The Facts About Mesothelioma

Cancer affects so many families in so many ways. From parents and grand parents to 20 year old friends and siblings, these days cancer can hit at any age and it can be very unexpected. Today’s infographic covers a rare form of cancer, mesothelioma. Most cases of mesothelioma is caused by asbestosis exposure, something I for one have thought very little of.

Asbestosis exposure occurs mostly in construction works (second most in the home, EEK!) and affected many of those who worked on ground zero after September 11th. Since the construction of the world trade center, government regulations have protected buildings and builders from asbestosis exposure, but it is still seeping in through imports. Workers need to be aware of their settings, wear appropriate protective gear and follow all health regulations, as they are in place for their own protection.

This rare form of cancer is very scary, and the latency period associated with the disease. With a 20-40 year period between exposure and manifestation, patients need to be well informed of their resources. Seek help and seek advice. [Via]

20 of the most expensive paintings in the world

Pablo Picasso – Femme aux Bras Croisés (Woman with Folded Arms), 1902

Sold for $55 million in 2000

10 Cool Facts About Ladybugs

1. Ladybugs aren't really bugs at all, they're beetles!
Entomologically speaking, the term bugs applies to insects of the order Hemiptera. Ladybugs belong to the order Coleoptera, or beetles. Europeans have called these dome-backed beetles by the name ladybirds, or ladybird beetles, for over 500 years. In America, the name ladybird was replaced by ladybug. Scientists usually prefer the common name lady beetles.

5 Most Valuable Postage Stamps

SWEDEN THREE SKILLING BANCO, YELLOW COLOR ERROR, 1855

In 1855, Sweden issued its first postage stamps, a set of five depicting the Swedish coat of arms, with denominations ranging from 3 to 24 skillings banco. The 3-skilling banco value was normally printed in a blue-green color, while the 8-skilling was printed in a yellowish orange shade. It is not known exactly what went wrong, but the most likely explanation is that a cliché of the 8-skilling printing plate (which consisted of 100 clichés assembled into a 10 x 10 array) was damaged or broken, and mistakenly replaced with a 3-skilling cliché. The number of stamps printed in the wrong color is unknown. On 22 May 2010, the stamp was auctioned once again by David Feldman in Geneva, Switzerland. It sold “for at least the $2.3 million price it set a record for in 1996″. The buyer reportedly was an “international consortium” and the seller was a financial firm auctioning the stamp to pay the former owner’s debt. The exact price and the identity of the buyer were not disclosed, however, and all bidders reportedly were sworn to secrecy.

The Spiderman Lizard: Mwanza Flat Headed Agama

The Mwanza Flat-headed Agama is a lizard found in Tanzania, Rwanda, and Kenya. The lizard has an uncanny resemblance to the Marvel superhero Spiderman.

The head, neck and shoulders of the Mwanza Flat-headed Rock Agama is either a bright violet or red, while the rest of their bodies are a deep blue color. Almost fittingly, this delightful color combination is specific only to the male population of the species. The females of this Agama species are dull brown. After all there is no Spiderwoman, is there?

The Mwanza Flat-headed Agama can often be seen in the heat of the day basking on rocks or kopjes. Two years photographer Roy Daines captured an image of the lizard while on holiday in Kenya. Demand for the unusual pet soared soon after. Their recent rise to stardom has pet lovers and Spiderman fans clambering to buy the lizard as pets. Agamas is known to make good pets, as they become tame and docile if handled regularly. However, they require specialist equipment in the UK to maintain their temperature. They also require a special balanced diet of locusts, crickets, mealworms and waxworms. An adult Mwanza Flat-headed Agama can grow up to a foot long.

A WONDERFULL ANSWER

A man came to Iyas Ibn
Mu'awiyah, a Muslim judge
famous for his wisdom, and the
following conversation took
place between them:

Man:What is the Islamic ruling
regarding wine?
Judge: It is Haram (Forbidden).
Man: How about water?
Judge: It is Halal (Permissible).

Man:How about dates and
grapes?
Judge: They are Halal.
Man:Why is it that all these
ingredients are Halal, and yet
when you combine them, they
become Haram?

The judge looked at the man and
said: If I hit you with this
handful of dirt, do you think it
would hurt you?
Man: It would not.

Judge:How about if I hit you
with this handful of straw?
Man: It would not hurt me.

Judge:How about a handful of
water?
Man:It surely would not hurt
me.
Judge: How about if I mix them,
and let them dry to become a
brick, and then hit you with it,
would it hurt you?
Man:It would hurt me and
might even kill me!

Judge:The same reasoning
applies to what you asked me!

the Great Fail

A very large photo compilation of fails that can happen to literally anybody. Enjoy!

10 Longest Words in the English Language

Sometimes a picture says a thousand words; sometimes a word says a thousand letters.  There are a few instances in the English language where a word is not constructed for the sake of communication so much as to break a world record, for spectacle’s sake.  In that way, the English language is much like the Olympics; here are ten words that really go the distance.

Note: the following are words in the non-strictest sense, being that some are technical terms, some have been coined, while others actually appear in the dictionary.  Depending on which school of thought you subscribe to, lists may very on the basis of “what constitutes a word” (and some may argue simply that letters constitute a word).

Additional note: tying for the #7 spot is the word “hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian.”  It also contains 30 letters.  Let its omission be justified by saying this list, in and of itself, is hippopotomonstrosesquipedalian (i.e. “that which pertains to extremely long words”).

Method to Drink Water

Method to Drink Water

 The Human body is about 60 to 70 percent water. Everyday about 2.3 litres of water is excreted daily from our body in the form urine, excreta, sweat etc. We feel thirsty when the body needs water. So in order to replenish it, one should take the required quantity of water. To take water in excess or less than our requirement , take water when we feel no thirsty or avoid water when we feel thirsty is to invite ailments.

5 Arguments For and Against the Existence of God

Religious topics abound on Listverse and they are frequently the most commented upon. It has been some time since the last one so it seems like the time is ripe for another – and this one is a great one for discussion. Here we present five arguments in favor of the existence of God, and the counterargument for it. Feel free to comment on the veracity (or your opinion of) each but remember to keep calm and argue reasonably. After all, it is our ability to be reasonable (rationality) which separates us from the other animals! Note: These all deal with the Judeo-Christian God.

5

Ontological Argument

First formulated by St. Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, then taken up by Alvin Plantinga. “God exists, provided that it is logically possible for him to exist.”

This argument is quite brazen in its simplicity, requiring not only a belief in God, but a belief in the necessity of God. If you believe he is necessary, then you must believe he exists.

The Counterargument:

Criticism typically deals with the Ontological Argument committing a “bare assertion fallacy,” which means it asserts qualities inherent solely to an unproven statement, without any support for those qualities. It is also criticized as a circular argument, revolving from a premise to a conclusion which relies on the premise, which relies on the conclusion.

Incredible Fireworks

Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. Fireworks (devices) take many forms to produce the four primary effects: noise, light, smoke, and floating materials (confetti for example). They may be designed to burn with flames and sparks of many colors, typically red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, and silver. Displays are common throughout the world and are the focal point of many cultural and religious celebrations.

Differences Between Ladies and Real Women

Ladies - If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant "fix-me-up.
Real Women - If you over-salt a dish while you are cooking, that's too damn bad. Please recite with me, The Real Women's motto: "I made it and you will eat it and I don't care how bad it tastes."

Ladies - Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
Real Women - Take a lime, mix it with tequila, chill and drink. You might still have the headache, but who cares?

Ladies - Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.
Real Women - Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone, for Pete's sake. You are probably lying on the couch, with your feet up, eating it anyway.

Ladies - To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.
Real Women - Buy boxed mashed potato mix and keep it in the pantry for up to a year.

Ladies - Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.
Real Women - Sara Lee frozen pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crust, so I just don't do it.

And finally the most important tip....

Ladies - When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the inside of the cake.
Real Women - Go to the bakery -- they'll even decorate it for you 

*THE ART OF ZAYA*

Zaya was born June 5, 1975 in Bayan Khongor, Mongolia. In 2002 he graduated from the Institute of Fine Art at the Mongolian University of Culture and Art in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia with a bachelor’s degree in fine art.
He works in the traditional style of Mongolian painting, using watercolor and ink on rice paper and canvas. He depicts mostly warriors, but also draws on traditional themes of dramatic landscape and graceful animals.

 

 

 

i 'm a Mother......

The officer at the Driving License counter asked the lady "What is your occupation?"

The woman seeking renewal of her license seemed to be puzzled. So the officer said "Ma'am, are you employed, have your own business or........

The woman replied "Oh, yes!! I have a full time occupation. I am a Mother"

Officer: "We don't have 'Mother' as an option for occupation. I will write it down as 'Housewife'. That takes care of all questions."

This had happened long ago, and was forgotten. Years later when I went to get my license, the Public Relations Officer was a somewhat pompous woman.

"Your occupation?" she asked in a rather authoritative tone.

I just had an inspiration and replied

"I am a researcher in the field of Child Development, Nutrition and Inter-personal Relationships"
The lady officer stared at me in amazement. I calmly repeated my statement and she wrote it down verbatim. Then, unable to conceal her curiosity, she politely asked "What exactly do you do in your profession, Ma'am?"

I was feeling good about having described my occupation so calmly and confidently. So I replied "My research projects have been going on for a number of years (Mothers never retire!!). My research is conducted in the laboratory as well as in the field. I have two bosses. (One is God and the other is my entire family). I have received two honours in this field. (A son and a daughter) My topic is considered to be the most difficult part of sociology.(All moms will agree!!). I have to work more than 14 hours every day. Sometimes even 24 hours are not enough and the challenges are tougher than many other professions. My compensation is in terms of mental satisfaction rather than money"
   
I could see that the officer was thoroughly impressed. After completing the licensing formalities, she came to the door to see me off.

This new viewpoint about my occupation made me feel much better on my way back home. I was welcomed by my 5 year old research assistant at the door. My new project (my 6 month old baby) was energetically practicing her 'music'.

I had earned a small victory over the Governmental red tape today. I was no longer 'merely a Mother', instead I was now a highly placed functionary in a service vital for Mankind -Motherhood!!
'Mother' - Isn't it a great title. Fit to be added to the nameplate on the door!! By this standard, grandmothers deserve to be called Senior Research Officers, and Great Grandmothers qualify as 'Research Directors'. Aunts and other ladies of that age group can be called 'Research Facilitators'

FUNNY - LINERS

The difference between in-laws and outlaws?

Outlaws are wanted.

 

  Alcohol is a perfect solvent:

It dissolves marriages, families and careers.

  A fine is a tax for doing wrong.

A tax is a fine for doing well.
  Archeologist: someone whose career lies in ruins.
  An archaeologist is the best husband any woman can have:

The older she gets, the more interested he becomes in her.
  There are two kinds of people who don't say much:

those who are quiet and those who talk a lot.
  They say that alcohol kills slowly.

So what? Who's in a hurry ?
  Alcohol and calculus don't mix.

Never drink and derive
  One nice thing about egotists:

They don't talk about other people.
  There was a man who said,

"I never knew what happiness was until I got married...

and then it was too late

  Before marriage, a man yearns for the woman he loves.

After marriage, the 'Y' becomes silent.

HUMOUR- The I. T. Engg. Hubby

Husband (Returning late from work ) :

"Good Evening Dear, I'm now logged in."

Wife : Have you brought the grocery ?

Wife : What about my new TV?

Husband : Variable not found ...

Wife : At least, give me your Credit Card, I want to do some shopping.

Husband : Sharing Violation. Access denied ...

Wife : Do you love me or do you only love computers or are you just being funny ?

Husband : Too many parameters ...

Wife : It was a great mistake that I married an idiot like you.

Husband : Data type mismatch.
Wife : You are a useless nut.

Husband : By Default.

Wife : What about your Salary ?

Husband : File in use ... Try after some time.

Wife : Who was in the car this morning ?

Husband : System is unstable.

Press CTRL + ALT + DEL to Reboot.

Wife : Are you going to drink some wine?

Husband : File system is full.

Wife : What is my value in the family ?

Husband : Unknown Virus.

HUMOUR- At Large

Mona Lisa's Mother: 'After all that money your father and I spent on your braces, is that the biggest smile you can give us?'
 
Columbus's Mother: 'I don't care what you've discovered, you still could have written!'
 
Michelangelo's' Mother: ' Can't you paint on walls like other children? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get that stuff off the ceiling?'
 
Napoleon's Mother: 'All right, if you aren't hiding your report card inside your jacket, take your hand out of there and show me.'
 
Abraham Lincoln's Mother: 'Again with the stovepipe hat? Can't you just wear a baseball cap like the other kids?'
 
Mary's Mother: 'I'm not upset your lamb followed you to school, but I would like to know how he got a better grade than you.
Albert Einstein's Mother: 'But it's your senior picture. Can't you do something about your hair? Styling gel, mousse, something...?'
 
George Washington's Mother: 'The next time I catch you throwing money across the Potomac, you can kiss your allowance good-bye.'
 
Jonah's Mother: 'That's a nice story. Now tell me where you've really been for the last three days.'
 
Thomas Edison's Mother: 'Of course I'm proud that you invented the electric bulb. Now turn it off and get to bed. 

Top 10 Facts About Agni-5

Agni-V is a solid fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile that has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO) of India. It will greatly expand India's reach to strike targets well beyond 5,500 km away.

Adorable animal expressions in photos

 

Adorable animal expressions in photos

From a smiley seal to a jaw-dropping polar bear, see some sensational photos captured by 

photographer Sergey Kokinskiy after he got up close and personal with wildlife living in colder climates. 

Warning: The following images are so cute, they could make your heart melt.

 

 

 

1: Here's looking at you, kid! A baby Adelie penguin is pictured with two elder ones 

during feeding time on Paulet Island, Antarctica. 

The Russian photographer likens his craft to one