: The Pyramids of Giza and the Hoover Dam.

Tea, popularized by the Chinese was first bagged and shipped around the world in 1903.

China manufactures 60% of the world's bicycles (the United States buys 86% of the world's bicycles).

Gunpowder was first discovered in China where it was used to create fireworks, signal flares and small missiles used for military purposes.

In September 2005 China surpassed Canada as the #1 exporter of goods to the United States.

As of January 2006 30% of China's exports are now electronics.

China is one of the few countries where fossils of homo gigantus have been found. Homo gigantus is more commonly called "Big Foot".

During the period of 1990 to 2005 Chinese export to the United States increased 1600 per cent. Thats 16 times more exports in only 16 years.

Tsingtao Beer, brewed since 1903, makes up more than 50% of China's beer exports.

WW - Artful Circuit Boxes

2007-10-23T04:37:00.000+05:30

TT - More Alcohol Trivia

2007-10-18T04:32:00.000+05:30

1. Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected President of the U.S. in 1932 on a pledge to end National Prohibition.

2. During World War II, reduction of consumption activists argued that soldiers should not be permitted to drink alcohol beverages. However, General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, insisted that such prohibition would be 'harmful to the men in the service."

3. The consumption of alcohol was so widespread throughout history that it has been called "a universal language."

4. Opposition to the enforcement of Prohibition increased as people became disillusioned with the Noble Experiment. Montana became the first state to repeal its enforcement of Prohibition, doing so in 1926 (Prohibition lasted from 1920 through 1933).

5. Shochu, a beverage distilled from barley, was the favorite beverage of the world’s longest-living man, Shigechiyo Izumi of Japan, who lived for 120 years and 237 days. He was born on June 29, 1865 and died on February 21, 1986. 52
The U.S. Marines’ first recruiting station was in a bar.

6. Only 30% of adults in the U.S. believe that drinking can form part of a healthy, balanced life. This is in spite of the fact that moderate drinking is associated with better health and greater longevity than is abstention.

7. Bourbon is the official spirit of the United States, by act of Congress.

8. One glass of milk can give a person a .02 blood alcohol concentration (BAC) on a Breathalyzer test. That’s enough in some states for persons under age 21 to lose their drivers license and be fined.

9. Letters from “increase alcohol taxes” can be used to spell “Alert: Halt excess excise taxes on alcohol.”

10. Fermentation within the body is essential for human life to exist.

11. At the request of a distiller, Louis Pasteur began his pioneering research by investigating the process of fermentation, by which all alcohol beverages and many other foods are produced.

12. Fermentation is involved in the production of many foods, including bread (bread “rises” as it ferments), sauerkraut, coffee, black tea, cheese, yogurt, buttermilk, pickles, cottage cheese, chocolate, vanilla, ginger, catsup, mustard, soy sauce. and many more.

13. Heavy taxes, which more than double the price of a typical bottle of whiskey, rum or other distilled spirits beverage, encourages the production and sale of dangerous bootleg alcohol.

WW - Cool Magazine Illusions I

2007-10-17T04:40:00.000+05:30

Thursday Thirteen - Interesting facts about pianos

2007-10-11T04:25:00.000+05:30

Christie's Auction House recently sold a Vicorian Steinway grand piano for $1.2 MILLION DOLLARS! The piano was sold to the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute of Williamstown, Massachusetts.

What famous piano company was Engelhard Steinweg the founder of?
Maybe this will help. In 1853 he Americanized his name to Henry E. Steinway!
1997 was the 150th Anniversary of his famous Steinway Pianos!
Heinrich E came to the States in 1850 at which time he and three of his sons each acquired employment working for four different piano makers. In 1853 he founded Steinway & Sons which is when he Americanized his name (at the time Broadwood pianos was doing well, so he thought it an intelligent marketing decision to anglicize their last name.) He was born in 1797, making 1997 was the 200th Anniversary of his birth.

That the piano is known as "The King of Instruments"? The piano earned this title for a number of reasons including it's tonal range ( the piano covers the full spectrum of any instrument in the orchestra from below the lowest note of the double bassoon to above the top note of the piccolo), it's ability to produce melody and accompaniment at the same time (try that on a flute) and it's broad dynamic range. It is also the largest musical instrument (excluding the pipe organ), most versatile and one of the most interesting.

That the average medium size piano has about 230 strings,
each string having about 165 pounds of tension,
with the combined pull of all strings equaling approximately eighteen tons !

The total string tension in a concert grand is close to Thirty Tons!

That a boxed model D Steinway Grand Piano weighs 1400 Pounds !

That six Steinways are now in the Smithsonian collection.

The working section of the piano is called the action. There are about 7500 parts here, all playing a role in sending the hammers against the strings when keys are struck.

A new piano should be tuned four times the first year, with the change of seasons, and at least twice a year after that.

There are over 10 MILLION pianos in American homes, businesses, and institutions.

The first practical piano with an escapement mechanism for the hammers and capable of being played softly and loudly was built in 1700 by an Italian, Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731).(see Christofori)
The Smithsonian in Washington, DC is celebrating the 300th anniversary of the piano with a wonderful exhibit that runs through March 2001. For more information.

Cristofori made few pianos, his attention was to the building of harpsichords.

The name piano is an abbreviation of Cristofori's original name for the instrument: piano et forte or soft and loud.

WW - Don't Park Your Car Like This - I

2007-10-10T04:45:00.000+05:30

Expo Real 2007

2007-10-06T04:37:00.000+05:30

The EXPO REAL 2007 (the 10th International Commercial Property Exposition) is taking place on 8th to 10th October 2007 at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre

Since its premiere in 1998, EXPO REAL has developed into a central platform for investments, business and real-estate projects in Europe. All the key real-estate markets and locations and all the international key players in the real-estate sector are present at EXPO REAL. The extensive conference programme focuses on the latest trends and innovations in the
real-estate market. You can visit their website - Expo Real

TT - Alcohol Trivia

2007-10-04T04:31:00.000+05:30

1. President Lyndon B. Johnson's favorite drink may have been scotch and soda. He would ride around his Texas ranch in an open convertible in hot weather. He drank his "scotch and soda out of a large white plastic foam cup. Periodically, Johnson would slow down and hold his left arm outside the car, shaking the cup and ice. A Secret Service agent would run up to the car, take the cup and go back to the station wagon (following the President's car). There another agent would refill it with ice, scotch, and soda as the first agent trotted behind the wagon. then the first agent would run the refilled cup up to LBJ's outstretched hand, as the President's car moved slowly forward."

2. Don’t swallow in Utah! Wine used in wine tastings in Utah must not be swallowed!

3. Adding a miniature onion to a martini turns it into a Gibson.

4. The longest bar in the world is 684 feet (or about 208.5 meters) long and is located at the New Bulldog in Rock Island, Illinois.

5. A drinking establishment is now located in the New York City building that once housed the National Temperance Society.

6. A tequini is a martini made with tequila instead of dry gin.

7. The body or lightness of whiskey is primarily determined by the size of the grain from which it is made; the larger the grain, the lighter the whiskey. For example, whiskey made from rye, with its small grain size, is bigger or fuller-bodied than is whiskey made from corn, with its large grain size.

8. Each molecule of alcohol is less than a billionth of a meter long and consists of a few atoms of oxygen, carbon and hydrogen.

9. Christopher Columbus brought Sherry on his voyage to the New World.

10. As Magellan prepared to sail around the world in 1519, he spent more on Sherry than on weapons.

11. Sixty-two percent of Americans report that they have used the service of a designated driver.

12. The founder of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) no longer belongs to the organization. She resigned after it became increasingly anti-alcohol rather than simply anti-drunk-driving.

13. Vassar College was established and funded by a brewer.

Wordles Wednesday - Fast Food Comparisons II

2007-10-03T06:01:00.000+05:30

I got such a marvellous response to the previous lot that I decided to put up a few more - hope you all like these too!
On the left is the Menu photograph of the food and on the right is the actual food served to the customer.

Expo World

2007-09-29T04:40:00.000+05:30

My recent addiction is Expos - you might have noticed that from my last two posts ;-)
Anyway - I found this new blog - Expo World - its quite young - only 5-6 posts, but it contains good solid information on some expos - so I liked it - anyway, go check it out.

By the way, I've decided to try and write a short review of a blog at random once a month (hopefully), so enjoy!

Spider Facts

2007-09-27T03:36:00.000+05:30

Certain female species of spiders such as the Australian crab spider, sacrifice their bodies as a food source for their offspring.

Some male spiders pluck their cobwebs like a guitar, to attract female spiders.

Fried spiders taste like nuts.

The largest spider ever was the Megarachne which had a diameter of 50 cm. The fossil was found in Argentina.

The bite from a black widow spider is not automatically fatal. In fact, less than 1% of all people bitten by this spider run the risk of dying, and most of them are saved with the use of antivenin.

The skeleton of a spider is located on the outside of the body.

Spiders usually have eight eyes, but still they cannot see that well.

There are about 34,000 species of spiders.

Spiders have claws at the ends of their legs.

Only the female black widow spider has a poisonous bite. The male spider's venom is not poisonous and it does not attack its prey.

Of the 35,000 species of spiders, only 27 species are known to have caused human fatalities.

Spiders belong to the family Arachnid

Spiders have 8 legs, but some may have 2, 4, or 6 eyes.

Wordless Wednesday - Fast Food Comparisons - I

2007-09-26T05:59:00.000+05:30

Interesting comparison of food shown in the menu and the orignal food served to the customer. On the left is the Menu photograph of the food and on the right is the actual food served to the customer.

Thursday Thirteen - 13 Most Popular Books in the World

2007-09-20T05:40:00.000+05:30

1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
by J. K. Rowling

2. Margin of Safety : Risk-Averse Value Investing Strategies for the Thoughtful Investor
by Seth A. Klarman

3. Best of Business Card Design 6
by Blackcoffee Design Inc

4. Margin of Safety : Risk-Averse Value Investing Strategies for the Thoughtful Investor
by Seth A. Klarman

5. Thousand Splendid Suns
by Khaled Hosseini

6. Ayodhya without the Communal Stamp : In the Name of Indian Secularism
by Nilofar Suhrawardy

7. The Secret
by Rhonda Byrne

8. 2012 The Shaman's Prophecy
by D. Rhoades Hoskins

9. McDonnell F-4 Phantom : Spirit in the Skies
by David Donald, Jon Lake

10. Turn for Worse
by W. R. Barna

11. Cost Accounting : A Managerial Emphasis
by Charles T. Horngren, Srikant M. Datar, George Foster

12. Glycemic Index Cooking Made Easy : Lose Weight, Eat Well, and Boost Your Energy Levels Using Low GI Foods
by Janette Brand Miller, Kaye Foster-Powell, Joanna McMillan-Price

13. Playing in Isolation : A History of Baseball in Taiwan
by Junwei Yu

13 Most Rare Stamps

2007-09-13T05:47:00.000+05:30

Penny Black-United Kingdom
Basel Dove-Switzerland - Canton of Basel
Post Office Mauritius-United Kingdom
Perot Provisional-Bermuda
Cottonreels-British Guiana
Hawaiian Missionaries-Hawaii
Scinde Dawk-Scindh, India
Inverted Head Four Annas-India
Inverted Swan-Western Australia
Treskilling Yellow-Sweden
Red Mercury-Austria
British Guiana 1 cent Magenta-British Guiana
Woodblock Stamps-Cape of Good Hope

Crazy Trees...

2007-09-05T05:12:00.000+05:30

WW - Humanistic Bananas - II

2007-08-29T04:39:00.000+05:30

Thirteen Saturn Facts

2007-08-23T13:14:00.000+05:30

1. Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun
2. It is the second largest planet
3. Orbit: 1,429,400,000 km (9.54 AU) from Sun
4. Diameter: 120,536 km (equatorial)
5. Mass: 568000000000000000000000000 kg
6. In Roman mythology, Saturn is the god of agriculture.
7. The associated Greek god, Cronus, was the son of Uranus and Gaia and the father of Zeus (Jupiter).
8. Saturn is the root of the English word "Saturday".
9. Saturn is the least dense of the planets; its specific gravity (0.7) is less than that of water.
10. Saturn is about 75% hydrogen and 25% helium with traces of water, methane, ammonia and "rock", similar to the composition of the primordial Solar Nebula from which the solar system was formed.
11. Saturn has 34 named satellites.
12. Saturn's rings are extraordinarily thin: though they're 250,000 km or more in diameter they're less than one kilometer thick.
13. Saturn's interior is hot (12000 K at the core) and Saturn radiates more energy into space than it receives from the Sun.

WW - Humanistic Bananas - I

2007-08-22T04:38:00.000+05:30

TT - 13 Italians who've made it big in the world...

2007-08-16T04:07:00.000+05:30

Rudolph Valentino (USA) : Hollywood's first sex symbol and the first "Latin Lover"
Frank Sinatra (USA) : singer and actor
Al Pacino (USA) : Hollywood actor
Robert De Niro (USA) : Hollywood actor
Leonardo DiCaprio (USA) : Hollywood actor
Madonna (USA) : singer & actress

Amadeo P. Giannini (USA) : founder in 1904 of Bank of Italy which later became Bank of America, the largest bank in the United States.
Bob Guccione (USA) : founder and former publisher of Penthouse Magazine
Leonard Riggio (USA) : owner of Barnes & Noble, the largest book retailer in the world
The Jacuzzi family. (USA) : inventors of the whirlpool bath of the same name.
Dennis Tito (USA) : the world's first space tourist
Ayrton Senna (Brazil) : formula one champion
Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) : formula 1 pilot

Whaddaya see???

2007-08-15T03:54:00.000+05:30

Tell me, what does this even vaguely resemble? (Actually, it is not that vague!) I love this sort of thing - I've got 2-3 more, I'll post them up at intervals. And just to make it nicer (and more so because it is the Crazy King of Clowns' WHIM), I'm going to call it the Whaddaya See Series! So now officially, this is Whaddaya See #1

...._....._________________
__, ,
....../ `---___________----_____] = = = = = = D
...../_==o;;;;;;;;_______.:/
.....), ---.(_(__) /
....// (..) ), ----"
...//___//
..//___//
.//___//

Wordless Wednesday - Hilarious Road Signs

2007-08-08T03:48:00.000+05:30

Thursday Thirteen - All About Mars

2007-08-02T03:55:00.000+05:30

1. Mars is the fourth closest planet to the Sun and the seventh largest overall.
2. Mars is sometimes referred to as the "Red Planet" because of its reddish appearance.
3. Mars' orbit is very elliptical, causing a temperature variation at the subsolar point of about 30 degrees C.
4. Mars is the planet that is considered the best candidate (besides Earth) to harbor life.
5. Mars, is also well-known for "The Face," a hill, in the nothern plains of Mars, with the appearance of an extraterrestrial face.
6. The first spacecraft to visit Mars was Mariner 4 in 1965
7. Mars (Greek: Ares) is the god of War.
8. The planet probably got this name due to its red color; Mars is sometimes referred to as the Red Planet.
9. The name of the month March derives from Mars.
10. Though Mars is much smaller than Earth, its surface area is about the same as the land surface area of Earth.
11. Mars is also filled with volcanoes. It is believed that the volcanoes located on Mars' Tharsis region may be the largest in the entire solar system. The Olympus Mons is over 375 miles (600km) across and over 16 miles (26km) high.

12. Mars, like Venus, is bright and can be spotted in the night sky with the naked eye.

13. Mars is the seventh largest planet in our solar system.

WW - Banana Art

2007-08-01T04:36:00.000+05:30

Good heavens! Did anyone ever know that Bananas can be made to look so well...whats the correct word...DIFFERENT??? Yaah! That's the word! Don't they look DIFFERENT??

The CARNIVAL of CRAZINESS, 3rd Edition!!

2007-07-30T03:45:00.000+05:30

Ok, this is the last edtion of the Carnival of Craziness, so I'm putting in my BEST for this last time. Hope everyone enjoys themselves reading, (and hopefully, laughing too)! Enjoy!!!!!

So the first category is of the

Superbly Crazy:

>
Dumbfiddler from her now-much-famous (and with good reason too) popular blog - Fiddlesticks has submitted for this Carnival Her First Ever Thursday Thirteen - 13 terribly naughty things she once did. WARNING - I am not responsible of you split your sides because of laughing too much ;-)

>
Edward Rudisell presents Hitting the trifecta posted at Ed's Restroom Review.

Jonathan Deamer presents 50 signs you're a blogaholic posted at Jonathan Deamer.

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Weird News Snark (New Regular Feature) posted at Mad Kane's Humor Blog.

Wenchypoo presents If Only There Were Fewer People… posted at Wisdom From Wenchypoo's Mental Wastebasket, saying, "Satirical twist on a conspiracy theory."

>
Sarakastic presents The most hearfelt spam comment goes to... posted at Fibromyalgia Experiment, saying, "This spammer kicked crazy up a notch"

paris lia presents BAD FATHERS DAY IDEAS - A LIST! posted at LOLette.

>
Aspeth presents Whackaloonery or Wave of the Future? posted at Twelve Years Of Being Annoyed By Chloe Sevigny, saying, "Giving a whole new meaning to the term "sleeping with the fishes.""

>
bobbarama presents Steaking out my favorite booth posted at bobbarama.com

Avant News presents Ghosts in the Radiators: My Crash Course in Home Heating House Chronicles posted at House Chronicles.

Deanna presents Kids dress up as Terrorists for Halloween posted at Not Another One.

>
Silicon Valley Blogger presents 22 Outrageous Ways To Save (Part 2) posted at The Digerati Life.

Mark A. Rayner presents Ask General Kang: Iran detained 14 squirrels for espionage last week ? what animal should I use to spy on my enemies? posted at the skwib.

The second category comes down to

Personal Experiences

Leslie Williams presents Too Many Choices posted at Do You Weary in Well Doing?, saying, "AAARGH! I can't choose!"

Ann Cook presents The Lost and Profound: The Spirituality Of Computer Science posted at The Lost and Profound.

>
Kevin presents Doggy Style posted at Humble Tidbits of Vacuity.

Jonathan Deamer presents Heavenly humour: stand-up comedy and joke contests posted at Jonathan Deamer.

zamejias presents Verb: joyride posted at Verb.

The Third Category -which my readers already know, is by far my favourite ;-) is of the

Terribly Funny

>
Anmol Mehta presents a hilarious account of his experience with (oops, I almost let that out! Go check out yourself!!!) in his post named Today I Finally Passed the Test and Have Officially Become a Man from his blog - Mastery of Meditation, Enlightenment & Kundalini Yoga

Michelle Mitchell presents Wherein Our Heroine Unknowingly Aids and Abets posted at scribbit.

Riversider presents Tales from the Riverbank posted at Save The Ribble.

Ruby presents The Absolute Best Way to Start Feeling Depressed and Useless posted at Advice and Rants.

The Fourth category consists of the

Filmy Atrractions

Tracy Coenen presents Good riddance Rosie O’Donnell posted at FRAUDfiles - its all about satisfaction at the 'downfall' of the Actress-Comedian Rosie O'Donnel.

Rickey Henderson presents Rickey Reviews "Transformers" posted at Riding with Rickey.

>
Conan Stevens presents BANGKOK ADRENALINE MOVIE TRAILER - Extreme Action posted at Tall Muscle Actor Blog.

The Fifth category is that of

Important News

Sheppard Salter presents Insanity At School (Yawn?Nothing New.) posted at salterblog.com.

Praveen presents Rich Jerk Revisited posted at My Simple Trading System, saying, "Crazy rich jerk videos"

Kilroy_60 presents Fear and Loathing - The Gonzo Papers - A writer, spiritualist, business consultant, explorer and photographer looks at life - A Strategic Alliance posted at Fear And Loathing - The Gonzo Papers.

>
Mr. Besilly presents iPhone's Holy Healing Light posted at iPhone Savior, saying, "Believers endured long lines outside the Apple flagship store in New York City on Tuesday for their chance to bathe in the new iPhone's holy healing light."

The sixth and last-but-not-the-least category -

Controversial and/or Miscellaneous Stuff

Only Three Notes presents Stupid Americans! posted at Only Three Notes.

TherapyDoc presents The reality of lying posted at Everyone Needs Therapy, saying, "Let the kids lie, it's okay."

Sheppard Salter presents Breast Feeding posted at salterblog.com.

zenofeller presents The drowned faithfull posted at zenofeller.com.

James Dango presents Consider a Desktop for Your College Computer posted at College and Finance.

>
FitBuff presents FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog » Blog Archive » Average IQ Score Determined by Birth Order? posted at FitBuff.com's Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog, saying, "According to a recent study of nearly 250,000 males between 18 and 19 years old, the first-born had an average IQ score 2.3 points higher than their younger siblings. Doesn't sound like much, right? But, those 2.3 points increase a child's chances of getting into an Ivy League school by 30 percent."

Anna - On The Ponderosa presents TEENAGERS?The New Gateway Drug For Parents posted at On The Ponderosa.

artThailand presents artThailand: We Put The World Of Contemporary Art From Thailand Within Reach posted at artThailand.

Scooter Van Neuter presents Dems Got Religion posted at Scooter's Report.

pointlessbanter presents How to get the romance back in your love life at Pointlessbanter.net posted at Pointlessbanter.net, saying, "Kevin gives his tips on what your love life really needs."

>
Kathryn Lang presents Be Peculiar Not Normal posted at The Peculiar Club, saying, "Why be normal?"

>
Shakir Hasnain has submitted three well written poems from three of his well known blogs - so here they are:

migrant from Dokto Lapse Eternus

a beautiful word from The crimsonflaw lived to tell the tale

sometimes from Mortarbled

Sticky Post - The Carnival of Craziness Edition 3

2007-07-27T03:38:00.000+05:30

Well, this is the LAST Edition. (I love hosting Carnivals, but as I am a XII Grade Student, I have lots n lots of work to do)

And if you want to participate, please...do send your posts.

However, the Carnival is going to be held on the 30th of July, and the last date for submission is the 27th of July (which is less than a week away, by the way) so hurry and select your posts before Time Runs Out (That sounds nice and impressive, doesn't it?)

You can submit posts by leaving the link in the comments to this post, OR by using the Blog Carnival Submission Form

Happy CRAZINESS!!

Thursday Thirteen on English...

2007-07-26T04:41:00.000+05:30

OH WOW! TRIVIA!

I love any sort of trivia - you might have gathered that by now by my multiple trivia postings
;-)

So here's some great trivia on The English Language!

Facetious and abstemious are the only words that contain all the vowels in the correct order.

Adcomsubordcomphibspac is the longest acronym. It is a Navy term standing for Administrative Command, Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet Subordinate Command.

Almost is the longest commonly used word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order.

Canada is an Indian word meaning "Big Village".

Dreamt is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".

Fickleheaded and fiddledeedee are the longest words consisting only of letters in the first half of the alphabet.

Asthma and isthmi are the only six-letter words that begin and end with a vowel and have no other vowels between.

Forty is the only number which has its letters in alphabetical order. One is the only number with its letters in reverse alphabetical order.

Four is the only number whose number of letters in the name equals the number.

One thousand contains the letter A, but none of the words from one to nine hundred ninety-nine has an A.

The two longest one-syllable words in English are screeched and strengths

The longest word with no repeated letters is uncopywritable

Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is the longest word likely to appear in an unabridged dictionary.

5 More Hilarious Church Signs - Happy WW!

2007-07-25T05:22:00.000+05:30

Yippeee!! I've posted 5 more!

The last five made me laugh so much, (and you too, I noticed when I read the comments!), that I searched through my entire list of e-mails till I found this one which contained these!

I only hope you find hem as funny as last time :)

The 38th Time...

2007-07-22T03:51:00.000+05:30

When I read this I could hardly beleive it - its so astonishing! But what makes is convincing is the fact that it appeared in Reuters!!!!!

In June, Indian farmer Shiv Charan Yadav, 73, failed his high school gateway exams (normally given at age 15) for the 38th time. That was the good part.

The bad part: He had vowed the first time not to marry until he passes

Result/ Consequence: He has immediately started studying for attempt number 39.

By the way, how do you like the Chemistry Lab File Approach to presenting a news article?

Thursday Thirteen - 13 Tallest Buildings of the World

2007-07-19T17:19:00.000+05:30

This is a list which is found on tons of websites all over the net - I thought I'll put it up here for those who are curious about such things.

I haven't visited any yet - have ou people gone to any of them?

They certainly sound intriguing

I think that from all of them, I like the pictures of the Sears Tower the most - I feel the most awed when looking at its pic - I think I'll visit that FIRST (if I ever get around to visiting 'em all :-D)

1. Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan
2. Petronas Tower 1, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
3. Petronas Tower 2, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
4. Sears Tower, Chicago
5. Jin Mao Building, Shanghai
6. Two International Finance Centre, Hong Kong
7. CITIC Plaza, Guangzhou, China
8. Shun Hing Square, Shenzhen, China
9. Empire State Building, New York
10. Central Plaza, Hong Kong
11. Bank of China, Hong Kong
12. Emirates Tower One, Dubai
13. Tuntex Sky Tower, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Happy Thursday Thirteen!!

Weird Appartments - WW

2007-07-18T04:31:00.000+05:30

I swear these are NOT trumped up pics in Acrobat or any other program - these are for real

Anyway, what strikes you weird about these?

Happy Wordless Wednesday!

A JOKE!!

2007-07-13T19:57:00.000+05:30

I thought this one up right now...just a minute ago!

I keep 169 in my palace.

169 is the square of 13, which is supposed to be an unlucky number, and the square of a negative number is positive, so the dogs reverse the bad effect and make me lucky!!

HA HA HA HA HA! Another jokes The Crazy King of Clowns has successfully made!!

Yeah, yeah, I know.

It wasn't THAT funny

But admit it, it was funny, even if it was only a little funny!!

:)

13 Most Popular Female Baby Names

2007-07-12T03:55:00.000+05:30

I received them in the same email in which I also received the Most Popular Male Bay Names - Hope you like them.

I also hope that this list will increase the current number of most popular names (get what I'm meaning?)

Anyway, my favourite from all of these is Jane - a nice good old, short name. What do you people think?

1. Emily
2. Emma
3. Madison
4. Isabella
5. Ava
6. Abigail
7. Jane
8. Olivia
9. Hannah
10. Sophia
11. Sophie
12. Samantha
13. Nancy

5 Hilarious Church Signs - Happy WW!

2007-07-07T05:21:00.000+05:30

I found them hilarious!

Hope you laugh your heads off reading these (but no, then you'd have to go running after them to catch them) - HA HA HA HA HA! I finally made a joke! HA HA HA HA HA!

Happy WW!

The HOLE in the CD

2007-07-04T03:41:00.000+05:30

Some people either have too much time to waste, OR spend their time doing this as their profession :)

Anyway, I love the results - its quite innovative, isn't it?
I like the 3rd the most - what about you folks?

Happy Wordless Wednesday!!

13 Most Popular Male Baby Names

2007-06-28T03:52:00.000+05:30

Maybe some new mother might find these useful LOL!

1. Jacob
2. Michael
3. Joshua
4. Ethan
5. Matthew
6. Daniel
7. Christopher
8. Andrew
9. Anthony
10. William
11. Peter
12. John
13. Dennis

Happy TT!

Fastest talking man in the world

2007-06-27T05:43:00.000+05:30

I thought I talked fast (at least, my mother often tells me so when I am arguing with her), but this fellow beets me, and I'm sure, all of you, HOLLOW! He is Just Too Good, or rather, Just Too Fast!!!!

Happy WW!!

By the way: i found this on YouTube

THE 13 MOST POPULAR ICE CREAM FLAVORS

2007-06-22T05:45:00.000+05:30

Yummy, this is one thursday thirteen, for which I REALLY enjoyed the researching part. I think I linke no 6 - Chocolate Chip the most WOW! 3.9% of the world agrees with me!!!

1. Vanilla, 29%

2. Chocolate, 8.9%

3. Butter pecan, 5.3%

4. Strawberry, 5.3%

5. Neapolitan, 4.2%

6. Chocolate chip, 3.9%

7. French vanilla, 3.8%

8. Cookies and cream, 3.6%

9. Vanilla fudge ripple, 2.6%

10. Praline pecan, 1.7%

11. Cherry, 1.6%

12. Chocolate almond, 1.6%

13. Coffee, 1.6%

Happy TT everybody!

Fastest Talking Woman in the World!!

2007-06-20T05:42:00.000+05:30

Boy, is she fast!!

Just watch, or rather, listen!!

Happy WW!

13 More Palindromes

2007-06-14T06:58:00.000+05:30

I love these - I'm going to post new ones again and again. They appeal to my newly developed (and still developing) English Vocabulary. I hope you ppl won't get bored!

A Toyota.
A car, a man, a maraca.
A coup d'etat saved devastated Puoca.
A daffodil slid off Ada.
A dog! A panic in a pagoda!
A dog, a pant, a panic in a Patna Pagoda.
A dog, a plan, a canal: pagoda!
A dum reb was I ere I saw Bermuda.
A mama.
A man, a pain, a mania — Panama.
A man, a plan, a canal: Panama!
A man, a plan, a cat, a ham, a yak, a yam, a hat, a canal — Panama!
A new order began, a more Roman age bred Rowena.

American Style Cakes...

2007-06-12T04:05:00.000+05:30

Umm.. Yummm...Yummm... I love the look of some of these..., but the other really PUT ME OFF! I wonder who'd enjoy eating the RAT???

Happy Wordless Wednesday!!

TT - Palindromes!

2007-06-07T03:28:00.000+05:30

Some marvellous palindromes...

"Degenerate Moslem, a cad!" Eva saved a camel so Meta reneged.
"Deliver My Band's DNA," by Mr. Evil Ed.
"Do nine men interpret?" "Nine men," I nod.
"I Love Me, Vol. I."
"M" lab menial slain: embalm.
"Miry rim! So many daffodils," Delia wailed, "slid off a dynamo's miry rim!"
"Naomi," I moan.
"Peanuts' Legs" is Gels' Tuna EP.
"Q": a F.A.Q.
"Red?" "No." "Who is it?" "'Tis I." "Oh, wonder!"
'Til lips spill it.
'Tis in a DeSoto sedan I sit
A Dan, a clan, a canal — Canada!

Happy tt!

Hot Air Balloons!!!

2007-06-06T05:09:00.000+05:30

Don't they look grand and majestic (and in some cases, terribly funny ;-) )??

I'd love to go up in one of them, and regally wav to the admiring, envying crowds below, but them, The Crazy King of Clowns is allowed to dream, isn't he???

Happy WW!

Happy ww!

Thursday Thirteen - Doggy Facts

2007-05-31T03:36:00.000+05:30

I have always loved dogs. Here's some interesting stuff 'bout them!

The dog was one of the first animals domesticated by humans.
Mosaics meaning "Beware the Dog" would be found on doorsteps in ancient Roman cities.
The world's first dog show was held in Britain in 1859.
People in ancient China stayed warm by carrying toy breeds in their sleeves.
The smallest mature dog was a Yorkshire Terrier that was 2 1/2 inches high at its shoulder.
The heaviest dog ever weighed 319 pounds.
The oldest dog ever died at age 29.
The tallest dog ever was a Great Dane who stood 41 inches high.
The first living creature sent into space was a female dog named Laika launched by the former USSR on November 3, 1957 (Whitehead et al. 1999).
Labrador Retrievers were originally bred to retrieve fishing nets.
In the 19th century Dalmations defended carriages against highwaymen and kept away animals that could scare the horses.
Monks used the Lhasa Apso as a guard dog in temples.
Siberian Huskies have been used to herd reindeer in Siberia for 3000 years.

Happy tt!

The Carnival of Craziness!!

2007-05-30T03:51:00.000+05:30

OK, so now that I'm a veteran of Blog Carnivalese (for the uninformed, this is the Crazy Emperor's, oh so sorry, The Crazy King's 2nd attempt at holding a Carnival), allow me to welcome everyone to

THE CARNIVAL OF CRAZINESS, 2ND EDITION!!!

OK, so here we go to the 1st category -

Marvelously Crazy!!

The Dumb Fiddler from the marvellous blog - Fiddlesticks made my day with this absolutely marvellous post, aptly named - Caking Up - 'Tiz a MUST READ!!

Friday's Child presents Could This Be True?? posted at Friday's Child - visit it and you'll something so absolutely astonishing (I could hardly believe it!!)

Al Nye presents Sharpton Got Imus -- Now Going After Santa Claus from Al Nye The Lawyer Guy.

Law Vibe presents The Stupidest Things Lawyers and witnesses Say In a Court of Law (I hope you've got your hankerchiefs ready before visiting A Law Student and Young Lawyer Blog - Law Vibe)!!.

Rickey Henderson presents Rickey's Weekend Running Diary (Of Doom) posted at Riding with Rickey - This story definitely qualifies as Crazy!!

Nick has merrily submitted Musical Sex posted at Only Three Notes.

The second category -

Funniness

(be careful, this is the only category without the word 'Marvelous' present in the heading in some form or the other)

John presents The Elements Of A Good Funny Video posted at OhCash.com - its a nice sound explanation!

Rajesh.P.I presents >It's all about sex, baby from his delightfully airy blog - open windows, saying, "No sex please we are Indians." You MUST check this out - IT IS JUST TOO GOOD!

Rickey Henderson presents Rickey would like to take some time to discuss the... (go on, find out the rest of the line yourself at Riding with Rickey).

John Wesley presents Brainstorming Ways to Get Attention Online posted at Pick the Brain.

Jenny-up the hill has submitted Up the Hill Gang: Eat Shrimp!!! from Up the Hill Gang, saying, "I told my son to ad-lib at the end of this video...and he did! lol!"

Dana presents Public Service Announcement, Courtesy of the Nanny State posted at Principled Discovery.

Shamelle presents Unintentionally Funny Movie Conversations posted at Enhance Life.

The third category -

Thoughtful or Thoughtless?? - OH! YOU DECIDE!!

Morris Richmond presents My Work Daze posted at >Morris Richmond - a thought provoking explanation of something - I'm not going to tell you what that something is!!

Lakshmi presents Moments in amber? posted at Alchemy.

Santhros presents The Pinocchio Political Tales from Autentico Ecuatoriano - what he has to say about the Bush Administration

John Lampard presents Socialite job Description posted at The InterChange Desk.

The fourth category -

A Marvel of Personality

(OK, in normal language, the category is - PERSONAL)

m presents continue: memory experiment. i'm giving my brain to science posted at my life with depression.com.

TherapyDoc presents And Another Thing: British Air and Behavior Mod posted at Everyone Needs Therapy, saying, "Sometimes marketing techniques make you wonder who's crazy and who isn't."

Amanda Rose presents I Met My Meat posted at Rebuild from Depression Blog - The post title is a play on the PETA video "Meet Your Meat" about slaughterhouse conditions.

Expat Chef presents Culinary Misadventures posted at The Expatriate's Kitchen, saying, "An occasional culinary mishap is the price of admission for those willing to bite deeply into the Sandwich of Life. The trick is to know when to eat. And when to run. It’s good to be a fast learner."

Michelle Mitchell presents Oh Yea? So What Is YOUR Child Wearing? posted at scribbit.

Wilson presents Another True Mother's Day Post posted at Subject to Review, saying, "it's crazy, all right. aLso largely true, from what I can tell, whatever he wants to say about norway."

The fifth category -

Filmy Marvels

Michelle Mitchell presents Why Spiderman Totally Conquers Superman posted at scribbit.

Dave presents Lost, in Time. posted at Miss(ed) Manners, saying, "Lost will ultimately bring about the end of mankind."

Toe presents Thing! posted at kurokuroatbp, saying, "Who was visiting me when I was a baby?"

The fifth category -

Animalia Mervellousalia

(Don't tell me it sounds funny, I already know)

Anthony presents When I Was Married - Installment 2 - Fred posted at The Lives and Times... of Anthony McCune.

Wolfbernz presents 13 Things I Like About Fishing posted at BlogDumps Blog.

Beno Varghese presents Cats opening doors posted at Beno Varghese dot-com.

Lead Optimize presents Deep Fried Hummingbirds posted at Gravity Unknown . Com, saying, "Deep fried hummingbirds are the next big thing in fast food. Keep your eyes peeled - like their softened little beaks."

The seventh category -

Marvellous Literature!

I Am Blog presents Blog Sunday posted at I Am Blog.

A few by my good friend Shakir Hasnain from each of his three best blogs...
Necromancer from the crimsonflaw
Digraph from Doktor Lapse Eternus
Switch from Mortarbled:switch

Madeleine Begun Kane presents Captured By CAPTCHA posted at Mad Kane's Humor Blog.

The eighth category -

Miscellaneously Marvellous

Arun presents The Trash Talking Wonder posted at Arun is bringing you...Your Daily Remedy - a few friendly tips to becoming a witty and downright unbeatable trash-talker

Mr. Besilly presents My Great Chocolate Typo Disaster posted at Mr. Besilly - One Man's highway, saying, "How many websites does it take to spell the word chocolate wrong?

The answer is 42,800 according to Google."

Ybother presents 10 most commonly used online passwords posted at A Top Ten List Everyday to Jumpstart Your Knowledge, saying, "Is your password in this list? I hope not!"

Chuck Russell presents Remote Keyless Entry Unlock Doors Via Cell Phone posted at Car Buying Tips To Save You Money.

The Free Geek presents Top 10 Ways to Recycle Your Old Computer posted at The Free Geek.

Great White Snark presents This guy makes your obsession with toys seem healthy. posted at Great White Snark, saying, "Cheers!"

Daniellecdotes presents Excuse Me Nurse? posted at Excuse Me Nurse?, saying, "The New Chestnut is a new blog that brings you new and clever stories. Accounts from suicidal pets, being lost in the hospital by a nurse, and random and funny sightings."

Jenny presents Review: Ironside posted at the so called me, saying, "My first attempt at a book review!"

Alvaro Fernandez presents Take the Senses Challenge posted at SharpBrains, saying, "What can be more bizarre than our own minds?"

(I'm sure that by now you must have gathered that I love using the word Marvellous :) Marvellous! Marvellous! Marvellous! HEE HEE HEE

A Guitar made of LEGO blocks!!!

2007-05-30T01:59:00.000+05:30

Good heavens! Isn't this marvellous??

I loved it - they look so nice!

Happy ww!

Announcing The Carnival of Craziness, Edition 2 !!! - STICKY POST

2007-05-25T04:03:00.000+05:30

The Crazy King of Clowns, would once again like to invite all crazy people to the Crazy Palace for the Carnival of Craziness.

This is a carnival for anyone and everyone. If you have a post on anything crazy, bizarre, unique, weird, amazing, hilarious, or maybe something you just want others to know, then you're welcome to participate in this carnival.
The best post in each category (to be decided by His Craziness later), shall be awarded a Badge of Honour, which they can (proudly, His Craziness hopes) display on their own blog.
And the limit of submissions is: 1 post per blog - so if you have two blogs, you can submit two posts provided they are from different blogs :)
If u have any confusion, please leave a comment

NOTES:
1. Leave your URL in the comments section.
2. You can also submit you carnival here

Thursday Thirteen - Cat Facts

2007-05-24T03:38:00.000+05:30

CATS. One of the world's most popular pets. Lets see how much you know about this intriguing little animal. Even if you don't know much, you will by the end of this post! ;-)

1. Both humans and cats have identical regions in the brain responsible for emotion.
2. A cat's brain is more similar to a man's brain than that of a dog.
3. A cat has more bones than a human; humans have 206, but the cat has 230 (some cites list 245 bones, and state that bones may fuse together as the cat ages).
4. Cats have 30 vertebrae--more than humans have.
5. Cats do not have a collarbone, so they can fit through any opening the size of their head.
6. The cat has 500 skeletal muscles (humans have 650).
7. Cats have 32 muscles that control the outer ear (compared to human's 6 muscles each). A cat can rotate its ears independently 180 degrees, and can turn in the direction of sound 10 times faster than those of the best watchdog.
8. Cats' hearing is much more sensitive than humans and dogs.
9. Cats' hearing stops at 65 khz (kilohertz); humans' hearing stops at 20 khz.
10. A cat sees about 6 times better than a human at night, and needs 1/6 the amount of of light that a human does - it has a layer of extra reflecting cells which absorb light.
11. Recent studies have shown that cats can see blue and green. There is disagreement as to whether they can see red.
12. A cat's field of vision is about 185 degrees.
13. Blue-eyed, pure white cats are frequently deaf.

Happy TT!

Some More Fork Art...

2007-05-23T04:53:00.000+05:30

These are better than the last few I posted. They have more style, more elegance, and look far harder to create! What do you folks think?

happy ww!

Cool Cars... - Thursday Thirteen

2007-05-17T11:11:00.000+05:30

Adolf Hitler had a false floor fitted into his Mercedes 770K, making him look 5 inches taller, when he stood up in the car.

The fastest time for removing a car engine, and replacing it is 42 seconds for a Ford Escort, on 21 November 1985.

The longest custom-built car is the 16-wheeled, 60ft (18.3 metres) Cadillac limousine. It features a swimming pool, hot tub, helipad, satellite dish, crystal chandelier and has 'ample luggage space'.

The most powerful piston enine car is 'Quad Al', designed and built in 1964 by Jim Lytle. It features four Alison V12 aircraft engines with an engine size of 112.1 Litres and can put out 12,000 BHP, it has 4 wheel drive, 8 wheels, 96 exhaust pipes, and weighs 2958 Kg!

Currently, the most powerful car on the road is the 6-wheeled, Jameson-Merlin, powered by a 27 Litre, 1760 BHP Rolls Royce V12 Merlin engine, it weighs 2.65 tons and can travel 300 miles on its 60 gallon tank.

The Worlds longest traffic hold-up was 110 miles long, between Paris and Lyon on the French Autoroute in 1980. A more recent contender for the title was a 100 mile long traffic Jam, near Hamburg in Germany in 1993

A Mini Marcos was the only British car to finish the 1966 LeMans but soon afterwards it was stolen.

In the Twenties a vehicle was exempted from car tax if it was only used for driving the servants to the church.

In Rallying your blood group must be displayed on your helmet or overalls.

The Ford Puma is the first Ford to be entirely designed on computer.

The 1947 Volvo PV444 had a Dash-Mounted flower vase.

Wooden wheels were a factory option until 1939 with Mercedes.

The Fiat Strada was handbuilt by robots.

Happy TT People!!

Art of Forks

2007-05-16T04:46:00.000+05:30

Happy WW!!

Hummingbird Facts - Thursday Thirteen

2007-05-06T04:16:00.001+05:30

1. There are seventeen species of hummingbirds in North America.

2. Hummingbirds flap their wings 50 to 200 times per second. Generally the faster time is in courtship.

3. They can fly up, down, right, left, backwards, upside down and even loop-de-loops! Amazing!

4. They have tiny little feet that are only good for perching, scratching or preening. This means if they wish to move, even a few inches, they must fly.

5. Hummers can starve to death in about an hour. Oh Dear!

6. They eat every 10 minutes throughout the day.

7. Even though they are tiny birds, they consume up to 50% of their body weight in a day. Little pigs aren’t they? LOL!

8. Their main diet is sugar which they get from plant nectar or from kind-hearted people with feeders.

9. They also eat bugs for protein.

10. Hummingbirds have grooves on the sides of their tongues. This is to help catch insects.

11. Their tongues can take up to 13 licks a second.

12. Hummers have very good memories and will even be able to remember where they found food from the previous year.

13. Visual displays are how they communicate with each other.

Happy TT!!

Teacup Lamborghini

2007-05-03T12:48:00.001+05:30

Lamborghini Balanced Beautifully on Tea Cups.

These pictures were shot by someone in Toronto on Bloor street between Yonge and Bay Street around the same time as the Toronto International Film Festival.

Happy Wordless Wednesday everyone!!!

Thursday Thirteen - Problems and Solutions

2007-05-03T06:18:00.000+05:30

After every flight, Qantas pilots fill out a form, called a "gripe sheet," which tells mechanics about problems with the aircraft. The mechanics correct the problems, document their repairs on the form, and then pilots review the gripe sheets before the next flight.

Here are some actual maintenance complaints submitted by Qantas' pilots (marked with a P) and the solutions recorded (marked with an S) by maintenance engineers.

By the way, Qantas is the only major airline that has never had an accident. .... Enjoy!

P: Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
S: Almost replaced left inside main tire.

P: Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
S: Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.

P: Something loose in cockpit.
S: Something tightened in cockpit.

P: Dead bugs on windshield.
S: Live bugs on back-order.

P: Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
S: Cannot reproduce problem on ground.

P: Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
S: Evidence removed.

P: DME volume unbelievably loud.
S: DME volume set to more believable level.

P: Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
S: That's what they're for.

P: IFF inoperative.
S: IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.

P: Suspected crack in windshield.
S: Suspect you're right.

P: Number 3 engine missing.
S: Engine found on right wing after brief search.

P: Aircraft handles funny.
S: Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.

P: Target radar hums.
S: Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.

P: Mouse in cockpit.
S: Cat installed.

And the best one for last..................

P: Noise coming from under instrument panel. Sounds like a midget pounding on something with a hammer.
S: Took hammer away from midget.

I know its Thursday Thirteen, but I couldn't help putting in all 15 :)

Happy Thursday Thirteen Everyone!!