Guinness belly trick

Guinness belly trick

Helena Vlahos rocks coins across her belly

WHY ? WHY ? WHY ?

If swimming is a good exercise to stay FIT, why are whales FAT??

Why is the place in a stadium where people SIT, called a STAND?

Why is that everyone wants to go to HEAVEN but nobody wants to DIE? 
Shall I say that there is racial discrimination even in chess as the WHITE piece is moved FIRST?

In our country, we have FREEDOM of SPEECH, then why do we have TELEPHONE BILLS?

If money doesnt grow on TREES then why do banks have BRANCHES?

Why doesnt GLUE stick to its BOTTLE?

Why do you still call it a BUILDING when its already BUILT?

If its true that we are here to HELP others,what are others HERE for? 
If you arent supposed to DRINK and DRIVE why do bars have PARKING lots?

प्रणाम विनय का सूचक है

प्रणाम विनय का सूचक है

प्रत्यहं प्रत्यवेक्षेत् नरश्चस्तिमात्मनः।

'मनुष्य को प्रतिदिन अपने आचरण का अवलोकन करते रहना चाहिए।'

स्वामी अखण्डानंदजी सरस्वती प्रायः श्री उड़िया बाबाजी, श्रीशास्त्रानंदजी, श्री हरि बाबाजी, श्री आनंदमयी माँ आदि भारतवर्ष के प्रसिद्ध सिद्ध महापुरुषों को प्रणाम करते थे।

दंड-ग्रहण के समय उन्हें कहा गया कि 'सबको प्रणाम नहीं करना चाहिए।' जिससे अखण्डानंदजी के मन में बड़ी दुविधा उत्पन्न हो गयी। इस पर उन्होंने श्री उड़िया बाबाजी महाराज से पूछा, तब उन्होंने समझाते हुए कहाः ''दीक्षा या उपदेश ग्रहण करना हो तो तब तो ब्राह्मण (जो ब्रह्म में रमा हुआ) हो इसका ध्यान रखना चाहिए परन्तु प्रणाम करना हो तब तो सबको करना चाहिए। प्रणाम भगवदबुद्धि से करना चाहिए, मनुष्यबुद्धि से नहीं। प्रणाम तो विनय का सूचक है, एक सदगुण है। तुम जिन महात्माओं को पहले प्रणाम करते रहे हो, उनको बिना विचार किये ही प्रणाम किया करो।"

बाबा का यह उपदेश अखण्डानंदजी ने धारण कर लिया और उन्हें फिर कभी किसी को प्रणाम करने में हिचक न हुई।

मनु महाराज ने 'मनुस्मृति' में कहा हैः

ऊर्ध्व प्राणा ह्युत्क्रामन्ति यूनः स्थविर आयति।

प्रत्युत्थानाभिवादाभ्यां पुनस्तान्प्रतिपद्यते।।

अभिवादनशीलस्य नित्यं वृद्धोपसेविनः।

चत्वारि तस्य वर्थन्ते आयुर्विद्या यशो बलम्।।

'बड़ों के आने पर छोटे के प्राण ऊपर चढ़ते हैं और जब वह उठकर प्रणाम करता है तो पुनः प्राणों को पूर्ववत् स्थिति में प्राप्त कर लेता है। जो नित्य पुरुष नित्य बड़ों को, वृद्धजनों-गुरुजनों को प्रणाम करता है और उनकी सेवा करता है उसकी आयु, विद्या, यश और बल – ये चारों बढ़ते हैं।'

(2.120-121)

अतः हमारे कर्म व व्यवहार ऐसे हों कि बड़ों के हृदय से हमारे लिए आशीर्वाद निकलें, हमारे व्यवहार के कारण किसी के हृदय को ठेस न पहुँचे। इसी में हमारा मंगल छुपा है। मूर्ति को प्रणाम करने से भी लाभ होता है तो जिनमें जाग्रत देव बैठा है उनको प्रणाम करने में अहं आड़े क्यों आये? संत तुलसीदासजी इस बात की पुष्टि करते हैं-

सीय राममय सब जग पानी।

करउँ प्रनाम जोरि जुग पानी।।

 

वो सर सर नहीं जो हर दर पे झुकता रहे।

वो दर दर नहीं जहाँ सज्जनों का सर न झुके।।

 !!!۞!!! !!!۞!!! !!!۞!!! !!!۞!!! !!!۞!!! !!!۞!!! !!!۞!!! !!!۞!!! !!!۞!!! !!!۞!!! !!!۞!!! !!!۞!!!

Fresh or dried fruit – which is better?

Fresh fruit comes packaged as nature intended and therefore it contains all the vitamins, minerals, fibre, phytochemicals and antioxidants you might expect.  Fruit also contains water — and lots of it.  An apple for example is approximately 85% water and grapefruits, water melons and strawberries all contain over 90% water by weight.

This water content can not only contribute to your daily fluid requirement but it also adds bulk and volume to the fruit which helps to make you feel satisfied and full  - a real plus point for anyone looking to control their weight.
As the name suggests, dried fruits have had most of their water content removed.  This, in effect, concentrates the remaining nutrients into a smaller volume which is why dried fruits, weight for weight, are often richer in fibre, iron and other key vitamins and minerals.  However, this also means dried fruits will also be richer in calories and sugar.

This is partly due to the concentrated nature of dried fruits but also because some dried fruits have sugar added during the drying process.  This reduction in overall volume plus the increase in calories and sugar content means that, if you are watching your weight, you will need to keep a keen eye on the quantity of dried fruits you consume.
The drying process varies from fruit to fruit but several dried fruits are also treated with sulphur dioxide as it helps to preserve colour and flavour.  There is little evidence to suggest this is hazardous to most people however it can cause skin rashes, stomach upsets and asthma attacks in some susceptible people.
Sulfur dioxide also eliminates the Vitamin B1 or thiamine content within the fruit which in itself is not too much or a problem as vitamin B1 is fairly readily available in foods so a deficiency of this vitamin is rare.

Fruits that are dried without the use of sulfur dioxide are often less appealing to look at though as they tend to be more discoloured.  For example, apricots dried without the use of sulphur dioxide tend to be brown and far less appetizing to look at than those treated with sulfur dioxide which are likely to retain more of their original orange colour and shape.

If in doubt, select organic dried fruits wherever possible as these will not have had sulfur dioxide added.

The drying process can also deplete other valuable water soluble nutrients such as vitamin C and other B vitamins. However, eaten in smaller quantities to avoid excess calorie and sugar consumption dried fruits still make a really, excellent alternative to most other commercially prepared snacks.
So, in short, as long as you don't over do it, most dried fruits are a healthy, convenient and nutritious snack.  However, fresh fruits are likely to be richer in immune boosting vitamin C and if weight loss is your goal, their high water content will help with hunger control, helping you to feel fuller for longer.

10 Comparisons Between Chimps and Humans

Chimpanzees are our closest living relatives, and yet they were unknown to most of the world until Charles Darwin wrote about and popularized them in 1859. Much about them has only been discovered recently, and misconceptions abound due to the exaggerations and artistic license used in works of fiction. Nevertheless, our similarities and differences are not what many people think. By learning about our relatives we can better understand ourselves.

10

Number of Species

Chimpanzees are often incorrectly called monkeys, but they are actually in the great ape family just like us. The other great apes are orangutans and gorillas. There is only one species of human alive at present: homo sapiens. In the past, many scientists tried to argue that there were several species of human, and would often hasten to add that they themselves belonged to the ‘superior’ species. However, all humans can produce fertile children and so we are all the same species. Chimpanzees, on the other hand, are actually two species: pan troglodytes, the common chimpanzee, and pan paniscus, the gracile chimpanzee or bonobo. These two types of chimpanzee are completely separate species. Humans and both chimpanzee species evolved from a common ancestor, possibly sahelanthropus tchadensis, between five and seven million years ago. Only fossils of this ancestor remain.

9

DNA

It is often said that humans and chimpanzees share 99% the same DNA. Genetic comparison is not simple due to the nature of gene repeats and mutations, but a better estimate is somewhere from 85% to 95%. This figure may still sound impressive, but most DNA is used for basic cellular functions which all living things share. For example, we have about half the same DNA as a banana, and yet people do not use this to emphasize how similar bananas are to us! So 95% does not say as much as it first appears to. Chimpanzees have 48 chromosomes, two more than humans. It is thought that this is because in a human ancestor, two pairs of chromosomes fused into a single pair. Interestingly, humans have some of the least genetic variation of all animals, which is why inbreeding can cause genetic problems. Even two completely unrelated humans are usually genetically more similar than two sibling chimpanzees.

8

Brain Size

The brain of a chimpanzee has a volume of 370mL on average. In contrast, humans have a brain size of 1350mL on average. Brain size alone, however, is not an absolute indicator of intelligence. There have been Nobel Prize winners with brains ranging from below 900mL all the way up to over 2000mL. The structure and organization of the various parts of the brain is a better way of determining intelligence. Human brains have a high surface area because they are much more wrinkled than chimpanzee brains, with greater numbers of connections between many of its parts. These, as well as a relatively larger frontal lobe, allow us much more of the luxury of abstract and logical thought.

7

Sociability

Chimpanzees spend a great deal of time socializing. Much of their socializing is grooming each other. Juvenile and adolescent chimpanzees will often play with, chase, and tickle each other, as will adults with their offspring. Shows of affection include hugging and kissing, which are done between chimpanzees of any age or gender. Bonobos are especially frisky, and nearly every show of affection is done sexually, regardless of gender. Chimpanzees strengthen friendships by spending extensive time grooming each other. Humans spend a comparable time socializing, albeit more through talking than grooming. Nevertheless, much of the vast amounts of inconsequential chatter we produce is simply a more sophisticated version of chimpanzee grooming – it serves little other purpose than to strengthen our relationship bonds. Humans also demonstrate stronger relationships through physical contact – a pat on the back, a hug, or a friendly shove. Primate social group sizes closely reflect their brain sizes. Chimpanzees have about 50 close friends and acquaintances, whereas humans have between 150 and 200.

6

Language and Facial Expressions

Chimpanzees have complex greetings and communications which depend on the social statuses of the communicating chimps. They communicate verbally using a variety of hoots, grunts, screams, pants, and other vocalizations. Most of their communication, however, is done through gestures and facial expressions. Many of their facial expressions – surprise, grinning, pleading, comforting – are the same as those of humans. However, humans smile by bearing their teeth, which is for chimps and many other animals a sign of aggression or danger. A much greater portion of human communication is done through vocalizations. Humans uniquely have complex vocal chords, allowing us a great range of sounds, but preventing us from drinking and breathing simultaneously like chimpanzees can. Moreover, we have very muscular tongues and lips, allowing us accurate manipulations of our voices. This is why we have pointy chins whereas chimps have receding chins – we attach our many lip muscles to the prominent lower chin, but chimpanzees lack many of these muscles and so do not need a protruding chin.

5 Diet

Chimpanzees and humans are both omnivorous (eat plants and meat). Humans are more carnivorous than chimpanzees, and have intestines more refined towards the digestion of meat. Chimpanzees will occasionally hunt and kill other mammals, often monkeys, but otherwise restrict themselves to fruit and sometimes insects. Humans are much more dependent on meat – humans can only obtain vitamin B12 naturally through eating animal products. Based on our digestive system and the lifestyles of extant tribes, it is thought that humans have evolved to eat meat at least once every few days. Humans also tend to eat in meals rather than continuously eating throughout the day, another carnivorous trait. This may be due to meats only being available after a successful hunt, and so are eaten in large quantities but infrequently. Chimpanzees will graze on fruits constantly whereas most humans will eat no more than three times in a day.

4

Sex

Bonobos are renown for their sexual appetite. Common chimpanzees can become angry or violent, but bonobos defuse any such situation through sexual pleasure. They also greet and show affection to each other through sexual stimulation. Common chimpanzees do not engage in recreational sex, and mating only takes ten or fifteen seconds, often whilst eating or doing something else. Friendships and emotional attachments have no bearing on with whom a common chimpanzee mates, and a female in heat will generally mate with several males, who sometimes patiently wait their turn directly after each other. Humans experience sexual pleasure, like bonobos, however even sex for reproduction only takes much longer and requires more effort; long-term partnerships naturally form as a result. Unlike humans, chimpanzees have no concept of sexual jealousy or competition, as they do not take long-term partners.

3

Walking Upright

Both humans and chimpanzees are able to walk bipedally (on two legs). Chimpanzees will often do this to see further ahead, but prefer to move on all fours. Humans walk upright since infancy and have evolved bowl-shaped pelvises to support their internal organs while doing so. Chimpanzees, leaning forward during movement, do not need to support their organs with their pelvis and so have broader hips. This makes childbirth much easier for chimpanzees than for humans, whose bowl-shaped pelvis is in opposition to a large birth canal. Human feet are straight with toes at the front to help push directly ahead when walking, whereas chimpanzee feet have opposable big toes and are more like strong hands than feet. They are used for climbing and crawling, involving sideways, diagonal, or rotating movements.

2

Eyes

Humans have white around their irises, whereas chimpanzees usually have a dark brown color. This makes it easier to see where other humans are looking, and there are several theories as to why this is so. It may be an adaption to more complex social situations, where it is an advantage to see whom others are looking at and thinking about. It may help when hunting silently in packs, where eye direction is vital to communication. Or it may simply be a genetic mutation with no purpose – white around the iris is seen in some chimpanzees also. Both humans and chimpanzees can see in color, helping them to choose ripe fruits and plants to eat, and have binocular vision; their eyes point forward in the same direction. This helps see in depth and is crucial to hunting, rather than eyes on the side of the head like rabbits which help avoid being hunted.

1

Tool Use

For many years, humans were considered to be the only tool-using animal. Observation in 1960 of chimpanzees using sharpened twigs to fish for termites has since changed this. Both humans and chimpanzees are able to modify their environment to forge tools to help with daily challenges. Chimpanzees will make spears, use stones as hammers and anvils, and mash leaves into a pulp to use as makeshift sponges. It is thought that as a result of walking upright, our front limbs were much freer to use tools, and we have refined tool use to an art. We live constantly surrounded by the products of this ability, and much of what people consider makes us ‘successful’ is rooted in our tool making.

source

10 interesting facts about Valentine's Day

10 interesting facts about Valentine's Day


Most of you know that Valentines Day is supposed to be a day to declare your love. It is the holiday that sells the most the greeting cards with the exception of Christmas and it is also a holiday where gifts of candy and flowers are freely and not so freely given as tokens of affection. Here are a few fact’s about Valentine’s day you may not know.

1. In reality, there were actually 3 St. Valentine’s. One was a priest, one a bishop and one little is known about except he was a martyr. The stories of the priest’s and bishop’s martyrdom are so closely related it is difficult to tell which St. Valentine the Holiday is named after.

2. According to legend it was St. Valentine himself who sent the first valentine in the form of a letter to his jailer’s blind daughter with whom he had fallen in love. Just before he was put to death at the hands of King Claudius II for marrying the kings soldiers without the king’s permission he penned a note to his love and signed it: From your Valentine.

3. It is believed that a mount Holyoke college student by the name of Ester Howland created the first lace valentine in the United States from lace, ribbon and colorful pictures. She has become known as the Mother of the Valentine.

4. Teachers receive more valentine cards than anyone else, even children.

5. More than 650 million valentine cards are exchanged by children from ages 6-10 each year. Most of these cards are bought in the last 6 days leading up to Valentine’s day.

6. Each year the city of Verona Italy receives more than 1000 valentine’s addressed to Shakespeare’s Juliet. It really is amazing how much affection a dead fictional character can attract.

7. It was once believed that if a woman saw a flying robin on Valentine’s day she would end up getting married to a sailor. If a sparrow was the bird she saw she would end up marrying a man that was poor and live a happy life, if she saw a goldfinch then she was to marry a man that was a millionaire. One can only wonder who she would marry if she saw a crow.

8. In 1929 at the height of prohibition Al Capone ordered the killing of members of a rival gang run by Bugs Moran in Chicago on Valentines Day. Authorities were unable to find any real evidence to tie Capone to the crime and he was never arrested or tried for the murder of these seven men. Instead he served his time for tax evasion.

9. More than 9 million pet owners buy gifts for their pets for Valentine’s day. Now that is what can be called real puppy love.

10. It is estimated that 15% of the women in the United States who receive flowers for Valentine’s day send them to themselves. There are no figures that tell how many of these women are married, single or in a relationship.

Valentine’s day may be a commercial holiday but, as you can see it is one that has some interesting history and facts surrounding it. 

Statues of Easter Island

Statues of Easter Island

The Easter Island Statue Project (EISP) is a private research program and archive created by Jo Anne Van Tilburg, Principle Investigator and EISP founder and director, with Cristián Arévalo Pakarati, Rapa Nui artist and co-director of EISP.  The profound and immediate need for conservation actions on the moai became apparent over the course of more than 20 years of subjective observation and field experience acquired by us during our island-wide archaeological survey, which was conducted in association with our Chilean and Rapa Nui colleagues. 

The Easter Island Statue Project office is located at 225 Arizona Avenue, Studio 500, Santa Monica, CA, 90401. The EISP field office is located at the Mana Gallery, Petero Atamu s/n, Hanga Roa, Easter Island (Rapa Nui), Chile.