Solar-Powered Plane on Its First ” Round-The-World ” Flight !!!!

Solar-powered plane begins first round-the-world flight

Swiss plane Solar Impulse 2 landed Monday in Muscat, Oman, the first stopover in the attempt to fly around the world powered by the sun alone. Follow the flight.

Image credit: solarimpulse.com

Image credit: solarimpulse.com

A Swiss plane called Solar Impulse 2 took off from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Monday morning (March 9, 2015) and later landed at its first stopover in Muscat, Oman. Solar Impulse 2 is the first plane to attempt to fly around the world without a drop of fuel, powered by the sun alone.

Solar Impulse founder Andre Borschberg was the pilot Monday morning at take-off. Borschberg will trade piloting with Solar Impulse co-founder Bertrand Piccard during stop-overs on the months-long journey, expected to end in late July or early August.

You can track the plane’s progress on the Solar Impulse website.

You can also follow Solar Impulse on Twitter or FlightRadar 24.

 

The solar-powered plane Solar Impluse 2 lands at the Al-Bateen airport in Emirati capital Abu Dhabi on March 2, 2015.

The solar-powered plane Solar Impluse 2 lands at the Al-Bateen airport in Emirati capital Abu Dhabi on March 2, 2015.

The Solar Impulse 2 is made of carbon fiber and has 17,248 solar cells built into the plane’s 236-foot (72-meter) wingspan. The solar cells recharge four lithium polymer batteries. Solar Impulse’s wingspan is larger than that of the Boeing 747, but the plane weighs only around 5,070 pounds (2300 kg) – about as much as a minivan.

On Tuesday, the plane will head for Ahmedabad, India, and after India, to China and Myanmar. The next leg is across the Pacific to land in Hawaii. Then it will head to Phoenix, Arizona, and New York City. The path across the Atlantic will depend on the weather and could include a stop in southern Europe or Morocco before ending in Abu Dhabi.

SOURCE::::: http://www.earthskynews.org

Natarajan

Joke of the Day…. ” Change Your Course…” !!!

What did the Pacific Ocean say to the Atlantic Ocean?

Nothing; It just waved. !!!!

…………………………………….

Through the pitch-black night, the captain sees a light dead ahead on a collision course with his ship. He sends a signal: “Change your course 10 degree east.”

The light signals back: “Change yours, 10 degrees west.”

Angry, the captain sends: “I’m a navy captain! Change your course, sir!”

“I’m a seaman, second class,” comes the reply. “Change your course, sir.”

Now the captain is furious. “I’m a battleship! I’m not changing course!”

There is one last reply. “I’m a lighthouse. Your call.” !!!

SOURCE::::: http://www.joke a day.com

Natarajan

” அடிக்’கடி’ படித்து சிரிக்க ….!!! … ‘கடி’ ஜோக் …!!!

” கடவுளும், மனைவியும் ஒன்று தெரியமா”?..!!!

” அது எப்படிடா”?…

” இரண்டு பேருமே நாம் சொல்வதை எல்லாம் கேட்பார்கள். ஆனால் அவர்கள் இஷ்டப்படி தான் நடப்பார்கள்”!!… 

………………….

என்னய்யா இது?….
வாட்ச்மேனைக் கூட்டிட்டு வந்து
லோன் வேணும்னு கேக்கிறே?”
.
“”செக்யூரிட்டியோட வந்தா

“லோன்” தரேன்னு நீங்கதானே சொன்னீங்க” 

…………………..


வெளியூர்காரர் ஒரு வீட்டின் காலிங் பெல்லை அழுத்தினார். ஒரு வாண்டு கதவை திறந்து எட்டி பார்த்தான்.
” அப்பா இருக்காரா…?”
“இல்ல… வெளியூர் போயிருக்கார்…”
” அப்போ, வீட்டுல பெரியவங்க, தாத்தா, பாட்டி, இருக்காங்களா..?”
“அவங்க சித்தப்பா வீட்டுக்கு போயிட்டாங்க…”

“அண்ணனையாவது கூப்பிடு…”
” அண்ணன் கிரிக்கெட் விளையாட போயிருக்கான்.”
“சரிப்பா.. அம்மாவையாவது கூப்பிடு…”
” அம்மா கோயிலுக்கு போயிருக்காங்க…”
வந்தவர் கடுப்பேறி…. நீ மட்டும் ஏன் இருக்கே…? நீயும் எங்கேயாவது போகவேண்டியதுதானே…?’
+
+

“ஆமா…. நானும் என் ப்ரெண்ட் வீட்டுக்குத்தான் வந்திருக்கேன்… 

……………………………..

ஹலோ.. சத்தமா பேசுங்க,
கிணத்துக்குள்ளே இருந்து பேசற மாதிரி கேட்குது!”
*

*
“அங்கிருந்துதான்டி பேசறேன், வந்து காப்பாத்து…” 

 

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

Natarajan

 

 

Just For Laugh…” Seven -Ten Cap …” !!!

A blonde lady goes into an auto parts store and asks for a seven-ten cap.
All the clerks look at each other, and one says, “What’s a seven-ten cap?”
She says, “You know, it’s right on the engine. Mine got lost and some how and I need a new one.”
“What kind of a car is it on?” the clerk asked.
“It’s a Toyota.”
“Okay lady, how big is it?”
She makes a circle with her hands about 3 1/2 inches in diameter.
The clerk asks, “What does it do?”
“I don’t know, but its always been there.”
By now, the manager has come over. He hands the lady a note pad and asks her if she could draw a picture of it. The customer carefully draws a circle about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. In the center she writes “710.”
The guys behind the counter, who are looking at the drawing upside down, can barely control their laughter as the boss walks to a shelf, grabs an OIL cap and puts in on the counter.
“That’s it!” the lady says. “How much?”
“It’s on the house,” the manager replied. “Please come back often. You have no idea how entertaining it was waiting on you.”

SOURCE:::: http://www.silicon india.com

Natarajan

Joke of the Day…” A Talking Greyhound… ? ” !!!

Two rather old retired racehorses are in a bar getting totally drunk. After about two hours the first racehorse says “You know…. when I was a young racehorse…from one hundred starts, I won (hic) 90 races, got 5 seconds and 5 thirds…. I am without doubt the greatest racehorse that ever lived….blah blah blah…”

In response to this and approximately a half an hour later the second racehorse responded, “Oh yeah…when I was a young racehorse…from one hundred starts, I won (hic) 95 races, got 2 seconds and 3 thirds…. I am the greatest racehorse that ever lived…. blah blah blah…”

Now it was about this time that the bartender (a greyhound) decided that they were drunk enough so he said, “I am sick of you two telling one another how great you are, you are both drunk and I am throwing you out of the bar, but before I do I want to let you know that when I was a young greyhound, from one hundred starts, I won 100 races, no seconds and no thirds.”

The two racehorses were shocked and for 5 minutes sat with their mouths open until the fist racehorse finally said, “Isn’t that amazing (hic)…a talking greyhound!”

SOURCE:::: http://www.joke a day.com

Natarajan

8 ways to Make Your Most of the Day…

Multi-tasking can sometimes lead to poor results due to lack of focus

Plan how you’re going to spend the day and stick to it.

Avoid checking e-mails first.

Use the first one hour of your day to review your pending tasks and finish them….

Productive time management is the new age tool for planning your success ahead of time.

Here are some tricks to help you increase your productivity

Tune off Whatsapp for the first half

Is your phone humming for attention?

Avoid using WhatsApp to delegate work if you are stuck in a traffic jam.

Use it to share information, read a light note and share updates.

You may use your commute time to connect with your family and friends.

While you’re at work, prioritise and tune away from groups and chats.

Avoid checking e-mails first thing

Plan how you’re going to spend the day and stick to it. Avoid checking e-mails first.

Use the first one hour of your day to review your pending tasks and finish them.

“Mornings are fresh and I usually come to work with a positive attitude and spend the first two hours speaking and connecting to the customers,” shares Pooja Arora, HR at Bisleri India, Mumbai.

Tony Robins, American life coach and author of Unlimited Power, Unleash the Power Within and Awaken the Giant Within, suggest setting up an “hour of power”, “30 minutes to thrive” or “15 minutes to fulfilment”.

Review your calendar, call list and respond to customer feedback.

If something else needs your urgent attention, you will receive a call anyway.

You are not a juggler

Most organisations assume multitasking as a skill required.

In the long run it will lead to little or lack of focus on one task.

Multitasking is like regulating attention, it is addictive and feels like a superhuman that is incredibly efficient but eventually leads to a burnout.

Break the habit and your brain will thank you.

I am a compulsive multi-tasker yet there are activities I do not prefer to multi task like reading, studying and contemplating, says Rajesh Kamath, partner MTHR Global, an HR consulting firm in Pune.

Too much multitasking can add to your anxiousness and hypertension to meet the finish line, the idea is not get trapped into it.

Select the tasks that are in line like a chef who multi tasks to cook well.

Get the monkey off your back.

“I know — I have to finish this; it’s important. But where do I begin?” says, Delhi-based creative writer Rashmi.

“I often find myself struggling with multiple tasks that should have been finished yesterday. I just keep procrastinating because it’s tough.”

Keep your tough tasks on a high priority and complete them the first thing.

Mornings are a great time for creativity; use it to leapfrog to the rest of your day.

Procrastinating what you least enjoy will only keep you trapped.

Accomplishing the hard tasks will not only give you time to enjoy other task but will also keep you motivated.

As the popular writer, Stephen Covey says “Eat the ugliest frog first”.

Finish the two-minute tasks

How often do you say “Hey just give me two minutes to finish this”.

To raise your productivity ensure that you immediately finish the two-minute tasks, like responding to an e-mail, making a phone call, setting reminders etc.

If not addressed, these tasks get piled on to become stress later.

Most of these tasks require urgent attention which is why they pop up the last minute.

Meet over coffee 

Share the morning coffee to discuss ideas, plans and your schedule.

Keep away from unwanted discussions around politics, cricket and office gossip.

Reserve these discussions for lunch.

One of the biggest issues in Indian workplaces is unscheduled, unplanned meetings and discussions.

Respect other people’s time says Sushma Sonty, a Mumbai-based freelance HR professional.

Spend some time interacting directly with your colleagues and peers for healthy relationships.

Use technology for good

Are you a super social buddy who likes to show off a bit, great?

Keep a few tools handy to stay on top of all that you flaunt.

It’s great to be a buddy, but it can get tricky for you may get addicted to it.

Consider HootSuite, which offers central dashboard for managing all your social media accounts.

Save your good reads, articles and interesting features with Pocket, Feedly and Evernote.

Cloud On allows you to use Microsoft word, Excel and PowerPoint to create documents on the go using a hand-held device.

Take a break

Short breaks when timed well in between bursts of high intensity work rejuvenates you like nothing else. The thumb rule is 75:10.

Take a 10-minute breather for every 75 minutes worth of high pressure work.

A quick walk down the stairs, soaking in the sun, getting some fresh air are all great ingredients that act as a catalyst to the short break.

The bottom line is, when breaks are timed well, there can be nothing as effective as them.

Now, go and take a well deserved break!!

The author of this piece works with a leading travel and leisure company and can be reached at deeksha.nagi@gmail.com.

Photograph: Ryan Ritchie/Creative Commons.

SOURCE:::: http://www.rediff.com

Natarajan

Joke For the Day… ” That is Bravery …” !!!

The Meaning of Bravery.

A British SAS squad and an American Marines squad are together in the middle of a city. The commanding officers of each group are discussing the merits of SAS vs Marines: these officers have reputations for being the strongest, toughest and most feared men in the whole of the armed forces.

The American squad leader turns to the British officer and says, “My Marines are so much braver than your SAS.”

“I doubt that very much,” says the SAS officer.

“They are much braver,” says the American. “Watch this.”

The American squad leader turns to one of his Marines and shouts, “SERGEANT!! Climb to the very top of that building and jump off.”

“SIR, YES SIR,” shouts the sergeant. The sergeant runs inside the building, runs to top and without a second’s thought, jumps off the top of the building and smashes into the ground. He survives but is very badly injured and gets taken away on a stretcher. The American leader turns to the SAS officer and says, “Now that’s bravery.”

“Yeah? Well watch this,” says the British officer. He turns to his men and bellows at the top of his voice, “YOU, PRIVATE, CLIMB TO THE TOP OF THAT BUILDING AND JUMP OFF.”

The private looks at the officer and says, “Sir, GO  AND TRY  YOURSELF, Sir.”

The Officer turns around to the American and says, “You see? THAT’S bravery.”  

 

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

Natarajan

Magical Flight Of Starling Murmuration… Watch the Startling Video Clip… !!!

Watching a Starling Murmuration in Flight Is Simply Magical….

A flock of starlings is called a murmuration. These flocks may include other species of starlings and sometimes species from other families. This sociality is particularly evident in the their roosting behaviour; in the non-breeding season some roosts can number in the thousands of birds. They will travel many miles to get to their food, and all stay together for the warmth and safety of a large groups. Their movements are so precise, so coordinated, that the group of thousands seems like a single entity, moving this way and that. It’s a sight to see for all nature lovers, and one of the many miracles of life.

At dusk on a winter evening in southern England a flock of 200,000 European starlings congregate to soar in breathtaking formations before roosting for the night. These incredible displays of aerial precision and biological engineering are captured in this memorable sequence from FLIGHT: THE GENIUS OF BIRDS.

SOURCE::::www.you tube.com

Natarajan

Joke of the Day…” Three Flat Tires and Two Headlights…” !!!

A young waiter just had his first customer, which turned out to be a BIG BURLY truck driver.

The young man walked up to the table where the truck driver was sitting and asked; “Can I take your order sir?”

The truck driver replied, “Sure kid, I want three flat tires and two headlights.”

The young man was very puzzled and said, “I beg your pardon?”

The truck driver said again, “Look kid; I want three flat tires and two headlights.”

The young man was still puzzled, but replied; “Yes sir, whatever.”

The young man then took the request to his boss who was the head cook.

He told him about the truck driver’s order, and that he wanted three flat tires and two headlights, “I think he’s in the wrong place.”

The head cook said, “I know what he wants, he wants three flap jacks and two eggs sunny side up; the truck driver is just trying to be smart, I know him.”

The cook said to the waiter “Here, take this bowl of beans, give it to him and say this.”

The truck driver said, “Listen kid, I didn’t order this; I said I wanted three flat tires and two headlights.”

The waiter replied, “Well sir, the head cook said while you wait for your parts, you can gas up!”

SOURCE:::: http://www.joke a day.com

Natarajan

Image of the Day…Frozen Sea Waves…. !!!

View larger. | Slushy waves on a Nantucket beach, February 20, 2015.  Photo by Jonathan Nimerfrosh.

View larger. | Slushy waves on a Nantucket beach, February 20, 2015. See the complete collection here. Photos byJonathan Nimerfroh.

Sure, the ocean freezes. But this photo of partly frozen waves – caught by photographer and surfer Jonathan Nimerfroh – fascinated even the experts

As you well know if you live there, the eastern United States has been in a deep freeze throughout February, 2015. Wave after wave of ice and snowstorms have hit the region, and NASA says that hundreds (maybe thousands) of records have been set for daily low temperatures. Now, from a photographer and surfer in Nantucket, Jonathan Nimerfroh, we have this amazing photo from February 20, 2015 of an ocean wave, just before it freezes solid. He calls it a slurpee wave.

The New York Times has a great article about this photo and these slow-moving waves of slush. Jonathan’s photo has also been on the Weather Channel and other places (I first saw it on Facebook; thanks, Beverly Spicer!). Nimerfroh told the New York Times:

I just noticed a really bizarre horizon. The snow was up to my knees, getting to the water. I saw these crazy half-frozen waves. Usually on a summer day you can hear the waves crashing, but it was absolutely silent. It was like I had earplugs in my ears.

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Of course, the ocean does freeze. Salty sea water has a lower freezing point than the ice in your home freezer, not 32 degrees F but instead about 28.4 degrees F. And it was colder than that on that day in Nantucket, somewhere around 10 degrees F. Still, these waves are something very special, and even experts commented that they had not seen them before. Helen Fricker, a glaciologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, who studies the dynamics of ice flows in Antarctica, told the New York Times that a full scientific explanation was “outside her expertise.” Erin Pettit, a glaciologist at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, added that waves in Alaska tend to break up sea ice and said:

I have never seen frozen waves like this.

Nimerfroh said he returned the following day to the same beach. That day it was a few degrees colder still and the water had completely frozen. He said:

Nothing was moving. There were no waves anymore.

Shop the complete collection of Nantucket Slurpee Wave photos at Jonathan Nimerfroh’s website.

Bottom line: Wave caught in the act of freezing at a Nantucket beach, February 2015, by Jonathan Nimerfroh.

SOURCE::: http://www.earthskynews.org

Natarajan