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2010-03-04T04:10:00.001-08:00


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Fantastic Natural Phenomena

2009-06-21T06:10:00.001-07:00

Watch the rare wonders of nature…….

The classical natural wonders are huge and hard to miss - vast canyons, giant mountains and the like. Many of the most fantastic natural phenomena, however, are also least easy to spot. Some are incredibly rare while others are located in hard-to-reach parts of the planet. From moving rocks to mammatus clouds and red tides to fire rainbows, here are seven of the most spectacular phenomenal wonders of the natural world.

1) Sailing Stones

The mysterious moving stones of the packed-mud desert of Death Valley have been a center of scientific controversy for decades. Rocks weighing up to hundreds of pounds have been known to move up to hundreds of yards at a time. Some scientists have proposed that a combination of strong winds and surface ice account for these movements. However, this theory does not explain evidence of different rocks starting side by side and moving at different rates and in disparate directions. Moreover, the physics calculations do not fully support this theory as wind speeds of hundreds of miles per hour would be needed to move some of the stones.

2) Columnar Basalt

When a thick lava flow cools it contracts vertically but cracks perpendicular to its directional flow with remarkable geometric regularity - in most cases forming a regular grid of remarkable hexagonal extrusions that almost appear to be made by man. One of the most famous such examples is the Giant's Causeway on the coast of Ireland (shown above) though the largest and most widely recognized would be Devil's Tower in Wyoming. Basalt also forms different but equally fascinating ways when eruptions are exposed to air or water.

3) Blue Holes

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Blue holes are giant and sudden drops in underwater elevation that get their name from the dark and foreboding blue tone they exhibit when viewed from above in relationship to surrounding waters. They can be hundreds of feet deep and while divers are able to explore some of them they are largely devoid of oxygen that would support sea life due to poor water circulation - leaving them eerily empty. Some blue holes, however, contain ancient fossil remains that have been discovered, preserved in their depths.

4) Red Tides

Red tides are also known as algal blooms - sudden influxes of massive amounts of colored single-cell algae that can convert entire areas of an ocean or beach into a blood red color. While some of these can be relatively harmless, others can be harbingers of deadly toxins that cause the deaths of fish, birds and marine mammals. In some cases, even humans have been harmed by red tides though no human exposure are known to have been fatal. While they can be fatal, the constituent phytoplankton in ride tides are not harmful in small numbers.

5) Ice Circles

While many see these apparently perfect ice circles as worthy of conspiracy theorizing, scientists generally accept that they are formed by eddies in the water that spin a sizable piece of ice in a circular motion. As a result of this rotation, other pieces of ice and flotsam wear relatively evenly at the edges of the ice until it slowly forms into an essentially ideal circle. Ice circles have been seen with diameters of over 500 feet and can also at times be found in clusters and groups at different sizes as shown above.

6) Mammatus Clouds

True to their ominous appearance, mammatus clouds are often harbingers of a coming storm or other extreme weather system. Typically composed primarily of ice, they can extend for hundreds of miles in each direction and individual formations can remain visibly static for ten to fifteen minutes at a time. While they may appear foreboding they are merely the messengers - appearing around, before or even after severe weather.

7) Fire Rainbows

A circumhorizontal fire rainbow arc occurs at a rare confluence of right time and right place for the sun and certain clouds. Crystals within the clouds refract light into the various visible waves of the spectrum but only if they are arrayed correctly relative to the ground below. Due to the rarity with which all of these events happen in conjunction with one another, there are relatively few remarkable photos of this phenomena.

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EXTREME EARTH

2009-06-21T05:39:00.001-07:00

Chinstrap penguins (Pygoscelis antarctica) ride out high surf on blue-ice icebergs near Candlemas Island in the South
Sandwich Islands. Safe for the moment from predaceous leopard seals, chinstrap penguins are the second most
abundant species in Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic.

A deep gorge drops some 650 feet (198 meters) near the abandoned city of Araden, Crete. Visitors can descend into
the gorge and walk a little more than 4 miles ( 6.4 kilometers) to the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to magnificent
scenery, the gorge provides a 2,460-foot (750-meter) descent to the sea.

A storm passes over Yellow Mounds Overlook in South Dakota's Badlands, casting light and shadow below. Although
the region's name derives from the Oglala Sioux words mako sica or "land bad," the Badlands showcase the powerful
effects of wind and water and contain fossil beds dating to 35 million years ago.

Towering in close symmetry, these basalt columns near Fingal's Cave form the base of the Scottish island of Staffa.
The columns formed when cooling lava flows met bedrock and the region's cold weather. The island contains three main caves.

For trees that grow on mountaintops near Cape Town, South Africa, wind can be a magnificent sculptor. Trees
that can handle the wind's effects best will alter their shape to deal with the load of the wind.

Silhouetted by the sun, the Hand of Fatima rock formations near Hombori village stretch toward the sky in Mali.
The tallest tower rises 2,000 feet (610 meters) from the desert floor. Lore has it that the formations' name stems
from the five towers' resemblance to a hand from the sky.

Erosion's force becomes clear in these limestone cliffs in Port Campbell National Park, Australia. About five million
years ago the area was a limestone plateau, but as sea levels rose the effects of surf and rain began to carve out
these magnificent cliffs, along with stacks and arches.

Towers of salt and a riverbed colored by crystallized salt create an otherworldly landscape in Ethiopia's Danakil Desert.
Sitting more than 300 feet (90 meters) below sea level, with temperatures reaching 120 degrees Fahrenheit
(49 degrees Celsius), local inhabitants prize the Danakil for one thing: its salt deposits.

Travertine chimneys near Lake Abbe, Djibouti, were created by hot springs depositing calcium carbonatehe same
process that creates stalactites and stalagmites. Some of the formations reach 165 feet (50 meters) near the lake
located on the Ethiopia-Djibouti border.

A thick blanket of snow covers West Thumb Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park. There are more geysers in
this park than anywhere else in the world.

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Visit Las Vegas - Stratosphere

2009-05-30T22:49:00.001-07:00

Bring your gang together. Do your thing. Find your favourite Yahoo! Group.

Quotes on thinking and the power of thought

2008-11-23T07:49:00.000-08:00

On pain and stress and approach to life:>-

"Pain is a relatively objective, physical phenomenon; suffering is our psychological resistance to what happens. Events may create physical pain, but they do not in themselves create suffering. Resistance creates suffering. Stress happens when your mind resists what is... The only problem in your life is your mind's resistance to life as it unfolds." (Dan Millman, 21st century philosopher from The Way of the Peaceful Warrior - ack CB)

On Knowledge - >-

"If you stood on the bottom rail of a bridge, and leant over, and watched the river slipping slowly away beneath you, you would suddenly know everything that there is to be known..." (Winnie the Pooh - allegedly - Thanks CM)

"He trudged along unknowing what he sought, And whistled as he went, for want of thought." (John Dryden, English poet and playwright 1631-1700, from Cymon and Iphigenia written in 1700)

"Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth - more than ruin - more even than death.... Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man." (Bertrand Russell, British philosopher, 1872-1970)

"Great men are they who see that spiritual thought is stronger than any material force, that thoughts rule the world." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, American philosopher and poet, 1803-82, from Progress of Culture)

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." (The Holy Bible, Proverbs 23:7)

"What is life but the angle of vision? A man is measured by the angle at which he looks at objects. What is life but what a man is thinking of all day? This is his fate and his employer. Knowing is the measure of the man. By how much we know, so we are." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

"The mind is the man, and knowledge mind; a man is but what he knoweth." (Francis Bacon, English lawyer and philosopher, 1561-1626)

Motivational maxims and funny sayings

2008-11-23T07:36:00.000-08:00

Success comes in cans.

You are a time millionaire - for a rich life invest wisely. (Richard Andrews, KYT Stage and Screen Academy)

There is only one IF in LIFE - between the L and the E. (For next time you say "if only.." - Thanks R Andrews)

Dress code working-style indicators: jacket on = directing; jacket off = participating; trousers off = performing.

If you can't ride two horses at the same time you shouldn't be in the circus.

To the optimist, the glass is half full. To the pessimist, the glass is half empty. To the project manager, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

If a=1%, b=2%, c= 3%, etc., what does 'attitude' add up to? ........ (work it out - the answer is 100%).

'Mushroom Management' - The practice of keeping people in the dark, and every now and then dumping a load of dirt on them.

When you ASSUME you make an A-S-S out of U and Me.

There is no I in TEAM. (But if you look carefully there is a ME...)

Everyone gets butterflies - the trick is getting them to fly in formation.

The 7 best stress management techniques

2008-11-23T07:33:00.000-08:00

The best stress management techniques are those that are easy to use. Quick to learn and quick to implement, you can use them to manage your own stress levels or teach them to help others manage theirs.

Stress management techniques help you control of your stress and be a healthier, happier and more pleasant person to be around. Let’s cut to the chase and spell out the best ones I know…

1. Acknowledge stress is good:->

Make stress your friend! Based on the body’s natural “fight or flight” response that burst of energy will enhance your performance at the right moment. I’ve yet to see a top sportsman totally relaxed before a big competition. Use stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most.

2. Avoid stress sneezers:->-

Stressed people sneeze stress germs indiscriminately and before you know it, you are infected too!
Protect yourself by recognizing stress in others and limiting your contact with them. Or if you’ve got the inclination, play stress doctor and teach them how to better manage themselves.

3. Learn from the best :->-

When people around are losing their head, who keeps calm? What are they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained and experienced?
Figure it out from afar or sit them down for a chat. Learn from the best stress managers and copy what they do.

4. Practice socially acceptable heavy breathing:

You can trick your body into relaxing by using heavy breathing. Breathe in slowly for a count of 7 then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry off and things start to feel more normal.

5. Give stressy thoughts the red light:->-

It is possible to tangle yourself up in a stress knot all by yourself. “If this happens, then that might happen and then we’re all up the creek!” Most of these things never happen, so why waste all that energy worrying needlessly?
Give stress thought-trains the red light and stop them in their tracks. Okay so it might go wrong – how likely is that, and what can you do to prevent it?

6. Know your trigger points and hot spots:-->-

Presentations, interviews, meetings, giving difficult feedback, tight deadlines……. My heart rate is cranking up just writing these down!
Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Is it only presentations to a certain audience that get you worked up? Does one project cause more stress than another? Did you drink too much coffee? Knowing what causes you stress is powerful information, as you can take action to make it less stressful. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to de-caf?

7. Burn the candle at one end:->-

Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise wreaks havoc on our body and mind. Kind of obvious, but worth mentioning as it’s often ignored as a stress management technique. Listen to your mother and don’t burn the candle at both ends!
And those are the best stress management techniques I know! Learn them, use them and teach them, and be a great stress manager.

Vizag: A destination for every imagination

2008-07-30T06:21:00.000-07:00

Vizag have many attractions that are special and unique to this part of the World - be it the Old Town area that tells the old time tales or the marvellous rail track that tells of engineering wonder -Vizag has it all.

Visakhapatnam or Vizag as it is often called is a picturesque small fisherman’s village by the Bay of Bengal on the east coat of India. With beautiful hill ranges, caves, valleys, temples, lakes and beaches, Visakhapatnam is regarded the best tourism destination in Andhra Pradesh.

The city stands itself on a space backed by the blue sea on the one hand and the vast swamp on the other. Beyond this swamp, we find the Simhachalam Hill range jutting almost into the sea at Kailasagiri ("Thomas' Folly") and Rushikonda ("the Sugar loaf Hill") in the North East and the Dolphin's Nose hill range projecting as bold headland into the Bay on the South and pyramid-like hills on the fringe of tidal swamp on the West.

Vizag’s attractions are special and unique in its own way. Take a city tour of Vizag visiting the only submarine museum in India, the INS Kusura set-up on the Rama Krishna beach; Dolphin's nose - a huge rocky headland 174 meters high and 358 meters above the sea level, jutting out into the sea, resembling the shape of dolphin; and the Kailasagiri park with its cable car, toy train and vast view of the Bay of Bengal makes it the foremost picnic spot in Vizag. Enjoy an excursion to Simhachalam Temple, a renowned pilgrimage spot dedicated to Sri Varaha Lakshminarasimha Swamy. Visit the golden, unspoilt beach of Rishikonda, ideal for swimmers, water skiers, and wind surfers. About 25-km from Vishakhapatnam is the beautiful beach of Bheemunipatnam popular as 'Bheemli' .This beach is located at the mouth of the river Gosthani. The beach is very safe for swimmers. It is also the site of the ruins of the east coast's oldest Dutch settlement (17th century). The cemetery situated in the west of the town speaks of the Dutch who gave their lives here. The unique feature of the cemetery is the depiction of the cause of the death on the grave enlivens the past.

While in Vizag, also visit the Araku valley. Located on the eastern ghats, Araku is the picturesque valley, filled with the green and pleasant forests and the musical sounds of waterfalls. Rolling grass lands, lush orchards and pleasant climate make Araku Valley a delightful place. The natural beauty of this valley comes alive with its rich landscape.

Enroute to Araku Valley, visit the brilliantly illuminated Borra Caves where million years’ old stalactite and stalagmite formations form naturally sculpted splendours.

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Mook Island and MoraKot Cave - Trang

2008-07-22T01:46:00.001-07:00

Mook Island and MoraKot Cave are well known among tourists. There is a large community on the island called Ban Koh Mook, in other words Koh Mook village. The shoreline of the island is full of sea grass which is the best nutrition for dugong. MoraKoht Cave is one of the unseen destinations in the Unseen Thailand campaign of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The cave is located in the west side of the island. An exciting journey to Morakoht Cave begins by swimming through the 80-metre dark tunnel which allows only a small boat to pass through during very low tide. After passing the entrance to the other end, visitors will find large hall which has blue sky as its roof, white sand and emerald green water as its floor. Surrounded by high cliffs and rare species of plants such as Caladium, spurge (Euphorbia antiquorum), what you just see definitely turn into your lifetime memory. To get to Mook Island and MoraKoht Cave, there is a shuttle boat service which leaves Kuan Tung Ku Pier at 08.00 hr everyday. The fee is around 40 baht per person. One trip of chartered boat will cost around 400 baht and takes 30 minutes to Koh Mook. Upon arrival at Sapanyao Pier in front of the island, visitors should rent a long-tailed boat to Morakoht Cave. Another possible way is to rent a boat from Pak Meng Pier straight to Morakoht Cave at Koh Mook (about 40 minutes).

Doodh Sagar

2008-06-19T00:18:00.000-07:00

Its exactly on the border between Karnataka and Goa on the Konkan Railway

Top 10 Highest Monuments around the World

2008-06-18T01:00:00.000-07:00

1. Ushiku Daibutsu, Ushiku, JapanThe Ushiku Daibutsu located in Ushiku, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, is the world's tallest freestanding bronze statue. Completed in 1995, it stands a total of 120m above the ground, including the 10m high base and 10m high lotus platform. An elevator takes visitors up to 85m off the ground, where an observation floor is located.

2. Buddhist statue of Guanyin, Sanya, ChinaSanya is located on Hainan, the smallest province of the People’s Republic of China located off the southern coast of the country. Yalong Wan is a local park that located at a beach 7.5 km southeast of Sanya City. The highlight of the park is the a 108-meter Buddhist statue of Guanyin. This statue was completed in May 2005 and is one of the tallest statues in the world.

3. Yellow Chinese emperors Huangdi and Yandi, China
Yellow Chinese emperors Huangdi and Yandi. China. 103 meters tall.

4. Motherland, Kiev, Ukraine
Kiev's statue of the Motherland, a memorial of the Great Patriotic War (World War II). The statue itself is 62 meters tall, the overall height is 102 meters.

5. Statue of Peter I, Moscow, Russiastatue of Peter I on the bank of the Moskva River is one of the tallest outdoor sculptures in the world.

6. Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, New York

Liberty Enlightening the World, known more commonly as the Statue of Liberty, is a colossal statue given to the United States by France in 1886, standing at Liberty Island, New York in the mouth of the Hudson River in New York Harbor as a welcome to all visitors, immigrants, and returing Americans

7. "The Motherland" statue, Volgograd, Russia"The Motherland" is a monumental statue by sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich commemorating the Battle of Stalingrad and dedicated in 1967. The significant structural engineering challenges of the 84 meter tall, 7900 ton sculpture were handled by Nikolai Nikitin. Measured from the tip of her sword to the top of the plinth, the distance is 85 meters. It is located on Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd.

8. Statue of Lanshan Buddha, Lanshan, China
Buddha near Lanshan. China, Lanshan. 71 meters tall.

9. Buddha of Bamyan, Afghanistan
The Buddha of Bamyan were monumental statue of standing Buddha carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley of central Afghanistan, situated 230 km northwest of Kabul. 55 meters tall. It were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Japan, Switzerland, and UNESCO, among others, have pledged support for the rebuilding of the statues.

10. Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Christ the Redeemer is a large Art Deco-style statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The statue stands 32 m tall, weighs 1000 tons and is located at the peak of the 710-m Corcovado mountain in the Tijuca Forest National Park, overlooking the city. As well as being a potent symbol of Christianity, the statue has become an icon of the city.

Can u walk like tis?

2008-06-18T00:52:00.000-07:00

Do u feel like to have a try?

Travel

2008-05-20T02:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Pals,
Just share your experience about your vacations, adventure tours etc... post it in comments.