Serious issue over a tissue

Tissue paper is a major source of waste. Use handkerchief instead. It takes 6,000,000 trees to make one-year's worth of tissues for the world.
Its a serious crime to environment as well as mankind .

Courtsy

The World’s Slowest Express Train

The Glacier Express runs from Zermatt to St. Moritz (or vice versa) in about 7 .5 hours, making it the slowest express train in the world. This breathtakingly scenic journey to the roof of the world includes 291 bridges and viaducts, 91 tunnels and the 6,669-foot Oberalp Pass, for a total of about 180 miles through rugged alpine landscapes. In this case, the journey truly is the destination.

The train traverses not only a diverse physical landscape but also cultural and linguistic ones. Traveling through the cantons of Valais, Uri and Graubunden, you’ll hear French, German, Romansh, Italian and numerous dialects and see distinctly changing architecture.

For sightseeing fans, the ever-changing countryside exceeds all expectations, in any season. There are green valleys with grazing cows, picturesque villages in the Goms valley, castles perched along the Domleschg ridge, the high alpine lake on the Oberalp Pass, the craggy rock bluffs of Switzerland’s “Grand Canyon,” and, of course, the Matterhorn, mountain symbol of Switzerland.

Integrated circuit on the forehead as 'bindi'

Chip on a bindi : An Indian model wears a Analog integrated circuit (IC) with intelligent charging capabillities for Lithium-ion batteries pasted on a bindi during a launch ceremony in Bangalore.
An Indian model displays a chip placed on a 'bindi' (a dot) on her forehead during a news conference by the International IT and R & D services company 'Mindtree Consulting' in the southern Indian city of Bangalore .

Bindi in India goes unchecked - harmful ?

The 'bindi', the ubiquitous mark on the forehead of Indian women is facing a problem in the distant US where a manufacturer has been forced to withdraw a batch along with other cosmetics products from the market owing to its high lead content.

In the land of its birth, the bindi, however, continues to be manufactured unchecked as there is no agency to monitor the usage and harmful effects of spurious products.

The cosmetics industry is not at all regulated in India. There's no apex body to control this in India.
What's worse is the fact that most of the branded products in the market do not carry the mandatory label of ingredients, colouring agent (chemicals used) and Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) mark and no declaration whatsoever that that the products are manufactured from any carcinogenic or any harmful ingredients.

According to experts, 'sindoor' or 'kumkum' readily available in market often contains high amount of harmful materials.

Courtesy

The best loved root vegetable-Carrots

Years before, vegetables were often served merely as an accessory to meat. But carrots always made an appearance, often overcooked but still eaten. Young carrots braised in butter are intensely flavoured and sweet, while steamed carrots are tender. Carrots grated into salads taste fresh and clean, while in casseroles, they are savoury with the characteristic carrot flavour. In soups they are fragrant and mild, and in cakes their flavour can hardly be detected, yet their sweetness adds richness.
The orange-coloured taproot of the carrot contains a high concentration of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is a substance that is converted to vitamin A in the human body. A 1/2 cup serving of cooked carrots contains four times the recommended daily intake of vitamin A in the form of protective beta-carotene. Betacarotene is also a powerful antioxidant effective in fighting against some forms of cancer, especially lung cancer. Current research suggests that it may also protect against stroke, and heart disease. Carrots are also a very good source of dietary fibre, vitamin C, vitamin K, foliate and manganese, and a good source of vitamin B6, pantothenic acid and iron. But to obtain maximum benefit it is best to eat them raw.

"C" for Calcium

CALCIUM HELPS IN

• Development of healthy and stronger bones and teeth
• Proper functioning of the heart
• Proper foetal growth and normal health of the mother during pregnancy
• Controlling conduction mechanism in nerve tissues
• Proper utilisation of vitamins A, C and D
DEFICIENCY OF CALCIUM

• Causes changes in bones and muscles
• Leads to pale appearance, fatigue, mental disorders

• Causes head sweats, even in cold weather

• Retards growth, appetite; causes indigestion in kids

• Results in late puberty, irregular periods, anaemia and low immunity in girls

• Causes difficult labour and lack of breast milk in pregnant women

PROPER DAILY INTAKE

Infants: 500 mg, Children: 600 mg, Men/Women: 400 mg, Pregnant/lactating women: 1,000 mg 150 gm broccoli = 1.2 mg 30 gm peanuts = 2.2 mg 30 gm almonds = 7.4 mg

WHERE TO FIND CALCIUM:

Milk, milk products, turnip greens, cauliflower, broccoli, carrot, fenugreek, radish and fish

Wine , Fish and Chocolate fights with Wrinkles

WINE
Drinking alcohol in moderation protects against heart disease, diabetes and age-related memory loss. Any kind of alcoholic beverage seems to provide such benefits, but red wine has been the focus of much of the research. Red wine contains resveratrol, a compound that contributes to its benefits — and, according to animal studies, may activate genes that slow cellular aging.
FISH
Thirty years ago, researchers began to study why the native Inuits of Alaska were remarkably free of heart disease. The reason, scientists now think, is the extraordinary amount of fish they consume. Fish is an abundant source of omega-3 fats, which help prevent cholesterol build-up in arteries and protect against abnormal heart rhythms.
CHOCOLATE
The Kuna people of the San Blas islands, off the coast of Panama, have a rate of heart disease that is nine times less than that of mainland Panamanians. The reason? The Kuna drink plenty of a beverage made with generous proportions of cocoa, which is unusually rich in flavanols that help preserve the healthy function of blood vessels. Maintaining youthful blood vessels lowers risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and dementia.
Courtesy TOI

Love in the time of AIDS

The doumentary Love (and Babies) in the Time of AIDS, A Journey to India follows HIV/AIDS activist Thembi Ngubane, 23, as she travels from her humble home in Khayelitsha, South Africa to the bustling centre of Bollywood in Mumbai, India.

The movie, initially shown in Africa this past year to commemorate World AIDS Day, focuses on Thembi’s discovery at the age of 16 that was living with HIV. Her ex-boyfriend had died from the disease.

The revelation transformed Thembi from a carefree girl into a young woman focused on staying healthy for her unborn child while spreading awareness about the deadly virus and the importance of education in HIV prevention.

”When you are dating a person, you are young and you think this person is cool and you think you are the only one. All that love stuff is all you think of,” Thembi says in the documentary. “I was sure I caught the virus from him.”
Courtesy : mediaforfreedom.com

Eat and get glowing skin

* Low-fat dairy products.

The best sources for vitamin A. The health of your skin cells depends on dietary vitamin A.


* Blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, plums.

These four fruits rate the highest when it comes to ‘total antioxidant capacity’. And you do know that antioxidants are great secrets to healthy skin!


* Healthy Oils.

Get the ones with essential fatty acids, like olive oil and canola oil. Good-quality oils keep skin well-lubricated.


* Wholewheat bread, muffins and cereals.

These are rich in selenium, which is known to work well against acne and also as an antioxidant.


* Green tea.

This deserves a category all its own in any article about foods for skin. It is anti-inflammatory and protects the cell membrane. It may even help prevent or reduce the risk of skin cancer.

* Water.
While the exact amount you should drink each day varies, no one disputes the role that good hydration plays in keeping your skin looking healthy and youthful. Though fluids like juice and soups are good, nothing works better than water.

Take flattering pictures of yourself

1 A good way to take a self-photo is by using a mirror. Make sure the camera’s not blocking your face, unless you want it to.

2 Don’t always look directly into the camera lens! Everyone does that. Look above, below, to the right or to the left of the lens for some intriguing poses.

3 If you don’t want to have the camera in the picture with you, stand in front of a mirror and hold the camera out so you can see yourself in the screen even though the camera is facing you.

It is For your eyes only

Eye Care: Some Dos & Don’ts

1.Never work in dim light

2.Wear sunglasses out in the sun

3.Do not read continuously in moving vehicles, take break .

4.Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables such as carrots, spinach, papaya and mangoes because these are enriched with beta carotene and are excellent for healthy eyes and proper vision

5.Apply cucumber water or thin slices of cucumber to the skin around the eyes, especially if this skin is looking dry . It improves your vision and also reduces puffs and bags under the eyes. This the best and easiest eye care tips .

6.Apply all-natural eye drops .

7.Splash eyes with cold water. Apply cotton wool pads, soaked in warm milk, light tea solution or rose water on the eyes. Press gently and leave for 10 minutes

8.Do regular eye exercise and make it a practice.

Exercise For The Eyes

1.Lift the eyes to the ceiling and then to the floor. Repeat. Look straight ahead, then to the left and then to the right. Repeat. Make a circle, first clockwise and then anticlockwise, with the eyes. Repeat

2.Rub your hands together until they feel warm, close your eyes and cover them lightly with cupped palms. Without applying too much pressure on the closed eyelids, place your palms on your eyes so that your nose remains uncovered, and no light rays are able to enter the eyes. Take deep breaths slowly and evenly, and relax yourself, and after your eyes see nothing but blackness, remove your palms from your eyes. Repeat

The space elevator

A space elevator is a proposed megastructure designed to transport material from a celestial body's surface into space. The term most often refers to a structure that reaches from the surface of the Earth to geosynchronous orbit (GSO) and a counter-mass beyond.
Current technology does not make available, in engineering quantities, materials that are sufficiently strong and light to build a space elevator for the most interesting case, from the Earth's surface to GSO. The Earth's effective gravitational potential well is simply too deep. However, the total mass of material needed to construct such a structure is an extremely strong function (exponential) of the strength and density of the supporting cable material. Carbon nanotubes appear to be interestingly close to making this possibility practical. Recent proposals for a space elevator are notable in their plans to incorporate carbon nanotubes into the tether design, thus providing a link between space exploration and nanotechnology. Because the Moon's gravitational potential well is approximately 20 times less deep than Earth's, a lunar cable, over the Earth-Moon Lagrangian point, L1, appears to be feasible even with current commercial materials, and could revolutionize the economics of the space use of lunar materials.
Despite all the daunting problems that face them, the space elevator enthusiasts say with research, time and money, they'll find a solution.
They insist that one day there will be lots of elevators ferrying satellites, prospectors and even tourists into space. They say the benefits of having them in space will be worth all the efforts.
Right now the cost of getting into space is one of the major blocks to more exploration. Mervyn Kellum has done studies on the cost of transportation comparing rockets to the space elevator.
Further reading :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_elevator
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/space/spaceelevator.html

Sit back , A robot will fill fuel to your car

Motorists nostalgic for the time they could sit tight while attendants braved windswept garage forecourts to fill their tanks may yet see those heady days return — compliments of a Dutch robot.
Dutch inventors unveiled a 75,000 euro ($111,100) car-fuelling robot they say is the first of its kind, working by registering the car on arrival at the filling station and matching it to a database of fuel cap designs and fuel types.
A robotic arm fitted with multiple sensors extends from a regular petrol pump, carefully opens the car’s flap, unscrews the cap, picks up the fuel nozzle and directs it toward the tank opening, much as a human arm would, and as efficiently.
“I was on a farm and I saw a robotic arm milking a cow. If a robot can do that then why can’t it fill a car tank, I thought,” said developer and petrol station operator Nico van Staveren. “Drivers needn’t get dirty hands or smell of petrol again.”
He hopes to introduce the “Tankpitstop” robot in a handful of Dutch stations by the end of the year. It works for any car whose tank can be opened without a key, and whose contours and dimensions have been recorded to avoid scratching.
Asked whether he would trust his car to a robotic garage attendant, Jelger De Kroon, filling his black Alfa Romeo at a nearby petrol station, said: “Why not? I guess I could keep my hands free and clean, but I’d hope they have good insurance.”
Robots have taken over many jobs traditionally performed by humans. Car production is the primary example. Over the last three decades automobile factories have become dominated by robots. Other fields include the packaging industry and the electronics industry.
Courtsy : TOI

Workout , Astrologically Yours !

ARIES
You’re interested in doing competitive workouts. Being athletic, you enjoy spinning, tennis and sports. Working out is a stress-buster that helps boosts your mood. Exercises for you: Bike spinning, tennis, high jump and long jump.
TAURUS
You like comfort and often equate exercise with discomfort. You simply need
enough activity to keep you steady like simple stretching and strengthening exercises.
Exercises for you: Bodytoning exercises for the thighs, legs and some stretching exercises.
GEMINI
You like your fitness programme to be mentally stimulating. You like exercise to be a social activity. Group exercises are ideal as they allow you to connect with others. Exercises for you: Group aerobic classes.
CANCER
Convincing is what you need to break out of your comfort zone. Like the crab, you come by lateral movement, so bulk up your routine with lots of side leg lifts, side bends and knee bends.
Exercises for you: Cool down side lifts, outer thigh toning exercises like different kinds of side leg raises.
LEO
You love your body and love to preen in front of the mirror while you workout. You don’t need privacy and staying motivated comes naturally to you. In fact, you do just fine as your own personal trainer.
Exercises for you: Salsa dancing and pilates.
VIRGO
You are intuitive about your health. But you also welcome information about how certain exercises can improve your body. You’re more interested in working the toxins out of your body than burning calories. Full-body conditioning is ideal for you. Exercises for you: Body conditioning, strength-training, weight training and toning exercises like barbells, bench presses, machines to workout the hamstrings — back thighs and quadriceps.
LIBRA
You want the best of the lot. The physio-ball, which is fun, challenging and improves balance, is a perfect option for you. Incorporating a ball into the workout also centers your attention and focusses on the workout.
Exercises for you: Exercises like abdominals with the physio-ball.
SCORPIO
A Scorpio workout should incorporate intense peaks and movements. Activities like plyometrics (a kind of exercise with explosive moves) ignite you. You thrive on a churning heart, so skip the yoga or ballet classes.
Exercises for you: Swimming, intense cardio exercises like treadmill running, etc.
SAGITTARIUS
You have strong legs and thighs. The key to your workout is to build flexibility in the hamstrings so they don’t become too tight and
strain your lower back. Workout outside whenever you can.
Exercises for you: Long runs, jogging and skipping.
CAPRICORN
You don’t need intense training; instead you thrive on duration. You have the ability to focus on a two-hour hike. Pacing for a longer haul is the ideal way to workout.

Exercises for you: Long walking hikes, marathon walks.
AQUARIUS
You are not the one who likes to take advice. You need an activity with few rules. A typical daily workout regime bores you. If it’s quirky, you’ll probably like it.

Exercises for you: Hiking, short walks.
PISCES
You need something gentler like yoga to motivate you. Seated postures calm your nerves, soothing your naturally gentle spirit. For you, working out isn’t just about fitness. It’s also about finding peace for your sometimes anxious mind.
Exercises for you: Yoga exercises and stretching exercises.

Pain in the Neck

Cervical spondylitis occurs as a result of aging and changes in the joints of the vertebral column, mostly due to the wearing of discs in between the different vertebrae, which in turn impacts the bones and tissues of the vertebral column. Any activity that puts undue stress on the neck for prolonged periods can cause this condition.

The symptoms are :
1. Neck pain (may radiate to the arms or shoulders)
2. Loss of sensation or abnormal sensation of the shoulders, arms and (rarely) legs
3. Weakness of the arms and sometimes of the legs too
4. Neck stiffness that progressively worsens
5. Loss of balance
6. Headaches, particularly in the back of the head
7. Loss of control of the bladder or bowels (if spinal cord is compressed).

The prevention
It is difficult to prevent this condition, but you can reduce the risk of developing it.
Take a break when driving long distance, watching TV or working on a computer. Don't hold your head in the same position for very long period.
Protect your neck from injury by using a seatbelt when sitting in a car.
Those who smoke and consume tobacco in any form should stop it completely.
Practice a good posture

Courtesy : TOI

8 signs that show you the right moment to quit your job

1.You are stuck in a job that is neither challenging nor enjoyable

2.You and your partner have nothing to say to each other

3.You find marriage is just limiting your growth and happiness

4.You say 'enough is enough' often enough

5.You sense bad vibes from your boss

6.You have people taking you for granted and not caring about hurting you

7.You are in a situation that hurts your dignity as an individual and as a human being

8.You clearly see a better opportunity

Long legs and winding tie ups : A sexy combo

These are seen at Paris International Lingerie show, designs created by Italian designer Recardo Tisci, Galante & Fause Haten during the Sao Paolo Fashion week .

Kiwi :The lesser known fruit

Formerly known as Chinese gooseberries, Kiwis are now extensively grown all over the world. These cylindrical fruits, are covered with a light brown fuzzy skin, which looks rather dull in comparison with its beautiful bright green interior. The flavour is delicate, yet refreshing and tangy.

Nutrition-wise, kiwi fruits contain about as much potassium as bananas, and also contain 1.5 times the DRI for Vitamin C. It is also rich in Vitamins A and E, and its black seeds can be crushed to produce kiwi fruit oil, which is very rich in Alfa-Linoleic Acid (an important Omega-3 essential fatty acid). Studies have proven that kiwi fruits are useful in improving conditions of asthmatic children, and in decreasing the probability of colon cancer by providing a good amount of dietary fibre. Please be aware that kiwi fruits can be allergic to some individuals, since they contain the protein-dissolving enzyme actinidin. The most common symptoms include itching of the mouth, lips and palate, but can range to a more severe level such as wheezing or collapsing.

2 + 2 = 5 for most Class V students, says NCERT

Even after five years of regular schooling Mathematics remains the biggest problem for students across India. Now the Government has been told that almost 45 per cent of students in the fifth standard cannot add or subtract properly.

The finding of this NCERT survey will upset the plans of the Central Government, which is working to improve elementary education.

“We have special programs for those students who are not doing well. There are residual learning courses available. In the 11th plan we will be working on the quality,” Secretary, Primary Education, A K Rath said.
Courtsey: IBN Live

The fire beneath : Jharia may turn into a ghost town soon

The threat of underground fire in Jharia leading to land cave-inhas already affected railways in the region. In March 2007, the 22-kmDhanbad-Jharia-Pathardih track was dismantled while the railway stationcomplex of Jharia is "abandoned" since 2005.

In 1996, the Union government formed a committee to probe the underground fire. On finding that the fire could not be doused, it recommended shifting the entire Jharia town and 23 surrounding villages to two resettlement colonies.

Under the mammoth exercise, about 46,000 houses are to be set up at Belguria Bazar, 10 km from Jharia, in the first phase, and another 34,000 at Belliyapur in the second phase at an estimated cost of Rs 20,000 crore.But while the Jharkhand government is keen on shifting the people to the new resettlement colonies, coal trade unions are opposing it. Janata Mazdoor Sangh general secretary Kunti Singh, also MLA from Jharia, said, "At no cost would we allow eviction of people from Jharia."

The package has been accepted by the Jharkhand government and it would cover all residents of Jharia. The fund for rehabilitation would be raised by Coal India and also through consumers who would have to pay enhanced royalty on coal (Rs 3.50 per tonne to Rs 10 per tonne). Says Bhattacharya, "The idea is to save the people. They are more important for Coal India than excavating prime coking coal from Jharia mines."
Courtesy:TOI

Your favourite hand gel is not enough to wash off germs

Doctors and nurses on the go often skip soap and water in favour of an alcohol-based hand gel, thinking the quick-acting goo will kill bacteria on their hands and curb the spread of infection. It turns out that’s not enough.
In a Nebraska hospital, medical workers nearly doubled their use of the alcoholbased gel, but their generally cleaner hands had no bearing on the rate of infections among patients.
The doctor who studied the problem pointed to many villains: Rings and fingernails that are too long and hard to clean, poor handling of catheters and treatment areas that aren’t sanitized.
“Hand hygiene is still important, but it’s not a panacea,” said Dr Mark Rupp, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He led the study at the adjoining Nebraska Medical Center.
The results of his study appear to contradict hospital guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that say better hand hygiene — through frequent washing or use of hand gels — has been shown to cut the spread of hospital infections.

Big-bréasted womens more prone to diabetes

Girls with big bréasts have a 68% higher chance of developing diabetes by middle age than their small-bréasted counterparts, according to a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.
The decade-long study to find link between big bréasts and diabetes development among nurses in the US shows that those with bigger bréasts at 20 are at 68% higher risk of developing the disease in later years.
Joel Ray, professor of medicine at the University of Toronto and a clinician-scientist at the local St Michael’s Hospital, said this was “the broad conclusion” of his research team on the basis on the study that was published on Tuesday.
“Our findings are based on data from the Nurses Health Study II project in 14 American states. In a nutshell, 92,102 nurses were studied for link between their brēast size and their chances of developing diabetes by the age of 35. The bigger their bréasts are at the age of 20, the bigger their chances of developing diabetes,” Ray said.
However, Ray was quick to add that the brēast size could be one of the factors, apart from smoking, family history, diet and ethnicity that trigger diabetes in women.
“Obesity remains a big factor. Obese women tend to have larger bréasts, thereby becoming more prone to diabetes,” he said.