Image of the Day…. Rare Ice Halo Display !!!

Rare ice halo display in New Mexico

Ice halo display captured by Joshua Thomas in Red River, New Mexico on the morning of January 9, 2015.

View larger. |  Halo display in Red River, New Mexico January 9, 2015.  Photo by Joshua Thomas.

The U.S. National Weather Service in Amarillo, Texas posted this photo on its Facebook page this weekend. Joshua Thomas in Red River, New Mexico captured these magnificent arcs in the sky on the morning of January 9, 2015. Look below for a labeled version of the same photo.

Ice halos are commonly seen by those who look at the skies; we receive several photos of ice halos from somewhere in the world every week, especially in wintertime. Often, we’ll receive many such photos, across a particular region, sometimes for several days in a row. Most ice halos appear as a circle or ring around the sun or moon. Sometimes, if conditions are just right, you do see these wonderful, rare events when the whole sky is filled with halo arcs.

Ice halos are caused by ice crystals in the upper atmosphere, which both refract and reflect sunlight or moonlight.

Read more: What makes a halo around the sun or moon?

SOURCE:::: http://www.earthsky.org

Natarajan

Jan 14 2015

” படித்து ரசித்தது… சிந்திக்கவும் ஒரு நொடி …” !!!

உன்னை உயர்த்தும் 7 அதிசயம் ..!

1) ஏழ்மையிலும் நேர்மை
2) கோபத்திலும் பொறுமை
3) தோல்வியிலும் விடாமுயற்சி
4) வறுமையிலும் உதவிசெய்யும் மனம்
5) துன்பத்திலும் துணிவு
6) செலவத்திலும் எளிமை
7) பதவியிலும் பணிவு

வழிகாட்டும் ஏழு விஷயங்கள்

1) சிந்தித்து பேசவேண்டும்
2) உண்மையே பேசவேண்டும்
3) அன்பாக பேசவேண்டும்.
4) மெதுவாக பேசவேண்டும்
5) சமயம் அறிந்து பேசவேண்டும்
6) இனிமையாக பேசவேண்டும்
7) பேசாதிருக்க பழக வேண்டும்

நல்வாழ்வுக்கான ஏழு விஷயங்கள்

1) மகிழ்ச்சியாக இருக்க பழகுங்கள்
2) பரிசுத்தமாக சிரிக்ககற்று கொள்ளுங்கள்
3) பிறருக்கு உதவுங்கள்
4) யாரையும் வெறுக்காதீர்கள்
5) சுறுசுறுப்பாக இருங்கள்
6) தினமும் உற்சாகமாக வரவேற்கத்தயாராகுங்கள்
7) மகிழ்ச்சியாக இருக்க முயற்ச்சி மேற்கொள்ளுங்கள்

கவனிக்க ஏழு விஷயங்கள்

1) கவனி உன் வார்த்தைகளை
2) கவனி உன் செயல்களை
3) கவனி உன் எண்ணங்களை
4) கவனி உன் நடத்தையை
5) கவனி உன் இதயத்தை
6) கவனி உன் முதுகை
7) கவனி உன் வாழ்க்கையை

SOURCE:::: Unknown… Input from a friend of mine

Natarajan

JAN 14 2015

A Whole Village of Clay … In China !!!

Clay Riverside Park: A Whole Village of Clay

Located in the township of Tangshan Fengrun, the Clay Riverside Park is a famous depicting of a famous picture. Built from 2007-2011, spending $1.2m dollars and covering over 500 acres, the park opened in 2011.
clay village
Visitors were treated to exquisite works of clay art in all shapes and sizes, reproducing over 500 lifelike characters, more than 50 horses, mules, donkeys and more than 20 vessels of various sizes, shaped tower, bridge, country, docks, and other magnificent street town life scenes.
Visitors can also enjoy walking among history as modern visitors to an ancient world, with all the clay buildings and people modeled after old paintings depicting regular village life in Ancient China.

 

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clay village

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clay village

clay village
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clay village
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clay village
clay village
clay village
clay village
clay village
clay village
clay village
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clay village
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clay village
clay village
clay village
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clay village

clay village
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Source: Xu M. in http://www.ba-bamail .com 

Natarajan

Jan 2015

Delhi Metro… Facts You May Not Know !!!

The Delhi Metro is overcrowded, it’s swarming with pickpockets and there are frequent technical glitches. Yeah, we know all these things. But is that all we need to know about our favorite ride around the national capital?

The fact remains that despite these problems, we never give Delhi Metro a skip. There is lot more to the metro than what meets the eye. Here are 10 interesting facts about saddi metro that you probably did not know!

1. No dustbins

The DMRC stations and platforms look spick and span despite the fact that there are no dustbins anywhere (apart from the restaurants). This is something Modi Ji would be very proud of!

img

Source: urbanistyczine

2. Neutral Zones

You call them power cuts, DMRC calls them power shifts! The momentary power lapses where lights and AC go off at certain stations are actually ‘power shifts’. These designated sub-stations a.k.a. neutral zones supply power to the metro since it can not get the required 25000 volts from a single station.

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Source: sify

3. Even number of coaches

Ever seen a metro with 5 or 7 coaches? No chance of that happening. This is because DMRC rails have 2 types of coaches, namely the ‘driver car’ and the ‘motor car’. They serve as one unit and cannot be used separately. Hence, Delhi metros have either 6 or 8 coaches. Always!

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Source: dwarkaexpress

4. Journey ke saath bhi, journey ke baad bhi

DMRC takes care of your journey even after you deboard the train. A lot of metro stations provide bicycles on rent for as meagre as Rs 10 for 4 hours. Just don’t forget to carry a valid ID proof!

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Source: mayurviharextension

5. DMRC Smart Card

Largely unknown, DMRC and ICICI bank got together to launch a DMRC debit card which has an auto recharge facility and gives 10 % discount on metro fare and shops at metro stations. Oh, did we mention cash back offers and reward points? Happy travelling!

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Source: icicibank

6. Sari Guard feature of escalators

Delhi metro commuters are always in a hurry and DMRC realises that. Apart from the emergency stop button, the DMRC escalators also have a sari guard feature that deflects  loose clothing from getting trapped.

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Source: thehindu

7. Assistance for visually impaired

Apart from scrubbing your shoes clean on them, these broad yellow strips running on the Delhi Metro platforms serve a better purpose. These yellow tactile strips are the pathways for the visually impaired commuters, leading them directly to the lifts and to the exits.

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Source: delhimetrorail

8. Wheelchair friendly

All stations have ramps built right at the entrance to help wheelchair-bound people to roll themselves around the station. This again shows how methodologically the Delhi Metro stations have been built.

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Source: thehindu

9. Distance covered by Delhi Metro

The Delhi Metro network consists of a total of 200 trains covering a total distance of 69,000 kms every day. To put things into perspective, the earth’s total circumference is 40,075 kms!

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Source: wikipedia

10. Punctuality

In our own rush of reaching our destination, we hardly notice that Delhi Metro is one of the very few punctual things that have happened to Delhi, or India perhaps!

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Source: wikimedia

Next time someone brags about his luxury car, you know just the points to defend your own ride!

This write up is inspired by an awesome post we found on Quora.

Source::::: Gaurav Arora on http://www.scoopwhoop.com

Natarajan

Jan 13 2015

Ten Indian Villages That Set a Worthy Example for the Whole Country …

LET US BE PROUD OF OUR COUNTRY. IT IS A PARTICIPATIVE ACHIEVEMENT.

Interesting to read about villages that are different.

10 Indian Villages That Set A Worthy Example For The Whole Country
November 12 , 2014

India, having an agro-based economy, depends the most on its villages for growth. Thegaon always has that distinct nostalgic charm that Indians alone can understand. Sarson ke khet, tea plantations, mud houses, clean air, charpaai, mitti, star-lit sky; these are just some of the happy things that we associate with life in an Indian village.
But unfortunately, that feeling is slowly waning. Poverty, lack of education, lack of sanitation, etc are the first associations that the media paints about Indian villages for our benefit.
Here’s a little fact: Gaons aren’t a bad place to live. In fact, some of them are way better than any metro. And these exemplary examples prove just that.

1. Mawlynnong – Asia’s cleanest village

Mawlynnong, a small village in Meghalaya, was awarded the prestigious tag of ‘Cleanest Village in Asia’ in 2003 by Discover India Magazine. Located at about 90kms from Shillong, the village offers a sky walk for you to take in the beauty as you explore it. According to visitors, you cannot find a single cigarette butt/plastic bag lying around there.

Source: Flickr

2. Punsari – The village with WiFi, CCTVs, AC classrooms and more

Punsari, located in Gujarat, puts most metros to shame. Funded by the Indian government and the village’s own funding model, Punsari is no NRI-blessed zone. The village also boasts of a mini-bus commute system and various other facilities. Believe it.
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Source: Dainik Bhaskar

3. Hiware Bazar – The village of 60 millionaires

Hiware Bazar, located in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, has transformed from being a place fraught with issues to being possibly the richest village in India. The sole reason for this fairy-tale change is one man called Popatrao Pawar. He banned all addictive substances to minimize expense and encouraged the villagers to invest in rain-water harvesting, milch cattle, etc.
There are a record 60 millionaires in the village and barely any poor. From 168 Below Poverty Line families in 1995, Hiware Bazar now has just three. The villagers continue to strive to see a day when not one person is poor.

Source:  Hiware Bazar

4. Dharnai – First fully solar-powered village

Dharnai, a village in Bihar, beat 30 years of darkness by developing its own solar-powered system for electricity. With the aid of Greenpeace, Dharnai declared itself anenery-independent village in July. Students no long need to limit their studies to the day time, women no longer limit themselves to stepping out in the day in this village of 2400 residents. Now if only cities could do the same, right?

Source: Greenpeace

5. Chappar – A village that distributes sweets when a girl is born

Chappar village in Haryana has a woman Sarpanch. But Neelam is no ordinarySarpanch. She made it her life’s mission to change the attitude of the villagers towards women, and she succeeded. Not only do the women of the village not wear theghunghat anymore, but despite Haryana being the state with the lowest girls ratio (an abysmal 877) in this village every newborn, regardless of his/her sex, is welcomed into the world with sweets and festivities.

Source: Youth Connect Mag

6. Korkrebellur – A village that really loves its birds

Korkrebellur, a small village in Karnataka, believes in the conservation of nature. While most other villages consider birds a nuisance because they harm crops, Kokrebellurboasts of rare species of birds that fly around and don’t even mind humans much. The villagers treat their winged compatriots as family and have even created an area for wounded birds to rest and heal. Wonderful, isn’t it?

Source: Flickr

7. Ballia – The village that beat arsenic poisoning with an indigenous method

Ballia village of Uttar Pradesh had an itchy problem to deal with. The water that the villagers were drinking contained arsenic, which causes serious skin problems and even physical deformation. What is arsenic, you ask? A harmless element on its own, but when combined with oxygen or water, it turns toxic.
Ironically, the village faced the problem after the government introduced many hand-pumps in the area for easy water access. The level at which the hand-pumps were dug led to excessive interaction between arsenic and water. When the villagers realised what had happened, instead of waiting for the government to act on it, they (physically) fixed their old wells and went back to an older, safer time. The best part? Even 95-year-old Dhanikram Verma joined in.

Source: The Better India

8. Pothanikkad – The village with a 100% literacy rate

Unsurprisingly in Kerala, Pothanikkad village was the first in the country to achieve a 100% literacy rate. Not only does the village boast of city-standard high-schools, but it also has primary schools and private schools. Guess the number of people the village has educated? Well, according to the 2001 census there are 17563 residents living in the village. The best part is that it answers the question.
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Source: Deokothamangalam

9. Bekkinakeri – The village that rid itself of open defecation by ‘greeting’ lota-bearers

Bekkinakeri village in Karnataka has redefined the point of wishing someone a ‘Good morning’. Frustrated with the practice of open defecation, the village council attempted to curb it by requesting people to not do so. When that didn’t work, they stationed themselves early morning near ‘popular’ defecation sites and wished every perpetrator a very good morning. The trick worked! Too embarrassed to go on with their business, the openly defecating population has now stopped the practice completely.

Source: World Bank

10. Shani Shingnapur – A village so safe that people don’t need doors

Shani Shingnapur, located in Maharashtra, is a village that defies every newspaper report you have ever read. Touted as the safest village in India, this place is known for its lack of doors to houses. Not just that, there is no police station in the village. And no, we are not making this up.
By the way, Shani Shingnapur has ‘broken’ another interesting record. The village has the country’s first lockless bank branch (UCO bank) now.

Source: Woman Planet

SOURCE:::: input from a friend of mine and www. scoop whoop .com

Natarajan

Janb 13 2015

10 Minutes Flight Time …World”s Shortest Flight !!!

FlyNiki claims to have plans for the world’s shortest flight. Picture: somkuti.

FlyNiki claims to have plans for the world’s shortest flight. Picture: somkuti. Source: Flickr

LOW-cost Austrian airline, FlyNiki, is launching a 10 minute flight between the capitals of Austria and Slovakia that is claiming to be the world’s shortest.

The distance between the two cities is only 48 kilometres, just under an hour by car and even less by train, leaving many questioning if the trip is worth it once you account for airport queues and check-ins.

No it’s not an April fools joke but it may be quicker to drive. Picture: GerardvdSchaaf.

No it’s not an April fools joke but it may be quicker to drive. Picture: GerardvdSchaaf. Source: Flickr

But it’s a 15 minute drive to the airport from downtown Bratislava, and 20 minutes from Vienna. Combine that with early arrival for check-in and it seems it may be quicker to take the intercity bus trip of about an hour — and definitely a lot cheaper.

Set to launch on April 1, the airline says the Vienna-Bratislava flight will make sense for those taking connecting flights from Vienna.

SOURCE::::: http://www.news.com.au

Natarajan

Jan 12 2015

World’s Biggest Plane – Russian Antonov 225 with 32 Wheels….!!!

Take off of the Biggest Airplane in the World …

The World’s Largest Plane at Niagara Falls

THIS AIRPLANE WAS AT THE NIAGARA FALLS AIRPORT RECENTLY (TWICE) TO LOAD LARGE TRANSFORMERS TO FLY DIRECTLY TO SAUDI ARABIA …
32 wheels! — Costs more than my house to rotate the tires!
The World’s Biggest Airplane, the Russian Antonov 225.
Attached pics are of the Russian behemoth when it landed.


While they were loading the compressors, the Russian pilots (two crews),
went into town to buy cigarettes by the case and Levis jeans.
It is amazing something this huge can stay in the air.

The Wright brothers would never have dreamed
it.
The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls001The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls002The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls003The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls004The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls005The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls006The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls007The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls008The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls009The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls010The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls011The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls012The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls013The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls014The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls015The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls016The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls017The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls018The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls019The World's Largest Plane at Niagara Falls020

Image of the day… Awesome Video of A Plane Crossing SUN …!!!

 

Talk about being in the right place at the right time! Noel Keating tried all last year to capture video of a plane crossing the sun. On January 3, 2015, he did it!

EarthSky Facebook friend Noel Keating captured this cool video of a plane crossing the face of the sun on January 3, 2015. He wrote:

I saw the plane way off in the distance, and I did what I normally do. I used the vapor trail of the plane to guide a line across the sky towards the sun to see it if would line up. This one did :)! As the plane got closer to the sun, I couldn’t see it any more so I just viewed it through the Camera LCD display … boy, was I happy when it passed by the solar disc with all the sunspots in clear view.

SOURCE::::: http://www.earthsky.org and You Tube

Natarajan

Jan 12 2015

Image of the Day… Satellite Picture of Snow Covered U.S. ….

Satellite Picture Shows Snow-covered U.S. Deep Freeze

NOAA’s GOES-East satellite provided a look at the frigid eastern two-thirds of the U.S. on Jan. 7, 2015, that shows a blanket of northern snow, lake-effect snow from the Great Lakes and clouds behind the Arctic cold front.

A visible picture captured at 11 a.m. EST showed the effects of the latest Arctic outbreak. The cold front that brought the Arctic air moved as far south as Florida, and stretched back over the Gulf of Mexico and just west of Texas. The image shows clouds behind the frontal boundary stretching from the Carolinas west over the Heartland. Farther north, a wide band of fallen snow covers the ground from New England west to Montana, with rivers appearing like veins. The GOES-East satellite image also shows wind-whipped lake-effect snows off the Great Lakes, blowing to the southeast. Meanwhile, Florida, the nation’s warm spot appeared almost cloud-free.

Image Credit: NASA/NOAA GOES Project  

SOURCE:::: http://www.nasa.gov

Natarajan

Jan 10 2015

Pencil Tip Miniature Art …See it To Believe It !!!

Pencil Tip Art Creations You Must See

Dalton Ghetti creates miniature works of art resting solely on the tips of lead pencils. What is even more impressive is the fact that he doesn’t rely on the use of a microscope or magnifying lens to sculpt out his phenomenal creations. This is one exhibit you must literally see to believe!

You can see more of Dalton’s miniature masterpieces on his website here.

A Lead Pencil Tribute to “The King” 
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips
A Heart Shaped Locket Dangles Inside the Pencil 
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

“The Tools of the Trade” 
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

Dalton’s “tools of the trade” include; a razor blade, a sculpting knife, a sewing needle, and a few No. 2 pencils.
A Few Marvelous Miniature Creations 
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

Dalton carves a wide variety of designs, which range from a horse figurine to a perfectly shaped hammer.
The Talented Artist Takes a Moment to Appreciate his Work 
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

The Brazilian-born artist currently resides in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and is a carpenter by trade. He began his artistic hobby over 25 years ago as a form of meditation.
The Beginning of a New Design 
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

The Entire Alphabet from A to Z 
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

Patience is a most important virtue in this line of work, since the vast majority of the carvings take several months to complete. The alphabet carving seen here took almost 2 years and a half to finish!
Chain Links on a Pencip Tip 
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

Cheers
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

A Microscopic Sewing Button 
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips
“The Cemetery Collection”
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips
Over a hundred sculptures have broken off while Dalton was working. He displays the discarded pieces, which he refers to as “The Cemetery Collection”, on a Styrofoam bed as a reminder of past mistakes.
Would You Care to Have a Seat?
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

Patience is the Key to Finishing Each Unique Design 
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

A Miniature Mailbox 
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

You Might Need a Magnifying Lens to Spot the Cross Here
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

Another Unique Creation  
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

Does Anybody Have a Screwdriver? 
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

Dalton Spends A Long Time Carving Specific Details Out 
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

Pencil Nunchuks That Would Make Bruce Lee Proud
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

A Pair of Chained Hearts 
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips

He has made over 100 carvings, including a very touching 9-11 memorial tribute titled 3,000 Tears, which you can see here.
If The Shoe Fits…
Miniature Carvings on Lead Pencil Tips
source
H/T: twistedsifter.com & solentnews.biz

SOURCE::::: http://www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

Jan 8 2015