HUNTING CROCODILES

A crocodile is any species belonging to the family Crocodylidae. The term can also be used more loosely to include all members of the order Crocodilia: i.e. the true crocodiles, the alligators and caimans (family Alligatoridae) and the gharials (family Gavialidae), or even the Crocodylomorpha which includes prehistoric crocodile relatives and ancestors.They are an ancient lineage, and are believed to have changed little since the time of the dinosaurs. They are believed to be 200 million years old whereas dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago; crocodiles survived great extinction eventss.
Crocodiles are among the more biologically complex reptiles despite their prehistoric look. Unlike other reptiles, they have a cerebral cortex; a four-chambered heart; and the functional equivalent of a diaphragm, by incorporating muscles used for aquatic locomotion into respirationCrocodiles have a palatal flap, a rigid tissue at the back of the mouth that blocks the entry of water. The palate has a special path from the nostril to the glottis that bypasses the mouth. The nostrils are closed during submergence.Their tongues are not free but held in place by a membrane which limits movement; as a result, crocodiles are unable to stick out their tongues.Crocodilian scales have pores that are believed to be sensory, analogous to the lateral line in fishes. They are particularly seen on their upper and lower jaws. Another possibility is that they are secretory, as they produce an oily substance that appears to flush mud off.Crocodiles are very fast over short distances, even out of water. Since crocodiles feed by grabbing and holding onto their prey, they have evolved sharp teeth for tearing and holding onto flesh, and powerful muscles that close the jaws and hold them shut. These jaws can bite down with immense force, by far the strongest bite of any animal. The crocodile's bite force is more than 5,000 pounds per square inchcompared to just 335 pounds per square inch (22.8 atm) for a rottweiler, 400 pounds per square inch (27 atm) for a large great white shark, or 800 pounds per square inch (54 atm) to 1,000 pounds per square inch (68 atm) for a hyena.

Biology and behavior :

Crocodiles are ambush hunters, waiting for fish or land animals to come close, then rushing out to attack. As cold-blooded predators, they have a very slow metabolism, and thus can survive long periods without food. Despite their appearance of being slow, crocodiles are top predators in their environment, and various species have been observed attacking and killing sharks.
A famous exception is the Egyptian Plover which is said to enjoy a symbiotic relationship with the crocodile. According to unauthenticated reports, the plover feeds on parasites that infest the crocodile's mouth and the reptile will open its jaws and allow the bird to enter to clean out the mouth.Crocodiles do not have sweat glands and release heat through their mouths. They often sleep with their mouths open and may even pant like a dog.

Age :

There is no reliable way of measuring crocodile age, although several techniques are used to derive a reasonable guess. The most common method is to measure lamellar growth rings in bones and teeth—each ring corresponds to a change in growth rate which typically occurs once a year between dry and wet seasons.
Bearing these inaccuracies in mind, the oldest crocodilians appear to be the largest species. C. porosus is estimated to live around 70 years on average, and there is limited evidence that some individuals may exceed 100 years. One of the oldest crocodiles recorded died in a zoo in Russia. A male freshwater crocodile at the Australia Zoo is estimated to be 130 years old. He was rescued from the wild by Bob Irwin and Steve Irwin after being shot twice by hunters. As a result of the shootings, this crocodile has lost his right eye.

Skin :

Crocodiles have and armoured skin on top and more smooth skin on the bottom. The smooth skin at the bottom is used to slide on the muddy surfaces of the river banks. The armoured part of the skin is used for protection. They are still able to get heat through this thick rugged armour. They have a network of small capillaries that flow through these scales to get heat to these places.

INDIAN CLASSICAL DANCE

Bharatanatyam (Tamil: பரதநாட்டியம்) is a classical Indian dance form originating in Tamil Nadu, India. One of the oldest of the classical dance forms in India, it is also known as the fifth Veda. Bharatanatyam is usually accompanied by the classical music. It has its inspirations from the sculptures of the ancient temple of Chidambaram. Bharatanatyam, as the name depicts is the combination of: BHA- Bhava (Expression), RA- Raga (Music) and TA- Tala (Rhythm) Bharatanatyam is a traditional dance-form known for its grace, purity, tenderness, and sculpturesque poses. Today, it is one of the most popular and widely performed dance styles and is practiced by many dancers all over the world.
Many of the ancient sculptures in Hindu temples are based on Bharata Natyam dance postures karanas. In fact, it is the celestial dancers, apsara's, who are depicted in many scriptures dancing the heavenly version of what is known on earth as Bharatanatyam. In the most essential sense, a Hindu deity is a revered royal guest in his temple/abode, to be offered the "sixteen hospitalities" - among which are music and dance, pleasing to the senses. Thus, many Hindu temples traditionally maintained complements of trained musicians and dancers, as did Indian rulers.

Other aspects:

* Jewelry - Bharatanatyam dancers wear a unique set of jewelry known as "Temple Jewelry" during the performance.
* Costume - From the ancient texts and sculptures, one can see that the original costume did not cover most of the dancers' bodies. The medieval times, with the puritanistic drive, caused the devadasis to wear a special, heavy saree that severely restricted the dance movements. There are several varieties of Bharatanatyam costumes, some of which do not restrict the dancer's movements, while the others do. The modern costumes are deeply symbolic, as their purpose is to project the dancer's sukshma sharira (cf.aura), in the material world.
* Music - The accompanying music is in the Carnatic style of South India.
* Ensemble - Mostly, South Indian instruments are used in the ensemble. These include, the mridangam (drum), nagaswaram (long pipe horn made from a black wood), the flute, violin and veena (stringed instrument traditionally associated with Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of the arts and learning).
* Languages - Tamil, Telugu and Kannada are traditionally used in Bharatanatyam.

Ideal qualities of dancers:

A professional Bharatanatyam dancer must demonstrate a number of qualities. As Sangitaratnakara puts it, the true dance is connected to the beauty of the body, therefore any other dance is simply a parody.

The AbhinayaDarpana has a sloka that describes Patra Prana Dasha Smrutaha - the ten essentials of the dancer: Javaha (Agility), Sthirathvam (Steadiness), Rekha (graceful lines), Bhramari(balance in pirouettes), Drishti (glance), Shramaha (hard work), Medha (intelligence), Shraddha(devotion), Vacho (good speech), and Geetam (singing ability).

AMAZING HOTELS OF THE WORLD

Unbelievable isn't it but its true these are the amazing hotels of the world...... in places like Dubai, London, China and more. Its looking great with its nature of pure fresh smell & keeping us very peaceful all day without the traffic, pollution, noise, crowd etc., Hope we all like those atmosphere more isn't it stop dreaming and come on let us start packing to go there and enjoy everything.......

CHEAPER SPACE RIDE

In a Hollywood-style roolout, British billionaire Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic on Monday took the cloak off SpaceshipTwo, after two years of secret development in the Mojave Desert. The sleek, bullet-Shaped spacescraft is about the size of a large business jet - with wide windows and seats for six well-heeled passengers to take a thrill ride into space.
The company plans to sell suborbital space rides for $200,000 a ticket, offering passengers 2-hours flights that include about five minutes of weightlessness.
"Isn't this sexist spaceship ever?" said Sir Richard Branson, the Virgin Galactic founder who partnered with aviation designer Burt Rutan on the venture, as SpaceShipTwo glided down a runaway mated to its mothership, WhiteKnightTwo. SpaceShipTwo will be carried aloft by White Knight Two & released at 50,000 feet. The craft that uses Rocket ingine that climb more than 65 killometers above the Earth's surface. After reaching the top of its trajectory, the craft will fall back to the atmosphere & glide to a landing like a aeroplane.

LIGHTS ARE ALSO POLLUTION

Light pollution, also known as photopollution or luminous pollution, is excessive or obtrusive artificial light. The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), "The Light Pollution Authority,"defines light pollution as:

“ Any adverse effect of artificial light including sky glow, glare, light trespass, light clutter, decreased visibility at night, and energy waste. ”

It obscures the stars in the night sky for city dwellers, interferes with astronomical observatories, and, like any other form of pollution, disrupts ecosystems and has adverse health effects. Light pollution can be divided into two main types: 1) annoying light that intrudes on an otherwise natural or low-light setting and 2) excessive light (generally indoors) that leads to discomfort and adverse health effects. Since the early 1980s, a global dark-sky movement has emerged, with concerned people campaigning to reduce the amount of light pollution

Light pollution is a side effect of industrial civilization. Its sources include building exterior and interior lighting, advertising, commercial properties, offices, factories, streetlights, and illuminated sporting venues. It is most severe in highly industrialized, densely populated areas of North America, Europe, and Japan and in major cities in the Middle East and North Africa like Cairo, but even relatively small amounts of light can be noticed and create problems. Like other forms of pollution (such as air, water, and noise pollution) light pollution causes damage to the environment.See the change here..

HIW TO BUILD STRONG BONES

Don’t wait for that dreaded bone-weakening disease to strike. The good news: you can reverse bone losses with diet, exercise and medication. I learnt that when we’re very young, our bones get longer and denser until we reach full height. Even as we grow, our bone tissue is constantly being broken down and rebuilt. Then (in your early 30s if you’re a woman, and at about 40 if you’re a man), your skeleton naturally begins to slowly lose bone faster than your body can replace it and very gradually your bones thin and become less dense as you age.According to the International Osteoporosis Foundation, one out of eight men and one out of three women suffer from osteoporosis in India. The Osteoporosis Society of India put the number of patients at about 26 million in 2003, and projects an increase to 36 million by 2013.

Symptoms and Indicators :

• Constant back pain and, less commonly, pain in the chest, hip, wrist and pelvic area.
• Developing a hunched back, or loss of height (due to compression of the spinal column).
• Tendency to suffer fractures after relatively minor falls.
• Amenorrhoea (absence of menstrual periods) is associated with reduced oestrogen levels and, possibly, osteoporosis.
• If your doctor can help you find out if you have high-risk genes for osteoporosis, you may be able to take preventive measures early.

Treatments :
For osteopenia and osteoporosis, doctors focus on medication to slow bone loss and reduce the risk of fractures. They also suggest lifestyle changes. For severe cases and for fractures, surgery could be an option. Being diagnosed with osteopenia left me shaken, yet I was relieved to have identified the cause of my pain and also to know that I could, with a few dietary changes, reverse my condition.

-- ROSE -- The Flower Of Love

A wealth of stories about the rose have been handed down from generation to generation, tales for which we cannot really find the beginnings, but the telling goes on and on.

Greek legend says that early one morning as Flora, goddess of all flowers, was walking through the woods, she came upon the dead body of a beautiful young girl. Flora was saddened to see such a lovely creature dead, and she decided to give her new life by transforming her into the most beautiful of all flowers.

To accomplish this, she called on all the gods of Olympia to aid her in the task. She asked her husband, Zephyrus, the west wind, to blow away all the clouds so that Apollo, the sun, could send warm rays of blessings over the dead form.

Flora then called Aphrodite to give beauty and the three graces (brilliance, joy and charm) to this new flower. Next, Dionysus, the god of wine, was to add the final touch by giving fragrance and nectar.Aphrodite was asked to provide the name for this loveliest of all flowers. She gave the name of rose in honor of her son Eros, the Greek god of Love. (If we rearrange one letter of the word rose, we have Eros. Eros = Rose = Love.) Flora then presented the rose to Eros in hopes that it would always be the choice of lovers and the flower of romance.