China passenger train hits 300 mph, breaks record

CRH380A is one of the three Chinese train series which have been designed for the new standard operating speed of 380 kmh on newly constructed Chinese high-speed main lines. The other two are CRH380B and CRH380C. CRH380B has been developed by China North Locomotive and Rolling Stock Industry (Group) Corporation (CNR) in cooperation with Siemens, and it is manufactured by Tangshan Railway Vehicle and Changchun Railway Vehicle. CRH380C is Bombardier’s Zefiro 380, which is a special design for China Railway, to be produced at Bombardier Sifang (Qingdao) Transportation Ltd, a joint venture by Bombadier and CSR Sifang.

China on Saturday launched the world's fastest train service covering a distance of 1,068 kms at the average speed of 350 kms an hour. The distance between Wuhan in central China and Guangzhou in the country's south was covered by the high-speed train in two hours forty five minutes. The train reached a maximum speed of 394.2 km per hour during trail runs that begun on December 9. Officially, on Dec. 26 the world's fastest train will be open for traffic on high-speed railway Wuhan-Guangzhou – for the longest in the world and is a “record” is also on the speed. Distance more than a thousand kilometers to be covered in three hours at an average speed of 340 kilometers per hour.

 Some Features Of CRH380A

According to CSR, the overall design of CRH380A reflects ten system innovations.

* Low-resistance streamline head, The nose design of the train has a resistance coefficient of <0.13.
* Vibration mode system matching, it has optimised the bogie to match the performance of the body and improved the train's interior structure to improve the car body's natural frequency, which helps reduce the body's structural vibration during the high-speed running and improve ride comfort.
* High-air-tightness body, enabling the train body air tightness to decrease from 4000Pa to 1000Pa in more than 180 seconds. The pressure change rate inside the train is less than 200Pa/s, with the maximum pressure change inside the train remaining below 800Pa compared with the standard value of 1000Pa. This ensures good ride quality at high speed.
* Safe and reliable high-speed bogie,equiped with SWMB-400/SWTB-400 non-boster bogies, The bogie is redesigned from SWMB-350/SWTB-350 bogie used by CRH2C, the critical instability speed is 550km/h. The new train's derail coefficient is 0.34 at speed of 386.3 km/h while the maximun derail coefficient of CRH2A is 0.73.
* Advanced noise control technology, By reducing sources of noise and adopting new sound absorbing and insulating materials, CSR has been able to control noise inside the train,The noisy is at 67dB – 69db when running at 350 km/h, which is similar to the CRH2A running at 250 km/h.
* High-performance traction system, with YQ-365 motors manufacturer by CSR zhuzhou electric co.,Ltd and CI11 Traction converter manufacturer by Zhuzhou times electric co.,Ltd.
* High-speed dual-pantograph current-receiving performance.
* Safe and environment-friendly brake system,regenerative braking should result in the energy feedback rate hitting 90%.
* Human-oriented passenger interface.
* Outstanding intelligent performance.

When You Have Nothing to Talk About ...

Whether you're a host or a guest, there are loads of social situations that will call for interaction, even when you're stumped for some way to oil the wheels of conversation. The seeming inability to start a conversation when you've nothing to talk about is partly about nerves, partly about talking yourself into believing that you have nothing in common with the other person, and partly an unwillingness to try the new or even to put in the effort.
Overcome the nerves and the lukewarm desire to find ways of conversing with others you might never have tried before, and become a lot more comfortable around people in a conversational setting.

STEPS
1). Begin by introducing yourself. It's very simple, and consists of telling the new person your name, offering your hand to shake and smiling.

2). Be aware of your internal monologue. When you suddenly feel that you're not able to engage in conversation with another person, it's likely that you're telling yourself a few negative things, such as worrying that you're boring, not good enough, too unimportant, intruding, wasting their time, etc. Feeling self-conscious when carrying on conversation with others is not unusual but it's also not productive.

3). Understand the secret to a good conversation. The secret at the heart of a good conversation is to listen and do very little of the talking, apart from encouraging the other person to open up. Once you understand this, you should feel a lot more reassured. Of course, there is an art to getting this happening but it's not hard.

4). Know how to ask an open question. Most people love to talk about themselves; it's your place as the conversation starter to get them going.
• A closed question: "Do you like books?", "Is spring your favorite season?", "Do you come here often?"
• An open question: "What sort of books do you like?, "Which is your favorite season?, "What are you doing right now?"

5). Put the location comment together with the open question and your conversation will be underway. For example:"That's a nice handbag, where did you get it?". This lets the handbag owner talk about the day that they went shopping and all this funny stuff happened, as opposed to, "I like your handbag." "Thank you." and then it's over.

6). Know the stuff of small talk, be aware of good topics for conversation. When you first meet people, it's important to keep the conversation light and simple. Rely on small talk until the two of you get to know one another better, as this is a time when you're both trying to establish rapport and similarities rather than setting each other up for an opinionated argument, such topics as your blog or website, the purchase of a new car, vacation plans, a good book you've just read etc.

7). Use words of a sensory nature. These are words such as "see", "imagine", "feel", "sense", etc., in order to encourage the other person to keep painting a descriptive picture as part of their conversation. For example:
• Where do you see yourself in a year's time?
• What's your sense of the current stock market fluctuations?

8). Synchronize. Once your partner-in-conversation has started talking, follow his or her cue to keep the conversation going smoothly. Use active listening to reflect what they're saying and to summarize their possible feelings.
• Say the other person's name now and then.
• Give encouraging feedback.
• Keep your body language open and receptive.

9). Keep good thoughts going through your head. Stay interested in the other person and focused on them. If your conversation partner appears withdrawn and uninterested in sharing information with you, don't persist too much.
• Keep your questions non-invasive; be sure you're not asking them questions they'd rather not discuss.
• Don't ask too many questions if your conversation partner continues to appear unresponsive.
• ck into yourself. Note each time a similarity or common goal pops up in the conversation to remind yourself of the worth of continuing to connect with this person.
• Smile a lot, and laugh when any quip is made by the other person.

10). Maintain the equilibrium. As the person who started the conversation, the responsibility initially rests with you to maintain the momentum. But what about when the other person starts practicing active listening and open questions back on you?

TIPS
• Speak with clarity and purpose. If you're mumbling, it makes conversing a lot harder.
• Reflect before speaking if it's your turn to talk and allow silence to also have its rightful place in your conversation. Don't be afraid of pauses – use them to change topics, re-energize the conversation, or to take a short breather even.
• Relax. Chances are that whatever small-talk you're making isn't going to stick out in anyone's mind a few months from now.
• If you think of something in your head while you're talking, it's probably related.
• If you're shy, it is helpful to have thought about a topic or two in advance that you feel comfortable talking about.
• Follow the lead that your listener is expressing. If he or she appears interested, then continue. If he or she is looking at a clock or watch, or worse, looking for an escape strategy, then you've been going on for too long.
• Interesting and funny quotes or facts can lighten things up, and make way for things to talk about.
• Half of an effective conversation is the way you non-verbally communicate, and not necessarily what you say. Practice better non-verbal skills that are friendly and confident.
• Take a mental note of some amusing things that you saw or heard througout the day. This can give way to future conversation.

WARNINGS
• Don't be overly invasive with your questions.
• Watch out if you use tons of fillers like "umm" or "soo". It might make the person you're talking to feel awkward or obligated to say something. Instead talk slowly and pause. This will create a little tension and make your newly found friend more invested in your conversation.
• Don't ever comment negatively on the person with whom you are talking, or anyone else; you never know if there is a personal attachment to the person you are criticizing.
• Never swear, insult, disrespect, use racial, religious, sexual orientation, and gender slurs in front of others
• Never act arrogantly and pretend to be a Know-It-All when dealing with people.
• Never ever interrupt a conversation between one or more people. Wait for the conversation to stop and then say something. Common courtesy goes a long way.
• Make use of "please", "may I", "thank you", "could you" when someone is nice to you and when you want something. Being polite shows maturity and intelligence.
• Don't always talk about your financial status in the presence of your new friend.
• Also remember that not everyone wants to talk. If the person shows signs of discomfort or loss of interest, you should not bother them

Types of Phobias ,Causes , Indication and Danger Aspects

 

 

Have you been facing the challenge of some events that you should not fear about? Are your fears gearing to some other aspects of your life? Are you affected socially, mentally and physically? Do they cause you much stress? Well you are not just having panic attacks. You may already be encountering phobias.
Phobia is a strong fear or dislike of someone or something. It is described as an irrational state. It is very powerful and can affect you in several ways. You may tend to be afraid of spiders, cockroaches and other insects. Sometimes you may also be afraid of confined spaces. At times you may also fear the fact of traveling in elevators. It is therefore best to gather more facts about phobia that may cause panic attacks later on.

Fact # 1: Types of Phobias
There are various types of phobias, the most common of which are:
1. Claustrophobia, the fear of being confined in a small place such as an elevator or closet;
2. Agoraphobia, fear of large open spaces;
3. Authophobia, fear of being alone;
4. Acrophobia, the fear of heights;
5. Necrophobia, the fear of death and dead bodies;
6. Mysophobia, the fear of dirt;
7. Photophobia, intolerance of light;
8. Coitophobia, the fear of sexual intercourse;
9. Gatophobia, the fear of cats;
10. Nyctophobia, the fear of night;
11. Hydrophobia, the fear of water;
12. Androphobia, the fear of men; and
13. Gynephobia, the fear of women.
Fact #2: Results of Phobias
If phobia is not addressed immediately, the condition may become severe up to the point that the individual’s existence will be severely disturbed not only by their fears but their effort to hide their condition. Actually, there are a lot of people who are in dangers with their relationship towards families and friends, and their jobs due to the fact that they cannot handle the severity of their phobia.
The phobia may naturally improve for quite a period of time but it will not stay away until the individual will be given therapy that is particularly planned for her. It is also said that persons who are alcoholic have more chances of suffering phobia than those who are not. To some extent it may work the other way around. This means that if you develop fear in your system, you may have the tendency to depend on alcohol or other bad habits.
Fact #3: Causes and Danger Aspects of Phobias
There are no evidences yet that will prove the particular cause of phobias, but some think that phobias are:
1. Transferred among family members;
2. It is also said that they are manipulated by way of life; and
3. It can be activated by living incidents.
Fact #4: Indications of Phobias
The major sign of phobia frequently entails panic attack. This leads to sensing of fright, dismay, or fear, in spite of identification that those sensations have no real basis for alarm. Other indications of phobia are briefly explained as follows:
1. Phobia sufferers may also experience physical signs like trembling, fast heart rate, difficulty in breathing, and an overpowering wish to get away from the circumstances which causes the fearful response.
2. Sometimes people also take tremendous procedures to get away from the condition.
Phobias must be carefully recognized from fear and anxiety. All these three types of mental health problems have different characteristics, although some of the symptoms may be similar. You must also take note that phobia is another product of your mind which you can control by yourselves. However, if you cannot control it alone do not be embarrassed to ask an expert to help you manage your phobia. Never try to avoid this illness by taking drugs or alcohol because it will only aggravate your condition.

 

 

Types of Phobias , Phobia photo , phobia cause , Phobia indication , danger of Phobias

Ways to Deal With the Migraine Headaches

Ways to Deal With the Migraine Headaches

Migraine headaches seem to be caused in part by changes in the level of a chemical made in the brain called serotonin. Serotonin plays many roles in the body, and it can have an effect on blood vessels. When serotonin levels are high, blood vessels constrict (shrink). When serotonin levels fall, the blood vessels dilate (swell). This swelling can cause pain or other problems.

Many things can affect the level of serotonin in your body, including your level of blood sugar, certain foods and changes in your estrogen level if you're a woman.
 

What does a migraine feel like?

The pain of a migraine headache can be intense. It can get in the way of your daily activities. Migraines aren't the same for all people. Possible symptoms of migraines are listed in the box below.

You may have a "premonition" several hours to a day before your headache starts. Premonitions are feelings you get that can signal a migraine is coming. These feelings can include intense energy, fatigue, food cravings, thirst and mood changes.

Possible symptoms of migraines

    * Intense throbbing or dull aching pain on one side of your head or both sides
    * Pain that worsens with physical activity
    * Nausea or vomiting
    * Changes in how you see, including blurred vision or blind spots
    * Being bothered by light, noise or odors
    * Feeling tired and/or confused
    * Stopped-up nose
    * Feeling cold or sweaty
    * Stiff or tender neck
    * Light-headedness
    * Tender scalp

Different kinds of migraine headaches

Yes. The most common are classic migraine and common migraine.

Classic migraines start with a warning sign, called an aura. The aura often involves changes in the way you see. You may see flashing lights and colors. You may temporarily lose some of your vision, such as your side vision.

You may also feel a strange prickly or burning sensation, or have muscle weakness on one side of your body. You may have trouble communicating. You may also feel depressed, irritable and restless.

Auras last about 15 to 30 minutes. Auras may occur before or after your head pain, and sometimes the pain and aura overlap, or the pain never occurs. The head pain of classic migraines may occur on one side of your head or on both sides.

Common migraines don't start with an aura. Common migraines may start more slowly than classic migraines, last longer and interfere more with daily activities. The pain of common migraines may be on only one side of your head.
How long do migraines usually last?

Migraines can last from 4 to 72 hours. They may happen only once or twice a year, or as often as daily. Women are more likely to have migraines than men.
What can set off a migraine?

Things that can set off migraines include the following:

    * Strong or unusual odors, bright lights or loud noises
    * Changes in weather or altitude
    * Feeling tired, stressed or depressed
    * Changes in sleeping patterns
    * Certain foods (see the list below), especially those that contain tyramine, sodium nitrate or phenylalanine
    * Missing meals or fasting
    * Menstrual periods, birth control pills or hormonal changes (in women)
    * Intense physical activity, including sexual activity
    * Smoking
    * Fumes

Foods that may trigger migraines:

    * Aged, canned, cured or processed meat, including bologna, game, ham, herring, hot dogs, pepperoni and sausage
    * Aged cheese
    * Alcoholic beverages, especially red wine
    * Aspartame
    * Avocados
    * Beans, including pole, broad, lima, Italian, navy, pinto and garbanzo
    * Brewer's yeast, including fresh yeast coffee cake, donuts and sourdough bread
    * Caffeine (in excess)
    * Canned soup or bouillon cubes
    * Chocolate, cocoa and carob
    * Cultured dairy products, such as buttermilk and sour cream
    * Figs
    * Lentils
    * Meat tenderizer
    * Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
    * Nuts and peanut butter
    * Onions, except small amounts for flavoring
    * Papaya
    * Passion fruit
    * Pea pods
    * Pickled, preserved or marinated foods, such as olives and pickles, and some snack foods
    * Raisins
    * Red plums
    * Sauerkraut
    * Seasoned salt
    * Snow peas
    * Soy sauce

How are migraines treated?

There are 2 types of medicines for migraine treatments. One type focuses on relieving the headache pain. This type of treatment should be started as soon as you think you're getting a migraine. The other type includes medicines that are used to prevent headaches before they occur.
Can nonprescription medicines help relieve the pain?

Yes. Nonprescription medicines that can help relieve migraine pain include aspirin, acetaminophen (one brand name: Tylenol), an acetaminophen, aspirin and caffeine combination (one brand name: Excedrin Migraine), ibuprofen (one brand name: Motrin), naproxen (brand name: Aleve), and ketoprofen (brand name: Orudis KT).
What about prescription medicines?

People who have more severe pain may need prescription medicine. A medicine called ergotamine can be effective alone or combined with other medicines. Dihydroergotamine is related to ergotamine and can be helpful.

Other prescription medicines for migraines include sumatriptan, zolmitriptan, naratriptan, rizatriptan, almotriptan, eletriptan and frovatriptan.

If the pain won't go away, stronger medicine may be needed, such as a narcotic, or medicines that contain a barbiturate. These medicines can be habit-forming and should be used cautiously.
Can medicine help prevent migraines?

Yes. Medicine to prevent migraines may be helpful if your headaches happen more than twice a month or if your headaches make it hard for you to work and function. Examples of medicines used to prevent migraines include propranolol, timolol, divalproex and some antidepressants.

Talk to your doctor about which medicine is best for you. Nonprescription and prescription medicines that are used often or in large doses may cause other problems.
What else can I do to prevent migraines?

Try to avoid foods or other things that seem to cause migraines for you. Keep a journal to help you identify triggers. Get plenty of sleep and drink plenty of fluids. Try to relax and reduce the stress in your life. Also try to get regular exercise. Aerobic exercise can help reduce tension as well as keep your weight in check. Obesity can contribute to migraines.

Tips on reducing the pain

    * Lie down in a dark, quiet room.
    * Put a cold compress or cloth over your forehead.
    * Massage your scalp using a lot of pressure.
    * Put pressure on your temples.

Key words : Migraine , Migraine headache , Migraine control , Migraine prevention ,
Migraine treatment , Migraine symptoms , Migraine cure , Migraine medicines , Migraine food ,

XIX Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010 Delhi

About Commonwealth Games : History Of Commonwealth Games


The Commonwealth Games is a multinational, multi-sport event which features competitions involving thousands of elite athletes from members of the Commonwealth of Nations.Organised every four years, they are the third-largest multi-sport event in the world, after the Summer Olympic Games and the Asian Games.As well as many Olympic sports, the Games also include some sports that are played mainly in Commonwealth countries, such as lawn bowls, rugby sevens and netball.The Games are overseen by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF), which also controls the sporting programme and selects the host cities. The host city is selected from across the Commonwealth, with eighteen cities in seven countries having hosted it.The event was first held in 1930 under the title of the British Empire Games in Hamilton,Ontario, Canada. The event was renamed as the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, the British Commonwealth Games in 1970, and gained its current title in 1978. Only six teams have attended every Commonwealth Games: Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. Australia has been the highest achieving team for ten games,England for seven and Canada for one.There are currently 54 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, and 71 teams participate in the Games. The four Home Nations of the United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – send separate teams to the Commonwealth Games, and individual teams are also sent from the British Crown dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man (unlike at the Olympic Games, where the combined "Great Britain" team represents all four home nations and the Crown dependencies). Many of the British overseas territories also send their own teams. The Australian external territory of Norfolk Island also sends its own team, as do the Cook Islands and Niue, two states in free association with New Zealand.It has been reported that Tokelau, another dependency of New Zealand will be sending a team to the 2010 Games in Delhi, India. Last Commenwealth games were held in 2006 in Melbourne, Australia.

The Mega Multi sports event, The XIX Commonwealth Games (CWG) – 2010 is going to begin on 3rd October, 2010 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi. This is first big sports event after 28 years in India. In 1982 Asian Games were conducted in India.




72 Nations and territories are going to participate in Common wealth games (CWG) 2010.

XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi Logo

The logo of the XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi is inspired by the Chakra, 

the national symbol of freedom, unity and power. 

Spiraling upwards, it depicts the growth of India into a proud, vibrant nation.

Tagline of the Logo – XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi

The logo Tagline is Come Out and Play. The logo tagline is in an invitation to every person across all divides – Indian and Commonwealth – to let go of themselves and participate in the Games to the best of their abilities, in the true sprit of the Games.

XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi Logo Color Palette and Significance

Red, Yellow & Blue: Commonwealth Games colours, representing the ‘Trinity of Values’ that symbolise the games; unifying Humanity (Red) giving all athletes a chance to realize their Destiny (Yellow) and promoting Equality (Blue).

Purple: Combining the stable and calming aspects of blue with the mystical qualities of pink, this colour satisfies the need for reassurance, while adding a hint of mystery and excitement.

Pink: Pink colour has also been introduced to the palette adding an element of surprise and luxury to the Games look programme. It plays to the crowd and truly reflects India in all its resplendent glory.

Green: Green signifies life, energy and high spirits also represents the fact that Delhi 2010 will be the first ever Green Games. With a spring in your step, face every challenge and overcome hurdles with radiance and gusto.

About the Mascot – Shera

Date of Birth: November 2003

Aim: To promote Delhi 2010 and to create awareness about the fragile environment

Favorite Quote: Come out and Play!

Hometown: Delhi

Hobbies: Playing sports and making friends

Song: Commonwealth Games Delhi 2010 Theme Song

XIX Commonwealth Games 2010 Delhi Schedule

Commonwealth Games starts on 3rd October, 2010 and ends on 14th October.

Click here for detailed Schedule .

72 Nations and Territories participating in XIX Commonwelath games (CWG) 2010

1. Anguilla
2. Antigua and Barbuda
3. Austdalia
4. Bahamas
5. Bangladesh
6. Barbados
7. Belize
8. Bermuda
9. Botswana
10. British Virgin Islands
11. Brunei
12. Cameroon
13. Canada
14. Cayman Islands
15. Cook Islands
16. Cyprus
17. Dominica
18. England
19. Falkland Islands
20. Gambia
21. Ghana
22. Gibraltar
23. Grenada
24. Guernsey
25. Guyana
26. India
27. Isle of Man
28. Jamaica
29. Jersey
30. Kenya
31. Kiribati
32. Lesotho
33. Malawi
34. Malaysia
35. Maldives
36. Malta
37. Mauritius
38. Montserrat
39. Mozambique
40. Namibia
41. Nauru
42. New Zealand
43. Nigeria
44. Niue
45. Norfolk Island
46. Northern Ireland
47. Pakistan
48. Papua New Guinea
49. Rwanda
50. Saint Helena
51. Saint Kitts and Nevis
52. Saint Lucia
53. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
54. Samoa
55. Scotland
56. Seychelles
57. Sierra Leone
58. Singapore
59. Solomon Islands
60. South Africa
61. Sri Lanka
62. Swaziland
63. Tanzania
64. Tokelau
65. Tonga
66. tdinidad and Tobago
67. Turks and Caicos Islands
68. Tuvalu
69. Uganda
70. Vanuatu
71. Wales
72. Zambia

XIX Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010 Venues of 17 Sports

Venue Clusters : Six

Stand alone Venues: Five

Cluster I : Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex

Sports at Cluster I: Ceremonies, Athletics, Lawn Bowls and Weightlifting.

Cluster II:Indira Gandhi Sports Complex

Sports at Cluster II: Cycling, Gymnastics and Wrestling.

Cluster III: Yamuna Sports Complex

Sports at Cluster III: Archery (Qualification Rounds) and Table Tennis

Cluster IV: Siri Fort Sports Complex

Sports at Cluster IV:Yamuna Sports Complex; Badminton and Squash

Cluster V: MDC National Stadium Complex

Sports at Cluster V: Hockey and Archery Finals (India Gate)

Cluster VI: Talkatora Garden Complex.

Sports at Cluster VI:Swimming and Boxing



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What the fish? Alive even after a MILLION years!

Top 10 Prehistoric Fish Alive Today

10 Hagfish According to the fossil record, hagfish have existed for over 300 million years, which means they were already old when dinosaurs took over the world! Found in relatively deep waters, these animals are sometimes called slime eels, but they are not really eels, and actually, they may not even be fish at all,according to some scientists. They are very bizarre animals in all regards; they have a skull but lack a spine, and they have two brains. Almost blind, they feed at night on the carcasses of large animals (fish, cetaceans etc) which fall to the sea bottom. They owe their “slime eel” nickname to the fact that they produce a slimey substance to damage the gills of predatory fish; as a result, they have virtually no natural enemies.  9 Lancetfish The lancetfish has a very obvious “prehistoric” appearance, with those fierce-looking, sharp teeth on its jaws and the sail on its back, reminiscent of that of some dinosaurs (although, in the lancetfish the sail is actually an enlarged dorsal fin). Even its scientific name has a dinosaurian sound to it (Alepisaurus ferox). Up to two meters (6' 6?) in length, this predator is found in all the oceans except for polar regions; very voracious, it feeds on smaller fish and squid, and has known to feed on members of its own species sometimes. 8 Arowana Belonging to the ancient group of the Osteoglossids, these fish already existed in the Jurassic period. Today, they are found in the Amazon, and in parts of Africa, Asia and Australia. Sometimes kept as exotic pets, arowanas are voracious predators that feed on any small animal they can catch, including birds and bats which they catch in mid flight (they are able to leap up to 2 meters (6' 6?) into the air). In China, arowanas are known as “dragon-fish” due to their appearance, and they are thought to be harbingers of good luck. 7 Frilled Shark This deep sea predator, one of the most primitive sharks alive today, is a relic from the Cretaceous period, when dinosaurs ruled the Earth. Seldom seen alive, and only recently filmed for the first time, the frilled shark can grow up to 2 meters (6' 6?) (with females being larger than males) and they live in deep waters, where they feed mostly on squid. They are not dangerous to humans, and as a matter of fact, most frilled sharks spend their whole lives without seeing a human being. Only dead or dying specimens are usually seen and recorded by fishermen or scientists. 6 Sturgeon Another survivor from the age of dinosaurs (they were already around in the early Jurassic), the sturgeon is well known for being one of the main sources of caviar (which is made out of their roe or egg masses); due to overfishing, these magnificent, armored fish are sadly endangered nowadays. The largest sturgeon species can grow up to 6 meters (19' 7?) long, being as large as most great white sharks; they feed on small animals from the sea bottom and pose no danger to humans, unless provoked (although they are so big that they have hurt, and even killed, people unintentionally by leaping out of the water and landing on boats!) 5 Arapaima A close relative to the arowana (see #8), the Amazonian arapaima is sometimes considered to be the largest freshwater fish in the world. According to early descriptions, it could grow up to 4.5 meters (14' 8?) long, but today, enormous individuals like these are seldom found and most adult arapaimas average 2 meters (6' 6?) long. These slow moving predators feed on smaller fish, crustaceans and whatever small animal they can fit in their mouth. An interesting trait of this fish is that it needs to breath oxygen from the air, like a cetacean, in order to survive. Arapaimas pose no danger to humans and are often hunted for their meat; unfortunately, they are very scarce nowadays. Although the arapaima seemingly appeared in the Miocene period, it belongs to a much older family, the Osteoglossidae, and therefore its origins can be traced back to the age of dinosaurs. 4 Sawfish This critically endangered animal is a survivor from the Cretaceous period, and can be found both in saltwater or in rivers and creeks, and has been found up to 100 kms inland. Up to 7 meters (23') in length, sawfish may look like sharks but are actually more closely related to rays. Their “saw” is both a weapon and a sensory organ, covered on electro-sensitive pores which allow it to sense prey despite its terrible eyesight. Although usually peaceful, the sawfish can become extremely dangerous if provoked. Due to an extraordinary fossil, we know that gigantic, prehistoric sawfish were probably a staple food for the largest carnivorous dinosaur, Spinosaurus, as a vertebra from the fish was found stuck between the dinosaur’s teeth. 3 Alligator Gar This formidable, thick scaled predator is found in the southern US and northern and eastern Mexico, being the largest freshwater fish in North America (although it sometimes wanders into the sea). It can grow up to 4 meters (13') long and weigh up to 200 kgs (440lbs). Gator gars are so called because of their reptilian appearance and long jaws, armed with a double row of sharp teeth. They are voracious ambush predators and have been known to bite humans on occasion, although no confirmed deaths due to alligator gars have been recorded to date. Gars are among the oldest fish alive today; their origins can be traced back to the Cretaceous period. 2 Polypterus Senegalus These african fish are often called “dinosaur eels”, due to their reptilian appearance and serrated dorsal fin, reminiscent of some dinosaurs’ spiked backs. They are not really eels, but members of the bichir family. Bichirs were already around in the Cretaceous, so the “dinosaur” part of their name is actually fitting in a way. Although often sold as exotic pets, dinosaur eels are prone to escaping their fish tanks. They can survive out of the water for long periods of time as long as their skin remains wet, which enables them to wander far away from their tank. 1 Coelacanth The Coelacanth is the most famous of all “living fossils” and deserves to be #1 in this list, because it is the best example of a “Lazarus taxon”, this is, animals that were supposed to be long extinct and are unexpectedly found to be alive. Coelacanths were supposed to have become extinct in the Cretaceous period, along with the dinosaurs, but in 1938, a live specimen was caught in South Africa. Since then, more specimens have been seen and photographed, and a second coelacanth species was even found in Indonesia in 1999. Coelacanths are large predators, up to 2 meters (6' 6') long; they feed on smaller fish, including small sharks, and are usually found in deep, dark waters. Although rarely captured and consumed due to their horrible taste, coelacanths are critically endangered nowadays. Hagfish , Lancetfish , Arowana , Frilled Shark , Sturgeon , Arapaima , Sawfish , Alligator Gar , Polypterus Senegalus , Coelacanth , Lazarus taxon , Prehistoric Fish

The Wonderful World Of Mascots -Part 1

What is a Mascot?

It an animal, human or any other kind of object, which is used in the branding of a company/website. They are used to identify a brand, and they typically indicate the kind of ideals the brand represents, for example, friendliness etc. A mascot is usually cute, friendly and sweet, and on occasions, it may also be kind of silly . Mascots are also used on advertising material.

Nowadays we see a lot of sites using mascot for their companies. It’s a nice way to represent the image of the brand and just by looking at the mascot, instantly a relation is built between the user and the brand.

Some mascots are integrated with the logo while for some sites mascot plays the role of a guiding character:

For a brand name like twitter, the birdie mascot is a representation of the concept – the birdie tweets around the web space.

Silverback usability testing application has a Guerrilla mascot on the very homepage to welcome the visitors

Application launch screen

Website homepage

In freelancer/ personal sites the mascot is designed as a digital avatar of the person:

In the web world everyone wants to see the face of the person they are interacting with, due to which the avatars are being consumed like hot cakes and in the current generation, who does not want to go for global identification AKA ‘Gravatar’.

Existence of Mascot before web2.0:

It seems, not only in these times, but earlier also, mascot has always been a symbolic figure that gives an identity to the brand.

Take the case of the roaring ‘Lion’ for American media company MGM (Metro Goldwyn Mayer) that we have been seeing since ages. It is a well established mascot.

‘Ronald’ our very own friendly clown and famous name after Santa, has been the most recognized mascot for McDonald’s.

Mascots in web2.0 era:

Interestingly designers have now moved away from real life characters to fun loving non-naturalistic mascots. Such mascots are seen playing around the web page with amusing expression and web users are loving the new found friendly fantasy characters.

Prior to web 2.0, the companies would sue if someone tried to modify their mascot, but now the companies are happy to see their mascots being played around, as it makes their brand more popular. Not only this but brands do push similar contests, allowing the users to create mascot oriented icons, wallpapers, blog themes and so on.

So, can you think of other mascots which have brought recognition to a brand, so much so that the brand logo got eclipsed by it’s mascot.

One of the best example in today’s world is none other than Twitter. Just have a look how people have “creativized” the birdie mascot, and trust me, this is just the tip of an iceberg.

Few more samples of contemporary mascots:

http://www.krolikov.net

http://world.waze.com

http://mivokids.pl/

http://dharmafrog.com/ 

http://www.cyclo.ps/

http://www.japonshop.com

http://ignatynikulin.com

http://www.torgraphics.com/index.php

http://sparxtechnologies.com

http://www.nybbletech.com

http://www.thinkorange.pt/

https://www.mochimedia.com/

http://www.mailchimp.com

http://www.komodomedia.com

http://www.hellobard.com/

http://www.hdlive09.co.uk

http://grinparties.com

http://www.bizbreakapp.com

http://aviary.com/

Mascot , Popular website mascot , twitter , 

aviary.com , torgraphics.com