Chinese Shar-Pei Towel Dog

This is NOT a bath towel, so don't put it in the laundry











so sweet!

The Chinese Shar-Pei is a large dog with wrinkled skin. It has a square profile with a broad, flat head. The muzzle is wide, padded, full, with a moderate stop. Like the Chow Chow, these dogs have a blue-black tongue. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. The small, sunken, almond-shaped eyes are dark, but may be lighter in dogs with a dilute colored coat. The high-set, triangular ears are very small, and slightly rounded at the tips. The tail is thick at the base tapering to a fine point and set extremely high. The dewclaws are sometimes removed. Both heavily wrinkled dogs with large heads and smaller headed dogs with tighter looking skins occur in this breed. Puppies have more wrinkles than adults. Shar-Pei slowly lose their wrinkles as they get older. There are three coat varieties: horse-coat and brush-coat and a rare bear-coat, which is not recognized by the AKC. The bear-coat, does not falling within AKC standard because this particular Shar-Pei has an undercoat and a topcoat exceeding 1 inch. The popular theory about the bear-coat is that it's a "throwback" to the chow-chow. They are actually quite popular as pet quality Shar-Pei, albeit rare, and often confused with the chow by unknowing owners as well as animal shelter workers. The unusual horse-coat is rough to the touch, extremely prickly and off-standing. The brush-coated variety has longer hair and a smoother feel. The coat on either variety can be up to one inch in length. Coat colors include all solid colors and sables. There is also a lowered, spotted, and a parti colored (flowered) Shar-Pei coat, which is a disqualifying fault in the show ring according to AKC standard.

Bits Pics: Visualizing the Web’s Icons

nmap

The data visualization above shows the “favicons” of nearly 300,000 Web sites on the Internet. Favicons are small images used to identify a Web site in the browser.

The sizes of the icons are based on the amount of traffic each Web site receives, using data from Alexa.com, a traffic and Web metrics site.

The project, which I came across via Gizmodo, is the work of two programmers, David Fifield and Brandon Enright. They work for a company called Nmap that makes open-source security programs.

To retrieve all the icons the programmers ran a programming script on the top 328,427 Web sites and looked for the associated icons for each site. The results found 288,945 images.

Favicons are usually 16 pixels square. The full image with all the sites’ icons is a massive 37,440 pixels square. As most browsers are not capable of displaying an image that large, Nmap also created an interactive version that offers the ability to zoom in and out.

How APPLES grow???????????

Bits Pics: Kodak’s 1975 Model Digital Camera

Kodak

It might not be pretty on the eyes, or easy to carry around on a vacation, but what do you expect? It was the first digital camera Kodak ever made.

Yes, that’s right, the contraption pictured above was put together in Kodak’s Elmgrove Plant labs near Rochester, N.Y., during the winter of 1975.

A post on Kodak’s Web site from 2007, written by Steve Sasson, the inventor of the digital camera, explains exactly how this camera was created, from a mishmash of lenses and computer parts and an old Super 8 movie camera.

Mr. Sasson called it “film-less photography” and took a “year of piecing together a bunch of new technology” to create a digital camera that ran off “16 nickel-cadmium batteries, a highly temperamental new type of CCD imaging area array, an a/d converter implementation stolen from a digital voltmeter.”

One of my favorite factoids about this snazzy digital camera is the fact that it took 23 seconds to record a single digital image to its cassette deck. To view the filmless photo, Mr. Sasson had to remove the cassette from the camera and place it in a customized reader that could display the image on an old black and white television.

When the team of technicians presented the camera to Kodak audiences they of course heard a barrage of curious questions:

Why would anyone ever want to view his or her pictures on a TV? How would you store these images? What does an electronic photo album look like? When would this type of approach be available to the consumer?

And although Mr. Sasson and his team tried to answer some of these questions, he concludes with the statement that the digital camera they created could “substantially impact the way pictures will be taken in the future.”

Kodak Side-by-side comparison of a printed photograph versus the “Film-less Photograph.”

US senator calls Infosys a Chop Shop

US Senator from New York, Charles E Schumer has described Indian IT bellwether Infosys as a “chop shop”. Chop Shop is a place where stolen cars are dismantled and parts sold separately. He made this comment during discussions on the Border Security Bill, a $600-million emergency package aimed at strengthening security along the porous Mexican border. He said “The emergency border funds will be paid for by assessing fees on foreign companies known as chop shops that outsource good, high-paying American technology jobs to lower wage, temporary immigrant workers from other countries. These are companies such as Infosys.”

The $600 million-spending bill approved by the Senate would see significant hike in application fees for H-1B and L1 visas, which are most sought after by Indian IT professionals. Infosys, along with Wipro and TCS accounted for nearly 80% of the H-1B visa petitions approved in 2008 for the top 10 participants in the program.

Speaking to a TV Channel, Mohan Das Pai, the human resources head of Infosys said “We are distressed. We are operating like any other corporate office in the US. We follow all rules… We want the India government to seriously take up the issue with the US,”

Infosys is the second largest Software Company in India. Infosys has thousands of employees in the US. For the three months ended June 30, the company had raked in 67.3 per cent of its total revenues from North America.

This comment is actually a big insult to Infosys :: Read the exact meaning of chop shop given below.

A chop shop is a slang phrase for an illegal location or business which disassembles stolen automobiles for the purpose of selling them as parts. It may also be used to refer to a location or business that is involved with the selling of stolen goods in general, or a brokerage that sells non-existent equities, both fraud and stolen goods. Another common use refers to a business whose product, service, or equipment is of questionable quality. The term is often used in a tongue-in-cheek fashion for outlets specializing in choppers, and by butchers and barbers.

Chop Shop

Infosys

Beggars of Today ( jOke )

A man walks past a beggar every day and gives him Rs.10 and that Continues for a year. Then suddenly the daily donation changes to Rs. 7.50

"Well," the beggar thinks, "it's still better than nothing."

A year passes in this way until the man's daily donation suddenly becomes Rs. 5.

"What's going on now?" the beggar asks his donor.

"First you give me Rs. 10 every day, then Rs. 7.50 and now only Rs. 5. What's the problem?"

"Well," the man says, "last year my eldest son went to university. It's very expensive, so I had to cut costs. This year my eldest daughter also went to university, so I had to cut my expenses even further."

"And how many children do you have?" the beggar asks.

"Four," the man replies.

"Well," says the beggar, "I hope you don't plan to educate them all at my expense."

,_._,_

7 Ways to Make Good Impressions

Impressions are important: They leave an initial taste in people's mouths that can remain prevalent for the entire relationship. If you are paranoid about what kind of impression you make, run through these seven list items and see if you are consistent with them; if you are, then you will probably expose the best of yourself. If not, then work to meet these standards.

1. Dress: The absolute first impression you will make on someone will be through your clothing, because that is what is seen from a distance, and cannot change throughout your meeting. Make sure to dress according to the situation-don' t over or under dress-and maintain within the limits of good taste. If you aren't sure if what you're wearing looks good, ask people for an honest opinion. One last thought: always, and I mean always, pull up your pants

2. Hygiene: Take a shower! Shave! Brush your teeth! You must be fully bathed and groomed before you meet with someone for the first time, because scruffy looking people generally don't seem as neat and mature. Pay attention to the little elements like breath: keep a pack of mint gum with you wherever you go, and periodically check to make sure you aren't killing bugs every time you breathe out. If you sweat heavily, keep a small stick of deodorant/anti- perspirant close, and if you notice you're stinking you can freshen up. People notice the minutiae!

3. Manners: At the table and with other people be civilized, polite and respectful: keep your elbows off of the table, open doors for people and address everyone-initially, at least-by their formal title. This will make an especially good impression on senior citizens, because you will prove that you aren't one of those "new fangled punks."

4. Speech: Have clean, clear diction and speak sans "like" or "you know." It is important to be articulate because that inspires a feeling of intelligence and education in the person you are meeting with. Always leave out profanity, and whatever you do, make sure to speak loud enough for all to hear, because conversationalists are easily agitated if you force them say "excuse me?" more than a few times.

5. Discretion: Choose what to share about yourself: forget to tell everyone about that time you went camping and ruptured your appendix, then fell face first into a pile of bug infested leaves-it is rude and will alienate you from the group. Try to withhold from conversations on personal subjects like religion or more disgusting topics like personal medical care. Before you speak, think about the possible impact of what you might say, then imagine its implications in the long run.

6. Humor: Humor can be your most powerful tool or your doom, because everyone has a slightly different sense of humor. What might be hilarious to you might seem disgusting to another, or vice versa. Try to withhold from any jokes that aren't family or dinner table friendly; you can tell those later.

7. Start and End with a Bang: Whoever you are meeting with will remember how you greet them, and then in what manner you left them. If you feel you have trouble with this, practice a few different phrases in the mirror, and introduce elements like: "pleased to meet you," or "honored to make your acquaintance. " Ignore the antiquity of these phrases; it often makes them more memorable.

Making a good impression will set any relationship off on a good foot. If you are in a situation where you need to be judged at face value-such as a job interview or date-then make sure to go through this list and make sure you are within bounds of reason and good taste on all of your decisions.

Amazing Train Routes Around the World

SJ Surya-A R Rahman Movie on Aug 20

Coming Friday will surely promise to be an entertaining weekend for the buffs as there would be whole of releases. First to hit the headlines is Karthi starrer ‘Naan Mahaan Alla’ and Prakash Raj’s ‘Inidhu Inidhu’. Not to forget, the most powerful duo combo SJ Surya-A.R. Rahman is arriving with Telugu movie ‘Komaram Puli’. The film is produced by Ramesh of Kanagarathna Movies and was supposed to release this week for the occasion of Independence Day. However, the postponement to August 20 has taken place during the last moment. For the first time, S.J. Surya has stepped out of his usual traits of romantic entertainers and has made a full-fledged action thriller. The teasers over the satellite channels and all theatres have already raised everyone’s expectations. Specifically, the two big factors: Surya and Rahman have leaped the pre-release anticipations far beyond the usual limits even amongst non-Telugu speaking groups.

51 Tips For Perfect Health

1. Drink eight glasses of water a day.

2. Include two vegetables and one fruit in every meal.

3. Begin each meal with a raw vegetable salad.

4. Make a light snack of assorted sprouts.

5. Start the day with a glass of warm water and a dash of lime.

6. Use only fresh vegetables.

7. Once a week have only fresh fruits until noon, make lunch the first meal of the day.

8. Eat only freshly cooked meals, not refrigerated leftovers.

9. Include one green vegetable and one yellow vegetable in every meal.

10. Go on a juice fasta for a day. Start with vegetable juice, and sip fruit for lunch and dinner.

11. Kick the old coffee habit. Have a glass of fresh fruit juice instead.

12. Cut out all deep-fried foods from your diet.

13. Cut down on high sugar products like soft drinks, ice-cream, candy and cookies in your diet.

14. Never skip a meal, even if you are on a diet. Eat a fresh fruit or have vegetable juice instead.

15. Avoid beverages like soda, coffee, colas and so on.

16. Include high fibre foods plenty of fruits, vegetables and grains in planning your diet.

17. Use salt in moderation

18. Wash vegetables throughly in clean water before chopping.

19. Stream or boil vegetables (rather than fry or saute.

20. Retain peels of potato, cucumber, carrot and tomato while cooking.

21. Do take a moment off to mentally list out the nutritional value of the food you are about to eat.

22. Dont rush through your meals. Set aside enough time to appreciate, enjoy and digest your food.

23. Make every meal an enjoyable experience. Set dishes out attractively and chew slowly to appreciate the full flavour of the foods you eat.

24. Choose to be radiantly healthy. Keep yourself informed about the nutritive value of every food you buy.

25. Shop for groceries yourself. Notice the look, feel and smell of fresh fruit and vegetables and enjoy their intrinsic goodness.

26. Watch out for eating habits paired with emotional states, like reaching for a chocolate when you’re depressed. Resist the urge and eat fruit instead.

27. Eat popcorn (rather than chips) while watching a movie.

28. Sit at the table at meal times. Dont read the paper or review bills while eating.

29. Make it a point to have dinner with the entire family at the table, and not in front of the TV.

30. Eat just to the point of the fullness. Dont stuff yourself!

31. Stop smoking.

32. Restrict alcohol consumption.

33. Get a good night sleep, every night.

34. Enrol today in an exercise programme.

35. Take a brisk, 20 minute invigorating walk each morning.

36. Spend 10 minutes every morning and evening doing basic stretches.

37. Do not use elevators when you can climb the stairs.

38. Enrol in a TM programme today.

39. Focus on your breathing. Take a deep breath, then exhale slowly. Repeat a couple of times a day.

40. Learn to relax. Spend 20 minutes consciously relaxing each muscle of your body.

41. Spend 20 minutes a day in silent meditation, prayer or contemplation.

42. Learn the healing power of laughter. Watch a crazy movie, recall a joke or read a funny book and laugh out loud.

43. Tap the powers of your sub-conscious. Relax your body for 20 minutes and project the Perfect You on your mind screen.

44. Balance your lifestyle. Devote equal time each week to work and fun.

45. Join kids in a sports activity and rediscover the joys of childhood.

46. Do keep in touch with friends. Call up or visit them and be at peace with the world.

47. Enrol in an activity (like dancing, swimming or roller skating…) you never indulged in because you were afraid of “what people might say.

48. Forgive someone who you think has done you wrong and cleanse your spirit of rancour.

49. Do a nice turn to someone you dont know too well, but who could do with a friend.

50. Spend a quiet half-hour chatting with your family.

51. Read a great book once a week.

INDIA IS LOADED WITH MAGICAL MEDICINAL HERBS.

COLDS

Mix a gram of dalchini/cinnamon powder with a teaspoon of honey to cure cold. Prepare a cup of tea to which you should add ginger, clove, bay leaf and black pepper.. This should be consumed twice a day. Reduce the intake as the cold disappears.

GINGER FOR COLDS.

Ginger tea is very good to cure cold. Preparation of tea: cut ginger into small pieces and boil it with water, boil it a few times and then add sugar to sweeten and milk to taste, and drink it hot.

DRY COUGHS.

Add a gram of turmeric (haldi) powder to a teaspoon of honey for curing dry cough. Also chew a cardamom for a long time.

BLOCKED NOSE.



For blocked nose or to relieve congestion, take a table spoon of crushed carom seeds (ajwain) and tie it in a cloth and inhale it.

SORE THROAT.

Add a tea spoon of cumin seeds (jeera) and a few small pieces of dry ginger to a glass of boiling water. Simmer it for a few minutes, and then let it cool. Drink it twice daily. This will cure cold as well as sore throat.

AJWAIN/AJMO FOR ASTHMA.



Boil ajwain in water and inhale the steam.

CURE FOR BACKACHE..



Rub ginger paste on the backache to get relief.

GARLIC FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.



Have 1-2 pod garlic (lasan) first thing in the morning with water

HONEY AND GINGER FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.



Mix 1 table spoon and 1 table spoon ginger (adrak) juice, 1 table spoon of crushed cumin seeds (jeera), and have it twice daily.

MIGRAINE. .

For the cure of migraine or acute cold in the head; boil a tablespoon of pepper powder, and a pinch of turmeric in a cup of milk, and have it daily for a few couple of days.

BITTER GOURD/KARELA IS GOOD..

A tablespoon of amla juice mixed with a cup of fresh bitter gourd (karela) juice and taken daily for 2 months reduces blood sugar.

TURMERIC/ ARAD CURE FOR INJURIES

For any cut or wound, apply turmeric powder to the injured portion to stop the bleeding. It also works as an antiseptic. You can tie a bandage after applying haldi/turmeric.

CRAMPS

You must do a self-massage using mustard oil every morning. Just take a little oil between your palms and rub it all over your body. Then take a shower. This is especially beneficial during winter. You could also mix a little mustard powder with water to make a paste and apply this on your palms and soles of your feet.

HEADACHES.

If you have a regular migraine problem, include five almonds along with hot milk in your daily diet. You could also have a gram of black pepper along with honey or milk, twice or thrice a day. Make an almond paste by rubbing wet almonds against a stone.This can be applied to forehead.

Eat an apple with a little salt on an empty stomach everyday and see its wonderful effects. OR When headache is caused by cold winds, cinnamon works best in curing headache. Make a paste of cinnamon by mixing in water and apply it all over your forehead.

TURMERIC



FOR ARTHRITIS.

Turmeric can be used in treating arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory property. Turmeric can be taken as a drink other than adding to dishes to help prevent all problems. Use one teaspoon of turmeric powder per cup of warm milk every day. It is also used as a paste for local action.

HICCUPS

Take a warm slice of lemon and sprinkle salt, sugar and black pepper on it.. The lemon should be eaten until the hiccups stop.