General Knowledge

And many people think animals don't have emotions.

• His wife was seriously injured.
• She was hit by a car as she swooped low across the road.
• He brought her food and tended to her with love and compassion.
• He brought her food again but was shocked to find her dead.
• He tried to move her....a rarely-seen effort for swallows.
• Aware that his mate is dead, he cries with adoring love.
• He stood beside her, saddened by her death.
• Finally, he stood beside her body with sadness and sorrow.

People cried after seeing these pictures when they were published in the leading newspaper in France.
All copies of the paper were sold out on the day the pictures were released.

Safety Tips for Women to Remember:-

 

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Safety Tips for Women to Remember:-

1. Always be aware of your surroundings

This applies whether you are traveling alone or in groups. Don't just focus inwardly on your thoughts if you are alone, or your friends if you are together. Keep one eye out for your environment, looking out for suspicious characters, possible danger, etc.

Also, don't assume that because your area has been "safe" thus far, that it will continue to be so.

2. Travel in groups

"There is safety in numbers" is not just a cliche. Its true. Make a point of traveling together with other sisters, whether its on public transportation, on campus, in cars, etc.

3. Change the route you normally travel by

If you have taken the same bus, train or highway to get to work or school, change your route. Even if it takes you a little longer, your safety is more important. By changing your route, you can avert possible attacks or harassment from those who know your schedule, method and route of travel well. Please note though that you should avoid short cuts that take you through unfamiliar or unsafe areas.

4. Look confident

Walk with a straight posture and your arms swinging by your sides. Avoid slouching or walking like a victim. This makes you an easy target for attackers.

5. When riding by public transportation choose the right seat

If you are riding by bus or train, do not sit on the window seat as you may be "blocked in" by a potential assailant. Always select the seat next to the aisle so that you can quickly leave if necessary.

If you are taking public transportation alone after peak hours, sit as close to the driver as possible and/or choose the section of the bus/train that is most crowded. Try to get a seat near the exit as well.

6. If you are driving alone

Don't think that if you are in a car, you are safe. Windows should be up and doors locked even when driving to avoid unwanted passengers at intersections. When you are walking to your car, always have your keys ready, so that you can quickly get into your car.

But don't just get in right away. Always check your car before entering, especially the back, for any intruders.

7. Never leave your car door unlocked

Even if it means for one minute to drop something off in the mailbox that's a few feet away. Attackers have been known to lie in wait for such an opportunity.

8. Be careful in parking lots

Always be alert in parking lots, especially when it's dark. Ask someone to escort you to your car. Between cars and inside cars, it's easy for someone to hide and wait until an unalert person comes along.

9. If you are traveling by taxi

Always check the identification of the driver (usually located near the visor) and ensure that it matches the driver. Once inside, don't sit behind the driver as it may be easy for the driver to lock the rear passenger door. Always choose the adjacent seat .

In addition, avoid flagging taxis. Always order taxis so the driver can be traced if something happens.

10. Don't use the iPod

If you're used to listening to your iPod while outside, drop this habit, especially in isolated areas. With your iPod on, you cannot hear the approach of a possible attacker.

11. Note "safe houses" along your route

Mentally note houses at intervals on each route you take that can be used as "safe houses" if you are attacked, such as shops or houses that you know to be occupied by a friend or acquaintance.

12. When you make a call from a phone booth

After dialing the number you wish to call always turn around so that you have your back to the phone and may see who or what is coming your way. You will then be able to tell the person to whom you are speaking that you may be in trouble and you may be able to use the weight of the phone as a weapon. The door of a telephone box could be used to wedge in the limbs of the attacker.

13. Do not open the door of your home without checking

DO NOT open the door to your home without first checking from a window, peephole or by asking and verifying who it is. Instruct children to do the same.

14. Report any suspicious activity around your home

If you see people loitering on the streets near your house, call the police on an emergency number and report it immediately without thinking too much

 

Why Peppers Taste Hot ?

The heat sensation is caused by capsaicin, which is a colorless, odorless, oily chemical found in peppers. Capsaicin binds with certain sensory neurons which then more or less trick your body into thinking that it is being burned or at least experiencing excessive amounts of heat in the area that the capsaicin comes in contact with, even though no actual physical burning is taking place.

Recently, scientists were surprised to discover that capsaicin is also the source of a medical breakthrough. Paradoxically, what makes peppers burn can also bring relief from pain -- under the right circumstances.

Now, try on sunglasses without stepping inside the store! (Source: Zeenews and New York Times)

New York: Busy shoppers in New York can now try on sunglasses without stepping inside the store. American department store Bloomingdale has introduced a new store-window technology that lets passers-by see how they look in a variety of designer sunglasses. Virtual-reality technology projects designer shades onto shoppers who simply stand in front of the Lexington Ave. windows, the New York Daily News reported. People tried out the technology in the Marc Jacobs window during a test run before Thursday’s launch. There are six interactive windows in place through May 7, each showing four women’s frames by a different designer. Other brands include Gucci, Fendi, Miu Miu, Prada and Roberto Cavalli. “This gives customers the opportunity to try on different style frames,” said John Klimkowski, Bloomingdale’s operating vice president and creative director of visual and merchandising presentation. “It gives them a chance to play around to see which ones fit their faces better. They can compare each of the designers’ styles,” he added. The “Virtual Style Bar” windows work by aligning your eyes with ovals on the glass. Once you’re in the right place, it takes a few seconds for the sunglasses to appear on your face on a 42-inch HD flat screen. Users can try on all four pairs in each window by tapping different icons on the screen.   “We are utilizing LCD screens that identify where your eyes are when you look into the screen,” Klimkowski explained. “The technology actually allows the customer to turn their head and see how the sunglasses look on the side of their face. So they could see the arm and how that rests,” he said. “There’s always a challenge when we’re using technology in the windows because of the amount of traffic that goes by. This was extremely difficult because we had to get the technology so tight that the camera wouldn’t lose contact with your face as other people passed,” stated Klimkowski. It worked for most of the women trying it out. The shades range in price from 250 dollars to 450 dollars. In addition, shoppers who like what they see can tap the screen to print out a picture of themselves in the shades. The prints come out in the Sunglass Style Bar on the main floor of Bloomingdale’s. There, a stylist can further guide customers on which frames best match the face and hair, or direct them to their chosen pair.

At the six interactive windows at the store's Lexington Avenue location, shoppers stand in front of LCD monitors and align their faces and eyes with small circles on the screen. Once a video camera detects the position of a face, the shopper can romp around and see how the shades look from different angles.
"You don't have the pressure of a saleswoman saying "you have to get it," Judy Rivkin told the New York Daily News. "It's good because you don't know the price." The glasses, which are by designers like Gucci and Miu Miu, cost up to $450.

Bloomingdale's, which is owned by Macy's Inc., isn't the only store experimenting with virtual eyewear. Ray-Ban.com lets online shoppers try on its models using computer webcams, a process the company dubs an "augmented reality experience." Google, meanwhile, will soon release its own "augmented reality" glasses, which can be worn like normal glasses but whose lenses contain smartphone-like features.
Of course, it's hard to tell whether a pair of glasses is worth the $450 without seeing it in person. Bloomingdale's hopes that fans of its virtual window display will take the one extra step into its store, where they can print out pictures of themselves wearing the shades and even try on -- or buy -- the real versions.