v1kram's posterous

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year ...

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:28:00 -0800

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Long After You Are Gone ...

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:03:01 -0800

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Finger Monkeys ...

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:28:00 -0700

The finger monkey is the tiniest living primate in the world, so small that it can hold onto your finger. These primates belong to the family Callitrichidae, species Cebuella, and genus C. Pygmaea. They are native to rain forests of Brazil , Peru , Bolivia , Ecuador , and Colombia (source: Buzzle).
Finger monkeys are, as a matter of fact, pygmy marmosets. They are also known by the names "pocket monkey" and "tiny lion."This cute little primate hugs and grips onto your finger so tightly that it pulls your heart strings, and you wish you could take it home with you.

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Brilliant visual communication ...

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 08:04:00 -0700

Circus tent looks like a magazine.

makes you want to press "backspace" to correct the typo

punning the word bar with a beer mug

Coffee steam is mouse pointers :)

To stress A to Z of selling, also selling A to Z.

There’s an elephant trunk inside the letter "e"

A bit provocative logo against nazism and racism and all forms of intolerance

the right-pointing arrow between ‘E’ and ‘x’

Can you spot Australia between her entwined leg and arm?

"i" killed:)

scissors look like a mustache:)

The pencil pointing down!

The socket’s expression says it all.

binoculars in wine glass

Mosleep is an organization of doctors that deals with people having sleeping disorders

__._,_.___

_,___

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Extreme engineering ...

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 08:40:00 -0700

Workers build a footpath around the vertiginous slopes of Shifou Mountain in China

Thousands of metres up the vertiginous slopes of Shifou Mountain in Hunan Province, China, a team
of workers, operating with hardly any safety measures, are building a footpath

The workers are building a plank road on the side of the mountain that, once it is finished,
will stretch for 3km (9843 ft) and be China's longest sightseeing footpath

48-year-old Yu Ji (above) is one of the workers and he has been working on high cliffs building such plank roads for more than 10 years. He comments: "Young people don't want this job, as it requires them to stay deep in the mountains for months or even years"

Yu Ji takes charge of the most dangerous part of the project -
drilling the holes to set up pipes to support the footpath

Building a plank road on Shifou Mountain is difficult because the
cliff stands vertical at 90 degrees, without any slope or alcoves

A finished section of the footpath

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Fire Waterfall ...

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 02:38:00 -0700

Yosemite National Park, California , USA

This park was gazetted as a national park in 1890. It is world famous for its rugged terrain, waterfall and century-old pine trees. It covers 1200 sq km and the "fire" waterfall of El Capitan is one of the most spectacular of all scenery.

The spectacular view of the waterfall is created by the reflection of sunlight hitting the falling water at a specific angle. This rare sight can only be seen at a 2-week period towards the end of February. To photograph this rare event, photographers would often have to wait and endure years of patience in order to capture them. The reason is because its appearance depends on a few natural phenomenons’ occurring at the same time and luck.

1st, Is the formation of the waterfall - The water is formed by the melting of snow and ice at the top of the mountain. It melts between the month of December and January and by the end of February there might not have much snow left to melt.

2nd, is the specific angle of the sunray hitting the falling water - The sun's position must be exactly at a particular spot in the sky. This occurs only in the month of February and at the short hours of dusk. If it is a day full of clouds or something blocking the sun, you can only take pictures of your own sorry faces on the waterfall. It coincides with the fact that the weather in the National Park at that time of the year is often volatile and unpredictable. It compounds to the difficulty of getting these pictures.

Someone did!!! And we all get to see it!!!

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Signs of our time ...

Sun, 04 Sep 2011 02:34:00 -0700

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Most expensive saree ...

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 11:22:00 -0700

How often have you come across a Rs. 40 lakh ($100,000) silk saree? Chennai Silks, a textile unit has come up with one of its kind and it is seeking an unmistakable entry into the Guinness Book of World Records for being the most unique and expensive saree.

The exceptionally stunning saree is meticulously woven with 12 precious stones and metals to depict 11 of Raja Ravi Verma's popular paintings. Explicitly projected is 'Lady Musicians', one of the painter's very famous works that displays women belonging to diverse cultural backgrounds.

Besides, the border of the saree pictures 10 other paintings of the artist that pays tribute to 20th century artist.

The best part of the saree being that the women in the paintings are intricately hand-woven and beautified with jewels of gold, diamond, platinum, silver, ruby, emerald, yellow sapphire, sapphire, cat's eye, topaz, pearl and corals.

Already in the Limca Book of Records, this 40 lakh saree will be the first silk saree that required the use of 7,440 jacquard hooks and 66,794 cards during the weaving process. Moreover, a group of consummate workers took nearly 4,680 hours.

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Parents of the Year ...

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 05:56:00 -0700

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Mercedes Bus or House ?!!

Sat, 30 Jul 2011 05:39:00 -0700

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How much sex did the characters on Friends really have ?

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 07:40:00 -0700

Source :

The Sexual Proclivities of Friends

By Mike D'Avria

http://splitsider.com/2011/07/the-sexual-proclivities-of-friends

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It happens only in Pakistan ...

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 20:05:00 -0700

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Astronaut - 'Picture Mail'

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 12:13:00 -0700

NASA astronaut Douglas Wheelock who is currently aboard the International Space Station shares pictures of the Earth he snaps with the world through Twitter.

Known to his nearly 68,000 Twitter followers as Astro_Wheels, Wheelock has been posting impressive photos of the Earth and some of his thoughts ever since he moved into the space station in June, five months after it got Internet access.

Greek islands on a clear night during our flight over Europe . Athens shine brightly along theMediterranean Sea .

' Mystery Island ' ...located in the Indian Ocean close to Madagascar . Interesting features on the island and the unusual shape should be enough to help you discover this beautiful place.

Northern lights in the distance in one of the finest nights over Europe . The photo clearly shows the Strait of Dover . Paris is dazzling with the city lights. A little fog over the western part ofEngland, particularly over London .

The moon is breathtaking.

Of all the places of our beautiful planet few can rival the beauty and richness of colors in theBahamas. In this photo, our ship is seen against the backdrop of the Bahamas .

At a speed of 28,163 kilometers per hour (8 kilometers per second), we rotate the Earth's orbit, making one revolution every 90 minutes, and watch sunsets and sunrises every 45 minutes. So half of our journey is in darkness. For the work we use lights on our helmets.

Every time I look out the window and see our beautiful planet, my soul sings! I see blue skies, white clouds and bright blessed day.

Another spectacular sunset. We see 16 such sunsets each day, and each of them is really valuable.

Beautiful atoll in the Pacific Ocean , photographed using 400mm lens. Approximately 1930 km south of Honolulu.

Perfect reflection of sunlight in the eastern Mediterranean .

Above the center of the Atlantic Ocean , before another stunning sunset. Downstairs in the setting sun visible spiral Hurricane Earl.

A little farther east, we saw a sacred monolith Uluru, better known as Ayers Rock. I have never had the opportunity to visit Australia , but someday I hope that I will stand by this miracle of nature.

Morning over the Andes in South America . I do not know for sure the title of this peak, but was simply amazed by her magic, stretching to the sun and wind tops.

Over the Sahara desert, approaching the ancient lands and thousand-year history. River Nileflows through Egypt by the Pyramids of Giza in Cairo . Further, the Red Sea, Sinai Peninsula, Dead Sea , Jordan River, as well as the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea and Greeceon the horizon.

Night view of the River Nile, stretching like a snake through Egypt to the Mediterranean , andCairo, located in the Delta. Far away in this picture, one can see the Mediterranean Sea .

Our unmanned 'Progress 39P' approaches the ISS for refuelling. It is full of food, fuel, spare parts and all necessities for our station. Inside was a real gift - fresh fruit and vegetables. What a miracle after three months of food from a tube!

I wanted to share with you this view from the Dome. We said goodbye to the members of our group Sasha, Misha and Tracy this weekend, and they returned safely back to Earth. In this photo, Tracy quietly dreams of returning home.

Module Union 23C Olympus docked with the ISS . When our work ends here, we go back home to Earth. We fly over the snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus . The rising sun is reflected from the Caspian Sea .

The flash of color, movement and life on the canvas of our amazing world. This is part of theGreat Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia , photographed through the lens of 1200 mm.

All the beauty of Italy , a clear summer night. You can see many beautiful islands that adorn the coast - Capri , Sicily and Malta . Naples and Mount Vesuvius are allocated along the coast.

At the southern end of South America lies the pearl of Patagonia . The amazing beauty of rugged mountains, massive glaciers, fjords and seas combined in perfect harmony.

"Dome" on the side of nadir station gives a panoramic view of our beautiful planet. Fedor made the picture from the window of the Russian docking compartment. In this photo I'm sitting in the dome, preparing the camera for our evening flight over Hurricane Earl.

Florida and southeastern U.S. in the evening. A clear autumn evening, the moonlight over the water and sky, dotted with millions of stars.

Clear starry night over the eastern Mediterranean . The ancient land with a thousand years of history stretching from Athens to Cairo . Historical land of fabulous and alluring island .... Athens - Crete - Rhodes - Izmir - Ankara - Cyprus - Damascus - Beirut - Haifa - Amman - Tel Aviv - Jerusalem - Cairo - all of them turned into tiny lights in this cool November night.

In this time of year you can enjoy the beauty of the polar mesospheric clouds. With our high-angle illumination, we were able to capture a thin layer of noctilucent clouds at sunset.

Astronaut Douglas Wheelock

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A clearer picture ...

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 12:19:48 -0700

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Pencil Sharpener ...

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 03:10:00 -0700

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Sky Park - Singapore

Mon, 30 May 2011 22:35:00 -0700

Opened in Singapore, on June 24 , a new wonder of the world. "Sky Park" Marina Bay Sands is located at the height of 200 mtr on three skyscrapers, as if on three pillars. It consists of casinos, bars, restaurants, the largest outdoor swimming pool, 150 meters long, and even a Museum of Modern

Art.

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The dogs of war ...

Thu, 12 May 2011 07:34:00 -0700

War Dog

There's a reason they brought one to get Osama bin Laden.

BY REBECCA FRANKEL | MAY 4, 2011

Dogs have been fighting alongside U.S. soldiers for more than 100 years, seeing combat in the Civil War and World War I. But their service was informal; only in 1942 were canines officially inducted into the U.S. Army. Today, they're a central part of U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan -- as of early 2010 the U.S. Army had 2,800 active-duty dogs deployed (the largest canine contingent in the world). And these numbers will continue to grow as these dogs become an ever-more-vital military asset.

So it should come as no surprise that among the 79 commandos involved in Operation Neptune Spear that resulted in Osama bin Laden's killing, there was one dog -- the elite of the four-legged variety. And though the dog in question remains an enigma -- another mysterious detail of the still-unfolding narrative of that historic mission -- there should be little reason to speculate about why there was a dog involved: Man's best friend is a pretty fearsome warrior.

Above, a U.S. soldier with the 10th Special Forces Group and his dog leap off the ramp of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter during water training over the Gulf of Mexico as part of exercise Emerald Warrior on March 1.

Tech. Sgt. Manuel J. Martinez, U.S. Air Force/ DoD

Daredevil dogs: The question of how the dog got into bin Laden's compound is no puzzle -- the same way the special ops team did, by being lowered from an MH-60s helicopter. In fact, U.S. Air Force dogs have been airborne for decades, though the earliest flying dogs accompanied Soviet forces in the 1930s.

Dogs usually jump in tandem with their trainers, but when properly outfitted with flotation vests they can make short jumps into water on their own. A U.S. Navy SEAL, Mike Forsythe, and his dog, Cara -- pictured above -- recently broke the world record for "highest man/dog parachute deployment" by jumping from 30,100 feet.

Courtesy K9 Storm Inc.

The scent of war: According to Mike Dowling, a former Marine Corps dog handler who served in Iraq, there's a simple explanation for why the Navy SEALs took a dog along on the Osama raid: "A dog's brain is dominated by olfactory senses." In fact, Dowling says, a dog can have up to 225 million olfactory receptors in their nose -- the part of their brain devoted to scent is 40 times greater than that of a human.

"When you're going on a mission," Dowling says, "a raid or a patrol, insurgents are sneaky -- they like to hide stuff from you. But a dog can smell them. .... [Think about] Saddam Hussein ... what if Osama had been [hiding] in a hole in the ground? A dog could find that. A dog could alert them to where he's hiding because of the incredible scent capabilities. ... You can only see what you can see. You can't see what you don't see. A dog can see it through his nose."

Above U.S. Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade wait for helicopter transport as part of Operation Khanjar at Camp Dwyer in Helmand Province in Afghanistan on July 2, 2009.

MANPREET ROMANA/AFP/Getty Images

It's not the gear that makes the dog: Military working dogs (MWDs in Army parlance) may not enjoy all the privileges of being full-fledged soldiers, but the U.S. military no longer considers them mere equipment. (The war dogs deployed to Vietnam during that conflict were classified as "surplus equipment" and left behind.) Today, MWDs are outfitted with equipment of their own -- a range of specialized gear that includes Doggles (protective eye wear), body armor, life vests, gas masks, long-range GPS-equipped vests, and high-tech canine "flak jackets."

Photo Courtesy of K9 Storm Inc.

In August 2010, The Register, a British online tech publication, reported that "top-secret, super-elite U.S. Navy SEAL special forces are to deploy heavily armoured bulletproof dogs equipped with infrared nightsight cameras and an 'intruder communication system' able to penetrate concrete walls." The article also reported that the U.S. Naval Special Warfare Group had "awarded an $86,000 contract to Canadian firm K9 Storm Inc. for the supply of 'Canine Tactical Assault Vests' for wear by SEAL dogs." The K9 catalogue boasts an array of high-tech canine devices, from storm lights to long lines and leads to an assortment of vests -- assault, aerial insertion, and patrol-SWAT -- which are rated from "excellent" to "good" in protecting the animal from harm due to everything from bullets to ice picks.

Photo Courtesy of K9 Storm Inc.

Lethal weapons: Not all military dogs are trained to kill. According to the U.S. Air Force, a dog only enters advanced training after a basic obedience program is successfully completed. The focus of this more intensive training is "controlled aggressiveness" in which the dog is "taught to find a suspect or hostile person in a building or open area; to attack, without command, someone who is attacking its handler; to cease an attack upon command at any point after an attack command has been given..." Make no mistake, these animals can be lethal weapons: "The average German Shepherd's bite exerts between 400 and 700 pounds of pressure," according to the U.S. Air Force.

Above, a U.S. Army soldier trains an attack dog at Camp Forward Operating Base Wilson in Zari district in southern Kandahar province on Oct. 21, 2010.

MASSOUD HOSSAINI/AFP/Getty Images

Fierce protectors: Military dogs and their handlers often form deep bonds -- it's an essential part of the canine-handler relationship that is specifically built into their training regimen. The personal attachments are often so intense that it can take weeks of training before a dog can begin working with a new handler.

Not only are these dogs fierce assault weapons, they are loyal guardians. When Private First Class Colton Rusk was shot after his unit came under Taliban sniper fire during a routine patrol in Afghanistan, Rusk's bomb-sniffing dog, Eli, crawled on top of his body, attacking anyone -- including Rusk's fellow Marines -- who tried to come near him. Rusk did not survive the assault, but Eli was granted early retirement so he could live with Rusk's family.

In the photo above, Staff Sgt. Erick Martinez, a military dog handler uses an over-the-shoulder carry to hold his dog, Argo II, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, on March 4. The exercise helps build trust, loyalty, and teamwork.

U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Allen Stokes

The nose knows: A canine's olfactory powers are well known -- dogs are now even being used to sniff out rare types of cancer -- and that natural ability hasn't gone unnoticed by the U.S. military. When President Barack Obama traveled to Asia last fall, an elite team of 30 bomb-sniffing dogs were part of his security entourage. (All in all, it was a pretty cushy assignment: The dogs stayed in 5-star hotels and rode in vehicles tailored to their comfort and safety.)

More remarkable still are vapor-wake dogs. Scientists at Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine have genetically bred and specially trained canines to not only detect stationary bombs or bomb-making materials, but identify and alert their handler to the moving scent of explosive devices and materials left behind in the air, say, as a suicide bomber walked through a crowd -- all without ever tipping off the perpetrator. While not as expensive as some military-trained dogs, the cost of breeding and training these dogs cost is not cheap at around $20,000 each.

Above, U.S. sergeant Matthew Templet and his bomb-sniffing dog Basco search for the explosives in an abandoned house in Haji Ghaffar village during a clearance patrol in Zari district of Kandahar province on Dec. 27, 2010.

BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/Getty Images

The best of the best: U.S. and allied forces have been fighting a losing battle against improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan. In the first eight months of 2010 there were more roadside bombs in Afghanistan than in the same period in 2009.

In October 2010, the Pentagon announced that after six years and $19 billion spent in the attempt to build the ultimate bomb detector technology, dogs were still the most accurate sniffers around. The rate of detection with the Pentagon's fanciest equipment -- drones and aerial detectors -- was a 50 percent success rate, but when a dog was involved it rose 30 percent.

DMITRY KOSTYUKOV/AFP/Getty Images

A canine surge: Over the last two years, there has been an effort to rapidly increase the number IED detection dogs in Afghanistan and Iraq. Currently, the Marine Corps has 170 bomb-sniffing dogs, but has plans to deploy as many as 600 dogs to their program before September 2012. In late 2010 the Marines have also awarded a contract to American K-9 Interdiction for "as much as $35 million" to train and kennel their dogs.

In February, Marine Commandant Gen. James Amos stated that he'd like to see "a dog with every patrol."

Above, U.S. Marines attached to 1st Battalion, 6th regiment, Charlie Company relax with their bomb-sniffing dogs Books and Good one in Huskers camp on the outskirts of Marjah in central Helmand on Jan. 25, 2010.

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Perception ...

Sun, 08 May 2011 11:47:00 -0700

THE SITUATION

In Washington , DC , at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, this man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about 3 minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About 4 minutes later:

The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At 6 minutes:

A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes:

A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

At 45 minutes:

The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

After 1 hour:

He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

In a common-place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made . . .

v1kram's posterous

Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year ...

Long After You Are Gone ...

Finger Monkeys ...

Brilliant visual communication ...

Extreme engineering ...

Fire Waterfall ...

Signs of our time ...

Most expensive saree ...

Parents of the Year ...

Mercedes Bus or House ?!!

How much sex did the characters on Friends really have ?

The Sexual Proclivities of Friends

It happens only in Pakistan ...

Astronaut - 'Picture Mail'

A clearer picture ...

Pencil Sharpener ...

Sky Park - Singapore

The dogs of war ...

There's a reason they brought one to get Osama bin Laden.

BY REBECCA FRANKEL | MAY 4, 2011

Perception ...

The Black Surgeon ...

The joy of Photography ...