Singapore Surrounded By Smog …Is any Relief In sight ?

Singapore
has been hit by the worst air pollution crisis in its history, while government
agencies try to induce rain in an attempt to stop forest fires spreading a smoky
haze across three south-east Asian countries.

The average Pollution Standard Index (PSI) – the measurement for air pollution – hit 401 at midday today, beating previous records of 371 and 321 on the previous two days. A reading between 101 and 200 is considered unhealthy. Anything over 300 is “hazardous”.

It is six days since the clouds of smoke first descended on Singapore, the result of fires in neighbouring Sumatra, Indonesia. Blaze season usually runs from June to September, when land is illegally cleared in this fashion for palm plantations.

Singapore’s environment minister flew to Jakarta today to discuss measures to tackle the forest fires, and the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency said it plans to use helicopters in a “water-bombing” operation, alongside more than 100 firefighters on the ground.

The agency added that planes would be sent over parts of Sumatra in the next few days in a “cloud-seeding” effort to try to induce rain  chemically.

 

Reuters

 

 

 

 

 

Getty Images

 

 

source:::::The Independent UK

natarajan

 

 

 

 

Message For The Day….Learn to Make The Best Of Life Thro Spiritual Flight !!!!

The mood and behaviour of people in cinema halls, marriage halls, exhibitions or while watching a game is very different from that of a spiritual gathering! The mood during entertainment is very different as the crowd there are moved by totally different impulses. However, in a gathering devoted to the needs of the spirit, what is expected is calm, reverential and eager attention, prayerful silence. Silence is most needed in all spiritual gatherings where deeper spiritual disciplines are discussed. Only the eye and the ear need function, the tongue has no business to wag. Everyone then will be able to receive completely, the gift of love and grace. Learn to make the best of life, this chance offered to you to sublimate your instincts, impulses and impressions on the mind from past deeds (Vasanas) and rise higher and higher in the moral and spiritual plane.
– Divine Discourse, Sep 1, 1958.

 

Sathya Sai Baba

View From Cockpit @35000 ft…..Jaw Dropping Images !!!

Most people are lucky to see the sky through their office window, let alone be in it.
But Karim Nafani beholds more than just a few trees and clouds from his desk at work… he gets to see the whole world in shimmering panorama.
And now the Dubai-based commercial airline captain and photographer has taken pictures of his cockpit and posted them online.
He says he began the project in a bid to document his daily routine through a series of otherworldly images that look more like oil paintings than photographs and reveal exactly what it is like for pilots at 35,000 feet.

 

Stunning view: Most people are lucky to see the sky through their office window, let alone be in it

Stunning view: Dubai-based Karim Nafani sees more than just a few trees and an open space from his desk at work… he gets to see the whole world in shimmering panorama

Panorama: This photograph is of a 1st officer enjoying the sunrise at 37,000 feet above sea level en route to Chittagong Bangladesh

Panorama: This photograph is of a 1st officer enjoying the sunrise at 37,000 feet above sea level en route to Chittagong Bangladesh


The only trouble is, when it gets a bit stuffy, he can’t open the window as any normal office worker would.

He said: ‘I take you far away from skyscrapers and high rise building roof tops this time to somewhere much higher: welcome to my daily office!’

He gives the images their ethereal look through a technique called ‘exposure bracketing’ which involves setting up a DSLR camera to take at least three shots, each at a different exposure, before combining them to create the final print.

The result looks more like an oil painting on canvas than a real-time digital photograph.

Apart from the beautiful views that confront Karim each day he takes to the skies, his pictures also remind viewers of the incredible array of levers, panels and buttons that cover almost every inch of an aircraft’s cockpit.

And, of course, he knows his way around them just as well as he does around those on his digital SLR camera.

But Karim’s portfolio doesn’t end inside his cockpit.

As a pilot he says he developed a keen interest in how the world looks from above.

So he went about climbing to the top of buildings and skyscrapers to picture cities from above.
Hometown: Karim took this picture as he flew over his hometown Dubai
Hometown: Karim took this picture as he flew over his hometown Dubai

Branching out: But Karim's portfolio doesn't end inside his cockpit

'Close up': This is an aerial view of the artificial Palm Islands in Dubai

 

On top of the world: Karim often uses a fish eye lens to bend the horizon

 

Moody: Karim's braketted exposure technique gives many of his cityscapes a dark edge, almost as if taken from a post-apocalyptic comic book

 

Rings and roundabouts: One of Karim's favourite times to photograph Dubai is at night when the city lights up in a kaleidoscope of colour

 

Marina-nother world: As a pilot he says he developed a keen interest in how the world looks from above.

 

Dusk or dawn? So he went about climbing to the top of buildings and skyscrapers to picture cities from above

 

Menacing: Karim paints a picture of a world without limits

 

Iconic: Dubai has a skyline that is not only one of the world's most iconic but also the tallest

 

source::::: Matt Blake in mailonline india .com

Natarajan

 

 

 

A Gorgeous Photo….Taken by Delta Airlines Captain !!!

one world trade center tower cloudes

 

Last month, the spire was installed on top of Manhattan’s One World Trade Center, bringing the new tower to its full height of 1,776 feet.

That was just tall enough to peek above the clouds for this photo, taken by Delta Airlines Captain Jerry Walsh. The Port Authority of NY & NJ posted the shot to Facebook yesterday.

Beautiful:

source:::::businessinsider.com

Natarajan

Natarajan

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/gorgeous-photo-of-one-world-trade-center-2013-6#ixzz2WChtfVtK

Stunning Images of The Week !!!

Trail to the heavensThe European Space Agency’s Ariane 5 rocket launches from Kourou, French Guiana. It will resupply the ISS with more than six tonnes of stores.

 

Sunburst in spaceThe sun’s rays are caught by a member of the International Space Station as it orbits above the United States.

 

Magnetic presenceThe new maglev train “L0 series” on an experimental track in Tsuru, Japan. Central Japan Railway aims to launch the service between Tokyo and Nagoya in 2027.

 

Burst banksThe eastern German city of Riesa lies flooded after heavy rain. The Elbe and Vltava rivers flooded, causing death and damage across central Europe.

 

Fiery forestFlames erupt from a forest fire near Lake Hughes, California. Covering nearly 80 square kilometres, it was fought by more than 1,000 firefighters.

 

Down to the groundThe Solar Impulse aircraft in a special inflatable hangar at Lambert-St Louis International Airport in Missouri, after a flight from Dallas, Texas.

 

Aerial controlA firefighting helicopter drops fire retardant at the ongoing 30,000 acre blaze near Lake Hughes, California.

 

source::::::bbc.com

Natarajan

Mid Air Turbulance… “Fasten Seat Belt” Sign May Not be Switched off Henceforth …

Passengers were left surrounded by this chaotic mess after the plane hit turbulence

This is what happens when you hit an extreme bout of turbulence just after breakfast has been served.

Passengers on a recent Singapore Airlines flight were left surrounded by the chaotic mess after their flight hit the rough patch and suddenly lost altitude.

A total of 11 passengers and one crew member were injured in the incident on flight SQ308 from Singapore to London.
Mr Cross said anything that wasn't tied down hit the ceiling when the plane lost altitude

Coffee can be seen on the ceiling of the Singapore to Heathrow flight following the turbulence

Coffee can be seen on the ceiling of the Singapore to Heathrow flight following the turbulence


Mr Cross said the cabin crew and passengers were 'amazing' in the aftermath, as 'a calm and efficient clean-up' was underway

cabin crew and passengers were ‘amazing’ in the aftermath, as ‘a calm and efficient clean-up’ was underway


One passenger on the flight, who saw his coffee end up on the ceiling, managed to take these pictures which he posted to Instagram.

Passengers Alan Cross told ABC News those on the flight had been warned to expect turbulence and that the breakfast service would be temporarily suspended.

A short while after the seat belt sign came on, the captain issued an order for all flight attendants to immediately take their seats.

Mr Cross said the subsequent turbulence felt ‘like being in an elevator with a cut cable or free-falling from some amusement park ride.’

He said everything that was not tied down, including people, hit the ceiling.

The airline has told Australia News: ‘Eleven passengers and one crew member sustained minor injuries when the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of altitude and were attended to by medical personnel on arrival at Heathrow Airport. Seat-belt signs were on at the time and meal services had already been suspended.

Mr Cross said: ‘The cabin crew was amazing in the aftermath, as were fellow passengers who helped everyone around them then in a calm and efficient clean-up.’

He said crew checked for injuries before cleaning up the mess and gave passengers boxes of chocolates as they departed at Heathrow, where they were met by paramedics.

Earlier this year scientists suggested climate change could result in flights from London to New York getting much bumpier in the future.

Researchers from East Anglia and Reading universities analysed supercomputer simulations of the atmospheric jet stream over the North Atlantic and claimed climate change will increase air turbulence.

They found the chances of hitting significant turbulence will rise by 40 to 170 per cent by 2050, with the likeliest outcome being a doubling of the airspace containing significant turbulence at any time.

Dr Paul Williams from the University of Reading and the University of East Anglia’s Dr Manoj Joshi said the average strength of turbulence will also increase, by between 10 and 40 per cent.

Dr Williams said: ‘Most air passengers will have experienced the uncomfortable feeling of mid-flight air turbulence. Our research suggests that we’ll be seeing the “fasten seatbelts” sign turned on more often in the decades ahead.’

source:::::mailonline.com

Natarajan

Stunning Images of The Week !!!

Storm surge  A man run away as waves crash over a barrier in Yantai, Shandong Province, China. Strong storms have battered the country’s coast.

 

Battling the blazeA plane drops fire-dousing chemicals near Santa Barbara, California, during attempts to quell a 170-acre grass fire. Some 2,000 people were evacuated.

 

Ferry cross the murkyA boat navigates past the Sydney Harbour bridge in Australia amidst thick fog. Flights and ferry services were delayed as a blanket of fog covered the city.

 

Animatronic apeDesigner Sonny Tilders unveils a six-metre tall, 1.1-tonne gorilla created for the world premiere of the King Kong musical in Melbourne, Australia.

 

Rising rocketA Soyuz TMA-09M spacecraft is lifted to its launch pad at the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Three astronauts blasted into space on 29 May.

 

Breaking the cageTwo bears seen through the bars of a private zoo near a restaurant in Pristina, Kosovo. A campaign has been launched to free bears kept in such conditions.

 

From sea to airA Japanese US-2 seaplane takes off. Japan has just signed a contract to provide the aircraft to India – the first time Tokyo has exported arms since 1967. (

 

source::::bbc.com

Natarajan

 

 

 

World’s Scariest Places To Stand And Peep !!!!

 

1) At The Top, Burj Khalifa, Dubai – Standing over 2,700 ft high, Burj Khalifa is the world’s tallest building.  2) The View from The Shard, London – The 360-degree view of London from 800ft up is nothing short of magical.  3)Aurland Lookout, Norway – At first glance, the structure is terrifying as there seems to be nothing to stop you from falling over the edge. 4)The Sphinx Observatory, Switzerland –  Views here include those of the Jungfrau, Eiger and Monch. And on clear days, all the way up to Germany’s Black Forest. 5)The Grand Canyon Skywalk, Mohave, Arizona, USA – Located at a height of 4,770ft, the views are spellbinding and the canyon’s famous blazing sunrises and sunsets take on an entirely different character here. 6)Suspended platform at Iguazu Falls – The Iguazu Falls are so vast that they are shared by two countries—Argentina and Brazil. 7)Dachstein Sky Walk, Austria – In clear weather, you can see as far as Slovenia and the Czech Republic. 8)Sky100, Hong Kong -It boasts 360-degree views out over the harbour, interactive displays and booths and 3D projection devices.

 

World’s Scariest Places To Stand And Peep

 

World’s Scariest Places To Stand And Peep

 

World’s Scariest Places To Stand And Peep

 

World’s Scariest Places To Stand And Peep

 

World’s Scariest Places To Stand And Peep

 

World’s Scariest Places To Stand And Peep

 

World’s Scariest Places To Stand And Peep

 

World’s Scariest Places To Stand And Peep

 

source::: yahoonews.com

Natarajan

A Look At the Rare Planetary Alignment …. Showing Venus, Jupiter and Mercury !!!!

Teale Britstra snapped a brilliant photo of the planetary alignment from Australia.

Flickr user Teale Britstra told us about how he captured this shot from his location in suburban Brisbane, Australia:

“I was lucky to capture the conjunction yesterday, because I’ve had cloud on my western horizon for the last few days. Luckily, they cleared at the last minute, so I found a position in my front yard where I could see all three planets. That was harder than it sounds, because of all the surrounding trees, though I found a spot wedged between fence and a tree that worked.

From here in the southern hemisphere, the planets appear a little north of west just after sunset, though for my northern counterparts it will be a little south of west.

I think these conjunctions are great to watch over the course of a few nights, as they really give people an idea of the relative motions of the planets in 3-D space — a lesson in Solar System dynamics using nothing but the naked eye.”

Photo credit: Teale Britstra

Jupiter Venus Mercury triple conjunction

 

For the past couple of days, Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury have been putting on a rare show in the western sky.

 

The three planets are in the middle of what is known as a planetary conjunction, when they appear unusually close together. The three planets won’t do this again until 2021.

The event peaked for viewers in the western hemisphere on Sunday, May 26. But the three planets will still be quite noticeable for the next week or so, even as they move away from each other.

We’ve collected several photos of the planetary conjunction taken from various locations around the world.  The above one is a photograph from Brisbane, Auatralia..

source::::businessinsider.com

Natarajan
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/photos-from-triple-conjunction-of-venus-jupiter-and-mercury-2013-5?op=1#ixzz2UhIkJLo4