Know UR Ledge

Ladybug Facts

2014-04-01T22:04:00.002+05:30

Ladybug Facts

(Coccinellidae)

1. Ladybugs belong to the Beetle Family and there are more than 5000 different types in the world.

2. Small, oval-shaped winged insects.

3. Ladybugs are also called lady birds or lady beetles.

4. Small, oval-shaped winged insects.

5. Red with black spots or black with red spots on the wing covers.

6. The number of spots identifies the type of ladybug.

7. Not bugs.

8. Eats bad insects called aphids which help the farmer.

9. They may even produce a foul-smelling odor from a fluid from joints in their legs.

10. A female ladybug can lay up to 300 eggs at one time.

11. Ladybugs are cold blooded.

12. The wings under the ladybug's elytra are so thin that you can see through them.

13. Some ladybugs have spots and some have no spots at all!

14. The number of spots helps to identify the kind of ladybug.

15. Like all insects, the ladybug has six jointed legs.

16. There are special organs on their feet to help them smell.

17. The ladybug uses its antennae to touch, smell and taste.

18. There are nearly 5,000 different kinds of ladybugs worldwide.

19. There are 400 kinds of ladybugs in North America.

20. A ladybug beats its wings 85 times a second when it flies.

21. Ladybugs chew from side to side and not up and down like people do.

22. A gallon jar will hold from 72,000 to 80,000 ladybugs.

23. Ladybugs make a chemical that smells and tastes terrible so that birds and other predators won't eat them.

24. The spots on a ladybug fade as the ladybug gets older.

25. Ladybugs won't fly if the temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

26. The male ladybug is usually smaller than the female.

27. The Asian Lady Beetle can live up to 3 years.

28. When threatened, ladybugs "play dead.”

29. They are named after the Virgin Mary. 'Our Lady', who wore a red cloak in old paintings. The 7 spots are supposed to remind us of the 7 joys and the 7 sorrows.

30. In many countries, ladybugs are considered to be good luck.

31. During hibernation, ladybugs feed on their stored fat.

32. The Ladybug hibernate and feed on stored fat.

33. The Ladybug can’t fly in temperatures below 55 degrees.

34. The Ladybug is the official state insect of Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Tennessee.

35. In Sweden, folks believe that if a ladybug lands on a young maiden's hand, she will soon be getting married.

36. In England, finding a ladybug means that you will have a good harvest.

37. In France, if you are sick and a ladybug lands on you, when it flies away, it will take the sickness with it.

38. If you find a ladybug in your house in the winter you will have good luck.

39. Four ladybugs were sent into space in 1999 on NASA's space shuttle.

Horseshoe Crab-A living Fossil

2014-03-23T18:46:00.000+05:30

Horseshoe Crab-A living Fossil

Limulus polyhemus

Because it has remained almost unchanged for millions of years, the Horseshoe Crab is often called a “Living Fossil”. The Horseshoe Crab is one of the Earth’s oldest creatures, appearing over 100 million years before the dinosaurs!

Long before the dinosaurs, there were hundreds of species of Horseshoe Crabs and their relatives, the sea scorpions. The Horseshoe Crabs belongs to the group of animals called Arthropoda, which includes lobsters, crabs, insects, spiders and scorpions. Even though it looks crab-like, the Horseshoe Crab is more closely related to scorpions and spiders. Today sea scorpions are extinct and only 4 species of Horseshoe Crabs remain.

The Horseshoe Crab is also invaluable to human health. If you or someone you love has ever been hospitalized, it’s likely that the Horseshoe Crab played a role in your recovery. A clotting factor in the crab’s blood, which can be removed without harming the crab, is used to detect bacteria in human blood, in intravenous drugs, and even in prosthetics such as heart valves prior to implantation. The crab’s blood is milky blue in color. The crab’s blood system can be drained, the crab is tagged then released back to sea. Amazingly, it will restore it’s blood supply and return back to shore the following year.

1. The body is composed of three parts: the prosoma (head), opisthosoma (central area) and telson (tail). The horseshoe crab’s name is derived from the prosoma, resembling the shape of a horse’s shoe.

2. The horseshoe crab has 10 eyes. There are two compound eyes visible on top of their shell that helps locate mates. In addition, each animal has eight other “eyes” located elsewhere on the prosoma, tail and underside of the body. These eyes sense visible and ultraviolet light, which are believed to allow the animal to respond to day-night and lunar cycles.

3. The males can be distinguished from the females by the first pair of legs, which terminate in a hook-shaped structure used to grasp the shell of the female during mating. The females also are significantly larger than the male at maturity.

4. The horseshoe crab eats mollusks, worms, dead fish and algae.

5. Horseshoe crabs are not crabs; they are more closely related to scorpions, ticks and land spiders. They are also related to trilobites that existed more than 500 million years ago.

6. Horseshoe crabs are believed to have inhabited the oceans for more than 350 million years.

7. They have the ability to survive extreme temperatures and go for long periods without food, and their hard armor means that they do not have many predators other than sharks.

8. Horseshoe crabs play an important ecological role for many shorebirds that migrate through the U.S. Mid-Atlantic coast each spring on their annual migration from South America to their summer grounds in the Arctic. Eleven species of birds depend on horseshoe crab eggs as their primary food source during their two to three week stop-over.

9. Horseshoe crabs have no jaws or teeth. Instead, they have an impressive array of spiny mouth bristles at the base of five pairs of legs to maneuver food items such as razor clams, soft-shelled clams and marine worms into their centrally located mouth. To chew its food, the crab must simulate walking movements.

10. Horseshoe Crabs come to spawn on the high tide of the new and full moon in late spring and early summer.

11. They require a sloping sandy beach to lay their eggs.

12. It takes 9-12 years for a Horseshoe Crab to reach maturity, so all the Horseshoe Crabs you see on the beach are at least 9 years old and have a life span of 16-40 years. The Crabs grow by molting or shedding and emerge 25 % larger with each molt. Molting occurs several time during the first two to three years and about once a year there after. After 16 molts (usually between 9 and 12 years) they will be fully grown adults. Females reach maturity 1 year later than males and consequently, go through an additional molt. Mature Crabs then repeat what has occurred for years, an annual spring migration to inshore spawning areas. They spend their life in the deeper water and when they reach maturity, the females move to the beaches only to spawn.

13. The female, carrying the male, moves up on the beach, buries herself and lays 20,000-60,000 eggs, the male then fertilizes the eggs. Many of the eggs are eaten by birds and others animals and there is also a good chance of stranding on the beach. Single males that don’t find a female crowd around the mating pairs on the beach trying to fertilize some of the eggs.

14. Adults males are two-thirds the size of the females and have a modified front pincher to attach to the female to mate. The body is sometimes two feet long. Alive, it is brownish-green in color. After it dies, the adult is dark brown. They breathe by means of gills attached to the underside of the last pair of abdominal legs.

15. The Horseshoe Crab can swim upside down in the ocean.

16. The Horseshoe Crab’s mouth, located on the under body and is surrounded by its legs and, while harmless, it is advisable to handle these Crabs with care or not at all. The Crabs feed mostly at night and burrow for worms and mollusks. However, they will feed at any time.

17. The Horseshoe Crab’s tail, while scary, is not a weapon. The tail is used to plow the crab through the sand and muck, to act as a rudder and to right the crab up when it accidentally tips over. If they cannot get turned back over, they will die.

18. Horseshoe Crabs have 2 compound eyes on the top of their shell with a sight range of about 3 feet. By recording electrical impulses from the crab’s optic nerve in its lateral eye, many principles underlying the functioning of all visual systems were discovered and gave Dr H. Keffer Hartline a shared part of the 1967 Nobel Prize. They have the ability to make their eyes one million times more sensitive at night and can see up to three feet away.

20. Horseshoe Crabs also have a very important use for humans. The medical profession uses an extract from the Crabs blue, copper-based blood , called lysate, to test the purity of medicines. Certain properties of the shell have also been used to speed blood clotting and to make absorbable sutures. Horseshoe Crabs have also to benefit cancer research. Pharmaceutical companies extract up to one-third of the animals blood volume and the animal is returned safely to the water and bled animals have a 90% survival rate.

21. In addition, the chitin, or cellulose-like compound, in its shell is used in sutures and burn dressings to increase healing time.

22. Horseshoe crabs were dried for fertilizer and for poultry food supplements in the 1900s before artificial fertilizers were used.

Holi, the festival of colors

2014-03-17T09:54:00.002+05:30

Holi, the festival of colors

Holi, is known as Festival of Colours. It is a popular Hindu spring festival observed in India, Guyana, Trinidad, the UK and Nepal. In West Bengal, it is known as Dolyatra (Doljatra) or Boshonto Utsav ("spring festival"). Holi takes place over two days in the later part of February or March. As per the Hindu calendar, it falls on the

Phalgun Purnima (or Pooranmashi, Full Moon).Although rooted mainly in Hindu religious mythology, its enthusiastic adoption across various religious sects attests to its popularity as a community event.The festival is a celebration of spring and heralds the beginning of a new crop season for farmers. India, historically having been an agricultural economy, celebrates many festivals in tandem with crop cycles. Holi has been historically celebrated by farming communities as a ritual that seeks to usher in a successful harvest. It is the community’s show of hope as well as a collective rejoicing in the spring.

Mythology:
Holi is often narrated as having various mythological beginnings. However, it is important for teachers to convey that most of these myths have a moral, meant to impart knowledge on ethics and the right ways of life. Two of the stories are reproduced here as guidelines.

Prahlad:
This story is about a young prince named Prahlad who was fiercely devoted to Vishnu, one of the three main deities of the Hindu pantheon. (The three main Gods of the Hindu pantheon are Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Shiva the Destroyer. Together they symbolize the circle of life. Most practicing Hindus, although recognizing all Gods, identify themselves as either Vaishnavites orSaivities, i.e Vishnu or Shiva worshippers.) His father, Hiranyakashipu, was a demon king and demanded that everyone in his kingdom worship him instead of Vishnu. Prahlad was however, so devoted, that he stubbornly continued to worship Vishnu. His father then made repeated attempts to kill Prahlad. Finally he had his sister, Holika, who due to a boon, was immune to fire, hold Prahlad on a burning pyre. The story goes that Vishnu then saved Prahlad, who emerged unscathed while Holika was burnt in the fire. The bonfire that is lit on the night before the main day of the festival, signifies this victory of good over evil.

Radha and Krishna:

Radha And Krishna

Holi is also said to originate in Krishna’s boyhood. Krishna is an incarnation of Vishnu and is often considered one of the most human of gods. Krishna is known for playing pranks on the young women of his village, the gopis.

The story goes that Krishna is playing with his favorite gopi, Radha and notices that her skin is fair while his is dark. He sulks to his mother and she tells him to throw color on Radha’s face so that the difference can be erased. Hence during the morning of the main festivities, people play with color and water, hoping to erase difference of color, creed and religion, in the hope that this is what will make it a truly equal society.

Holika bonfire

Holika Bonfire

This fire is a symbol of rejuvenation and a new start. The whole community helps to build the bonfire, bringing various old things that they no longer need or want. Neighborhood kids also collect wood in the days leading upto the bonfire. Around midnight, everyone gathers around a designated bonfire site to set it ablaze. People sing, chant prayers, cheer and yell. The community also often shares sweets and small treats.

Rangpanchami
The final day of Holi is characterized by a loosening of social norms and codes, where the whole community comes together to celebrate the festival of colors. People fill the streets and squirt one another with colored water, water balloons and paint each other’s faces. Everybody looks like one another, symbolizing the erasure of difference. The bright colors also signify the beginning of spring. They are often made from naturally occurring vegetable dyes.

The Middle Finger

2014-01-15T23:27:00.002+05:30

The Middle Finger

The middle finger is one of the most common insulting gestures in the United States. The finger, which is used to convey a wide range of emotions, is visible on streets and highways, in schools, shopping malls, and sporting events, in courts and execution chambers, in advertisements and on magazine covers, and even on the hallowed floors of legislatures. Despite its ubiquity, however, a number of recent cases demonstrate that those who use the middle finger in public run the risk of being stopped, arrested, prosecuted, fined, and even incarcerated under disorderly conduct or breach-of-peace statutes and ordinances.

Mobile Phone Tips

2013-11-03T13:02:00.000+05:30

Mobile Phone Tips

1. Only give your mobile number out to people you know and trust.

2. Do not use your mobile phone to communicate with strangers. Only text and call people or businesses you know in real life.

3. Never reply to text messages from people you don’t know.

4. Make sure you know how to block others from calling your phone. Using caller id you can block all incoming calls or block individual names and numbers.

5. Make a record of your Electronic Serial Number (ESN) and/or your International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number. You can find out your IMEI number by pressing *#06# on your mobile phone's keypad, it will display a 15 digit number - that is your IMEI number.

6. If your phone is lost or stolen, report it to your local police station and your network operator immediately.

7. Think about how a text message might be read before you send it.

8. You should never give anyone else's number out without asking them if it is okay.

9. You should never take pictures or videos of anyone with your phone if you do not have their permission.

10. Do not allow others to take pictures or videos of you without your permission. Remember these pictures and videos can be posted to the Internet.

11. Be careful if you meet someone in real life who you only "know" through text messaging. Even though text messaging is often the "next step" after online chatting, that does not mean that it is safer.

‘Diwali’ -the Festival of Lights

2013-11-03T10:43:00.000+05:30

‘Diwali’ -the Festival of Lights

Diwali is known as the ‘Festival of Lights’. It originated from India through two religions: Sikhism and Hinduism.

Although, both religions celebrate Diwali on the same day, they celebrate it for different historical events that took place in their religions.

This year Diwali is on 3rd November 2013!

For Sikhs, Diwali is particularly important because it celebrates the release from prison of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind Ji, and 52 other princes with him, in 1619.

The Sikh tradition holds that the Emperor Jahangir had imprisoned Guru Hargobind Ji and 52 princes. The Emperor was asked to release Guru Hargobind Ji which he agreed to do. However, Guru Hargobind Ji asked that the princes be released also. The Emperor agreed, but said only those who could hold onto his cloak tail would be allowed to leave the prison. This was in order to limit the number of prisoners who could leave.

However, Guru Hargobind Ji had a cloak made with 52 pieces of string and so each prince was able to hold onto one string and leave prison.

Sikhs celebrated the return of Guru Hargobind Ji by lighting the Golden Temple (Amritsar, Punjab, India) with deeva’s. This tradition continues today.

On the night of Diwali fireworks light the sky at the Golden Temple and all over the world.

Diwali is a festival that celebrates the triumph of good over evil. The word Diwali means "festival of lights.“

Hindu’s celebrate Diwali for several reasons associated with events that occurred during Diwali. Some of the events are listed below:
* Killing of Ravana by Rama
* The return of Rama after 14 years of Vanvas (banishment). To welcome his return, diyas (ghee lamps) were lit in rows of 20.
*The killing of the evil demon Narakasura by Krishna. Celebrated as Naraka Chaturdashi, one day before Diwali.

On Diwali people light rows of lights to commemorate heroic figures in Indian mythology who triumphed over the forces of evil. Deeva lamps are lit to help Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, find her way into people's homes.

Therefore, people start their new businesses on Diwali as they believe it is a time which brings wealth and luck.

Amazing Bone Facts

2013-11-02T23:13:00.000+05:30

Amazing Bone Facts

What would happen if humans didn't have bones?
You'd be floppy like a beanbag. Could you stand up? Forget it. Could you walk? No way. Without bones you'd be just a puddle of skin and guts on the floor.

Bones have two purposes. Some, like your backbone, provide the structure which enables you to stand erect instead of lying like a puddle on the floor. Other bones protect the delicate, and sometimes soft, insides of your body. Your skull, a series of fused bones, acts like a hard protective helmet for your brain. The bones, or vertebrae, of your spinal column surround your spinal cord, a complex bundle of nerves. Imagine what could happen to your heart and lungs without the protective armor of your rib cage!

How many bones do humans have?
When you were born you had over 300 bones. As you grew, some of these bones began to fuse together. The result? An adult has only 206 bones!

How do my bones move?
With a lot of help. You need muscles to pull on bones so that you can move. Along with muscles and joints, bones are responsible for you being able to move. Your muscles are attached to bones. When muscles contract, the bones to which they are attached act as levers and cause various body parts to move.

You also need joints which provide flexible connections between these bones. Your body has different kinds of joints. Some, such as those in your knees, work like door hinges, enabling you to move back and forth. Those in your neck enable bones to pivot so you can turn your head. Still other joints like the shoulder enable you to move your arms 360 degrees like a shower head.

Are your bones alive?
Absolutely. Bones are made of a mix of hard stuff that gives them strength and tons of living cells which help them grow and repair themselves. Like other cells in your body, the bone cells rely on blood to keep them alive. Blood brings them food and oxygen and takes away waste.

If bones weren't made of living cells, things like broken toes or arms would never mend. But don't worry, they do. That's because your bone cells are busy growing and multiplying to repair the break! How? When you break your toe, blood clots form to close up the space between the broken segments. Then your body mobilizes bone cells to deposit more of the hard stuff to bridge the break.

What's bone marrow?
Many bones are hollow. Their hollowness makes bones strong and light. It' s in the center of many bones that bone marrow makes new red and white blood cells. Red blood cells ensure that oxygen is distributed to all parts of your body and white blood cells ensure you are able to fight germs and disease. Who would have thought that bones make blood!?!

Do all critters have a backbone?
Nope. In fact, some 97% of critters on earth don' t have a backbone or spine.Remarkably enough, of those that do have a backbone, there are lots of similarities: a skull surrounding a brain, a rib cage surrounding a heart, and a jawbone or mouth opening.

Factoids
1. The human hand has 27 bones; your face has 14!

2. The longest bone in your body? Your thigh bone, the femur- it' s about 1/4 of your height. The smallest is the stirrup bone in the ear which can measure 1/10 of an inch.

3. Did you know that humans and giraffes have the same number of bones in their necks? Giraffe neck vertebrae are just much, much longer!

4. You have over 230 moveable and semi-moveable joints in your body.

5. When you lift a glass of milk and take a sip, more than 30 joints move in your fingers, wrist, arm and shoulder.

6. Joints are where bones meet.

7. Throughout life, our bones are being remolded; old bone is broken down (resorption) and new born is formed (formation).

8. During childhood and teenage years, new bone is developed faster then old bone is removed, as a result, bones grow longer and denser.

9. Maximum bone density and strength is reached around age 30.

10. Maximum bone density and strength may never be reached if there is an inadequate amount of calcium in the body.

11. Calcium is not only needed for bone growth, calcium is also needed for other things such as nerve impulses, blood clotting, and muscle contraction.

12. Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones. If maximum bone density is not reached during the bone-building years, osteoporosis is more likely to develop later in life.

13. Osteoporosis can cause bones to become fragile, weak, and prone to fracture.

14. Environmental factors of osteoporosis are: Getting enough calcium, exercising, not smoking, and avoiding excessive alcohol consumption. These factors can be controlled and can help lessen the risk osteoporosis.

15. Genetic factors such as being female, small-boned, and having a family history of osteoporosis, cannot be controlled.

16. The most effective way to build bone mass is weight bearing exercises. Weight bearing exercises are exercises that cause muscles to work against gravity. Examples are: walking, running, dancing, racquet sports, basketball, and soccer.

Fun facts about the Presidents of the United States

2013-11-02T12:54:00.000+05:30

Fun facts about the Presidents of the United States

GEORGE WASHINGTON loved cream of peanut soup.

JOHN ADAMS and his wife Abigail were the first presidential couple to live at the White House – even though it wasn’t completely finished at the time.

JAMES MADISON’s friends called him “Jemmie.”

ANDREW JACKSON was the first president to ride on a railroad train.

JAMES POLK was the first president in office to have his photo taken.

JAMES BUCHANAN threw parties at the White House where he served sauerkraut and mashed potatoes.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN grew a beard because a little girl wrote him a letter telling him that he would look more handsome with a beard.

ULYSSES S. GRANT’s favorite breakfast was a cucumber soaked in vinegar-a pickle.

JAMES GARFIELD was the first left-handed president.

President WILLIAM MCKINLEY always wore a red carnation in his lapel for good luck.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT was the first president to ride in a car and to ride in an airplane. He had a guinea pig named Father O’Grady and a snake named Emily Spinach.

JIMMY CARTER’s daughter, Amy, was nine years old when her father became president. A tree-house was built for her on the White House grounds.

GEORGE W. BUSH, son of GEORGE H. W. BUSH, was the second president to follow in his father’s footsteps. The other presidents were John Adams and his son John Quincy Adams.

Shocking Facts about Halloween

2013-10-31T07:10:00.003+05:30

Shocking Facts about Halloween

With the loving approval of their parents, children dress up in weird costumes and play pranks on Halloween night-little realizing that for over a thousand years this one evening in the year has been specially dedicated by spirit mediums and witches to the worship of Satan.

Halloween has nothing to do with Christianity. It is a festival which no one-child or adult-should have anything to do with. We need to better understand the origins of Halloween and its dangers.

During the Dark Ages, a number of pagan customs were adopted by the dominant Christian church in Europe. One of these was devil night, which was later named, "Halloween." This special night, celebrated since antiquity as the night when the devils came out and walked about the streets, was a satanic festival on October 31 of each year.

The next day was called "All Saints Day" or "All Hallows Day", so "Halloween" was the night before Saints’ day. Like the night before it, All Hallows Day was dedicated to honoring the dead.

1. The first known mention of trick-or-treating in print in North America occurred in 1927 in Blackie, Alberta.

2. Halloween takes place on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was originally a pagan holiday, honouring the dead. Halloween was called All Hallows Eve and dates back over 2000 years.

3. There really are so-called vampire bats, but they’re not from Transylvania. They live in Central and South America and feed on the blood of cattle, horses and birds.

4. Samhainophobia is the fear of Halloween.

5. Turnip was the vegetable traditionally carved before the pumpkin.

6. The day after Halloween is called All Saint's Day.

7. The Halloween color orange represent the harvest.

8. You wear masks on Halloween to keep the dead from recognizing the living.

9. It take a pumpkin to 90-120 days to grow.

10. Halloween is the third largest US party day of the year and the second Super Bowl Day.

11. Barnbrack is a traditional Halloween fruit cake.

12. Jack O'Lantern is ashifty villain.

The Kisses Part I

2013-10-30T14:38:00.004+05:30

The Kisses Part I

“His kissing is as full of sanctity as the touch of holy bread”

As You Like It III, 4
(Rosalind to Celia, concerning Orlando)
William Shakespeare

The Spirit of Ecstasy-Rolls Royce

2013-10-22T08:30:00.000+05:30

The Spirit of Ecstasy-Rolls Royce

The famous mascot was created in 1911 when artist Charles Sykes was commissioned to illustrate the year's sales catalogue. Sykes drew a girl with arms outstretched, holding her flowing gown, and the figurine became known as 'The Spirit of Ecstasy', although she was originally called 'The Spirit of Speed' and also known as 'The Flying Lady' or 'The Silver Lady'.

The Spirit of Ecstasy is one of the most well known motor car mascot in the world. Designed by Charles Robinson Sykes, The Spirit of Ecstasy has adorned the radiators of Rolls-Royce motor cars since 1911. This wonderful mascot was modelled after a young woman who had bewitching beauty, intellect and esprit - but not the social status which might have permitted her to marry the man with whom she had fallen in love.

Eleanor Velasco Thornton

The model was Eleanor Velasco Thornton, whose relationship with John Walter Edward-Scott Montagu remained a secret for over a decade, principally because both lovers acted with the utmost discretion. John Scott, heir to his father's title, was a pioneer of the automobile in England. From 1902 he was editor of the "The Car". Eleanor Thornton served as his secretary. Friends of the pair knew of their close relationship but they were sufficiently understanding as to overlook it.

A member of this circle of friends was the sculptor Charles S.Sykes. Lord Montagu ordered the creation of a special mascot for his Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. The small statue depicted a young woman in fluttering robes having placed one forefinger to her lips. The sculptor had chosen Eleanor Thornton as model for this figurine, which was christened "The Whisper".

Lord Montagu had made the decision to put a mascot on top of the radiator, and it had become a fashion. Rolls Royce had noted other owners of their cars following the new vogue, but doing so with questionable style by choosing mundane or even risqué and vulgar subjects.

Following Lord Montagu's commission, Charles Sykes was asked to create a mascot which in future would adorn every Rolls-Royce. In February 1911 he presented the "Spirit of Ecstasy", which was easily recognizable as being a variation on the theme of "The Whisper". The similarity was hardly coincidental because the model for both had been Miss Thornton.

The Spirit of Ecstasy was delivered by the Company with every Rolls-Royce.

Spirit of Ecstasy

From 1911 to 1914 the Spirit of Ecstasy was silver-plated and thus many thought it a massive piece of precious metal - one reason for the frequent thefts. In smaller versions, and now made from highly polished nickel alloy, the radiator decoration has stood its ground on every Rolls Royce, including those in the present range.

Royce did not like the Spirit of Ecstasy, which he judged her to be just a fashionable bauble and complained that she spoiled the clear line of the car's bow. The order to create the sculpture was given during the chief engineer's illness and had been absent. Thus it became a habit that Rolls-Royce cars used by Royce were rarely driven with a mascot in place.

Towards the end of the twenties the new body line of Sports Saloons had reduced the height of the coachwork. Royce was prompted to think about a lower variation of the Spirit of Ecstasy, by which alteration a driver might benefit from clear vision even with the windscreen lower and his seating position reduced in turn. Sykes created a kneeling version of the mascot, which fulfilled this requirement.

The kneeling version remained after the Second World War for the new Silver Wraith and Silver Dawn. All following models, however, sported a standing mascot, although this has now been reduced in size considerably compared to the old one.

The nickname "Emily" is widespread and Americans speak of the "Silver Lady" or the "Flying Lady".

In 1920 Rolls-Royce had taken part in a competition in Paris for the most apposite mascot in the world. This they did with a gold-plated Spirit of Ecstasy, which secured Rolls-Royce first place. From then on gold-plated versions of the Spirit of Ecstasy were available from the company at an extra charge.

The woman who had been the model for the radiator decoration, was not to appreciate its success. Eleanor Thornton lost her life when, on 30 December 1915, on the SS Persia, while on passage to India, was torpedoed off Crete by a German submarine. She had been accompanying Lord Montagu who had been directed to take over a command in India. He was thought to have been killed, too, but survived and was rescued a few days later by another ship. On his return to England he read the obituary articles in the newspapers about his own demise.

Tips to know if a girl likes you :)

2013-10-20T22:07:00.000+05:30

Tips to know if a girl likes you :)

1 - This will help you learn little things that will come in handy in the future. If you like a girl, don't let her slip away, tell her the truth, but if you don't like her and she told you that she does, don't say anything...it can break her heart. And when she tells you that, and, you don't like her, tell her that she's a great person. Girls like it when boys say they like something that they did or either said you're great at something. All girls are different, so be aware of the signs. Listen to the tone of her voice: if she's shy, the tone of her voice might be a little more soft, and she might start to play with her hair (smoothing it down, twirling, flipping), adjusting her clothes, and might stare at you. Another sign she likes you is if she laughs at only your boring or stupid joke. (Though, don't use bad jokes as a test, or you'll risk looking like a comedy dork.) She may not be able to look you straight in the eye and she might giggle a lot because she is thinking of funny, nice gossip.

2 - If she's flirting, she may be difficult to read. Flirting girls may flirt with guys who they consider to be just friends, and it can be misconstrued as a crush. Although some girls have no idea they are flirting. Most girls do not want to be obvious, the flirting ones might flirt with you a little bit less or they might flirt with you even more. Either way, don't "flirt around". Do not flirt with other girls. If she ever sees you putting your arm around another girl or sees another girl hugging you, she may jump to conclusions and assume she doesn't mean anything to you. And she has nothing you like or she doesn't act the way you like girls.

3 - With this, you can go alone with it if you want, or just act busy like you're late for class or something.

4 - If she finds excuses to do so, then you're probably on the right track. Tell her it was okay and you're fine. But conversely, don't assume that she doesn't like you because her fall didn't touch you. She may be too nervous of you to touch you yet. Break the touch barrier yourself. She may also find other reasons to touch you, such as by lightly hitting you about the head, or soft punching to the body.

5 - If she likes you, she will either hold it for a long time or pull away immediately. Either of these could mean that she likes you. If she pulls away quickly, it means she is nervous but she still likes you. Some girls might just be staring so don't think she loves you and wants to kiss. But if she holds the stare, and you see love in her eyes, then she is confident and she may make the first move. If you happen to glance at the girl and you see her staring back at you, then this means that she likes you, although she may quickly dart her head in a different direction

6 - If you see most of her friends glancing back at you and smiling or giggling, this means that she is telling her friends about you. If her friends are loud and immature, you'll hear "(your name), (her name) likes you!" Her friends might be making it up, however, just to tease her. So you should probably listen to stuff like, "stop teasing me!" or "be quiet! He might hear!!" When she is having a conversation with her friends, and you come over, she might stop talking all of a sudden. This likely means you were the subject of the recently ended conversation. If she likes you and she told her friends about you, they might come up to you and start a random conversation about things such as: Who would you rather date me or (her name), who do you like better, who is the hottest, would you marry (her name) or me, etc. If they name a list of about 3 people and her name is in the list, she probably told her friends about you and they're trying to search for clues to see how you feel about her.

7 - If you're outside and the girl you like is nearby and starts loudly saying "I'm cold!", that's a subtle hint that she wants you to give her your sweater. This is a very sweet gesture, especially if you want to show the girl that you like her. If there are other guys and she likes one of those guys, however, she might act disappointed when you offer yours to her first, look for her mad and tell her that who ever she likes gave it to him to give it to her. In which case at least you'll know how she feels and can move on. Sometimes a girl will pretend to be really bad at something, and say that they can't do it. That is your chance to offer some assistance, and she will most likely be doing this on purpose just to see your reaction.

8 - Do a natural smile - don't freak her out. If she smiles politely, or frowns and looks away, she is obviously freaked out by you. If she returns a soft or big smile and continues to look at you, then she is interested. If she smiles then darts over to the crowd of her friends and hides in the group then she may be nervous and curious if you know that she likes you.

9 - If she's always there for you when you need help, even like when you mention that you're really thirsty and she quickly offers you a sip from her drink, she might like you. But don't assume that she's into you only from one experience. Ask her occasionally for small things, like chewing gum or a pen, and notice how she reacts. If she's always ready to offer you something you might need, go further and ask her to help you with something else, like a school/work problem. It shouldn't be something really easy to solve, but not too difficult either, as some girls who aren't too smart might say that they don't know how to help you with those kind of things. If she's eager to help you, she probably likes you.

The Sweet Truth About Cocoa Butter

2013-10-20T17:56:00.000+05:30

The Sweet Truth About Cocoa Butter

Nothing melts in your mouth like chocolate-that’s one of the reasons so many people love it. Chocolate‘s creamy, melting qualities come from cocoa butter, the naturally occurring fat found in cocoa beans. Many plants are rich sources of natural fats -olives, soybeans, peanuts, avocados and sunflower seeds, to name a few. But only the cocoa bean provides the creamy and luxurious fat known as cocoa butter.

The Story of Cocoa Butter
Like many trees, the cacao tree produces fruit. Inside this fruit are seeds known as “cocoa beans.” When cocoa beans are crushed and pressed, cocoa butter and cocoa powder are released, both of which are essential to chocolate making.

Why Cocoa Butter?
The first “eating” chocolate was made in 1847 by adding cocoa butter to ground cocoa beans and sugar. Look on the ingredient label of any chocolate bar today and you’ll find “cocoa butter” listed. It’s an essential ingredient in chocolate. Cocoa butter contributes to the delightful mouth-feel and flavor release of chocolate, and its unique and valuable characteristics set it apart from other plant-derived fats:

Melting Point
Cocoa butter is solid at room temperature and melts rather quickly in a 90°F - 93°F temperature range, just below body temperature (98.6°F). This distinction is responsible for chocolate’s pleasant, melt-in-your-mouth sensation, a characteristic unique to cocoa butter.

Contraction
When liquid cocoa butter becomes solid, it contracts slightly, which keeps it from binding to a mould. This important property allows chocolate to be easily removed from moulds and gives us popular shaped confections like chocolate Easter bunnies, hearts, leaves, coins and more.

Cocoa Butter and You
Because cocoa butter naturally contains saturated fat, many people wonder how it will affect their cholesterol levels. Stearic acid is the predominate saturated fat in cocoa butter. Stearic acid is unique and research has shown that it has an overall neutral effect on blood cholesterol.
In fact, studies indicate that eating chocolate on a daily basis, without an increase in calories in overall diet, may have no effect on blood cholesterol levels.

A Feel Good Fat
From the bean to the bar, cocoa butter is an essential part of chocolate. Its exceptional characteristics are responsible for chocolate’s unique mouth-feel and neutral effect on blood cholesterol levels. While there is still much to learn about this distinctive fat, just like chocolate, it’s something to feel good about.

Good for You, Inside and Out
Because cocoa butter is solid at room temperature, when applied to the skin it forms a thin protecting barrier that locks in moisture and blocks out harsh outside elements. That is why cocoa butter is commonly referred to as the “ultimate moisturizer” and used as a key ingredient in many lotions, lip balms, cosmetics and even anti-aging and scar reducing topical treatments. In fact, doctors and scientists recognize cocoa butter as a skin protectant often recommended for care of dry skin conditions.

Myth Melting
1. Myth: Cocoa butter is a type of butter.
Fact: According to the Food and Drug Administration, “butter” is made exclusively from milk, cream or both. Given this definition, cocoa butter is not technically a “butter.” It is a fat that comes from the cocoa bean, the seeds inside the fruit of the cacao tree.

2. Myth: Cocoa butter contains cholesterol.
Fact: Cholesterol from foods is only found in foods of animal origin, such as meat, fish, seafood, eggs and dairy products. Because cocoa butter comes from a plant, it does not contain cholesterol.

3. Myth: Cocoa butter raises blood cholesterol levels.
Fact: Cocoa butter has been found to have an overall neutral effect on blood cholesterol levels. While researchers are still investigating this effect, it is believed that this is due to cocoa butter’s naturally occurring fats called stearic acid, a unique saturated fat that does not raise blood cholesterol levels, and oleic acid.

4. Myth: Cocoa butter contains partially hydrogenated oil, a trans fat.
Fact: Partially hydrogenated oils, the most prominent source of trans fats in the diet, are man-made and have been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Cocoa butter is a naturally-occurring fat that is not hydrogenated and contains no trans fat.

TERMITE FACTS

2013-10-20T09:55:00.002+05:30

TERMITE FACTS

1. Termites have been found across 70 percent of the world and have survived environmental changes for more than 250 million years, adjusting to most any climate.

2. Termites are found in every state in the United States except Alaska.

3. Termites feed on cellulose, which can be found in high moisture wood.

4. Americans spend more than $5 billion every year treating for termites and repairing the damage they cause.

5. Termite damage can go undetected for years.

6. Termite damage is not covered by most homeowners’ insurance policies.

7. Some termite species need only a space one-sixteenth of an inch wide - the thickness of a piece of paper -to enter a home.

8. Signs of a termite infestation include wood damage, such as small holes in wood; crumbling drywall; sagging doors; swarms of termites (usually occurring in spring); and piles of discarded wings.

9. There are five major types of termites throughout the United States: Eastern Subterranean termites, Western Subterranean termites, Desert Subterranean termites, Formosan Subterranean termites and Drywood termites.

10.Termites are secretive, so finding them is not always easy. They often live in out-of-the-way places where they silently eat wood from the inside out. By the time you have discovered you have termites, some damage has usually been done.

11.There are over 2,600 species worldwide. Only about 5% are significant pests to structures.

12.Dampwood termites typically infest damp and decaying timber. They live in moist wood and do not require soil contact. Dampwood termites produce fecal pellets that are an indication of infestation.

13.Termites are mobile all throughout their life, and no permanent central nest area exists. Therefore all termite castes can be found in any of the different sites occupied by a colony. Their activity is determined by food, moisture, and temperature. Movement is usually driven by one of these necessities. Termites feed on anything made of or containing cellulose, but can tunnel into non-cellulose containing material to get to their destination. This behavior can be destructive to human activity.

14.Termites cause more damage than tornadoes, hail storms, wind storms, and hurricanes combined.

15. Termites have been around for more than 240 million years. They adapt to ever changing environments. Termites are natures way to break down wood and return it to the soil.

16. Termites can not determine the difference between the wood in the forest where your home was built and the wood members of your home.

17. Termites can infest almost every part of your home.

18. Termites can enter your home through a crack or opening as thin as a piece of paper.

19. Termites never stop working and eating. They work 24 hours a day.

20. Termite colonies can average more than a million termites.

MoRaIne LaKe -20 dollar view

2013-10-17T07:23:00.000+05:30

MoRaIne LaKe -20 dollar view

Moraine Lake is a glacially-fed lake in Banff National Park, 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) outside the Village of Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. It is situated in the Valley of the Ten Peaks, at an elevation of approximately 6,183 feet (1,885 m). The lake has a surface area of .5 square kilometres (0.19 sq mi). The lake, being glacially fed, does not reach its crest until mid to late June. When it is full, it reflects a distinct shade of blue. The colour is due to the refraction of light off the rock flour deposited in the lake on a continual basis.

With its indigo blue waters surrounded by the Valley of the Ten Peaks, Moraine Lake is another one of Canada’s most iconic lakes. Located in the Lake Louise region at the end of a scenic road that steadily climbs to the Valley of the Ten Peaks, the lakeside view of Moraine Lake once graced the back of Canada’s twenty dollar bill. The hikes in this region vary in length and difficulty and are most popularly experienced in the autumn when the larches turn to a vibrant, golden colour. Due to wildlife activity at certain times of year, hikers may be required to trek in a group of four or more.

The hike around the Moraine Lake Shoreline is the easiest way to appreciate the beauty of this famous alpine lake. A flat, easy trail weaves its way through shoreline trees and offers extraordinary views of the Ten Peaks - a series of encircling summits all over 10,000 feet - that loom dramatically above. The lake was formed by a rockfall, not a moraine. The mountains once appeared on the back of Canada’s $20 bill.

Hookah Facts

2013-10-14T14:46:00.000+05:30

Hookah Facts

Smoking a hookah is smoking tobacco.

What is a Hookah and Shisha?

A hookah is a water pipe used to smoke tobacco through cooled water. The tobacco is heated in the bowl at the top of the hookah and the smoke is filtered through the water in the base of the hookah.

Alternate names for hookahs include: water pipe, goza, hubble-bubble, borry, arhile, and narghile.

Shisha is the tobacco smoked in a hookah. It is a very moist and sticky tobacco that has been soaked in honey or molasses.

There are a variety of shisha flavors including apple, plum, coconut, mango, mint, and strawberry.

History of Hookahs?

The hookah tradition, dating back at least 500 years, originated in the Middle East regions of the world. Countries cited for the first use include Egypt, India, and Turkey.

Smoking the hookah is one of the oldest, most popular Turkish traditions.

The tradition has traveled to the United States and today there are more than 300 hookah establishments in the U.S.

Myths and the Truths
MYTH #1: Hookah smoke is filtered through water so it filters out any harmful ingredients.
TRUTH #1: Smoking tobacco through water does not filter out cancer-causing chemicals. Water-filtered smoke can damage the lungs and heart as much as cigarette smoke.

MYTH #2: Inhaling hookah smoke does not burn the lungs, so it is not unhealthy.
TRUTH #2: The hookah smoke does not burn the lungs when inhaled because is cooled through the water in the base of the hookah. Even though the smoke is cooled, it still contains carcinogens and it is still unhealthy.

MYTH #3: Smoking hookahs are healthier than smoking cigarettes.
TRUTH #3: Hookah smoke is just as dangerous as cigarette smoke. Hookahs generate smoke in different ways: cigarette smoke is generated by burning tobacco, while hookah smoke is produced by heating tobacco in a bowl using charcoal. The end product is the same-smoke, containing carcinogens.

MYTH #4: Smoking a hookah is not as addictive as smoking a cigarette because there is no nicotine.
TRUTH #4: Just like regular tobacco, shisha contains nicotine. In fact, in a 60-minute hookah session, smokers are exposed to 100 to 200 times the volume of smoke inhaled from a single cigarette.

MYTH #5: Herbal shisha is healthier than regular shisha.
TRUTH #5: Just like smoking herbal or “natural” cigarettes, herbal shisha exposes the smoker to tar and carcinogens.

MYTH #6: Shisha tobacco contains fruit, so is healthier than regular tobacco.
TRUTH #6: Tobacco is tobacco, no matter how you look at it. Shisha is often soaked in molasses or honey and mixed with fruit, but it still contains cancer-causing chemicals and nicotine. Stick to traditional methods of getting fruit -eat an orange.

Quick Facts

1. Compared to a single cigarette, hookah smoke is known to contain:
Higher levels of arsenic, lead, and nickel
36 times more tar
15 times more carbon monoxide

2. Smoking a hookah requires taking longer and harder drags, increasing levels of inhaled nicotine and carcinogens in the lungs.

3. The longer the hookah session, the more nicotine and toxins one takes in.

4. A 45 to 60 minute hookah session exposes the smoker to approximately the same amount of tar and nicotine as one pack of cigarettes.

5. Sharing mouthpieces without washing them can increase the risk of spreading colds, flu, and infections-even oral herpes.

6. Health risks of smoking hookahs include cancer, heart disease, lung damage, and dental disease.

7. Do not think that if you are just visiting a hookah bar, that you are in the clear.

8. There are still high levels of damaging second hand smoke to all who are present.

Top 100 Reasons to Exercise

2013-10-14T09:45:00.002+05:30

Top 100 Reasons to Exercise

1. Reduces your risk of getting heart disease.

2. Increases your level of muscle strength.

3. Improves the functioning of your immune system.

4. Enhances sexual desire, performance and satisfaction.

5. Helps you to more effectively manage stress.

6. Helps you to lose weight especially fat weight.

7. Improves the likelihood of survival from a myocardial infarction (heart attack).

8. Can help relieve the pain of tension headaches-perhaps the most common type of headache.

9. Improves your body’s ability to use fat for energy during physical activity.

10. Increases the density and breaking strength of bones.

11. Helps to preserve lean body tissue.

12. Reduces the risk of developing hypertension (high blood pressure).

13. Increases the density and breaking strength of ligaments and tendons.

14. Improves coronary (heart) circulation.

15. Increases circulating levels of HDL (good) cholesterol.

16. Assists in efforts to stop smoking.

17. Reduces your risk of developing Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes.

18. Can help improve short-term memory in older individuals.

19. Helps to maintain weight loss-unlike dieting, alone.

20. Helps relieve many of the common discomforts of pregnancy (backache, heartburn, constipation, etc.).

21. Reduces your anxiety level.

22. Helps control blood pressure in people with hypertension.

23. Reduces the viscosity of your blood.

24. Reduces vulnerability to various cardiac dysrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms).

25. Increases your maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max-perhaps the best measure of your physical working capacity).

26. Helps to overcome jet lag.

27. Slows the rate of joint degeneration in people with osteoarthritis.

28. Lowers your resting heart rate.

29. Helps to boost creativity.

30. Reduces circulating levels of triglycerides.

31. Helps the body resist upper respiratory tract infections.

32. Increases your anaerobic threshold, allowing you to work or exercise longer at a higher level, before a significant amount of lactic acid builds up.

33. Reduces medical and healthcare expenses.

34. Improves ability to recover from physical exertion.

35. Helps speed recovery from chemotherapy treatments.

36. Increases ability to supply blood to the skin for cooling.

37. Increases the thickness of the cartilage in your joints.

38. Gives you more energy to meet the demands of daily life, and provides you with a reserve to meet the demands of unexpected emergencies.

39. Increases your level of muscle endurance.

40. Helps you sleep easier and better.

41. Improves posture.

42. Improves athletic performance.

43. Helps you to maintain your resting metabolic rate.

44. Reduces the risk of developing colon cancer.

45. Increases your tissues’ responsiveness to the actions of insulin (i.e., improves tissue sensitivity for insulin), helping to better control blood sugar, particularly if you are a Type II diabetic.

46. Helps to relieve constipation.

47. Expands blood plasma volume.

48. Reduces the risk of developing prostate cancer.

49. Helps to combat substance abuse.

50. Helps to alleviate depression.

51. Increases your ability to adapt to cold environments.

52. Helps you maintain proper muscle balance.

53. Reduces the rate and severity of medical complications associated with hypertension.

54. Helps to alleviate certain menstrual symptoms.

55. Lowers your heart rate response to submaximal physical exertion.

56. Helps to alleviate low-back pain.

57. Helps to reduce the amount of insulin required to control blood sugar levels in Type I (insulin-
dependent) diabetics.

58. Improves mental alertness.

59. Improves respiratory muscle strength and muscle endurance-particularly important for asthmatics.

60. Reduces your risk of having a stroke.

61. Helps you to burn excess calories.

62. Increases your cardiac reserve.

63. Improves your physical appearance.

64. Offsets some of the negative side-effects of certain antihypertensive drugs.

65. Increases your stroke volume (the amount of blood the heart pumps with each beat).

66. Improves your self-esteem.

67. Reduces your susceptibility for coronary thrombosis (a clot in an artery that supplies the heart with blood).

68. Helps you to relax.

69. Reduces the risk of developing breast cancer.

70. Improves mental cognition (a short-term effect only).

71. Maintains or improves joint flexibility.

72. Improves your glucose tolerance.

73. Reduces workdays missed due to illness.

74. Protects against “creeping obesity” (the slow but steady weight gain that occurs as you age).

75. Enhances your muscles’ abilities to extract oxygen from your blood.

76. Increases your productivity at work.

77. Reduces your likelihood of developing low-back problems.

78. Improves your balance and coordination.

79. Allows you to consume greater quantities of food and still maintain caloric balance.

80. Provides protection against injury.

81. Decreases (by 20 to 30 percent) the need for antihypertensive medication, if you are
hypertensive.

82. Improves your decision making abilities.

83. Helps reduce and prevent the immediate symptoms of menopause (hot flashes, sleep disturbances, irritability), and decrease the long-term risks of cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and obesity.

84. Helps to relieve and prevent “migraine headache attacks”.

85. Reduces the risk of endometriosis (a common cause of infertility).

86. Helps to retard bone loss as you age, thereby reducing your risk of developing osteoporosis.

87. Helps decrease your appetite (a short-term effect only).

88. Improves pain tolerance and mood if you suffer from osteoarthritis.

89. Helps prevent and relieve the stresses that cause carpal tunnel syndrome.

90. Makes your heart a more efficient pump.

91. Helps to decrease left ventricular hypertrophy (a thickening of the walls of the left ventricle) in people with hypertension.

92. Improves your mood.

93. Helps to increase your overall health awareness.

94. Reduces the risk of gastrointestinal bleeding.

95. Helps you to maintain an independent lifestyle.

96. Reduces the level of abdominal obesity a significant health-risk factor.

97. Increases the diffusion capacity of the lungs, enhances the exchange of oxygen from your lungs to your blood.

98. Improves heat tolerance.

99. Improves your overall quality of life.

100. Lifelong regular exercise may be protective against the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Live Life Full

Lake Louise-Diamond in the Wilderness

2013-10-02T14:43:00.000+05:30

Lake Louise-Diamond in the Wilderness

The Jewel of the Rockies
The “Jewel of the Rockies” is a mountain oasis filled with magical charm. The turquoise glacier waters of Lake Louise are surrounded by mountain peaks, the famous Victoria Glacier at one end of the lake and the historic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise at the other. It’s simply breathtaking. Located in the heart of Banff National Park and a world famous Rocky Mountain World Heritage Site, the “hiking capital of Canada” offers a tremendous diversity of recreational and sightseeing opportunities. Lake Louise is home to one of North America’s finest downhill skiing areas, and the region abounds with spectacular scenery, from glaciers to waterfalls.

Just over two hours from Calgary (and 40 minutes west of Banff), the scenic highway travels up 5,680 feet above sea level before you catch a peek of Lake Louise, the most photographed scene in the Canadian Rockies. Its picturesque village was one of many locations featured in the classic film “Dr. Zhivago”.

Rated the most scenic ski area in North America, Lake Louise spreads over four mountain faces. With over 50 ski runs some more than five miles long, the spectacular terrain is suited to all skill levels with everything from groomed runs to massive bowls of powder.

With some of the world’s best alpine hiking right on the doorstep of your first class mountain chateau, the activity choices are many. Start with a canoe trip on the lake, a hike to a turn-of-the-century Victorian teahouse, and then explore trails by horseback -whatever you decide, your well-appointed guestroom awaits you upon your return.

Only a short scenic drive from Lake Louise is the spectacular Moraine Lake, set against the jagged spine of the Great Divide in the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Rent a canoe or walk the popular lake shore trail and marvel at the amazing blue green water of one of the most photographed lakes in the world. Driving west over the Kicking Horse Pass, you’ll encounter the Great Divide summit that forms the boundary between Alberta and British Columbia, with water flowing east to Hudson Bay or west to the Pacific Ocean.

The entire area will form a fascinating and memorable backdrop to your event from the shimmering emerald waters of its alpine lake to the jagged peaks that surround Lake Louise. It truly deserves its reputation as Canada’s ‘Diamond in the Wilderness.’

Images Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Louise_(Alberta)

Sexy Joanna Noëlle Blagden Levesque

2013-10-02T13:21:00.000+05:30

Sexy Joanna Noëlle Blagden Levesque

Joanna Noëlle Blagden Levesque (born December 20, 1990), professionally known as JoJo, is an American pop singer, songwriter, and actress. After competing on the television show, America's Most Talented Kids, record producer Vincent Herbert took notice who asked her to audition for Blackground Records.She rose to fame after releasing her self-titled debut album, which debuted at #4 on the Billboard 200, with sales of 95,000 copies, selling over 3 million copies worldwide. The first single off of the album, "Leave (Get Out)", was released in February 2004. It climbed to #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was certified gold by the RIAA. The single also rose 5 weeks to #1 on the Billboard Top 40 Mainstream, making her the youngest solo artist to have a number-one single in the United States.

She also has a film career. She made her first television appearance by The Bernie Mac Show. In 2006 She starred in two Hollywood films, Aquamarine, her first film debut and RV. JoJo's second album, The High Road, was released on October 17, 2006, and debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 108,000 copies, selling over 2 million copies worldwide. The first single of the album, "Too Little Too Late", was released in August 2006 and reached number three on Billboard Hot 100. The single was certified with platinum by the RIAA.

She has hosted the Ultimate Prom and appeared in the movie True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet which earned her a nomination at the Poptastic Awards. Her third studio album, All I Want Is Everything is yet to be released.

The beautiful Penelope Cruz

2013-10-02T11:22:00.000+05:30

The beautiful Penelope Cruz

Penelope Cruz is a Spanish actress who has won considerable critical acclaim for her role in Spanish and English movies. She is the first Spanish actress to be nominated for an Oscar. Cruz speaks four languages fluently. She also donates a considerable amount of money and time to charity. From 2001, Cruz had a three-year relationship with actor Tom Cruise.

Cruz was born in Madrid in 1974 to a hairdresser mother and motor mechanic father. She wanted to be a dancer as a child and studied classical ballet for nine years. Her younger sister Monica is a famous Spanish dancer. However, when Cruz was 15, she decided to get into acting after beating 300 other hopefuls at a talent agency audition. Cruz first achieved fame in a Spanish pop video and then as a TV presenter. Her first major films were ‘Jamón, Jamón’ and ‘Belle Époque’, which won an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2000 she appeared with Matt Damon in ‘All the Pretty Horses’. She rose to fame by co-starring in ‘Vanilla Sky’, opposite Tom Cruise. Cruz has received two Goya Awards and two European Film Awards for her work. She also won a Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. In 2006, she was used as the face for L’Oreal’s worldwide advertising campaign and a year later, she launched her own fashion line in Spain. She wants to balance her life and work between Hollywood and Europe.

Kristian Schuller, shot the intense imagery. Set to take the audience on a stunning visual voyage, the 2013 Calendar showcases Campari’s latest female protagonist in 13 vivid shots, as she engages with intriguing and mystical superstitions, such as black cats, broken mirrors, walking under ladders as well as walking on cracks. Dressed in a variety of gorgeous red-themed dresses and shoes from top fashion houses including Monique Lhuillier and Salvatore Ferragamo, as well as jewellery by Chopard, Penelope dazzles in every shot. (Photos by Kristian Schuller).

FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT SEX

2013-09-22T18:26:00.000+05:30

FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT SEX

Sex Facts Checklist
Directions: Discuss each of the following generalizations about male/female sexuality with your partner to find out if any are accurate to your relationship:
Sexual Drives, Desires, and Rejection

1. Men need sex to feel connected.
Women need to feel connected (through talking, romance, or affection) to want sex.

2. Men are usually aware of sexual urges prior to sexual contact.
Women often are not aware of feeling aroused until they are sexually stimulated.

3. Tension and stress can trigger a man’s arousal system and aid performance.
Women need to relax and open up to enjoy sex. Stress and constantly caring for others can inhibit sexual responsiveness.

4. Unusual ideas or waking a man up to have sex can excite him because of the above.
Pressuring a woman to try “unusual” activities or waking her up to have sex can kill her desire.

5. Sexual rejection will feel doubly painful when a man is aroused.
After too much rejection, a man may lose his sexual desires. A woman needs to feel safe to say "No" to sex, or she may lose her desire to say " Yes."

6. When women initiate sex regularly, men can feel worse about themselves (due to performance pressure) and eventually lose all interest. A man needs clear messages that his partner loves sex with him (without feeling pressure to perform) to maintain interest.
Women may appreciate a man regularly initiating sex as long as he can read her 'signals' when she is too exhausted or tense and be willing to settle for hugs and cuddles.

7. Expressing confidence in a man’s sexual expertise can arouse him.
When a man appears confident in his sexual expertise, a woman may feel aroused.

8. Sexual discussions can turn a man off if he isn’t in the mood.
Talking about a woman’s feelings without pressure to have sex can help her mood.

Arousals and Orgasms
9. A man first needs direct stimulation of his penis to "wake up" other erogenous zones (testicles, perineum, or other areas.)
A woman may first need her least erogenous zones (feet, thighs, etc.) caressed for her to be comfortable having her breasts, nipples, or clitoris stimulated.

10. Men need a direct approach for an orgasm, which can take five minutes or less.
Women need an indirect, teasing approach (moving toward and away from erogenous zones), which can take 20 minutes or more.

11. Men are usually consistently capable of orgasms due to steady levels of testosterone.
Women are not always capable of having orgasms or enjoying certain types of touch due to constantly changing ratios of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

12. Men may be more likely to have one routine sexual approach due to consistent hormonal levels.
Women may need different types or amounts of stimulation because of varying hormone levels.

13. Men need orgasms to be satisfied because sexual pleasure comes from releasing tension.
Women can be satisfied with closeness without having an orgasm because they enjoy the building of tension and like the intimacy that comes with penetration.

14. Men need occasional quickies to maintain sexual interest and have the patience to regularly focus on their partner’s needs.
Women need quickies for times when they are not capable of having orgasms or when they are too exhausted for longer lovemaking.

15. Arousal enhances a man’s visual appreciation of his partner’s body.
Insecurities about appearance unnecessarily inhibit a woman’s sexual desires.

16. When a women responds with sexual sounds, men feel validated and aroused.
When a man makes love verbally ('I love your . .' 'You're so . .') women are often aroused because they feel a sense of connection and are reassured about their bodies.

17. A man can be pushed out of control or turned off if a woman takes charge and tries too hard.
A woman’s sexual responses will arouse a man and help him last longer.
A woman’s orgasms will be inhibited either by pressuring her to or by not giving her opportunities to have a climax. If sex regularly lasts too long, passion can die for both sexes.

18. After his orgasm a man’s desire disappears.
After her orgasm, a woman can enjoy penetration. It will not matter to her how long her partner’s erection lasts if he gives her the opportunity to have an orgasm first.

Famous people with Learning Disorder and AD/HD

2013-09-12T19:29:00.001+05:30

Famous people with Learning Disorder and AD/HD

Learning disabilities can be difficult to manage, but they don’t necessarily impact a person’s chances of success. Many celebrities and famous figures from history struggled with learning disabilities, but the disabilities may have been instrumental in shaping their perspectives and helping them find the willpower to achieve their goals. Here’s a full list of famous people with learning disabilities, including a description of their disabilities and their claims to fame. They can be a source of inspiration.

1. Alexander Graham Bell--Bell invented the telephone, but struggled with traditional schooling. It’s believed that he had some form of learning disability, possibly dyslexia.

2. Napoleon Bonaparte--Napoleon’s hypersensitivity to touch and his military strategic genius are two of the many symptoms that have led some modern scholars to suggest that he was a high functioning autistic.

3. Richard Branson - A billionaire businessman, Branson credits his business intuition and unique perspectives to his early struggles with dyslexia, which affects the way he visualizes words.

4. Erin Brockovich - Brockovich is a former legal clerk whose success in building a case against illegal groundwater contamination led to a major motion picture starring Julia Roberts. Brockovich is dyslexic.

5. Terry Bradshaw - The NFL host and former player was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

6. Cher - Cher is one of the most iconic performers, singers and actresses in the world. She has a form of dyslexia that makes it difficult to remember numbers or to perform basic mathematics.

7. Agatha Christie - Christie was the most famous mystery novelist of her time and developed a rich writing style that has impacted almost every mystery writer of the 20th and 21st centuries. Christie had dysgraphia, a learning disability that affected her ability to understand written words.

8. Tom Cruise - Cruise is among the most recognizable actors in the world. He has dyslexia and has spoken publicly about his disability.

9. Walt Disney - While no hard evidence exists, many scholars believe that Disney suffered from dyslexia or a related disorder due to his difficulties in school. Disney eventually dropped out of high school and pursued a career as an artist.

10. Albert Einstein - Einstein’s parents once thought that he was mentally retarded due to his odd habits and difficulties in school. If he were born today, Einstein would probably be diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild form of autism.

11. Thomas Edison - Edison is believed to have had dyslexia and possibly ADHD. His mother took him out of school at an early age, and Edison was home-schooled. He developed a voracious appetite for reading and made major scientific breakthroughs with his unusual methodology.

12. F. Scott Fitzgerald - One of the greatest American authors of all time, Fitzgerald was expelled from school at the age of 12 for an inability to focus and complete his work. It’s likely that he had ADHD or a related disorder.

13. Benjamin Franklin - It’s likely that the eccentric, brilliant founding father had a very mild version of autism.

14. Danny Glover - Glover has starred in the popular “Lethal Weapon” franchise and in dozens of other films. He is a dyslexic and frequently discusses his challenges in overcoming his learning disorder.

15. John F. Kennedy- President Kennedy may have had a form of dyslexia, but it didn’t keep him from pursuing a successful education. He graduated from Harvard and won the presidency of the United States in 1961.

16. Bill Gates - Some autism experts have suggested that the head of Microsoft has Asperger’s, although testing has never been performed.

17. Whoopi Goldberg - The actress and humanitarian suffers from dyslexia and frequently comments about her learning disability.

18. Dr. Temple Grandin - A doctor of animal husbandry whose work has revolutionized the cattle industry, Dr. Grandin was diagnosed as autistic at an early age.

19. John Lennon - Lennon was probably dyslexic, as he frequently mentioned in interviews that he was “never a speller” and had serious problems in school. He later showed his musical and lyrical genius through his work with The Beatles, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest pop songwriters of all time.

20. Steve McQueen - The star of “The Great Escape,” Steve McQueen had a language-based learning disorder.

21. Thomas Jefferson - Although testing didn’t exist in Jefferson’s time, the founding father had great difficulties as a student. According to modern biographers and psychologists, Jefferson may have been dyslexic.

22. Jay Leno - Talk show legend Jay Leno has dyslexia, which severely affected his education.

23. Louis Pasteur - Pasteur’s scientific work saved countless lives through his discovery of the now-common technique of pasteurization. Pasteur’s learning difficulties in certain fields indicate a possible disability.

24. George Patton - One of history’s most brilliant military minds, Patton did not excel in school. It is widely held that he had some form of dyslexia or a related learning disability.

25. Nelson Rockefeller - Rockefeller served as Vice President of the United States under Gerald Ford. He was severely dyslexic.

26. George C. Scott - Scott is most famous for his Academy Award-winning role as George Patton. Like Patton, Scott probably had a learning disability, possibly a form of ADD.

27. George Bernard Shaw - Shaw was an Irish playwright with many masterpieces to his name, including “Pygmalion”. He probably had attention deficit disorder (ADD).

28. Tommy Smothers - Tommy was one half of the variety duo, “The Smothers Brothers.” He had severe dyslexia and incorporated elements of his disability into his routine.

29. Suzanne Somers - Somers had a learning disability which led to poor performance in school and an inability to understand written language. She’s most famous for her role on the sitcom, “Three’s Company”.

30. Sylvester Stallone - Stallone is one of the highest paid actors of all time. He suffers from dyslexia, but has developed an outstanding talent for screenwriting. His writing credits include “Rocky” and “Over the Top”, both of which he starred in.

31. Jules Verne- The novelist and writer of “Journey to the Center of The Earth” probably had some form of ADD or ADHD, as he performed poorly in school and often complained of an inability to focus.

32. Leonardo da Vinci - Da Vinci was a perfectionist who may have had Asperger’s, as he had savant-like skills and an enormous single-minded dedication to art and science.

33. George Washington - Despite his education, Washington was unable to spell properly and may have had a severe learning disorder. It’s likely that he was dyslexic. He’s probably the best known founding father of the United States and the first U.S. President.

34. Robin Williams - Williams is a comedian and actor, famous for his roles in “Mrs. Doubtfire,” “Good Will Hunting” and dozens of other films. He has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which affected his education and his ability to memorize scripts.

35. Woodrow Wilson--Wilson was the 28th President of the United States. His struggles with the written word have been well documented, and he is believed to have been a dyslexic. He aggressively pursued his education. To date, Wilson is the only U.S. President to hold a Ph.D.

The Oresund Bridge

2013-09-11T18:03:00.000+05:30

The Oresund Bridge

The Øresund Bridge opened on 1 July 2000. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and King Carl Gustav XVI of Sweden travelled by train from their respective countries to its centre, together with their Prime Ministers and other dignitaries. Here the trains were linked before bringing the party to the opening ceremony at Lernacken on the Swedish side.

The Øresund Bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge in the world which carries both rail and road traffic, and connects the Danish capital Copenhagen to Malmö in Sweden. For the first time ever, Sweden is joined permanently to the mainland of Europe. Up to now the link has been known as just that - the ‘Øresund Link’: 8km of bridge and 4km of immersed tunnel, joined by a 4km long artificial island - but its recent renaming as the Øresund Bridge reflects the visual impact of what now stands in the waters between Sweden and Denmark. And its cultural and economic effects are even more far-reaching. It reduces the journey time between the two countries to a 10-minute drive or train journey, in effect joining the capital city of Denmark, Copenhagen, with Sweden's third city, Malmö.

Celebrity Shoes

2013-09-09T13:47:00.000+05:30

Celebrity Shoes

After Federico Mauro's clever series, Famous Eyeglasses, spread throughout the web, he decided to create another. This time, the Italian multimedia designer directs our eyes downward, asking us to take the attention away from the eyes and onto the feet. A lot of celebrities are known for something or another. They all have a signature item or design that people will always associate them with. Italian multimedia designer Federico Mauro found a key item that has defined a lot of celebrities…their shoes!

Mauro compiled a series of simple footwear images of signature footwear worn by different celebrities. From Carrie Bradshaw’s Mahnolo Blahnik’s to Marty McFly’s futuristic Nike kick, the shoes are sure to spark up a memory of who was wearing them. With nothing but a white background and a natural shadow, the shoes were photographed in the simplest form. Take a look at some of the shoes below and see if you can identify whose shoes are who’s.

Source: http://www.federicomauro.eu/

AMAZING FACTS ABOUT TATTOOS

2013-09-01T19:43:00.000+05:30

AMAZING FACTS ABOUT TATTOOS

Tattooing has been used as a way of smuggling secret messages across enemy lines in times of war. The 5th century BC Greek historian, Herodotus, records how Histiaeus of Miletus,who was being held against his will by King Darius of Susa, sent a tattooed secret message to his son-in-law, Aristagoras. Histiaeus shaved the hair of his slave and tattooed the message on to the man's head. The slave was told that the procedure would cure his failing eyesight. When the slave's hair had grown back sufficiently to hide the tattoo, he was sent to Aristagoras, who shaved his head and read the hidden message. The message instructed Aristagoras to begin a rebellion.

The percentage game

The world's most tattooed person is Tom Leppard from the Isle of Skye, Scotland,who has 99.9 per cent of his body covered with a leopard-skin design.Guinness World Records states that the only parts of Tom's body that remain untattooed are the skin between his toes and the insides of his ears. The claim to be the world's most tattooed woman is shared between Canadian Krystyne Kolorful and American Julia Gnuse. Both have 95 per cent of their bodies tattooed. Julia began to tattoo her body in order to disguise the effects of porphyria, a disease which can leave skin permanently scarred.

Head hunters

In the late-18th and early-19th centuries collecting tattooed Maori heads became so popular in Europe that many Maoris were murdered to supply the trade. The Maori people in New Zealand tattooed their heads (moko) and buttocks by chiselling a design into the skin and rubbing ink into it. If one of their chiefs died, they would remove and preserve the tattooed head, keeping it as a treasured possession. Europeans considered these heads to be curiosities and before long a trade sprang up, with the Maori exchanging heads for firearms. Soon the Maori began to trade the heads of their enemies killed in battle, but when demand started to exceed supply, men began to be murdered in cold blood for their tattoos. In some cases, slaves were tattooed so that their heads could be cut off and sold. In 1831 Governor Darling of New South Wales took steps to outlaw the practice.

Pious pain
European missionaries in the Cook Islands tried to remove tattoos by scrubbing them off with sandstone. Since the ink lay deep in the skin's dermis, this involved scouring the body raw.
Missionaries in Polynesia condemned the practice of tattooing, quoting the Bible, which states, Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put marks on yourselves Leviticus, 19:28 They tried to stamp out the custom and went as far as trying to remove tattoos by rubbing the skin with sandstone in the same way that a ship's deck was scrubbed. This practice was known as 'holystoning'. It was a primitive forerunner of a form of tattoo removal known as dermabrasion, in which the skin is 'sanded' to remove layers. Dermabrasion has now largely given way to laser surgery as a popular means of tattoo removal.

Royal tattoo

King Harold II of England had a number of tattoos. After his death at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, his tattoos were used to identify his body. Many other royals throughout history have been tattooed. In 1862 the Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII, had a Jerusalem Cross tattooed on his arm on a visit to the Holy Land. When his sons, the Duke of Clarence and the Duke of York (later King George V) visited Japan in 1882 they both had dragons tattooed on their arms. Amongst the Russian royal family, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great and Nicholas II all bore tattoos. Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination sparked the First World War, was also tattooed. Today royal tattoos are less common.

Sink or swim

A pig tattooed on one foot and a rooster on the other were said to protect a seaman from drowning. Neither animal can swim and it was thought they would help get the sailor swiftly to shore if he fell into the water. Other popular tattoos amongst sailors are also attributed with particular meanings: a full-rigged ship shows the seaman has sailed round Cape Horn an anchor indicates he has sailed the Atlantic Ocean a dragon denotes that the bearer has served on a China station a shellback turtle shows the sailor has crossed the equator 'Hold' tattooed on the knuckles of one hand and 'fast' on the other were said to allow the bearer to grip the rigging better.

That's all folks

George C. Reiger Jr

American George C. Reiger Jr boasts over 1000 tattoos based on Disney characters, including all 101 dalmatians. Reiger had his first Disney tattoo-an inked version of Fantasia's sorcerer Mickey-at the age of 18. Since then he has been adding characters and now the tattoos cover over 80 per cent of his body. The tattoos are carefully positioned. Villains are consigned to his legs below the knee, while anything under the sea is situated below his stomach. Other characters are also grouped by theme. Because the characters are copyright, Reiger has had to seek permission from Disney and now claims to be the only person in the world with such authorization. He says he received it on the condition that he's not allowed to go to a tattoo parlour, appear in a tattooing magazine or make money out of his tattoos.

Mark my word

The word 'tattoo' is derived from the Tahitian word 'tatau', meaning to mark. The word 'tattaw' was first used in the published account of Captain Cook's first voyage, which appeared in 1769. It has been suggested that 'tatau' is an onomatopoeic word. 'Tat' refers to tapping the tattooing instrument into the skin; 'au' to the cry of pain from the person being tattooed.

Taking the p***

Nick's Gun

Urine was sometimes used to mix the colouring matter of early tattoos.
Early colouring materials for tattoos included soot or ink for blue-black and brick dust for reds. To work, these needed to be bound together by a mixing agent. Often the tattooist used his own spittle to mix the colour but occasionally urine was used instead. Until 1891, when the first electric tattooing machine was patented by Tom Riley, all colours were applied by hand. Early tattooing tools were rather like pen holders with a number of needles set into them.

Ring for action
The tattooing machine is based on the design of the doorbell. The quick poking action of a tattooing machine, which injects the ink into the skin, is driven by an electric circuit very similar to that which operates the household doorbell. Modern tattoo artists work with a number of tattooing machines, each reserved to inject a different colour. The number of needles set in the machine and their fineness depends on what the machine is being used for. Finer needles are used for outlines, while coarser needles are used for filling in or for shading. In prison, where tattooing machines are banned, inmates have been known to make their own makeshift tattooing machines using guitar strings and the motor from a tape deck.

Snake charmer

Lady Randolph Churchill

Winston Churchill's mother, Lady Randolph Churchill, had a snake tattooed on her wrist. It became fashionable in the late 19th and early 20th centuries for aristocrats, including women, to be tattooed. At the time, tattooing was very expensive and people paid large sums for their designs. Later, as the costs were reduced, tattooing was adopted by the lower classes and the practice fell out of favour with the social elite.The strategic positioning of Lady Churchill's tattoo meant that she could choose not to display it by wearing a bracelet to cover it.

Dangerous bodies

Tahitians believed that the process of tattooing the body served to contain its sacred power.
The Polynesian view of the body differed from that of the Europeans. Polynesians believed that there were two worlds: the world of light and ordinary life (ao) and the world of darkness and gods (po). Humans came from po at birth and returned there at death. This gave the body a potentially dangerous primal power, which would overcome the present world if it was not contained. A number of rites from infancy on wards were designed to restrain this power by lessening the body's sacredness. In Tahiti, these rites culminated in the act of tattooing the body around the time of puberty in order to 'seal off' its power.

Costing an arm and a leg
Removing a tattoo can cost up to three times more than the design itself.
Tattoos last forever and sometimes a tattoo can become an embarrassment in later life. Because tattoos lie in the deep layer of skin known as the dermis, they are very difficult to remove. Early forms of tattoo removal included the injection or application of wine, lime, garlic or pigeon excrement. Unsurprisingly, none of these methods was effective. Later removal techniques include dermabrasion, when the skin is effectively 'sanded down', and excision, in which the tattoo is surgically removed. Both methods result in scarring. In the late 1980s laser surgery became popular for tattoo removal. However, the treatment is not cheap and can cost thousands of pounds, depending on the tattoo's size, type and location.

Signs of faith

Early Christians often had the sign of the cross tattooed on their bodies, particularly their face or arms.
Such tattoos were seen as a permanent mark of the believer's faith. However, around AD 325 the Emperor Constantine outlawed tattooing of the face because he believed that the face was in God's image and should not be disfigured. In AD 787, a council of churches meeting in Calcuth, Northumberland, renounced all forms of tattooing and sealed the fate of the practice in the eyes of the Christian church once and for all. Much later, a representation of the crucifixion tattooed on a slave's back was said to preserve the bearer from a whipping. It was thought that no Christian, however cruel, would lash the image of Christ.

Human curiosity
The first tattooed man to be shown publicly in England was a Pacific islander known as Prince Joely.
Prince Joely, also known as Giolo, was brought to England in 1691 by William Dampier, a famous buccaneer and author of a Voyage Around the World, an account of his travels with privateers and pirates. Dampier explained to those who came to view the Prince Joely that his tattoos were done in the same manner as the crosses and arms of visitors to Jerusalem, but using the sap of a certain tree instead of gunpowder. Sadly, Prince Joely never returned home to the Pacific. He died in England of smallpox.

Close to the bone
The severity of pain experienced when being tattooed depends on the location of the tattoo.
The most painful areas are those where the skin is very close to the bone, such as the ankles, elbows and knees. It is less painful to be tattooed on more fleshy areas such as the chest or upper arms. Pain was an important part of tattooing for Polynesian societies. In Tahiti, the chief's son was watched closely as he was tattooed for signs of pain. In Samoa, it was often said that tattooing was the equivalent for men of the great pain a woman endured when giving birth.

Point taken
Samoan tattoo artists used combs to apply their designs.
On the Pacific island of Samoa, tattooist carried out their art by dipping the pointed teeth of combs into ink and placing them on the surface of the skin. The comb was then tapped so that the teeth punctured the skin, inserting the ink. Both men and women had their bodies tattooed and elaborate designs could take several months to complete. In Samoan tradition, tattoos were restricted to the lower part of the body.
Source: http://www.rmg.co.uk/explore/sea-and-ships/facts/ships-and-seafarers/amazing-facts-about-tattoos