Hearing Tweet Bird Singing Contest

A man hangs up a bird during a bird-singing contest in the southern Thai province of Narathiwat on September 21, 2010. Thousands of bird owners from Thailand and neighbouring Malaysia take part in the bird-singing contest.

Top 10 Life Lessons for Kids

When parents bestow their wisdom upon their kids in their formative years, their hopes hinge on their children listening to them and avoiding costly life mistakes.

Although children are extremely anxious to find their own place in the world, the benefits they can receive from listening to the pearls of wisdom from mom and dad are invaluable. For most kids, character education is an ongoing process of experiencing and reacting to every day life. Of all the invaluable lessons in life that kids can adapt, there are 10 life lessons for kids that can be applied to most any situation they will encounter.

10. Learn to follow directions

The world revolves around an organized system. Not following that system can be chaotic and frustrating for many. If your child learns early on how to understand and follow directions, they will be able to adequately cope in most any situation that they’re faced with.
9. Reaping what you sow

For every action, there will always be a consequence to follow, whether that result is negative or positive. Children need to understand that whatever they choose to do in life or in their daily activities, there will always be a consequence for it. The results don’t always have to be dire, but can be pleasant which is why making good decisions whenever possible is far better in the long run.
8. Dealing with peer pressure

Children deal with peer pressure and adults do too. The only difference with adults is that the peer pressure that they often experience is in social situations minus the pushing and shoving that kids do. When children learn early on how to deal with negative pressure, bullies in school and how to think for themselves, they can grow and mature their thinking each time they’re faced with a grave situation.
7. Living honestly

Honesty is really the best policy when dealing with daily living. When children learn this life lesson early on, they can definitely avoid a lot of awkward situations.
6. Defending yourself

Very much akin to peer pressure, when your child learns to defend themselves, they have learned something very valuable. However, as an adult, learning to defend yourself goes well beyond the physical and leans over into knowing how and when to speak up on your own behalf. Whenever there is a misunderstanding with adults, they need to be able to defend themselves and tell their side of the story.
5. Relax

Learning to relax and take life in stride is very important in life. Why? Because it keeps stress levels low and promotes a better quality of life. Children learn early on how to play and interact with other children, which is great, but as adults, they begin to lose their spontaneity and zest for life. Teach your children how to practice relaxing and being calm in situations and they’ll develop healthier and more beneficial coping mechanisms.
4. Embrace diversity

Children need to learn to accept people for who they are and how different they are from you. When they learn to celebrating other people’s differences, they will be able to better appreciate other cultures, age groups, races, religions and the opposite gender. Diversity will be all around them as adults, so exposing them early in life to various diversities can be very helpful.
3. Selecting stresses

Everyday living is certainly full of stressors that can be overwhelming. Teaching your child how to pick their battles early on can be very helpful. Teach them to not to try to fight everything that they don’t agree with, especially if it’s not worth the energy. When they carefully choose what they want to be engaged in or focused on, they will be better prepared to promote all of their energies for finding an amenable solution to their life’s challenge(s).

2. Treat people with respect

Respect for others starts at home. When the child is shown respect, they learn how to treat others with the same. Likewise, when they’re shown how to respect other people, they will begin to understand that everyone doesn’t think, talk or act alike. These differences should not be frowned on or dismissed. By respecting other people, they will learn how to broaden their level of thinking and be able to appreciate others. Respecting other people also includes disagreeing without resorting to violence and being able to appreciate that another person may choose to do something differently than them, and that’s alright.

1. Trust yourself

Trust your inner voice and that you will make the right decisions at the right times. Developing that inner trust is a key component that comes as a result of instilling confidence in the child from a very early age. This gut feeling will surface at the right time when the child needs it at any point in life, and they will be able to rely on the foundational teachings that they received as a young child.

Learning how to adapt to life’s situations early can give a child a concrete foundation to build upon. Although the children may not appreciate these life lessons until later in life, but starting to impart them at an early age can certainly prove to be advantageous for them as they cross different stages in their lives.

Wallace and Gromit on Christmas Stamps

Wallace and Gromit will feature on this year's Royal Mail's Christmas stamps. On sale from November 2, the stamps feature the nation's favourite animated characters going about their festive duties with the 1st class stamp showing the pair posting their Christmas cards.

Wallace and Gromit go carol singing on the 2nd class stamp and dress the Christmas tree on the 60p stamp.

As usual, Gromit is left to do the majority of the work, carrying the cards and hauling an unfeasibly large Christmas pudding around on the 97p stamp, with his reward being a bone-themed jumper shown on the £1.46 stamp.

Like the Plasticine duo's award-winning films, the stamps are packed with detail, but with the added challenge of reducing the ''world of Wallace and Gromit'' down to stamp size.

To achieve this, Royal Mail's design team worked closely with creator Nick Park and Bristol-based Aardman Animations to devise brand new scenes featuring the pair.

The approach to the stamps was similar to how Aardman Animations create a film, with Park drawing scenes and visual jokes involving the characters, before refining the designs so they would work in a definitive stamp format.

Each stamp was then constructed with models, props and background sets - all created especially for the issue.

Park said: ''It's been such a wonderful honour and a pleasure to work with Royal Mail and to have my characters, Wallace and Gromit, immortalised on their very own stamps.

''It was one of the biggest challenges my talented team and I have faced yet - to create memorable Christmas images of the duo - the size of postage stamps. But we knew we'd lick it in the end.''

Royal Mail spokesman Philip Parker said: ''The process of developing these stamps has been a labour of love for all concerned - but I think it has resulted in one of the finest sets of Christmas stamps Royal Mail has ever produced.

''Nick and his team's attention to detail is legendary, but their efforts to bring Christmas with Wallace and Gromit to life on stamps is truly extraordinary.

''Keen-eyed collectors armed with a magnifying glass will see that the envelope seen being posted on the 1st Class stamp features the actual 1st class stamp.''

Surf Dog Contest

Surf Dog Contest At Huntington Beach hosted the second annual Surf City The Salty Surfing Dog competition last Sunday, raising money for animal charities while letting dogs strut their stuff in a costume contest, a one-mile walk, and of course, a surfing competition. There were two surfing heats: GROMS, where dogs could have as many volunteers in the water as possible to help, and SHREDDER, where dogs were judged on "the length of their ride, the size of the wave and their confidence on the board" and could only have two helpers.mad dog surf















Source : Huffington Post

Man Seeks World Rope-Sleeping Record

A Chinese man who claims he can sleep on a rope tied between two trees is hoping to get into the Guinness Books of Records.

Gao Yang, 37, says it took him nearly a quarter of a century to master the skill but he can now sleep on the rope for seven hours.

Gao, of Anshan, northeastern China's Liaoning Province, says he practices on a 10ft high rope in his local park every morning.

He told NEN News: "I met a master when I was 12, and he taught me some tips. It took me nearly 24 years to acquire the skill.

"It's nearly impossible for ordinary people to do this. It needs the perfect coordination of body muscles and balancing skills.

"I am finally ready to contact Guinness in the coming days and am confident of being able to set a world record."

Pumpkin Festival

Pumpkin Festival - Autumn madness as world's largest Pumpkin paddling Race festival Contest begins

A German festival dedicated to celebrating all things pumpkiny has kicked off with a Traditonal race - with competitors paddling giant, hollowed-out pumpkins across a lake

The raditional pumpkin race takes place as part of the Ludwigsburg Pumpkin Festival - which every year works to spread the joy of the world of pumpkins, in order to mark the start of the German pumpkin season.

The contestants in the pumpkin race have to paddle the huge, hollowed-out pumpkin across Ludwigsburg Castle lake - in front of the imposing backdrop and stately architecture of the former royal palace

The enormous pumpkins can weigh over 200lb (90kg) before having their tops cut off and their flesh scooped out to turn them into functioning boats.

The pumpkin racing isn't the only element that makes up the pumpkin festival - pumpkin growers also compete in a more traditional 'grow the largest pumpkin' contest, which this year festival-goers have had the chance to look at a giant statue of a seahorse made out of pumpkins.

Much of the fruit – and yes they are indeed fruit, botanically-speaking – weighed in at over 200lb before having all their flesh scooped out so that racers can fit inside.

But the festival also sees a more traditional contest where gardeners around Germany see if they can grow record-breaking pumpkins.

The weight to beat is just over 1,400lb.

Also – perhaps unsurprisingly – the restaurant at the 17th Century Castle Ludwigsburg makes use of the pumpkin flesh, with dishes including pies, curries and hearty stews.

Pumpkin enthusiasts will be pleased to learn that the pumpkin festival - said to be the largest pumpkin festival in the world - continues until early November.

The Museum of Soviet Arcade Games

The Museum of Soviet Arcade Games is a small basement museum in Moscow that houses vintage arcade games from the Soviet era. Anjel Van Slyke and Connal Hughes of A Dangerous Business visited the facility, played its games, and took many pictures.

To be honest, we really weren’t sure what to expect. The museum seemed amazing, but the small print was a little strange: It was only open 2 or 3 days a week, and not until 7:30 at night. The articles I’d read never mentioned anyone else being in the museum, so we wondered if the reporters had arranged private tours or we were about to visit a guy sitting by himself in a basement. Regardless, we figured that whatever happened it would be an amusing adventure.

Source : A Dangerous Business

Platycerium

Platycerium - A Pretty Peculiar Plant is a genus of about 18 fern species in the polypod family, Polypodiaceae. Ferns in this genus are widely known as staghorn or elkhorn ferns due to their uniquely-shaped fronds. This genus is epiphytic and is native to tropical and temperate areas of South America, Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Guinea.

Platycerium sporophytes (adult plants) have tufted roots growing from a short rhizome that bears two types of fronds, basal and fertile fronds. Basal fronds are sterile, shield or kidney shaped and laminate against the tree and protect the fern's roots from damage and desiccation.

In some Platycerium species the top margin of these fronds forms an open crown of lobes and thereby catches falling forest litter and water. Fertile fronds bear spores on their undersurface, are dichotomous or antler shaped and jut out or hang from the rhizome. The spores are born in sporangia clustered in large sori that are usually positioned on the lobes or at the sinus between frond lobes.

Some species of Platycerium are solitary having only one rhizome. Other species form colonies when their rhizomes branch or when new rhizomes are formed from root tips. If the conditions are right the spores will germinate naturally on surrounding trees. Platycerium gametophytes are a small heart shaped thallus.

Platycerium have diverged into four natural groups3. Several Platycerium are strongly adapted to xeric conditions and the drought tolerating mechanism Crassulacean Acid Metabolism has been reported for P. veitchii3.
Platycerium superbum

These oddly-shaped ferns can be found in gardens, especially tropical gardens. Staghorns can be propagated by spores produced on the underside of the fertile fronds. Colonial Platycerium can also be vegetatively propagated by carefully dividing large healthy ones into smaller, separate plants. These new plants can then be strapped to trees with an old stocking until they take to the tree themselves.

A mature staghorn can grow more than a meter wide. When positioned well, Platycerium species are able to add privacy and a natural look to a garden.

Read More : Presurfer

Sexy Silver-Hair style | Haircut stylish picture

Nervous about going gray? These stylish stars show there's always a silver lining.

Kate Moss

The supermodel is only 36, so why is she already sporting silver? Well, she dyed gray streaks — a definite trend at recent Paris runway shows — into her hair for the launch of her Longchamp handbag collection.

Lady Gaga

At just 24, the pop phenomenon — who has been setting the trends for avant-garde, out-there fashion — has worn just about every wig she can get her hands on, including this mature mane.

Carmen Dell'Orefice

At 79, she's one of the oldest working supermodels — and one of the best-looking silver-haired sirens.

Pink

The 31-year-old singer’s hair color may no longer match her name, but this silver, sheared look still screams rock star.

Kirsten Dunst

The actress, 28, donned this pale-faced look with matching gray locks in Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette.

Meryl Streep

In one of the most popular roles of her career, Hollywood's matriarch, 61, oozed style, sophistication, and silver strands as the fierce fashion mag editor-in-chief in 2006's The Devil Wears Prada.

Richard Gere

The actor, 61, grayed very soon after he charmed female audiences with his role as a sexy businessman in Pretty Woman back in 1990. His charm continued even after — as he became an icon for silver-haired men everywhere.

Anderson Cooper

Acclaimed for his groundbreaking coverage of Hurricane Katrina, the news anchor, 43, is (for better or for worse) perhaps better known for his good looks — and sexy, prematurely silver hair. Unlike fellow CNN host Larry King, Cooper has been unafraid to sport his true colors.

Stacy London

Cohost of What Not to Wear, the stylist, 41, doesn’t cover up her trademark natural gray streak with dyes or hats.

Johnny Depp

The actor, 47, never shies away from a complicated character, and he made no exception with his role in 2007's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. In it, he rocked pitch-black locks with a wiry silver streak.

George Clooney

The star, 49, is the unofficial poster child for a hot salt-and-pepper style.

John Slattery

The 48-year-old actor who plays Roger on the hit television series Mad Men has helped bring back old-school sex appeal, and his full head of gray certainly hasn't hurt.

Jay Manuel

The 38-year-old fashion photog and makeup artist best known for his coaching skills on America’s Next Top Model wears this spiky silver style with confidence.