Ashok's Blog

Home Built totally with Glass Bottles - Amazing !

2013-06-14T05:00:00.000+05:30

A Few Intriguing Facts about United Kingdom

2013-06-13T05:00:00.000+05:30

World's most expensive motorhome, or call it mobile mansion !

2013-06-12T05:00:00.000+05:30

The world's most expensive motor home has gone on sale in Dubai - covered in gold and worth a cool £2 million.

The space-age eleMMent Palazzo is comes complete with a colossal master bedroom, 40-inch TV, on-board bar, fireplace and even its own rooftop terrace.

The success of the vehicle has been a hit among oil-rich Arab Sheikhs - the state-of-the-art homes even wash themselves after a day's driving through the Middle Eastern desert.

The most impressive piece of luxury is the Sky Lounge - at the press of a button the 40ft home transforms into a personal retreat with pop up cocktail bar, underfloor heating and extravagant marble lighting.

The master bedroom has a 40 inch TV, with warm water floor heating system and full air conditioning.

The private jet on wheels is designed to cater for businessmen on the road, wealthy families on their travels or global superstars on tour.

The extended living area has an integrated kitchen area including a freezer, refrigerator, dishwasher, lift oven, sink, cook top, a built-in coffee machine and ice-maker.

Retractable steps emerge from the impressive vehicle to allow passengers on to the mobile home - the steps are eve lined with a red carpet.

The caravan also has a barbecue grill station, an 80 litre stainless steel fridge, and a 40-inch all-weather proofed full HD TV and speaker system.

Classic Exercises On Lateral Thinking

2013-06-06T05:00:00.000+05:30

QUESTIONS:

1. There is a man who lives on the top floor of a very tall building. Everyday he gets the elevator down to the ground floor to leave the building to go to work. Upon returning from work though, he can only travel half way up in the lift and has to walk the rest of the way unless it's raining! Why?

This is probably the best known and most celebrated of all lateral thinking puzzles. It is a true classic. Although there are many possible solutions which fit the initial conditions, only the canonical answer is truly satisfying.

2. A man and his son are in a car accident. The father dies on the scene, but the child is rushed to the hospital. When he arrives the surgeon says, "I can't operate on this boy, he is my son!" How can this be?

3. A man is wearing black. Black shoes, socks, trousers, coat, gloves and ski mask. He is walking down a back street with all the street lamps off. A black car is coming towards him with its light off but somehow manages to stop in time. How did the driver see the man?

4. One day Kerry celebrated her birthday. Two days later her older twin brother, Terry, celebrated his birthday. How?

5.. Why is it better to have round manhole covers than square ones? This is logical rather than lateral, but it is a good puzzle that can be solved by lateral thinking techniques. It is supposedly used by a very well-known software company as an interview question for prospective employees.

6. A man went to a party and drank some of the punch. He then left early. Everyone else at the party who drank the punch subsequently died of poisoning. Why did the man not die?

7. This is an unusual paragraph. I'm curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out.

8. A woman had two sons who were born on the same hour of the same day of the same year. But they were not twins. How could this be so?

9. A man walks into a bar and asks the barman for a glass of water. The barman pulls out a gun and points it at the man. The man says 'Thank you' and walks out. This puzzle claims to be the best of the genre. It is simple in its statement, absolutely baffling and yet with a completely satisfying solution. Most people struggle very hard to solve this one yet they like the answer when they hear it or have the satisfaction of figuring it out.

10. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?

11. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?

12. There are two plastic jugs filled with water. How could you put all of this water into a barrel, without using the jugs or any dividers, and still tell which water came from which jug?

13. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?

14. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday? (or day names in any other language)

SOLUTIONS:

1. The man is very, very short and can only reach halfway up the elevator buttons. However, if it is raining then he will have his umbrella with him and can press the higher buttons with it.

2. The surgeon was his mother.

3. It was day time.

4. At the time she went into labor, the mother of the twins was traveling by ship. The older twin, Terry, was born first early on March 1st. The ship then crossed a time zone and Kerry, the younger twin, was born on February the 28th. Therefore, the younger twin celebrates her birthday two days before her older brother.

5. A square manhole cover can be turned and dropped down the diagonal of the manhole. A round manhole cannot be dropped down the manhole. So for safety and practicality, all manhole covers should be round.

6. The poison in the punch came from the ice cubes. When the man drank the punch, the ice was fully frozen. Gradually it melted, poisoning the punch.

7. The letter "e," which is the most common letter in the English language, does not appear once in the long paragraph.

8. They were two of a set of triplets (or quadruplets, etc.). This puzzle stumps many people. They try outlandish solutions involving test-tube babies or surrogate mothers. Why does the brain search for complex solutions when there is a much simpler one available?

9. The man had hiccups. The barman recognized this from his speech and drew the gun in order to give him a shock. It worked and cured the hiccups--so the man no longer needed the water. The is a simple puzzle to state but a difficult one to solve. It is a perfect example of a seemingly irrational and incongruous situation having a simple and complete explanation. Amazingly this classic puzzle seems to work in different cultures and languages.

10. The third. Lions that haven't eaten in three years are dead.

11. The woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it, and hung it up to dry.

12. Freeze them first. Take them out of the jugs and put the ice in the barrel. You will be able to tell which water came from which jug.

13. The answer is Charcoal.

14. Sure you can: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow!

ALTERNATE SOLUTIONS:

4. Because one of them did not necessarily celebrate their birthday on the day they were born, but celebrated later or earlier. Much simpler than having Mom giving birth while crossing the International Date Line and tossing in a Leap Year and the like. Needlessly complicated.

6. Because he was the one who put the poison in the punch. Of course he wouldn't drink any *after* he poisoned it. Who goes to the effort of making poison ice cubes, except Bond villains and those bad guys in the "Encyclopedia Brown" mystery stories we read in elementary school?

8. Because they were adopted. It's a coincidence they were born on the same exact day. OK, so Occam's Razor could be applied equally to both solutions...

Some Funy Signboards and Billboards

2013-06-05T04:30:00.000+05:30

Giant Objects Used for Advertisement

2013-06-01T04:00:00.000+05:30

If you are walking down the street and see a huge tennis racket or a massive soccer ball on top of a crushed car wouldn't you take notice? These unique and eye catching ads might be the most effective for make space of their brands into the minds of the people.

Negotiation Skills (Joke)

2013-05-31T04:00:00.000+05:30

The top marketing director of Nescafe manages to arrange a meeting with the Pope at the Vatican.

After receiving the Papal blessing, the Nescafe official whispers, 'Your Eminence, I have some business to discuss. We at Nescafe have an offer for you. Nescafe is prepared to donate $100 million to the church. If you change the Lord's Prayer from 'give us this day our daily bread' to 'give us this day our daily coffee'."

The Pope looks outraged and thunders, "That is impossible. The Prayer is the word of the Lord, It must not be changed. " Well," says the Nescafe man somewhat chastened, "We anticipated your reluctance.

For this reason, and the importance of the Lord's Prayer to all Catholics, we will increase our offer to $300 million. All we require is that you change the Lord's Prayer from 'Give us this day our daily bread' to Give us this day our daily coffee'."

Again, even more sternly, the Pope replies, "That, my son is impossible. For the prayer is the word of the Lord and it must not be changed."

Finally, the Nescafe director says, "Your Holiness, we at Nescafe respect your adherence to your faith, we realise that tradition is essential to your beliefs, we fully understand the importance of the word of the Lord, but we do have one final offer. Please discuss it with your cardinals. We will donate $500 million to the great Catholic church if you would only change the Lord's Prayer from 'Give us this day our daily bread' to 'give us this day our daily coffee'. Please, please consider it." And he leaves.

The next day the Pope convenes the College of Cardinals.

"There is some Good news," he announces, "and some bad news...... The good news is, he continues to a hushed assembly, ' that the Church will get $ 500 million."

"And what is the bad news, your Holiness?" asks a Cardinal.

"Sadly" continues the Pope...

We would have to lose the Britannia account and go on with the Nestle!

Waitomo Glowworm Caves

2013-05-19T20:31:00.000+05:30

The Waitomo Glowworm Caves attraction is a cave at Waitomo on the North Island of New Zealand, known for its population of glowworms, Arachnocampa luminosa. These glowworms are found exclusively in New Zealand and are around the size of an average mosquito. This cave is part of the Waitomo Caves system that includes the Ruakuri Cave and the Aranui Cave.

The attraction has a modern visitor centre at the entrance, largely designed in wood. There are organized tours that include a boat ride under the glowworms.

Crocodile Crazy

2013-04-18T03:30:00.000+05:30

Known as the 'Crocodile Man', Costa Rican animal lover 'Chito' swims, plays and even feeds 'Pocho' the giant crocodile in what is one of the world's most unlikely friendships.

Wading chest-deep through the green water in a 100 sq/m lake in Siquirres, this bizarre and dangerous spectacle draws tourists from around the world.Calling quietly for his five metre long 'companion' before thrashing around, lifting his tail and head above the water. The bizarre friendship began nearly 20 years ago when Chito rescued the 980-pound crocodile after finding him close to death on the shore of the Parismina River, in the Caribbean province of Limsn.

'After 10 years I started to work with him,' he says. 'At first it was slow, slow and I started to play with him a little, touching him a little bit and then slowly doing more. Then I found that when I called his name he would come over to me.' Today tourists travel from all over the world to see the unusual spectacle.

World's Tallest Mohawk - Guinness Record

2013-04-16T03:30:00.000+05:30

Japanese fashion designer Kazuhiro Watanabe holds the world record for the "Tallest Mohawk." According to the Guinness World Records, Watanabe's outsized do stands at 3 feet 8.6 inches. He says it took 15 years to grow it out.

Psychologist and Lawyer in Library (joke)

2013-04-13T18:00:00.000+05:30

A guy asks a girl in a library; Do you mind if I sit beside you?

The girl answered with a loud voice; I DON'T WANT TO SPEND THE NIGHT WITH YOU!.

All the students in the library started staring at the guy and he was embarrassed.

After a couple of minutes, the girl walked quietly to the guy's table and said, 'I study psychology and I know
what a man is thinking, I guess you felt embarrassed right?'

The guy responded with a loud voice: What??? $200 JUST FOR ONE NIGHT!? THAT'S TOO MUCH!
...And now all the people in the library looked at the girl in shock.

Then, the guy whispered in her ears, 'I study Law and I know how to make others feel guilty'.

The World's Largest Cigar worth 200,000 Dollars

2013-04-13T03:00:00.000+05:30

Juan Panesso has had a lot of strange requests over the years he's managed his online cigar store-- but a 20-foot long stogie with a $200,000 price tag was easily the strangest. And the most stressful.

Middle East's first Super Car

2013-02-14T07:43:00.000+05:30

Supercars are a common sight in some parts of the Middle East, but until now, that region of the world has gone without an exotic of its own. Enter the Lykan Hypersport, an ultra-exclusive ride from Dubai-based startup W Motors. The upcoming car is said to accelerate from 0-62 mph in 2.8 seconds and offer Lamborghini-rivaling style for $3.4 million, according to WardsAuto.

Portrait with 750 Pairs of Socks

2012-04-28T04:26:00.001+05:30

Shanghai-based artist Hong Yi, aka Red known for her unconventional painting materials and methods is back with a portrait of famous Chinese film director Yimou Zhang made of socks. The large-scale monochromatic sock portrait is held together with pins and propped up with bamboo sticks. Using 750 pairs of socks, adding shadow and depth with a black, white, and gray scheme, the artist reproduces the face of one of her favorite directors over the course of three tireless weeks.

Red attributes the reasons for her medium of choice (this time around) to the inspiration she found from a tiny alleyway she came across when she first settled in Shanghai. There were clotheslines made of bamboo sticks hanging various articles of clothing above this fairly narrow path. It surprised her to see such a traditional slice of life in a big and bustling city.

Through her medium inspiration she found a connection to Zhang, who is known to incorporate bamboo sticks into his period films (Hero, House of Flying Daggers, Curse of the Golden Flower) as well as the Beijing 2008 Olympics opening ceremony. Rather than creating the portrait with t-shirts to echo the hanging laundry, she opted to use socks because they were smaller and more cost effective. We're constantly amazed by Red's innovative expressions and can't wait to see what she has coming up!

The Snack Stadiums

2012-04-09T00:39:00.001+05:30

The Snack Stadium. It's fast becoming a Superbowl tradition for parties all over America, and for good reason. Football, beers, and mountains of food are meant to be together... always... And what better way of kicking off that party with enough food to sink a small boat?

New facts that can make your jaw drop !

2012-03-24T22:14:00.001+05:30

01. If you are struck by lightning, your skin will be heated to 28,000 degrees Centigrade, hotter than the surface of the Sun.

02. If you trace your family tree back 25 generations, you will have 33,554,432 direct ancestors – assuming no incest was involved.

03. The average distance between the stars in the sky is 20 million miles.

04. It would take a modern spaceship 70,000 years to get to the nearest star to earth.

05. An asteroid wiped out every single dinosaur in the world, but not a single species of toad or salamander was affected. No one knows why, nor why the crocodiles and tortoises survived.

06. If you dug a well to the centre of the Earth, and dropped a brick in it, it would take 45 minutes to get to the bottom – 4,000 miles down.

07. Your body sheds 10 billion flakes of skin every day.

08. The Earth weighs 6,500 million million million tons.

09. Honey is the only food consumed by humans that doesn’t go off.

10. The Hawaiian alphabet has only 12 letters.

11. A donkey can sink into quicksand but a mule can’t.

12. Every time you sneeze your heart stops a second.

13. There are 22 miles more canals in Birmingham UK than in Venice.

14. Potato crisps were invented by a Mr Crumm.

15. Facetious and abstemious contain all the vowels in their correct order.

16. Eskimoes have hundreds of words for snow but none for hello.

17. The word “set” has the most definitions in the English language.

18. The only 15 letter word that can be spelled without repeating its letters is uncopyrightable.

19. Windmills always turn counter-clockwise.

20. The “Sixth Sick Sheik’s Sixth Sheep’s Sick” is the hardest tongue-twister.

21. The longest English word without a vowel is twyndyllyngs which means "twins".

22. 1 x 8 + 1 = 9; 12 x 8 + 2 = 98; 123 x 8 + 3 = 987; 1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876; 12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765; 123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654; 1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543; 12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432; 123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

23. The word "dreamt" is the only common word in the English language that ends in "mt".

24. Albert Einstein never wore any socks.

25. The average human will eat 8 spiders while asleep in their lifetime.

Life Cycle of Gym (funny but true!)

2012-03-11T00:00:00.000+05:30

The 7 Stages of Going to the Gym' where discovery (that you're fat) in stage one eventually leads you right back to the first stage... where you're still fat.

Friendliest Crocodiles of Paga Ponds in Ghana

2012-03-09T04:54:00.000+05:30

Forty kilometres (about 25 miles) from Bolgatanga, along the Burkina Faso border, is Paga, home to the sacred crocodile ponds. These are purportedly the friendliest crocodiles in Ghana, and it is said that the souls of the royal family reside in them. The crocodiles roam freely throughout the ponds and it is unthinkable that anyone should harm them.

Just for laugh gags ! !

2012-02-09T05:30:00.000+05:30

Most Expensive Books In The World

2012-01-28T18:49:00.001+05:30

01. "Leicester Code," Leonardo da Vinci (The Codex Leicester, Leonardo da Vinci)

$ 30.8 million in 1994, the auction Christies ($ 44,6 million in current prices *).

Notebook entries by Leonardo da Vinci, made during his life in Milan in 1506-1510, respectively. The manuscript consists of 18 sheets of paper covered on both sides and folded in such a way that together they formed a 72-page book. Leonardo notes written in a special way, his own "mirror" type - they can be read only by means of a mirror. Entries are devoted to various events, mused about the nature of which Leonardo: why the moon is shining, why and how the water flows in rivers, where are the fossils of which are minerals and so on. Notebook also contains a large number of mathematical calculations, diagrams and drawings. "Leicester" code was named after the Earl of Leicester, who bought the manuscript in 1717. In 1980, the book's heirs Lester bought the famous industrialist, collector and friend of the Soviet Armand Hammer, after which he served for a short period called the "Code Hammer» (Codex Hammer). After his death in 1994 the code was put up for auction, in which was acquired by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and he regularly exhibited in museums in the picture.

02. "Gospel of Henry the Lion"

$ 12.4 million in 1983, the auction Sothebys ($ 26,7 million in current prices).

The manuscript includes the four Gospels, has 226 pages, decorated in a unique style of the monks and novices Helmarshauzen Benedictine abbey. After the death of Henry the Lion manuscript was long considered lost. In the XIX century it was discovered in Prague, in 1861 it was purchased by George V, King of Hanover, which is considered the founder of Henry the Lion. Five years later, George V was deposed and fled to Austria, and among other things, took with him the manuscript. Next, trace the relics was again lost, but in 1983 an unknown seller put "The Gospel of Henry the Lion," at auction house Sothebys. During the auction, its owner has become Germany - participated in the financing of the purchase federal government, the governments of Bavaria and Lower Saxony, as well as fund "Prussian Cultural Heritage." In the present manuscript in the library named after the Duke August in Wolfenbüttel (Germany).

03. "Birds of America", John James Audubon (The Birds of America, John James Audubon)

$ 8.8 million in 2000, the auction Christies ($ 11 million in current prices).

Its first edition was printed in the United States in 1827-1838, respectively, during this time it was released only about 200 copies printed in giant format, which he called the Audubon «double elephant folio »- each page has 50 inches (127 cm) in height. Full copy of" Birds of America "includes 435 hand-painted prints of engravings size of 90 to 60 cm, on which birds are depicted life-size. It is now known about the existence of 119 total copies of "Birds of America", 108 of them are stored in museums around the world and only 11 - in private collections. On the market these books come very rarely, and every such case the collectors of books regard as a sensation.

04. "Canterbury Tales", Geoffrey Chaucer (The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer).

$ 7.5 million in 1998, the auction Christies ($ 9,9 million in current prices).

Unique instance of the first edition of "Canterbury Tales" Geoffrey Chaucer, "father of English poetry," and one of the founders of English literature. The book was published in 1477 in the British pioneer printer William Caxton at Westminster Abbey. So far, only 12 survived the first edition known copies, of which only exhibited at Christies book is in a private collection. The book rich in its own story: her first appearance at auction belongs to the year 1776, when it was sold at Christies. In 1998, the book became the property of the London booksellers.

05. "Duke of Northumberland Bestiary» (The Northumberland Bestiar)

$ 5.85 million in 1990, the auction Sothebys ($ 9,6 million in current prices).

English bestiaries like the world was kept not more than 40, and they rarely come onto the market. As explained by experts at home Sothebys in 1990, before the bestiary was last auctioned in 1889. In addition, a copy of the Duke of Northumberland - the latter remained in private hands, and not in a museum collection.

06. Gutenberg Bible (The Gutenberg Bible)

$ 5.4 million in 1987, the auction Christies ($ 10,2 at current prices).

A unique copy of the Bible pioneer Johannes Gutenberg, the oldest extant book printed with movable type of the set. And it was her 42-line version of the format in folio (there is a later 36-line version, known as the Bamberg Bible). 42-line-known among bibliophiles Bible as the "Mazarin Bible", by the name of the cardinal and the first French minister Giulio Mazarin, in the securities of which in 1760 was first detected by the first copy of this Bible. According to the Museum of Gutenberg's just the beginning of the 1450-ies were printed about 180 copies of a 42-line-the Bible, of which survived to our day 48, including 21 - complete. Sold at Christies in 1987 Bible - is incomplete, it is only the first volume. Buyer was a Japanese Maruzen Corporation. Currently, this copy is kept in the library of Keio University.

07. "First Folio: comedy, tragedy and Chronicle," by William Shakespeare (William Shakespeares First Folio: Comedies, Histories and Tragedies).
$ 5.2 million in 2006, the auction Sothebys ($ 5,5 million in current prices).

A copy of the first edition of the plays of William Shakespeare, published in 1623 by John and Henry Kondelom Hemet, participants Shakespearean troupe. "First Folio" - accepted among bibliophiles term to refer to the book, its full name - "Mr. William Shakespeare's comedy chronicles the tragedy. Printed with accurate and authentic texts. " The "First Folio" included 36 of Shakespeare's plays, almost all his plays, with the exception of "Pericles" and "Two notable relatives." So far, only 40 survived complete copies of the first edition of which in private hands are only two, including sold at Sothebys.

08. "On fruit trees," Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau (Traite des Arbres Fruitiers, Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau).

$ 4.5 million in 2006, Pierre Berge auction & Associes (Brussels) ($ 4.8 million at current prices).

A Treatise on the fruit trees the French physicist, chemist, agronomist, a member of the Academy of Sciences, Henri Louis Duhamel du Monceau (1700-1782). Beautifully designed two-volume illustrated by a number of famous artists of the period, representing 16 species of fruit trees, their fruits, leaves, seeds and fruit. This copy of the book was once bought a personal library of King Louis XV, for which it was printed in a particularly splendid form, with a gilt cover.

09. "Geography" ("Cosmography"), Ptolemy (Ptolemys «Geographia» (aka «Cosmographia»).

$ 3.99 million in 2006, Sothebys ($ 4,3 million in current prices).

A rare instance of the world's first printed atlas, printed in 1477 in Bologna, Italy on samples of maps of the ancient Greek astronomer, mathematician and geographer Claudius Ptolemy 150 BC.

10. The Hebrew Bible (Hebrew Bible)

$ 3.18 million in 1989, Sothebys ($ 5,5 million in current prices).

In content, almost matches the Christian Old Testament. This copy is created in Babylon in the IX-X centuries AD. It is one of the oldest and most valuable manuscript of the Hebrew language.

10 Rarest Flowers in the World

2012-01-14T05:39:00.004+05:30

When spring is in full swing, there is no denying how beautiful the world looks. The trees get new leaves and with them come an array of colorful flowers. Here are the list of rare, endangered and in some cases extinct in the wild flowers. The reason most of these carry the title of rare, is because humans do not have the ability to work in perfect harmony with nature. Regardless of what drove them to become rarities, the following plants are far and few between, and having the opportunity to see one for yourself should be a celebrated occurrence.

10. Jade Vine - Strongylodon macrobotrys

The jade vine is a rare woody vine native to the tropical rainforests of the Philippines. It is a member of the pea and bean family and is closely related to kidney beans. The plant carries claw shaped flowers which grow from hanging trusses; they can reach up to three meters in length. The flower's color can vary from blue green to mint green. The species has proven extremely difficult to propagate, and is considered an endangered species due to the destruction of its habitat and a decrease in natural pollinators.

9. Corpse Flower - Rafflesia arnoldii

This fascinating flower is found mainly in low lying tropical rainforests of Indonesia. This is one of the world's rarest, most endangered and largest flowers and it can reach a total width of over a meter. The Rafflesia's survival is totally dependent on a specific vine called the Tetrastigma vine. As the Rafflesia is a bodiless, stemless, leafless, rootless parasite, it requires the vine for nourishment and support. It is also a carrion plant, which means that it releases a pungent rotten flesh smell when in bloom to attract flies and carrion beetles to aid in pollination. Once in bloom, the flower will only last about a week before dying.

8. Gibraltar Campion - Silene tomentosa

This species of Campion is particularly rare and is only found on the high cliffs of Gibraltar. This plant was believed extinct by the entire scientific community outside Gibraltar in the 1980s but the Gibraltar botanical section knew there were a few specimens left. Sadly, by 1992 all traces of the plant had vanished and it was declared extinct. In 1994 a single specimen was discovered by a climber on the inaccessible cliffs and the species came back to life. It was propagated at the millennium seed bank and specimens are grown at The Almeda Gibraltar Botanic Gardens as well as the Royal Botanic Gardens in London.

7. Franklin Tree - Franklinia alatamaha

This tree is a part of the tea family but is the sole species in its genus and a very rare flowering plant. The tree is native to the Altamaha river valley in Georgia, but has been extinct in the wild since the early 19th century. In fact this beautiful tree is only known today because of the Bartram family, who were avid horticulturists and propagated the tree before its extinction in the wild. The plant, which has fragrant white blooms and leaves that turn into a bright red color in fall, is now a popular ornamental plant. All the examples of this tree today stem from one of the trees propagated by the Bartram's.

6. Parrot's Beak - Lotus berthelotii

This is a beautiful flower that has been classed as exceedingly rare since 1884. It is believed to be completely extinct in the wild, but a few individuals might have survived. This stunning plant is endemic to the Canary Islands and is believed to have originally been pollinated by sunbirds, which have long since become extinct in the Canary Islands. This could help to explain the scarcity of the plant. Experiments have been undertaken to find new pollinators for the flowers, in hopes that they can successfully be reintroduced to the Islands, but as of 2008, no fruit had been successfully produced. The Parrot's beak is however cultivated in the horticulture trade, which can allow even you to own one!

5. Chocolate Cosmos - Cosmos atrosanguineus

This is a dark red to brown species of Cosmos, native to Mexico. Sadly it has been extinct in the wild for over a hundred years. The species survives today as a single non fertile clone, which was created in 1902 by vegetative propagation. The flowers which are produced by the plant are a rich deep red to brown color and grow to about 3-4 cm in diameter. The flowers have a lovely vanillin fragrance in the summer (also found in vanilla beans, some coffee beans and some cacao beans), which also makes it a wonderful ornamental plant.

4. Kokai - Kokai cookei

This is an extremely rare tree, endemic to Hawaii. It was discovered in 1860, at which time only three specimens could be found. The tree proved difficult to propagate, and by 1950, after the last seedling died, it was deemed extinct. In 1970 a sole survivor was found, which was sadly destroyed in a fire in 1978. Luckily one of the branches of that last remaining tree was saved, and grafted into 23 trees that exist today, all of which are situated in various places in Hawaii. The Kokai is a small tree that grows to about 10-11 meters high. Their most striking feature has to be the hundreds of bright red flowers that mature trees produce annually. Sadly that is a rarity which few will be privileged to see.

3. Yellow and Purple Lady Slippers - Cypripedium calceolus

This is an extremely rare type of wild orchid found across Europe. Britain's only example of this plant, which used to be more common and widespread, can be found on a golf course and has been under strict police protection since 1917. A single cutting can be sold for US$5000, which is shocking as the plant is very difficult to propagate. Its seeds bear no nourishment for the growing plant, so it lives in a symbiotic relationship with a specific type of fungus, which provides it with nourishment, until the adult leaves can produce enough nourishment for the plant, at which time the fungus will also live off it. There are many types of Lady slipper orchids, many of which are rare. This specific type, has dark purple to almost red brown tendrils with a bright yellow slipper or moccasin.

2. Ghost Orchid - Epipogium aphyllum

The Ghost orchid is a fascinating rare plant that was presumed extinct for almost 20 years, only recently did it rear its head again. The plant is so rare because it is basically impossible to propagate. It has no leaves, does not depend on photosynthesis and does not manufacture its own food. Like the Lady slipper, it needs a specific fungus in close contact with its root system, which feeds it. The Ghost orchid never grows leaves, and will therefore always depend on the fungus for its nourishment. The Ghost orchid can live underground for years, without showing any external signs and will only bloom when all conditions are optimum. This explains why some orchid enthusiasts search for years and years just to have a glimpse of this elusive flower.

1. Middlemist Red - Middlemist camellia

This is probably the rarest flowering plant in the world as there are only 2 known examples. One can be found in a garden in New Zealand and the other is situated in a greenhouse in Britain. The plant was originally brought to Britain from China by John Middlemist (after whom the plant was named) in 1804. It has since been completely wiped out in China. The plant in Britain remained barren for years and only started bearing flowers recently. The flowers are, contrary to its name, bright pink in color and look almost rose like. It is believed to be highly possible that more examples of this species has survived in people's gardens, unbeknown to them, as it was once sold directly to the public by John Middlemist.

Unanswered Questions

2012-01-06T18:01:00.000+05:30

If all the nations in the world are in debt (am not joking. even US has got debts), where did all the money go? (weird)

When dog food is new and improved tasting, who tests it? (to be given a thought)

What is the speed of darkness? (absurd)

If the black box flight recorder is never damaged during a plane crash, why isn't the whole airplane made out of that stuff? (very good thinking)

Who copyrighted the copyright symbol? (who knows)
Can you cry under water? (let me try)

Why do people say, "you've been working like a dog" when dogs just sit around all day? (did they mean something else)

Why are the numbers on a calculator and a phone reversed? (God knows)
Do fish ever get thirsty? (let me ask and tell)

Can you get cornered in a round room? (by ones eyes)

Why do birds not fall out of trees when they sleep? (tonight i will stay and watch)

What came first, the fruit or the color orange? (seed)

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from? (No comments)

What should one call a male ladybird? (No comments)

If a person suffered from amnesia and then was cured would they remember that they forgot? (can somebody help)

Can you blow a balloon up under water? (yes u can)

Why is it called a 'building' when it is already built? (strange isn't it)

If you were traveling at the speed of sound and you turned on your radio would you be able to hear it? (got to think scientifically)

If you're traveling at the speed of light and you turn your headlights on, what happens? (i don't have a chance to try)

Why is it called a TV set when there is only one? (very nice)

If a person owns a piece of land do they own it all the way down to the core of the earth? (this is nice)

Why do most cars have speedometers that go up to at least 130 when you legally can't go that fast on any road? (stupid, break the law)

Coffee Bean Art

2011-12-30T23:44:00.000+05:30

You must've seen a lot of pictures of coffee artwork, with interesting and beautiful images on foam in the cup of coffee, but I guess you’ve never seen any of this kind of art. You can also make something interesting with coffee beans, so next time before you grind them, try to make something funny – use this article if you lack inspiration!

Global Seed Vault in Norway

2011-12-24T04:42:00.001+05:30

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault (Norwegian: Svalbard globale frøhvelv) is a secure seedbank located on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen near the town of Longyearbyen in the remote Arctic Svalbard archipelago, about 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) from the North Pole. The facility preserves a wide variety of plant seeds in an underground cavern. The seeds are duplicate samples, or "spare" copies, of seeds held in gene banks worldwide. The seed vault will provide insurance against the loss of seeds in genebanks, as well as a refuge for seeds in the case of large-scale regional or global crises. The seed vault is managed under terms spelled out in a tripartite agreement between the Norwegian government, the Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT) and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen).

Construction of the seed vault, which cost approximately NOK 45 million (US$9 million), was funded entirely by the Government of Norway. Storage of seeds in the seed vault is free of charge. Operational costs will be paid by Norway and the Global Crop Diversity Trust. Primary funding for the Trust comes from organisations, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and from various governments worldwide. (link)

Facts About McDonald's That Will Blow Your Mind

2011-12-04T03:47:00.001+05:30

In 1992 when Rutgers professor Benjamin Barber coined the term "McWorld," there were 12,700 McDonald's worldwide. Today there are over 33,000.

The relentless spread of McDonald's over the past 61 years is an incredible business success story. In some markets the burger chain is just getting started, with plans to open 200 stores in China this year.

McDonald's serves 1% of the world's population every day

McDonald's sells more than 75 hamburgers every second

McDonald's' $24 billion in revenue makes it the 90th-largest economy in the world

Counting $32 billion in revenue from franchise stores, McDonald's claims the 68th biggest economy, bigger than Ecuador

McDonald's hires around 1 million workers in the US every year

This estimate from Fast Food Nation assumes a 700,000 domestic workforce with 150% turnover rate.

According to company estimates, one in every eight American workers has been employed by McDonald's some time

McDonald's is the world's largest distributor of toys, with one included in 20% of all sales

McDonald's' iconic golden arches are recognized by more people than the cross

A survey by Sponsorship Research International found that 88 percent could identify the arches and only 54 percent could name the Christian cross, according to Fast Food Nation.

The Queen of England owns a McDonald's near Buckingham Palace as part of her vast real estate portfolio

For the next three years, McDonald's is going to open one restaurant every day in China

McDonald's delivers in 18 countries!

Americans alone consume one billion pounds of beef at McDonald's in a year - five and a half million cattle