The Beautiful horse breed, Akhal-Teke

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The Akhal-Teke is a horse breed from Turkmenistan, where they are a national emblem. They are noted for their speed and for endurance on long marches. These "golden-horses" are adapted to severe climatic conditions and are thought to be one of the oldest surviving horse breeds. There are currently about 3,500 Akhal-Tekes in the world, mostly in Turkmenistan and Russia, although they are also found throughout Europe, Australia, and North America. 

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The Akhal-Teke typically stands between 58 and 64 inches (147 and 163 cm). These horses are famous for those individuals who have a golden buckskin or palomino color with a distinctive natural metallic shimmer of their coats.  A number of other colors are recognized, however, including bay, black, chestnut, palomino, cremello, perlino, and grey. The Akhal-Teke's most notable and defining characteristic is the natural metallic bloom of its coat.

The breed is tough and resilient, having adapted to the harshness of Turkmenistan lands, where horses must live without much food or water. This has also made the horses good for sport. The breed has great endurance, as shown in 1935 when a group of Turkmen riders rode the 2500 miles from Ashgabat to Moscow in 84 days, including a three-day crossing of 235 miles of desert without water. The Akhal-Teke is also known for its form and grace as a show jumper.

Source: Wikipedia

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Breathtaking Glacial Waterfalls in Svalbard, Norway

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Svalbard is an archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, constituting the northernmost part of Norway. It is located about halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Despite being so close to the North Pole, Svalbard remains comparatively warm, thanks to the warming effect of the Gulf Stream, which makes it habitable. In fact, Svalbard is the northernmost permanently inhabited region on the planet. 

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Svalbard is one of the most beautiful places on earth, nearly 60% of which is covered by magnificent glaciers and waterfalls with many outlet glaciers ending up in the sea. When snow and ice melts many of these glaciers have small beautiful waterfalls. Most of Svalbard is barren rock but during the short summer, the melting snow in the milder parts of the islands gives rise to vast stretches of tundra vegetation, sometimes dotted with delicate flowers.

Svalbard is home to seven national parks and twenty-three nature reserves that covers two-thirds of the archipelago, protecting the largely untouched, yet fragile, environment. Svalbard is a breeding ground for many seabirds, and also features polar bears, short legged reindeer, polar foxes, whales, seals and walruses. Svalbard is renowned for its variety of birds, including Arctic Terns, Arctic Fulmar and Puffins. Whales can be spotted off the coastlines particularly during late summer. Humpback whales, Orcas, Beluga Whales, and Narwhals all frequent the ocean waters near Svalbard.

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'Harry Potter' superfan builds incredible Hogwarts model with 400,000 LEGO pieces

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If ever there was a “Who’s the Bigger Harry Potter Fan?” contest, I am sure no one can even come close to Seattle-based builder, Alice Finch. The certifiable Potterhead spent 12 months building an incredible 400,000-piece, 170-square-foot Lego replica of Hogwarts Castle that puts your fan fiction to shame.

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In addition to its massive size, the most impressive thing about the Lego castle is its depth of detail. Clearly Finch is a smart woman  who thought to include a Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom with a closet for a boggart (à la Prisoner of Azkaban), and even the Grey Lady. She also helpfully uploaded a 79-photo Flickr album of the whole castle so fellow superfans can properly obsess. In addition to basically every character mentioned in the books and movies, the Great Hall and the Chamber of Secrets are among many of the rooms featured in the playable L-shaped set.

Finch explained she got inspired by Lego building with her young sons, and that they, along with her husband, helped her finish this massive project. She discussed how much time went into getting Hogwarts ready for students. The castle was finally finished in October last year for the annual Lego festival Brick-Con, where Finch went on to win “People’s Choice” and “Best in Show” last year.

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Titanoboa: The king of all Snakes

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Titanoboa cerrejonensis measured 48 feet, weighed as much as a car, and had a body more than a yard thic. The monster relative of the boa constrictor lived in northern Colombia 60 million years ago

Among all the predators discovered, this may be one of the greatest discoveries since the T-Rex: a snake, around 48 feet long, weighing in at 2,500 pounds. Uncovered from a treasure of fossils in a Colombian coal mine, “Cerrejón”, this serpent reveals a lost world of giant creatures. Want to meet this monster predator? You might have to travel back to the period following the extinction of dinosaurs.!!

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‘This is a find that seems so fantastic that it may appear to be an object of fantasy. A creature that has sprung from a Spielberg-imagined past and yes, it has a name that evokes a giant and mythic monster. It is called Titanoboa (meaning: Titanic Boa),’ David Royale, the Smithsonian Channel's head of programming, announced. 

At its thickest, Titanoboa had a diameter of three feet. The color of the skin is muddy which enabled it to camouflage easily in its environment.

Not far from the coast of Caribbean lies an empty forest, with scarce vegetation cover and dusty roads which lead you to huge pits stretching over a circumference of 15 miles. This area lying in the north of Columbia is known as, “Cerrejón” and is home to one of the largest coal operations of the world, area larger than Washington DC. Cerrejón is one of the richest fossil deposits in the world, providing archeologists with an opportunity to explore the emerging environmental changes. 

The skull of Titanoboa was used to reconstruct
the fearsome predator. 

The first team to discover its fossils include Jonathan Bloch, a paleontologist and curator at the Florida Museum of Natural History and Carlos Jaramillo from Smithson Tropical Research Institute, in Panama. What’s fascinating about their exploration is that not only the fossils found belong to the largest snake of the earth but also for the first time ever the skull of the snake was discovered intact. Snake skulls are almost never found as they are extremely fragile and they usually disintegrate. Researchers believe that the skull would enable them to have a better understanding of its evolution, size and diet.

So far 28 individual Titanoboa fossils have been excavated from Cerrejón in the year 2009.

Titanoboa existed at a time 5 million years after the dinosaurs became extinct. At this point in time, Cerrejón was a swampy tropical jungle with hotter climate and temperatures reaching up to 90 Fahrenheit, forests teeming with 12 feet long giant turtles, known as Carbonemys, seven feet long lungfish and giant crocodiles. Titanoboa was the largest predator on land after the extinction of the dinosaurs for at least 10 million years, maybe longer. 

Titanoboa looked like a boa constrictor of modern days, but it behaved more like an anaconda and was believed to hunt like a crocodile. It used to feast on prehistoric crocodiles and Carbonemys. 

Researchers believe that the hotter climate in that era enabled the cold-blooded snakes to grow bigger in size than the modern snakes. It was two times larger than the world’s largest extant snake, Python reticulatus i.e., 29 feet long. 

Florida Museum researcher Jonathan Bloch compares vertebrae from Titanoboa cerrejonensis, left, with one from a 17-foot anaconda. Florida Museum photo by Jeff Gage.

 (Photo Credits: Florida Museum of Natural History )

Dr Jason Head, of the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, in Washington DC, said: 'Now we have a window into the time just after the dinosaurs went extinct and can actually see what the animals replacing them looked like.' He added: 'This colossal, boa constrictor-like creature stretched longer than a city bus and weighed more than a car. It's the biggest snake the world has ever known.

The Smithsonian Channel has created a film that chronicles the discovery of the 48 foot long and 2,500 pound snake that existed more than 60 million years ago - and recreates what the predator might have looked like. The film has been promoted with a life-size statue which was on show in New York's Grand Central.

Titanoboa Replica On Display At Grand Central Terminal.

Credits: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4

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Top 10 myths about food and Truth behind them!

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We always hear different people expressing different views about the food and the way we manage our hygiene but nobody really knows whether there is any truth to them! Some Common Myths that we hear:

Myth #1: Drinking water in between your meals will mess up your digestion

This one has been passed down from generations. While drinking water will fill you up, it certainly will not damage your digestive process. It might even do your system a world of good. 

Myth #2: Having fruits immediately after a meal is not good for you 

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Surprise surprise! There is actually some truth to it. Experts say having fruits immediately after a meal may cause digestive problems like gas and acidity. Fruits also hamper with the digestion of certain nutrients which is why it’s advisable to wait an hour before reaching for that fruit bowl after a heavy meal.

Myth #3: Papaya should be avoided during pregnancies

This one is extremely common in India. While raw papaya or even a semi ripe one has been known to trigger uterine contractions, a completely ripe papaya is rich in vitamins and minerals which are actually beneficial for pregnant women. However, if you are pregnant, check with your doctor before including papaya in your diet.

Myth #4: The skin of an apple contains no nutrients 

This, by far has to be the most ludicrous one! The apple peel in fact, is known to have a higher concentration of antioxidants than the flesh! Unfortunately, nowadays the apples available in the market are polished with wax to make them look shiny and glossy. So rinse your apple properly before biting into that crunchy and fresh apple. 

Myth #5: Eating after 7 pm will make you fat

Experts say that its not when you eat that can make you fat. What you eat and the amount of calories you consume makes you fat. The only thing late night eating does is promote unhealthy snacking and hamper with your sleeping pattern. Click here to read more about healthy midnight snacks.

Myth #6: Avoid having milk immediately after eating fish 

Some believe that the combination makes you sick while some believe it makes spots appear on your skin. Rest assured, there is no scientific reason why you cannot have milk and fish together. In fact, there are many wonderful and healthy recipes around which combine the goodness of fish and milk.

Myth #7: You should not swim/shower immediately after a meal

The myth says that blood flows to your stomach during digestion, reducing blood flow to other muscles which may lead to cramps and drowning. Experts maintain that it’s not just swimming which makes you feel uncomfortable, any intense work out immediately after eating may induce vomiting and cramps. So if you’re out for a leisurely dip after a meChocolate causes acne?Chocolate causes acne?al, go right ahead!

Myth #8: Having chocolate causes acne

Again, a myth which is so common that most teenagers and their parents believe it! There has been no conclusive scientific to prove this claim. Experts maintain that different foods may cause your skin to breakout into pimples and for some people that food just may be chocolate.

Myth #9: Having kesar (saffron) during pregnancy makes your baby fair

Even though milk and saffron is good for you, it’s not going to help your baby become fairer. The skin colour of the baby depends solely on the parents genes.

Myth #10: If you swallow a chewing gum, it stays in your stomach for seven years before it gets digested 

While it is true that your body cannot digest a chewing gum, it certainly does not take seven years to pass through your body! It goes through your system, intact and is excreted quite normally. A word of caution though, if you’re going to swallow large amounts of chewing gum, it may result in intestinal blockage.

Source: 1 . Photo Credits: ThinkStock. 

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Abandoned Toilet becomes Cozy Little Home for the Chinese Family

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Many people who aren’t satisfied with their living conditions have probably never heard about this remarkable man from China. For the past six years, the 32-year-old, Zeng Lingjun and his family live in the closet of one of the hotels in the city of Shenyang, Liaoning Province. 

Zeng Lingjun was born in a small village, in the Jilin Province of Northeastern China. As a boy, he dreamed of one day attending college, but because his family was too poor was unable to pay 5000 yuan ($ 794) for school, he had to abandon his dream and settle for becoming a cobbler and repair shoes for a living.
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But he had bigger plans for himself, so one day, with just 50 yuan ($8) in his pocket, he left for Shenyang, the biggest city in northeast China. Six years ago, a friend arranged him an abandoned hotel toilet was available for rent at a very low price. He immediately borrowed the money he needed and rented the deserted toilet as his new home. He took down the old door and all the wooden cubicles, and laid down some planks to cover up the toilet bowls and make room for a bed. The dismantled cubicles were converted to storage space.

In 2008 Zeng Lingjun met his current wife, also a migrant worker. They married in 2010 and had a baby shortly after. Now the three of them live in the abandoned toilet. At one point, they saved enough money to move into a normal 80 square meter apartment, but they found themselves coming back to their old home just days after they had moved out, unable to afford all the expenses.

So they moved to the toilet. Their new home area of ​​20 square meters. Already fully adapted to their needs.

Two years back, they had a son, whom they named Zeng Dei (translated as “lucky”), with the hope that he proves lucky for their parents.

Their wedding pictures.

According to ancient tradition, many Chinese newlyweds wear red wedding dresses because it is believed that the color red brings wealth and prosperity.

Although the smell never lets them forget they live in a toilet, Zeng and his family just flush the toilets whenever the stench becomes unbearable, and just enjoy their life together.

He repairs shoes, cleans and makes key chains for the passers-by. His workplace is right outside of the hotel where his family lives. Zeng`s conscientious attitude to his work attracted many regular customers, who often pay him a little more for his services. In a month he earns 2,000 yuan ($ 317), which equals the average wage of Chinese workers in the factory.

Picture Credits: izismile.com

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