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Users Can Now Talk to the Web, Courtesy: IBM

2009-03-19T02:33:00.000-07:00

IBM's Indian research division has developed a new protocol that will help users create "Voice sites" on the Internet, reports.

The protocol, Hyperspeech Transfer Protocol (HSTP), is quite similar to the more common Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and will be used to allow users to talk to the web. The spoken web is a network of voice sites created using mobile phones. The driving force behind this technology is the rather large mobile subscriber base that India boasts of. With 360 million mobile phone users out there (and counting), this is a market no one could dare to ignore - and IBM knows that. The technology targets ordinary mobile phone users, all of whom may not be literate and would be glad to get some technological aid.

According to IBM's India Research Laboratory associate director Manish Gupta, on using the technology, "People will talk to the web and the web will respond." The research technology is analogous to the internet. "Unlike personal computers, it will work on mobile phones where people can simply create their voice sites," he adds.

This technology was featured in IBM's annual Five in Five list featured earlier here on Techtree.

IBM has already tried out the technology in some pilot projects in various states of the country and claim to have received tremendous response.

source : http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Users_Can_Now_Talk_to_the_Web_Courtesy_IBM/551-100064-643.html

10-inch Wi-Fi Enabled Photo Frame Launched

2009-02-25T01:01:00.000-08:00

D-Link has announced the future release of a digital photo frame that enables users to manage content displayed using a website or a drag and drop desktop widget.

The D-Link Internet Photo Frame (DSM-210), which has a lustrous satin finish, allows users to view photos easily and conveniently virtually anywhere in the home or over the Internet. It provides a high-resolution 10-inch LCD display connected over a wired or wireless home network.

The DSM-210 can be managed using this website where users can organize photos online for display as well as remotely stream content such as weather, news, trivia and more using popular Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds.

The DSM-210 also gives users the choice to simply drag and drop digital photos into photo frames using a "widget" located on the computer desktop, which then automatically displays the photos as a slideshow on the photo frame.

The DSM-210 features a 16:9 screen and includes an interchangeable black or white frame. It contains slots for USB and common memory cards, and can be networked via an Ethernet connection or Wi-Fi. The digital photo frame is widget compatible and can connect directly to the PC or via Internet options. The frame comes with a rechargeable battery a one-year subscription for basic Internet content.

The D-Link DSM-210 will soon be available through D-Link's network of retail outlets, resellers, solution providers and distributors at a suggested retail price of Rs. 39,900.

source:http://www.techtree.com/India/News/D-Link_Announces_Internet_Photo_Frame/551-99262-615.html

Behind the Cloud Buzz

2009-02-17T22:17:00.000-08:00

Imagine scaling up instantly to massive capacities to meet changing needs. Then imagine doing it on the Web, without having to invest in new infrastructure, train new personnel, or license new software. That is cloud computing!

Cloud computing is all about efficiency. It provides a way to deploy and access everything from single systems up to massive amounts of IT resources, on demand, in real time, at an affordable cost. Forward-looking companies of all types are now looking at this model to simultaneously reduce infrastructure costs and increase computational capabilities.

Since the best cloud strategies build on concepts and tools that developers already know, clouds have the potential to redefine the relationship between IT and the developers and business units who depend on it. IT gains new efficiency and points of control while their customers gain access to services with a new level of simplicity and control.

The underlying concept of Cloud Computing dates back to 1960 when John McCarthy opined that "computation may someday be organized as a public utility"; indeed it shares characteristics with service bureaus which date back to the 1960s. The term cloud had already come into commercial use in the early 1990s to refer to large ATM networks. By the turn of the 21st century, the term "cloud computing" had started to appear, although most of the focus at this time was on software-as-a-service.

Amazon.com played a key role in the development of cloud computing by modernizing their data centres after the dot-com bubble and, having found that the new cloud architecture resulted in significant internal efficiency improvements, providing access to their systems by way of Amazon Web Services in 2002 on a utility computing basis.

The year 2007 saw increased activity, technology providers and a number of universities embarking on large scale cloud computing research projects, and it is around this time that the term started gaining popularity in the mainstream press. In August 2008, Gartner observed that "organisations are switching from company-owned hardware and software assets to per-use service-based models" and that the "projected shift to cloud computing will result in dramatic growth in IT products in some areas and in significant reductions in other areas."

Why do Cloud Computing?
One of the obvious reasons is to get better utilization out of the computing resources you have. A key attribute of cloud computing is how it changes economics. You only pay for what you use, and rates are typically lower than the equivalent cost of building and supporting these services internally. Cloud computing is not just about hardware it is also a programming revolution.

Agile, easy-to-access, lightweight Web protocols—coupled with pervasive, horizontally scaled architecture—can accelerate development cycles and time-to-market with new applications and services. Cloud computing can usher in a new era of productivity if developers build on platforms designed to be federated rather than centralized.

Even while IT is being asked to contain or reduce costs, demands from the business continue to rise. Workloads such as streaming content, High-performance computing (HPC) applications, rich customer Web experiences require massive compute and storage resources and also experience sudden surges and spikes in demand — they simply operate at a scale that is beyond the capacity of traditional IT infrastructure. Cloud computing offers a solution.

While cost-cutting moves may dominate the headlines this year, businesses will be focusing on making wise investments that both reduce costs and enable them to better leverage technology.

Here is what Cloud Computing can offer:

Reducing Capital Expenditures
Cloud computing makes it possible for companies to convert IT costs from capital expense to operating expense through technologies such as virtualization.

Cutting the Cost of Running a Datacenter
Cloud computing improves infrastructure utilization rates and streamlines resource management. For example, cloud computing allows for self-service provisioning through APIs, bringing a higher level of automation to the data center and reducing management costs.

Eliminating Over-Provisioning
Cloud computing provides scaling on demand which, when combined with utility pricing, removes the need to over-provision to meet demand. With cloud computing, companies can scale up to massive capacities in an instant - without having to invest in new infrastructure, train new personnel, or license new software.

Increasing Agility
Cloud computing accommodates change like no other model, and can also provide a wider selection of more lightweight and agile development tools, simplifying and speeding up the development process.

Accelerating Cycles
The cloud computing model provides a faster, more efficient way to develop the new generation of applications and services. Faster development and testing cycles means businesses can accomplish in hours what used to take days, weeks, or months.

All cloud computing deployments have a few things in common. At the highest level, they are a means of delivering IT resources as a set of well-defined services. Just as electric utilities gain efficiency by limiting your options for voltage and frequency, clouds gain efficiency by doing a small number of services very well. Of course this means that some applications would not fit a particular cloud, but that is the important trade-off.

for more information log into: http://www.ciol.com/Enterprise/Feature/Behind-the-Cloud-Buzz/17209116164/0/

Microsoft Launches Windows 7 in Hindi

2009-02-05T22:34:00.000-08:00

The new initiatives include Language Interface Packs (LIPs) in 12 Indian languages for MS Office and Windows

Microsoft, as a part of its efforts to overcome the language barrier to computing, has showcased a variety of custom made products directed specifically at the vernacular language market - a market that has been largely left untapped till now.

The new initiatives include Language Interface Packs (LIPs) in 12 Indian languages - Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Gurmukhi, Hindi, Kannada, Konkani, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Tamil and Telugu - for MS Office and Windows.

The company has also announced a total of 45 additional virtual keyboards for these languages. Even Windows Live has not been spared the treatment with it being made available in as many as seven Indian languages. These languages are Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil and Telugu.

There's more in store for developers as well. Directed at vernacular language developers, it has launched the Captions Language Interface Pack (or CLIP) in Hindi, Malayalam, Oriya, and Tamil. CLIP uses a tool tip caption to display translations for user interface items in Visual Studio 2008 making it the first ever instance of Microsoft releasing a tool specifically to help students and beginner developers in India use the product in their own language.

The most talked about part of the sneak peek was a rather cool beta version of Windows 7 in Hindi, one of the eight global languages the Operating System (Beta) was released in recently. We would love to have a go at this one!

source:http://www.techtree.com/India/News/Microsoft_Launches_Windows_7_in_Hindi/551-98498-643.html

Professional videos could come to YouTube via new agreement

2009-01-29T23:14:00.000-08:00

San Bruno (CA) - YouTube is close to closing a deal with talent provider William Morris Agency, which would mean that company's clients would star in productions designed specifically for YouTube's format on the web. Production companies could bypass "straight to video," going instead "straight to YouTube."

The Internet is changing; many actors and celebrities are creating their own web content toady. This new YouTube deal would give William Morris clients an ownership stake in the videos they create for the website; it will also give them a chance to increase their level of "celebrity" on the web.

By partnering with a talent agency like this, YouTube is showing that they have a desire to be a landing spot for Hollywood. And making a deal with William Morris would be a significant move in that direction as the agency's clients include such individuals as Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington.

This deal would give YouTube the opportunity to add professionally produced videos to its website, augmenting its library of mainly amateur content and user uploaded videos. The addition of videos of this caliber would give YouTube a greater presence as a true entertainment source, and this might also deliver the monetary answer Google has been seeking - which is how to make money off all the videos it now hosts for free.

Due to privacy and copyright concerns, YouTube doesn't place ads next to most of its user created content. This means the company can only make money off of a small portion of the videos uploaded to the site. YouTube had over 100 million United States viewers in October alone, meaning YouTube's audience is gigantic.

The deal isn't signed yet, so it's too early to get all worked up. But it is something to keep your eye on and watch out for. And, if professional content does come YouTube's way, they may have to change their name to TheyTube - in deference to the production companies now creating the videos instead of regular people.

source:http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/41257/113/

DND: No ceasefire with dissident groups during May14 polls

2009-01-24T02:36:00.000-08:00

The Department of National Defense (DND) will not recommend to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo the declaration of a ceasefire with the dissident groups during the May 14 midterm elections in order to avoid unauthorized and unnecessary movements of possible troublesome groups.

"We are not recommending an election truce. Generally, ayaw natin na magkaroon ng unnecessary and unauthorized movements (of the groups who are planning to sabotage the election)," Defense Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. said following the taping of "The Cabinet Speaks," hosted by Press Assistant Secretary Jose Capadocia and Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) reporter Rey Mercaral at the New Executive Building (NEB) Briefing Room this afternoon.

At the same time, Ebdane called on all officials and members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to help and coordinate with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to ensure the peaceful and orderly conduct of the elections on Monday.

"Gawin nating mapayapa ang halalan," Ebdane said as he urged the soldiers to think and always consider the feelings of the Filipino people who want a peaceful, progressive and economically-developed country, as a whole.

He also asked the men and women of the AFP to exercise their right to vote judiciously, thinking of the welfare of the majority of the people and using their conscience in selecting the qualified candidates based on their platform of government and not on popularity.

On the issue of military deployment, Ebdane assured the public that the role of the soldiers will be in compliance with the directives of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ensure the peaceful conduct of the elections.

He said that the AFP is coordinating with the PNP for the soldiers to assist the police authorities in case there is a threat to sabotage the conduct of the polls.

The AFP, he stressed, is tasked to secure the crowd at all times, especially the voting populace.

Ebdane predicted that overall, the 2007 elections would be peaceful and orderly.

Obama's SEC pick to face reform-minded Congress

2009-01-15T00:58:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President-elect Barack Obama's choice to lead the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission will be grilled Thursday on how she intends to overhaul an agency widely blamed for failing to help prevent the biggest financial crisis in decades.

Members of the Senate Banking Committee are expected to ask veteran regulator Mary Schapiro whether the SEC should be merged with the U.S. futures regulator and for ideas on how to rework rules that failed to prevent Wall Street's meltdown.

Schapiro, currently the chief executive of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, is also expected to face questions about what the broker-dealer watchdog could have done to uncover Bernard Madoff's alleged $50 billion fraud, something the SEC also missed.

FINRA late Wednesday said it investigated 19 trading complaints about Madoff's broker-dealer firm but they did not relate to the investment advisory issues involved in the alleged fraud.

Further, FINRA said the SEC did not pass on any complaints. "The SEC did not share the tips it received with FINRA," it said in an emailed statement.

The very future of the 74-year-old SEC is in question after a number of regulatory missteps. Under current SEC chairman Christopher Cox, the five largest U.S. investment banks -- which the SEC supervised under a voluntary arrangement -- have since either collapsed or reorganized.

The SEC has also been a punching bag for various lawmakers and Wall Street firms who successfully put pressure on the agency to temporarily stop investors from making bearish bets on financial stocks when markets were in a tailspin in 2008.

Many see Schapiro as someone who will help heal the SEC.

She has spent more than two decades regulating financial markets with a resume that includes chairing the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and a stint as an SEC commissioner.

She has been widely praised by both industry and investor groups. Members of the Senate Banking Committee have also lauded her.

Committee Chairman Christopher Dodd said Schapiro will inherit a host of issues requiring the SEC's immediate attention, including the Madoff fraud and accounting issues.

"I look forward to (the) hearing and the opportunity to learn more about Schapiro's record as a regulator, her vision for the SEC, and her extensive knowledge of the securities markets and financial services industry," the Democrat from Connecticut said in a statement Wednesday.

Lawmakers are likely to seek Schapiro's views on investment bank regulation. Even though former investment banks like Goldman Sachs have reorganized into bank holding companies and are supervised by the Federal Reserve, Congress will have to figure out how to best regulate the holding companies for broker-dealers.

And shareholder activists and business groups will be listening for anything she says on the issue of proxy access, or giving shareholders another way to advance board nominees.

Questions are also expected on the move toward a global accounting standard and the controversial fair value accounting rule that has been blamed for forcing financial firms to write down billions of dollars in assets.

for more information log onto:http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE50E1ZT20090115

Tax reform a key part of new German stimulus plan

2009-01-13T01:20:00.000-08:00

BERLIN, Jan 13 (Reuters) - A 50 billion euro stimulus package agreed late on Monday by German Chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition includes changes to tax brackets to ease the burden on households, the ruling parties said on Tuesday.

Eight months before an election, Merkel's conservatives and the Social Democrats (SPD), who share power in an uneasy coalition, agreed new measures to help Europe's largest economy through what could be its worst recession since World War Two.

Details of the two-year 50 billion euro plan ($67.02 billion) were still trickling out on Tuesday morning but central to the package is 18 billion euros in new investments in infrastructure and education.

There will also be incentives worth 2,500 euros for new car purchases. The entry level tax rate will go down slightly and tax-free thresholds will be raised slightly, the parties said.

Volker Kauder, parliamentary leader of Merkel's conservatives, told ZDF television on Tuesday that on top of these measures, the package would also address so-called "cold progression" -- the process by which taxpayers are shifted into higher tax brackets even when real incomes have not grown.

Reform of this process, which occurs in Germany because tax groups are not adjusted for inflation, was one of the most difficult issues for the parties to agree on.

"There will be not just a change to the threshold and the entry tax rate but there will also be an adjustment to the tax groupings so that we can get into (tackling) cold progression," Kauder said. "It is something for the whole tax system."

Peter Struck, SPD parliamentary floor leader, told German television the package would ease the tax burden.

"With this package we can achieve our goal of emerging from this crisis as best we can."

continued at:http://uk.reuters.com/article/marketsNewsUS/idUKLD73301620090113

Idols, You’ll Have to Pass Through Her

2009-01-09T23:42:00.000-08:00

ONE day after Christmas and 18 days before her life was to take a turn toward the absurd, Kara DioGuardi was here, in her cozy two-story vacation home that overlooks the harbor, sipping red wine and reassuring herself that life could always be this calm.

“Here I am,” she said, sighing between stretches of self-analysis, “being scrutinized again.”

About 15 years ago this New Rochelle, N.Y., native moved to New York City after college and tried to make it as a rock star, taking the usual knocks along the way: “I should lose five pounds, my nose is too big, you’re not black enough, you’re not white enough: those were actual comments,” she said. So instead she found her way as a songwriter, becoming one of the more successful and ubiquitous pop engines in recent memory, responsible for hits by Celine Dion, Pink, Kelly Clarkson and Christina Aguilera. Behind the scenes had become home, and she was fine with that.

But Ms. DioGuardi, 38, will have to get comfortable under the pop microscope. Feisty, heartfelt and outspoken, she is the new judge on “American Idol,” whose eighth season begins Tuesday on Fox. She will be the most evident disruption to the show’s familiar structure since its 2002 inception.

“I’m not going into this thinking everyone’s going to love me,” she said with a touch of hesitation, “but they can’ttake away what I’ve done.”

By this point in the evening Ms. DioGuardi’s Chihuahua, Tiki, had given up barking and taken a soft spot on the couch; the view outside the living room’s picture window revealed the harbor at low tide, a black plateau of silt.

It won’t be this quiet for some time. And it’s a particularly tough moment to be injected into “Idol.” Last season’s two-night premiere averaged 33.3 million viewers, the fewest of any “Idol” premiere since the fourth season. Ratings for 2008 were down 6 percent from the previous season, according to Fox, though “Idol” remained the highest-rated series on network television.

As a result Fox and 19 Entertainment, the show’s producers, have made a few changes. More emphasis will be placed on the emotional arcs of the contestants, a feature that had been marginalized in recent years. As in the first few seasons there will be 36 semifinalists instead of 24, with judge-selected wild cards making it into the final 12. But the shift that will make the biggest impact will be the insertion of Ms. DioGuardi between Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul at the judges’ table.

“We needed someone who would be credible musically,” said Mike Darnell, president of alternative entertainment for Fox. Several people were considered before Ms. DioGuardi was chosen, just days before auditions began in August, he said. “It doesn’t hurt that she’s very attractive. We wanted someone who would argue when necessary, a voice that would stir it up, and she’s done that.”

for more information:http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/arts/television/11cara.html

Ballmer touts Windows 7 beta, new deals

2009-01-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

LAS VEGAS--As he takes the stage Wednesday, Steve Ballmer has a mighty big task ahead of him.

Not only is he taking over Consumer Electronics Show keynote duties from Bill Gates, he is also aiming to convince the tech world that Microsoft is serious about defending its turf on the PC as well as making headway on the Web, television and phone. Oh yeah, and then there's that whole economy-melting-down thing.

Ballmer hasn't arrived in Sin City empty handed, however. In perhaps the biggest announcement of the night, he will announce Microsoft is ready with a beta version of Windows 7 and he will show off some of its key consumer features.

Microsoft will also announce new deals for Windows Live that will see Microsoft's search engine become the default on PCs from Dell as well as touting a deal with Verizon Wireless that leaked earlier in the day. The company is also counting on two Halo game releases this year to help keep the Xbox 360 going in the right direction.

But Microsoft faces considerable competition in each of the areas Ballmer is discussing. On the PC front, a resurgent Apple has increased its share. In search, Google continues to dominate. In the phone market, Apple's iPhone has grabbed much of the spotlight, not to mention significant market share. Google also has joined the fray, while longtime competitors such as Research in Motion and Palm are trying to maintain their slices of the pie as well.

And then, of course, there's the substantial financial headwind. Ballmer is expected to express his usual optimism--despite the global financial outlook--and discuss the company's commitment to research and development in both good times and bad. That said, Microsoft is clearly not immune from the problems that led Intel Wednesday to announce that fourth-quarter revenues were down 23 percent from the same quarter a year ago.

On the PC side, Microsoft is looking to turn the page from Vista to its successor, Windows 7. Microsoft isn't talking about any new features of Windows 7, saying it talked about all of the key features at the Professional Developer Conference last year. Instead, it will attempt to demonstrate what features like improved home networking really mean for the average household.

As for the beta of Windows 7, Microsoft said it will be immediately available for technical beta testers and those in Microsoft's TechNet and MSDN developer programs and will be made publicly available on Friday. The company still isn't officially committing to a final release in time for this year's holiday season, although the company is clearly still aiming for that.

Ballmer will also discuss Windows Live. In addition to the global PC deal with Dell and the five year U.S. deal with Verizon Wireless, Microsoft has expanded its relationship with Facebook to allow users to see within their Windows Live homepage certain of their buddies' Facebook updates. The company is also stripping the beta tag off many of its Web-based and downloadable Windows Live products.

On the phone side, Ballmer is expected to talk about the improved mobile browser Microsoft released at the end of last year, but the company is not talking yet about when to expect a serious upgrade to the Windows Mobile operating system, which has grown rather long in the tooth. Microsoft has made reference to an interim Windows 6.5 release that could serve as a bridge until the more significant overhaul of the operating system--Windows Mobile 7--makes its delayed debut.

On the automotive side, Microsoft is announcing a new version of its Ford Sync entertainment system that uses voice recognition software from its Tellme acquisition.

While that's the main news of the show, check out our live blog to get some live quotes, our commentary, as well as updates on any celebrity guests or funny videos that are often the hallmark of Microsoft's keynotes.

source:http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10135791-75.html

Muharram

2008-12-21T23:01:00.000-08:00

Muharram, the forbidden month, is the opening month of the Hejira year. The 10th day of the month is celebrated by the Sunnies as well as the Shias all over the world. It was on this day that God is believed to have created Adam and Eve and that the Pharoah of Egypt and his countrymen were drowned in the Red Sea by the will of the Almighty. Again it was on this day that the most lamentable carnage at Kerbala took place in 680 AD when Imman Hussain, the grandson of the Prophet and his men met with their end in an agonising manner. On this day the Jews observe fast. The Prophet enjoined on the Muslims to observe fast on the ninth and tenth of Muharram. It was to commemorate the victory of the Jews over Pharoah that fasting was enjoined upon Muslims on these days. For the Shia Muslims, Muharram is an important occasion for religious ceremony. The Sunni Muslims do not celebrate Muharram, but the devout Muslims among them observe fast.

`Pulikali' or `Tiger-dance' is part of this celebration in Kerala. Some Muslims assume the guise of tiger by painting their whole body to bring out the appearance of tiger, wear masks and parade through streets, playing, dancing and mimicking a tiger. This is done to idealize the valour of Hussain.

Pure protection insurance

2008-12-15T22:50:00.000-08:00

Pure protection insurance includes:

term assurance (life insurance);
critical illness insurance;
income protection insurance; and
payment protection insurance – includes elements of pure protection and general insurance.

Mandir Jain Tirth Shri Nakoda Ji

2008-12-08T03:02:00.000-08:00

Cause of Establishment:The temple has been built as a result of religious devotion and strong faith. The temple has about 246 inscriptions which amply show that over the centuries, the temple was extended, renovated, rebuilt and additions were made to it.

Brief of the Diety: The main idol is that of Shri Nakoda Parshwanath. This statue was brought here from the village Nakoda which is near Sinduri., hence the place is called Nakoda Parshwanath temple. But this alone is not the attraction of the temple. The Nokaoda Bhaironji was installed by Acharya Shri Vijay Himachal Suri who also established idols of other Teerthankars in this temple.

Important Architectural Characteristics: The temple has a very high elaborate shikher which is a rare example of Architectural and sculptural elegance. There are unparalleled statuettes and other floral patterns. The temple in fact is treated as a pilgrimage and it is visited by all Janis, Hindus of the entire country.

Emerald

2008-12-02T22:03:00.000-08:00

Emerald is the green variety of beryl with a chemical composition of Be3Al2Si6 O18. This beryllium aluminium silicate frequently has some sodium, lithium, and cesium included in the mineral ( Chesterman, 1979, p.560). The luster is vitreous and beryl has a colorless streak. The hardness is 7.5-8 and specific gravity ranges from 2.66 to 2.92. Beryl's fracture is uneven to conchoidal and the cleavage is indistinct in one direction. Gem quality stones are transparent to translucent. The crystals are hexagonal and are usually six sided prisms that are striated lengthwise. The natural emerald is noted for its deep green color and the presence of inclusions verify its natural origin. Colors for beryl include blue-greenish blue (aquamarine), yellow (golden beryl), light yellow green (heliodor), red (bixbite), pink or peach (morganite), colorless (goshenite), as well as the bright green emerald, which is considered the most valued of these varieties. Beryl develops in pegmatites and certain metamorphic rocks. Fine emeralds have velvety body appearance and the value is in the even distribution of color. Beryl can also have a pale green variety that is not gem quality and this mineral occurs with scheelite in a pegmatite near Oreana, Pershing Co. Nevada as well as in North Carolina, Colorado and California (Chesterman, 1979, p. 560-563).

Seed

2008-11-24T22:56:00.001-08:00

Quality soil and seed are two of the most important farming inputs. High yields and good produce can be achieved only when soil and seeds are used wisely. For this it is necessary to test soil and seed to find out what needs to be added to optimize them. Keeping this in mind, the government has set up a large number of testing labs for various types of soil and seed. Here are a few details on soil fertility maps, testing labs and seed distribution centres.

Setting Goals for Weight Loss

2008-11-17T04:25:00.000-08:00

There are lots of reasons for people who are overweight or obese to lose weight. To be healthier. To look better. To feel better. To have more energy.

No matter what the reason, successful weight loss and healthy weight management depend on sensible goals and expectations. If you set sensible goals for yourself, chances are you'll be more likely to meet them and have a better chance of keeping the weight off. In fact, losing even five to 10 percent of your weight is the kind of goal that can help improve your health.

Most overweight people should lose weight gradually. For safe and healthy weight loss, try not to exceed a rate of two pounds per week. Sometimes, people with serious health problems associated with obesity may have legitimate reasons for losing weight rapidly. If so, a physician's supervision is required.

Kodanadu

2008-11-10T02:20:00.000-08:00

This is a forest elephant care centre. Here you can see baby elephants rescued from the forests being cared for. Elephants are also trained here. Kodanadu is 15 km from Perumbavoor which is on the Kochi-Munnar route (via Aluva).Art Complex - Madhavan Nair Foundation, Edappally - Located at Edappally, 10 kms north of Ernakulam en route to Alwaye, the complex consists of two units: the Gallery of Paintings and Sculptures, which presents over 200 original paintings by contemporary Indian artists, some of them internationally acclaimed, and works of reputed Indian sculptures. The other unit, the Centre for Visual Arts is reserved for authentic reproductions of selected world masters from Leonardo da Vinci to those of the present century. The centre also exhibits certain larger-than-life mural reproductions of ancient Indian art.

Charminar

2008-11-03T21:44:00.000-08:00

The city of Hyderabad, with its delightful blend of the ancient and the modern, presents to the onlooker an interesting skyline with modern buildings standing shoulder to shoulder with fascinating 400 year old edifices.

It boasts of some fine examples of Qutab Shahi architecture - the Jami Masjid, the Mecca Masjid, Toli Masjid, and of course, the impressive symbol of Hyderabad, the Charminar.

The Charminar is a massive arch built by Mohammed Quli Qutab Shah, in 1591 to commemorate the end of the plague in the city. The symbol of the city, the Charminar, is an impressive square monument with four minarets. The arch is illuminated daily in the evening, an unforgettable sight indeed. The monument is a magnificent square edifice of granite, built upon four grand arches facing North, South, East and West. These arches support two floors of rooms and gallery of archways. At each corner of the square structure is a minaret rising to a height of 24 meters, making the building nearly 54 meters tall. It is these four (char) minarets (minar) that give the building, its name ‘Charminar’. Each minar stands on a lotus-leaf base, a special recurrent motif in Qutub Shahi buildings.

The first floor was used as a madarasa (college) during the Qutub Shahi period. The second floor has a mosque on the western side, the dome of which is visible from the road, if one stands some distance away. A spectacular view of the city may be had from the roof of the Charminar, although, due to severe overcrowding of the minarets, only visitors with special permission from the Archaeological Survey of India, Hyderabad Circle are allowed to go to the top of the minarets. The clocks above each of the four archways were added in 1889.

Walking around the Charminar area, one is constantly surprised by vestiges of the past intermingling with the present. Towards the Southeast of the Charminar is located imposing edifice of the Nizamia Unani Hospital. About 50m to the West, the line of shops in Lad Bazaar is interrupted by an old, crumbling brown wall, which marks the entrance to the old Nizama’s Jilau Khana (parade ground). The grounds are now being used for the development of a large commercial complex. Further down, a road to the left leads to the Khilawat Complex (Chowmahalla Palace). The Lad Bazaar road terminates in a square called Mahaboob Chowk where a large 19th century clock-tower looms over a delicate white mosque of the same period.

The Charminar is about 7 km from Hyderabad railway station. It is 5 km from Hyderabad bus station. Excellent private transport is available from all parts of the twin-cities. Called the "Arc De Triumph of the East", Charminar symbolises Hyderabad. As old as the city itself, the four imposing towers of this edifice stand in the heart of the old city as a hallmark of the Qutub Shahi era.

Sari

2008-10-29T05:39:00.000-07:00

The sari (saree) is the most popular outer garment of women of the Indian subcontininent. It consists of a piece of silk, cotton or synthetic cloth, five to seven yards long which is worn wrapped around the body with the end left hanging (the pallu) or used over the head as a hood. The border of a sari is usually embroidered and this is often a status symbol. Also different regions of India have specific methods of wrapping the cloth. A short tight fitting blouse called a choli is usually worn under the sari.

Weight regulation in children

2008-10-20T02:57:00.000-07:00

Children need enough food for proper growth. To promote growth and development and prevent overweight, teach children to eat grain products; vegetables and fruits; lowfat milk products or other calcium-rich foods; beans, lean meat, poultry, fish or other protein-rich foods; and to participate in vigorous activity. Limiting television time and encouraging children to play actively in a safe environment are helpful steps. Although limiting fat intake may help to prevent excess weight gain in children, fat should not be restricted for children younger than 2 years of age. Helping overweight children to achieve a healthy weight along with normal growth requires more caution. Modest reductions in dietary fat, such as the use of lowfat milk rather than whole milk, are not hazardous. However, major efforts to change a child's diet should be accompanied by monitoring of growth by a health professional at regular intervals.

Non-Sticky Oils

2008-10-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

These oils have a waxy or oily feel. Class B oils are less toxic and adhere more firmly to surfaces than Class A oils, although they can be removed from surfaces by vigorous flushing. As temperatures rise, their tendency to penetrate porous substrates increases and they can be persistent. Evaporation of volatiles may lead to a Class C or D residue. Medium to heavy paraffin-based oils fall into this class.

Whole Foods or Supplements?

2008-09-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

Nutrients should come primarily from foods. Foods such as fruits and vegetables contain not only the vitamins and minerals that are often found in supplements, but also other naturally occurring substances that may help protect you from chronic diseases.

For some people, fortified foods or supplements can be helpful in getting the nutrients their bodies need. A fortified food contains a nutrient in an amount greater than what is typically found in that food.

Siamese Fighting Fish

2008-09-24T21:56:00.000-07:00

This fish can safely be kept in a community tank, although not with another male of their own species, and also, not usually with a female lest they start protecting (or hating) her and causing trouble all round.

In gorgeous color sheens; pure or mixed, with red, blue, green and albino predominating; but by no means being exhaustive. Growing to a sturdy 3 in., these dominating males are short-lived, thirty months or les, and ride roughshod over their terrified females who are shorter finned, paler, smaller, and no match whatsoever for their vigorous partners.

Mango

2008-09-15T05:17:00.001-07:00

Several hundred acres of mango are grown commercially in Hawaii in addition to numerous dooryard plantings (Yee 1958). Singh (1960) reported that mangos cover about 7,000 acres in Florida but D. O. Wolfenbarger (personal commun., 1970) estimated that there were only about 2,000 acres.

Mango is grown for the egg-shaped, 2- to 6-inch long, greenish or yellowish to reddish fruit, which has a skin slightly thicker than that of a peach. The juicy, sweet to acid flesh around the hard mono- or polyembryonic stone is a popular fruit for millions of people in the tropical and subtropical areas around the world.

Tornado!

2008-09-10T00:00:00.001-07:00

Tornado is most Violent Storms.Greg Stumpf Although tornadoes occur in many parts of the world, these destructive forces of nature are found most frequently in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains during the spring and summer months. In an average year, 800 tornadoes are reported nationwide, resulting in 80 deaths and over 1,500 injuries. A tornado is defined as a violently rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. The most violent tornadoes are capable of tremendous destruction with wind speeds of 250 mph or more. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide and 50 miles long. Once a tornado in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, carried a motel sign 30 miles and dropped it in Arkansas!

Photovoltaic (PV) Device

2008-09-01T22:52:00.001-07:00

A solid-state electrical device that converts light directly into direct current electricity of voltage-current characteristics that are a function of the characteristics of the light source and the materials in and design of the device. Solar photovoltaic devices are made of various semiconductor materials including silicon, cadmium sulfide, cadmium telluride, and gallium arsenide, and in single crystalline, multicrystalline, or amorphous forms.

Power

2008-08-25T00:20:00.001-07:00

The availability of coal in abundance makes Jharkhand an ideal state for setting up thermal power plants. The Government of Jharkhand has taken several initiatives for the development of this industry. It has signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of India as a token of its commitment to the reforms in the power sector. Rural electrification has been accorded top priority. The work on renovation and modernization of existing power generating stations has already commenced. The State is attracting private investment in the industry for its further growth.

Sociology of education

2008-08-18T22:24:00.000-07:00

The sociology of education is the learning of how social institutions and services have an effect on educational processes and outcomes, and vice versa. By many, education is understood to be a means of overcome the handicaps, achieve greater equality and acquire wealth and status for all (Sargent 1994). Learners may be provoked by aspirations for progress and betterment. Education is perceived as a place where children can expand according to their unique needs and potentialities. The principle of education can be to build up every individual to their full potential. The understanding of the goals and means of educational socialization processes differs according to the sociological model used.

List of vineyard soil types

2008-08-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

The soil composition of vineyards is one of the significant viticultural considerations when planting grape vines. The soil supports the root structure of the vine and influences the drainage levels and amount of minerals and nutrients that the vine is uncovered to. The ideal circumstance for a vine is an area of thin topsoil and subsoil that adequately retain waters but also has good drainage so that the vine roots don't become overly soaked. The ability of the soil to retain heat and/or reproduce it back up to the vine is also a vital consideration that affects the ripening of the grape.

There are more than a few minerals that are very important to the health of vines that all good vineyard soils have. These include calcium which helps to counteract the Soil pH levels, iron which is necessary for photosynthesis, magnesium which is a significant component of chlorophyll, nitrogen which is assimilated in the form of nitrates, phosphates which encourage root development, and potassium which improve the vine metabolisms and increase it health for next year's crop.

Cargo

2008-08-05T23:02:00.001-07:00

Cargo or freight is a word used to signify goods or produce being transported normally for commercial gain, usually on a plane, ship, train, truck or van. In modern times, containers are used in most intermodal long-haul cargo transport.

Cargo represents a concern to U.S. national security and is it was reported out of Washington, DC that in 2003 over 6 million cargo containers enter the United States each year. After the terrorist attacks of September 11th, the security of this extent of cargo has become highlighted. The latest US Government response to this threat is the CSI: Container Security Initiative. CSI is a program planned to help increase security for containerized cargo shipped to the United States from around the world.

Lotus Temple

2008-07-29T04:23:00.000-07:00

It is situated in Place of Kalkaji in South Delhi, near to Kalkaji Temple.The well-known place to visit Pilgrimage Centre, where people from all the faith approach for meditation and obtaining peace.

Shaped like a Lotus, the Lotus Temple is situated in Kalkaji in the south of Delhi. Made of marble, dolomite, sand and cement, the temple is the modern architectural wonder of India. A perfect place for meditation and obtaining peace and calm, the temple is visited by people from all walks of life. The Lotus Temple is a very new architectural marvel of the Bahai faith. The Bahai Faith is the youngest of the world's self-governing religions. Its founder, Bahadullah (1817-1892), is regard by Bahais as the most recent in the line of Messengers of God that stretches back beyond recorded time and that include Buddha, Moses, Abraham, Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad.

Billboard

2008-07-21T23:25:00.000-07:00

A billboard is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), naturally found in high traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertisements to passing pedestrians and drivers. Typically showing large, amusing slogans and distinctive visuals, billboards are extremely visible in the top selected market areas.

Bulletins are the largest, most impact standard-size billboards. Located primarily on major highways, expressways or principal arterials, they authority high-density consumer exposure (mostly to vehicular traffic). Bulletins afford greatest visibility due not only to their size, but because they allow imaginative "customizing" through extensions and embellishments.

Poster is the another type of advertising in the form of billboard advertising, located chiefly in marketable and industrial areas on primary and secondary major roads. Posters are a smaller format than bulletins and are viewed principally by residents and commuter traffic, with some walker exposure.

The Ancient Egypt Portal

2008-07-14T03:51:00.001-07:00

The culture of Ancient Egypt lived along the Nile River in Egypt from before the 5th millennium BC awaiting the 4th Century AD. Ancient Egyptian society was based on farming the lush Nile valley which flooded every year, inspiring the soil with nutrients. The government of ancient Egypt, headed by the Pharaoh, was in charge for organizing farming efforts and collecting taxes for the state, which protected the country's borders and built grand monuments to the gods. The ancient Egyptian civilization successfully ended after the Roman domination, but the pyramids and colossal statues they left behind stand as testimony to the power of the pharaohs.

Baseball

2008-07-07T04:09:00.000-07:00

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal of baseball is to score runs by striking a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four markers called bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond. Players on one team (the batting team) take turns hitting while the other team (the fielding team) try to stop them from scoring runs by receiving hitters out in any number of ways. A player on the batting team can discontinue at any of the bases and hope to score on a teammate's hit. The teams switch between batting and fielding whenever the fielding team gets three outs. One turn at bat for each team constitutes an inning; nine innings make up a professional game. The team by way of getting more runs at the end of the game wins.

Electronic commerce

2008-07-01T04:05:00.000-07:00

Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce or eCommerce, consists of the buying and selling of goods or services over electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer networks. The amount of trade conducted electronically has grown extremely since the spread of the Internet. A wide diversity of commerce is conducted in this way, spurring and drawing on innovations in electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at slightest at some point in the transaction's lifecycle, although it can encompass a wider range of technologies such as e-mail as well.

A large percentage of electronic commerce is conducted completely electronically for virtual items such as right of entry to premium content on a website, but most electronic commerce involves the transportation of physical items in some way. Online retailers are from time to time known as e-tailers and online retail is sometimes known as e-tail. Almost all large retailers have electronic commerce attendance on the World Wide Web.

Electronic commerce is normally considered to be the sales aspect of e-business. It also consists of the exchange of data to make easy the financing and payment aspects of the business transactions.

Chat Rooms

2008-06-19T05:36:00.000-07:00

Chat rooms enable users to engage in a live "conversation" with people across the street or around the world. They are similar to telephone conferences except that messages are typed instead of spoken. Usually, everyone in a chat room can see all the other participants' contributions.

Chat rooms are more popular with younger people and have not yet reached their curricular potential. Currently viewed by schools as a home-leisure pursuit rather than an educational communications medium, we can expect to see the role of chat rooms in schools change in coming years.

The value

Prejudices and stereotyping can be reduced in group work where there is neither a visual nor a vocal link between the participants.
It can be really helpful, particularly in adolescence, to talk openly with others of the same age, whom you know and trust, about some of the difficult issues of growing up.Expertise gained from home use could be capitalized on within school.

Body painting

2008-06-11T01:58:00.001-07:00

Body painting, or sometimes body painting, is a form of body art, considered by some as the earliest form of art. Unlike tattoo and other forms of body art, body painting is temporary, painted onto the human skin, and lasts for only several hours, or at most in the case of Mehndi or "henna tattoo" a couple of weeks. Body painting that is partial to the face is known as face painting.

Driverless car

2008-06-02T22:45:00.001-07:00

The driverless car idea embraces an emerging family of highly automated cognitive and control technologies, eventually aimed at a full "taxi-like" experience for car users, but without a human driver. Together with alternative propulsion, it is seen by some as the main scientific advance in car technology by 2020.

Driverless passenger programs include the 800 million ECU EUREKA Prometheus Project on autonomous vehicles (1987-1995), the 2getthere passenger vehicles (using the FROG-navigation technology) from the Netherlands, the ARGO investigate project from Italy, and the DARPA Grand Challenge from the USA. For the wider application of artificial intelligence to automobiles see smart cars.

Great Pyramid of Giza

2008-05-26T21:53:00.000-07:00

The Great Pyramid of Giza, also called Khufu's Pyramid or the Pyramid of Khufu, and Pyramid of Cheops, is the oldest and most significant of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now Cairo, Egypt in Africa, and is the only remaining member of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is held the pyramid was built as a tomb for Fourth dynasty Egyptian pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and builds over a 20 year period ultimate around 2560 BC. The Great Pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. Obviously all that remains is the underlying step-pyramid core structure seen today. Many of the casing stones that once enclosed the structure can still be seen around the base of the Great Pyramid. There have been varying scientific and alternative theories regarding the Great Pyramid's construction techniques. Most accepted construction theories are based on the idea that it was built by moving huge stones from a quarry and dragging and lifting them into place.

There are three recognized chambers inside the Great Pyramid. The lowest chamber is cut into the bedrock upon which the pyramid was built and was incomplete. A passage from the Grand Gallery leads to the Queen's Chamber, while an entrance leads from the Grand Gallery to the King's Chamber. The sarcophagus of the King's Chamber was hollow out of a single piece of Red Aswan granite and has been found to be too large to fit through the passageway leading to the chamber. Both the King's Chamber and the Queen's Chamber contain small shafts that climb out of the pyramid. Egyptologists now conclude they were instead used for ceremonial purposes. The Great Pyramid is the only pyramid known to contain both ascending and descending passages. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the main part of a complex setting of buildings that included two mortuary temples in honor of Khufu (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile), three smaller pyramids for Khufu's wives, an even smaller "satellite" pyramid, a raised causeway linking the two temples, and small mastaba tombs surrounding the pyramid for nobles.

Mountain

2008-05-18T23:05:00.001-07:00

A mountain is a landform that extends over the nearby terrain in a limited area. A mountain is normally steeper than a hill, but there is no commonly accepted standard definition for the height of a mountain or a hill though a mountain typically has an exacting summit.

Mountains are on the whole given as heights over mean sea level. The Himalayas generally 5 km above sea level, at the same time as the Andes average 4 km. Most other mountain has 2 – 2.5 km. The peak mountain on Earth is Everest, 8,848 m (29,028 feet), locate in the world's most vital mountain range, the Himalayas.

Sufficiently big mountains have particularly different climatic conditions at the top than at the base, and will thus have different life zones at different altitudes on their slopes. The plants and animals of a sector are to some extent lonely when the zones above and below are harsh, and numerous unique species take place on mountainsides as an end result. Great cases are identified as sky islands. Cloud forests are forests on mountain sides which are a focus for moisture from the air, and thus creating a single ecosystem. Very tall mountains may possibly be enclosed in ice or snow.

Economic order quantity

2008-05-11T22:49:00.000-07:00

Economic order quantity is that stage of inventory that minimizes the total of inventory holding cost and ordering cost. The framework used to decide this order quantity is also known as Wilson EOQ Model. The model was developed by F. W. Harris in 1913. But still R. H. Wilson is given credit for his early in-depth study of the model.
Underlying assumptions
The ordering cost is constant.
The annual (or monthly or whatever periodicity you desire, here we will use annual) demand for the item is stable over time and it is known to the firm.
Quantity discounts doesn't exist.
The order is received immediately after placing the order.

Technical analysis

2008-05-04T23:14:00.000-07:00

Technical analysis is a financial markets technique that claims the ability to forecast the future direction of security prices through the study of past market data, primarily price and volume. In its purest form, technical analysis considers only the actual price behavior of the market or instrument, on the assumption that price reflects all relevant factors before an investor becomes aware of them through other channels. Technical analysts may employ models and trading rules based, for example, on price transformations, such as the Relative Strength Index, moving averages, regressions, inter-market and intra-market price correlations, cycles or, classically, through recognition of chart patterns.

Technical analysis is widely used among traders and financial professionals, but is considered by many to be pseudoscience or "voodoo finance;" it receives little or no direct support from academic sources and is considered akin to "astrology." Academics such as Eugene Fama say the evidence for technical analysis is sparse and is inconsistent with the weak form of the generally-accepted efficient market hypothesis. Economist Burton Malkiel argues, "Technical analysis is an anathema to the academic world." He further argues that under the weak form of the efficient market hypothesis, "...you cannot predict future stock prices from past stock prices."

River

2008-04-28T03:30:00.000-07:00

A river is a natural waterway, which runs water diagonally the land from higher to lower elevations, and is the most significant part of the water cycle. The water within a river is commonly from rain through exterior runoff and release of stored water in natural reservoirs, like groundwater.

The start of a mountain river from their resource, all rivers flow downhill, naturally terminates in the sea or in a lake, all through a flowing together. In dry areas rivers at times end by losing water to evaporation. River water may as well gain way in to the soil or pervious rock, where it becomes groundwater. Extreme abstraction of water for use in industry, irrigation, etc., can as well source a river to dry before reaching its natural boundary.

Global financial system

2008-04-20T23:06:00.001-07:00

The global financial system (GFS) is a financial system consisting of institutions and rules that act on the international level, as distinct to those that act on a national or regional level. The main players are the global institutions, such as International Monetary Fund and Bank for International Settlements, national agencies and government departments, e.g., central banks and finance ministries, and private institutions acting on the global scale, e.g., banks and hedge funds.

Internet marketing

2008-04-06T22:59:00.001-07:00

Internet marketing is the use of the Internet to publicize and sell goods and services. Internet Marketing consists of pay per click advertising, banner ads, e-mail marketing, join marketing, blog marketing, article marketing, etc. Few of the benefits connected with Internet marketing contain the accessibility of information. The Consumers can log onto the Internet and study about products, including purchase them, at any hour.

Mouse

2008-03-30T21:21:00.000-07:00

This article is regarding to computer input device. For the animal, see mouse. For other uses, see mouse (disambiguation).

A contemporary computer mouse, with the most common normal features: two buttons and a scroll wheel. In computing, a mouse (plural mice or mouses) functions as a pointing device by detect two-dimensional motion relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of a small case, held beneath of the user's hands, with one or more buttons. It sometimes features other elements, such as "wheels", which let the user to perform various system-dependent operations, or extra buttons or features can add more control or dimensional input. The mouse's motion classically translates into the motion of a pointer on a display, which allows for fine control of a Graphical User Interface.

The name mouse, originate at the Stanford Research Institute, derives from the similarity of early models (which had a cord attached to the rear part of the device, suggesting the idea of a tail) to the common mouse.

Pulses

2008-03-23T22:28:00.001-07:00

Pulses are defined by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as yearly leguminous crops yielding from one to twelve grains or seeds of variable size, shape and color surrounded by a pod. Pulses being used for food and animal feed.

The term pulses, as used by the FAO, are kept for crops harvested solely for the dry grain. This therefore excludes green beans and green peas, which are measured vegetable crops. Also barred crops which are mainly grown for oil extraction oilseeds like soybeans and peanuts, and crops which are used exclusively for sowing (clovers, alfalfa).

Pulses are main food crops due to their high protein and necessary amino acid content. Like many leguminous crops, pulses play a key role in crop turning round due to their capability to fix nitrogen.

Chocolate

2008-03-16T23:17:00.001-07:00

Chocolate comprises a number of raw and process foods that are formed from the seed of the tropical cacao tree. Native to lowland tropical South America, cacao has been sophisticated for three millennia in Central America and Mexico, with its earliest recognized use about 1100 BC. All of the Mesoamerican peoples made chocolate beverages, as well as the Maya and Aztecs, who made it into a beverage known as xocolātl, a Nahuatl word meaning "bitter water". The seeds of the cacao tree have a controlling bitter taste, and must be fermented to develop the flavor. After being roasted and ground, the ensuing products are known as chocolate or cocoa.

Much of the chocolate inspired today is made into bars that combine with cocoa solids, fats like cocoa butter, and sugar. Chocolate has twist into one of the most popular flavors in the world. A chocolate lover is also called as "chocoholics." Gifts of frustrated wrapped chocolate molded into different shapes has become traditional on certain holidays: chocolate bunnies and eggs are popular on Easter, coins on Hanukkah, Santa Claus and further holiday symbols on Christmas, and hearts on Valentine's Day. Chocolate is also used in cold and hot beverages, to make chocolate milk and cocoa.

Fixed income

2008-03-09T23:20:00.001-07:00

Fixed income refers to any kind of investment that yields a normal or fixed return.
For example, if you create use of money and have to pay interest once a month, you have issue a fixed-income security. When a company does this, it is frequently called a bond or corporate bank debt even though 'preferred stock' is also sometimes measured to be fixed income. Sometimes people misspeak when they talk about fixed income; bonds really have higher risk, while notes and bills have less risk because these are issued by Government agencies.

The term fixed income is also useful to a person's income that does not differ with each period. This can include income derivative from fixed-income investments such as bonds and preferred stocks or pensions that guarantee a fixed income.

Earth

2008-03-03T21:55:00.000-08:00

Earth (pronounced /'???/) is the third planet from the Sun and is the major of the terrestrial planets in the Solar System, in both diameter and mass. It is also referred to as the Earth, Planet Earth, and the World, and in several contexts, Gaia and Terra.

Home to millions of species including humans, Earth is the only place in the world where life is known to exist. Scientific evidence indicates that the planet formed 4.54 billion years ago, and life appear on its surface within a billion years. Since then, Earth's biosphere has considerably altered the atmosphere and other abiotic conditions on the planet, enable the proliferation of aerobic organisms as well as the formation of the ozone layer which, jointly with Earth's magnetic field, blocks harmful emission, permitting life on land.

Earth's outer surface is divided into several rigid segments, or tectonic plates, that regularly travel across the surface over periods of many millions of years. About 71% of the surface is enclosed with salt-water oceans, the remainder consisting of continents and islands; liquid water, necessary for all known life, is not known to exist on any other planet's surface. Earth's interior remains active, with a thick layer of comparatively solid mantle, a liquid outer core that generates a magnetic field, and a solid iron inside the core.

Light to chemical energy

2008-02-22T21:18:00.000-08:00

The light energy is converted to chemical energy using the light-dependent reactions. This chemical energy production is more than 90% efficient with only 5-8% of the energy transferred thermally. The products of the light-dependent reactions are ATP from photophosphorylation and NADPH from photoreduction. Both are then utilized as an energy source for the light-independent reactions.

Not all wavelengths of light can support photosynthesis. The photosynthetic action spectrum depends on the type of accessory pigments present. For example, in green plants, the action spectrum resembles the absorption spectrum for chlorophylls and carotenoids with peaks for violet-blue and red light

Friend-to-friend networks

2008-02-18T23:38:00.000-08:00

Instant Messaging may be done in a Friend-to-friend network, in which each node connects to the friends on the friendslist. This allows for communication with friends of friends and for the building of chatrooms for instant messages with all friends on that network.

Emotions are often expressed in shorthand. For example; lol. But a movement is currently underway to be more accurate with the emotional expression. Real time reactions such as (chortle) (snort) (guffaw) or (eye-roll) are rapidly taking the place of acronyms.

The real facts about Earth

2007-11-14T23:34:00.001-08:00

Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the fifth largest of the planet. Earth is the only planet whose English name does not originate from Greek/Roman mythology. The name derives from Old English and Germanic.

Earth, for sure, can be studied without the aid of spacecraft. However it was not until the twentieth century that we had maps of the complete planet. Pictures of the planet taken from space are of significant importance; for instance, they are a huge help in weather prediction and especially in tracking and predicting hurricanes. And they are amazingly beautiful. The Earth's magnetic field and its relations with the solar wind also generate the Van Allen emission belts, a pair of doughnut shaped rings of ionized gas (or plasma) trapped in orbit just about the Earth. The outer belt stretches from 19,000 km in altitude to 41,000 km; the inner belt lies involving 13,000 km and 7,600 km in altitude.

The Earth's surface is extremely young. In the relatively short (by astronomical standards) time of 500,000,000 years or so erosion and tectonic processes destroy and remake most of the Earth's surface and thus eliminate almost all traces of earlier geologic surface history (such as impact craters). Thus the very early on history of the Earth has mostly been erased. The Earth is 4.5 to 4.6 billion years old, but the oldest recognized rocks are about 4 billion years old and rocks older than 3 billion years are rare. The oldest fossils of existing organisms are less than 3.9 billion years old. There is no evidence of the critical period when life was first getting in progress.

The Earth's atmosphere is 77% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, with draws of argon, carbon dioxide and water. There was perhaps a very much larger amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere when the Earth was first created, but it has since been nearly all incorporated into carbonate rocks and to a smaller extent dissolved into the oceans and consumed by living plants. Plate tectonics and biological processes now keep a repeated flow of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to these various "sinks" and back over again. The small amount of carbon dioxide occupant in the atmosphere at any time is very important to the maintenance of the Earth's surface temperature through the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect raises the average surface temperature regarding 35 degrees C above what it would if not be (from a frigid -21 C to a comfortable +14 C); without it the oceans would freeze and life as we know it would be impossible.

People

2007-10-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

People are a group of humans, either with not mentioned traits, or specific characteristics (e.g. the people of Spain or the people of the Plains).
The term people is often used in English as the suppletive plural of person. However, the word persons is sometimes used in place of people, particularly when it would be ambiguous with its collective sense (e.g. missing persons instead of missing people). The term people can together refer to all humans or it can be used to identify the citizens of a nation, or members of a tribe, ethnic, or religious group. People of color is a phrase used to describe people with skin color darker than that of white people.

Theism and Deism of God:

2007-10-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

Theism holds that God exists practically, objectively, and separately of human thought; that God created and sustains the whole lot; that God is all-powerful and eternal, and is personal, interested and answers wish or prayer. It holds that God is both inspiring and immanent; thus, God is all together endless and in some way present in the affairs of the world. Catholic theology holds that God is noticeably simple and is not against your will subject to time. Most theists hold that God is supreme, omniscient, and benevolent, although this belief raises questions about God's responsibility for evil and suffering in the world. Some theists ascribe to God a self-conscious or determined limiting of all-powerfulness, omniscience, or benevolence. Open Theism, by compare, asserts that, due to the nature of time, God's omniscience does not signify the deity can predict the future. "Theism" is sometimes used to refer generally to any belief in a god or gods, i.e., monotheism or polytheism.

Deism holds that God is completely transcendent: God exists, but does not intercede in the world beyond what was essential to create it. In this view, God is not anthropomorphic, and does not factually answer prayers or cause miracles to happen. Common in Deism is a faith that God has no interest in humanity and may not even be conscious of humanity.

Butter chicken

2007-10-09T00:20:00.001-07:00

Butter chicken or murgh makhani is an Indian dish accepted in countries all over the world that have a tradition of Indian restaurants. While the dish's general recipe is well known, the actual flavour can differ from restaurant to restaurant even within Delhi. Butter chicken is usually served with naan, roti, parathas or steamed rice.

It is a dish prepared by marinating a chicken overnight in a yoghurt and spice mixture usually together with garam masala, ginger, lemon or lime, pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli, methi and garlic. It is in various ways like to chicken tikka masala. The chicken is then roasted or dry as a bone.

Bay of Bengal

2007-09-25T00:28:00.001-07:00

The Bay of Bengal is a bay that forms the northeastern ingredient of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in form, and is bordered on the east by Malay Peninsula, and on the west by India. On the northern pour of the "bay" lies the Bengal region, comprising the Indian state of West Bengal and the country of Bangladesh, thus the name. The southern extremes arrive at the island country of Sri Lanka, and the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Dot matrix printer

2007-09-13T23:19:00.001-07:00

Not like a typewriter or daisy wheel printer, letters are drawn out of a dot matrix, and thus, varied fonts and arbitrary graphics can be produced. Because the printing involves mechanical pressure, these printers can create carbon copies and carbonless copies. A dot matrix printer or impact matrix printer refers to a type of computer printer with a print head that runs back and forth on the page and prints by impact, striking an ink-soaked cloth ribbon against the paper, much like a typewriter.

Each dot is produced by a tiny metal rod, also called a "wire" or "pin", which uses the power of a tiny electromagnet or solenoid to drive it forward, either directly or through small levers. Facing the ribbon and the paper is a small guide plate pierced with holes to serve as guides for the pins. The moving portion of the printer is called the print head, and prints one line of text at a time. Most dot matrix printers have a single vertical line of dot-making equipment on their print heads; others have a few interleaved rows in order to improve dot density.
These machines can be highly hard-wearing, but eventually wear out. Ink invades the guide plate of the print head, causing grit to adhere to it; this grit slowly causes the channels in the guide plate to wear from circles into ovals or slots, given that less and less accurate guidance to the printing wires. After about a million characters, even with tungsten blocks and titanium pawls, the printing becomes too indistinct to read.

Sandstones

2007-09-06T00:55:00.001-07:00

Sandstone is an arenaceous sedimentary rock composed mostly of feldspar and quartz and varies in colour (in a similar way to sand), through grey, yellow, red, and white. Since sandstones often form extremely visible cliffs and other rock formations, certain colors of sandstone may be strongly identified with certain regions. For instance, much of the North American West is familiar for its red sandstones.

Salad

2007-08-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

Salad is a light meal — or, as part of a larger meal, much more of an taster — consisting of mixed vegetables (usually including at least one leaf vegetable) or fruit, frequently with a dressing or sauce, occasionally nuts and sometimes with the addition of meat, fish or cheese. It is generally seen as a healthy dish, although not always low in calories, salt, sugar, or fat because of the dressing that is often added.The word "salad" comes from the French salade of the same meaning, which in twist is from the Latin salata, "salty", from sal, "salt".

Mainframes

2007-08-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

Mainframes (often colloquially referred to as big iron) are huge and expensive computers used mainly by government institutions and large companies for mission critical applications, usually bulk data processing such as censuses, industry/consumer statistics, ERP, and financial transaction processing.
The term originated during the early 1970s with the introduction of smaller, fewer complex computers such as the DEC PDP-8 and PDP-11 series, which became known as minicomputers or just minis. The industry/users then coined the term "mainframe" to describe bigger, earlier types (previously known simply as "computers").

Microcomputer

2007-07-30T01:56:00.001-07:00

A microcomputer is mainly often taken to mean a computer with a microprocessor (µP) as its CPU. Another general characteristic of these computers is that they take up physically small amounts of space.Desktop computers, video game consoles, laptop computers, tablet PCs, and a lot of handheld devices may all be considered examples of microcomputers.Most microcomputers serve only a single user at a time, but some, in the form of PCs and workstations running e.g. a UNIX(-like) operating system, may cater to a number of users concurrently. The µP does the majority of the job of calculating on and manipulating data that all computers do.

2007-07-23T00:20:00.000-07:00

Lighthouse of Alexandria

The Pharos of Alexandria was a big tower built in the 3rd century BC (between 285 and 247 BC) on the island of Pharos in Alexandria, Egypt to give out as that port's landmark, and later, its lighthouse.With a height variously estimated at between 115 and 150 meters (383 - 450 ft) it was among the tallest man-made structures on Earth for many centuries, and was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of the World by Antipater of Sidon. It was the third tallest building after the two Great Pyramids (of Khufu and Khafra) for its whole life. Some scientists approximate a much taller height exceeding 180 metres that would make the tower the tallest building up to the 14th century.

Butter chicken

2007-07-16T02:05:00.001-07:00

It is a dish prepared by marinating a chicken overnight in a yoghurt and spice mixture usually together with garam masala, ginger, lemon or lime, pepper, coriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli, methi and garlic. It is in various ways like to chicken tikka masala. The chicken is then roasted or dry as a bone.

A Personal portal

2007-07-09T22:15:00.001-07:00

A Personal portal is a site on the World Wide Web that characteristically provides personalized capabilities to its visitors, given that a pathway to other content. It is intended to use distributed applications, different numbers and types of middleware and hardware to provide services from a number of different sources. In addition, business portals are intended to share collaboration in workplaces. A further business-driven requirement of portals is that the content be able to work on multiple platforms such as personal computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and cell phones.

Web proxy

2007-07-05T22:51:00.001-07:00

Proxies that hub on WWW traffic are called web proxies. Many web proxies try to block offensive web content. Other web proxies reformat web pages for an exact purpose or audience (e.g., cell phones and PDAs or persons with disabilities). Network operators can also set up proxies to intercept computer viruses and other hostile content served from remote web pages.

Many organizations — including schools, corporations, and countries — use proxy servers to implement acceptable network use policies or to provide security, anti-malware and/or caching services. A traditional web proxy is not translucent to the client application, which must be configured to use the proxy (manually or with a configuration script). In some cases, where substitute means of connection to the Internet are available ,the user may be able to avoid policy control by simply resetting the client configuration and bypassing the proxy. Furthermore administration of browser configuration can be a load for network administrators.

Goldfish

2007-07-01T22:37:00.001-07:00

The goldfish, Carassius auratus, was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is still one of the most usually kept aquarium fish and water gardens. A comparatively small member of the carp family ,which also includes the koi carp and the crucian carp, the goldfish is a domesticated version of a dark-gray/brown carp native to East Asia that was introduced to Europe in the late 17th century. The mutation that gave rise to the goldfish is also known from other cyprinid species, such as common carp and tench. Goldfish may grow to a maximum length of 23 inches (59 cm) and a maximum weight of 9.9 pounds (4.5 kg), although this is rare; few goldfish reach even half this size. In optimal conditions, goldfish may live more than 20 years (the world record is 49 years), but most household goldfish generally live only six to eight years, due to being kept in bowls.A group of goldfish is known as a troubling.

ARM

2007-06-27T22:21:00.001-07:00

The ARM architecture (Advanced RISC Machine or Acorn RISC Machine) is a 32-bit RISC processor architecture developed by ARM Limited that is widely used in a number of embedded designs. Due to their power saving features, ARM CPUs are dominant in the mobile electronics market, where low power consumption is a critical design goal.

Today, the ARM family accounts for over 75% of all 32-bit embedded CPUs, making it one of the most prolific 32-bit architectures in the world. ARM CPUs are found in all corners of consumer electronics, from portable devices to computer peripherals. Important branches in this family include Marvell's XScale and the Texas Instruments OMAP series.

Freshwater prawn farm

2007-06-24T22:20:00.001-07:00

A freshwater prawn farm is an aquaculture business designed to raise and produce freshwater prawn or shrimp1 for human consumption. Freshwater prawn farming shares many characteristics with, and many of the same problems as, marine shrimp farming. Unique problems are introduced by the developmental life cycle of the main species
The global annual production of freshwater prawns (excluding crayfish and crabs) in 2003 was about 280,000 tons, of which China produced some 180,000 tons, followed by India and Thailand with some 35,000 tons each. Additionally, China produced about 370,000 tons of Chinese river crab

Shrimp fishery

2007-06-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

A shrimp fishery is a fishery directed toward harvesting either shrimp or prawns. Fisheries do not usually differentiate between the two taxa, and the terms are used interchangeably. This article therefore refers to the catching of either shrimp or prawns.

A number of the larger species, including the Atlantic white shrimp (Penaeus setiferus), are caught commercially and used for food. Recipes utilizing shrimp form part of the cuisine of many cultures: examples include jambalaya, okonomiyaki, poon choi, bagoong, Kerala and scampi.
Preparing shrimp for consumption usually involves removing the shell, tail, and "sand vein". As with other seafood, shrimp is high in calcium, protein and low in food energy.
Shrimp and prawns are versatile ingredients, and are often used as an accompaniment to fried rice. Common methods of preparation comprise baking, boiling and frying. As stated in the movie Forrest Gump

Dry foods

2007-06-15T22:49:00.000-07:00

Flake food is a type of proprietary or artificially manufactured fish food inspired by a wide variety of tropical and saltwater fish and invertebrates. It is ideally suited to top dwellers and mid-water fish though numerous bottom dwelling species consume flake food once it has settled on the bottom. Flake food is baked to remove moisture and create the flaking, thus allowing for a longer shelf life. Generally the more moisture a particular example of fish food contains, the more readily it will deteriorate in quality.Dry foods is also available as pellets, sticks, tablets, granules, and wafers, manufactured to float or sink, depending on the species they are designed to feed.

Butterfly Koi

2007-06-11T22:53:00.000-07:00

Butterfly Koi, Longfin Koi, or Dragon Carp are a type of ornamental fish notable for their elongated finnage. The fish are a breed of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio, (which includes numerous wild carp races as well as domesticated koi ("Nishikigoi").

Butterfly Koi originated in the mid 20th century as a result of an effort to increase the hardiness of traditional koi. Japanese breeders interbred wild Indonesian Longfin river carp with traditional koi. The resulting fish had longer fins, long barbells, pompom nostrils, and were hardier than koi. These were known in Japan as “onagaoi” or "hire naga koi", or translated in English “long tail koi”. Randy LeFever, the son of Wyatt LeFever, a noted breeder of koi, is credited with suggesting they looked like butterflies, a trait for which the breed is named. They are also sometimes referred to as Dragon Koi.

Blue rose

2007-06-07T22:55:00.001-07:00

Since roses lack a gene to create delphinidin, the primary plant pigment that produces true blue flowers, blue roses were usually created by dyeing white roses. So-called "blue roses" have been breed by conventional hybridization methods, but the results, such as "Blue Moon" are more precisely described as lilac in color. However, after 13 years of joint research by an Australian company Florigene, and Japanese company Suntory, a blue rose was formed in 2004 by genetic engineering. The delphinidin gene was cloned from the petunia and inserted into a mauve-blend rose, the Old Garden Rose 'Cardinal de Richelieu.' (a Rosa gallica) However, since the pigment cyanidin was still present, the rose was more dark burgundy than true blue. Further work on the rose using RNAi technology to depress the production of cyanidin produced a very dark mauve plant, with only trace amounts of cyanidin.

Blue roses conventionally signify mystery or attaining the impossible. They are supposed to be able to grant the owner youth or grant wishes. This symbolism derives from the rose's meaning in the language of plants common in Victorian times.

Prevention

2007-06-01T23:44:00.001-07:00

In medicine, prevention is any action which reduces the burden of mortality or morbidity from disease. This takes place at primary, secondary and tertiary prevention levels.

Primary prevention avoids the development of a disease. Most population-based health support activities are primary preventive measures.
Secondary prevention activities are aimed at early disease detection, thereby increasing opportunities for interventions to prevent progression of the disease and emergence of symptoms.
Tertiary prevention reduces the negative impact of an already recognized disease by restoring function and reducing disease-related complications.

People

2007-05-28T23:38:00.001-07:00

People

2007-05-28T23:38:00.000-07:00

Nutrients in food

2007-05-24T22:38:00.001-07:00

Between the extremes of optimal health and death from starvation or malnutrition, there is an array of disease states that can be caused or alleviated by changes in diet. Deficiencies, excesses and imbalances in diet can produce negative impacts on health, which may lead to diseases such as scurvy, obesity or osteoporosis, as well as psychological and behavioral problems. The science of nutrition attempts to understand how and why specific dietary aspects influence health.

Nutrients in food are grouped into several categories. Macronutrients means fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Micronutrients are the minerals and vitamins. Additionally food contains water and dietary fiber.

Historical and Stylistic Clock face

2007-05-20T22:12:00.001-07:00

Before progress the late 15th century, a fixed hand indicated the hour by pointing to revolving numbers. Minute hands only came into use in the late 17th century after the creation of the pendulum allowable for amplified precision in time telling. Until the last quarter of the 17th century hour markings were imprinted into metal faces and the recesses filled with black wax. Subsequently, higher contrast and enhanced readability was achieved with white enamel plaques painted with black numbers. Initially, the numbers were printed on small, individual plaques mounted on a brass substructure. This was not a stylistic decision; rather enamel production technology had not yet achieved the ability to create large pieces of enamel. The "13 piece face" was an early attempt to create an entirely white enamel face. As the name suggests, it was composed of 13 enamel plaques: 12 numbered wedges fitted around a circle. The first single portion enamel faces, not unlike those in production today, began to appear c. 1735.

ARM

2007-05-15T22:47:00.001-07:00

ARM

2007-05-15T22:47:00.000-07:00

Puppy

2007-05-11T23:30:00.001-07:00

A puppy is a juvenile dog, usually less than one year of age. The term is sometimes abbreviated to pup, a term which is also used for the offspring of wolves.
Puppies are very playful and active. A lethargic or listless puppy is unusual, and often times a precursor to illness.

Types
Some breeds traditionally have their tails docked or ears cropped, or both. Many countries now ban cropping and docking for cosmetic purposes, but other countries have no such prohibitions. Some breeders favor to remove a dog's dewclaws to prevent future injuries. These procedures are usually performed within the first few days after birth, by a veterinarian, or by an experienced breeder.
Size varies among breeds, some puppies are 1-3lbs, while others are 15-20lbs. Coats can change color as the puppy grows older, this is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier.

Rhizome

2007-05-07T23:33:00.001-07:00

In botany, a rhizome is a classically underground, horizontal stem of a plant that often sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Though a number species of plants have above ground rhizomes or rhizomes that sit at the soil surface with some Iris species. Rhizomes may also be referred to as creeping rootstalks, or rootstocks. A stolon is like to a rhizome, sprouting from an existing stem with long internodes and generating new shoots at the end. Rhizomes have short internodes noramly with papery leaves at the nodes, they root at the underside and form green shoots at the apex.
Many plants have rhizomes that serve to spread the plant by vegetative reproduction. Examples of plants that do this are asparagus, ginger, irises, Lily of the Valley, Cannas and sympodial orchids. The spreading stems of ferns are also called rhizomes.
A tuber is a thickened part of a stolon or root that has been enlarged for use as a storage organ.They are classically high in starch. An example of a tuber is the common potatoa modified stolon. Thought the term tuber is frequently used impresicly and some times applied to plants with rhizomes.

Door

2007-05-02T22:32:00.001-07:00

A door is a makeup in a wall that allows easy transformation between an opening and a closed wall. It is establish in many houses and other buildings: internal ones, doors giving access to the street/external world, and doors to private outdoor areas such as a garden or balcony. In an apartment building, an midway kind is the outer door of an apartment, inside the building.
History
The first records are those represented in the paintings of the Egyptian tombs, in which they are shown as single or double doors, each in a single piece of wood. In Egypt, where the climate is intensely dry, there would be no fear of their warping, but in other countries it would be necessary to frame them, which according to Vitruvius was done with stiles and rails: the spaces enclosed being filled with panels let into grooves made in the stiles and rails. The stiles were the vertical boards, one of which, tenoned or hinged, is known as the hanging stile, the other as the middle or meeting stile. The horizontal cross pieces are the top rail, bottom rail, and middle or intermediate rails. The most ancient doors were in timber, those made for King Solomon's temple being in olive wood, which were fixed and overlaid with gold. The doors dwelt upon in Homer would appear to have been cased in silver or brass. Besides Olive wood, elm, cedar, oak and cypress were used.

All ancient doors were hung by pivots at the top and bottom of the hanging stile which worked in sockets in the lintel and cill, the final being always in some hard stone such as basalt or granite. Those found at Nippur by Dr. Hilprecht, dating from 2000 B.C. were in dolorite. The tenons of the gates at Balawat were covered with bronze. These doors or gates were hung in two leaves, each about 8 ft.4 in. wide and 27 ft. high; they were enclosed with bronze bands or strips, 10 in. high, covered with repouss embellishment of figures, etc. The wood doors would seem to have been about 3 in. thick, but the hanging stile was over 14 inches diameter. Other sheathings of various sizes in bust have been found, which proves this to have been the universal method adopted to protect the wood pivots. In the Hauran in Syria, where timber is scarce the doors were made in stone, and one measuring 5 ft. 4 in. by 2 ft. 7 in. is in the British Museum; the band on the meeting stile shows that it was one of the leaves of a double door. At Kuffeir near Bostra in Syria, Burckhardt found stone doors, 9 to 10 ft. high, being the entrance doors of the town. In Etruria many stone doors are referred to by Dennis.

Asian Paradise Flycatcher

2007-04-29T21:51:00.001-07:00

The Asian Paradise Flycatcher, also known as the Common Paradise Flycatcher, is a medium-sized passerine bird. It was before classified with the Old World flycatcher family Muscicapidae, but the paradise flycatchers, monarch flycatchers and Australasian fantails are now usually grouped with the drongos in the family Dicruridae, which has most of its members in Australasia and steamy southern Asia.

The Asian Paradise Flycatcher breeds from Turkistan to Manchuria. It is migratory, wintering in steamy Asia. There are occupant populations further south, for example in southern India and Sri Lanka, so both visiting migrants and the locally breeding subspecies occur in these areas in winter.
This species is usually found in thick forests and other well-wooded habitats. Three or four eggs are laid in a cup nest in a tree.
The adult male Asian Paradise Flycatcher is about 20 cm long, but the long tail bunting double this. It has a black crested head, chestnut upperparts and pale grey underpants.
By their second year, the males of the migratory Indian race T. p. paradise begin to obtain white feathers. By the third year, the male plumage is completely white, other than the black head. Males of the sedentary Sri Lankan race T. p. Ceylonese’s are always chestnut.
The female of all races resembles the old joke male, but has a grey throat, smaller crest and lacks the tail streamers.

Brown Thrasher

2007-04-23T22:41:00.000-07:00

The Brown Thrasher is a common type of thrasher, part of a family of New World birds that includes New World catbirds and mockingbirds.The Brown Thrasher is, as the name suggests, mostly brown or reddish-brown on top of, with a white breast and throat streaked with brown, and two white bars on each wing. It has a long tail, and its beak is also relatively large and somewhat curved. Adults average about 29 cm (11.5 in) in length.
It is difficult to see all this however, as the bird is a retiring type that prefers thickets and heavy brush, often searching for food in dry leaves on the ground. In fact, it is more probable to be heard than seen, not only because of the rattling of leaves, but also because of its call, a sharp lip-smacking type sound. This bird is omnivorous, eating insects, berries, nuts and seeds, as well as earthworms, snails and sometimes lizards.Its breeding variety includes the United States and Canada east of the Rocky Mountains. It is a partial migrant, with northern birds wintering in the southern USA, where it occurs all through the year. There is a single British record of this unlikely transatlantic vagrant.The female lays 3 to 5 eggs in a twiggy nest lined with grass. The nest is built in a dense shrub or low in a tree. Both parents incubate and feed the young. These
birds raise two, rarely three, broods in a year. The male sings a series of short recurring melodious phrases from an open perch to defend his territory and is also very aggressive in defending the nest.Although this bird is widespread and still common, it has declined in numbers in some areas due to loss of suitable habitat.The Brown Thrasher is the official state bird of Georgia, and the inspiration for the name of Atlanta's National Hockey League team, the Atlanta Thrashers.

Street racing

2007-04-18T22:18:00.001-07:00

Street racing is a form of auto racing that takes place on public roads, either through normal traffic or during empty hours of traffic, often inside the industrial areas of cities. It is illegal, as such driving is prohibited by many traffic regulations. Law enforcement officers attempt to stop these races, but because of the frequency of them, most of the time, the racers also are not caught or they get away. Speeds in an illegal street race can reach over 180 miles per hour and crashes can and do occur.

Transistor

2007-04-09T22:11:00.001-07:00

The transistor is a solid state semiconductor device which can be used for amplification, switching, voltage stabilization, signal modulation and many other functions. It acts as a variable valve which, based on its input current (BJT) or input voltage (FET), allows a precise amount of current to flow through it from the circuit's voltage supply.
In essence, a transistor have three terminals. A current or voltage applied through/across two terminals controls a larger current through the other terminal and the common terminal. In analog circuits, transistors are used in amplifiers. Analog circuits comprise audio amplifiers, stabilised power supplies and radio frequency amplifiers. In digital circuits, transistors function basically as electrical switches. Digital circuits include logic gates, RAM (random access memory) and microprocessors.
Transistor was also the common name in the sixties for a transistor radio, a portable radio that used transistors (rather than vacuum tubes) as its active electronic components. This is still one of the dictionary definitions of transistor.

Artistamp

2007-04-05T22:59:00.000-07:00

Artistamp refers to a postage stamp-like artform. It is like to a Cinderella stamp, in that it is not valid for postage, but it differs from a forgery or a bogus stamp in that (typically) no intention is made to fool any post office or collector of stamps. The artistamp is intended to be a miniature artform which can depict or commemorate any subject its creator chooses.
Techniques for the creation of artistamps may or may not comprise perforating the boundaries of the piece to more resemble a (water-activated) stamp, as well as applying gum to the reverse side of the paper. (Self-adhesive artistamps have also been made, however, and indeed artistamps have been issued in practically every format in which postage stamps have been—including souvenir sheets, and perhaps more.) Whole sheets of such stamps are often made at one time. The artwork can be hand-drawn or painted, lithographed or offset-printed, photographed, xeroxed, rubber stamped, or even output by computer-driven printer.

Rail transport

2007-04-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

A railroad or railway is a guided means of land transport, intended to be used by trains, for transporting both passengers and freight. It consists of two parallel rails, usually made of steel, and wooden or concrete sleepers or ties that hold the rails precisely at the proper distance from each other. See Rail tracks
Rail transport is one of the most energy well-organized means of mechanised land transport known. The rails give very smooth and hard surfaces on which the wheels of the train may roll with a minimum of friction. This is more comfortable and saves energy. Trains also have a small frontal area in relation to the load they are carrying, which cuts down on air resistance and thus energy usage. In all, under the right circumstances, a train needs 50-70% less energy to transport a given tonnage of freight, than by road. Furthermore, together with the sleepers the rails share out the weight of the train evenly, allowing significantly greater loads per axle/wheel than in road transport.
Rail transport is also one of the safest modes of transport, and also makes a very efficient use of space: a double tracked rail line can carry more passengers or freight in a given amount of time, than a four-laned road.

Croydon Airport

2007-03-27T22:17:00.000-07:00

Croydon Airport is in south London on the borders of the London Boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. It was once the main airport for London, before it was replaced by Northolt Aerodrome, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport.
It originated as two adjacent World War I airfields. Beddington Aerodrome, one of a number of small airfields around London which had been formed for protection against the Zeppelin raids in about May 1915, and Waddon Aerodrome of 1918, a test-flight aerodrome adjoining National Aircraft Factory No1.
At the end of that war, the two airfields were joint into London's official airport as the gateway for all international flights to and from the capital. Croydon Aerodrome opened on 29 March 1920.
It stimulated a increase in regular scheduled flights carrying passengers, mail and freight, the first destinations being Paris, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. In 1923 Berlin flights were added. It was the operating base for Imperial Airways - remembered in the road name Imperial Way on the site today.
In the mid 1920s, the airfield was extended, some adjacent roads being permanently closed to allow heavier airliners to land and depart safely. A new complex of buildings was constructed adjoining Purley Way, including the first purpose-designed air terminal in the world, the Aerodrome Hotel and extensive hangars, all opening on 2 May 1928.
The terminal building, the booking hall inside it with its gallery balustraded in the geometrical design typical of the period, and the Aerodrome hotel were all built in the Art Deco style of the 1920s and 1930s. A further item that caught the eye of visitor and traveller alike was the time zone tower in the booking hall with its dials depicting the times in different parts of the world.
The aerodrome was known the world over, its fame being spread by the many aviators and pioneers who touched down at Croydon.

Longships

2007-03-22T22:10:00.000-07:00

Longships, langskip or drakkar were boats used by the Scandinavians and Saxons for their raids on costal and inland settelments. They were the epitome of Scandinavian military power and ranked extremely as precious material possessions.
The longship was a long, narrow, light boat with shallow draft, with oars along approximately the entire length of the boat. Later versions sported a rectangular sail on a single mast to augment the rowers particularly during longer journeys. In combat the variabilily of wind power made rowers the chief means of propulsion. virtually all longships were clinker built and waterproofed by moss drenched in tar. The ship's low mass and shallow keel permitted navigation in waters just 1 meter deep, rapid beaching when landing on beaches, and portage over land.
Construction
Our best evidence for longship building comes from ship-burials. It was common in Viking society for kings to be buried under a long burial mound in a ship with rich possessions. The Oseberg ship burial in Norway and the Anglo Saxon longship of Sutton Hoo in England are both good examples.
Longships were extraordinarily narrow for their length compared to modern standards The main discovered longship (at Roskilde harbor) is 35m in length, and the longship from Hedeby harbour has the largest length/width proportion: 11.4 to 1. However, later longships, optimized for sailing, had lower ratios, often 1 to 7 or even 1 to 5.
In contrast, Scandinavian trade ships or knarrs were built deeper and broader to accommodate bulkier cargo, and were more reliant on sails. A similar relationship may be seen in Mediterranean galleys, which are now and then called longships as well, and their merchant vessels, which were roundships.
Rectangular sails made of wool strengthened by leather were introduced later. Under sail, longships were very fast, achieving speeds of 14 knots. They were also extremely seaworthy, but, being essentially open boats, not very habitable. However, this did not stop early Scandinavian explorers from discovering and settling in Iceland, Greenland, and Canada, all well before Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492.

Bell Telephone Company

2007-03-16T22:38:00.001-07:00

Bell and others formed the Bell Telephone Company in July 1877. In 1879, it merged with the New England Telephone Company forming the National Telephone Company, which was renamed the American Bell Telephone Company in 1880. Along with Thomas Edison, Bell formed the Oriental Telephone Company on January 25, 1881. On March 3, 1885, American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) was formed to supervise the expanding long-distance business of the American Bell Telephone Company. AT&T became the overall investment company for all the Bell ventures, and remains active today.

Lake effect snow

2007-03-12T21:57:00.001-07:00

Lake effect snow, which can be a kind of snowsquall, is produced in the winter when cold, arctic dry winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water, picking up water vapor which freezes and is deposited on the lee shores. This effect is improved when the moving air mass is uplifted by the orographic effect of higher elevations on the downwind shores. This uplifting can produce narrow, but very intense bands of precipitation, which deposit at a rate of many inches of snow each hour and often bringing copious snowfall totals. The areas affected by lake effect snow are called snowbelts. This effect occurs in many locations throughout the world, mostly in the Northern Hemisphere, but is best known in the populated areas of the Great Lakes of North America. The lake effect from the Great Salt Lake in Utah helps to create "The Greatest Snow on Earth". Since the Great Salt Lake never freezes, the lake effect can affect the weather along the Wasatch front year around.

If the air temperature is not low enough to keep the precipitation frozen, it falls as lake effect rain. In order for lake effect rain or snow to form, the moving air must be cooler and also less humid than the surface air. specially, the air temperature should be 15 to 25°C cooler than the water, and the dew point at the altitude where the air pressure is 850 mb should be 13°C lower than the dew point of the air at the surface. Lake effect of very cold air over still warm water in early winter can produce thundersnow, snow showers accompanied by lightning and thunder.

Chamundi Hills

2007-03-07T21:45:00.001-08:00

The Chamundi Hills are situated in India, close to the palace city of Mysore. Its average elevation is 1,000 meters.
Legend has it that that the demon Mahishasura, the king of the area that is currently Mysore, was killed by the Goddess Chamundeswari (also Chamundi) after a fierce battle. The hills therefore got their name and a temple of the Goddess was built on the top. The temple has a very beautiful Idol of the Goddess tiring a garland of skulls. The temple has always been patronised by the rulers of Mysore. In earlier days, the Maharajas of Mysore would ride the ceremonial Dasara elephant during the annual Dasara festival, but after India gained independence, the Idol of Goddess Chamundi is taken on an elephant.
A panoramic view of the city is seen from the top of the hills. Among other landmarks, you can see the Race Course, the Lalitha Mahal palace, the Mysore Palace, the Karanji and Kukkarahalli lakes. At dusk, the view of the city is particularly beautiful, and on Sunday evenings and during the Dasara festival, the illuminated Mysore Palace glitters like gold.
There are steps important to the top of the hill. There are around 1,000 steps in all, and climbing the first 400 or so steps takes some effort. Enroute to the top, the steps pass the large monolithic statue of Nandi the Bull. Nandi is the vahana (Vehicle) of Lord Shiva. Climbing gets easier soon afterwards.
There are regular buses plying to the Chamundi hills from the central bus stand.
The top of the hill has a few attractions - the Mahishasura Statue, the Chamundeswari Temple, and a few other temples nearby. The Rajendra Vilas palace used to be a popular hotel earlier, but is now closed to the public. The palace is now being redone and provides a panaromic view of the Hill, Chamundi Temple and Mysore City.
Mysore got its name from the demon Mahishasura. It was earlier known as 'Mahisuru,' meaning Mahisha's city. slowly it came to be called Mysooru and later anglicised to Mysore. There is a demand and proposal of late that the name of city be changed from Mysore to Mysooru the original Indian form.

Classification of Integrated circuits

2007-03-02T21:48:00.001-08:00

Integrated circuits can be classified into analog, digital and mixed signal (both analog and digital on the same chip).
Digital integrated circuits can have anything from a few thousand to millions of logic gates, flip-flops, multiplexers, and other circuits in a few square millimeters. The small size of these circuits allows high speed, low power dissipation, and reduced manufacturing cost compared with board-level integration. These digital ICs, classically microprocessors, DSPs, and micro controllers work using binary mathematics to process "one" and "zero" signals.
Analog ICs, such as sensors, power management circuits, and operational amplifiers, work by giving out continuous signals. They carry out functions like amplification, active filtering, demodulation, mixing, etc. Analog ICs ease the burden on circuit designers by having expertly designed analog circuits available instead of designing a hard analog circuit from scratch.
ICs can also combine analog and digital circuits on a single chip to generate functions such as A/D converters and D/A converters. Such circuits offer smaller size and lower cost, but must carefully account for signal interference

lollipop

2007-02-26T21:09:00.001-08:00

A lollipop, or lolly, is a type of confectionery consisting mostly of hardened, flavoured sucrose with corn syrup mounted on a stick and intended for sucking or licking. In many regions of the United States, the term "sucker" is used interchangeably with or instead of "lollipop". In these areas, the term "lollipop" is frequently applied to candy that is disc-shaped, while "sucker" is applied to candy that is spherical. Lollipops come in a variety of flavors from cherry, grape and orange to watermelon and green apple. In Europe, particularly the Nordic countries, Germany and the Netherlands, salmiakki-flavoured lollipops are also available, but these are largely unknown to the USA. With numerous companies producing lollipops, the candy now comes in dozens of flavors.
They were first commercially manufactured on a large scale in the 1920s. Some lollipops contain fillings, such as bubble gum or Tootsie Rolls. Notable brand names include Chupa Chups and DumDums.
The origin of the lollipop has yet to be determined. Both Racine, Wisconsin and San Francisco, California, claim that they made the first automatic lollipop maker

Bone

2007-02-21T21:22:00.001-08:00

Bones are rigid organs that figure out the part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. Bones job to move, support, and protect the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bones come in a variety of shapes and have a complex internal and external structure, allowing them to be lightweight yet strong and hard, while fulfilling their many other functions. One of the types of tissues that makes up bones is the mineralized osseous tissue, also called bone tissue, that gives bones their rigidity and honeycomb-like three-dimensional inside structure. Other tissue types found in bones include marrow, the periosteum, nerves, blood vessels and cartilage.
There are five main functions of bones.
* Protection — Bones can serve to protect internal organs, such as the skull protecting the brain or the ribs protecting the abdomen.
* Shape — Bones provide a frame to keep the body supported.
* Blood production — The marrow, located within the medullary cavity of long bones and the interstices of cancellous bone, produces blood cells in a process called haematopoiesis.
* Mineral storage — Bones act as reserves of minerals important for the body, most notably calcium and phosphorus.
* Movement — Bones, skeletal muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints function together to generate and transfer forces so that individual body parts or the whole body can be manipulated in three-dimensional space. The interaction between bone and muscle is studied in biomechanics.

Udhagamandalam-Tourism

2007-02-15T22:03:00.001-08:00

Udhagamandalam Located in the mountainous range called the Blue Mountains or Nilgiris, Ooty draws a very large number of tourists every year. The weather is quite pleasurable at a mean of 15 to 20 °C (59 to 68 °F) year round, reducing to lows of 0 °C (32 °F) during winter. The hill town suffers from rampant commercialization and erosion of natural resources. The tourism industry has located an enormous strain on the natural resources resulting in pollution, a water shortage, and bad roads. The number of visitors was 1,681,000 in 2001, 1,834,000 in 2003, and h 1,725,000 in 2005.
The landscape is relatively unlike the rest of India, marked by continuing hills and plateaus covered with dense vegetation, tea gardens, and eucalyptus trees. Many portions of the hills are conserved as natural reserve forests, and special permits are needed to camp outside of campgrounds. Ooty is not the destination in itself, as much as it is the main point of attraction. Auto touring the neighboring countryside is a favourite activity.
The hilly region also houses smaller town like Coonoor and Kotagiri. These towns are less than an hour's drive away from Ooty and have the same climate, but have fewer tourists and cheaper prices.

Jewellery

2007-02-09T20:53:00.001-08:00

Jewellery is factually any piece of fine material used to decorate oneself. Although in earlier times jewellery was created for more convenient uses, such as wealth storage and pinning clothes together, in recent times it has been used almost completely for beautification. The first pieces of jewellery were made from likely materials, such as bone and animal teeth, shell, wood and engraved stone. Jewellery was often made for people of high importance to show their status and, in many cases, they were covered with it.Jewellery is made out of almost every material recognized and has been made to garnish nearly every body part, from hairpins to toe rings and many more types of jewellery. While high-quality and artistic pieces are made with gemstones and valuable metals, less pricey costume jewellery is made from less-valuable materials and is mass-produced.Form and function Kenyan man exhausting tribal beads.Over time, jewellery has been used for a number of reasons: Currency, wealth display and storage, purposeful Symbolism Protection and Artistic display Most cultures have at some point had a practice of observance large amounts of wealth stored in the form of jewellery. Numerous cultures move wedding dowries in the form of jewelry, or create jewelry as a means to store or display coins. on the other hand, jewellery has been used as a currency or trade good; a mostly poignant example being the use of slave beads.
In creating jewellery, a variety of gemstones, coins, or other valuable items can be used, often set into precious metals. Common expensive metals used for modern jewellery include gold, platinum or silver, although alloys of nearly every metal known can be encountered in jewellery -- bronze, for example, was common in Roman times. Most gold jewellery is made of an alloy of gold, the purity of which is affirmed in karats, indicated by a number followed by the letter K. For example, ordinary gold jewellery ranges from 10K (41.7% pure gold) to 22K (91.6% pure gold), while 24K (99.9% pure gold) is considered too soft for jewellery use. Platinum alloys variety from 900 (90% pure) to 950 (95.0% pure). The silver used in jewellery is usually sterling silver, or 92.5% fine silver.Other generally used materials include glass, such as merged glass or enamel; wood, often carved or turned; shells and other natural animal substances such as bone and ivory; natural clay, polymer clay, and even plastics.
Jewellery and society
One universal issue is control over who could wear what jewellery, a point which indicate the powerful symbolism the wearing of jewellery evoked. In ancient Rome, for instance, only convinced ranks could wear rings; later, sumptuary laws dictated who could wear what type of jewellery; again based on rank. Cultural dictate have also played a important role; for example, the wearing of earrings by Western men was considered "effeminate" in the 19th and early 20th centuries. on the other hand, the jewellery industry in the early 20th century launched a crusade to popularize wedding rings for men — which caught on — as well as appointment rings for men , going so far as to make a false history and claim that the practice had Medieval roots. By the mid 1940s, 85% of weddings in the U.S. feature a double-ring ceremony, up from 15% in the 1920s.Religion has also played a role: Islam, for instance, consider the wearing of gold by men as a social taboo,and many religions have edicts against extreme display.

Socialism and social democracy

2006-12-27T01:31:00.000-08:00

The term socialism, used from the 1830s onwards in France and England, was directly related to what was called the social question, in essence the problem that the emergence of competitive market societies did not create liberty, equality and fraternity for all citizens, requiring the intervention of politics and social reform to tackle social problems, injustices and grievances a topic on which Jean-Jacques Rousseau discourses at length in his classic work The Social Contract. Originally the term socialist was often used interchangeably with co-operative, mutuality, associations and collectivist.
The term social democracy originally referred to the political project of extending democratic forms of association to the whole of society, substituting popular sovereignty, the universal franchise and social ownership for the rule of a propertied class which had exclusive voting rights.