Gargi's

Sans téléphone portable

2010-04-12T19:54:00.000+05:30

Granny's taken my phn.... :-(
hw'll I connect wd 'my wrld' nw?

un dieu m'aident :P

Howzzattt????

2010-04-12T19:48:00.002+05:30

just doin sum editin

plz leave ur comments here fr any kinda encouragement r d lyk

:-)

Zzzz.....

2010-04-05T18:23:00.000+05:30

Soooo sleepy 2day....

slept @ skul
dozed thru d eng class
barely managed wd accountancy (ws on d 1st seat) :-x
an ice-cream helped me fr eco

Gimme sum sleep
m insomniac....

Rokd wd my speech \m/

2010-04-05T18:15:00.000+05:30

* applause *
rokd wd my speech 2day
special appreciation by Princi O_o

My speech - 5th April 2010 :D \m/

2010-04-05T18:13:00.004+05:30

Where do you see the future of

India

in a hundred years for our grandchildren? Do you see them at war? Do you see them being a wealthy and successful Country? Or do you see the world’s temperature rising causing flooding, wildfires, and distinction of plants and animals.

Goodmorning everybody, Today I am here to tell you about the problems we face on our mother earth, particularly that of global warming.

Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation. Otherwise known as the greenhouse effect, it is the contamination of the earth’s atmosphere. Carbon dioxide and other trace gases like Nitrous oxide and Methane trap heat from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere causing the earth to heat up at a very high rate. Carbon dioxide (CO2) is released into the atmosphere by the burning of solid waste, wood and wood products and fossil fuels like oil, natural gas, and coal. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are not biodegradable coming from aerosol cans, refrigerants, foam insulation, and industrial solvents. All these factors merge and give rise to the momentous problem of climate change.

No nation, however large or small, wealthy or poor, can escape the impact of climate change. Rising sea levels threaten every coastline. More powerful storms and floods threaten every continent. More frequent drought and crop failures breed hunger and conflict in places where hunger and conflict already thrive. On shrinking islands, families are already being forced to flee their homes as climate refugees. The security and stability of each nation and all people are in jeopardy. And the time we have to reverse this tide is running out.

And yet, we can reverse it. John F. Kennedy once observed that “Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man.” It is true that for too many years, mankind has been slow to respond to or even recognize the magnitude of the climate threat. It is true of my own country as well. We recognize that. But this is a new day. It is a new era.

The evidence that humans are causing global warming is strong, but the question of what to do about it remains controversial. Answer to the problem can be summed in one line; ‘Reduce carbon and green house gas emission in the atmosphere before it’s too late’. Stop dependency on fossil fuels and look out for renewable energy which can be substituted for the energy needs. We have to understand and accept the fact that emission of carbon and GHGs cannot be stopped completely and as we move ahead it’s only going to increase. We have to find a solution that not only solves the bigger problem but also goes hand in hand with the economic growth. In my opinion, all subsidies to fuel use must also be eliminated as this will certainly help to solve the problem of emissions. Alternative fuel vehicles must be looked for. Whether you choose to carpool with friends, grab the bus, hop on your bike or locomote with your two legs, they’re all ways to leave your car parked in the garage—and reduce your contribution to the carbon burden.

But the journey is long. The journey is hard. And we don’t have much time left to make it. It is a journey that will require each of us to persevere through setback, and fight for every inch of progress, even when it comes in fits and starts. So let us begin. For if we are flexible and pragmatic; if we can resolve to work tirelessly in common effort, then we will achieve our common purpose: a world that is safer, cleaner, and healthier than the one we found; and a future that is worthy of our children. Thank you.

2010-04-04T14:14:00.001+05:30

Today Was a Fairytale - Taylor Swift

2010-03-25T18:47:00.000+05:30

Today was a fairytale
You were the prince
I used to be a damsel in distress
You took me by the hand and you picked me up at six
Today was a fairytale

Today was a fairytale

Today was a fairytale
I wore a dress
You wore a dark grey t-shirt
You told me I was pretty
When I looked like a mess
Today was a fairytale

Time slows down
Whenever you're around

Can you feel this magic in the air?
It must have been the way you kissed me
Fell in love when I saw you standing there
It must have been the way
Today was a fairytale

It must have been the way
Today was a fairytale

Today was a fairytale
You've got a smile that takes me to another planet
Every move you make everything you say is right
Today was a fairytale

Today was a fairytale
All that I can say
Is now it's getting so much clearer
Nothing made sense until the time I saw your face
Today was a fairytale

Time slows down
Whenever you're around

But can you feel this magic in the air?
It must have been the way you kissed me
Fell in love when I saw you standing there
It must have been the way
Today was a fairytale
It must have been the way
Today was a fairytale

Time slows down
Whenever you're around
I can feel my heart
It's beating in my chest
Did you feel it?
I can't put this down

But can you feel this magic in the air?
It must have been the way you kissed me
Fell in love when I saw you standing there
It must have been the way

But can you feel this magic in the air?
It must have been the way you kissed me
Fell in love when I saw you standing there
It must have been the way
Today was a fairytale
It must have been the way
Today was a fairytale

Today was a fairytale

2010-03-25T18:38:00.004+05:30

An Athlete's Prayer

2009-10-30T15:45:00.000+05:30

It was right before the big one and the player said,
"Excuse me guys for just a sec while I go bow my head."
And in the quiet of that room
The player prayed,
"Oh God if nothing hear me now
I know that fate is made."

"So help us Lord to win this game,
It's the big one, man, you see,
If we lose this game that's it for us,
Please do this, Lord, for me."

And as his body knelt in prayer,
He looked up to the sky,
"And while I'm here, and have some time,
I need to ask you why?"

"They say you never help teams win,
Just do it once I pray,
We will pay you back in kinder deeds
Or in another way."

"The reason I can't help you win,"
The Lord just then replied,
"Is as you're asking me to win,
So is the other side."

"I'm everybody's father and
I must not take one side,
So games are played all on your own
Or they would all be tied."

"But that doesn't mean you shouldn't pray,"
He answered him with care,
"You can pray that players don't get hurt
And that all the calls are fair."

"And then I won't just watch the game,
I'll bless it with my care,
Because dear son you need to learn
That life's not always fair."

And while the player heard this voice,
He bowed his head in prayer,
"I pray for fairness", said the boy
"And for your tender care."

"You shall be blessed," the Lord replied,
"Your team and you the same,
And now will you excuse me boy,
I cannot miss the game."

2009-09-23T12:26:00.000+05:30

I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, oh, oh

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, yeah, yeah

Wacky Town Names

2009-07-31T13:03:00.001+05:30

Towns that boast . . .

Beauty, KY
Best, TX
Bountiful, UT
Carefree, AZ
Celebration, FL
Friendly, WV
Happy Camp, CA
Happyland, CT
Ideal, GA
Lovely, KY
Luck Stop, KY
Magic City, ID
Paradise, MI
Smileyberg, KS
Success, MO
What Cheer, IA

. . . and towns that don't.

Boring, OR
Dinkytown, MN
Eek, AK
Embarrass, WI
Flat, TX
Greasy, OK
Gripe, AZ
Hardscrabble, DE
Hazard, KY
Oddville, KY
Okay, OK
Ordinary, KY
Peculiar, MO
Sod, WV
Why, AZ

Towns that make you hungry

Bacon, IN
Big Rock Candy Mountain, VT
Buttermilk, KS
Cheesequake, NJ
Chocolate Bayou, TX
Goodfood, MS
Ham Lake, MN
Hot Coffee, MS
Lick Fork, VA
Lickskillet, OH
Mexican Water, AZ
Oatmeal, TX
Oniontown, PA
Picnic, FL
Pie Town, NM
Sandwich, MA
Spuds, FL
Sugar City, ID
Tea, SD
Tortilla Flat, AZ
Two Egg, FL

Towns that remind you of bugs and birds . . .

Beebeetown, IA
Bee Lick, KY
Bird-in-Hand, PA
Birds Eye, IN
Black Gnat, KY
Bugscuffle, TN
Bumble Bee, AZ
Chicken, AK
Fleatown, OH
Goose Pimple Junction, VA
Parrot, KY
Shoofly, NC
Turkey, TX
Turkey Scratch, AR

. . . and other creatures . . .

Bear, DE
Beaverdale, PA
Dinosaur, CO
Dog Walk, KY
Fish Haven, ID
Hippo, KY
Horseheads, NY
Hungry Horse, MT
Mammoth, WV
Monkey's Eyebrow, KY
Possum Trot, KY
Rabbit Shuffle, NC
Squirrel Hill, PA
Toad Suck, AR
Trout, LA
Viper, KY

. . . not to mention humankind.

Bigfoot, TX
Bowlegs, OK
Brainy Boro, NJ
Humansville, MO
Left Hand, WV
Shoulderblade, KY
Stiffknee Knob, NC
Sweet Lips, TN
West Thumb, WY

Mottos for countries around the world

2008-05-26T09:39:00.002+05:30

Motto can be defined as a word, phrase, or sentence that expresses the principles or belief of a person, group, country, or organization. This is why you will find that some businesses, universities, and other institutions have a motto. It expresses their goals, ideals, and identity. Likewise, there are many countries around the world that use mottos to express such character or belief that define the citizens of that country. Interestingly, some of these mottos can even give insight into the history of a country. This weeks article will list some of the countries around the world along with their motto. What is your country's motto?
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A
Andorra:......................Virtus unita fortior (Latin - "Strength united is stronger")
Antigua and Barbuda:...Each endeavouring, all achieving
Argentina:....................En unión y libertad (Spanish - "In union and freedom")
Armenia:.......................Remembrance of the past, strength for the future
Aruba:.............................Un isla feliz (Papiamento - "A Happy Island")
Australia:.......................none
Austria:........................Austria est in orbit ultima (Latin - "Austria will be the last to perish")
Azerbaijan:................Land of the Eternal Fire

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B
Bahamas:………………..Forward upward onward together
Barbados:……………….Pride and Industry
Belgium:……………….L'union fait la force, Eendracht maakt macht and Einigkeit gibt Stärke (French , Dutch and German - "Strength lies in unity")
Belize:.......................Sub umbra floreo (Latin - "Under the shade I flourish")
Bolivia:....................Firme y Feliz por la Unión (Spanish - "Firm and Happy because of the Union")
Brazil:.......................Ordem e progresso (Portuguese - "Order and progress")
Brunei:.......................Brunei darussalam (Malay - "Brunei, the abode of peace")
Bulgaria:...................Saedinenieto pravi silata (Bulgarian - "Union is strength")

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C
Cambodia:................Nation, Religion, King
Cayman Islands:......He hath founded it upon the seas
Canada:.....................A mari usque ad mare (Latin - "From sea to sea")
Colombia:.................Libertad y orden (Spanish - "Freedom and order")
Costa Rica:..............¡Pura vida! (Spanish - "Pure life!")
Cuba:.........................Patria y Libertad (Spanish - "Homeland and Liberty")
Czech Republic:....Pravda vítězí! (Czech - "Truth prevails!")

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D
Denmark:................Royal motto: Guds hjælp, Folkets kærlighed, Danmarks styrke (Danish - "God's help, the love of the people, Denmark's strength")
Dominican Republic:..................Dios, Patria, Libertad (Spanish - "God, Country, Liberty")

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E
East Timor:........................Honra, pátria e povo (Portuguese - "Honour, country and people")
Ecuador:..............................Ecuador ha sido, es y será un país amazónico (Spanish - "Ecuador has been, is and will be an amazonic country")
El Salvador:......................Dios, Unión, Libertad (Spanish - "God, Union, Liberty")
Equatorial Guinea:........Unidad, Paz, Justicia (Spanish - "Unity, Peace, Justice")
European Union:........In varietate concordia (United in diversity - Unie dans la diversité, etc. (Translated into the languages of the member states of the EU))

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F
Fiji:..................................Rerevaka na Kalou ka Doka na Tui (Fijian - "Fear God and honour the Queen")
France:........................Liberté, égalité, fraternité (French - "Liberty, equality, brotherhood")

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G
Georgia:......................ძალა ერთობაშია! (Dzala ertobashia) (Georgian - "Strength is in Unity")
Germany:.................Einigkeit und Recht und Freiheit (German - "Unity and justice and freedom")
Greece:...................Ελευθερια η θανατος (transliterated as "Eleutheria i thanatos") (Greek - "Liberty or death")
Guyana:................One people, one nation, one destiny

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H
Haiti:..................L'union fait la force (French -"Unity is strength")
Honduras:........Libre, Soberana E Independiente(Spanish - "Free, sovereign and independent")
Hungary:............none, formerly Regnum Mariae Patrona Hungariae (Latin -"Kingdom of Mary, the Patron of Hungary")

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I
India:........................सत्यमेव जयते (Satyameva Jayate) (Sanskrit - "Truth alone triumphs")
Indonesia:..............Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Old Javanese - "Unity in diversity")
Iran:............................Esteghlâl, Azâdi, Jomhouri-ye Islâmi (Persian - "Independence, Freedom, Islamic Republic")
Ireland:...................none
Israel:........................none
Italy:...........................none

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J
Jamaica:........................Out of many, one people
Jordan:..........................الأردن أوّلاً, | الله، الوطن، الملك

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K
Kenya:........................Harambee (Swahili - "Let's work together")
Kiribati:......................Te mauri, te raoi ao te tabomoa (Kiribati - "Health, Peace and Prosperity")
Korea, North:..........강성대국(强盛大國) (Korean - "Prosperous and great country")
Korea, South:..........홍익인간(弘益人間) or 널리 인간을 이롭게 하라 (Korean - "Broadly bring benefit to humanity")

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L
Laos:.......................Peace, independence, democracy, unity and prosperity
Latvia:....................Tēvzemei un Brīvībai (Latvian - "For Fatherland and Freedom")
Lebanon:.............Koullouna Lil Watan, Lil Oula wal'Allam (Arabic - "Us all! For our Nation, for our Emblem and Glory!")
Lithuania:.........Vienybė težydi (Lithuanian - Let unity bloom)
Luxembourg:..Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sin (Luxembourgeois - "We want to stay what we are")

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M
Malaysia:.......................Bersekutu Bertambah Mutu (Malay -"Unity increases Strength")
Mauritius:...................Stella clavisque Maris Indici (Latin - "Star and key of the Indian Ocean")
Mexico:.....................El respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz (Spanish - "Respect for the rights of others is peace"). Sufragio efectivo, no reelección (Spanish - "Effective suffrage, not re-election)", this is presently found in the signature of some of their official documents.
Monaco:...................Deo juvante (Latin - "With God's help")
Morocco:................God, the Country, the King

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N
Namibia:.................Unity, liberty, justice
Nauru:....................God's will first
Nepal:.....................जननी जन्मभूमिष्च स्वर्गादपि गरियसि (Sanskrit - "Mother and motherland are greater than heaven")
Netherlands:.......Je maintiendrai, Ik zal handhaven (French, Dutch - "I will maintain")
Netherlands Antilles:......Libertate unanimus (Latin - "Unified by freedom")
Nigeria:......................Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress
Norway:......................Royal motto: Alt for Norge (Norwegian - "Everything for Norway")

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P
Pakistan:........................Yaqeen-mukkam , ittihad , nazm (Urdu - "Faith (self-confidence), unity, discipline")
Panama:.........................Pro mundi beneficio (Latin - "For the benefit of the world")
Paraguay:......................Paz y justicia (Spanish - "Peace and justice")
Philippines:....................Maka-Diyos, Makatao, Makakalikasan at Makabansa (Filipino - "God, People, Nature and Country")
Peru:....................Firme y feliz por la Unión (Spanish - "Steady and happy for the union")
Poland:...............none; unofficially, Bóg, Honor, Ojczyzna (Polish - "God, Honour, Fatherland")
Puerto Rico:.....Joannes Est Nomen Eius (Latin - "John is his name")

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R
Republic of Macedonia (Former Yugoslav):.......Sloboda ili smrt (Macedonian - "Liberty or death")
Rhodesia:..............Nomine digna (Latin - "May she be worthy of the name")
Romania:...............Desteapta-te Romane (Romanian - "Wake up, Romanian")

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S
Saint Lucia:...................The land, the people, the light
San Marino:..................Libertas (Latin - "Liberty")
Senegal:...........................Un peuple, un but, une foi (French - "One people, one goal, one faith")
Serbia:...........................Samo Sloga Srbina Spasava (Serbian - "Only solidarity will save the Serbs")
Seychelles:..................Finis coronat opus (Latin - "The end crowns the work")
Sierra Leone:...........Unity, freedom, justice
Singapore:...................Majulah Singapura (Malay - "Onward Singapore")
South Africa:.............!ke e: /xarra //ke (/Xam - "Diverse people unite" or "Unity in Diversity")
Spain:.....................Plus ultra (Latin - "Further beyond")
Solomon Islands:............To lead is to serve
Soviet Union (former):..................Пролетарии всех стран, соединяйтесь! (Russian - "Workers of the world, unite!")
Suriname:.......................Justitia, pietas, fides (Latin - "Justice, piety, loyalty")
Swaziland:.....................Siyinquaba (Swati - "We are the fortress")
Sweden:..........................För Sverige i tiden (Swedish - "For Sweden, with the times")
Switzerland:.................Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno (Latin - "One for all, all for one", traditional, but not official)

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T
Togo:.......................Travail, Liberté, Patrie (French - "Work, liberty, homeland")
Turkey:..................Yurtta Sulh, Cihanda Sulh (Turkish - "Peace at home, peace in the world")
Tuvalu:...................Tuvalu mo te Atua (Tuvaluan - "Tuvalu for the Almighty")

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U
Ukraine:..................Воля, злагода, добро (Ukrainian - "Freedom, Concord, Kindness")
United Kingdom:....Dieu et mon droit (French - "God and my right", Royal motto)
United States:........E pluribus unum (Latin - "Out of many, one") and In God We Trust
Uruguay:..............none

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V
Venezuela:................none
Vietnam:..................Ðộc lập, tự do, hạnh phúc (Vietnamese - "Independence, liberty, and happiness")
Virgin Islands (US):.....United in Pride and Hope

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W
Western Sahara (SADR):...................... حرية ديمقراطية وحدة (Hassānīya Arabic - "Liberty, Democracy, Unity")

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International Calling Codes: List of Country Calling Codes

2008-05-26T09:34:00.000+05:30

Whenever you are making a call to any country around the world (international call), you will no doubt have to place a 3 or 4 digit prefix before the phone number (local number) you are going to dial. This international prefix differs from one country to the next and is the international country code used for that country.

Therefore every international phone calling from any country has an international country code that must be dialed first, followed by the phone number (local number). The following list of each country’s calling codes below will help you to make your long distance phone call (international calls) to any country worldwide.

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List of Country Calling Codes

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A
Afghanistan 93
Albania 355
Algeria 213
American Samoa 684
Andorra 376
Angola 244
Anguilla 1264
Antarctica 6721
Antigua and Barbuda 1268
Argentina 54
Armenia 374
Aruba 297
Ascension 247
Australia 61
Austria 43
Azerbaijan 994

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B
Bahamas 1242
Bahrain 973
Bangladesh 880
Barbados 1246
Belarus 375
Belgium 32
Belize 501
Benin 229
Bermuda 1441
Bhutan 975
Bolivia 951
Bosnia and Herzegovina 387
Botswana 267
Brazil 55
British Indian Ocean Territory 246
British Virgin Islands 1284
Brunei 673
Bulgaria 359
Burkina Faso 226
Burundi 257

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C
Cambodia 855
Cameroon 237
Canada 1
Cape Verde 238
Cayman Islands 1345
Central African Republic 236
Chad 235
Chile 56
China 86
Colombia 57
Comoros 269
Congo, Democratic Republic of the 243
Congo, Republic of the 242
Cook Islands 682
Costa Rica 506
Cote d'Ivoire 225
Croatia 385
Cuba 53
Cyprus 357
Czech Republic 420

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D
Denmark 45
Djibouti 253
Dominica 1767
Dominican Republic 1809

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E
East Timor 670
Ecuador 593
Egypt 20
El Salvador 503
Equatorial Guinea 240
Eritrea 291
Estonia 372
Ethiopia 251

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F
Falkland Islands 500
Faroe Islands 298
Fiji 679
Finland 358
France 33
French Guiana 594
French Polynesia 689

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G
Gabon 241
Gambia 220
Gaza 970
Georgia 995
Germany 49
Ghana 233
Gibraltar 350
Greece 30
Greenland 299
Grenada 1473
Guadeloupe 590
Guam 1671
Guatemala 502
Guinea 224
Guinea-Bissau 245
Guyana 592

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H
Haiti 509
Honduras 504
Hong Kong 852
Hungary 36

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I
Iceland 354
India 91
Indonesia 62
Iraq 964
Iran 98
Ireland (Eire) 353
Israel 972
Italy 39

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J
Jamaica 1876
Japan 81
Jordan 962

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K
Kazakhstan 7
Kenya 254
Kiribati 686
Kuwait 965
Kyrgyzstan 996

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L
Laos 856
Latvia 371
Lebanon 961
Lesotho 226
Liberia 231
Liechtenstein 423
Lithuania 370
Luxembourg 352
Libya 218

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M
Macau 853
Macedonia, Republic of 389
Madagascar 261
Malawi 265
Malaysia 60
Maldives 960
Mali 223
Malta 356
Marshall Islands 692
Martinique 596
Mauritania 222
Mauritius 230
Mayotte 2696
Mexico 52
Micronesia, Federated States of 691
Moldova 373
Monaco 377
Mongolia 976
Montenegro 381
Montserrat 1664
Morocco 212
Mozambique 258
Myanmar 95

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N
Namibia 264
Nauru 674
Netherlands 31
Netherlands Antilles 599
Nepal 977
New Caledonia 687
New Zealand 64
Nicaragua 505
Niger 227
Nigeria 234
Niue 683
Norfolk Island 6723
North Korea 850
Northern Ireland 44
Northern Mariana Islands 1670
Norway 47

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O
Oman 968

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P
Pakistan 92
Palau 680
Panama 507
Papua New Guinea 675
Paraguay 595
Peru 51
Philippines 63
Poland 48
Portugal 351
Puerto Rico 1787/1939

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Q
Qatar 974

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R
Reunion 262
Romania 40
Russia 7
Rwanda 250

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S
Saint Helena 290
Saint Kitts and Nevis 1869
Saint Lucia 1758
Saint Pierre and Miquelon 508
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1784
Samoa 685
Sao Tome and Principe 239
Saudi Arabia 966
Senegal 221
Serbia 381
Seychelles 248
Sierra Leone 232
Singapore 65
Slovakia 421
Slovenia 386
Solomon Islands 677
Somalia 252
South Africa 27
South Korea 82
Spain 34
Sri Lanka 94
Sudan 249
Suriname 597
Swaziland 268
Sweden 46
Switzerland 41
Syria 963

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T
Taiwan 886
Tajikistan 992
Tanzania 255
Thailand 66
Togo 228
Tokelau 690
Tonga 676
Trinidad and Tobago 1868
Tunisia 216
Turkey 90
Turkmenistan 993
Turks and Caicos Islands 1649
Tuvalu 688

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
U
Uganda 256
Ukraine 380
United Arab Emirates 971
United Kingdom 44
United States of America 1
Uruguay 598
Uzbekistan 998

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V
Vanuatu 678
Venezuela 58
Vietnam 84
Virgin Islands 1340

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
W
Wallis and Futuna 681
West Bank 970

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Y
Yemen 967

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Z
Zambia 260
Zimbabwe 263

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2008-01-01T10:49:00.000+05:30

In ‘The Universal Bank of God’…
God stores his blessings & deposited 365 days full of love,faith & happiness for you…
So,Enjoy spending…
Happy New Year!!!

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I took the " handwriting personality " quiz on gURL.com
		my handwriting style is... font face=arial color=#000000> sophisticated scribbler Your handwriting reveals you as a thoughtful, intellectual type who avoids fake people and places where there's lots of noise and crowds. Read more... What does your handwriting say about you?

2007-12-02T06:57:00.000+05:30

I took the "the enneagram" quiz on gURL.com
		I am... 3: the achiever Three's a charmer! Are you naturally successful? Do you put your best face forward no matter what? If so, you may have some Enneagram Type Three in you. Read more... What's your number?

2007-12-01T14:15:00.000+05:30

I took the "The Animal Spirit" quiz on gURL.com
		My animal spirit is... The Porcupine Porcupines have developed a unique way of defending themselves. Their weapons are out for the world to see and they are not shy about using them. Read more... What is your animal spirit?

2007-11-01T09:03:00.000+05:30

I took the "the temperment type" quiz on gURL.com
		I am... sanguine According to Galen's ancient theory of temperaments, people with sanguine temperaments are social, optimistic and persuasive. They love expressing themselves and seek large audiences... Read more... What's your temperment?

2007-11-01T08:17:00.000+05:30

I took the "The Color Personality" quiz on gURL.com
		My personality is... red Aye, caliente! You're a fiery red! According to color psychology, you're independent, dominant and feisty, almost always getting your way. Read more... What color is your personality?

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Don't you think so ?

2007-05-30T13:03:00.000+05:30

A little Angel like me is asking you to keep smiling !

2007-05-29T14:42:00.000+05:30

I love Skating

2007-05-29T14:33:00.000+05:30

Friday the 13th

2007-05-25T12:34:00.000+05:30

Unlucky No. 13 combines Christian and pagan beliefs

Friday the 13th is an unlucky day in much of Western Europe, North America, and Australia. Many people avoid travel and avoid signing contracts on Friday the 13th. Floors in tall buildings often skip from 12 to 14. And while the superstition is believed to be fading, it nonetheless has deep roots in both Christian and pagan culture.

The Day Jesus Was Crucified?
Many Christians have long believed that Friday was unlucky because it was the day of the week when Jesus was crucified. The number 13 was believed to bring bad luck because there were 13 people at The Last Supper. Since there were 12 tribes of Israel, that number was considered lucky.

Roots in Norse Mythology
Thirteen was also a sinister number in Norse mythology. Loki, one of the most evil of the Norse gods, went uninvited to a party for 12 at Valhalla, a banquet hall of the gods. As a result, he caused the death of Balder, the god of light, joy, and reconciliation. Loki tricked Balder's blind brother, Hod, into throwing a sprig of mistletoe at Balder's chest. Since mistletoe was the only thing on Earth fatal to Balder, the beloved god fell dead.

Literature and Folk Wisdom
During the Middle Ages, the superstition against Friday the 13th grew. On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrests of Jaques de Molay, Grand Master of the Knights Templars and sixty of his senior knights in Paris. Thousands of others were arrested elsewhere in the country. After employing torture techniques to compel the Templars to "confess" to wrongdoing, most were eventually executed and sympathizers of the Templars condemned Friday the 13th as an evil day. Over time a large body of literature and folk wisdom have reinforced the belief. In the 18th century, the HMS Friday was launched on Friday the 13th. It was never heard from again. Since then, ships are not usually launched on that date. (Click here for other mysterious ship disappearances.)

Dinner With 13
It is considered especially unlucky to have 13 people at the table during a meal, such as in Agatha Christie's mystery novel, Thirteen at Dinner. During the 1880s, a men's group that felt superstition was an unhealthy influence on public life held Thirteen Club dinners. Those diners would have doubtless deplored Triskaidekaphobia, which is a fear of the number 13. They would also have looked askance at Triskaidekamania, which is an excessive enthusiasm for the number 13. (Take our Phobia Quiz (part I) on Triskaidekaphobia and other scary phobias.)

My Beautiful Name - On the Walk Of Fame

2007-05-24T12:28:00.001+05:30

My Beautiful Name - On the grass with Flowers

2007-05-24T12:20:00.000+05:30

Hips Don't Lie - Shakira

2007-02-18T16:50:00.000+05:30

Ladies up in here tonight
No fighting, no fighting
We got the refugees up in here
No fighting, no fighting

Shakira, Shakira
I never really knew that she could dance like this
She makes a man wants to speak Spanish
Como se llama (si), bonita (si), mi casa (si, Shakira Shakira), su casa
Shakira, Shakira

Oh baby when you talk like that
You make a woman go mad
So be wise and keep on
Reading the signs of my body

And I'm on tonight
You know my hips don't lie
And I'm starting to feel it's right
All the attraction, the tension
Don't you see baby, this is perfection

Hey Girl, I can see your body moving
And it's driving me crazy
And I didn't have the slightest idea
Until I saw you dancing

And when you walk up on the dance floor
Nobody cannot ignore the way you move your body, girl
And everything so unexpected - the way you right and left it
So you can keep on shaking it

I never really knew that she could dance like this
She makes a man want to speak Spanish
Como se llama (si), bonita (si), mi casa (si, Shakira Shakira), su casa
Shakira, Shakira

Oh baby when you talk like that
You make a woman go mad
So be wise and keep on
Reading the signs of my body

And I'm on tonight
You know my hips don't lie
And I am starting to feel you boy
Come on lets go, real slow
Don't you see baby asi es perfecto

Oh I know I am on tonight my hips don't lie
And I am starting to feel it's right
All the attraction, the tension
Don't you see baby, this is perfection
Shakira, Shakira

Oh boy, I can see your body moving
Half animal, half man
I don't, don't really
know what I'm doing

But you seem to have a plan
My will and self restraint
Have come to fail now, fail nowSee,
I am doing what I can, but I can't so you know
That's a bit too hard to explain

Baila en la calle de noche
Baila en la calle de día

Baila en la calle de noche
Baila en la calle de día

I never really knew that she could dance like this
She makes a man want to speak Spanish
Como se llama (si), bonita (si), mi casa (si, Shakira Shakira), su casa
Shakira, Shakira

Oh baby when you talk like that
You know you got me hypnotized
So be wise and keep on
Reading the signs of my body

Senorita, feel the conga, let me see
you move like you come from Colombia

Mira en Barranquilla se baila así,
say it!
Mira en Barranquilla se baila así

Yeah
She's so sexy every man's fantasy a refugee
like me back with the Fugees from
a 3rd world country
I go back like when 'pac carried
crates for Humpty Humpty
I need a whole club dizzy
Why the CIA wanna watch us?
Colombians and Haitians
I ain't guilty, it's a musical
transaction
No more do we snatch ropes
Refugees run the seas 'cause we own our own boats

I'm on tonight, my hips don't lie
And I'm starting to feel you boy
Come on let's go, real slow
Baby, like this is perfecto

Oh, you know I am on tonight and my hips don't lie
And I am starting to feel it's right
The attraction, the tension
Baby, like this is perfection

No fighting
No fighting

Kids' top 100 favourite books

2007-02-01T14:18:00.000+05:30

This list was tabulated from an online survey that the National Educational Association ran from November 1, 1999 through February 1, 2000.

Harry Potter (series) by J. K. Rowling

Goosebumps (series) by R. L. Stine

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss

The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss

Arthur (series) by Marc Brown

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White

Shiloh (trilogy) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Holes by Louis Sachar

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing (series) by Judy Blume

Sideways Stories from Wayside School (series) by Louis Sachar

The BFG by Roald Dahl

The Boxcar Children (series) by Gertrude Chandler Warner

One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (series) by Beverly Cleary

Pokemon (series) by Tracey West, Maria S. Barbo

The Babysitters Club (series) by Ann M. Martin

Ralph S. Mouse (series) by Beverly Cleary

Little House on the Prairie (series) by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Clifford the Big Red Dog (series) by Norman Bridwell

Stuart Little by E. B. White

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

The Adventures of Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

The Berenstain Bears (series) by Jan and Stan Berenstain

Animorphs (series) by K. A. Applegate

The Witches by Roald Dahl

Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keene

The Hobbit (series) by J. R. R. Tolkien

American Girls (series) by Susan Adler, Valerie Tripp, Connie Porter, Janet Shaw, et al

Matilda by Roald Dahl

The Call of the Wild by Jack London

The Foot Book by Dr. Seuss

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss

James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Junie B. Jones (series) by Barbara Park

Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner

Falling Up by Shel Silverstein

A Wrinkle in Time (series) by Madeleine L'Engle

Brian's Winter by Gary Paulsen

Amber Brown (series) by Paula Danziger

The North Star by Peter H. Reynolds

Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks by Mick Foley (Mankind)

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry

The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton

A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

Chicken Soup for the Soul (series) by various authors

Curious George (series) by Margret and Hans Augusto Rey

The Teacher from the Black Lagoon (series) by Mike Thaler

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff

The Bailey School Kids (series) by Debbie Dadey, et al

The Hardy Boys (series) by Franklin W. Dixon

The Mitten by Jan Brett

Amelia Bedelia (series) by Peggy Parish

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater

The River by Gary Paulsen

Magic Tree House (series) by Mary Pope Osborne

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by John Scieszka

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss

The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Redwall by Brian Jacques

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Wringer by Jerry Spinelli

Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls

Sweet Valley High (series) by Francine Pascal

The Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley (series) by Judy Katschke, Cathy Dobowski, Lisa

Eisenberg, Nancy E. Krulik, Nina Alexander, Frances Lin Lantz, et al

Garfield (series) by Jim Davis

Magic School Bus (series) by Joanna Cole

Math Curse by John Scieszka

White Fang by Jack London

I Spy (series) by Walter Wick, Jean Marzollo, Diana Noonan, et al

Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Draw 50 Airplanes, Aircraft and Spacecraft (series) by Lee J. Ames

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

The Rock Says by Dwayne Johnson (The Rock)

Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

All About Sam by Lois Lowry

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Hank the Cow Dog (series) by John R. Erickson

Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

The Olympic Games Summary

2007-02-01T13:51:00.000+05:30

The first Olympic Games of which there is record were held in 776 B.C., and consisted of one event, a great foot race of about 200 yards held on a plain by the River Alpheus (now the Ruphia) just outside the little town of Olympia in Greece. It was from that date the Greeks began to keep their calendar by “Olympiads,” the four-year spans between the celebrations of the famous games.

The modern Olympic Games, which started in Athens in 1896, are the result of the devotion of a French educator, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, to the idea that, since young people and athletics have gone together through the ages, education and athletics might go hand-in-hand toward a better international understanding.

The principal organization responsible for the staging of the Games is the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Other important roles are played by the National Olympic Committees in each participating country, international sports federations, and the organizing committee of the host city.

The Olympic motto is “Citius, Altius, Fortius”—“Faster, Higher, Stronger.” The Olympic symbol is five interlocking circles colored blue, yellow, black, green, and red, on a white background, representing the five continents. At least one of those colors appears in the national flag of every country.

Beginning in 1994, the IOC decided to change the format of having both the Summer and Winter Games in the same year. Summer and Winter Olympics now alternate every two years.
In Feb. 1998 the IOC announced that new sports added to the games must include women's events.

At the 2005 Singapore meeting the IOC decided to eliminate baseball and softball from the 2012 Olympics, the first sports to be dropped since polo in 1936.

Say It with Flowers

2007-01-08T10:25:00.000+05:30

If you send someone a single rose you are sending a message of love. You can send all kinds of messages with flowers. Florigraphy is the language of flowers. Hundreds of flowers and trees have been given meanings and here are some of them.

American Elm
Patriotism

American Linden
Matrimony

Anemone
Expectation

Apple
Temptation

Arborvitae
Unchanging friendship

Ash Tree
Grandeur

Aspen Tree
Lamentation

Azalea
Temperance

Beech Tree
Prosperity

Birch Tree
Meekness

Bluebell
Constancy

Buttercup
Ingratitude

Chamomille
Energy in adversity

Candytuft
Indifference

Carnation (Red)
Alas! My poor heart!

Cedar
Strength

Cherry Tree
Good education

Chrysanthemum
Slighted love

Clematis
Mental beauty

Coreopsis
Always cheerful

Cyclamen
Shyness

Cypress
Mourning

Dandelion
Wisdom

Daffodil
Regard

Daisy
We feel the same

Dogwood
Durability

Elm
Dignity

Fig Tree
Prolific

Forget-me-not
True love

Fuchsia
Taste

Geranium
Comfort

Hollyhock
Ambition

Honeysuckle
Generosity

Horse Chestnut
Luxury

Hydrangea
Heartlessness

Iris
Power

Ivy
Fidelity

Juniper
Protection

Lilac
First Love

Lily of the Valley
Return of joy

Locust
Elegance

Lupine
Imagination

Magnolia
Love of nature

Morning Glory
Affectation

Mulberry
Wisdom

Nasturtium
Patience

Oak Tree
Hospitality

Orange Tree
Generosity

Pear Tree
Comfort

Plum Tree
Fidelity

Poplar
Courage

Rose
Love

Sunflower
Haughtiness

Sweet Pea
Delicate pleasure

Sycamore
Curiosity

Tulip
Fame

Violet
Faithfulness

Walnut Tree
Intellect

Weeping Willow
Mourning

Zinnia
Absent friends

Tongue Twisters

2007-01-08T10:18:00.000+05:30

Twenty Tongue-Tying Tongue Twisters to Twist Your Tongue a Ton

If a noisy noise annoys an onion, an annoying noisy noise annoys an onion more!

Please peel this peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked.

Surely Shirley shall sell Sheila's seashells by the seashore.

Which witch wishes to switch a witch wristwatch for a Swiss wristwatch?

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Knap sack strap snap.

The skunk sat on a stump and thunk the stump stunk, but the stump thunk the skunk stunk.

The butter Betty Botter bought could make her batter bitter, so she thought she'd better buy some better butter!

Not many an anemone is enamored of an enemy anemone.

Five fine Florida florists fried fresh flat flounder fish fillet.

A three-toed tree toad loved a two-toed he-toad that lived in a too-tall tree.

Red rubber baby buggy bumpers bounce.

You like uniqueNew York.

The sick sixth Sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

The instinct of an extinct insect stinks.

Growing gray goats graze great green grassy groves.

Green Greek grapes.

Imagine managing the manger at an imaginary menagerie.

Mix a box of mixed biscuits with a boxed biscuit mixer.

A cuckoo cookie cook called Cooper could cook cuckoo cookies.

How the Planets and Satellites Got Their Names

2007-01-08T10:02:00.001+05:30

MERCURY

Named for the winged Roman god of travel because it appears to move so swiftly.

VENUS

Roman name for the goddess of love. This planet was considered to be the brightest and most beautiful planet or star in the heavens.

EARTH

The name Earth comes from the Indo-European base 'er,' which produced the Germanic noun 'ertho,' and ultimately German 'erde,' Dutch 'aarde,' Danish and Swedish 'jord,' and English 'earth.' Related forms include Greek 'eraze,' meaning 'on the ground,' and Welsh 'erw,' meaning 'field.'

THE MOON: Every civilization has had a name for the satellite of Earth that is known, in English, as the Moon. The name is of Anglo-Saxon derivation.

MARS

Named by the Romans for their god of war because of its red, bloodlike color. Other civilizations also named this planet from this attribute; for example, the Egyptians named it “Her Desher,” meaning “the red one.”

SATELLITES:
Phobos (named for one of the horses that drew Mars' chariot)
Deimos (named for one of Mars' companions).

JUPITER

The largest and most massive of the planets was named Zeus by the Greeks and Jupiter by the Romans; he was the most important deity in both pantheons. Jupiter's satellites are named after mythological characters who have some relationship to Zeus.

SATELLITES:
Metis (first wife of Zeus)
Adrastea (a nymph of Crete to whose care Zeus's mother entrusted the infant Zeus)
Amalthea (a goat in some accounts, a princess of Crete in others, she suckled Zeus as a young child)
Thebe (a nymph abducted by Zeus)
Io (she was changed by Zeus into a cow to protect her from his jealous wife)
Europa (she was seduced by Jupiter)
Ganymede (beautiful young boy who became the cupbearer of the Olympian gods)
Callisto (she was seduced by Zeus, who changed her into a bear to protect her from his wife's jealousy)
Leda (seduced by Zeus in the form of a swan)
Himalia (nymph who bore three sons of Zeus)
Lysithia (one of Zeus' many lovers)
Elara (a paramour of Zeus)
Ananke (daughter of Zeus and Adrastea, goddess of fate and necessity)
Carme (mother, by Zeus, of Britomartis)
Pasiphaë (wife of Minos, mother of the Minotaur)
Sinope (daughter of the river god Asopus and Merope).
Other recently discovered and named satellites of Jupiter are: Themisto, Euporie, Orthosie, Euanthe, Thyone, Harpalyke, Hermippe, Praxidike, Iocaste, Passithee, Chaldene, Kale, Isonoe, Aitne, Erinome, Taygete, Kalyke, Eurydome, Autonoe, Sponde, Megaclite, and Callirrhoe. There are still 24 more Jovian satellites to be named.

SATURN

Saturn was the Roman name for the Greek Cronos, god of farming and the father of Zeus/Jupiter. Some of its satellites were named for Titans who, according to Greek mythology, were brothers and sisters of Saturn. The newest satellites were named for Gallic (Gaul, or ancient France), Norse, and Inuit (Eskimo) giants.

SATELLITES:
Pan (the half-human, half-goat god of pastoralism)
Atlas (a Titan who held the heavens on his shoulders)
Prometheus (a Titan who gave many gifts to humanity, including fire)
Pandora (a woman who opened the box that loosed a host of plagues upon humanity)
Janus (a two-faced Roman god who could look forward and backward at the same time)Epimetheus (a Greek backward-looking god)
Mimas (a Titan felled by Hephaestus)
Enceladus (a Titan killed by Athene)
Tethys (the wife of Oceanus and mother of all rivers)
Telesto (a water nymph)
Calypso (a daughter of Atlas and paramour of Odysseus)
Dione (a sister of Cronos)
Helene (a daughter of Zeus)
Rhea (a daughter of Cronos)
Titan
Hyperion (a Titan)
Iapetus (a Titan)
Phoebe (another name for Artemis, goddess of the moon).
Satellites discovered in 2000 are: Kiviuq, Ijiraq, Paaliaq, Skadi, Albiorix, Erriapo, Siarnaq, Tarvos, Mundilfari, Suttung, Thrym, and Ymir. One more satellite, discovered in 2003, is yet to be named.

URANUS

Uranus was named for the Greek god of the sky. The astronmer William Lassell, who discovered two of Uranus' satellites in 1851, started the tradition of naming all of the planet's satellites for characters in the work of William Shakepseare and Alexander Pope.

SATELLITES:
Cordelia (daughter of Lear in Shakespeare's “King Lear”)
Ophelia (daughter of Polonius, fiance of Hamlet in Shakespeare's “Hamlet”)
Bianca (daughter of Baptista, sister of Kate in Shakespeare's “Taming of the Shrew”)
Cressida (title character in Shakespeare's “Troilus and Cressida”)
Desdemona (wife of Othello in Shakespeare's “Othello”)
Juliet (heroine of Shakespeare's “Romeo and Juliet”)
Portia (rich heiress in Shakespeare's “Merchant of Venice”)
Rosalind (daughter of the banished duke in Shakespeare's “As You Like It”)
Belinda (character in Pope's “Rape of the Lock”)
Puck (mischievous spirit in Shakespeare's “A Midsummer Night's Dream”)
Miranda (the heroine of Shakespeare's “The Tempest”)
Ariel (a benevolent spirit in Shakespeare's “The Tempest”)
Umbriel (a malevolent spirit in Pope's“ Rape of the Lock”)
Titania (the queen of the fairies in Shakespeare's “A Midsummer Night's Dream”)
Oberon (the king of the fairies in “A Midsummer Night's Dream”)
Caliban (the brutish slave in Shakespeare's “The Tempest”)
Sycorax (Caliban's mother in “The Tempest”)
Prospero (the rightful Duke of Milan in “The Tempest”)
Setebos (a false god worshiped by Caliban in “The Tempest”)
Stephano (a drunken butler in “The Tempest”)
Trinculo (a jester in “The Tempest”).

NEPTUNE

Neptune, a blue planet, was named for the Roman god of the sea.

SATELLITES:
Naiad (a group of Greek water nymphs who were guardians of lakes, fountains, springs and rivers)
Thalassa (Greek sea goddess)
Despina (daughter of Neptune)
Galatea (one of the attendants of Neptune)
Larissa (a lover of Neptune)
Proteus (a Greek sea god)
Triton (the sea-god son of Poseidon/Neptune)
Nereid (the Nereids, a group of fifty daughters, were attendants of Neptune).
Five other recently discovered satellites are still unnamed.

PLUTO

News Flash (August 24, 2006)—Pluto Demoted!
Read About It Here.

Pluto, the outermost planet in our solar system, was named after Roman god of the underworld, who was able to render himself invisible.

SATELLITE:
Charon (the mythological boatman who ferried souls across the river Styx to Pluto for judgement).

How the Planets and Satellites Got Their Names

2007-01-08T10:02:00.000+05:30

Good Luck Superstitions

2006-11-27T19:48:00.000+05:30

Fingers Crossed - By making the sign of the Christian faith with our fingers, evil spirits would be prevented from destroying our chances of good fortune.

Knock on Wood - It was believed that good spirits lived in trees, and that by knocking on anything made from wood, we could call upon these spirits for protection against misfortune.

Saying God Bless You When Somebody Sneezes. When the great plague swept Europe., sufferers began sneezing violently which was a sign of death. The Pope therefore passed a law requiring people to bless the sneezer. At the same time, it was expected that anybody sneezing would cover their mouth with a cloth or their hand. This was obviously to stop the spreading of the disease, but many believed that it was to keep the soul intact. Sneezing 'into the air' would allow the soul to escape and death would be imminent. Up until this time, the opposite was true. Those who sneezed were congratulated, as it was believed that a violent sneeze would expel evil from their bodies.

A robin flying into the house

Sneezing 3 times before breakfast

Meeting 3 sheep

Looking at the new moon over your right shoulder

A 4-leaf clover

Spilling wine while proposing a toast

Putting a dress on inside out

9 peas in a pea pod

Hearing crickets singing

Picking up a pin Dropping a glove

A horseshoe Peacock feathers

Cutting your hair during a storm

Sleeping facing south

White heather

Picking up a pencil in the street

Breaking clear and uncolored glass

Walking in the rain

Sleeping on un-ironed sheets

Good Luck: Avoiding cracks in the sidewalk

An itch on the top of your head

Scissors hanging an a hook

A ladybug on you

Carrying an acorn on your person will ensure good luck & longevity!

To find a four-leaf clover means immense good luck, so keep it safe, if you lose it

To pick up a piece of coal that has fallen in your path.

To have one's garments caught up by a bush or briar when out walking is a promise
of good luck, involving monetary gain.

New enterprises will be fortunate if begun at the time of the new moon.

If by chance you meet the same person twice when you are out on business. It is
even luckier if you encounter him once when you are setting out and again when you are returning.

Dolphins swimming nearby a ship

A naked woman on board a boat is said to calm the seas.

Golfers can have a successful day on the course if they start their round with odd
numbered clubs and don't use balls with numbers higher than 4

To set out for golfing on a rainy day

See a penny, pick it up; all day long you will have good luck.

Women in Skating

2006-11-27T15:15:00.000+05:30

Figure skating

~~Theresa Weld Blanchard has achieved many figure skating firsts. She was the first U.S. national champion in 1914, won the first Olympic skating medal (bronze) for the U.S. in 1920, and won the U.S. pairs competition nine times with partner Nathaniel Niles.

~~Tenley Albright was the first American woman figure skater to win both a skating world championship and an Olympic gold medal. She won the world championship in 1953 and the gold medal at the 1956 games.

~~In 1964, at age 15, Peggy Fleming became the youngest person ever to win the U.S. women's figure skating championship. She won the only gold medal for the U.S. four years later at the 1968 Olympics at Grenoble, France.

~~In 1997, at age 14, Tara Lipinski became the youngest woman to win the World figure skating championship. Just a year later at age 15, she became the youngest Olympic figure skating champion in history when she edged fellow American Michelle Kwan for the gold.

~~Michelle Kwan won her first world championship in 1996 at the age of 15 and went on to capture the title in 1998, 2000, 2001, and 2003 as well. Her victory in the 2005 U.S. Figure Skating Championships was her eighth consecutive and ninth overall.

Roller skating

~~In 1976 Natalie Dunn became the first U.S. woman to win the world title in figure roller skating.

Speed skating

~~Bonnie Blair became the all-time gold medal winner among U.S. female Olympic athletes after she won two gold medals at the 1994 Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway. She has won a total of five gold medals in her career.

Average Allowances

2006-11-27T14:51:00.000+05:30

Here are the average weekly allowances for kids, based on a survey conducted by the “Kids' Money”web site:

4 years
$2.85

5 years
$3.15

6 years
$3.85

7 years
$4.10

8 years
$4.32

9 years
$5.52

10 years
$7.18

11 years
$7.92

12 years
$9.58

13 years
$9.52

14 years
$13.47

15 years
$15.57

16 years
$17.84

17 years
$30.66

18 years
$40.10

The Most Interesting and Unusual Facts

2006-11-27T11:30:00.000+05:30

"Adcomsubordcomphibspac" is the longest acronym. It is a Navy term standing for Administrative Command, Amphibious Forces, Pacific Fleet Subordinate Command.

"Almost" is the longest commonly used word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order.

"Asthma" and "isthmi" are the only six-letter words that begin and end with a vowel and have no other vowels between.

"Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson was the first video to air on MTV by a black artist.

"Canada" is an Indian word meaning "Big Village".

"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the letters "mt".

"Duff" is the decaying organic matter found on a forest floor.

"Fickleheaded" and "fiddledeedee" are the longest words consisting only of letters in the first half of the alphabet.

"Flushable" toilets were in use in ancient Rome.

"Fortnight" is a contraction of "fourteen nights." In the US "two weeks" is more commonly used.

"Forty" is the only number which has its letters in alphabetical order. "One" is the only number with its letters in reverse alphabetical order.

"Four" is the only number whose number of letters in the name equals the number.

"Hang on Sloopy" is the official rock song of Ohio.

"Happy Birthday" was the first song to be performed in outer space, sung by the Apollo IX astronauts on March 8, 1969.

"Kemo Sabe, meaning an all knowing one, is actually a mispronunciation by Native American of the Spanish phrase, Quien lo Sabe, meaning one who knows."

The lunula is the half-moon shaped pale area at the bottom of finger nails.

"Ma is as selfless as I am" can be read the same way backwards. If you take away all the spaces you can see that all the letters can be spelled out both ways.

"Mad About You" star Paul Reiser plays the piano on the show's theme song.

"One thousand" contains the letter A, but none of the words from one to nine hundred ninety-nine has an A.

"Ough" can be pronounced in eight different ways. The following sentence contains them all: "A rough-coated, dough-faced ploughman strode through the streets of Scarborough, coughing and hiccoughing thoughtfully.

"Rhythms" is the longest English word without the normal vowels, a, e, i, o, or u.

"Second string," meaning "replacement or backup," comes from the middle ages. An archer always carried a second string in case the one on his bow broke.

"Speak of the Devil" is short for "Speak of the Devil and he shall come". It was believed that if you spoke about the Devil it would attract his attention. That's why when you're talking about someone and they show up people say "Speak of the Devil."

"Stewardesses" is the longest word that can be typed with only the left hand.

"Tautonyms" are scientific names for which the genus and species are the same.

"Taxi" is spelled exactly the same in English, French, German, Swedish, Portuguese, and Dutch.

"Teh" means "cool" in Thai. (Pronounced "tay").

"The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" is said to be the toughest tongue twister in English.

"THEREIN" is a seven-letter word that contains thirteen words spelled using consecutive letters: the, he, her, er, here, I, there, ere, rein, re, in, therein, and herein.

"Underground" is the only word in the English language that begins and ends with the letters "und."
$203,000,000 is spent on barbed wire each year in the U.S.

1 and 2 are the only numbers where they are values of the numbers of the factors they have.

1 in 5,000 north Atlantic lobsters are born bright blue.

1 in every 3 people in the country of Israel use a cell phone.

1 kg (2.2 pounds) of lemons contain more sugar than 1 kg of strawberries.

1,525,000,000 miles of telephone wire are strung across the Unites States.

1.7 litres of saliva is produced each day. In Discovery Channel, its a quart.

10 percent of all human beings ever born are alive at this very moment.

10% of human dry weight comes from bacteria

11% of the world is left-handed.

111, 111, 111 X 111, 111, 111 = 12, 345, 678, 987, 654, 321

1200 equals 1 pound (72 rupees).

123,000,000 cars are being driven on highways in the United States.

166,875,000,000 pieces of mail are delivered each year in the United States.

1959's A Raisin in the Sun was the first play by a black woman to be produced on Broadway.

2 and 5 are the only prime numbers that end in 2 or 5.

203 million dollars is spent on barbed wire each year in the U.S.

22,000 checks will be deducted from the wrong bank accounts in the next hour.

23% of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their buttocks.

25% of a human's bones are in its feet.

259200 people die every day.

27% of Americans believe we never landed on the moon.

27% of U.S. male college students believe life is "a meaningless existential hell."

3% of all mammals are monogamous

315 entries in Webster's 1996 dictionary were misspelled.

315 words in the 1996 Webster's dictionary were mispelled.

4 tablespoons of ketchup has about the same amount of nutrition as a ripe tomato.

40% of all people who come to a party snoop in your medicine cabinet.

40% of McDonald's profits come from the sales of Happy Meals.

43.7% of all statistics are made up right on the spot

48% of astronauts experience motion sickness.

52% of Americans drink coffee.

55.1% of all US prisoners are in prison for drug offenses.

56,000,000 people go to Major League baseball games each year

67 million pounds of pesticides and about 3 million tons of fertilizer are used annually on lawns in the US.

78 rpm albums, used prior to 1948, were only capable of recording for four minutes. It wasn’t until later that year that Columbia Records introduced 33 rpm albums capable of playing 23 minutes per side.

80% of animals on earth are insects.

80% of arrested criminals are male.

In Disney's Fantasia, the Sorcerer to whom Mickey played an apprentice was named Yensid, which is Disney spelled backward.

By raising your legs slowly and lying on your back, you cannot sink into quicksand.

One in ten people live on an island.

84% of a raw apple is water.

It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery than the celery has in it to begin with.

85% of men who die of heartattacks during intercourse, are found to have been cheating on their wives.

85,000,000 tons of paper are used in the United States each year.

28% of Africa is classified as wilderness. In North America, its 38%.

Charlie Chaplin once won third prize in a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest.

Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

90% of bird species are monogamous; only 3% of animals are.

90% of New York City cab drivers are recently arrived immigrants.

98% of all murders and rapes are by a close family member or friend of the victim.

98% of the weight of water is made up from oxygen.

99% of the pumpkins sold in the US end up as jack-o-lanterns.

A "2 by 4" is really 1 1/2 by 3 1/2.

A "Blue Moon" is the second full moon in a calendar month (it is rarely blue).

A "hairbreadth away" is 1/48 of an inch.

A "jiffy" is actually a proper time unit for 1/100th of a second

A "quidnunc" is a person who is eager to know the latest news and gossip.

A 1,200-pound horse eats about seven times it's own weight each year.

A 1.5 oz. milk chocolate bar has only 220 calories. A 1.75 oz. serving of potato chips has 230 calories.

A 10-gallon hat actually only holds about 3/4 gallon.

A 14-year old French girl had extraordinary electrical power. With a gentle touch she could knock over heavy pieces of furniture and people in physical contact with her received an electrical shock.

A 17 year old girl from Miami, Florida started to sneeze on 4th January'66 ant continued till 8th June'66.

A 6 pound sea-hare can lay 40,000eggs in a single minute.

A 7-year study, which concluded in the summer of 2000, found that 33 U.S. deaths were caused by rottweilers, pit bulls were responsible for 27 deaths.

An acre of coffee trees can produce up to 10,000 pounds of coffee cherries. That amounts to approximately 2000 pounds of beans after hulling or milling.

A B-25 bomber crashed into the 79th floor of the Empire State Building on July 28, 1945.

A Baboon called "Jackie" became a private in the South African army in World War I.

A bat is the only mammal that flies.

A bathometer is an instrument for indicating the depth of the sea beneath a moving vessel.

A bean has more DNA per cell than a human cell

A bee could travel 4 million miles (6.5 million km) at 7 mph (11 km/h) on the energy it would obtain from 1 gallon (3.785 liters) of nectar, or it could just sit down on and enjoy that honey properly.

A beaver's teeth never stop growing.

A bibliophile is a collector of rare books. A bibliopole is a seller of rare books.

A bird requires more food in proportion to its size than a baby or a cat.

A Blue Earth, Minnesota, law declares that no child under the age of twelve may talk over the telephone unless monitored by a parent.

A blue whales heart only beats nine times per minute.

A body decomposes four times as fast in water than on land.

A Boeing 747's wingspan is longer than the Wright brother's first flight.

A bowling pin only needs to tilt 7.5 degrees to fall.

A broken clock is right at least twice a day.

A butterfly can look at you through 12,000 eyes.

A Californian doctor has set the record of eating 17 bananas in two minutes.

A Canadian tattoo artist had 4,831 tattoos on his body.

A capon is a castrated rooster.

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

A cat has 4 rows of whiskers.

A cat uses it's whiskers to determine if a space is too small to squeeze through.

A chameleon can move its eyes in two directions at the same time.

A chameleon's tongue is twice the length of its body.

A Cheetah at full speed takes strides of 8 meters.

A cheetah is the fastest animal, clocked in at: 70mph.

A chef's hat is tall and balloons at the top so as to counteract the intense heat in the kitchen. The
unique shape allows air to circulate around the scalp, keeping the head cool.

A Chicago law forbids eating in a place that is on fire.

A chicken who just lost its head can run the length of a football field before dropping dead.

A chimpanzee can learn to recognize itself in a mirror, but monkeys can't.

A citizen of Calcutta, India , grew the fingernails on his left hand to a length of 76 inches.

A cluster of bananas is called a hand and consists of 10 to 20 bananas, which are known as fingers.

A cockroach can live nine days without its head before it starves to death.

A cockroaches favorite food is the glue on the back of stamps.

A company, Warner Communications paid $28 million for the copyright to the song "Happy
Birthday".

A Cornish game hen is really a young chicken, usually 5 to 6 weeks of age, that weighs no more than 2 pounds.

A cough releases an explosive charge of air that moves at speeds up to 60 mph.

A cow gives nearly 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.

A cow produces 200 times more gas a day than a person.

A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.

A crocodiles tongue is attached to the roof of its mouth.

A cucumber is 96% water.

A Dalmatian is the only dog that can get gout.

A day on the planet Mercury is twice as long as its year.

A decree declares that anyone caught stealing soap must wash himself with it until it is all used up.

A dentist invented the Electric Chair.

A device invented sometime around the time of the birth of Jesus as a primitive steam engine by the Greek engineer Hero is used today as a rotating sprinkler.

A diamond will not dissolve in acid. The only thing that can destroy it is intense heat.

A dime has 118 ridges around the edge. A quarter has 119.

A dog can hear high frequency sounds, which a human ear cannot.

A donkey will sink in quicksand but a mule will not.

A dragonfly can fly 25 mph.

A dragonfly has a life span of 24 hours.

A dragonfly is also known as "devil's darning needle", "horse stinger" and "devil's steelyard".

A Fag is to work hard or to tire by strenuous activity and cigarettes are sometimes called Fags

A fagot is a bundle of sticks or a bundle of pieces of wrought iron to be shaped by rolling or hammering at high temperature.

A father Emperor penguin withstands the Antarctic cold for 60 days or more to protect his eggs, which he keeps on his feet, covered with a feathered flap. During this entire time he doesn't eat a thing. Most father penguins lose about 25 pounds while they wait for their babies to hatch. Afterward, they feed the chicks a special liquid from their throats. When the mother penguins return to care for the young, the fathers go to sea to eat and rest.

A father sea catfish keeps the eggs of his young in his mouth until they are ready to hatch. He will not eat until his young are born, which may take several weeks.

A female ferret will die if it goes into heat and cannot find a mate.

A female mackerel lays about 500,000 eggs at one time.

A female swine or sow will always have an even number of teats or nipples.

A fetus acquires fingerprints at the age of three months.

A fingernail or toenail takes about 6 months to grow from base to tip.

A fish's memory span is 3 seconds.

A five and a half year old weighing 250 pounds was exhibited at a meeting of the Physical Society of Vienna on December 4, 1894. She ate a normal diet and was otherwise in good health. The problem: she wasn't able to sweat.

A flea can jump 350 times is own body length.

A flock of sheep grazed during Woodrow Wilson's term. Their wool was sold to raise money for the Red Cross during World War I.

A fly always jumps backwards for a quick getaway when you try to hit it.

A fly hums in the middle octave, key F.

A foal is a baby horse.

A full moon is nine times brighter than a half moon.

A full-grown bear can run as fast as a horse.

A full-grown pumpkin has about 15 miles of roots.

A ghost writer pens an anonymous book.

A giant squid has eyes that can grow up to 20 inches in diameter. (Now think of how big your computer screen is..)

A giraffe and rat can go longer without water than a camel can.

A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue.

A goldfish has a memory span of 3 seconds.

A google is a 1 followed by 100 zeros. Mathematician Edward Kasner supposedly asked his nephew Milton Sirotta to suggest a name for the number, and he came up with this word.

A grasshopper needs a minimum temperature of 62 degrees Fahrenheit in order to be able to hop.

A group of geese on the ground is a gaggle, a group in the air is a skein.

A group of crows is called a murder.

A hamlet is a village without a church and a town is not a city until it has a cathedral.

A hard-boiled egg will spin. An uncooked or soft-boiled egg will not.

A healthy (non-colorblind) human eye can distinguish between 500 shades of gray.

A healthy individual releases 3.5 oz. of gas in a single flatulent emission, or about 17 oz. in a day.

A hedgehog's heart beats 190 times a minute on average and drops to only 20 beats per minute during hibernation.

A hedgehog's skin is so tough that when they get run over, its entrails come out of its mouth and its ass.

A herd of forty-five thirsty, rambunctious elephants stampeded into a brewery in Midnapore, where they smashed vats and slurped up beer in a bender that went on for two days.

A hinny is the offspring of a female donkey.

A hippo can open its mouth wide enough to fit a 4 foot tall child inside.

A hippopotamus can run faster than a man can.

A Holstein's spots are like a fingerprint or snowflake. No two cows have exactly the same pattern of spots.

A honey bee must tap two million flowers to make one pound of honey

A honey bee travels an estimated 43,000 miles to gather one pound of honey. A pound of honey consists of 29,184 drops.

A honeybee can fly at fifteen miles per hour.

A horse can sleep standing up.

A Horse has 18 more bones than a Human.

A human being loses an average of 40 to 100 strands of hair a day.

A human has a bone just after the spine ends, which helps proves that humans once had tails (possibly).

A human head remains conscious for about 15 to 20 seconds after it is been decapitated.

A human's scent membrane in the nose is about the size of a postage stamp. A dog's is about the size of a handkerchief. It's olfactory lobe is also 4 times that of a humanThanx liz chell.

A humming bird flaps its wings up to 90 times in one second or over 5000 times a minute.

A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.

A jellyfish is 95 percent water, and humans around 70%.

What is the best way to preserve a newspaper clipping?

2006-11-22T16:00:00.000+05:30

While nothing lasts forever, you can make a newspaper clipping last for several decades or longer if you treat it carefully. This will be easier if you start with a brand new newspaper clipping. You can't reverse the damage to old newspaper that's already faded or yellowed, but you can prevent further decay.

For starters, make a photocopy of the clipping on high-quality paper, preferably paper that is acid and lignin free. Acids, lignin, and various chemicals commonly found in paper goods and glues will slowly degrade the paper over time. Craft stores often sell scrapbooking papers, adhesives, and albums that are chemically stable and should last for a lifetime.

Both new and old newspaper clippings may benefit from being treated with a de-acidifying spray such as Wei T'o, Bookeeper, or Archival Mist. This will preserve new newspaper and prevent further yellowing and fading of old newspaper. These sprays can be found where scrapbooking and archival supplies are sold.

If you can't find these sprays, you can soak the newspaper clipping in a solution of milk of magnesia and club soda. Newspaper ink can run so make sure to photocopy the original before soaking. You may also want to test-soak a small scrap from the same newspaper first.

To safely store your preserved newspaper clipping, sandwich it between a sheet of Mylar and a sheet of acid- and lignin-free paper. Then you can file the clipping safely or put it in an archival-quality scrapbook or photo album. A word of warning: Don't use magnetic photo albums -- the glue on the "magnetic" pages will speed up the deterioration of your papers and photos.

Follow the above tips and you should be well on your way to preserving the past.

Who wrote the Olympic theme song?

2006-11-22T15:31:00.000+05:30

There are actually two themes. One was written by Hollywood composer John Williams. It's called Summon the Heroes. TV stations don't play it when athletes win medals, but they do blast it whenever the host network goes to commercial, comes back from commercial, or airs a commercial about their stellar Olympic coverage.

The official Olympic Anthem was written by a Greek composer named Spyros Samaras and it's played far less often. Details on Samaras are sparse, but this page from the 2004 Summer Games in Athens includes a few interesting tidbits. Samaras, already well-known for his operas, worked with Greek poet Costis Palamas on the anthem. As far as we can tell, Palamas wrote the words first and Samaras added the music later. Perhaps we shouldn't admit this, but we didn't even know there were lyrics.

The anthem was first performed at the Summer Games in Athens in 1896. In 1958, the International Olympic Committee named it the official anthem of the Olympics, and it's been played at every opening ceremony since 1964 (according to Wikipedia). Not bad. Though in terms of royalties, we'd rather be John Williams. Ca-ching!

How did the Tour de France get started?

2006-11-22T15:27:00.000+05:30

The Tour de France, cycling's greatest race, famed for its meandering and rugged course, was born as the result of dispute between competing newspapers.

It all began in 1903 with an editorial feud between rival French sports papers with similar names, Le Velo and L'Auto-Velo. After a trademark lawsuit forced L'Auto-Velo to change its name to L'Auto, editor Henri Desgrange conceived of a major cycling race to build favorable publicity and excitement for his publication. And so, the Tour was born. The first race, held in 1903, involved six stages, covered 2,388 kilometers (about 1,400 miles), and offered no rest breaks for the cyclists. The publicity gimmick worked, and L'Auto shut down its competitor.

Early on, wild stories of cheating plagued the Tour. Fans reportedly left nails in the road and riders were seen taking car trips and train rides. In response, the course was lengthened and Tour rules were modified to lend credibility to the race.

To keep things interesting, Desgrange decided that the course of the race should change each year. In 1910, he added a stage through the Pyrénées Mountains, the following year the course went through the Alps. Over the last century, the Tour de France course grew to a maximum of 24 stages and 5,564 kilometers. In recent years, the distance has ranged from about 3,500 to 4,000 kilometers.

Today's teams and cyclists embark on a rigorous course plotted by official organizers. But as Lance Armstrong and the A-list of athletes cross the finish line in Paris, they can thank Henri Desgrange and a brilliant publicity stunt for cycling's greatest challenge.

Mexican Wave secrets revealed

2006-11-22T15:24:00.000+05:30

We know that it takes about 30 people to get a Mexican Wave going in a football stadium.
Scientists from the University of Budapest in Hungary studied video tape of the crowd phenomenon that caught on during the 1986 World Cup and built a mathematical model to describe how it works.

Tamas Vicsek and colleagues discovered that a critical mass of people is required to get the wave underway and predict that waves are more likely to occur when spectators are not already over-excited - such as during flat periods in the game.

The team believes similar studies on crowd behaviour could help the authorities predict when spectators are about to lose control, such as during riots or post-match brawls.

The Mexican Wave - or "ola" - spreads around the stadium when large sections of the crowd, in turn, jump to their feet, throw their arms in the air and then sit down. The effect is a huge swirling motion that sweeps around the ground.

Clockwise direction

In their study of the waves, Vicsek and his team borrowed and adapted mathematical models that are already used to map forest fires and the beating heart.

Fourteen Mexican Waves in stadiums containing at least 50,000 people were examined.

It was found that between 25 and 35 people were needed to get the wave going.

"It is generated by no more than a few dozen people standing up simultaneously and subsequently expands through the entire crowd as it acquires a stable, near-linear shape," the team writes in the journal Nature.

The research also found that the wave usually rolls in a clockwise direction around the stadium and typically moves at a speed of about 12 metres (or 20 seats) per second. It also has an average width of about six to 12 metres (or 15 seats).

When did people first start doing "the wave" at sporting events?

2006-11-22T15:22:00.000+05:30

Pinpointing exactly when "the wave" took its first spin around a stadium isn't easy. Many glory hounds have claimed the love-it-or-hate-it phenomenon as their own.

As for when the wave first went global, that's easy -- the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Referred to as "The Mexican Wave" or "La Ola" by broadcasters, it received mucho airtime, and no doubt soaked into the subconscious of those who watched the summer's "Maradona Show." It didn't take long for the wave to begin circling all sorts of sporting events.

Now for the hard part -- who did it first? Amid the masses, there are two main contenders for the distinction. One is a fella named "Krazy" George Henderson who allegedly started the first wave at an Oakland A's baseball game in October of 1981. A conflicting theory states the wave was first done at a Washington Huskies football game in '81 by TV personality Robb Weller and marching band director Bill Bissell. This message board from the Guardian offers several other theories. Needless to say, more than a few claim they were the first to ride the wave's crest.
For those more interested in the "how" as opposed to the "who," this site's scientific approach to the participatory phenomenon will get you on your feet.

Why are there no female cyclists in the Tour de France?

2006-11-22T15:16:00.000+05:30

The Tour de France began in 1903 as a publicity stunt by Henri Desgrange, the editor of L'Auto magazine.

Desgrange limited "the greatest cycling trial in the entire world" to men because he felt the grueling physical demands were too much for female cyclists. The race covers more than 2,500 miles of biking on rough terrain through the Alps, the Massif Central, and the Pyrenees Mountains. Riders must race 23 timed stages for three weeks with only one day of rest.

While not everyone may agree with Desgrange's choice, according to a University of Luton professor, female bikers are at a physical disadvantage due to biological factors such as size, body fat distribution, and biomechanical differences.

There is, however, a women's Tour de France, called the Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale. The race features 14 timed stages covering 870 miles, beginning on the island of Corsica and ending in Paris. The women behind the wheels have to be as tough and determined as their male counterparts to finish the race.

What is the most common birthday?

2006-11-22T15:07:00.000+05:30

Several references to this question on the Web are found, all pointing to the same source: a survey of 12,576 Americans conducted by Anybirthday.com.

Answers like this one from the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star cite the study's finding of October 5 as the date the most people (in the U.S., anyway) are born. The 2001 report claims approximately 968,000 living Americans entered the world on that date. (The original web page announcing these results is no longer online, but we oh-so-cleverly queried the Internet Archive Wayback Machine and found it.)

So why October 5? Just a random date?The survey also found May 22 to be the least common birthday.

Why don't figure skaters get dizzy when they spin?

2006-11-22T15:05:00.001+05:30

Experienced ice skaters work on their spins for years. Over time, they become desensitized to the feeling of dizziness. Olympic skater Sasha Cohen says she's so used to spinning that she never gets dizzy.

The World Figure Skating Blog explains that novices often become dizzy due to poor technique. They either look down or look up when they start revolving, or rock their bodies. The blog recommends a few tips for steadying your twirl:

~Focus as normally as you can, straight out at eye level.
~Keep your body and head still.
~Keep your shoulders level.
~"Stop your spin with a jerk, jabbing one toe point in the ice and giving your head a definite toss to clear away the cobwebs."
~Don't eat heavily before spinning. (Just kidding.)

According to a Recreational Figure Skating FAQ, mild dizziness after a series of revolutions can also "be quickly overcome if you skate off or do one or two turns in the opposite direction." So get centered, and choreograph with a plan to shake that spinning feeling. The judges are watching.

How did Thanksgiving get started?

2006-11-22T15:01:00.000+05:30

The Pilgrims started the Thanksgiving tradition (with some help from Native Americans). That certainly sounds believable, but teachers also told us we'd one day need calculus. Justifiably skeptical, we went sailing the Web for the real story.
This page on Thanksgiving Day History offers an in-depth view of the holiday. The Pilgrims reached America in 1620. That first winter, many of the settlers died. Fortunately, the next harvest was quite substantial and called for a celebration in the form of a feast. The event included "91 Indians who had helped the Pilgrims survive their first year."
Interestingly, that first feast bears little resemblance to a modern Thanksgiving meal. For one, it lasted three days, and pumpkin pie and potatoes probably weren't on the table. As for wild turkey, it's possible, but duck and goose were more likely the main course.
Thanksgiving was celebrated off and on in the following years, until a magazine editor named Sarah Josepha Hale helped make it a permanent tradition. Hale wrote many editorials campaigning for Thanksgiving as a national holiday.
"Hales's obsession became reality when, in 1863, President Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November as a national day of Thanksgiving." The date was moved around a couple of times until Congress sanctioned Thanksgiving as a national holiday, always to occur on the fourth Thursday in November.

2006-11-21T15:54:00.000+05:30

Do different colors affect your mood?
by David Johnson

Like death and taxes, there is no escaping color. It is ubiquitous. Yet what does it all mean? Why are people more relaxed in green rooms? Why do weightlifters do their best in blue gyms?
Colors often have different meanings in various cultures. And even in Western societies, the meanings of various colors have changed over the years. But today in the U.S., researchers have generally found the following to be accurate.

Black

Black is the color of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. It is also stylish and timeless. Black also implies submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God. Some fashion experts say a woman wearing black implies submission to men. Black outfits can also be overpowering, or make the wearer seem aloof or evil. Villains, such as Dracula, often wear black.

White

Brides wear white to symbolize innocence and purity. White reflects light and is considered a summer color. White is popular in decorating and in fashion because it is light, neutral, and goes with everything. However, white shows dirt and is therefore more difficult to keep clean than other colors. Doctors and nurses wear white to imply sterility.

Red

The most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of love. Red clothing gets noticed and makes the wearer appear heavier. Since it is an extreme color, red clothing might not help people in negotiations or confrontations. Red cars are popular targets for thieves. In decorating, red is usually used as an accent. Decorators say that red furniture should be perfect since it will attract attention.
The most romantic color, pink, is more tranquilizing. Sports teams sometimes paint the locker rooms used by opposing teams bright pink so their opponents will lose energy.

Blue

The color of the sky and the ocean, blue is one of the most popular colors. It causes the opposite reaction as red. Peaceful, tranquil blue causes the body to produce calming chemicals, so it is often used in bedrooms. Blue can also be cold and depressing. Fashion consultants recommend wearing blue to job interviews because it symbolizes loyalty. People are more productive in blue rooms. Studies show weightlifters are able to handle heavier weights in blue gyms.

Green

Currently the most popular decorating color, green symbolizes nature. It is the easiest color on the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing color. People waiting to appear on TV sit in "green rooms" to relax. Hospitals often use green because it relaxes patients. Brides in the Middle Ages wore green to symbolize fertility. Dark green is masculine, conservative, and implies wealth. However, seamstresses often refuse to use green thread on the eve of a fashion show for fear it will bring bad luck.

Yellow

Cheerful sunny yellow is an attention getter. While it is considered an optimistic color, people lose their tempers more often in yellow rooms, and babies will cry more. It is the most difficult color for the eye to take in, so it can be overpowering if overused. Yellow enhances concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds metabolism.

Purple

The color of royalty, purple connotes luxury, wealth, and sophistication. It is also feminine and romantic. However, because it is rare in nature, purple can appear artificial.

Brown

Solid, reliable brown is the color of earth and is abundant in nature. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown is similar to wood or leather. Brown can also be sad and wistful. Men are more apt to say brown is one of their favorite colors.

Colors of the Flag

In the U.S. flag, white stands for purity and innocence. Red represents valor and hardiness, while blue signifies justice, perseverance, and vigilance. The stars represent the heavens and all the good that people strive for, while the stripes emulate the sun's rays.

Food for Thought

While blue is one of the most popular colors it is one of the least appetizing. Blue food is rare in nature. Food researchers say that when humans searched for food, they learned to avoid toxic or spoiled objects, which were often blue, black, or purple. When food dyed blue is served to study subjects, they lose appetite.
Green, brown, and red are the most popular food colors. Red is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is an appetite stimulant.

Months

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Months are based roughly on the moon. A lunar month is 291/2 days, or the time from one new moon to the next.
12 lunar months leave 11 days remaining in the solar year.
To help you remember the days of the month, remember “30 days has September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31, except February, which has 28.”

The Names of the Months

January: named after Janus, protector of the gateway to heaven
February: named after Februalia, a time period when sacrifices were made to atone for sins
March: named after Mars, the god of war, presumably signifying that the campaigns interrupted by the winter could be resumed
April: from aperire, Latin for “to open” (buds)
May: named after Maia, the goddess of growth of plants
June: from junius, Latin for the goddess Juno
July: named after Julius Caesar
August: named after Augustus, the first Roman Emperor
September: from septem, Latin for “seven”
October: from octo, Latin for “eight”
November: from novem, Latin for “nine”
December: from decem, Latin for “ten”

The earliest Latin calendar was a 10-month one; thus September was the seventh month, October, the eighth, etc. July was originally called Quintilis, as the fifth month; August was originally called Sextilis, as the sixth month. For more on the calendar and the names of months, see A History of the New Year

Fantastic Animal Facts

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~A chameleon can move its eyes in two directions at the same time.

~Dolphins sleep at night just below the surface of the water. They frequently rise to the surface for air.

~A cockroach can live for up to a week without a head.

~An albatross can sleep while it flies. It apparently dozes while cruising at 25 mph.

~Amazon ants (red ants found in the western U.S.) steal the larvae of other ants to keep as slaves. The slave ants build homes for and feed the Amazon ants, who cannot do anything but fight. They depend completely on their slaves for survival.

~The hummingbird is the only bird that can hover and fly straight up, down, or backward!

~A leech is a worm that feeds on blood. It will pierce its victim's skin, fill itself with three to four times its own body weight in blood, and will not feed again for months. Leeches were once used by doctors to drain “bad blood” from sick patients.

~Lovebirds are small parakeets who live in pairs. Male and female lovebirds look alike, but most other male birds have brighter colors than the females.

~Only female mosquitoes bite. Females need the protein from blood to produce their eggs.

~Cats have about 250 muscles in each ear.

~African elephants are the largest and heaviest mammals on land. They weigh up to 14,000 pounds, and can eat as much as 600 pounds of food a day!

~The inland Taipan is considered the most poisonous snake on the planet. One bite from this shy reptile, which is native to Australia, contains enough toxin to kill about 100 people.

~The blue whale is the world's biggest animal, even larger than any known dinosaur. An average-sized adult is 80 feet long and weighs about 120 tons. This giant is also the loudest animal on Earth. Its call, which is louder than a jet, can be heard for hundreds of miles.

~Giraffes not only have long necks, they also have enormous tongues, which can be 18 inches long.

~Kangaroos can jump up to 30 feet in one leap!

~Hippopotamuses are quick-footed giants. They can weigh up to 9,000 pounds and run up to 20 miles per hour.

~The anopheles mosquito is deadliest creature on Earth. It’s responsible for more than 300 million cases of malaria each year and causes between one and three million deaths.

~The smallest fish in the world is believed to be the Paedocypris progenetica, which was recently discovered in Indonesia. It measures just over one-third of an inch long and has a see-through body.

~Horned lizards can shoot a blood from their eyes.

~The giant tortoise can live up to about 175 years. In fact, Harriet, a Galapagos tortoise and probably the world’s oldest creature, died in Australia in June 2006. She was 176 years old!

~There are about 1 million species of insects in the world.

Sports Superstitions

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We all hear popular superstitions when the 13th day of the month falls on a Friday. And no player wants to wear the number 13. It is said that superstitions have been a part of sports since their beginning. Players and fans alike have their ways of avoiding bad luck.

Some superstitions are stranger than others. For example, Michael Jordan (a graduate of North Carolina) always wore his blue North Carolina shorts under his Bulls uniform for good luck. Baseball pitcher Turk Wendell brushes his teeth and chews licorice between every inning. Wade Boggs eats only chicken the day of a game and draws a symbol that means “To Life” in the dirt before every at-bat. Former pitcher Mark “The Bird” Fidrych used to play with the dirt on the mound and talk to himself before every inning.

Here are some other common superstitions:

Baseball

~Spitting into your hand before picking up the bat is said to bring good luck.
~A wad of gum stuck on a player's hat brings good luck.
~It is bad luck if a dog walks across the diamond before the first pitch.
~Some players believe it is good luck to step on one of the bases before running off the field at the end of an inning.
~It is bad luck to touch the baselines while running off and onto the field between innings.
~Lending a bat to a fellow player is a serious jinx.
~Some players actually sleep with their bat to break out of a hitting slump or stay in a groove.
~If a pitcher is throwing a perfect game or a no-hitter, never speak of it while it's going on.

Basketball

~The last person to shoot a basket during the warm-up will have a good game.
~Wipe the soles of your sneakers for good luck.
~Bounce the ball before taking a foul shot for good luck.

Bowling

~To continue a winning streak, wear the same clothes.
~The number 300, a perfect score, on your license plate will increase your score.
~Carry charms on your bowling bag, in your pockets, or around your neck for good luck.

Fishing

~Fish may not bite if a barefoot woman passes you on the way to the dock.
~Spit on your bait before casting your rod to make fish bite.
~Throw back your first catch for good luck.
~It is bad luck to change rods while fishing.
~Don't tell anyone how many fish you've caught until you're done or you won't catch another.

Football

~Double numbers on a player's uniform brings good luck.
~It's bad luck for a professional football player to take a new number when he is traded to another team.
~A mascot is an important good luck symbol.

Golf

~Start only with odd-numbered clubs.
~Balls with a number higher than 4 are bad luck.
~Carry coins in your pockets for good luck.

Ice Hockey

~It is bad luck for hockey sticks to lie crossed.
~It is bad luck to say “shutout” in the locker room before a game.
~Players believe they'll win the game if they tap the goalie on his shin pads before a game.

Rodeo

~Always put the right foot in the stirrup first.
~Avoid wearing the color yellow.
~Always shave before a competition (for men only!)

Tennis

~It's bad luck to hold more than two balls at a time when serving.
~Avoid wearing the color yellow.
~Walk around the outside of the court when switching sides for good luck.

Dogs

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The Dog is a mammal in the order Carnivora. Dogs were domesticated from wolves as recently as 15,000 years ago[1], or perhaps as early as 100,000 years ago based upon recent genetic fossil and DNA evidence [2][3]. New evidence suggests that dogs were first domesticated in East Asia, possibly China [4], and the first peoples to enter North America took dogs with them from Asia. Genetic research has identified 14 ancient dog breeds, with the oldest being the Chow Chow, Shar Pei, Akita Inu, Shiba Inu and Basenji. Because many of the 14 breeds are associated with China and Japan, the theory that the dog originated in Asia seems to be likely.[4] Over time, the dog has developed into hundreds of breeds with a great degree of variation. For example, heights at the withers range from just a few inches (such as the Chihuahua) to roughly three feet (such as the Irish Wolfhound), and colors range from white to black, with reds, grays (usually called blue), and browns occurring in a tremendous variation of patterns.
Dogs, like humans, are highly social animals and this similarity in their overall behavioral pattern accounts for their trainability, playfulness, and ability to fit into human households and social situations. This similarity has earned dogs a unique position in the realm of interspecies relationships. The loyalty and devotion that dogs demonstrate as part of their natural instincts as pack animals closely mimics the human idea of love and friendship, leading many dog owners to view their pets as full-fledged family members. Conversely, dogs seem to view their human companions as members of their pack, and make few, if any, distinctions between their owners and fellow dogs. Dogs fill a variety of roles in human society and are often trained as working dogs. For dogs that do not have traditional jobs, a wide range of dog sports provide the opportunity to exhibit their natural skills. In many countries, the most common and perhaps most important role of dogs is as companions. Dogs have lived with and worked with humans in so many roles that their loyalty has earned them the unique sobriquet "man's best friend" [5] Conversely, some cultures consider dogs to be unclean. In some parts of the world, dogs are raised as livestock to produce dog meat for human consumption. In many places, consumption of dog meat is discouraged by social convention or cultural taboo.
The English word dog, in common usage, refers to the domestic pet dog, Canis lupus familiaris. The species was originally classified as Canis familiaris by Linnaeus in 1758. In 1993, dogs were reclassified as a subspecies of the gray wolf, Canis lupus, by the Smithsonian Institution and the American Society of Mammalogists. "Dog" is sometimes used to refer collectively to any mammal belonging to the family Canidae (as in "the dog family"), such as wolves, foxes, and coyotes. Some members of the family have "dog" in their common names, such as the African Wild Dog. The constellations Canes Venatici, Canis Major and Canis Minor are named from the Latin word for "dog," for their perceived resemblance to dogs.
An alternative designation has also been presented, which is to name dogs either Canis lupus f. familiaris or Canis familiaris L.. This terminology has been considered accurate by geologists and zooarcheologists for a while, since dogs would not be a subspecies of wolf if the above designation should be considered correct, but 450 subspieces of wolf. The designation was presented by a group of scientists in the article "The naming of Wild Animals and their Domestic Deriatives" in the Journal of Archeological Science # 31 in 2004.
The English word dog might derive from the Old English docga, a "powerful breed of canine". The French dogue and Spanish dogo as in dogo Argentino are borrowings from English. The English word hound is a cognate of the German Hund and Dutch hond which, though referring to a specific breed in English, means "dog" in general in German and Dutch. Hound itself derives from the Proto-Indo-European *kwonto-, an extended form of the root *kwon-, which is the direct root of the Greek κυων (kuōn) and the indirect root of the Latin canis through the variant form *kani-[6].
In breeding circles, a male canine is referred to as a dog, while a female canine is called a bitch. Offspring are generally called pups or puppies until they are about a year old. A group of offspring is a litter. The process of birth is whelping. Many terms are used for dogs that are not purebred.

Intelligence
Main article: Dog intelligence
Among dog lovers, dogs are generally valued for their intelligence, and both anecdotal evidence and scientific research suggest that dogs have a reasonably high intelligence. This intelligence is expressed differently with different breeds and individuals, however. For example, Border Collies are noted for their ability to learn commands, while other breeds may not be so motivated towards obedience, but instead show their cleverness in devising ways to steal food or escape from a yard. Dogs are descended from wolves, and are also pack animals, making them easier than other animals to train because dogs' instincts are to obey. But most dogs rarely have to deal with complex tasks and are unlikely to learn relatively complicated activities (such as opening doors) unaided. Some dogs (such as guide dogs for the visually impared) are specially trained to recognize and avoid dangerous situations.

Physical characteristics
Main article: Dog anatomy

Shiba Inus have a unique appearance that resembles foxes.

Some dogs, like this Weimaraner, have their predatory instincts suppressed in order to better assist human hunters.
See also: Dog health
Modern dog breeds show more variation in size, appearance, and behavior than any other domestic animal. Within the range of extremes, dogs generally share attributes with their wild ancestors, the wolves. Dogs are predators and scavengers, possessing sharp teeth and strong jaws for attacking, holding, and tearing their food. Although selective breeding has changed the appearance of many breeds, all dogs retain basic traits from their distant ancestors. Like many other predatory mammals, the dog has powerful muscles, fused wristbones, a cardiovascular system that supports both sprinting and endurance, and teeth for catching and tearing. Compared to the bone structure of the human foot, dogs technically walk on their toes.

Sight

Amazonian dogs, such as this one from Alto Amazonas, Peru are critical for indigenous peoples' hunting strategies, particularly in the rain forest.
Dogs were thought to be dichromats and thus, by human standards, color blind.[7][8] New research is now being explored that suggests that dogs may actually see some color, but not to the extent that humans do; color may serve as a subliminal signal helping to distinguish overlapping objects from each other, rather than a distinct feature that the dog can directly determine. It has also been suggested that dogs see in varieties of purple/violet and yellow shades. Because the lenses of dogs' eyes are flatter than humans', they cannot see as much detail; on the other hand, their eyes are more sensitive to light and motion than humans' eyes. Some breeds, particularly the best sighthounds, have a field of vision up to 270° (compared to 180° for humans), although broad-headed breeds with their eyes set forward have a much narrower field of vision, as low as 180°.[7][8]

Hearing

This Collie/Saluki angles her ears to find the source of a sound.

This Australian Cattle Dog puppy, bred to herd livestock in the heat and harsh conditions of the bush, enjoys a bone.
Dogs detect sounds as low as the 16 to 20Hz frequency range (compared to 20 to 70 Hz for humans) and as high as 70 kHz to 100 kHz (compared to 13 to 20 kHz for humans)[8], and in addition have a degree of ear mobility that helps them to rapidly pinpoint the exact location of a sound. Eighteen or more muscles can tilt, rotate and raise or lower a dog's ear. Additionally, a dog can identify a sound's location much faster than a human can, as well as hear sounds up to four times the distance that humans are able to. Those with more natural ear shapes, like those of wild canids like the fox, generally hear better than those with the floppier ears of many domesticated species.

[edit] Smell
Dogs have nearly 220 million smell-sensitive cells over an area about the size of a pocket handkerchief (compared to 5 million over an area the size of a postage stamp for humans). Some breeds have been selectively bred for excellence in detecting scents, even compared to their canine brethren. What information a dog actually detects when he is scenting is not perfectly understood; although once a matter of debate, it now seems to be well established that dogs can distinguish two different types of scents when trailing, an air scent from some person or thing that has recently passed by, as well as a ground scent that remains detectable for a much longer period. The characteristics and behavior of these two types of scent trail would seem, after some thought, to be quite different, the air scent being intermittent but perhaps less obscured by competing scents, whereas the ground scent would be relatively permanent with respect to careful and repetitive search by the dog, but would seem to be much more contaminated with other scents. In any event, it is established by those who train tracking dogs that it is impossible to teach the dog how to track any better than it does naturally; the object instead is to motivate it properly, and teach it to maintain focus on a single track and ignore any others that might otherwise seem of greater interest to an untrained dog. An intensive search for a scent, for instance searching a ship for contraband, can actually be very fatiguing for a dog, and the dog must be motivated to continue this hard work for a long period of time.

Diet
At present, there is some debate as to whether domestic dogs should be classified as omnivores or carnivores, by diet. The classification in the Order Carnivora does not necessarily mean that a dog's diet must be restricted to meat; unlike an obligate carnivore, such as the cat family with its shorter small intestine, a dog is dependent on neither meat-specific protein nor a very high level of protein in order to fulfill its basic dietary requirements. Dogs are able to healthily digest a variety of foods including vegetables and grains, and in fact can consume a large proportion of these in their diet. Wild canines not only eat available plants to obtain essential amino acids, but also obtain nutrients from vegetable matter from the stomach and intestinal contents of their herbivorous prey, which they usually consume. Domestic dogs can survive healthily on a reasonable and carefully designed vegetarian diet, particularly if eggs and milk products are included. Some sources suggest that a dog fed on a strict vegetarian diet may develop dilated cardiomyopathy since it lacks L-carnitine, [9] however, maintaining a balanced diet is also a factor since L-carnitine is found naturally in many nuts, seeds, beans, vegetables, fruits and whole grains. In the wild, dogs can survive on a vegetarian diet when animal prey is not available. However it has been noted, both by observation of extremely stressful conditions such as the Iditarod race and by scientific studies of similar conditions, that high-protein (approximately 40%) diets including meat help prevent damage to muscle tissue. (This research is also true for some other mammals.) This level of protein corresponds to the percentage of protein found in the wild dog's diet when prey is abundant; higher levels of protein seem to confer no added benefit.
Dogs frequently avidly eat grass, a harmless activity. Explanations abound, but rationales such as that it neutralizes acid, or that eating grass might make the dog vomit, so dogs eat grass to remove unwanted substances from their stomachs, are at best educated guesses. Dogs do vomit more readily than humans, as part of their typical feeding behavior of gulping down food then regurgitating indigestible bones, fur, etc. This behavior is typical of pack feeding in the wild, where the most important thing is to get as much of the kill as possible before others consume it all. Individual domestic dogs, however, may be very "picky" eaters, in the absence of this evolutionary pressure.

Dangerous substances
Some foods commonly enjoyed by humans are dangerous to dogs, including chocolate (Theobromine poisoning), onions, grapes and raisins [10], some types of gum, certain sweeteners[11] and Macadamia nuts. Now that it is thought that the only dangerous substance in chocolate is the cocoa, this means that white chocolate can be used as a rare treat.
The acute danger from grapes and raisins has been uncovered only since about 2000, and made public slowly since then. At present the cause is not known, but one veterinarian [12] believes it may be an acute auto-immune response to plant-borne viruses [13] in the same manner as FIP in cats. Whatever the reason, since only small quantities are necessary to induce acute renal failure, dogs should not be fed grapes or raisins, and sultanas and currants should likely be withheld as well.
Cooked bones should never be given to dogs, as the heat changes the chemical and physical properties so that they cannot be chewed properly, splintering into jagged shards, and resist digestion.
Human medications should not be given to a dog as a substitute for their regular medication as some can be especially toxic, especially paracetamol/acetaminophen (Tylenol). Alcoholic beverages pose much of the same hazards to dogs as they do to humans.
Dogs may also find some poisons attractive, including antifreeze, snail bait, insect bait, and rodent poisons. Antifreeze may be one of the most insidious of poisons to dogs because of its sweet taste and because a dog may walk upon or lie down upon a spill of it or its residue and then lick it off. Dogs must be kept strictly away from antifreeze and not allowed access to any place that has had a spill of it that has not been completely removed.
Plants such as caladium, dieffenbachia and philodendron will cause throat irritations that will burn the throat going down as well as coming up. Hops are particularly dangerous and even small quantities can lead to malignant hyperthermia. [14]
Amaryllis, daffodil, english ivy, iris, and tulip (especially the bulbs) cause gastric irritation and sometimes central nervous system excitement followed by coma, and, in severe cases, even death.
Ingesting foxglove, lily of the valley, larkspur and oleander can be life threatening because the cardiovascular system is affected. Equally life threatening is the yew which affects the nervous system. If any of these plants are ingested, get the dog to a veterinarian immediately.
Many household cleaners such as ammonia, bleach, disinfectants, drain cleaner, soaps, detergents, and other cleaners, mothballs and matches are dangerous to dogs, as are cosmetics such as deodorants, hair coloring, nail polish and remover, home permanent lotion, and suntan lotion.

Reproduction
Main article: Dog reproduction

Overpopulation
According to the Humane Society of the United States, 3-4 million dogs and cats are euthanized each year in the United States and many more are confined to cages in shelters because there are many more animals than there are homes. Spaying or neutering dogs helps keep overpopulation down.[15] Local humane societies, SPCA's and other animal protection organizations urge people to spay or neuter their pets and to adopt animals from shelters instead of purchasing them. Several notable public figures have spoken out against animal over population, including Bob Barker. On his game show, The Price is Right, Barker stressed the issue every episode by stating: "Help control the pet population. Have your pets spayed or neutered."

Dog health
Main article: Dog health
Further information: Category:Dog health
Dogs are susceptible to various diseases, ailments, and poisons, some of which affect humans in the same way, others of which are unique to dogs. Dogs, like all mammals, are also susceptible to heat exhaustion when dealing with high levels of humidity and/or extreme temperatures.[16]

Diseases
Infectious diseases commonly associated with dogs include rabies (hydrophobia), canine parvovirus, and canine distemper. Congenital diseases of dogs can include a wide range from hip dysplasia and medial patellar luxation to epilepsy and pulmonic stenosis. Canines can get just about anything a human can get (excluding many infections which are species specific) like hypothyroidism, cancer, dental disease, heart disease, etc.

Parasites
Common external parasites are various species of fleas, ticks, and mites. Internal parasites include hookworms, tapeworms, roundworms, and heartworms.

Common physical disorders
Some breeds of dogs are also prone to certain genetic ailments, such as hip dysplasia, luxating patellas, cleft palate, blindness, or deafness. Dogs are also susceptible to the same ailments that humans are, including diabetes, epilepsy, cancer, and arthritis. Gastric torsion and bloat is a dangerous problem in some large-chested breeds.

Lifespan
Main article: Dog years
The typical lifespan of dogs varies considerably by breed. For example, many giant dog breeds average only 7 or 8 years, while some small terrier breeds might live as long as 20 years.The average lifespan for mixed-breed and midsize dogs is about 13 to 14 years. The longest-lived dog with reliable documentation died at 29 in 1939. Although the lifespans of all living species are mostly uncontrollable, one can significantly extend a dog's life by feeding it the right kinds of foods, giving it exercise, visiting the vet frequently, caring for its special needs, and loving it.

Behavior
For details, see Category:Dog training and behavior.
Dogs are very social animals, but their personality and behavior vary with breed as well as how they are treated by their owners and others who come in contact with them. Physical abuse and starvation can produce very neurotic, dangerous dogs, and even simply failing to socialize them properly may entail maladaptive behaviors. [citation needed] It is not uncommon for dogs to attack humans and other animals; however, this is usually because of lack of care or improper upbringing by its owner.
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Ancestry and history of domestication
Main article: Origin of the domestic dog

This ancient mosaic, likely Roman, shows a large dog with a collar hunting a lion.
Molecular systematics indicate that the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) descends from one or more populations of wild wolves (Canis lupus). As reflected in the nomenclature, dogs are descended from the wolf and are able to interbreed with wolves.
The relationship between human and canine has deep roots. Wolf remains have been found in association with hominid remains dating from 400,000 years ago. Converging archaeological and genetic evidence indicate a time of domestication in the late Upper Paleolithic close to the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary, between 17,000 and 14,000 years ago. Fossil bone morphologies and genetic analysis of current and ancient dog and wolf populations have not yet been able to conclusively determine whether all dogs descend from a single domestication event, or whether dogs were domesticated independently in more than one location. Domesticated dogs may have interbred with local populations of wild wolves on several occasions (so-called introgression).
The earliest dog fossils, two crania from Russia and a mandible from Germany, date from 13,000 to 17,000 years ago. Their likely ancestor is the large northern Holarctic wolf, Canis lupus lupus. Remains of smaller dogs from Mesolithic (Natufian) cave deposits in the Middle East, dated to around 12,000 years ago, have been interpreted as descendants of a lighter Southwest Asian wolf, Canis lupus arabs. Rock art and skeletal remains indicate that by 14,000 years ago, dogs were present from North Africa across Eurasia to North America. Dog burials at the Mesolithic cemetery of Svaerdborg in Denmark suggest that in ancient Europe dogs were valued companions.
Genetic analyses have so far yielded divergent results. Vilà, Savolainen, and colleagues (1997) concluded that dogs split off from wolves between 75,000 and 135,000 years ago, while a subsequent analysis by Savolainen et al. (2002) indicated a "common origin from a single gene pool for all dog populations" between 40,000 and 15,000 years ago in East Asia. Verginelli et al. (2005), however, suggest both sets of dates must be reevaluated in light of recent findings showing that poorly calibrated molecular clocks have systematically overestimated the age of geologically recent events. On balance, and in agreement with the archaeological evidence, 15,000 years ago is the most likely time for the wolf-dog divergence.
Verginelli examined ancient DNA evidence from five prehistoric Italian canids carbon-dated to between 15,000 and 3,000 years old, 341 wolves from several populations worldwide, and 547 purebred dogs. Their results indicate multiple independent origins of dogs and/or of frequent interbreeding between early proto-dogs and wolves throughout a vast geographic range. The detailed history remains unexplored and until further evidence is available, the following section on wolf ancestors must be considered purely speculative.

Wolf ancestors
Although all wolves belong to the species Canis lupus, there are (or were) many subspecies that had developed a distinctive appearance, social structure, and other traits. For example, the Japanese Wolf and the Eastern Timber Wolf possess different distinctive coloration, hunting and social structures.
The Indian Wolf is thought to have contributed to the development of more breeds of dogs than other subspecies. Many of today's wild dogs, such as the dingo and the pariah dogs, are descended from this wolf. The Indian Wolf is also thought to have bred with descendants of the European wolf to create the Mastiffs and eventually leading to the development of such diverse breeds as the Pug, the Saint Bernard, and the Bloodhound. The Tibetan Mastiff is an example of an ancient breed.
The European wolf, in turn, may have contributed many of its attributes to the Spitz dog types, most terriers, and many of today's sheepdogs. The Chinese wolf is probably ancestor to the Pekingese and toy spaniels, although it is also probable that descendants of the Chinese and European wolves encountered each other over the millennia, contributing to many of the oriental toy breeds.
The Eastern Timber Wolf is a direct ancestor to most, if not all, of the North American northern sled dog types. This interbreeding still occurs with dogs living in the Arctic region, where the attributes of the wolf that enable survival in a hostile environment are valued by humans. Additionally, unintentional crossbreeding occurs simply because dogs and wolves live in the same environment. The general reproductive isolation which is required to define dogs and wolves as separate species is purely a result of lack of opportunity, stemming from a general mutual unfamiliarity, suspicion, mistrust, and fear.
The phenotypic characteristics that distinguish a wolf from a dog are tenuous. Wolves typically have a "brush tail" and erect ears. While some dog breeds possess one of these characteristics, they rarely possess both.

Speed of domestication
Current research indicates that domestication, or the attributes of a domesticated animal, can occur much more quickly[17] than previously believed. Domestication of a wild dog may occur within one or two human generations with deliberate selective breeding. It is also now generally believed that initial domestication was through mutual desire. Wild canines who scavenged around human habitations received more food than their more skittish or fearful counterparts. Canines who attacked people or their children were likely killed or driven away, while those more friendly animals survived. Canines would have been beneficial by chasing away other vermin or scavengers. With their sharp senses, they would also be valuable as an alarm against marauding predators. The relationship is theorized to have developed in this way.

Dog meat for human consumption
Main article: Dog meat
In a number of countries around the world, apart from being kept as pets, certain breeds of dogs are slaughtered as a source of meat and specifically raised on farms for that purpose. In countries where dogs are particularly popular as household pets, the use of dogs as a source of food is often considered a taboo and abhorrent cultural practice, although there are exceptions such as Vietnam where dogs are popular as pets and as meat.[18]

Dog abuse
Main article: Cruelty to animals
Cruelty to dogs refers to treatment which causes unacceptable suffering or harm. What qualifies as unacceptable suffering varies depending on the country and its culture. [19]

Famous dogs
The long shared history of dogs and humans has resulted in many individual dogs achieving fame or notoriety, and many fictional dogs have been created for literature, cinema, and elsewhere.

Dog breeds

A Jack Russell Terrier playing with his toy.

The dog has developed into hundreds of breeds with a great degree of variation, such as this Miniature Pinscher and Boxer.

A Maltese enjoying the fall leaves.
There are numerous dog breeds, with over 800 being recognized by various kennel clubs worldwide. As all dog breeds have been derived from mixed-breed dog populations, the term "purebred" has meaning only with respect to a certain number of generations. Many dogs, especially outside the United States and Western Europe, belong to no recognized breed.
A few basic breed types have evolved gradually during the domesticated dog's relationship with man over the last 10,000 or more years, but most modern breeds are of relatively recent derivation. Many of these are the product of a deliberate process of artificial selection. Because of this, some breeds are highly specialized, and there is extraordinary morphological diversity across different breeds. Despite these differences, dogs are able to distinguish dogs from other kinds of animal.
The definition of a dog breed is a matter of some controversy. Depending on the size of the original founding population, closed gene pool breeds can have problems with inbreeding, specifically due to founder effect. Dog breeders are increasingly aware of the importance of population genetics and of maintaining diverse gene pools. Health testing and new DNA tests can help avoid problems, by providing a replacement for natural selection. Without selection, inbreeding and closed gene pools can increase the risk of severe health or behavioural problems. Some organizations define a breed more loosely, such that an individual may be considered of one breed as long as 75% of its parentage is of that breed. These considerations affect both pets and the show dogs entered in dog shows. Even prize-winning purebred dogs sometimes possess crippling genetic defects due to founder effect or inbreeding.[20] These problems are not limited to purebred dogs and can affect mixed-breed populations.[21] The behavior and appearance of a dog of a particular breed can be predicted fairly accurately, while mixed-breed dogs show a broader range of innovative appearance and behavior.

A 10-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier/Labrador cross enjoys the sunlight.
In February 2004, the Canine Studies Institute in Aurora, Ohio, arranged recognized breeds of dogs into ten categories.
Mixed-breed dogs or Mongrels are dogs that do not belong to specific breeds, being mixtures of two or more in variant percentages. Mixed breeds, or dogs with no purebred ancestry, are not inherently "better" or "worse" than purebred dogs as companions, pets, working dogs, or competitors in dog sports. Sometimes mixed-breed dogs are deliberately bred, for example, the Cockapoo, a mixture of Cocker Spaniel and Miniature Poodle. Such deliberate crosses may display hybrid vigor and other desirable traits, but can also lack one or more of the desired traits of their parents, such as temperament or a particular color or coat. However, without genetic testing of the parents, the crosses can sometimes end up inheriting genetic defects that occur in both parental breeds. Deliberately crossing two or more breeds is also a manner of establishing new breeds.

Neoteny in the rapid evolution of diverse dog breeds
This rapid evolution of dogs from wolves is an example of neoteny or paedomorphism. As with many species, the young wolves are more social and less dominant than adults; therefore, the selection for these characteristics, whether deliberate or inadvertent, is more likely to result in a simple retention of juvenile characteristics into adulthood than to generate a complex of independent new changes in behavior. (This is true of many domesticated animals, including human beings themselves, who have many characteristics similar to young bonobo.) This paedomorphic selection naturally results in a retention of juvenile physical characteristics as well. Compared to wolves, many adult dog breeds retain such juvenile characteristics as soft fuzzy fur, round torsos, large heads and eyes, ears that hang down rather than stand erect, etc.; characteristics which are shared by most juvenile mammals, and therefore generally elicit some degree of protective and nurturing behavior cross-species from most adult mammals, including humans, who term such characteristics "cute" or "appealing".
The example of canine neoteny goes even further, in that the various breeds are differently neotenized according to the type of behavior that was selected.Stephen Jay Gould; Eight Little Piggies: Reflections in Natural History; W. W. Norton & Company, 1993; pp. 394
Livestock guardian dogs retain the most juvenile characteristics: they stay close to home with their foster "litter" (which might include a flock of sheep), rather than going out hunting, they have almost no predatory behavior (which would be disastrous in the vicinity of such a natural prey stimulus as sheep), they respond to perceived threats with a lot of vocalization and attempts to alert and engage the dominant individuals in their "pack" (i.e. humans) whenever possible, engaging in actual combat only as a last resort. In addition, they retain very juvenile physical characteristics such as round bodies and heads, soft coats, ears that hang down, and so on, which do not elicit fear responses from the sheep in the way that an appearance similar to that of an adult wolf would. (Compare to the physical appearance of the border collie, a sheep herding dog, whose physical configuration is closer to that of an adult wild canine and who therefore has a greater capacity to frighten sheep into a desired pattern of movement, along with the more adult aggressive temperament to do so).
Gun dog breeds used in hunting—that is, pointers, setters, spaniels, and retrievers—have an intermediate degree of paedomorphism; they are at the point where they share in the pack's hunting behavior, but are still in a junior role, not participating in the actual attack. They identify potential prey and freeze into immobility, for instance, but refrain from then stalking the prey as an adult predator would do next; this results in the "pointing" behavior for which such dogs are bred. Similarly, they seize dead or wounded prey and bring it back to the "pack", even though they did not attack it themselves, that is, "retrieving" behavior. Their physical characteristics are closer to that of the mature wild canine than the sheepdog breeds, but they typically do not have erect ears, etc.
Scenthounds maintain an intermediate body type and behavior pattern that causes them to actually pursue prey by tracking their scent, but tend to refrain from actual individual attacks in favor of vocally summoning the pack leaders (in this case, humans) to do the job. They often have a characteristic vocalization called a bay. Some examples are the Beagle, Bloodhound, Basset Hound, Coonhound, Dachshund, Fox Hound, Otter Hound, and Harrier.
Sighthounds, who pursue and attack perceived prey on sight, maintain the mature canine size and some features, such as narrow chest and lean bodies, but have largely lost the erect ears of the wolf and thick double layered coats. Some examples are the Afghan, Borzoi, Saluki, Sloughi, Pharaoh Hound, Azawakh, Whippet, and Greyhound.
Mastiff-types are large dogs, both tall and massive with barrel-like chests, large bones, and thick skulls. They have traditionally been bred for war, protection, and guardian work.
Bulldog-types are medium sized dogs bred for combat against both wild and domesticated animals. These dogs have a massive, square skull and large bones with an extremely muscular build and broad shoulders.
Terriers similarly have adult aggressive behavior, famously coupled with a lack of juvenile submission, and display correspondingly adult physical features such as erect ears, although many breeds have also been selected for size and sometimes dwarfed legs to enable them to pursue prey in their burrows.
The least paedomorphic behavior pattern may be that of the basenji, bred in Africa to hunt alongside humans almost on a peer basis; this breed is often described as highly independent, neither needing nor appreciating a great deal of human attention or nurturing, often described as "catlike" in its behavior. It too has the body plan of an adult canine predator. Of course, dogs in general possess a significant ability to modify their behavior according to experience, including adapting to the behavior of their "pack leaders"—again, humans. This allows them to be trained to behave in a way that is not specifically the most natural to their breed; nevertheless, the accumulated experience of thousands of years shows that some combinations of nature and nurture are quite daunting, for instance, training whippets to guard flocks of sheep.

Breed popularity
Breed popularity varies widely over time[22] and in different parts of the world and different segments of the population. Counting by American Kennel Club (AKC) registration (not by licensing registration or by United Kennel Club (UKC) registration, which could present different statistics), the Labrador Retriever has been the United States's most commonly registered breed of dog since 1991[23]. However, even within parts of the United States, popularity varies; for example, in 2005 the most-registered breed in New York City was the Poodle; the Yorkshire Terrier was the second-most-registered breed in Houston but didn't even make the top ten in Honolulu [24]. However, animal shelters in many parts of the United States report that the most-commonly available dog for adoption is the American Pit Bull Terrier or pit bull-type mixes, making up as much as 20% of dogs available for adoption, none of which would be registered with the AKC.[25] Two decades ago, in 1983, the AKC's top two registered breeds were the American Cocker Spaniel and the Poodle.[26]
In Britain, The Kennel Club reports that the most-registered breed from at least 1999 to 2005 was the Labrador Retriever. It rounds out the top three for 1999 to 2005 with the German Shepherd Dog, also popular in the States, and the English Cocker Spaniel [27], which is no longer even in the top ten in the States.

See also

Dogs Portal
Bark (dog)
Dog attack
Dog communication
Dog licence
Dog odor
List of dog breeds
Puppy

References
^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/2498669.stm
^ Vilà, C. et al. (1997). Other research suggests that dogs have only been domesticated for a much shorter amount of time. Multiple and ancient origins of the domestic dog. Science 276:1687–1689. (Also "Multiple and Ancient Origins of the Domestic Dog")
^ Lindblad-Toh, K, et al. (2005) Genome sequence, comparative analysis and haplotype structure of the domestic dog. Nature 438, 803–819.
^ a b Savolainen, Peter, Ya-ping Zhang, Jing Luo, Joakim Lundeberg, and Thomas Leitner (2002-11-22). "Genetic Evidence for an East Asian Origin of Domestic Dogs". Science 298 (5598): 1610 - 1613. DOI:10.1126/science.1073906.
^ http://www.almostheaven-golden-retriever-rescue.org/old-drum.html
^ http://www.bartleby.com/61/roots/IE259.html
^ a b A&E Television Networks (1998). Big Dogs, Little Dogs: The companion volume to the A&E special presentation, A Lookout Book, GT Publishing. ISBN 1-57719-353-9 (hardcover).
^ a b c Alderton, David (1984). The Dog, Chartwell Books. ISBN 0-89009-786-0.
^ Small animal internal medicine, RW Nelson, Couto page 107
^ ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center Issues Nationwide Update: Raisins and Grapes Can Be Toxic To Dogs. ASPCA Press Releases. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (2004-07-06). Retrieved on September 2, 2006.
^ Dog owners warned over sugar-free items. Reuters.
^ Symes, John B.. Who is DogtorJ? (Contact). Retrieved on September 2, 2006.
^ Renee750il (2004-07-17). Finally, some reliable info on grapes & raisins. Chazhound Dog Forum. Retrieved on September 2, 2006.
^ Duncan, K. L., W. R. Hare and W. B. Buck (1997-01-01). "Malignant hyperthermia-like reaction secondary to ingestion of hops in five dogs". Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 210 (1): 51-4. PubMed.
^ http://www.spayusa.org/main_directory/02-facts_and_education/stats_surveys/javma_articles/02dogs-cats-sterilized.asp
^ Gedon, Trisha (2006-05-25). Summer heat can be tough on pets. Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Oklahoma State University. Retrieved on 2006-08-21.
^ http://www.amsci.org/amsci/articles/99articles/Trut.html#26879
^ Arthurs, Clare (Monday, 31 December, 2001, 10:56 GMT). Vietnam's dog meat tradition. BBC. Retrieved on 2006-10-10.
^ http://www.pet-abuse.com/
^ Shook, Larry (1995). The Puppy Report: How to Select a Healthy, Happy Dog. New York: Ballantine, 57-72. ISBN 0-345-38439-3.
^ tucker, bush (1995). The Puppy Report: How to Select a Healthy, Happy Dog. New York: Ballantine, 13-34. ISBN 0-345-38439-3.
^ http://www.slate.com/id/2122298/
^ http://www.akc.org/news/index.cfm?article_id=2389
^ http://www.akc.org/reg/topdogsbycity.cfm
^ http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=cruelty_pitbull
^ (1985) World Almanac and Book of Facts. Newspaper Enterprise Association (Doubleday).
^ http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/pressoffice/press_top20.html

Further reading
Abrantes, Roger (1999). Dogs Home Alone. Wakan Tanka, 46 pages. ISBN 0-9660484-2-3 (paperback).
A&E Television Networks (1998). Big Dogs, Little Dogs: The companion volume to the A&E special presentation, A Lookout Book, GT Publishing. ISBN 1-57719-353-9 (hardcover).
Alderton, David (1984). The Dog, Chartwell Books. ISBN 0-89009-786-0.
Brewer, Douglas J. (2002) Dogs in Antiquity: Anubis to Cerberus: The Origins of the Domestic Dog, Aris & Phillips ISBN 0-85668-704-9
Coppinger, Raymond and Lorna Coppinger (2002). Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution, University of Chicago Press ISBN 0-226-11563-1
Cunliffe, Juliette (2004). The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds. Parragon Publishing. ISBN 0-7525-8276-3.
Derr, Mark (2004). Dog's Best Friend: Annals of the Dog-Human Relationship. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-14280-9
Donaldson, Jean (1997). The Culture Clash. James & Kenneth Publishers. ISBN 1-888047-05-4 (paperback).
Fogle, Bruce, DVM (2000). The New Encyclopedia of the Dog. Doring Kindersley (DK). ISBN 0-7894-6130-7.
Grenier, Roger (2000). The Difficulty of Being a Dog. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-30828-6
Milani, Myrna M. (1986). The Body Language and Emotion of Dogs: A practical guide to the Physical and Behavioral Displays Owners and Dogs Exchange and How to Use Them to Create a Lasting Bond, William Morrow, 283 pages. ISBN 0-688-12841-6 (trade paperback).
Pfaffenberger, Clare (1971). New Knowledge of Dog Behavior. Wiley, ISBN 0-87605-704-0 (hardcover); Dogwise Publications, 2001, 208 pages, ISBN 1-929242-04-2 (paperback).
Savolainen, P. et al. (2002). Genetic Evidence for an East Asian Origin of Domestic Dogs. Science 298. 5598: 1610–1613.
Shook, Larry (1995). "Breeders Can Hazardous to Health", The Puppy Report: How to Select a Healthy, Happy Dog, Chapter Two, pp. 13–34. Ballantine, 130 pages, ISBN 0-345-38439-3 (mass market paperback); Globe Pequot, 1992, ISBN 1-55821-140-3 (hardcover; this is much cheaper should you buy).
Shook, Larry (1995). The Puppy Report: How to Select a Healthy, Happy Dog, Chapter Four, "Hereditary Problems in Purebred Dogs", pp. 57–72. Ballantine, 130 pages, ISBN 0-345-38439-3 (mass market paperback); Globe Pequot, 1992, ISBN 1-55821-140-3 (hardcover; this is much cheaper should you buy).
Thomas, Elizabeth Marshall (1993). The Hidden Life of Dogs (hardcover), A Peter Davison Book, Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-66958-8.
Verginelli, F. et al. (2005). Mitochondrial DNA from Prehistoric Canids Highlights Relationships Between Dogs and South-East European Wolves. Mol. Biol. Evol. 22: 2541–2551.
Vilà, C. et al. (1997). Multiple and ancient origins of the domestic dog. Science 276:1687–1689. (Also "Multiple and Ancient Origins of the Domestic Dog")
Small animal internal medicine, RW Nelson, Couto page 107

Paragliding

2006-10-23T09:16:00.000+05:30

Paragliding (known in some countries as parapenting) is a recreational and competitive flying sport. A paraglider is a free-flying, foot-launched aircraft. The pilot sits in a harness suspended below a fabric wing, whose shape is formed by the pressure of air entering vents in the front of the wing.
It is closely related to hang gliding, but quite different from parasailing/parascending, which don't involve free flight. Paramotoring uses the same equipment, with the addition of a propeller mounted behind the pilot, making it a form of ultra-light aviation as opposed to free flight.

Paragliding

Paraglider take-off in Brazil
·
Gliders
The paraglider wing (or ‘canopy’ or parafoil) is a self-inflating structure consisting of a row of cells, most of them open at the front and all of them closed at the back, joined together side by side. Moving through the air keeps them inflated as air enters in the front but can't get out the back. In cross-section, the cells form an aerofoil shape to produce lift, just like an airplane wing.
The pilot is supported underneath the wing from a web of lines (each with the strength to support the pilot). The lines are then attached to strap-like risers that are attached to the pilot's harness.
Controls held in the pilot’s hands, which pull down the trailing edge of the wing, are used to control speed and to turn.
The pilot is strapped into the bucket-seat harness, which usually holds a reserve parachute, and includes a ‘speed system’ which pulls down the leading edge for maximum flying speed. Modern recreational harnesses have a foam or air-bag back protector.
Paraglider wings typically have an area of 20–30 m² with a span of 8–12 m, and weigh 3–7 kg. Combined weight of wing, harness, reserve, instruments, etc is around 12–16 kg.
Glide ratio ranges from 6:1 for recreational paragliders to about 10:1 for modern competition paragliders (compared with an average of 15:1 for hang gliders and up to 60:1 for some sailplanes), and speed range is typically 20–65 km/h (stall speed – max speed): though safe flying range is smaller.
Modern paraglider wings are made of high-performance non-porous fabrics such as Porcher Marine & Gelvenor, with Dyneema/Spectra or Kevlar/Aramid lines.
For storage and carrying, the wing is folded into the harness seat, and the whole stored in a backpack (which is normally stowed in the harness in flight).
Tandem paragliders, designed to carry the pilot and one passenger, are larger but otherwise similar. They usually have higher trim speeds, are more resistant to collapses and have a slightly higher sink rate compared to solo paragliders.
Parachutes are generally used for descending purposes (i.e. jumping out of an aircraft) while paragliders are generally used for ascending. Paragliders are categorized as "ascending" parachutes by canopy manufacutures worldwide and involve "free flying" (without a tether) or an aircraft.
Flying

Take off from a ramp, Tegelberg, Schwangau, Germany.
In unpowered flight, rising air is needed to keep a glider aloft. This rising air can come from two sources:
· when the sun heats features on the ground, columns of rising air known as thermals are generated
· when wind encounters a ridge in the landscape, the air is forced upwards, providing ridge lift.
In mountainous environments, flying is mostly based around thermals, which can be used to stay aloft before heading for a landing field below the launch site. In hill environments, ridge lift is used for ridge soaring, and landing can be done either back at the launch site, or at a landing field at the bottom of the ridge. In either case, more experienced pilots can use thermals to go ‘cross country’.
Ridge soaring
In ridge soaring, pilots fly along the length of a ridge feature in the landscape, relying on the lift provided by the air which is forced up as it passes over the ridge.
Ridge soaring is highly dependent on a steady wind within a defined range (the suitable range depends on the performance of the wing and the skill of the pilot). Too little wind, and insufficient lift is available to stay airborne (pilots end up ‘scratching’ along the slope). With more wind, gliders can fly well above and forward of the ridge, but too much wind, and there is a risk of being ‘blown back’ over the ridge.
When ridge soaring, it is usually possible to either ‘top land’ or ‘slope land’ close to the launch site, which saves time returning from a landing site back to the launch site.
Thermal flying
When the sun warms the ground, it will warm some features more than others (such as rock-faces or large buildings), and these set off thermals which rise through the air. Sometimes these may be a simple rising column of air; more often, they are blown sideways in the wind, and will break off from the source, with a new thermal forming later.
Once a pilot finds a thermal, he or she begins to fly in a circle, trying to center the circle on the strongest part of the thermal (the "core"), where the air is rising the fastest. Most pilots use a ‘vario’ (vario-altimeter), which indicates climb rate with beeps and/or a visual display, to help ‘core-in’ on a thermal.
Coring: The technique to "core" a thermal is simple: turn tighter as lift decreases, and turn less as lift increases. This ensures you are always flying around the core.
Often there is strong sink surrounding thermals, and there is often also strong turbulence resulting in wing collapses as a pilot tries to enter a strong thermal. Once inside a thermal, shear forces reduce somewhat and the lift tends to become smoother.
Good thermal flying is a skill which takes time to learn, but a good pilot can often "core" a thermal all the way to cloud base.
Cross-country flying
Once the skills of using thermals to gain altitude have been mastered, pilots can glide from one thermal to the next to go ‘cross-country’ (‘XC’). Having gained altitude in a thermal, a pilot glides down to the next available thermal. Potential thermals can be identified by land features which typically generate thermals, or by cumulus clouds which mark the top of a rising column of warm, humid air as it reaches the dew point and condenses to form a cloud. In many flying areas, cross-country pilots also need an intimate familiarity with air law, flying regulations, aviation maps indicating restricted airspace, etc.
Launching / landing

Video clip: Launch for ridge soaring on Mam Tor, UK (1MB ogg/theora) (info) (help)

Paraglider towed launch, Mirosławice, Poland.
As with all aircraft, launching and landing are done into wind (though in mountain flying, it is possible to launch in nil wind and glide out to the first thermal).
In low winds, the wing is inflated with a ‘forward launch’, where the pilot runs forward so that the air pressure generated by the forward movement inflates the wing. In higher winds, particularly ridge soaring, a ‘reverse launch’ is used, with the pilot facing the wing to bring it up into a flying position, then turning under the wing to launch.
In flatter countryside, pilots can also be launched with a tow. Once at full height, the pilot pulls a release cord and the towline falls away. This requires separate training, as flying on a winch has quite different characteristics from free flying. In many countries only towing from a stationary winch is permitted: ‘static’ towing, with a fixed length towline attached to a car, is far more dangerous.
Landing involves lining up for an approach into wind, and just before touching down, ‘flaring’ the wing to minimise forward speed. The angle of approach to the landing zone will depend on wind speed. Landing will typically be at a gentle forward run.
Control of the glider
The pilot holds controls in each hand which pull down the trailing edge of the wing. Pulling down the trailing edge increases the angle of attack of the wing from its ‘trim’ (hands-off) position, which slows it down (like flaps on an aircraft wing). Turning is achieved by a combination of pulling down the control on one side, and ‘weight shift’ within the harness. Faster than ‘trim’ speed can be achieved by pushing out a ‘speedbar’ with the feet, which pulls down the leading edge to reduce the angle of attack.
On occasions when it is necessary to lose height more rapidly, the tips of the wing can be ‘folded in’, in what is known as ‘big ears’. This reduces the flying area of the wing, effectively reducing the glide ratio.
In more extreme conditions, other manoeuvres such as ‘b-line stalls’ and spiral dives can be used, but most pilots avoid getting themselves into situations where these are required.
Collapses
In turbulent air, since the wing is not rigid, part or all of the wing can collapse. On modern recreational wings, such collapses will normally recover themselves without pilot intervention. For the rare case where it is not possible to recover from a collapse (or from other threatening situations such as a spin), most pilots carry a reserve parachute. Thankfully, most pilots never have cause to ‘throw’ their reserve. In case the collapse happens near ground, i.e. shortly after takeoff or just before landing, the collapse may not recover even with pilot intervention and there will not be enough time for throwing the reserve. In that case serious injury or even accidents resulting in death can occur. Collapses and other hazards are minimized by flying a suitable glider, and choosing appropriate locations and weather conditions, for the pilot's skill and experience.
Sports/competitive flying
Some pilots like to stretch themselves beyond recreational flying. For such pilots, there are multiple disciplines available:
· cross-country leagues – annual leagues of the greatest distance ‘XC’ flying
· ‘comps’ – competitive flying based around completing a number of tasks such as flying around set waypoints
· accuracy – spot landing competitions where pilots land on targets the size of jam-jar lids
· ‘acro’ – aero-acrobatic manoeuvres and stunt flying; heart stopping tricks such as helicopters, wing-overs, synchro spirals, infinity tumbles, and so on: see the Acromania site for some descriptions
· national/international records – despite continually improving gliders, these become ever more difficult to achieve; aside from longest distance and highest altitude, examples include distance to declared goal, distance over triangular course, speed over 100 km triangular course, etc.
Competitive flying is done on high performance wings which demand far more skill to fly than their recreational counterparts, but which are far more responsive and offer greater feedback to the pilot, as well as flying faster with better glide ratios.
See also: FAI World Paragliding Championships, 2005 World Championship, Paragliding World Cup, Red Bull Vertigo Aerobatics World Cup.
Instruments
Most pilots use varios and radios when flying; some more advanced pilots also use GPS units.
Vario

Vario-altimeter
Birds are highly sensitive to atmospheric pressure, and can tell when they are in rising or sinking air. People can sense the acceleration when they first hit a thermal, but cannot detect the difference between constant rising air and constant sinking air, so turn to technology to help.
A vario-altimeter indicates climb-rate (or sink-rate) with audio signals (beeps which increase in pitch and tempo as you accelerate upwards and a droning sound which gets deeper as your decent rate increases) and/or a visual display. It also shows altitude: either above takeoff, above sea level, or (at higher altitudes) ‘flight level’.
The main purpose of a vario is in helping a pilot find and stay in the ‘core’ of a thermal to maximise height gain, and conversely indicating when he or she is in sinking air, and needs to find rising air.

2m-band radio
Radio
Pilots use radio for training purposes, and for communicating with other pilots in the air – particularly when travelling together on cross-country flights.
Radios used are PTT (push-to-talk) transceivers, normally operating in or around the FM VHF 2-metre band (144–148 MHz). Usually a microphone is incorporated in the helmet, and the PTT switch is either fixed to the outside of the helmet, or strapped to a finger.
GPS
GPS(global positioning system) is a necessary accessory when flying competitions, where it has to be demonstrated that way-points have been correctly passed.
It can also be interesting to view a GPS track of a flight when back on the ground, to analyse flying technique. Computer software is available which allows various different analyses of GPS tracks (e.g. CompeGPS).
Other uses include being able to determine drift due to the prevailing wind when flying at altitude, providing position information to allow restricted airspace to be avoided, and identifying one’s location for retrieval teams after landing-out in unfamiliar territory.
More recently, the use of GPS data, linked to a computer, has enabled pilots to share 3D tracks of their flights on Google Earth. This fascinating insight allows comparisons between competing pilots to be made in a detailed 'post-flight' analysis.
Safety
Paragliding is perhaps often viewed as a higher-risk sport than it actually is. Nonetheless, there is great potential for injury for the reckless or ill-prepared.
It is sometimes said that the factor which most affects safety is pilot attitude. A large proportion of accidents involve over-confident novices failing to heed advice, or pilots flying beyond their limits – often in a competitive context.
Most pilots will try to stay clear of:
· overly ‘active’ thermic conditions – harsh thermals can induce collapses in the wing, which require skill and experience to manage
· excessively windy conditions – landing can become dangerous, and if a glider is blown back behind a ridge where there is no longer rising air, it can encounter ‘rotor’, or turbulent air, which can collapse the wing – generally below the height at which a reserve parachute can be deployed
· cu-nimbs – cumulo-nimbus clouds are fed by massive thermals which rise faster than a paraglider can lose height, and can push a pilot deep into enormously turbulent, blind clouds
· hazardous landing conditions – in the lee of large trees or buildings there is ‘rotor’ which can collapse a wing; but among the greatest dangers are power lines
· reckless pilots – a danger to others, as well as themselves
Safety precautions include pre-flight checks, flying helmets, harnesses with back protection (foam or air-bag), a reserve parachute, and careful pre-launch observation of other pilots in the air to evaluate conditions.
For pilots who want to stretch themselves into more challenging conditions, advanced ‘SIV’ (simulation d’incidents de vol, or simulation of flying incidents) courses are available which teach pilots how to cope with hazardous situations which can arise in flight. Through tuition over radio (above a lake), pilots deliberately induce major collapses, stalls, spins, etc, in order to learn procedures for recovering from them. (As mentioned above, modern recreational wings will recover from minor collapses without intervention).
While fatalities do occur, most properly-trained, responsible pilots suffer nothing worse than possible minor injuries – particularly twisted ankles and back injuries – and an occasional pounding heart.
Learning to fly
Most popular paragliding regions have a number of schools, generally registered with and/or organized by national associations. Certification systems vary widely between countries, though around 10 days instruction to basic certification is standard.

Flying above Stubaital, Austria
There are several key components to a paragliding pilot certification instruction program. Initial training for beginning pilots usually begins with some amount of ground school to discuss the basics, including elementary theories of flight as well as basic structure and operation of the paraglider.
Students then learn how to control the glider on the ground, practicing take-offs and controlling the wing 'overhead'. Low, gentle hills are next where students get their first short flights, flying at very low altitudes, to get used to the handling of the wing over varied terrain. Special winches can be used to tow the glider to low altitude in areas that have no hills readily available.
As their skills progress, students move on to steeper/higher hills (or higher winch tows), making longer flights, and learning to turn the glider, control the glider's speed, then moving on to 360° turns, spot landings, ‘big ears’ (used to increase the rate of descent for the paraglider), and other more advanced techniques. Training instruction are often provided to the student via radio, particularly during the first flights.
A third key component to a complete paragliding instructional program provides substantial background in the key areas of meteorology, aerology, aviation law, and general flight area etiquette.
To give prospective pilots a chance to determine if they would like to proceed with a full pilot training program, most schools offer tandem flights, in which an experienced instructor pilots the paraglider with the prospective pilot as a passenger.
World records
The current (as of June 2006) world distance record was set by American David Butcher on 21 June 2002 who flew 513.4 km (276 miles) in 10½ hours from the town of Burlington, Kentucky, United States.
The height gain record was set by Leroy Westercamp of the Netherlands who on September 2006 flew 4,785m (15,698 ft) above takeoff in Pakistan.
Other records can be seen on the FAI site.
History
In 1954, the prescient Walter Neumark foresaw (in an article in Flight magazine) a time when a glider pilot would be “able to launch himself by running over the edge of a cliff or down a slope … whether on a rock-climbing holiday in Skye or ski-ing in the Alps”.
In 1961, the French engineer Pierre Lemoigne produced improved parachute designs which led to the Para-Commander (‘PC’), which had cut-outs at the rear and sides which enabled it to be towed into the air and steered – leading to parasailing/parascending.
Sometimes credited with the greatest development in parachutes since Leonardo da Vinci, the American Domina Jalbert invented in 1964 a rectangular parafoil which had sectioned cells in an aerofoil shape; an open leading edge and a closed trailing edge, inflated by passage through the air – the so-called ‘ram-air’ design.
Walter Neumark shortly afterwards wrote the wonderfully entitled Operating Procedures for Ascending Parachutes, and he and a group of enthusiasts with a passion for tow-launching ‘PCs’ and ram-air parachutes eventually broke away from the British Parachute Association to form the British Association of Parascending Clubs (BAPC) in 1973.

Barish Sail Wing, Hunter Mountain 1965
Meanwhile, David Barish was developing the ‘Sail Wing’ for recovery of NASA space capsules – “slope soaring was a way of testing out … the Sail Wing”. After tests on Hunter Mountain, New York in September 1965, he went on to promote ‘slope soaring’ as a summer activity for ski resorts (apparently without great success).
(NASA probably originated the term ‘paraglider’ in the early 1960’s, and ‘paragliding’ was first used in the early 1970’s to describe foot-launching of gliding parachutes).
These threads were pulled together in June 1978 by three friends Jean-Claude Bétemps, André Bohn and Gérard Bosson from Haute-Savoie, France. After inspiration from an article on ‘slope soaring’ in the Parachute Manual magazine by parachutist & publisher Dan Poynter, they calculated that on a suitable slope, a ‘square’ ram-air parachute could be inflated by running down the slope; Bétemps launched from Pointe du Pertuiset, Mieussy, and flew 100 m. Bohn followed him and glided down to the football pitch in the valley 1000 metres below. ‘Parapente’ (pente being French for slope) was born.
Through the 1980’s and since, it has been a story of constantly improving equipment and ever greater numbers of paragliding pilots. The first World Championship was held in Kössen, Austria in 1989.
Pilot numbers
Numbers of actively flying plots can only be a rough estimate, but France is reckoned to have the largest number, at around 25 000. Next most active flying countries are Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Japan, and Korea, at around 10 000 – 20 000, followed by Italy, the UK, and Spain with around 5 000 – 10 000. The USA has around 4 500. (All as of 2004).
Comparison with hang gliders
Paragliding and hang gliding are closely related sports – foot-launched gliders with flexible wings, with options for tow launching and for powered flight – and there is sometimes confusion about the differences.
The main differences between them are:

Paragliders
Hang gliders
Wing structure:
entirely flexible, with shape maintained purely by the pressure of air flowing into the wing in flight and the tension of the lines
supported on a rigid frame which determines its shape
Pilot position:
sitting ‘supine’ in a seated harness
lying ‘prone’ in a cocoon-like harness suspended from the wing
Speed range (stall speed – max speed):
slower – hence easier to launch and fly in light winds
faster – hence easier to launch and fly in stronger conditions
Glide angle:
poorer glide performance makes long-distances more difficult
better glide performance enables longer-distance flying
Landing-out:
smaller space needed to land, offering more landing options from cross-country flights. Also easier to carry back to the nearest road
longer approach & landing area required, limiting landing options
Learning:
quicker to get ‘into the air’ with most skills learned in the air; flying tandem with an instructor is rarely necessary during instruction
basic control skills are learned in ground school, and in flights close to the ground prior to high flights;
Convenience:
pack smaller (easier to transport and store); lighter (easier to carry); quicker to rig & de-rig
more awkward to transport & store; difficult to carry single-handed; longer to rig & de-rig
Cost:
cheaper but less durable
more expensive but more durable
See also
· Powered paragliding
· Hang gliding
· Foot-launched Powered Hang Glider
· Gliding
References
Gliders
· Para2000, Gérard Florit
· Paraglider Performance Comparison, Jérôme Daoust
Safety
· Paragliding Safety Articles, USHPA
· Tips for Paraglider Pilots, Jérôme Daoust
· Analysis of Accidents 2004, Fédération française de vol libre (in French)
Competition
· Paragliding World Cup
History
· Chronology of Free Flying, Fédération française de vol libre (in French)
· Paragliding's "Believe it or not !", Jérôme Daoust
· Historical Review, ParachuteHistory.com
· Para-Commander, ParachuteHistory.com
· Domina Jalbert, WindMuller Aerology Lab
· David Barish, The Forgotten Father of Paragliding, FlyAboveAll
Online Videos
· Paragliding Videos MyFlight Videos
· Paragliding and Powered Paragliding Videos Marks Paragliding Pages
· Paragliderpilot.tk Videos and photos.
· AdrenalineDVD.com Paragliding DVD trailers
External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Paragliding
· FAI, International air sports federation
· Paragliding FAQs, WikiFAQ
· paragliding365.com, all sites and schools worldwide
· FFVL, French Federation of Free Flight
· HPAC, Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association of Canada
· USHPA, United States Hang gliding and Paragliding Association
· BHPA, British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association
· Paragliding Forum, The forum for all things related to Paragliding
· Paragliding Arial Photos, sportparagliding.com
· 423 km Paragliding World Record, Will Gadd
· Paragliding Links
· Paragliding Argentina