Photography – Page 42 – Take off with Natarajan

Soldier Gives the Best Birthday Present to his Mother…..See What it is !

January 13, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Surprise military homecomings are always emotional, but what makes this video of a son surprising his mother on her birthday especially emotional is that he just found out his mom had been diagnosed with cancer.

After getting the terrible news, the young man serving in the Army National Guard hurried back home just in time for Mom’s birthday. Something tells me that this was her best birthday ever.

What a precious family moment. That smile on her face says it all.

Source………..www.viralnova.com and http://www.youtube.com

Natarajan

A Hearty Home Prayer to Thank GOD …….

January 13, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Having a roof to live under is a luxury. Having ample food on your table every day is luck. And above all, having a family to care for you is a blessing. The unconditional love of a family is something we should all be thankful for, notwithstanding the messes we make, the chores we complain about, the heartbreak we experience, and the distances that separate us. Let us all express our gratitude to the Lord, for having given us a comfortable house for us to live in and a warm family that makes it a home.

thank you lord

Lord, thank you for this sink of dirty dishes;
we have plenty of food to eat.

Thank you for this pile of dirty, stinky laundry;
we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.

And I would like to thank you, Lord, for those unmade beds;
they were so warm and comfortable last night.
I know that many have no bed…

My thanks to you, Lord, for this bathroom,
      complete with all the splattered mirrors,
      soggy, grimy towels and dirty lavatory;
      they are so convenient.

family prayer

Thank you for this finger-smudged refrigerator
that needs cleaning.
It has served us faithfully for many years.

Thank you, Lord, for this oven that absolutely
must be cleaned today;
It has baked so many things over the years.

The whole family is grateful for that tall grass
that we all enjoy in the yard.
My kids are healthy and able to run and play.

Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says
You have richly blessed my family.
I shall do them cheerfully and I shall do them gratefully.

family prayer

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl
      when the alarm rings,
     Thank you, Lord, that I can hear.
      There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes closed from the morning light
as long as possible,
Thank you, Lord, that I can see. Many are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising,
Thank you, Lord, that I have the strength to rise.
There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic,
     when socks are lost, toast is burned and tempers are short,
     my children are so loud,
     Thank you, Lord, for my family.

There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like
      the pictures in magazines
     and the menu is at times not balanced,
     There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous,
Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work.
There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day
and wish my circumstances were not so modest,
Thank you, Lord, for life.

Share this sweet message with anyone who means family to you…

Source……..www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

The Corn Palace of South Dakota………

January 13, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

The Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota, is one of America’s corniest attraction. The palace is a regular building built of out of reinforced concrete and bricks, but every spring, during the time of harvest, its exterior is completely covered with thousands of bushels of native South Dakota corn, grain and grasses that are arranged into large murals. Each year there is a different theme, and the palace is decorated accordingly. Hundreds of thousands of tourists come to see the crop art every year.

At other times of the year, to sustain the flow of tourist and revenue, “the World’s Only Corn Palace” —as it likes to call itself, hold popular events such as the Corn Palace Stampede Rodeo in July, the Corn Palace Festival in August and the Corn Palace Polka Festival in September. The Corn Palace also has an auditorium for touring celebrities and a sports arena for various school and college basketball teams.

Photo credit: Matt Hintsa/Flickr

The original Corn Palace was built in 1892 as part of a six-day festival at the height of harvest season. It was a wooden castle structure built on donated land on Mitchell’s Main Street, whose exterior was decorated with corn. The idea was to showcase the rich soil of South Dakota and encourage people to settle in the area. The success of the Corn Palace and the annual festival encouraged the townsfolk to invest in a better building in 1905, but soon this building became too small for Mitchell’s growing population. A more permanent structure, replacing a second corn palace, was erected and opened in time for the 1921 festival. This is the present Corn Palace, but the Russian-style onion domes and Moorish minarets were added later in 1937.

Every year, local artists redecorate the Palace with naturally colored corn and other grains and native grasses such as flax, rye, wheat, oats, and millet as well as bromegrass, bluegrass, and straw. Thirteen different colors or shades of corn are available for artists to work on.

Besides the annual corn festival, the palace building is used for various events including exhibits, dances, stage shows, meetings, banquets, proms, graduations arena for Mitchell High School and Dakota Wesleyan University as well as district, regional and state basketball tournaments.

Photo credit: Mike Ault/Flickr

Photo credit: Scott Robinson/Flickr

Photo credit: Mike Ault/Flickr

Photo credit: Robin Zebrowski/Flickr

Photo credit: josephbergen/Flickr

Source……..www.amusingplanet.com

Natarajan

Tarr Steps: An Ancient ‘Clapper Bridge’ in Somerset…

January 13, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

In the lonely moors of Devon and in other upland areas of the United Kingdom, the ancient people had built stone bridges by placing large flat slabs of stones over piles of stones, without mortar or cement, to cross narrow streams. These bridges are called clapper bridges. The name is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word “cleaca” which means “bridging the stepping stones”, suggesting that the first clapper bridges might have been stone slabs laid across the top of existing stepping stones. Most clapper bridges were built during the medieval times, although some of them age much much more.

Photo credit: j.e.mcgowan/Flickr

One of the most famous clapper bridge is Tarr Steps, located in the Exmoor National Park, in Somerset, across the River Barle. It is also the longest clapper bridge in Britain with 17 spans and measuring 55 meters in length.The bridge lies very low in the water, less than a meter over the river’s normal water level. Over the last century, the river has silted so much that during flood it often flows over the stones. Several times in recent years, the slabs of stones, which weigh up to two tons each, have been washed up to 50 meters downstream. The bridge was repaired each time.

The age of Tarr Steps is unknown with several theories claiming that it dates from the Bronze Age, but others put them around 1400 AD. According to local legend, the Devil himself built it so that he could sunbath on. A more elaborate story says that the Devil never fully completed building the bridge, because his apron strings broke and he dropped the stones he was carrying. The Devil then denounced destruction on the first creature to venture across, so the villagers sent a cat across. The poor creature was torn to pieces. The parson then crossed the bridge without harm, and traded insults with the Devil.

The Tar Steps has been a tourist attraction for at least two hundred years.

Photo credit: James Morley/Flickr

Photo credit: Matt Neale/Flickr

Photo credit: Exmoor NP/Flickr

Photo credit: lee roberts/Flickr

Sources: Wikipedia / Theaa.com / www.everythingexmoor.org.uk

Expressive and Whimsical Watercolor Art……

January 13, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Artist Luqman Reza creates expressive animal paintings using watercolor paint. He has always had a knack for art, even as a child. Having grown up in the countryside in a modest family, Luqman’s parents did not have much money to buy their son toys. They gave him a drawing book and a set of markers instead. From that moment on, Luqman would sketch and draw instead of play. For him, a piece of paper is his playground – a blank space that could be filled with anything. “I have the freedom to build my imagination and I knew from the very beginning that I have found my joy in life.” As the years rolled on, Luqman began to experiment with his art using various mediums – including pencils, crayons and oil. But then he discovered water color paint, from that point on, his art became expressive and whimsical. Let’s take a look:

See more of Luqman’s work by clicking here.

Timescape

Animal Watercolor Art

Autumn

Animal Watercolor Art

Lonely

Animal Watercolor Art

Lay me by your side

Animal Watercolor Art

See you in heaven

Animal Watercolor Art

Big surprise

Animal Watercolor Art

Burning sky

Animal Watercolor Art

Ma boy

Animal Watercolor Art

Memories

Animal Watercolor Art

Spring

Animal Watercolor Art

Reflected in the blue sky

Animal Watercolor Art

Leo

Animal Watercolor Art

Peace

Animal Watercolor Art

Have a nice dream

Animal Watercolor Art

Lovely spring

Animal Watercolor Art

Deer

Animal Watercolor Art

Taken

Animal Watercolor Art

h/t: boredpanda.com

Source…………www.ba-bamail.com

Natarajan

Image of the Day….Double rainbow !!!

January 12, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Double rainbow, Brooklyn Bridge, NYC

EarthSky community member Jennifer Khordi caught this spectacular double rainbow on Sunday, after storms passed over Manhattan.

View larger. | Photo taken January 10, 2016 by Jennifer Khordi of Matawan, New Jersey. Visit Jennifer’s Facebook page.

Source….www.earthsky.org

Natarajan

image of the Day….” Sun Behind a Storm…”!

January 11, 2016Natarajan1 Comment

Sun behind a storm, in Australia

Beautiful light!

View larger. | Photo by Murray Fox Photography. Visit him on Facebook.

Murray Fox of Ipswich – a city in southeast Queensland, Australia – posted this photo at EarthSky Facebook this weekend. He captured it on January 10, 2016. He wrote:

Amazing light as the sun was behind this storm this afternoon.

Source……..www.earthsky.org

Natarajan

How an Anonymous Group of People Came Together to Paint over 250 Flyover Pillars in Bengaluru…

January 11, 2016Natarajan1 Comment

The Ugly Indian, the anonymous collective that is working a slow revolution in Indian streets (and mindsets), has done it again.

After cleaning up the streets of Bangalore with a vengeance, they have found their next target: flyover pillars. These massive structures are common targets for promotional posters and the accumulated dust and filth on our streets, and can (and do) easily become public eyesores.

The Ugly Indian has till date cleaned and painted over 250 of these pillars.

Their latest target was area under the flyover (what is called the UFO area) of the Bhadrappa Layout flyover in Bangalore. Over a 100 civic-minded citizen volunteers and BBMP personnel came together to reclaim this public space. The drive saw people of all ages turn up and work, from young children to senior citizens.

They didn’t just paint the pillars, either; they also fixed up walls, footpaths, and road medians in the area.

The local government is clearly thrilled with these enthusiastic and dedicated workers — since BBMP personnel work along with them, this is, in a way, a public-private partnership.

There may be something to what they’re painting onto the pillars too. The 3-D pyramid design seems to work wonders at dissuading advertisers from using them as notice boards.

In contrast to their previous bedraggled condition, the painted pillars remain spotless. It’s clear that a single move in the right direction can lead to sustained positive change.

Clean, beautiful public spaces can make even the make living in cities a joy. The Ugly Indian, whose motto is “kaam chalu, mooh bandh” (“stop talking, start doing”), is showing us that moralising, debating, and blaming will lead us nowhere till we pick up broomsticks and paintbrushes in our own hands — and get to work.

Because our cities belong to us.

All photos from The Ugly Indian’s Facebook page.

Source…….Vandita Kapoor in http://www.the betterindia.com

natarajan

This Mumbai-Born Girl Living in the UK May Just Be Smarter than Einstein…!!!

January 11, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Kashmea Wahi, an 11-year-old Indian-origin girl living in the UK, has achieved the highest possible score of 162 on a Mensa IQ test.

Kashmea, who was born in Mumbai, now lives in London. Her parents Vikas and Pooja Wahi are IT management consultants at Deutsche Bank. She took the test to prove a point to them — she wanted to convince them that she didn’t need to spend all her time studying (something that they were insisting she do).

This score puts her among the top 1 percent of people in the world for IQ.

The IQ of geniuses such as Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, who have changed our perception of the world, is estimated to be 160.

Source: Wikimedia

“It’s overwhelming to be compared with the likes of Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein, the comparison is implausible and I believe it would take loads of achievements for anyone like myself to be able to get into the league of such legends. Anyways, I am buzzing with excitement,” Kashmea said.

Her parents are also thrilled at this news. They say that while they always knew she was smart, this further confirmation has made them hopeful that she will do “something wonderful” in the future.

Kashmea is a member of school’s maths team. She also takes part in chess tournaments — she has won a number of awards — and plays net ball and lawn tennis.

Mensa is the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world. Membership is open to anyone whose IQ is in the top 2 percent of the population. A Mensa spokesperson has confirmed that Wahi is among the youngest people ever to have received a score of 162.

Featured image source: Twitter (left); Wikimedia (right)

Source…….vandita kapoor in http://www.the betterindia .com

Natarajan

Mango Phone: Here’s an iPhone killer….?

January 11, 2016NatarajanLeave a comment

Apple’s iPhone will soon have an interesting competitor in smartphone markets around the globe with the launch of MPhone — the Mango Phone.

Not very surprisingly, the company has also decided on a mango as their logo. The new handset is expected to hit Indian markets by the end of this month.

The company, reportedly helmed by group of Malayalis, was founded on an initial investment of Rs 3500 crore. In what could be more interesting to prospective buyers, a fresh handset also packs a bluetooth headset, wireless charger, power bank and a selfie stick!

The handset will be brought to the markets by MPhone Electronics and Technologies Limited with 4G and 3D technology assistance from Korea. MPhone Electronics and Technologies Limited is learnt to be partnered by Anto Augustine, Roy Augustine and Josekutty Augustine from the Wayanad district of Kerala.

It is also learnt that the handset employs a 6050 mah battery that assures three days charge life for a fully charged handset. Shock resistant Gorilla screen glass, 23 MP primary and 8 MP secondary camera are other major attractions of the upcoming competitor of the iPhone. Reportedly, the handset will be providing an internal memory of 32 GB, which can be extended up to 128 GB. A 3 GB RAM module will speed up the handset.

As per unofficial reports, the MPhone will be priced around Rs 35,000. While it may not be wise to compare apples to oranges mangoes, it will certainly make for some interesting competition in this space!

Deepu

Source:

http://www.rediff.com

Natarajan