Medicinal Values of Garlic !!!

How Garlic Does More Than Ward Off Vampires

An old saying goes that if you eat garlic, you are sure to shy away vampires at night. But what is the origin of this saying and does it really have any significance?
The notion that garlic can kill off vampires and other creatures of the night was a folk belief that was once common among Central European communities. It was thought that garlic’s overwhelming pungency would ward off demons, werewolves and vampires, and traditionally would be worn, hung in windows or rubbed around the entrance to the house. Other cultures believe that garlic is a relic of Satan that should be avoided at all costs. Although these superstitions may seem outlandish, there happens to be a bit of useful truth in their purpose.
garlic

Image: Keerati/ freedigitalphotos.net
Garlic is the most powerful antibiotic cure nature has to offer. This unsuspecting herb can be used to treat a number of heart and blood-related conditions, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, and is even used by some to prevent common cancers, like stomach, colon and even breast cancer. This is due to a chemical in the garlic called allicin, the same element that makes the garlic smell and probably the reason for the folk belief on vampires.
Studies have shown that allicin can aid tremendously in weight loss and may even help cure the common cold. Yet it is important to note that the wonderful powers of garlic are optimized when the garlic is completely raw, peeled and crushed, and when it is consumed only as a medicine. The ways to use garlic to fend off real-life vampires like the flu and other diseases:
1. Cold and Fever Cure
An effective cold and fever cure is garlic tea. To make the tea boil some water and crush 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic (peeled) into the bottom of the mug. Then add the hot water, lemon and a bit of honey (to ease the taste) and drink it all down at once. Repeat as often as possible until the fever or cold symptoms subside.
garlic chopped
Image: artur84/ freedigitalphotos.net
2. Treat Skin and Fungal Infections
To treat skin or fungal infections, garlic can be used topically on a daily basis. Apply a sliced of garlic to a wart spot regularly (about 2-3 times per day) and be amazed at the improvement! The wart or corn may not completely disappear, but any discomfort will subside.
3. Garlic as an Antibiotic
As mentioned above, in order to use garlic as an antibiotic, it is best not to consume the herb regularly. Studies have shown that eating raw garlic at the onset of food poisoning can kill off the deadly E.coli, Staph and Salmonella bacteria. Chop up garlic and drink it in a tea, this time without lemon, and a bit of honey, and the poisoning is sure to subside.
4. For Those That Can’t Stand the Taste
If you are not a big fan of garlic or its taste, there are some allicin supplements that can be store-bought and taken as needed. It is important to remember, however, that the potency of the allicin depends on its preparation, and it can change into a different chemical quickly. For this reason, it is best to buy the most natural version of an allicin vitamin where it is available, or stomach the taste of raw garlic just when you are sick.
5. Bug Repellent
Another way to use garlic harks back to the tell-tale vampire myth. Smearing garlic over the skin not only prevents against bacterial or fungal infections, but can also ward off mosquitos and ticks quite effectively. One village in India uses only garlic to deter the deadly Malaria mosquitos and can attest to the natural and harmless effectiveness of garlic. All that remains is to overcome the sharp smell!
Garlic in its many forms can be used to treat and prevent a variety of diseases and conditions, and, just as the folklore suggests, is nature’s miracle solution for warding off the bad.

 

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

Natarajan

Interesting Facts of Human Brain !!!

Facts About Human Psychology

The human brain is an interesting and powerful organ, but understanding why it does what it does is a process that we’re still studying. The conscious mind and the subconscious mind, psychological effects on our decisions, our habits, etc’, all occur in the brain, yet most of us aren’t aware when these processes take place. This list encompasses 15 of the more interesting facts about our behavior.

1. We blame a person’s behavior on their personality, unless it’s us
15 Things Psychology Tells Us

One classic examples is driving – how many times have you seen someone cut you off on the road, and the first thing on your mind was “What a crazy *#%&#@”, but 15 minutes later, you tell yourself it’s OK to cut another person because you’re “in a hurry, and it’s just this one time”. We tend to attribute our decisions to external forces, and other people’s bad behavior on their internal attributes. Sadly, it’s a very difficult behavior to stop…
2. We overestimate how we would react to future events
15 Things Psychology Tells Us

How many times were you sure that your reaction to future events would be one way, only for that event to arrive, and your reaction is significantly different? The reason behind this is that most of us are bad at predicting the future. You think that getting the job of your dreams or marrying that special person will make you happy, but when you do – you’re pretty much the same. Studies show that an individual’s level of happiness will almost always revert to an average level.
3. Our strongest memories are usually inaccurate
15 Things Psychology Tells Us

We feel like the memories of traumatic events “burn” themselves into our minds, to remain there forever (this is known as “Flashbulb Memories”). Studies have shown that the stronger the emotional state you were in during that event, the more the memory is inaccurate.
4. We can only sustain a high level of concentration for 10 minutes
15 Things Psychology Tells Us

Do you think you can concentrate on a task for more than 10 minutes? Studies indicate otherwise. On average, a person’s attention span peaks after 10 minutes and then the mind will start wandering.
5. Our brains wander for about 30% of the day
15 Things Psychology Tells Us

On average, we spend about 30% of our day daydreaming (though some people do it more). On the up side of this, researchers point out that people who tend to daydream more are better at solving problems and tend to be more creative.
6. Humans can’t multitask!
15 Things Psychology Tells Us

You may hear people claiming that they’re natural multitaskers, and you even see it in some job requirements, but humans simply cannot multitask. Sure, you can listen to music while you work, but your brain can only process one higher-function task at a time. That means that you’ll either be doing work and mainly ignore the music or listen to the music and ignore your work. People simply cannot think about two things at once.
7. Most of your decisions are made subconsciously
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
Do you think about all the decisions you make, weighing all the options and calculating the impact of each outcome? You might think so, but you’re wrong. The majority of your decisions are made in your subconscious because otherwise – your conscious mind would be overwhelmed with information, and you’ll probably get mentally frozen. The reason for this is that your brain receives over 11 million bits of information every second, and there’s simply not enough “brain power” to go through all of it consciously.
8. We can only store between 5 and 9 bits of information at once
15 Things Psychology Tells Us

The average human can only keep an average of 7 bits of information at once in their short-term memory. Each of the 7 bits of information can be comprised of several pieces of relevant data. The best example is remembering a phone number – it can be anywhere between 9 and 14 digits long, so we break it into segments like country code, area code, and a set of numbers we split (usually to 3-4 digit groups).
9. We prefer shorter lines of text, but read longer ones better
15 Things Psychology Tells Us

Sounds counterintuitive, but while we might prefer to read narrow columns, we’ll read the same information faster if it’s spread to the width of the page. The only reason you don’t notice that is because you visually prefer the shorter layout.
10. We want more choices, but choose better with fewer options
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
Professor Dan Ariely tells in his book “Predictably Irrational” about an experiment he and his colleagues performed: They set up two booths that offered jam for sale. One booth had 24 different kinds of jams while the other only had six kinds of jam. The table with fewer options managed to sell six times more jams than the one with more options. This reverts us back to #8 – our brain just cannot process too many options.
11. We think other people are more easily influenced than us
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
We can see the effect advertising has on other people more clearly than its impact on ourselves – this is known as the “Third Person Effect”. We can tell how an ad affects our peers, but deny its effects on ourselves, and it gets worse when it’s an ad for something we have no interest it. You have likely not realized it, but all the advertisements you see every day have a subconscious effect on your mood, desires and even attitude.
12. Your brain doesn’t stop working when you sleep
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
Your brain is just as active when you sleep as it is when you’re awake. Scientists have discovered that the only time your brain clears out toxins and waste is when you sleep. It is also believed that during the sleep cycles, your brain sorts out all the data from the previous day and creates new associations.
13. “Wisdom of the Crowd” is not very wise
15 Things Psychology Tells Us

Psychologists refer to this as “Groupthink” – the larger the group of individuals, the more likely it is to make choices based on emotions rather than logic and common sense.
14. Crowds are easily swayed 15 Things Psychology Tells Us
People with a dominant or charismatic personalities can easily affect crowd opinions and maneuver groups to do their bidding. They appeal to the group’s emotions, taking advantage of the effect in #13. (Oddly enough, research proves that two heads are still better than one)
15. It takes a person 66 days to form a habit
15 Things Psychology Tells Us
There is a lot of research data that suggests that following a pattern for 66 days will make it habitual. If, for example, you want to be better about cleaning your home or going to the gym – make a conscious effort to do it for 66 days, after which it will become a habit and will be easier to persevere. (This also works for breaking habits)

 

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

Natarajan

Few Natural Remedies to cure Chapped Lips …

Winter season is here, which means many of us will suffer from chapped lips. It seems that no matter how much we bundle up, our lips constantly remain exposed to the harsh winter winds. It’s important to keep a scarf wrapped around your mouth as a preventative measure.
Chapped lips, also referred to as dry lips, occurs when the lips aren’t properly moisturized or due to certain illnesses. There are a number of external factors that can cause your lips to crack and peel. Here are a few of the most common causes and symptoms:
Causes:
  • Dehydration
  • Malnutrition
  • Excessive Licking of Lips
  • Cheilitis
  • Exposure to Sun
  • Allergic Reaction
  • Smoking
  • Kawasaki Disease
Symptoms:
  • Redness
  • Dryness
  • Swelling
  • Flaking
  • Sore Lips
  • Cracking
  • Bleeding
10 Natural Remedies to Treat Chapped Lips:
1) Honey – Honey can cure almost anything, including chapped lips. Honey acts as a natural lip balm, and moisturizes your lips with its powerful antibacterial properties. Dab a little honey on your lips a couple of times during the day, and an extra dose before bed to prevent chaffing.
2) Sugar – Sugar might not be great for your teeth, but it’s certainly an effective treatment for chapped lips! The sugar helps exfoliate dead cells, while restoring them back their natural state. Here’s a quick recipe on how to prepare a natural sugar lip balm:
How to Prepare It:
  • Mix 1 teaspoon of honey with 2 teaspoons of sugar.
  • Apply the sugary sweet lip balm mixture to the damaged areas and allow it to sit for several minutes.
  • Gently rub the mixture around on your lips to loosen the dead skin cells.
  • Wash the mixture off with lukewarm water.
3) Water – One of the most common causes of cracked lips is dehydration. It’s extremely important to keep yourself properly hydrated during the day to prevent dry mouth. Try to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day. Make sure you carry a large water bottle when you leave the house, so you can stay fully hydrated no matter where you go.
4) Petroleum Jelly – A little Vaseline can cure those dry lips. The petroleum jelly moisturizes your lips, and helps to repair the dead cells. Vaseline also lasts for a long time, and comes available in tiny tubes that fit inside your pocket. Alternatively, you can also apply a bit of honey to your lips, wait for it to dry a few seconds, and add a light smear of petroleum jelly. Remove the substance with a cotton ball dipped in warm water.
5) Aloe Vera Gel – Aloe vera is a multi-purpose skin treatment. It can be used to get rid of chapped lips as well. Place a small amount of the gel to the damaged lips a few times during the day. The aloe vera keeps your lips fully hydrated, which allows the dryness to heal much quicker. The taste may be a bit unpleasant, but the results are worth it.
6) Coconut Oil – The minerals found within the coconut oil helps to moisturize the uncomfortable dryness, and softens the cracked areas of your lips. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to apply the coconut oil:
How to Prepare It:
  • Mix a teaspoon of coconut oil together with a teaspoon of sea salt into a bowl.
  • Apply the mixture all over the chapped lips, by gently using your fingers in a small circular motion.
  • Continue the circular motion for about a minute, before rinsing with a warm washcloth.
7) Castor Oil – Did you know that castor oil can actually be used to nourish and repair dry lips? Castor oil stops the peeling, and works like magic too. Place a dab of the oil over the chapped lips, and cover it with a thin layer of petroleum jelly. Glycerin may be used in place of Vaseline, and here’s how to prepare the mixture:
How to Prepare It:
  • Mix one teaspoon of castor oil, with a teaspoon of glycerin and a few drops of lemon juice into a small bowl.
  • Apply the mixture over your dry lips before going to sleep, and wash it off in the morning with a cotton ball dipped in warm water. -Repeat this treatment daily until your lips are smooth again.
8) Cucumber – Sliced cucumbers can reduce puffiness in the eyes, and work wonders for flaky or dry lips. Cucumbers are high in ascorbic acid, which stimulates the production of collagen. Here’s how to prepare a cucumber lip balm to treat the chapped lips:
How to Prepare It:
  • Take a small cucumber slice and gently rub it on your dry lips.
  • Let the cucumber juice sit on your lips for around 15 to 20 minutes, and then wash your lips with lukewarm water.
  • Repeat this process a periodically throughout the day to allow your lips to heal quicker.

9) Rose Petals – Rose petals contain natural oils that provide instant relief against cracked lips. The natural astringent properties of the rose petals offer a soothing effect on the capillaries beneath the skin surface. They also give your lips beautiful color, while kissing the dryness and inflammation goodbye!
How to Prepare It:
  • Grab a handful of rose petals, and clean them thoroughly in water.
  • Allow the petals to soak in a milk for a few hours.
  • Mash the petals in the milk until they begin to form a thick paste.
  • Apply the paste on your cracked lips a few times per day, and every night before bed.
10)  Milk Cream – The high fat content found inside the milk cream is used to eliminate chapped lips. Put a little milk cream on your dry lips, and let the thick heavy cream go to work for about 10 minutes or so. Gently wash your lips afterward with a cotton ball dipped in lukewarm water. Try adding a little lime juice for twice the relief and twice the nourishing benefit!

Image of the Day…”Colorful and Plankton-full Patagonian Waters” !!!

Late spring and summer weather brings blooms of color to the Atlantic Ocean off of South America, at least from a satellite view. The Patagonian Shelf Break is a biologically rich patch of ocean where airborne dust from the land, iron-rich currents from the south, and upwelling currents from the depths provide a bounty of nutrients for the grass of the sea—phytoplankton. In turn, those floating sunlight harvesters become food for some of the richest fisheries in the world.

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on Suomi NPP captured this view of phytoplankton-rich waters off of Argentina on Dec. 2, 2014. Scientists in NASA’s Ocean Color Group used three wavelengths (671, 551, and 443 nanometers) of visible and near-infrared light to highlight different plankton communities in the water. Bands of color not only reveal the location of plankton, but also the dynamic eddies and currents that carry them.

> More Information

Image Credit: Norman Kuring, NASA’s Ocean Color Group, using VIIRS data from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership

SOURCE:::www.nasa.gov

Natarajan 

” Why a $ is called a Buck …” !!!

Why a Dollar is Also Called a “Buck”!!!

As with many etymologies, the exact root of this word is difficult to say with one hundred percent certainty. However, the leading theory is extremely plausible and backed up by a fair bit of documented evidence. Specifically, it is thought that a dollar is called a “buck” thanks to deer.

One of the earliest references of this was in 1748, about 44 years before the first U.S. dollar was minted, where there is a reference to the exchange rate for a cask of whiskey traded to Native Americans being “5 bucks”, referring to deerskins. In yet another documented reference from 1748, Conrad Weiser, while traveling through present day Ohio, noted in his journal that someone had been “robbed of the value of 300 Bucks.”

At this time, a buck skin was a common medium of exchange. There is also evidence that a “buck” didn’t simply mean one deerskin, but may have meant multiple skins, depending on quality. For instance, skins from deer killed in the winter were considered superior to those killed in the summer, due to the fur being thicker.

It is thought that the highest quality skins were generally assigned a one to one value, with one skin equaling one buck. In contrast, for lower quality skins, it might take several of them to be valued at a single buck. The specific value for given sets of skins was then set at trading.

In addition, when the skin was from another animal, the number of skins required to equal a buck varied based on the animal and the quality of the skins. For instance, there is one documented trade where six high quality beaver skins or twelve high quality rabbit pelts each equaled one buck.

This use of skins as a medium of exchange gradually died off over the next century as more and more Europeans moved in and built towns and cities. Once the U.S. dollar was officially introduced after the passing of the Coinage Act of 1792, it quickly became the leading item used as a medium of exchange, but the term “buck” stuck around and by the mid-nineteenth century was being used as a slang term for the dollar.

If you liked this article, please consider purchasing The Wise Book of Whys, whence this article came. As mentioned, sales of this book go towards keeping ads out of this newsletter as much as possible. So if you hate ads as much as we do, please do consider purchasing a copy for yourself or as a gift for someone.  Thanks!

Bonus Fact:

  • While it may be tempting to think that the “buck” in this sense is where we also get the phrase “pass the buck”, most etymologists don’t think the two are related. The leading theory on the origin of the phrase “pass the buck” is thought to come from poker, with one of the earliest known references of the idea of literally passing a buck being found in the 1887 work by J.W. Keller, titled “Draw Poker”. In it, Keller states: “The ‘buck’ is any inanimate object, usually knife or pencil, which is thrown into a jack pot and temporarily taken by the winner of the pot. Whenever the deal reaches the holder of the ‘buck,’ a new jack pot must be made.” As to why it is then called  a buck, it is thought that may have arisen from the fact that buck-handled knives were once common, and knives were often used as the “buck” in this sense. As for the figurative sense of passing the buck, this didn’t start popping up until the early twentieth century.

 

SOURCE:::: http://www.today i found out.com

Natarajan

Strange … But True !!!

The U.S. Accidentally Dropped An Atomic Bomb On South Carolina In 1958 !!!

The Cold War is over, but there are still plenty of remnants from its troubles across the American landscape. One major reminder of this era is the crater in Mars Bluffs, South Carolina, where the Air Force accidentally dropped an atomic bomb in 1958. This site was one of the biggest military blunders of the entire Cold War. It’s a miracle that no one was killed.

Walter Gregg and his family were minding their own business on March 11, 1958. Suddenly, a giant explosion out of nowhere rocked the property and nearly destroyed their house. After Gregg accounted for his family members (none of whom were injured), he wondered what exactly happened.

Unbeknownst to Gregg, on that same spring morning, a B-47 Stratojet was flying in the skies over his property. The bomber was on its way to the U.K. to take part in a war game exercise. At that time, all bombers in the air were required to carry an atomic payload. This was because of the off-chance that nuclear war broke out while they were in the air. This particular bomber carried a Mark 6 atomic bomb, like the one pictured below.

Luckily, this particular Mark 6 bomb did not have its nuclear rod inserted. Otherwise, what happened would have been much, much worse.

As the bomber passed over Gregg’s house, a warning light went off. Something was wrong with the bomb’s docking system. Apparently, the locking pin was not engaged properly. That’s when navigator Captain Bruce Kulka went to investigate. However, while he was trying to fix the locking pin, Kulka accidentally pressed the bomb’s emergency release.

The weight of the 8,500 pound bomb forced the bay doors open. The bomb plummeted towards the woods of Mars Bluff. When the bomb landed, it left a 75-foot-wide, and 30-foot-deep crater in the forest near Gregg’s house. Here is what the impact site looks like today.

Luckily, no one died in the explosion, but it did level several buildings on Gregg’s property and damage nearby houses. Just imagine how much worse it would have been if the bomb was armed with its nuclear material.

The military paid Gregg and his family $54,000 to rebuild what was destroyed by the bomb and to keep things quiet. It was also around this time when a new rule was put in place requiring planes to make sure that their payloads were locked before take-off.

You can still see some pieces of the original bomb dropped on Mars Bluff at a local museum.

Via: Atlas Obscura

Talk about a big “oopsie.” I can’t believe the flight crew didn’t think to check if the bomb was secured properly before taking off. This could have kicked off World War III if the bomb was actually armed with its nuclear rod. What a simple mistake. Luckily, we’re all around now to laugh about it.

SOURCE::::www.viralnova.com
Natarajan

 

Image of the day…” MoonLight Skating in Sweden …” !!!

“Nights like these are almost to good to be true.” See this touching, just-released video.

 

 

Master sky photographer Göran Strand of Sweden – whose beautiful photo The Father, The Son and the Moon is also featured here at EarthSky this week – mentioned a couple of days ago that he soon would have something more “exotic” to show us. Today (December 10, 2014), he wrote with word of a new video he’s just completed and posted at YouTube. He wrote:

Now I finished the movie showing me and a couple of my friends tour skating on a frozen lake near Östersund, Sweden [a couple of nights ago]. This night was really magic, no wind, lots of ice crystals in the air and an almost full moon that shined upon us during our two hours out on the ice. To the right of the moon, you can see the constellation of Orion and, down left of the moon, you can see planet Jupiter shining brightly.

Nights like these are almost to good to be true.

Hope you like it.

Visit Göran Strand’s website: http://www.astrofotografen.se

Visit Göran on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fotografgoranstrand

Follow Göran on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Astrofotografen

Göran Strand on Instagram: http://instagram.com/Astrofotografen

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

Natarajan

Joke of the Day… ” It is Not Addressed to you …” !!!

 A couple of terrorist were making letter bombs. After they had finished, one said: “Do you think I put enough explosive in this envelope? “I don’t know,” said the other. “Open it and see.” “But it will explode.” “Don’t be stupid! It’s not addressed to you! 

SOURCE:::: joke a day.com

Natarajan

Korean Air Chief Bows In Apology For His Daughter”s Action …

https://natarajank.com/2014/12/09/hard-nut-to-crack/

Pl read the related link above with a simple click before proceeding further …

Natarajan

On Friday, Korean Air and Hanjin Group chairman Cho Yang-ho bowed apologetically and blamed himself for the outlandish behavior of his eldest daughter and former Airline executive Heather Cho.

The younger Cho landed in hot water last week after she ordered a flight she was on to return to its gate at New York’s JFK International Airport. Why? To kick off the head flight attendant due to unhappiness over how she was served macadamia nuts.

The international outcry from to the incident led Cho – who was in charge of in-flight service and catering for Korean Air as well as hotels for a Korean Air subsidiary – to resign her post as executive vice president of her father’s multi-billion dollar conglomerate, the Hanjin Group, earlier this week.

T he Hanjin Group is comprised of major international shipping lines and logistics companies, as well as Korean Air.

In an attempt to regain some of the luster the family lost over the past week, the elder Cho stepped in front of a slew of reporters and apologized profusely for his daughter’s behavior.

He also announced his daughter’s dismissal from any position within Hanjin Group from which she has not already resigned.

“I apologize to the people of [South Korea] as chairman of Korean Air and as a father for the trouble caused by my daughter’s foolish conduct,” the tycoon said, according to Reuters.

“Please blame me; it’s my fault,” Cho said, according to the New York Times. “I failed to raise her properly.”

Korean Air Heather ChoAP/Lee Jin-manHeather Cho apologizes to the press.

In a separate press conference, Heather Cho also took questions from a gaggle of reporters. In a dramatic turn of events, the executive appeared sullen and spoke almost inaudibly as she apologized for her behavior.

The controversy began when the younger Cho, seated in first class of a Korean Air Airbus superjumbo, was served macadamia nuts in its original packaging by a junior flight attendant instead of following the airline’s service procedure, which requires the crew member to ask if the passenger would like some nuts and then serve the snacks on a plate.

Cho then proceeded to grill the flight’s head flight attendant over the company’s service policies. Apparently unhappy with the crew member’s response, Cho ordered the airliner to abandon its place in line for take off and return to its gate at JFK to deplane the head flight attendant. This maneuver cause the flight to be delayed 20 minutes and arrive at its destination in South Korea 11 minutes late.

Korean Air Airbus A380Flickr/John MurphyKorean Air super jumbo

Korean media is reporting that the country’s transport ministry is investigating whether Cho violated any Korean aviation regulations.

According to Marketwatch, Korean aviation regulations state that an aircraft preparing for takeoff should only return to the gate if the pilots determine that there’s an emergency that would threaten the well being of the plane and its passengers. Violators could be subject to 10 years of jail time!

The incident has invited criticism of family owned conglomerates – known as “chaebols”- in the Korean economy. In addition to Hanjin Group, other chaebols such as Samsung, Hyundai, and LG have risen to global prominence over the past few decades.

Many in the public as well as the press characterised the Hanjin’s airline heiress as entitled and inappropriate.

Hopefully, the elder Cho’s apologies have walked back some of the uproar over the ugliness of the incident

SOURCE:::: http://www.businessinsider .in

Natarajan