The Volcanoes Awesome Power

A volcanic explosion can spew rocks into the air at up to 1200km/h and toss a large boulders like pebbles. The results may be devastating. When Indonesia's Tambora volcano exploded in 1815, for example, it killed over 10,000 people. Then the ash falling from the sky piled so thick that it ruined crops, and more than 80,000 people perished from famine and disease. The gases and dust emitted into the atmosphere brought the year without summer as far away as the northeastern United States. It can takes 10,000 years for molten rock to work it's way to earth's surface, but once it does, volcano building can surprisingly rapid.
Volcanic power can also be a force for good. Many millennia ago the condensation of volcanic gases helped form our oceans, making human life possible. When volcanic ash weathers, it forms a rich, loamy soil, which provides the crops to support that life. And volcanic steam is used to generate power and heat homes, while volcanic rocks often contain precious minerals such as gold.
Looking heavenwards we can view the lava plains of the moon, the vast Olympus Mons volcano on Mars and the still active volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io, and feel the wonder and the power of our volcanic universe.

Thanks a Latte

In Syracuse, New York, Federal Express no longer has any competition. In the area of the package-delivery system, United Parcel Service is still a formidable rival. No, we're talking about copyright infringement.
It seems that FedEx has triumphed in its three year legal battle against a local coffee shop. First the shop called itself Federal Espresso. Agreeing to a change, the owners then came up with Ex-federal Espresso. The shipping giant still wasn't amused. Now the two have reached a settlement, and the java business has adopted the name Freedom of Espresso.

Assault and Pepper

When I stopped by his office, our estate's security chief was laboring over a memo he was writing announcing a class for staff about the proper use of cayenne pepper spray for personal self defense. "I need a good title," he said. "Something catchy that will get people's attention so they'll want to come." I pondered for a moment and then said, "How about 'Assault and Pepper'?"

Do I Bark Too Much?

Dogs share their behavior with wolves. Any sensible dog considers himself to be a member of a pack and his house to be the most important part of his pack's territory. Although the role of leader always goes to humans, all members of the pack are equally responsible for warning others when their territory is about to be invaded. And the best way to warn others is to bark. Generally speaking, small dogs - especially terriers - are yappers, while large dogs are relatively quiet.    
     

Real Love

Real love, I've learned , is a very strong form of forgiveness. I don't think people yearn for love because they hate staying home alone on Saturday night or because they dread going into restaurant alone. People want love because they want their taped together glasses or five extra kilos to be forgiven. They want someone to look past the surface stuff like bad hair days, a too loud laugh or potato chips crunching in their living room couch when anyone sits down.

Chicken or Egg ???

Which came first, the chicken or the egg? I would say the egg. The modern chicken is generally believed to be a descendant of Archaeopteryx, the oldest known bird. This 150 million year old resident of the Jurassic period laid eggs, and at some point evolved into an animal that was one generation away from being a proper chicken. This creature would have produced the egg out of which the first chicken emerged. Therefore, the egg came first.

Don't Let the Kids Hijack Your Marriage

It's possible to restore the balance and not have to reduce your commitment to the activities you feel are essential to your child. You just have to communicate that one of your strongest commitments is your marriage. Here's how:

• Make time for the two of you. Even just 15 minutes of after dinner conversation while the kids clean up, or, even better, some skin to skin contact before sleep might work. A parent's weekend away every six months may do as much for the kids as a family trip, since it increases the likelihood that they'll have married parents. That's at least as valuable as karate lessons.
• Respect your adult interactions. Don't lets the kids interrupt if you and your spouse are talking. Stop what you're doing to greet each other when one of you return home. Make a fuss over adult's birthdays. Do everything you can to communicate that "your dad/mum is important to me."
• Share adults only activities. Marriages become stronger when the two of you are companions and conspirators. Reserve weekly tennis time without the kids. Design and build  a bookshelf. Make any overlapping interest your joint activity.
• Put the children activities first, but occasionally put marriage first, explaining, "Mum needs me."
• Stand firm whenever kids complain about these changes. Their short term disappointment reinforces the long term message: Our family extends out to embrace our children. But its strength rest in the relationship that centers it - the one my wife and I have with each other.     

Worried Woman

My friend was on the way home from work when he noticed a woman standing in the car park looking very worried. When he asked if all was well, she told him she'd locked her keys in the car but had called her husband some distance away to bring her the spare keys. On impulse, my friend tried the door , which opened right up. "Oh my God," the woman said. "Quick can you lock it again?"

Low Budget Movies

How do you know that you're watching some low budget movies? Here's the signs :

1. The word weekend, beach, party, or naked is in the title.
2. During the dramatic scene of an ocean liner sinking, you notice a gigantic bar of soap floating in the background.
3. Half the scenes begin with an actor peering into the camera saying, "Ok. It's working again."
4. When some giant monster jumps up you can see it manufacturer label.
5. The entire film is from a CCTV camera.
6. Credits reveal that the movie's director is also the gaffer, grip, hair stylist and caterer.

Pisa Tower Facts

• The tower is nearly 56m high and leans at the top by 4.5m.
• According to legend, Galileo dropped cannon balls from the top of the tower when formulating his theoties on gravity.
• On hot days, one side of the tower heats up more causing it to tilt further.

Bear Necessity

My wife reluctantly agreed to go camping, despite her anxiety about bears. As night fell, she grew nervous about sleeping outdoors, so we ask the ranger. "We haven't seen grizzlies here all season or black bears either" the ranger said. My wife asked  about the difference between the two. "If you climb a tree and it climbs up after you, it's a black bear. But if it stays on the ground and shakes the tree until you fall out, it's a grizzly" the ranger explained. We spent the night in the caravan.

The Bedside Gift Guide

Visiting a friend or relative in hospital? As someone who's spent weeks flat on my back, I can tell you which gifts a patient will love you for.

1. Face, lip and body moisturizers, as well as bottled water. Many hospitals are overheated and dry.
2. Scented candles. You probably won't be allowed to light them, but they'll still help overcome that distinctive medicinal odor.
3. Some newspapers or magazines
4. Flowers are lovely, but they die quickly in a warm hospital room. A small plant or orchids will last.
5. Books, always consider the taste of the recipient, but steer clear of heavy philosophy.
6. A good small reading lamp. This tames the pallor of the overhead fluorescent lights, and if reading is the patient primary diversion, he or she deserve a great bedside light source.
7. A portable music player. Songs always gets me in a good mood, and it drowns out those "Dr Sally to the OR, stat" announcements.
8. A notebook or journal to jot down telephone numbers, thoughts and messages.

Dyslexics Musicians

Do people with dyslexia have any trouble reading music? Dyslexics find reading and writing difficult because of an inability to distinguish between some letter shapes. Since musical notation involves notes and other written symbols, it too can be difficult. But aids including enlarged scores, personalized notation and listening to and memorizing a piece of music before attempting to read it can all help dyslexics to become first-rate musicians.

A Blood Test for Suicide Risk?

How do you know when someone who talks about suicide will actually go through with it? Even experts have difficulty deciding which depressed patients need protection. University of Iowa scientists believe they've found a way to asses risk: a blood test that checks glands controlling the stress hormone cortisol. Overactive glands may be a corollary to the mental turmoil that leads people to take the final step. Patients given the "dexamethasone suppression test" while hospitalised for major depression showed that 32 of the 78 patients were churning out excess cortisol. Tracking the group over 15 years found that 7 of the 32 with the abnormal result had killed themselves, compared with only one of the patients who had normal results. Those with high cortisol levels were 14 times more likely to commit suicide. If the findings hold up in larger studies, they believe the test could prove to be a powerful tool for the mental health community.

YR PLC OR MN?

You've dating for a while and you're finally ready to ask: YR PLC OR MN? And that's when you get the devastating response : LJBF. For many cellphone users, awkward moments of romantic conversation have been transformed into a sort of electronic short hand: YR PLC OR MN: Your place or mine? LJBF: Let's just be friends. With short messaging services (SMS) users can instantly send out notes they have typed on their cell phone's keypad. The abbreviations can be confusing, but it hasn't held back some lovebirds from embracing the new technology. As The Beatles sang, AL U NDS LV, although owning a cell phone helps.

Raindrops Size

Is there a maximum size that raindrops can be? Yes, any raindrops larger than 7mm in diameter will split into pieces as it falls. Raindrops are made up of a minute water particles that bonds together in clouds. The larger the raindrops become, the less effective their surface tension is at holding them together. This makes them increasingly unstable, and as the pick up speed on their way to earth, turbulence and other aerodynamic forces will rip them apart. This will normally happen to a 7 mm wide droplet when it hits a speed of around 30km/h.

Clothes Line

The clothes we select for ourselves are a better indicator of who we think we are than our faces or our bodies, which we didn't choose. Clothes are our one chance to right whatever physical wrongs God imposed on us. They can be a mirror of what's inside, a veneer of camouflage, or a map of your aspiration.

The Best Pill for Your Brain

Skip the exotic herbs and extracts, your brain is more likely to benefit from a good old multivitamin, according to some experts. It's well known that such antioxidants as vitamins C and E protect cells from damage by disarming free radicals (naturally occurring molecules that destroy healthy cells). The brain generates more of these trouble-makers per gram of tissue than any other organ.
The advantage of a multivitamin is economy : You not only get C and E, but other key nutrients linked to healthy brain function, including beta carotene, iron, zinc, B12 and folic acid.

Studying, Not Runny Noses

On average, schoolchildren get six to ten viral illness a year. If you and your kids can follow these rules, you'll all have a happier school year.

• Soap Up. Germs live a hand to mouth, nose or eye existence. Keep your kid's palm clean and they'll stay well.
• Hands Off! Back up the frequent washing plan by reminding your kids to keep their hands off their faces as much as possible.
• Get some fresh air. Encourage your kids to play outside - even if it's a bit nippy. Studies suggest colds may result from people spending more time indoors.
• Get plenty of Zzzzs. Researchers have found that sleep deprivation increases susceptibility to colds.
• Just say no. If your kids friend has the sniffles, cancel the play date.

When You're Smilling

In a recent study , a researcher found that athletes whose team mates were in a good mood were more likely to feel happy themselves. Outward signs of bliss are hard to disguise, so many people subconsciously pick up on the good moods of those around them. For instance, most people interpret a smile on a colleague's face as happiness and adjust their own expression and mood to match. And the more content a team mate felt, the better they played. A bad mood diverts attention from performance, but a good one increases your effort and persistence in getting the job done.

Make Yourself Promotable

You want a promotion at work and want to make sure your boss thinks of you when an opening comes up? Try out the following strategies to make yourself the number one choice:

• Don't wait for the job vacancy. Pave the way by making sure your boss knows you want more responsibility.
• Employees need to treat their own company as a client. In order to stay competitive, inform your employer of your competencies and your talents.
• Prepare for position you're interested in. If you're gunning for a job in a foreign country, begin taking language classes before any opportunity presents itself. Think about portability.
• Likewise, don't let a company know you're interested in a foreign post if you can't do it. You could though tell them you can't do it. That helps them know where they can promote you.
• Retiring baby boomers are creating a severe management shortage. Companies are deciding who their top talent is. Opportunity comes to people who are dressed for it, so always be ready.
• Follow through in every commitment made to your boss, colleagues or anyone else.

Breaking Breads, Building Bonds

The dinner table and the kitchen are places to show love, care and appreciation of your family. They are places for bonding, the family dinner should be organized so that each family member gets the most out of experience. Some suggest:
Plan at least one night of the week when the entire family gets together for dinner, no matter how busy they are. If you're eating out with children or extended family members let everyone have a say about where to go.
When cooking at home, get the entire family to pitch in. Dad can cut the veggies while the kids set the table.
Use dinner time to talk. Encourage everyone including young children, to join the conversation and listen.

Keep Children Safe From Party Balloons

Colorful balloons are a staple of children party. But they can also be dangerous. Uninflated balloons can cause choking, also fragments from broken balloons can be inhaled into the lungs, and on rare occasions may be fatal. These tips helps you how to stay safe while having fun:

1. Hang balloons out of the reach of small children.
2. Make sure children don't play with balloons close to their mouths or faces.
3. Don't allow kids to play with uninflated balloons and immediately dispose of burst balloon fragments.
4. When inflating balloons, parents and children should shield their eyes with the hand facing towards.

Hard or Easy Way

There are two ways to study butterflies : chase them with nets then inspect their dead bodies. Or sit quietly in the garden and watch them dance among the flower.   

Think Fast

Test your first aid smarts with this true-false quiz.
Statements :

1. If a child swallows poison, give liquids.
2. Put ice on a burn.
3. Place a knocked-out tooth in milk.
4. Only cuts longer than 2-3cm need stitches.
5. Leave a choking person be.

Answers :

1. False. Call the poison-control center immediately. Expert there can tell you either to induce vomiting, give liquids or stop worrying.
2. False. Ice reduces blood flow, which can slow healing. Instead run cool water on the burn for at least ten minutes. Then look at the spot, if it's blistered or charred, go to the emergency room.
3. True. Milk's minerals and consistency closely match your mouth's environment. For a good chance of saving the tooth, see the dentist within 45 minutes.
4. False. A cut can be short but deep and still require attention. If you can see into the cut or if bleeding doesn't stop after 15 minutes of applying direct pressure, call a doctor.
5. True. But only if the person can speak or is coughing. If he isn't, he's not breathing. Call the emergency phone number and perform the Heimlich maneuver (Link your arms slightly above his navel and pull up sharply).

The Same

My sister was bemoaning the fact that she had procrastinated cleaning and organizing her house for a long time. Since she was planning to entertain, she felt a lot of pressure to get moving. That afternoon she called me, sounding gloom. "I went to the bookstore,"she explained. "And I bought a book on how to get organized. I was all fired up, and decided to clean out all the shelves in the living room. While I was working, I found the exact same darn book. I had bought it a couple of months ago."

Show Stopper

My wife and I were in line at an amusement park when we noticed two teenagers in front of us, passionately hugging and kissing. They didn't even come up for air when the line moved. As we waited, their displays of affection became more embarrassing. Finally one park employee, a confident university age student, approached, "Hey kids," he said. "This is a place to bring your families, not have them!"

Wayang Puppets

Indonesia's wayang kulit, or shadow puppet show, is a cultural must-see. The flat puppets crafted from a buffalo hide and mounted on bamboo stick. Star in shows based on tales such as Hindu epic, the Ramayana. Puppet figures vary from region to region, depending on the style of the show. The wayang golek, originating from Java's north coast and using rod puppets, have a three dimensional lifelike nature and fine craftmanship, that make them perfect to display.

Are You Setting the Right Example?

When your guard is down, are you sending the wrong signals to your offspring? Consider the following situations and the messages your reactions may convey:

1. A motorist tailgates you, then cuts in front of you just before you both stop at a red light. While waiting, do you make sure he's looking his rear view mirror, then treat him to carefully mouthed invectives and perhaps a hand gestures?
2. When taking the families to places that offer discounts to children, do you ever tell your kids to shave a year or two of their ages?
3. Do you fudge traffic laws by making illegal U-turns, running yellow lights and only hitting the brakes if you glimpse a police car?
4. You are about to embark on a family holiday, and your child will miss school. Do you tell the teacher the real reason, or do you say your child has the flu?
5. Your son is getting aggressive on the basketball court. The referees never see his well placed elbow or the sly trip. Do you remind him that good sportsmanship is as important as winning? Or do you slip him some money for every basket he makes?

Quicksand

How does quicksand work? Quicksand is a pocket of ordinary sand that has water keep on flowing up through it from an underground source, such as a spring. The flow lifts the grains of sand apart, but it not strong enough to disperse them completely and the resultant thick soup can look like a solid mass - until you step into it and start sinking.

Food Fest

The restaurant where I took my two nieces for a meal was crowded with fans watching sport on television. The harried waitress took our order, but more than 30 minutes passed with no sign of her return. I was trying to stop the kids getting bored when suddenly shouts of victory came from the bar. "Hey," said my 11 year old niece,"it sound like someone just got their food."

Bless You!

Why do we say "Bless You!" when some one sneezes? There are different theories, but no definite answer. The most common theory is that the good wish wards off bad luck. It was once believed that your soul was located in your head, and sneezing might drive it out. It was better not to sneeze at all, but if it really couldn't be helped, the people around you protected you from evil by wishing you health or good luck.

Roll Over

On long distance car trips my wife and I like to make regular stops to loosen our limbs. At one rest stop we pulled over and got out of the car. We're both on the passenger's side, bracing our out-stretched hands against the roof of the car to limber up our backs.
I noticed a man in a truck watching us curiously. When he caught my eye, he asked,"Need any help rolling your car over?"

Good Use of Tobacco

The Philippine government knows that smoking is deadly. But it also knows that more than 60,000 farmers rely on tobacco crops for living. The solution? They're trying to find alternative uses for tobacco. Traditional healers in the Philippine use tobacco leaves to treat wounds and insect bites, so researchers want to assess the plant's potential as a topical pain killer and anti bacterial medicine. The plant also has a high protein content, which can be extracted and added to food supplement. The most promising by products are paper and particle board.