Hobby Shobbys

Explosion on moon visible from earth

2013-05-18T00:34:00.001-07:00

I do not know whether the hobbying astronomers watched this or not, but NASA did notice a bright explosion on moon which was visible from the earth.

Explosion on the moon, reported by NASA May 17, was caused by a meteor hitting the surface and was visible on earth to the naked eye

The explosion was caused by a meteoroid that struck the moon surface recently, says NASA on Friday. The impact caused an explosion that was visible on Earth without the aid of a telescope. But don't be alarmed if you didn't see it; it only lasted about a second.

"It exploded in a flash nearly 10 times as bright as anything we've ever seen before," said Bill Cooke, of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office.

NASA's lunar monitoring program has detected hundreds of meteoroid impacts. The brightest, detected on March 17, 2013, in Mare Imbrium, is marked by the red square

NASA says the meteoroid was about 40 kilograms and less than a meter wide, and it hit the moon's surface at 56,000 mph. It glowed like a 4th magnitude star, NASA says, thanks to an explosion equivalent to 5 tons of TNT.

However there is one question which may or may not have come to your mind. But if you're wondering how there can be an explosion on the moon, without oxygen, NASA has the answer for you. It says the flash of light comes not from any type of combustion - as we typically think of explosions - but rather by the glowing molten rock at the impact site.

So this is the answer which may add to your knowledge if you are a hobbying astronomer. So keep watch moon more - you may find another explosion too if you are lucky.

(via CNN - NASA )
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United States returns stolen remains of 70 million year old Tyrannosaurus skeleton Mongolia

2013-05-08T01:22:00.000-07:00

Collecting rare artifacts and other historical objects is one of the major hobbies of the rich around the world. But sometimes a costly auction may land a collector into trouble. And this is exactly what happened to a collector who landed up in jail for 17 years and also the remains of very unique and rare skeleton returned to country to which it belonged.

Tyrannosaurus [Photo: My Jurassic Park]

In what is being termed as a rare cultural return, the United States has returned the fossilized remains of a 70 million year old Tyrannosaurus skeleton stolen from the Gobi desert in Mongolia.

The remains which were sold at auction in New York last year for more than a million dollars, the near complete skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus Bataar - a cousin of the better-known T-Rex - is being repatriated at Mongolia's request.

Skeleton of Tyrannosaurus [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]

In the meantime, collector Eric Prokopi pleaded guilty last December to smuggling the remains and faces up to 17 years in jail.

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Reputed "Titanic violin" likely to be Auctioned

2013-04-23T07:24:00.001-07:00

Are you a collector? If so get ready to add a rare violent to your collection.

The violin is not ordinary but it made headlines when it was played on that fateful night when the mighty luxury liner Titanic was sinking.

Scene from 1958 film: A Night to Remember

The scene has been immortalized in movies like 1958's "A Night to Remember," in which the band played on to calm the Titanic's passengers as chaos and icy waters swept over and sank the so-called "unsinkable" ship. It's a scene later revisited in James Cameron's film version. The story is real by survivors' accounts, and unlike the fictional Jack and Rose, bandmaster Wallace Hartley was a real-life star.

And how the violin survived. Well it is presumed that in the final moments, Wallace used a bag to protect the one thing that he valued most to him, his violin. He strapped the bag around his shoulders, above his life jacket, in the hope that he and his violin would survive.

The 34-year-old musician's body was found floating in the icy water 10 days after the shipwreck, among 1,500 people who perished.

Although some personal belongings were noted in the paperwork for "Body #224," initially, there was no mention of a violin among his possessions. But in the days that followed, newspapers reported that Wallace had been found with the instrument. And in her diary, Mariah Robinson thanked Canadian authorities for its return to Britain.

(via CBS This Morning)

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Top Rare Photos from History

2013-04-21T06:04:00.002-07:00

Photographers catch some of the rare photos that become history one day. And sometimes ordinary photos of people when they are just ordinary become a rarity when decades after these people or places assume a place among people's hearts.

Herein under are some of such photos that reminds us of the beginning of history. Find out yourself:

The first computer

Beginning of the Brazilian Capital

Fall of the Berlin Wall

Che Guevara and Fidel Castro

Elvis Presley on conscription

Beatles in their infancy

Beatles in 1957

John Lennon giving his last autograph to his 'murderer'

Titanic - Before (above) and after sail (below)

All phots above are courtesy: Today's Whisper
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Play Video Games with 3D Headset and Treadmill Combo - and Exercise Too

2013-04-21T03:35:00.000-07:00

This is about video games and gamers who have so far been playing video games while sitting or lying on a coach with a hand held console with various buttons on.

These consoles have made gamers rather static and motionless - something that take s aheavy toll due to lack of any physical activity.

But not anymore: Here is an innovative 3D Headset and Treadmill Combo called Omni that is a treadmill-like "natural motion interface for virtual reality applications" that enables a user's in-game avatar to mimic his or her real-life movements.

The video below shows it being used along with the Oculus Rift virtual-reality headset.

Now you can can walk, run, jump, step sideways and crouch (by bending over) in any direction on Omni's circular treadmill.

Check out the video below to see the immersive action:

(via Mashable)
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Pakistan Post Commemorates Centenary of Kinnaird College for Women - Lahore (1913-2013)

2013-04-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

Pakistan Post has issued a commemorative stamp of Rs.15 to commemorate the centenary of the famous Kinnaird College for Women, Lahore. A First Day Cover was also issued simultaneously. The stamp was issued on 11th April and is horizontal layout with 13 perforations.

Established in 1913 by the Zenana and Bible Medical Mission, now called Interserve, the college initially had intermediate level of education for the women. The BA classes commenced in 1917. After partition, the college was upgraded to have classes of Masters / M.Phil level.

The college was initially housed near Kinnaird High School. However it was moved to Jail Road in 1926. In 1933, the college acquired land near Lahore's canal and new buildings were constructed to house the increasing numbers of girls studying at the college. By 1939 the college had grown into a 20-acre campus.

As of now, Kinnaird College is a premier institution exclusive for women. The college has its won Campus radio which started its test transmission in June 2010 and was officially inaugurated on 31st January, 2011.

[Photo: Kinnaird College/Facebook]

Some of the notable graduates of Kinnaird College include Bano Qudsia (author), Faryal Gohar (journalist), Kashmala Tariq (politician), Hina Rabbani Khar (politician), Ayesha Saddiqa (writer), Bapsi Sidhwa Writer/author), Nasira Iqbal (former Lahore High Court Judge) and Hadiqa Kiyani (pop singer).

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My Collection of Postage Stamps of Pakistan 1974

2013-04-08T21:53:00.000-07:00

During 1974, Pakistan Post issued stamps on ten occasions and luckily I have all of these in my collection, but one.

The first set of two stamps was issued on 1st January on the eve of the World Population Year. The stamps valued 20p and Rs. 1.25 showed a family and the emblem of the World Population Year.

The second set of two stamps was issued on the holding of second Islamic Summit Conference in Lahore, Pakistan. The two stamps valued 20p showed the conference emblem while the 65p stamp showed the conference emblem and the sun.

A souvenir sheet of 85p was also issued beside the FDC.

The third stamp of the year was published on 1st July on the eve of Adoption of International System of Weight and Measures in Pakistan. The 20p multicoloured stamp showed units of weight and measurement.

21st July always came with a set of three stamps to commemorate the RCD anniversary. IN 1974, the RCD celebrated its 10th anniversary and the theme selected for this year was the carpets of Iran, Pakistan and Treky which are known the world over for their finest hand knotted carpets. The stamps were valued 20p, 60p and Rs. 1.25.

The fifth stamp of the year was published on 9 August on the eve of National Day of Tree Plantation. The 20p multicoloured stamp showed hands protecting the fragile saplings.

The sixth stamp was issued on 28th August on the Namibia Day. This 60p multicoloured stamps showed the map of Africa and torch showing the light of freedom.

The seventh stamp was issued on 23 September to commemorate the Shahrah-e-Pakistan or the roads of Pakistan. This 20p multicoloured stamps showed the road map of Pakistan.

The eigth stamp was issued on 7 October on the eve of Universal Children Day. This 20p multicoloured stamps showed a baby boy and a desk.

On the Centenary of the Universal Postal Union, Pakistan Post issued two commemorative stamps. The 20p multicoloured stamp showed the UPU emblem and Acroll, while the Rs. 2.25 multicoloured stamp depicted the UPU emblem and an aeroplane.

A Souvenir sheet was also issued on the occasion, priced at Rs. 2.45.

The tenth stamp of the year was to pay homage to the first Prime Minister of Pakistan who was assassinated on 16th October 1951 at Rawalpindi Liaquat Bagh. The stamp was issued on 18th October.

The last and eleventh stamp of the year was to commemorate the Birth Centenary of Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the national poet of Pakistan. The stamp valued 20p bearing portrait of the Iqbal was issued on 9th November.

via My Philatelic World
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'Bird Watching'

2013-03-29T06:18:00.001-07:00

I 'shot' this aircraft flying overhead while taking photos of spring flowers of my garden. Turned out to be good - ain't it!!

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Gardening: Companion Plants

2013-03-05T01:24:00.000-08:00

Those of us who love gardens and gardening are always in pursuit of finding ways and means to improve the look of our gardens and improve the health of the plants and flowers. Of many remedial measures to save the plants from insects and other harmful effects, planting of companion plants is one of the best remedial measures. I hadn't heard f this terminology or the technique before, until I sowed the bright coloured marigold flowers for this season.

Beside its majestic broad shaped flower spread, which comes in orange, gold and yellows, Marigolds are considered companion plants that keep insects away. So was I told by the wise man at the nursery, who confided that he gives this advice to everyone buying Marigolds from him to grow Marigolds amid a wide variety of flowers and vegetables. Marigolds not only ward off insects but its leaves and stems are also used in preparation of the organic insect sprays.

When I came home, I did a small search on the internet about the companion plants and came to know that besides marigold, garlic, basil, nasturtium, rosemary, sage, thyme, borage and mint are also some of the best companion plants. The concept of companion planting hinges at the establishment of two or more plant species in close proximity so that some cultural benefit (pest control, higher yield, etc.) is derived.

Plant garlic in your rose beds – the mere smell of garlic would ward off aphids, insects and pests.
Basil when planted with tomatoes, marigold and peppers, keep the mosquitoes and flies at bay.
Plant nasturtium with squash, pumpkins and other vegetables to ward off cucumber beetles, aphids and squash bugs.
To deter cabbage worms, plant thyme with cabbage.
Mint and Rosemary are also best to keep the cabbage worms when planted with cabbage and broccoli.
Sage helps the carrots by keeping the carrot flies away.
Carrots are the best companion of English Pea, Lettuce, Rosemary, Onion Family, Sage, Tomato.
Celery yields desired effects when planted with onion, cabbage, tomato, bush beans and nasturtium.

I could go on and on as there is much more to companion plants. But for home gardeners, the above information should suffice as normally the plants and vegetables listed above are generally sowed in home gardens. Try it – it would help. Happy gardening.

via The Fire Within
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Spitfire - made of Egg Boxes

2013-03-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

Hobbyists are starnge people - they can go to any extenet flexing the muscles of their innovative minds and coming out things that are not only eye catching but mind boggling as well.

Take for isntance the egg boxes that we buy eggs in almost routinely. What does an ordinary do like me and you? Well throw away the egg box after eating all the eggs. But some innovative hobbyist who makes things out of everything won't throw away these empty boxes.

Instead they will make a lifesize Spitfire out of it.

Yes that is exactly what a pair of hobbyists spent six weeks in crafting a life size Spitfire from some 6,500 empty egg boxes. Charlotte Austen, 27, and Jack Munro, 26 also used five litres of glue, 5,000 nails, ten litres of paint and 10,000 staples. In addition to that, they also used 772 ft of wooden batten, 100 square metres of canvas and 82 ft of steel.

The 36ft-long Supermarine Spitfire was constructed using Eggs for Soldiers cartons and will go on display at Imperial War Museum Duxford in Cambridgeshire, reports Mail Online.

The aircraft did not come cheap: While constructing the model the pair also drank 120 cups of tea and chomped their way through six packets of chocolate hob nobs and 18 cream eggs.

Jack added: ‘The project has been hectic due to the enormous amount of work, which resulted in a number of sleep-deprived nights.

‘There were a few bangs and accidents along the way too - one our helpers even had to go to A&E for stitches after she slipped and sliced a chunk of her thumb off.

‘I suffered a gash to the head after bumping into the model and also got the inevitable cuts and bruises you would expect with building a model like this.

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Colourful Spring Signs

2013-03-02T00:18:00.000-08:00

Gardening is one of the most creative hobbies of all. You plant saplings and seeds and then watch for the nature to sprout colourful flowers slowly changing the otherwise barren look of winters.

The Early Spring Signs

I being an avid gardening lover am also one of those who take pains all along the winter, starting November preparing flower beds, buying seeds and saplings and planting these all along the winter. Protecting the fragile leaves from severe cold by shielding these with green cloth and cellophane sheets and tending these just like small kids.

What was just a few flowers two weeks ago are now bunch of colourful Nemesia and Musummary majestically shinning with their bright and multiple colours and freshness.

This is how the bed looked like about two weeks ago

And now that the spell of rains is seemingly over hopefully, the first signs of springs have started to show.

The remaining beds have blossomed with buds visible but flowers are still shy of the cold breeze whizzing past - may be they need a lot more warmth to come out of their buds and ornamate my little garden.

Two weeks earlier

Today and still growing

Petunia in waiting

Hopefully soon enough I shall be able to write about my gardena dn my flowers when the entire carpet of these present these in a full turned out parade.

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The Beatles and the 'Good Ol’ Freda'

2013-02-20T21:36:00.000-08:00

Many would not know who Good Ol’ Freda is and how was she related to the Beatles - a group that made young girls heart burst out whenever and wherever the band sang and played.

Freda Kelly was the Beatles' personal secretary and ran their fan club from their initial rise to fame until two years after their breakup. Kelly was a colleague and trusted friend to the Beatles, and while she's been offered plenty of money over the years to tell her story, "Good Ol' Freda" is the first time she's spoken on the record about her years working for John, Paul, George and Ringo - the Beatles.

The surviving Beatles, Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are said to have allowed four of their famous songs including "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Love Me Do" to be used in Ryan White's film "Good Ol' Freda" which will debut at the South by Southwest Film Festival in March.

“Freda closed the Beatles’ offices, so she left with truckloads of Beatles stuff and gave it all away to fans over the years.” However, Kelly wanted to put down her story for her family, particularly her grandson. As Kelly herself put it, "Who knows how much longer I’ll be here, and I want my grandson Niall to know what his Granny did in her youth. I want him to be proud."

via Yahoo Movies
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10 Perfectly Timed Photos

2013-02-17T06:14:00.000-08:00

Photo Credits: Daily Mail

Photo Credit: Simon Dawson

Photo Credit: Buzzfeed

Photo Credit: Konctanciya

Photo Credit: IQ-1.Live Journal

Photo Credit: The Telegraph

Photo Credit: Oddee

Photo Credits: Perfectly Timed Photos

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Watch the colourful side of Mercury

2013-02-17T00:31:00.002-08:00

Here it is - something very adorable and colourful for the sky gazers and the amateur astronomers:

The colourful side of Mercury !!

BBC reports that Scientists working on NASA's Messenger probe to Mercury have shown off a stunning new colour map of the planet. It comprises thousands of images acquired by the spacecraft during its first year in orbit.

The phenomena is sxplained by Dr David Blewett from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab:

"Messenger's camera has filters that go from the blue to the near-infrared of the spectrum, and we are able to use computer processing to enhance the very subtle but real colour differences that are present on Mercury's surface."

"The areas that you see that are orange - those are volcanic plains. There are some areas that are deep blue that are richer in an opaque mineral which is somewhat mysterious - we don't really know what that is yet."

"And then you see beautiful light-blue streaks across Mercury's surface. Those are crater rays formed in impacts when fresh, ground-up rock is strewn across the surface of the planet."

Those features are thought to arise when the CO2 ice sublimates away - that is, when it transforms directly from a solid state to a gaseous state.

Mercury's surface isn't made of ice - it's scorching hot next to the Sun. But it seems that there is some sort of sublimation-like loss in the solid, silicate rocks that is causing these hollows to initiate and enlarge.

Messenger is in great shape should NASA management agree to a mission extension. The probe is thought to have enough fuel to operate until 2015.

Read more about it at: BBC Science & Environment
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Top 10 Zombie Games

2013-02-14T00:30:00.000-08:00

Today, we have something for the gamers and the Zombie lovers!!

Zombies, though detested by many, are the top choices of video games lovers all over the world.

These "animated corpse resurrected by mystical means, such as witchcraft are not onlt adored but played world wide, while some onlookers detest.

Zombie fiction is now a sizeable sub-genre of horror, usually describing a breakdown of civilization occurring when most of the population become flesh-eating zombies, as described by Wikipedia.

Coming back to the vidoe games of Zombies, Tech News has listed down the 10 best Zombie games of all times as undser:

The House of the Dead: From the series' humble beginnings in arcades through the recently released "Overkill: Director’s Cut" for PlayStation 3, "The House of the Dead" has always been about unapologetic bloodshed, as you use a light gun peripheral to blast zombies and other undead creatures (including frogs!) to the underworld.
Dead Rising 2: “Dead Rising 2” features plenty of zombie-bashing action, along with side missions to keep things interesting. There’s even a game show where you can compete for healing medicine!
Dead Island:"Dead Island" puts you in the middle of a tropical resort overrun with undead types. This game features plenty of thrilling first-person combat, including melee weapons that could easily decapitate with the right hit.

Call of Duty: Black Ops: The “Black Ops" also introduces playable political characters, including John F. Kennedy…and Richard Nixon. But no Abraham Lincoln yet. “Black Ops II, perhaps?”
Zombies Ate My Neighbors:In this classic, players can team up to battle hordes of enemies, from killer dolls to giant babies to aliens. This game needs a re-release.
The Walking Dead:Though Activision is developing its own game based on the Robert Kirkman series, it's going to be hard to top Telltale Games' episodic releases.
Resident Evil 4: The game stands as the pinnacle of the series that began on the Nintendo GameCube — a shockingly good tale that follows police officer Leon S. Kennedy on a suicide mission to rescue the President’s daughter from infected townsfolk.
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare: This is one of the best Western-oriented games ever made, suffice to say.
Plants vs. Zombies: If you haven’t experienced this yet, you really deserve to.
Left 4 Dead:If there’s one game that truly emphasizes the fear of battling a zombie apocalypse and surviving as a team, it has to be Valve’s "Left 4 Dead" games.

Check out these games and find more on these at Tech News

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Painting purchsed for £1,200 from Paris junk shop turns out to be missing part of infamous masterpiece and worth £35MILLION

2013-02-08T03:27:00.000-08:00

Art lovers and collectors sometimes get the shocking surprise of their lives when they find out the actual worth of an otherwise ordinary looking painting bought from a junk shop.

An amateur art lover bought a painting for £1,200 at a furniture shop in Paris, which later turns out to be the missing head of Gustave Courbet’s 'The Origin Of The World', displayed in one of Paris’s most prestigious museums, the Musee d’Orsay, depicts female genitalia.

It was long thought that head was removed deliberately to protect subject's modesty and the painting was was deemed so scandalous that it was not displayed until 1988.

Scientific tests proved it was the missing head of The Origin Of The World. Authenticity was scientifically established using state-of-the-art techniques that matched the two parts of the painting, its canvas and the original wooden frame.

Read more at Mail Online
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Let me tell you why I smiled

2013-02-08T01:41:00.000-08:00

Blogging, and blogging, and yet more blogging - this is what my friend SAJS emphasizes to be 'in' in the blog world. He says:

'Bloggers are very creative at storytelling. You may find them bombarding readers with meaningless updates or personal rants but when they become brand ambassadors, they are like hens who know best about eggs.'

I am not here to talk about eggs as neither I am a hen nor I am a good blogger, and obviously not a good story teller either. But since I do blog, bad or worse, I can tell you why I smiled when I read SAJS' blog 'Tell me your Story.'

Just before getting the link of his post from the Facebook, I was watching a cartoon - the following cartoon:

And surely I smiled when I read the blog in question, about hen and eggs. A story teller blogger can make anything out of nothing and write a blog. And the above cartoon exactly fits into the quality of blogger, who can start anything from anything or nothing and write a blog post.

You may have found this post rather meaningless, but I am certain sure you got what I wanted to say - didn't you?

See you again - smiling.

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Blogger's Life Cycle

2013-02-05T22:56:00.000-08:00

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Asteroid 2012 DA14 to intrude inside earth's communication satellite orbit - next day of Valentine Day

2013-02-05T00:40:00.002-08:00

Breaking news for those whose hobby is astronomy and sky gazing!!

While the world be celebrating the Valentine Day, astronomers and sciencetists would be busy tracking asteroid 2012 DA14 which is to whiz past earth at a distance of 17,200 miles on 15th February- something which is a near miss in space terms.

It may be added that the communication satellites launched from earth orbit at a distance of 22,200 miles above earth - meaning by that the asteroid 2012 DA14 will have an ingress of some 5,000 miles from the communication satellite's orbital range.

Although the asteroid is small, if it were on a collision course with Earth, it would produce the equivalent of 2.5 megatons of TNT and could wipe out a city the size of Greater London.

The best view for astronomers will be from Indonesia, says NASA, while stargazers in Eastern Europe, Asia and Australia should also be able to get a good look at the space rock as it whizzes past us at a speed of 17,400mph.

The asteroid's next very close shave with Earth will be in 2046, when it will squeak by us at a distance of 37,000 miles.

Via Mail Online
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Portraits: Back and White Photography or Pencil Sketches

2013-01-31T01:27:00.000-08:00

Man can be deceived by what he sees by men who have talent, expertise and grasp over their skills.

Kelvin's extraordinary art work - Lady Diana [top], Jmaes Morrison [bottom L], Mother Tresa [bottom R]

And this is what British artist Kelvin Okafor exactly does by drawing portraits with pencils - but it takes an expert eye to differentiate these from an actual photograph to a pencil drawn portrait.

Kelvin's art work shows his extraordinary skills of pencil drawings, created purely by hand — with no digital trickery.

Kelvin Okafor, whose only tools are a set of pencils, a piece of paper and the occasional stick of charcoal (though most of the pictures don’t even require that). Yet no matter how closely one looks, there’s not a pencil line in sight.

Kelvin says about his art work:

‘I draw in sections. I’m right-handed so I work from left to right. After I’ve finished the left eye, I work the nostrils, then the left side of the cheek, then the lips. I always work in that order. I work for four hours in one go, take a half-hour break, work another four to five hours, then have another half-hour break. After that I’ll work for as long as I can. Sometimes I might work ten to 15 hours in one day. It takes me on average 80 to 100 hours to do a portrait.’

Watch the video below as to how Kelvin creates his masterpieces:

Read more about Kelvin's Artwork at: Mail Online

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Beware of Sea Urchins: These can be life threatening

2013-01-25T03:22:00.001-08:00

Diving into sea is one of the many hobbies for the people around the world. Divers usually come across small Sea Urchins which are thorny and spiny, globular animals found on the sea beds. These small animals look beautiful perched between rocks, coloutful reef and plants and admired.

But beware!! These small thorny creatures can be deadly and life threatening. But Callum Hall 20 did not know this.

Callum, with girlfriend Ailish Wilkinson, before [L] and after [R] being stung by the sea urchin [Photo credit: Wilkinson ]

Callum Hall was on holidays and boating when he jumped into the sea off the island of Skiathos, Greece and stepped over a sea urchin. But this sting cost him with his lower bottom half for life, at least for now.

The sea urchin felt like a bee sting to Callum - but he did not think of the incident anymore. However, three weeks later he developed a rare and deadly infection. The sting of the urchin in fact caused abscess twice the size of a tennis ball had grown on his spine, which then burst, damaging his spinal cord and leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.

Although the damage has been done, but a determined Callum, a sports student is determined to walk again and is raising money as possible for continuing physio, equipment and care.

Callum has vowed not to be defeated - and now plans to take part in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Brazil.

What to do if you are stung by a sea urchin:

Beware: Sea Urchins can be deadly and life threatening

A puncture wound from a sea urchin (like the one pictured, right) can be painful and cause swelling and redness around the affected area.
If you have been stung by a sea urchin, and you have puncture wounds in several places, you may experience more severe symptoms including: tiredness, weakness, aching muscles, shock, respiratory failure and paralysis.
The NHS says that in very rare cases, severe injuries from sea urchins have been known to cause death.
You should seek immediate medical attention if the symptoms include breathing problems, chest pain, signs of infection, such as increased redness and swelling in the affected area, and a high temperature of 38C or above.
Medical assistance is also required if there are spines in or near a joint, as they may need to be surgically removed.

via Mail Online
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A man's love for gardening grows in a bottle sine 1960

2013-01-25T02:25:00.000-08:00

Gardening is one of the most liked and practiced hobby around the world that includes me and my wife too. Each year we plant many types of plant that gave our a refreshing, colourful and aromatic look during the Spring.

Still going strong: Pensioner David Latimer from Cranleigh, Surrey, with his bottle garden that was first planted 53 years ago and has not been watered since 1972 - yet continues to thrive in its sealed environment [Photo: BNPS/Mail Online]

But there is someone who is growing his garden in a large gree bottle since 1960 - amazing, isn't it?

Well yes it is amazing, innovative, awesome and interesting. David Latimer first planted his bottle garden in 1960 and last watered it in 1972 before tightly sealing it shut 'as an experiment'

And to his surprise, the hardy spiderworts plant inside has grown to fill the 10-gallon container by surviving entirely on recycled air, nutrients and water.

He hopes to pass on the ‘experiment’ to his grown-up children after he is gone.

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How the Bottle Garden Grows:

If you have been inspired by Latimer and his bottle garden and want to experiment this, here some tips as to how you have to go about it:

The idea of a bottle garden is to create a world in microcosm. It will have its own special habitat and should require little maintenance, writes Nigel Colborn.
First choose a glass container. It will need a wide neck for easy access and to look attractive. A goldfish bowl is ideal, or for children, a big jam jar might do.
You'll also need some good-quality potting compost, shingle or coarse grit and, of course, the plants.
Use a large spoon to insert a layer of grit into the jar and cover that with compost deep enough to accommodate the plant roots.
Finally, introduce the plants. You'll need very few and they must be tiny specimens - unless it's an enormous receptacle. Little ferns such as indoor maidenhair or Adiantum, small varieties of Tradescantia and baby plants of Chlorophytum will all establish easily. Miniature trailers such as 'Mind-your-own-business' (Soleirolia) will also flourish.
Move each plant gently into position, adjusting them with a stick or with kitchen tongs until you've got them where you want them. Adding a final layer of grit after planting will hold the compost down and make your micro-garden look prettier.
Water with extreme care (your jar won't need much) and place the finished mini garden in a well-lit spot, but not on a hot south-facing windowsill.

Watch video below to learn how to make your own terrarium"

via Mail Online
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Rare Octagonal stamp with Queen Victoria's head upside-down expected to fetch £70,000

2013-01-21T04:39:00.000-08:00

Good news for stamp collectors!!

A rare 159-year-old octagonal stamp that has an image of the head of Queen Victoria on upside down due to a printing mistake is to go on for auction. Auctioneers Spink of London has put an estimate of between 50,000 to 70,000 pounds.

The auction takes place on January 23.

The postage stamp is said to be one of the most sought-after items in the world of philately. During the first printing of the four annas stamp in the survey office in Calcutta in 1854, the Queen's head was accidentally printed upside down on the stamp.

Only about 20 or 30 of the stamps remain in existence today and the one that is to be auctioned is said to be completely free of faults or blemishes.

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It was in the collection of renowned US philatelist Robert Cunliffe for many years and is now being sold by another private collector.

The mistake went unnoticed and dozens of the stamps were sold in India, which was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire at the time.

via Mail Online
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Mysterious object found zipping over the moon

2013-01-17T04:20:00.002-08:00

While NASA may have better explanation for this, but a recently uploaded armature astronomer's video shows a mysterious object zipping over the surface of the moon.

Mysterious Object marked in red circle

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The user, danchek2013, has uploaded a video that shows a moving object emerging from the shadowy landscape of the moon's surface and then seemingly accelerating over the craters, before changing direction at breakneck speed and heading towards the bottom of the screen.

Intriguingly, it appears to leave vapour trails, similar to a plane, in its wake.

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User 'King Dennis Jensen' said: 'At first I was like "meh another satellite" and then one more showed up faster than the other and it did all those swift angle movements.. Quite interesting indeed.'
Nathan5638 simply said: 'That's legit people!'

Well what it is - no one for now is very sure to answer. Maybe some clue is found by experienced astronomers or for that matter NASA.

Watch the video below and see the mysterious object zipping over the moon surface:

via Mail Online
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World's tallest 'Indoor' Tornado causes Real Storm (of visitors)

2013-01-16T23:05:00.000-08:00

We have seen devastating tornadoes ripping apart buildings and houses when these natural calamities strike. These are really awesome and most feared.

The world's first 'Indoor' Tornado [Credit: WENN]

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But there is a man made tornado at the Mercedes-Benz's museum that has caused a real storm (of visitors , who are flocking in great numbers to witness this amazing, innovative and exciting tornado.

Powered by 144 jet motors, a mighty tornado stands 112 ft tall in the German car inside museum atrium.

The tornado in fact is the Mercedes-Benz museum’s state-of-the-art fire safety system created to effectively dispel smoke in case of a fire. It takes seven minutes to whirl 28 tons of potentially hazardous smoke through the roof vents in a 112ft high tornado.

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But beside its designed use, it has become a great tourist attraction and tourists and visitors line up to watch it.

it may be added for information that the Mercedes-Benz Museum, designed by Dutch architectural design studio UNStudio, functions as a modern exhibition space and also features over 150 Mercedes-Benz vehicles.

Watch the video below:

Read more about it at: Mail Online
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