Blog Archive

Friday, March 11, 2016

Vehicles: Honking

DRIVING IN TUNE




Many of us take our car horn for granted. Comforted by the fact that when in need, it’ll be there. What most neglect is the sheer power of the horn to allow drivers the ability to communicate with others. The language of the road is simple, yet emphatic. Here’s a brief look at our complicated relationship with horns and honking.


Horn History
Horns are found on trains, ships, bicycles, and to the musically adventurous, even a few orchestra pits. But the first “car horns” were not inside cars at all. They were used by prudent British pedestrians to alert oncoming vehicles. It didn’t take a huge leap in imagination for horns to move inside the car as driving increased in popularity.



Honking
Some of us honk out of frustration, while others lay on the horn to prevent accidents or warn other drivers. People honk at perceived, actual and potential roadside threats. Others honk when seeing a long lost pal on a street corner. A few old fashioned folks favor two short beeps as a final farewell when departing the home of a friend or relative. And there are honks to convey exaltation as well. This last one often occurs following important sporting events. It’s a great way to express joy while exiting a congested parking lot.


Strange Prohibition
Beginning in the 1980s, New York City posted signs indicating a $350 fine for honking in certain areas. Some suggested it was an attempt to curb noise pollution. But in 2013, the city began removing the signs and lifting the ban. Critics saw the effort against honking as a wholly futile one. With all this noise, it’s a little harder to catch some shuteye in the city that never sleeps.
What are your thoughts on honking? Leave a couple beeps below.

Internet and Networking: Blog

          How do you build a blog?



Start your blog by choosing a topic you are passionate about, setting up a blogging platform and writing posts. You have many options for publishing content online. Blogger and Tumblr are a couple of popular blogging websites, but you can also choose to purchase a domain name and Web hosting.


  1. Select a topic of passion:  Select a topic that motivates you to write. The best topic to write about is one with which you have passion or experience. If you are not inspired by your topic, you might find it hard to write posts about it.
  2. Set up the blog platform:  If you cannot afford to start a website or your blogging as a hobby, sign up with Tumblr, Blogger or a similar website. If you wish to start a new website dedicated to your blog, sign up with a Web hosting company, such as GoDaddy, iPage or Web Hosting Hub. Choose a hosting option that is compatible with WordPress, which is a popular blogging software program. Install WordPress if the hosting option does not automatically do so.
  3. Start creating content:  With WordPress installed, log in to the software's administrator panel. Add new blog posts in the Posts section. Adjust the appearance of your website by installing themes. Add permanent pages, such as "About Us" and "Contact," to your blog by adding content to the Pages section. Install plugins to add new features to WordPress, such as search engine optimization with "WordPress SEO by Yoast."


Inter and Networking: Blog

    How can one write a blog post?



In order to write a good blog post, it is necessary to choose a subject of interest, determine the topic, outline the post, fill in the details, edit and share. These are the basic steps involved in writing any blog. Following the steps detailed below should help just about anyone write a good blog post.


  • Choose subject of interest:  

    It is a good idea for the author to choose a subject that interests them as this is the best way to stay determined and persistent when sharing it even in the face of challenges.


  • Determining topic:  

    The topic of the blog post should be catchy and interesting to readers. It is important for the author to carefully think about relevant topics and settle on the most appealing topic and headline.


  • Outline post:  

    Writing down the basic points of the blog is a good way to start. Make sure to research specific points thoroughly in order so that your post comes across as informed and well written. Anything sensitive should be backed up by authoritative evidence or citation.


  • Filling in the details:  

    The details normally come once the basic outline is finished. The details should not be filler words, but rather important details aimed at educating or passing a message across.


  • Editing and sharing:  

    Proofread the content multiple times and edit for grammar, style and readability. Afterward, the blog should be posted for all to read.


Internet & Networking: Blog


     How do you write a famous blog?




You can develop a popular blog if it provides content that gathers interest from the online community. From the blog title to its structure, it takes several elements to make a share-worthy blog and keep it popular beyond its initial publication date.


  1. Approach the content with care: Do not just write about the first thing that comes to mind. Research intriguing stories on Google News, or develop a blog based on something you may have in common with other people, such as a hobby. Develop a niche first, and write quality content based on that.
  2. Craft a catchy title: Avoid boring titles that do not generate interest, such as "How to Lower Heating Bills." Instead, create a more captivating title: "5 Heating and Cooling Mistakes You Didn't Know You Were Making." Capture attention with the title, and pull readers into the blog with good content.
  3. Write the blog with good structure: Create a short introduction about the blog. Next, create the body. Separate the body with paragraphs that contain less than four or five sentences. Add bullet lists to break up the text. If you write a sales blog, end it with a call to action.
  4. Use search engine optimization techniques: Using search engine optimization, or SEO, helps propel your blog to the top of the search results. Insert keywords in the blog that people look for when searching online. If people search for "lower heating bills," add that keyword one to three times in your text.

Question of the Day




A group of chickens is called a brood. You can also refer to a group of chickens as a flock, the general term used to describe a group of birds. A group of hens (or female chickens) is called a brood, and a group of baby chicks is called a clutch.

Chickens have combs: the red floppy skin around their head and neck. These combs serve as a cooling system because chickens do not sweat like humans. They also have hollow bones, as do all birds, to make them lighter for flight. Chickens have an interesting medullary bone system that produces calcium for eggshell formation. These specialized bones are located throughout the female's body. When a chicken eats, the bird's quick digestive tract passes the food through the body in only 2.5 hours.


Most chickens have been domesticated and live on farms or in backyards wherever local laws allow. Wild chickens can be found in parts of India and southeast Asia. Chickens that are bred and raised on farms typically spend their time in a fenced area or in chicken coops. They are used as a source of food around the world. Humans consume both the meat and eggs of chickens. More than 70 percent of chicken meat and over 65 percent of chicken eggs are farmed using intensive techniques. Free-range farming is the second most common method. Jungle fowl have appeared in bamboo forests of India and Asia. Some wild or feral chickens are a result of domesticated chickens that were returned to the wild. These birds will often make their way into treetops to avoid predators.


When a rooster and hen mate, a fertilized egg is produced. The chicken lays the egg and, if exposed to the right conditions, it continues to develop for 21 days after which a chick hatches. Hens are born with as many as 4,000 small ova in their ovaries, each of which can develop into a yolk. A rooster mounts a hen to bring their sex organs, both called cloaca, together, and the rooster’s sperm is transferred to the hen where it combines with the ova, resulting in fertilization. When the egg is laid it needs warmth and humidity for a chick to grow; this can be accomplished by the hen sitting on the egg or by artificial incubation. One mating delivers enough sperm to produce as many as five eggs.


Chickens lay eggs and incubate the eggs in a nest. They do not get pregnant. They can lay eggs without mating, but in order for eggs to develop into chicks, they need to mate with a rooster. The mating process is simple and requires only that the birds briefly press their cloacas together in order for the rooster to transfer sperm to the female. Chickens lay one egg every 25 hours. If the eggs are not collected, the hen lays the eggs in a nest and becomes broody. A broody hen stops laying eggs and instead spends most of her time sitting on the eggs, keeping them warm. She turns the eggs several times a day and keeps them at a constant temperature. If the hen mated with a rooster, the eggs hatch after 21 days of incubation. Chickens attempt to brood unfertilized eggs if the eggs are not collected.In many commercial hatcheries, the fertilized eggs are collected and artificially incubated. Collecting the eggs induces the chicken to keep laying more eggs, thus maximizing the productivity of the operation. In an artificial incubation setting, the eggs need to be turned regularly and kept at a constant temperature and humidity until the eggs hatch.





Trivia: Pets and Animals, Birds

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?




There are two ways to look at this question - either relating to eggs in general or to the chicken egg specifically. Either way, the answer is the same: the egg came before the chicken. In the case of eggs in general, animals such as dinosaurs were laying eggs long before the modern chicken came into existence, meaning that in this sense, the egg predated the chicken by thousands of years. As for the chicken egg specifically, according to NPR's Robert Krulwich, the modern chicken was hatched from an egg, meaning the egg came first.



The key to understanding the answer, and indeed the question itself, is to understand what the question is getting at. The dilemma is to understand whether a chicken-like bird transformed into what is known as a modern chicken after being hatched or whether two chicken-like birds laid and fertilized an egg that then hatched a fully formed chicken. In this case, the latter option is the most realistic, therefore answering the question of which came first. Essentially, a bird that was similar to a hen and another bird that is similar to a rooster combined their genetic material, leading to a gene mutation that resulted in the chicken that is well known and loved today.






Thursday, March 10, 2016

Sports and Active Lifestyle

How many inches is Shaq's foot?


Former NBA Player Shaquille O'Neal is recorded to have worn size 23 shoes while playing, which are approximately 22.25 inches long. When Shaq played for the Lakers, he wore a special shoe called the Shaqtastic, designed by Reebok. The Orlando Magic drafted Shaq with the first pick in the 1992 NBA draft. O'Neal's career with the NBA lasted from 1992 to 2011; his last team was the Boston Celtics. Throughout his career, O'Neal won four NBA Titles with various teams, as well as several MVP titles. O'Neal stands an imposing 7'1" with a weight of 325 pounds. His home, located in Orlando, is reported to be 63,000 square feet.




Shaquille O'Neal ("Shaq") won four championships during his career in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He won three consecutive titles from 2000 to 2002 as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He won his fourth and final title with the Miami Heat in 2006. All of O'Neal's titles were earned when he played alongside other NBA stars. His titles with the Lakers came when he was a teammate of Kobe Bryant. His title with the Heat came when playing with Dwayne Wade. Shaq was named the most valuable player of the 2000 NBA Finals. Shaq's first appearance in the NBA Finals was in 1995 as a member of the Orlando Magic.




At age 13, about the age of a sixth-grader, Shaquille O'Neal was 6 feet 6 inches (or 1.98 meters) tall and weighed 223 pounds. As of 2013, his final adult height and weight is 7 feet 1 inch tall and 320 pounds. He wears a size 22.25 shoe.While tall in sixth grade, O'Neal is far from the record-holder for teenage height. In 2009, O'Neal hung out with 7-foot 4-inch 12-year-old Brenden Adams who is the tallest teenager alive. As of 2014, Adams measured 7 feet 7 inches tall at age 19. Adams is as tall as two of O'Neal's fellow NBA alumni, Manute Bol and Gheorghe MureÈ™an, the tallest men to have ever played in the league.


Click here for Shaq's NBA highlights.


Monday, March 7, 2016

Driving Tips

7 Activities to Avoid While Driving

Dental Health

How do you know if you need braces?



People may need braces if they lose their baby teeth later than normal, if they experience abnormal jaw clicking or if their bite does not close in a matched pattern, according to Delta Dental. Chewing problems or biting the cheeks are additional indicators that braces may be necessary.



People with crooked teeth or teeth that are pushed out of a row commonly require braces to realign the teeth, notes Delta Dental. The majority of teeth and jaw complications are inherited genetically from a parents, but detrimental habits such as thumb-sucking can also cause the need for braces. Some people suffer from extreme malnutrition or experience injuries that require braces to fix their dental problems.


Disproportionate jaw shapes or bite complications such as overbites or under bites are often treated successfully with braces. WebMD stresses the importance of braces in preserving the health of patients' teeth, especially if adults are suffering with chronic misalignment. If these conditions go untreated, they can lead to poor overall dental health through plaque build-up, periodontal disease and gum disease. Continued jaw imbalances can cause painful headaches and muscle tension.
As of 2014, orthodontists have several options available to correct dental issues, such as metal braces, clear braces and removable aligners. Adults pay an average of $4,800 for a set of braces, according to WebMD.


Question of the Day!

Why is there a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow?


In Irish mythology, the pot of gold is hidden at the end of a rainbow by a small member of the fairy family called the leprechaun. Humans who are lucky enough to spot a leprechaun by following the rainbow may still have problems catching him because the fairies bestowed upon leprechauns the magical ability to disappear.
 



In Irish mythology, the leprechaun is considered a trickster who often appears at night and is the cause of small mishaps around the house. The leprechaun is most often depicted as a very small old man wearing a leather apron and dressed in green. He usually has large silver buckles on his shoes. Although wary and mistrustful of humans, the leprechaun is known to occasionally ride sheep or even the family dog for sport. All leprechauns love gold and have their very own pot. Even though the rainbow tells people where the pot is, humans have to catch the leprechaun first in order to find it. Since fairies granted leprechauns the magical ability to grant three wishes or disappear, it is next to impossible for a person to actually find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Nevertheless, seeing a rainbow is still considered by many to be a sign of good fortune or luck.




In reality, the end of the rainbow is an unreachable illusion. A rainbow is created when sunlight reflects off water droplets. It is not an actual physical object that one can touch, but rather an optical illusion that is seen only from a certain angle. As a person tries to approach the end of a rainbow, it appears to move farther away. The colors of the rainbow, in order, are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

Information Overload


 How much does the Internet weigh?


The Internet, as of 2011, weighs less than 2 ounces, according to the personal blog of the Harvard University physics professor Dr. Russell Seitz. This measurement includes a consideration of the data that makes up the Internet, which Seitz says consists of about "50 grams of electrons in motion," and that the silicon circuitry that makes the Internet function contributes a little more weight, leading to a final figure of under 2 ounces. The process of calculation is complicated by the fact that devices that are able to connect to the Internet vary in speed and may not always be in use.
 


Measuring the actual physical weight of the Internet is a difficult task due to the fact that the Internet, rather than being a fully tangible thing, is a collection of data and electronic code. However, though data is not necessarily visible to the naked eye if it is not being processed through a computer, it is a physical thing that does have weight, albeit an infinitesimally small weight. In order to determine the weight of the Internet, a researcher may need to define parameters for the experiment, such as the weight of all the data transferred over the Internet over the course of a 24-hour period.


Question of the Day!

Is the internet running out of space?



The internet may seem like the final frontier: vast, infinite, ever expanding, but the internet is getting close to reaching it's limit. Physicists and engineers are working to make some structural changes to the internet so we don't have to suffer through an internet drought.



This "capacity crunch" is caused by the rapid growth of online media consumption via websites like Netflix and Youtube. There is a limit to the amount of information we can transfer through a communications channel, fibre-optic cable or copper wire, depending on the channel's bandwidth and it's signal-to-noise ratio. Researchers are working on ways to deal with this issue, both in the tweaking of the way we send that information and in the physical fibers that transfer it. But if researchers aren't able to commercialize their solutions, rationing or other restrictions on internet use may be the only option. So go on, log into Netflix and finish Friday Night Lights while there's still time!



Saturday, March 5, 2016

8 Foods That Prevent Cancer

With today’s way of life, people are more likely to suffer from obesity, and exposed to various diseases or contract some forms of cancer. On the other hand, modern day medicine has evolved such that people can rely on the latest drugs or devices to treat cancer.
When it comes to treating cancer, prevention and detection is probably the best way to nipping it in its bud. Thus, we should always go for regular health screenings to detect cancer in its early stages and isolate it early. On the other hand, we also try to prevent or delay contracting cancer as far as possible by consuming healthy foods, which we have compiled a list of for you. (Do not replace this list with your regular health checkup.)

1.    Cauliflower

Cauliflower contains sulforaphane, a compound that has been shown to have anti-cancer effects. Sulforaphane are released when cauliflower is broken down, so focus on chewing it before swallowing. This compound seeks and destroys certain cancer cells without harming your healthy cells.
There are plenty of recipes available online on how you can add cauliflower to your meals. Cauliflower and broccoli have similar effects, so add broccoli to your list of foods too.

2.    Carrots

Even though carrots are mainly thought to be good for one’s eye sight, researches from the last ten years suggest that they are also good against some types of cancer, one of which is prostate cancer.
A study was done on mice who were fed an increased carrot intake, and the study showed that carrots could stop the growth of prostate cancer. Carrot have many other health benefits too, there is no reason not to eat them!

3.    Avocados

Not many people are fans of this fruit, but avocados as a food are so beneficial, they are almost a must-have item in your kitchen. Avocados have an abundance of nutrients, mostly antioxidants which have been proven to reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer.
Avocados also have a high amount of healthy monounsaturated fat. This is a high-fat fruit, which is definitely interesting, considering how most of the other fruits are very low in fat or even fat free, and avocados can actually help you lose weight and not the reverse.
As a food, they are very versatile. You can make guacamole out of it, add slices to a sandwich or mix in with other fruits to create  a juice or smoothie.

4.    Broccoli

Broccoli is one of the best natural cancer fighters against many types of cancer. Colon and bladder cancer are among the top two cancers that can be treated or even prevented when eating broccoli. Find it in whichever form you can, be it fresh, frozen or pre-cooked, it will still retain most of its nutritional value!
The high fibre levels in broccoli can also help with your digestion, so broccoli is a vegetable that is beneficial for your health to eat often.

5.    Tomatoes

Tomatoes are healthy and tasty at the same time. Cooked tomatoes help your body release more lycopene, a specific phytochemical that provides cancer fighting benefits. Tomatoes also provide you with lots of antioxidants for your body, and are known to be useful to treat or prevent prostate cancer.
There are many ways to eat tomatoes, it can be eaten raw or cooked with dishes, or blended to make juice as well.

6.    Walnuts

Want to prevent breast cancer or prostate cancer? Walnuts may be your answer. They also contain lots of omega 3, a type of fatty acids that is actually beneficial to our health such as lowering our risk of coronary heart diseases and reducing high cholesterol. Walnuts are great as a breakfast food or as a snack in between meals.


7.    Garlic

Eating garlic has numerous health benefits, one of which of course is that it helps to prevent cancer. Garlic is said to be able to stop cancer cells from multiplying and spreading. They also have antiviral and antibacterial effects, acting like antibiotics and can work well especially against fungal infections.


8.    Ginger

Studies have shown that ginger actually works better than cancer drugs in fighting against cancer cells! This is especially noted in a study done examining the effects of ginger has on prostate cancer cells.
Apart from that, it also has anti-inflammatory properties, and can help as a cure against motion sickness. If you tend to suffer from motion sickness, eat some dried ginger peels, or boil ginger in water to make a light ginger water or tea.

So there you go Say No To Cancer :)) Like and Share. Thanks!

Q: How many brothers does Mario have?







Mario has one younger brother, Luigi. Both are characters in Nintendo's "Super Mario" series of video games. Luigi first appeared in the 1983 arcade game "Mario Bros.," set in the sewer system of New York City.


The games follow the adventures of Mario in the Mushroom Kingdom. He is often joined by Luigi and sometimes by other fictional characters. Players control Mario as he runs and jumps on top of platforms and over obstacles in various levels with different themes. "Super Mario" is the best-selling video game series ever, with more than 262 million copies sold. The game series is part of a larger "Mario" franchise that includes TV programs, movies and merchandise.

The character "Mario" evolved from an original design named "Jumpman" created for the arcade game "Donkey Kong." Creator Shigeru Miyamoto initially designed Mario as a carpenter for that game, but after being told by a colleague that Mario looked more like a plumber, he changed his occupation accordingly and added the recurring use of pipes and sewers to his games. Mario is also employed as a plumber in the live-action "Super Mario Bros." movie.


Mario is a famous character of the Nintendo brand. He has starred in multiple video games spread throughout the Nintendo platforms beginning with the original Nintendo Entertainment System in 1981. Koopas are turtle-like invaders of the Mushroom Kingdom. Also known as Koopa Troopas, they act as primary antagonists in many Mario games. They first appeared in "Super Mario Bros." in 1985.
 

Mario was introduced in the early 1980s. Nintendo CEO Hiroshi Yamauchi and his team created "Donkey Kong." It was the first game that featured Mario, although at the time he was known only as "Jumpman."
As the game was being prepared to be released in the United States, Nintendo needed to find a name for Jumpman. He ended up being named after landlord Mario Segale after Nintendo of America president Minoru Arakawa thought the character looked like the landlord.
Since that time, Mario has appeared in dozens of games, including — most notably — the Super Mario Brothers franchise of games. As his popularity grew, a number of spin-off games and franchises were produced, including "Super Mario Kart," "Dr. Mario," Super Mario World," "Mario Paint," "Super Mario 64," "Mario Party," "Super Smash Bros.," "Mario Sports," "Super Mario Sunshine" and "Paper Mario."