Showing posts with label did you know ?. Show all posts
Showing posts with label did you know ?. Show all posts
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech based upon a combination of words with opposite meanings
Here you are a few examples . Could you add one more ? Then do it , please !
virtual reality
original copy
old news
act naturally
pretty ugly
living dead
civil war
constant variable
paid volunteers
rolling stop
sound of silence
clever fool
only choice
exact estimate
jumbo shrimp
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Men are happier people because ...
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No wonder men are happier!  |
Monday, October 3, 2011
Top Lists of the world’s most odd and weird things… and some pretty serious information as well.
- Lists of sports champions
While we were gulping down our hamburgers and finishing it off with
beer these guys were in the gym getting fit for the game. They know that
to finish first, first you have to finish. Their motto: Live life on
the edge – otherwise you take up too much space! They are the sports
champions.
- Lists of real names
In the West the most popular male names are James and John and the
most popular female name is Mary.
A famous name of Scandinavian origin meaning “all wise” was the real name of one of the most famous persons ever: Elvis. It was at a concert in Minneapolis in 1954 that Al Dvorin first closed Elvis Presley’s concerts with a saying that would become very well known: “Ladies and Gentleman, Elvis has left the building. Thank you and good night.”
A famous name of Scandinavian origin meaning “all wise” was the real name of one of the most famous persons ever: Elvis. It was at a concert in Minneapolis in 1954 that Al Dvorin first closed Elvis Presley’s concerts with a saying that would become very well known: “Ladies and Gentleman, Elvis has left the building. Thank you and good night.”
Browse the real names of (real) famous people:
Interesting animals
God must love animals – He made so many of them!
Some animals are so small that you need a microscope to see them. Others are huge. All are interesting.
- There are more than a million animal species.
- There are 6,000 species of reptiles, 73,000 kinds of spiders, and 3,000 types of lice.
- For each person there is about 200 million insects.
- The 4,600 kinds of mammals represent a mere 0,3% of animals and the 9,000 kinds of birds only 0,7%.
- The most abundant bird species is the red-billed quelea of sub-Saharan Africa, numbering almost 2 billion.
Even so, about one third of animals have been driven to extinction as
a result of mismanagement and pollution by the fast-growing human
population.
Please take good care of the animals around you.
- Make your garden bird and bee-friendly.
- Contribute time or money to animal associations wherever possible.
 Look, but don’t touch! The blue-ringed octopus is only the size of a golf ball but it’s poison is powerful enough to kill an adult human in a matter of minutes. |
 The
hippo is the third biggest land animal, slightly smaller but heavier
than a white rhino – the elephant is the biggest. But no animal has
killed more people than the hippo. |
 Whether your kitty meows or roars, it is a descendant of the Felis silvestris species, which is divided into the African wildcat, European wildcat and Steppe wildcat. The domestic originally was not so domestic. |
 Adult
frogs are carnivorous and will eat just about anything smaller than
themselves, including insects, worms and even other frogs. Some frogs
are tiny but the largest, the Goliath frog, is the size of a baby deer!
There are more to frogs than you imagined. |
 The bee
is a remarkable animal – flowers are pollinated mostly by bees. Bees do
not have ears, but they have an excellent sense of smell with
chemoreceptors in their antennae. |
 They are beautiful, noisy and poop a lot. For a very long time too because parrots live for 40 years and even up to 100 years. And they do something that no other bird does. |
 The Loch Ness monster was first mentioned by the Vikings and she’s been spotted a few times since. How tall is Nessie? Much bigger than a Nile crocodile. Have you spotted Nessie lately? Others have! |
 Although a cow
has no upper front teeth, it grazes up to 8 hours a day, taking in
about 45 kg (100 lb) of feed and the equivalent of a bath tub full of
water. Cows also are one of the main contributors to the hole in the
ozone layer. |
10 good uses for salt
Just a pinch of it and it’s worth it. We’re talking about salt here. Used
throughout the human history, being oftenly mentioned in the Bible, ubiquitous and
cheap.
Mined from salt rocks and extracted from sea water, salt is… well, the “salt of the earth.” You can’t live without it healthly. At the same time, you can’t live healthly with too much of it. Get the balance right – in your food and in your live – and salt is worth it’s own weight.
1. Deter ants
Sprinkle salt in doorways, on window sills and anywhere else ants use to sneak into your house. It’s a sure way to keep them out!
2. Kill grass and weeds growing in cracks in your driveway
Tired of weeding your driveway? Sprinkle salt on the grass and pour very hot water over it. Not only is this a highly effective way to kill unwanted plants, it’s also eco-friendly and cheap.
3. Say goodbye to fleas
If your dogs have fleas, simply wash their doghouse and blankets in salt water. If you’re worried your dogs may have brought fleas into your house, simply sprinkle your carpets lightly with salt and then brush it in. Leave it for 12 hours and vacuum thoroughly.
4. Pick up a dropped egg
If you drop an egg on the kitchen floor, sprinkle salt on the mess and leave it there for 20 minutes. You’ll be able to wipe it right up.
5. Clean up oven spills quickly
If a pie or casserole bubbles over in the oven, pour a handful of salt on top of the spill. It won’t smoke, smell and, most importantly, will bake into a crust that makes the mess easier to clean once it’s cooled.
6. Clean brown spots off your iron
Simply sprinkle salt on a sheet of waxed paper, slide the iron across it and rub lightly with silver polish. Your iron will look like brand-new in no time.
7. Remove stains from your coffee pot
Fill it with 1/4 cup of table salt and a dozen ice cubes. Swish the mixture around, let it sit for half an hour, fill it with cold water and rinse. Your coffee pot will look brand new.
8. Keep your windshield frost-free
Dip a sponge into salt water and rub it on windows, and they won’t frost up even when the mercury drops below zero.
9. Shell nuts more easily
Soak pecans and walnuts in salt water for a few hours before shelling them. Doing so will make it easier to remove the meat.
10. Drip-proof candles
If you soak new candles in a strong salt solution for a few hours, then dry them well, they won’t drip when you burn them.
11. Tame a wild BBQ
Toss a bit of salt on the flames caused by fat dripping from the grill. It’ll reduce the flames and calm the smoke without cooling the coals (like water would).
12. Soothe a bee sting
Wet the sting right away, then cover it with salt.
13. Stop a grease fire
Pouring salt on top of a grease fire will smother it. Completely.
14. Cooking tip
If a soup or stew is too sweet, add a pinch of salt. (See more cooking tips.)
Source: Salt Institute
Mined from salt rocks and extracted from sea water, salt is… well, the “salt of the earth.” You can’t live without it healthly. At the same time, you can’t live healthly with too much of it. Get the balance right – in your food and in your live – and salt is worth it’s own weight.
10 surprising good uses for salt
1. Deter ants
Sprinkle salt in doorways, on window sills and anywhere else ants use to sneak into your house. It’s a sure way to keep them out!
2. Kill grass and weeds growing in cracks in your driveway
Tired of weeding your driveway? Sprinkle salt on the grass and pour very hot water over it. Not only is this a highly effective way to kill unwanted plants, it’s also eco-friendly and cheap.
3. Say goodbye to fleas
If your dogs have fleas, simply wash their doghouse and blankets in salt water. If you’re worried your dogs may have brought fleas into your house, simply sprinkle your carpets lightly with salt and then brush it in. Leave it for 12 hours and vacuum thoroughly.
4. Pick up a dropped egg
If you drop an egg on the kitchen floor, sprinkle salt on the mess and leave it there for 20 minutes. You’ll be able to wipe it right up.
5. Clean up oven spills quickly
If a pie or casserole bubbles over in the oven, pour a handful of salt on top of the spill. It won’t smoke, smell and, most importantly, will bake into a crust that makes the mess easier to clean once it’s cooled.
6. Clean brown spots off your iron
Simply sprinkle salt on a sheet of waxed paper, slide the iron across it and rub lightly with silver polish. Your iron will look like brand-new in no time.
7. Remove stains from your coffee pot
Fill it with 1/4 cup of table salt and a dozen ice cubes. Swish the mixture around, let it sit for half an hour, fill it with cold water and rinse. Your coffee pot will look brand new.
8. Keep your windshield frost-free
Dip a sponge into salt water and rub it on windows, and they won’t frost up even when the mercury drops below zero.
Soak pecans and walnuts in salt water for a few hours before shelling them. Doing so will make it easier to remove the meat.
If you soak new candles in a strong salt solution for a few hours, then dry them well, they won’t drip when you burn them.
And some more uses
11. Tame a wild BBQ
Toss a bit of salt on the flames caused by fat dripping from the grill. It’ll reduce the flames and calm the smoke without cooling the coals (like water would).
12. Soothe a bee sting
Wet the sting right away, then cover it with salt.
13. Stop a grease fire
Pouring salt on top of a grease fire will smother it. Completely.
14. Cooking tip
If a soup or stew is too sweet, add a pinch of salt. (See more cooking tips.)
Source: Salt Institute
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Body language
Being able to interpretate the others' body language it 's a very useful tool in various situations such as : during dealing , negociating , selling , teaching , interviewing ...
On the other hand being able to analyse and improve your own body language will be extremely useful throughout your business life.
" What body language really is ? " you might be asking yourself ? Watch the video , please , and you will be given plenty of interesting information .
A practical sample to illustrate how could somebody improve his / her own presentation skills .
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Top 10 Poisonous Foods We Love To Eat
Everyday we chow down on food produced from
plants that carry deadly poisons. Most of the time we don’t need to be
concerned with this as the mass production of fruit and vegetables ensures that
we are usually safe, but from time to time people accidentally kill themselves
by unwittingly eating the wrong part of a plant. In order to ensure that this
never happens to you, I have put together a list of the most commonly seen
poisons that we come in to contact with in our kitchens.
10. Cassava (Yuca)
Though not too
widely used in the United States, cassava is a woody shrub that is generally
found in the Caribbean and South America. When using cassava, it can either be
made to be sweet or bitter. The taste, as well as the smell, all depends on the
amount of cyanogenic glucosides, which are in fact, extremely poisonous. Most
who prepare it like it to be bitter, as it keeps away insects and even animals.
If cassava is prepared incorrectly, it can be deadly. Cassava poisoning, due to
high levels of cyanide, is known as Konzo. Cassava poisoning leads to
irreversible paralysis.
Interesting
fact: Cassava roots are ground into a flour-like substance which is then used
to make tapioca. Cassava leaves contain cyanide but if pounded into a paste
with flour and left in the shade for 5 hours, the cyanide is broken down.
9. Pufferfish
Pufferfish
stand to be the second most poisonous vertebrate in the world. Though you won’t
find pufferfish in the U.S., many in Korea as well as Japan find some parts of
the fish to be delicacies. However, certain organs of the fish, such as the
liver, as extremely toxic, and can be deadly. The poison in the fish, known as
tetrodotoxin, can cause numbness, high blood pressure, and muscle paralysis,
which is what leads to death as the diaphragm muscles become paralyzed,
disabling breathing. Known as fugu when eaten as a meal, many in Asian
countries refuse to not eat the fish.
8. Mushrooms
There are about
5000 types of mushrooms known in the U.S. and about 100 of them are said to be
toxic, while less than a dozen are deadly. In any case, mushrooms can cause
gastrointestinal discomfort. Since mushrooms are fungi and the fact that there
are so many species, it can be hard to know which are poisonous. As rule of
thumb, it is usually said that any mushroom found in the wild are more than
likely poisonous. One of the deadliest types of mushroom toxins is
Alpha-amanitin, which causes extreme liver damage. Toadstools, as they are
called, are the poisonous mushrooms.
Interesting
fact: There are 38,000 known kinds of mushrooms; about 5% of these are toxic.
7. Cashews
Though really
seeds and not nuts, cashews grow inside of a shell-like structure that grows on
a fruit. When buying “raw cashews” in the store, take note that these nuts have
actually been steamed and are not entirely raw. This is because raw cashews
contain urushiol, which is the same chemical that you’d find in poison ivy. It
can cause the body to have a very similar reaction to one experienced from
poison oak or ivy. If a high level of urushiol is ingested, it can be deadly.
Cashew poisoning is rare, but those who handle them in order to manufacture
them to get the shell off sometimes experience the side-effects.
Interesting fact:
Cashews come from a fruit, which in South American countries, is eaten, and the
seeds (cashews) are then thrown away.
6. Chilies
You’ve probably
eaten a chili or two in your life. No matter if it was an extremely hot one, or
one that was pretty mild, every chili you have ever consumed has contained a
chemical called capsaicin. In chilies, capsaicin is what makes them spicy and
“hot.” Of course one chili won’t hurt, but if you eat enough of them, capsaicin
can kill you. The chemical is so strong that it is used as a paint stripper,
and it is even used in pepper spray used by police forces. In hotter chilies,
such as habaneros, capsaicin can be felt on the skin if you cut the chili, as
it will produce a burning sensation.
Interesting fact:
Chilies are extremely high in Vitamin C. One green chili pod
is said to contain about 6 times as much Vitamin C.
5. Potatoes
We’ve all
heard something or another about potatoes. Whether it is the potato famine,
some Irish story, or some other historical event centered on potatoes, one
thing you may not have heard of is that potatoes are toxic. The stem and leaves
of the plant are toxic, and even the potato itself is toxic. If you’ve ever
looked at a potato, you may have realized that some turn a greenish color. This
is due to levels of glycoalkaloid poison. In the past, there have been deaths
due to potato poisoning. It is rare, but most happen due to someone drinking
potato leaf tea, or eating green potatoes. Death doesn’t come suddenly. It
usually results in weakness and then a coma. Don’t worry about having the
occasional green potato chip, but do discard any potatoes that have green eyes,
sprouts, or greenish skins, rather than prepare and serve them, especially to
children.
Interesting
fact: Potatoes make great food
for astronaut! In fact in 1995 potato plants were taken into orbit on the Columbia
and actually grown.
4. Almonds
Almonds, most
always said to be nuts, are actually seeds and are extremely popular in
kitchens around the world. Much like cashews, almonds are extremely poisonous
if not introduced to some sort of heat source. It is generally the bitter
almonds that need to be treated to get rid of the poison. The seeds are full of
cyanide, and in many countries are illegal to sell without having been
processed in order to get rid of the poison within the seed.
Interesting
fact: Almonds are said to be one of the earliest cultivated foods, being
mentioned in the Bible’s Old Testament.
3. Cherries
Cherries are
definitely one of the most versatile fruits. You can eat them raw, cook them,
bake them, and get them tart or sweet. Cherries can even be used in certain
types of liquor. Despite their overall red goodness, cherries are toxic. If
you’ve ever eaten a cherry and without thought chewed on the pip or left it in
your mouth, you more than likely introduced hydrogen cyanide into your body. If
a cherry pip is chewed, crushed, or somehow damaged, it automatically produces
hydrogen cyanide. Symptoms of mild poisoning include headache, dizziness,
confusion, anxiety, and vomiting. Larger doses can lead to difficulty
breathing, increased blood pressure and heart rate, and kidney failure.
Reactions can include coma, convulsions, and death from respiratory arrest.
Interesting
fact: Cherries contain extremely high amounts of Melatonin which is good for
helping and keeping the body regulated.
2. Apples
Apples are
definitely a popular fruit no matter where you go. Like others on the list, and
many other types of fruits, apples contain cyanide, but not in high levels. The
fruit itself does not contain the chemical, but you will find cyanide in the
apple’s seeds. Eating all of the seeds in one apple won’t kill you, but it’s
definitely not recommended. Of course, if enough apple seeds are eaten, this
means chewed and swallowed, it can result in complications.
Interesting
fact: Apples float because at least 25% of their mass is nothing but air.
1. Tomato
Despite the
extreme popularity of tomatoes and many countries, it is true that they are
poisonous. Though the fruit itself doesn’t contain poison, the stem as well as
the leaves contain a chemical known as glycoalkaloid. Higher levels are said to
be found in wild tomatoes, but those grown domestically still contain
glycoalkaloid. This chemical is known to cause upset stomachs and nervousness.
The leaves and stem can be used in cooking for flavor, but must be removed before
eating. This chemical is so powerful that it is actually used as a way to
control pests.
What colours mean
What Colours Mean
We live in a colorful world. In many countries, colours represent various holidays; they are also used to express feelings and enliven language. Find your favorite color and see what it means around the world.
~ RED ~
 |
- For the ancient Romans, a red flag was a signal for battle.
- Because of its visibility, stop signs, stoplights, brake lights, and fire equipment are all painted red.
- The ancient Egyptians considered themselves a red race and painted their bodies with red dye for emphasis.
- In Russia, red means beautiful. The Bolsheviks used a red flag as their symbol when they overthrew the tsar in 1917. That is how red became the color of communism.
- In India, red is the symbol for a soldier.
- In South Africa, red is the color of mourning.
- It's considered good luck to tie a red bow on a new car.
- In China, red is the color of good luck and is used as a holiday and wedding color. Chinese babies are given their names at a red-egg ceremony.
- Superstitious people think red frightens the devil.
- A “red-letter day” is one of special importance and good fortune.
- In Greece, eggs are dyed red for good luck at Easter time.
- To “paint the town red” is to celebrate.
- Red is the color most commonly found in national flags.
- In the English War of the Roses, red was the color of the House of Lancaster, which defeated the House of York, symbolized by the color white.
- The “Redshirts” were the soldiers of the Italian leader Garibaldi, who unified modern Italy in the nineteenth century.
- To “see red” is to be angry.
- A “red herring” is a distraction, something that takes attention away from the real issue.
- A “red eye” is an overnight airplane flight.
- If a business is “in the red,” it is losing money.
~ GREEN ~
 |
- Only one national flag is a solid color: the green flag of Libya.
- Ancient Egyptians colored the floors of their temples green.
- In ancient Greece, green symbolized victory.
- In the highlands of Scotland, people wore green as a mark of honor.
- Green is the national color of Ireland.
- A “greenback” is slang for a U.S. dollar bill.
- Green means “go.” When “all systems are green,” it means everything is in order.
- The green room of a concert hall or theater is where performers relax before going onstage.
- The “green-eyed monster” is jealousy.
- A greenhorn is a newcomer or unsophisticated person.
- Green is youthful.
- Being “green around the gills” is looking pale and sickly.
- “Green with envy” means full of envy or jealousy.
- A person with a “green thumb” is good at making plants grow.
- A green, or common, is a town park.
- Green is a healing color, the color of nature.
~ BLUE ~
 |
- In ancient Rome, public servants wore blue. Today, police and other public servants wear blue.
- In Iran, blue is the color of mourning.
- Blue was used as protection against witches, who supposedly dislike the color.
- If you are “true blue,” you are loyal and faithful.
- Blue stands for love, which is why a bride carries or wears something blue on her wedding day.
- A room painted blue is said to be relaxing.
- “Feeling blue” is feeling sad. “Blue devils” are feelings of depression.
- Something “out of the blue” is from an unknown source at an unexpected time.
- A bluebook is a list of socially prominent people.
- The first prize gets a blue ribbon.
- A blue blood is a person of noble descent. This is probably from the blue veins of the fair-complexioned aristocrats who first used this term.
- “Into the blue” means into the unknown.
- A “bluenose” is a strict, puritanical person.
- A “bluestocking” used to be a scholarly or highly knowledgeable woman.
- The pharaohs of ancient Egypt wore blue for protection against evil.
- The “blues” is a style of music derived from southern African-American secular songs. It influenced the development of rock, R&B, and country music.
- “Blue laws” are used to enforce moral standards.
- A blue ribbon panel is a group of especially qualified people.
~ Purple, Violet ~
 |
- The Egyptian queen Cleopatra loved purple. To obtain one ounce of Tyrian purple dye, she had her servants soak 20,000 Purpura
snails for 10 days.
- In Thailand, purple is worn by a widow mourning her husband's death.
- A “purple heart” is a U.S. military decoration for soldiers wounded or killed in battle.
- Purple is a royal color.
- Purple robes are an emblem of authority and rank.
- “Purple speech” is profane talk.
- “Purple prose” is writing that is full of exaggerated literary effects and ornamentation.
- Leonardo da Vinci believed that the power of meditation increases 10 times when done in a purple light, as in the purple light of stained glass.
- Purple in a child's room is said to help develop the imagination according to color theory.
- Richard Wagner composed his operas in a room with shades of violet, his color of inspiration.
~ Yellow ~
 |
- In Egypt and Burma, yellow signifies mourning.
- In Spain, executioners once wore yellow.
- In India, yellow is the symbol for a merchant or farmer.
- In tenth-century France, the doors of traitors and criminals were painted yellow.
- Hindus in India wear yellow to celebrate the festival of spring.
- If someone is said to have a “yellow streak,” that person is considered a coward.
- In Japan during the War of Dynasty in 1357, each warrior wore a yellow chrysanthemum as a pledge of courage.
- A yellow ribbon is a sign of support for soldiers at the front.
- Yellow is a symbol of jealousy and deceit.
- In the Middle Ages, actors portraying the dead in a play wore yellow.
- To holistic healers, yellow is the color of peace.
- Yellow has good visibility and is often used as a color of warning. It is also a symbol for quarantine, an area marked off because of danger.
- “Yellow journalism” refers to irresponsible and alarmist reporting.
~ White ~
 |
- A white flag is the universal symbol for truce.
- White means mourning in China and Japan.
- Angels are usually depicted wearing white robes.
- The ancient Greeks wore white to bed to ensure pleasant dreams.
- The Egyptian pharaohs wore white crowns.
- The ancient Persians believed all gods wore white.
- A “white elephant” is a rare, pale elephant considered sacred to the people of India, Thailand, Burma, and Sri Lanka; in this country, it is either a possession that costs more than it is worth to keep or an item that the owner doesn't want but can't get rid of.
- It's considered good luck to be married in a white garment.
- White heat is a state of intense enthusiasm, anger, devotion, or passion.
- To whitewash is to gloss over defects or make something seem presentable that isn't.
- A “white knight” is a rescuer.
- A white list contains favored items (as opposed to a blacklist).
- A “whiteout” occurs when there is zero visibility during a blizzard.
- A “white sale” is a sale of sheets, towels, and other bed and bath items.
- A “whited sepulcher” is a person who is evil inside but appears good on the outside, a hypocrite.
- “White lightning” is slang for moonshine, a homebrewed alcohol.
- A white room is a clean room as well as a temperature-controlled, dust-free room for precision instruments.
- White water is the foamy, frothy water in rapids and waterfalls.
Black
 |
- The ancient Egyptians and Romans used black for mourning, as do most Europeans and Americans today.
- The “Blackshirts” were the security troops in Hitler's German army, also known as the S.S.
- Black often stands for secrecy.
- Black humor is morbid or unhealthy and gloomy humor.
- A “blackhearted” person is evil.
- If a business is “in the black,” it is making money.
- A “blacklist” is a list of persons or organizations to be boycotted or punished.
- Black is associated with sophistication and elegance. A “black tie” event is formal.
- A black belt in karate identifies an expert.
- A black flag in a car race is the signal for a driver to go to the pits.
- A blackguard is a scoundrel.
- The ancient Egyptians believed that black cats had divine powers.
- Black lung is a coal miner's disease caused by the frequent inhaling of coal dust.
- Blackmail is getting things by threat.
- Black market is illegal trade in goods or money.
- A black sheep is an outcast.
- “Blackwash” (as opposed to “whitewash”) is to uncover or bring out in the light.
- A blackout is a period of darkness from the loss of electricity, for protection against nighttime air raids, or, in the theater, to separate scenes in a play.
- When you “black out,” you temporarily lose consciousness.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)