ISUHANGAT

04 July, 2007

Rare "Smiling" Bird Photographed for First Time

June 26, 2007--Call him the Mona Lisa of the bird kingdom.

The rare recurve-billed bushbird, recently rediscovered by scientists in Colombia after a 40-year absence, sports a curving beak that gives the illusion of an enigmatic smile.

This photograph, taken by a conservationist with the Colombia-based nonprofit Fundación ProAves, is the first ever taken of a live bushbird.

The elusive species had not been spotted between 1965 and 2004, due to its limited range and remote habitats. It was seen recently in Venezuela and in a region of northeastern Colombia, where it was photographed.

Researchers found the bird in a 250-acre (101-hectare) reserve next to the Torcoroma Holy Sanctuary near the Colombian town of Ocaña, where in 1709 locals claimed they saw the image of the Virgin Mary in a tree root. The forests of the sanctuary have been protected by Catholic Church authorities in the centuries since.

The researchers also found and photographed the extremely rare Perija parakeet, of which only 30 to 50 individuals likely survive.

Deforestation and wildfires for agriculture and grazing have denuded much of the birds' habitat, conservationists say.

"[A]s more and more remote areas are being settled, the bushbird reminds us how important it is to conserve as much natural habitat as we can," said Paul Salaman of the American Bird Conservancy.

"Who knows what wonderful biodiversity is being destroyed before it has had a chance to be discovered?"

An incredibly strong woman

Meet Varvara Akulova, the world's strongest girl. She is now 13, but most of the photos depict her at the age of six. She comes from a very poor family from Ukraine where they were always short on food and basic necessities. Nevertheless, Varvara started doing sports at a very early age and by the age of 4, she is capable of lifting 220 lbs (100 kg) in weights! Since then her lifting power increased by 25 lbs (11kg) yearly.

The Discovery channel has made a documentary about her titled "The World's Strongest Girl". Hit play to watch the partial clip.

Video: MyspaceTv

Yawning cools the blood to refresh your brain

Over the years, there have been many theories for why people yawn. It has been associated with sleepiness and boredom, and, incorrectly, with low oxygen levels in the blood.

"No one knows why we yawn," says Andrew C. Gallup, a psychology professor at the State University of New York at Albany.

Now Dr. Gallup and fellow researchers have a new explanation: yawning, they said, is a way for the body to cool the brain.

The volunteers were asked to step into a room by themselves and watch a video showing people behaving neutrally, laughing or yawning.

Some volunteers were asked to breathe only through their noses as they watched. Later, volunteers were asked to press warm or cold packs on their foreheads.

"The two conditions thought to promote brain cooling (nasal breathing and forehead cooling) practically eliminated contagious yawning," the researchers wrote.

The study may also help explain why yawning spreads from person to person. A cooler brain, Dr. Gallup said, is a clearer brain.

So yawning actually appears to be a way to stay more alert. And contagious yawning, he said, may have evolved to help groups remain vigilant against danger.

Link & Image: New York Times

JEANS - THE PERFECT FIT

Jeans has always been the favourite in the fashion world. Jeans is available in different styles, cut and has become an all purpose wear. However to flaunt your figure you need to wear the pair that fits you best. You need to pick the pair of jeans that fit you perfectly and make you look amazing. Well it is not that difficult………all you have to do is try on several pair to find just the right style and fit. Also follow these guidelines.

Tall/slim figure:
Perfect jeans: Look for styles that are plain and simple with straight legs. If you want to draw attention to your long legs then go for a style with a flared leg or design along the outside length of the jean.

Avoid: Jeans with a tapered leg. This will only accentuate the size of your feet (and taller girls often have big feet) and make your legs look strange.
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Long Torso:
Prefect jeans: In your body type it is very difficult to choose the perfect jeans. Ideally you should go for a pair of jeans with a defined waist that will make your bottom half look longer and leaner. Also wear a belt since it will define your body shape perfectly.

Avoid: Jeans with a long, bulky or tight crotch.
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Pear-Shaped:
Perfect jeans: Go for styles with a flared leg, boot cut or pattern around the ankle area.

Avoid: Jeans that are tight around the thigh area and tapered or baggy styles.
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Wide Hips:
Perfect jeans: Choose a jean with a low-rise waist and a slight flare at the leg to help to balance your silhouette. Go for jeans with a bit of stretch and make sure they have large back pockets.

Avoid: Styles with really big or really small back pockets and detailing across the back.

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Petite:
Perfect jeans: Go for a pair with straight legs, worn on the long side, to help give you a taller silhouette. To make your legs look longer wear heels with a boot leg style, and make sure you go for dark-coloured jeans.

Avoid: If you're after a pair of jeans that will make your legs look longer, avoid styles with cuffs and Capri pants.

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Short-waisted:
Perfect jeans: Go in for hipsters or super-hipsters. Low-slung, hipster styles will give you the illusion of having a longer torso.

Avoid: Jeans with a zip more than 3 inches long and jeans with fringe or embellishment along the waistband.
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Plus-size:
Perfect jeans: Go for dark-coloured jeans with a straight leg, boot cut or flare.

Avoid: Light-coloured jeans and styles that feature patterning down the legs. Also avoid jeans with pleats and elastic waists, as well as baggy styles.

Chocolate reduces blood pressure

By LINDSEY TANNER,

AP Medical Writer

CHICAGO - Here's some good and bad news for chocoholics: Dark chocolate seems to lower blood pressure, but it requires an amount less than two Hershey's Kisses to do it, a small study suggests. The new research from Germany adds to mounting evidence linking dark chocolate with health benefits, but it's the first to suggest that just a tiny amount may suffice.

Volunteers for the study ate just over 6 grams of dark chocolate daily for almost five months -- one square from a German chocolate bar called Ritter Sport, equal to about 1 1/2 Hershey's Kisses. People who ate that amount ended up with lower blood pressure readings than those who ate white chocolate.

University of Cologne researcher Dr. Dirk Taubert, the study's lead author, said the blood pressure reductions with dark chocolate were small but still substantial enough to potentially reduce cardiovascular disease risks, although study volunteers weren't followed long enough to measure that effect.

The research involved just 44 people aged 56 through 73, but the results echo other small studies of cocoa-containing foods. Cocoa contains flavanols, plant-based compounds that also are credited with giving red wine its heart-healthy benefits.

One problem is chocolate bars containing cocoa tend to have lots of calories, so Taubert and his colleagues tested small amounts containing just 30 calories each.

The study appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association. It was funded by University Hospital in Cologne.

The results are interesting but need to be duplicated in larger, more ethnically diverse populations, said Dr. Laura Svetkey, director of Duke University's Hypertension Center.

She stressed that the study results should not be viewed as license to gorge on chocolate.

"I would be as happy as the next person if I got to eat more chocolate," she said, but cautioned that weight gain from eating large amounts of dark chocolate would counteract any benefits on blood pressure.

Study participants were otherwise healthy and mostly normal-weight German adults with mild high blood pressure or pre-hypertension, which includes readings between 120 over 80 and 139 over 89.

Average blood pressure at the start was about 147 over 86.

Every day for 18 weeks, the volunteers were instructed to eat one-square portions of a 16-square Ritter Sport bar, or a similar portion of white chocolate. White chocolate doesn't contain cocoa.

Systolic blood pressure, the top number, fell an average of nearly three points and diastolic dropped almost two points in the dark chocolate group, compared with no change in blood pressure readings in the white chocolate group.

Tests suggested that steady exposure to dark chocolate prompted chemical changes that helped dilate blood vessels and regulate blood pressure, the researchers said.

Participants were told not to eat other cocoa-containing products and to continue regular eating habits and activity levels. They also kept food diaries so researchers could see if other foods might have influenced the results.

But, said Taubert, "It is very unlikely that other factors may explain the blood pressure reduction."

Dr. Lawrence Appel of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine said the most proven non-drug methods for lowering blood pressure are losing weight and eating less salt. Eating dark chocolate might help if combined with those two, he said.

For most people, "the lower your blood pressure, the better you are. So if you can get it lower from different strategies that's good for the long term," Appel said,

Facts of life

Shortest love story

03 July, 2007

Job Interview

Job Interview: TWO MEN AND A BAI

During the colonial days, three friends went together to apply for a job.
The prospective employer was a cocky and nasty English manager. Ah Chong
was the first to be interviewed.
Manager: I'm going to ask you two simple questions, ready..?
Ah Chong: Yes Sir
Manager: What will happen if I poke your left eye with my finger?
Ah Chong: I will become partially blind, Sir!
Manager: What will happen if I poke the other eye?
Ah Chong: I will become totally blind, Sir!
Manager: Very well, wait outside...Next!

As Ali was going into the room, Ah Chong told his friend, just answer
"partially blind" and "blind" and you sure pass!
Manager: I'm going to ask you two simple questions, ready..?
Ali: Yes Sir
Manager: What will happen if I poke your left ...?
Ali: I will become partially blind, Sir!
Manager: What will happen if I poke...?
Ali: I will become totally blind, Sir!
Manager: Very well, wait outside...Next!

Ali came out and told Singh that Ah Chong was right, just answer "partially
blind" and "blind" and you sure pass! However, the manager suspected
something fishy and decided to change the questions...
Manager: I'm going to ask you two simple questions, ready..?
Singh: Yes Sir
Manager: What will happen if I cut off your left ear?
Singh: I will become partially blind, Sir!
Manager: What will happen if I cut off your other ear?
Singh: I will become totally blind, Sir!
Angry manager: Tell me how you'll go blind if I cut off
your ears?
Singh: If you cut my left ear, my turban will drop one
side and cover my left eye. If you cut off my other ear,
my whole turban will drop and cover my eyes completely.

Guess who got the job?

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