Japanese set World Record for Largemouth Bass

There has been report of a florida strain largemouth bass with a weight of 10.12 kilograms (22lbs 5 oz) and length that measures 73.5cm (29.4 inches long). The fish is being harvested for IGFA certification which requires that the record be broken by 2 oz. This all makes for an interesting story considering the number of discrepancies that have surrounded recent catches here in California as well as the old record of 22lbs 4oz caught in 1932 by George Perry.

Japan is no stranger to the trophy bass scene. There was a 25lb florida strain largemouth bass reportedly caught at Lake Biwa in a fisherman’s net earlier this year and in the past few years there have reports of other giant bass in the mid-high teens caught by various trophy anglers. The official record in Japan is 19.15 lbs was caught by Kazuya Shimada from Lake Ikahara on April 22,2003 on an Optimum Bait. Shimada until now had caught the 4 largest bass in Japan’s history and has well over 40 bass over 10lbs.

Lake Biwa is considered Japan’s largest and oldest lake dating back 4-5 million years and is among the oldest 20 lakes in the world. It covers more than 674.4 square kilometers and runs clear with deep water and rocky shorelines in its upper stretches(mesotrophic) and shallow and grassy in its lower reaches(eutrophic). The Biwako giant catfish and Biwa trout(salmon) are two of more than 50 species unique to the lake. Other fish that make up the food chain are Ayu,various Carp,along with goby and sculpin. Non native black bass and bluegill are considered an invasive species and are illegal to catch and release.

25 Interesting Facts

1. A vulture will never attack a human or animal that is moving.

2. About 75% of the people in the U.S. live on 2% land.

3. According to a recent survey, more Americans lose their virginity in June than any other month.

4. Adult Northwestern American Grizzly Bears can bite through steel as thick as one half inch.

5. After spending hours working at a computer display, look at a blank piece of white paper. It will probably appear pink.

6. All polar bears are left-handed.

7. Almonds are the oldest, most widely cultivated and extensively used nuts in the world.

8. Al Capone's business card said he was a furniture dealer.

9. Americans are responsible for about 1/5 of the world's garbage annually. On average, that's 3 pounds a day per person.

10. An ant's sense of smell is as good as a Dog's.

11. Abe Lincoln's mother died when the family dairy cow ate poisonous mushrooms and Ms. Lincoln drank the milk.

12. According to Playboy, more women talk dirty during sex than men.

13. Americans drink over a billion pounds of coffee every year and around five million bottles of soda.

14. After they are roasted, and when the coffee beans begin to cool, they release about 700 chemical substances that make up the vaporizing aromas.

15. Americans, on average, eat 18 acres of pizza in one day.

16. An eagle can kill a young deer and fly away with it.

17. An elephant's trunk contains more than 50,000 muscles.

18. An eyelash lives about 5 months.

19. Ancient Egyptians shaved off their eyebrows to mourn the death of their cats.

20. According to Hammurabi's Code, the penalty for medical malpractice was to cut off the doctor's hands.

21. An Octopus has 3 hearts!

22. According to Playboy, more women talk dirty during sex than men.

23. A whale's penis is called a dork.

24. An ear of corn always has an even number of rows because of the genetic formula which divides the cells.

25. Americans eat more bananas than any other fruit: a total of 11 billion a year.

Facts About Sharks

Here are 25 interesting facts about sharks that you may not have known:

Great White sharks grow about 10 inches per year. When fully grown great white sharks can be as long as 12 to 14 feet.

Sharks go through more teeth than any other animal. They grow new rows of teeth behind their current row until the front ones fall out. Their teeth aren’t held in by the jaw bone, but just embedded in the flesh. They replace each set of teeth every eight days.

Some species of shark can have a total of up to 30,000 teeth in their lifetime.

Whale sharks, a specific species of shark have 300 rows of teeth with hundreds of tiny teeth in each row.

Dried shark skin has had many uses over the years including sandpaper and in Germany and Japan for non-slip grips for swords.

In 1937, it was discovered that shark liver oil was rich with Vitamin A. Sharks were hunted for that Vitamin A until 1950 when a synthetic method of manufacturing Vitamin A was invented.

The average life expectancy of a shark is only 25 years, however some sharks can live to be 100.

There is a species of sharks called dogfish sharks. They are named this because of the similarity to a pack of wild dogs went they attack their prey.

The Great White shark can last 3 months without food.

Although people have painted sharks as man eating monsters, each year more people are killed by dogs, pigs, and deer than sharks.

The smallest species of shark, the Pygmy shark has a maximum length of only 11 inches.

There are more than 340 species of sharks known today.

There is one big trait that separates modern and ancient sharks and that is the protrusile jaw that gives the modern shark a more powerful bite.

Sharks have more than six and a half tons of biting force per square inch.

Embedded in shark’s skin are dermal denticles, which are similar to teeth.

The Shortfin Mafo shark is likely the fastest fish the world. It can swim at up to 60mph.

The whale shark, the biggest species of shark can be as big as a school bus.

Sharks can’t get cancer. Right now, their cartilage is being used in experiments to try and find a cancer cure.

Sharks have been on earth for over 300 million years. They were here before the dinosaurs and are still here today.

More people are killed by bee stings than by a shark attack.

Over 9 out of 10 people attacked by a shark will survive.

More men are attacked by sharks than women. It is a mystery why.

Bull sharks are the only sharks that can live in fresh and salt water. It is suspected one may have been responsible for a shark attack in a creek in New Jersey in 1916.

Shark’s bodies are denser than sea water. If they stop moving they will sink. So to stay afloat they must keep moving.

Sharks don’t actually sleep like humans. Instead, they just stay very still and look to be sleeping, when in fact they just rest.

World Records for Maximum Tree Plantation in One Day

The Ministry of Environment on Wednesday scripted the Guinness World Record of tree plantation by planting 541,176 saplings in one day from sunrise to sunset, breaking the Indian record of 447,874 trees set on June 12-13 this year.

The plantation was arranged by the Ministry of Environment as part of series of events being held to observe the National Year of Environment, also aimed at developing forest resources through international competitions.

The plantation, kicked off by sunrise was culminated by sunset as per requirement of Guinness Book of World Records, in which the ministry three hundred planters, wearing green jackets, planted local species at Keti Bandar, Tehsil Thatta, some 150 kilometres in the Southeast of Karachi.

The event was monitored by the IUCN representative Tahir Qureshi and independent monitor Marvi Memon, both also the nominees of GWR, of which a representative Adil Ahmed was also there to monitor the event.

After culmination of the plantation at sunset, the Minister for Environment Hamidullah Jan Afridi received a shield and certification of Guinness World Record in maximum tree plantation category from the representatives of the world body.

Through the plantation held at Keti Bandar, Tehsil Thatta, some 150 kilometres in the Southeast of Karachi, Pakistan broke Indian record of 4,47,874 trees that had beaten Mexico’s record of planting 3,48,493 trees on June 12-13 this year.

Three planters were selected from the local communities, who have been trained to plant maximum number of saplings in the daylight, but the planters acted beyond the expectations, breaking the previous Indian record by 1400 hours.

The federal environment minister, provincial ministers and officials of the concerned ministry were also present on the occasion..

The tree plantation drive is also in accordance with the government’s resolve to rehabilitate mangrove forests of Sindh by all means, in partnership with Sindh Forest Department, international and national NGOs and private sector.

In view of global significance of mangrove forests, particularly in the context of the tsunami of 2005, the event was planned in the Mangrove areas on the coastal island of Sindh, which are presently devoid of vegetation.

The Sindh Forest Department has taken the lead in organising this event arranging planting stock and carrying out plantation through its trained planters.

The awareness and motivation generated as a result of GWR event shall be geared towards holding another event on August 18, this year. The saplings planted under both these events will also be counted towards UN Environmental Programme (UNEP)’s Billion Trees Campaign..

Modern Magic Wooden Mirror

This wonderful mechanical wooden mirror looks deceptively simple. In reality, it is technologically complex – the hundreds of blocks in the matrix respond to input from carefully concealed cameras that tell them when to shift and rotate. Subtle shades emerge out of the combination of reflected light, cast shadows and the soft wood grain.

Changing with its environment in real time, this mirror is an animated and ghostly reflection of whatever is put in front of it. We see small bits and pieces of ourselves reflected in all kinds of accidental mirrors all the time – opaque images shop windows, distorted forms in a curved metal hand rail – but this takes a particularly unusual material, not known for its reflectivity, and makes it into a larger-than-live reflector.

Car made of Wood

A super fast car made of wood faster than a Porsche or Lamborghini:

'Splinter' the super fast wooden car has an approximate weight of 2500lbs, fitted with a Cadillac Northstar sourced V-8 4.6 liter engine, expected to have 600 HP, top speed of 240 MPH, able to go from 0-60 is just over 3 seconds, gets about 20 MPG, & above all its eco-friendly.

Joe Harmon graduate student of North Carolina State University & his team are designing this super car. "We are building a high-performance, mid-engine super car from wood composites as a graduate project at North Carolina State University. Wood will be used wherever possible, including the chassis, body, and large percentages of the suspension components and wheels. The car has an approxiate weight of 2500lbs and a power goal of over 600 horsepower".

The World’s Oldest Tree

Earth’s oldest living inhabitant “Methuselah” has reached the age of 4,768 years.

Of the many scenic wonders found within the Inyo National Forest, one of the most amazing is the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, located between 10,000 and 11,000 ft. in the White Mountains, east of the Sierra Nevada. These trees are the oldest known living trees on earth. Here in the White Mountains, the ancient trees have survived more than 40 centuries, exceeding the age of the oldest Giant Sequoia by 1,500 years. For trees that old, one would expect giants, but Bristlecone pines look more like weathered dwarfs than like old giants. They add no more than an inch per century to their girth. The harsh climate above 10,000 ft elevation and very poor soil conditions don’t let things grow too big. As a matter of fact, Bristlecone pines are the only trees to have adapted to these conditions. That gives them a competitive edge allowing for a long and undisturbed life.

The above coordinates refer to “point 15″ of the self-guided tour of the Methuselah Loop Trail. This point is called "The Ancient Forest." Each Bristlecone pine, from young seedling to ancient relic, has an individual character. And in the Ancient Forest, where trees had more than four and a half millennia to develop their character, each tree is a true individual. Every single tree in the Ancient Forest is at least 4,000 years old, many reach 4,500 years and the oldest one – Methuselah – has a confirmed age of 4,768 years which secured its place in the Guinness Book of World Records. In order to protect Methuselah from souvenir hunters and people who would just “love it to death,” the forest service does not disclose its location. It only hints that Methuselah is on of the trees right along the trail in the Ancient Forest. So, we took pictures of the most magnificent trees along that trail. Rest assured that each and every one of them is older than any other tree you have ever seen and that one of them is Methuselah.

Zhao Liang The World's Tallest Man

A Chinese man has become a contender for the title of the world's tallest man, after measuring in at more than 8ft.

Zhao Liang, 27, entered the Tianjin hospital for an operation to relieve pain from an old muscle tendon injury on his left foot. His height caused a stir among hospital staff who urged him to get measured properly.

They discovered that Mr Zhao is 8.07 ft tall (2.46m), making him 3.9 inches (10cm) taller than Bao Xishun, the current tallest man, who is 7.9ft (2.36m).

Mr Zhao, who lives in Henan province, had been training as a basketball player when he sustained the debilitating foot injury over a decade ago.

He was unemployed until 2006, when an art troupe in Jilin province enrolled him to perform magic tricks and play the saxophone and flute.

Mr Zhao's parents are of a more usual height, with his father measuring 5.9ft (1.8m) and his mother, 5.5 ft (1.68m).

Wang Keyun, Mr Zhao's mother, said he has a big appetite and can easily eat eight hamburger-sized steamed buns and three dishes for dinner.

"But I am so worried about his marriage, job and his health that my hair has turned white," she said.

Liu Yuchen, a surgeon at the hospital, declared the operation a success.

He said Mr Zhao will be able to walk normally two months after his surgery but advised against any intense physical exercise.

Dr Liu said he is in good health and has no complications related to his height.

Bao Xishun (known as the Mongolian mast) is currently recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world's tallest man.

Mr Zhao's height has not yet been independently verified by the Guinness judges, but doctors at Tianjin Anjie Hospital measured his height as part of a medical checkup under the glare of the media and he is now seeking official recognition.

Largest TV sculpture in the world

"LNK Infotree" (LNK Infomedis) is currently the largest TV sculpture in the world (Guinness World Record). It's using 2,903 individual television sets, spanning 3,135 sq metres (33,744.85 sq ft) at the Open Air Museum in Vilnius, Lithuania. I've been there a couple of years ago and it looked really amazing. It's currently closed for reconstruction but we can look at some older images.

A statue of Lenin lies in the middle of the labyrinth. The sculpture symbolizes the absurdity of Soviet propaganda that for over half a century had been implanted in people¢s minds with the help of senseless TV.

All Lithuania has taken part in the creation of a labyrinth of television sets. People from various Lithuanian towns donated old TV sets after an appeal from Europos Parkas was broadcast on LNK television.

Miracle Indian Girl Cries Tears of Blood - Weird

In a weird and very unusual twist of medical fate, Rashida Khatoon, a young girl from northeast India cries tears of blood instead of water.

She and her unusual medical condition have been transformed into a holy shrine where worshipers come to watch in awe as blood drips from her eyelids several times a day.

Doctors in the region of Patna, northeast India, have no medical explanation as to the cause of this most unusual anomaly, but local Hindu holy men have declared Rashida a miracle. Followers bow in deference as they stand before her, showering her family with holy offerings.

"I do not feel any pain when it happens, but it's a shock to see blood instead of water," said Rashida of her most unusual situation.

What could be the cause of this weird occurrence? Some have suggested a brain tumor or malfunctioning of tear ducts, but there is no medical evidence to support that. No one in authority in fact, seems to know or will even venture a guess, which is even more disconcerting than to watch the phenomenon, which occurs every few hours.

Could Rashida be suffering from a case of a rare phenomenon known as Haemolacria? Little is known about this medical condition other than the fact that it occurs when a person produces tears, which are partially composed of blood. This can manifest as anything from red-tinged tears to those, which appear to be entirely blood.

Bleeding from the eyes is most certainly weird and creepy. It may be the result of a very rare medical condition, but whatever it is, it is not likely to be a gift of any sort from the holier powers that be. If you think about it, how could bleeding from the eyes be a gift except from a very creepy donor?

Hong Kong International Airport: World's Best

The Hong Kong International Airport was named the world's best for the seventh year in an annual survey of passengers, with Asian airports dominating the top positions in the list.

The annual survey conducted by Skytrax, a U.K. based consultancy, judges airports on more than 40 categories, ranking them after collecting 8.2 million questionnaires completed by passengers over a 10 month period.

The passengers judged 190 airports on factors like shopping, dining, staff courtesy, baggage delivery and wait-times at security, reports the Age.com.au. Hong Kong, with its reputation for efficiency and comfort, bested airports in Singapore and Seoul, South Korea, which ranked second and third respectively.

Also in the top 10 were airports in Kansai, Japan, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Airports in Europe - Munich, Germany; Copenhagen, Denmark; Zurich, Switzerland; and Helsinki, Finland - took most of the remaining top spots. Cape Town, South Africa rounded out the list at No.10. Missing from the list were any airports in the United States.

GENIUS Boy - Amazing IQ Level

A year ago a footage emerged from a remote village in India. The video showed a young girl receiving surgery to separate her fingers, which were badly burned and fused together. Why did this operation make headlines around the world? The surgery was performed by a 7-year-old boy named Akrit Jaswal.

Now 13 years old, Akrit has an IQ of 146 and is considered the smartest person his age in India - a country of more than a billion people. Before Akrit could even speak, his parents say they knew he was special.

'He learned very fast,' says Raksha, Akrit's mother. 'After learning the alphabet, we started to teach him joining of words, and he started writing as well. He was two.'

At an age when most children are learning their ABCs, Akrit was reading Shakespeare and assembling a library of medical textbooks. When he was 5 years old, he enrolled in school. One year later, Akrit was teaching English and math classes.

Akrit developed a passion for science and anatomy at an early age. Doctors at local hospitals took notice and started allowing him to observe surgeries when he was 6 years old. Inspired by what he saw, Akrit read everything he could on the topic. When an impoverished family heard about his amazing abilities, they asked if he would operate on their daughter for free. Her surgery was a success.

After the surgery, Akrit was hailed as a medical genius in India . Neighbors and strangers flocked to him for advice and treatment. At age 11, Akrit was admitted to Punjab University .. He's the youngest student ever to attend an Indian university. That same year, he was also invited to London 's famed Imperial College to exchange ideas with scientists on the cutting edge of medical research.

Akrit says he has millions of medical ideas, but he's currently focused on developing a cure for cancer. 'I've developed a concept called oral gene therapy on the basis of my research and my theories,' he says. 'I'm quite dedicated towards working on this mechanism.'

Growing up, Akrit says he used to see cancer patients lying on the side of the road because they couldn't afford treatment or hospitals had no space for them. Now, he wants to use his intellect to ease their suffering. '[I've been] going to hospitals since the age of 6, so I have seen firsthand people suffering from pain,' he says. 'I get very sad, and so that's the main motive of my passion about medicine, my passion about cancer.'

Currently, Akrit is working toward a bachelor's degrees in zoology, botany and chemistry. Someday, he hopes to continue his studies at Harvard University.

Amazing Rock in Saudi Arabia - Believe It Or Not! A huge rock in a village of Al-Hassa region, SAUDI ARABIA raises 11 cms from the ground level once in a year during the month of April and stays elevated for about 30 minutes!!! They say that 17 years ago, one Mujahid was shot dead behind this rock as he was hidden there. This encounter happened in the month of April 1989. You can see the fresh blood stains on the rock. Most surprisingly, when the rock raises from the ground, these stains become darker, fresher and wet. Local residents tried to wipe off the stains several times, but after some time it appears again on the rock automatically... Isn't it astounding? First Video Game Computers are much older than many people think and when you talk about the very first game, most people tend to think of Pong. Pong was invented in 1972 by Atari and it was an arcade style game that featured two opposing paddles and a ball with which you played virtual tennis. It was the first commercially successful video game and it launched the video game industry. But…in 1952 another game was created. It was called OXO and it was a noughts-and-crosses (tic-tac-toe) type game which was played on the EDSAC computer. It was made by Alexander Douglas for his PhD thesis at Cambridge University. It is quite astonishing to think that the very first computer game was created nearly sixty years ago! Stunning, rare 3-color Nasturtium! Tropaeolum tricolor Neato! The Bolivian Nasturtium - Tropaeolum tricolor - is a stunning, rare vine with psychedelic blooms! These vivid scarlet, yellow, and blue flowers swim like schools of tropical fish throughout winter, when most plants are colorless. This cool-climate plant isn't for everyone, but if you can provide the right conditions, it's an exciting plant to grow. Tropaeolum tricolor is a tuberous, perennial Nasturtium from Chile and Bolivia. The vine tends to grow 4 to 6 feet tall, although it can potentially get to 9 feet. It has dainty leaves and wiry stems, both of which are surprisingly durable. The leaf stems are sensitive to touch and act like tendrils, wrapping themselves around branches as the plant climbs upward. Around late winter, once the plant has all its leaves, the flowers make their appearance. They tend to face the same general direction, giving the impression that they're swimming together! They are very long-lasting blooms. In the spring, after the flower show is over, the vine goes dormant until autumn. The Bolivian Nasturtium comes from a cool climate, similar to San Francisco. During the winter growing period, it prefers temperatures below 80 degrees (27°C) with nights that are cool and frost-free. It grows well in a 2-3 gallon container. Give it a trellis or frame with slender supports for it to climb around. Use well-draining, lime-free soil that is kept moist during the growing season. The plant prefers about a half day of sun. Over 50% humidity is recommended. In the right conditions, this is an easy and very fun plant. Extremely rare - Amazing "Ribbon Tree"! (Carmichaelia) Here's something you probably haven't seen before. Carmichaelia - the Ribbon Tree - is a fascinating, leaf-less tree from New Zealand with long, flattened branches that function as leaves. Looking somewhat like a weeping willow at first, this Legume relative is clearly different. The 2 to 3 foot long "leaves", which botanists call "cladodes", have an unusual, raised pattern.. almost like a tire tread. When hundreds of these prehistoric-looking cladodes cascade around the tree, the effect is really cool - like something from the dinosaur era! It's hard to capture the unusual beauty of this tree in pictures, but it is guaranteed to get some comments! The species name is unknown; it doesn't seem to be any of the named species. Carmichaelia originates from a mild part of New Zealand, with moderate temperatures all year. It thrives here in San Francisco, where summers are below 85 degrees (29°C) and winters are frost-free. It likes ordinary, well-draining soil and average watering. Eventually it grows into a handsome, multi-branched tree about 15 feet tall. Beautiful, fragrant flowers cover the tree in the spring and summer, followed by fascinating seed pods that defy description! This is a truly unique plant. Have you seen a swimming kangaroo? Despite the ho-hum and hu-ha of naysayers, telly and Internet ain’t such a bad thing. It sure gives humans more info and better survival capabilities. Take this poor kangaroo for instance. For some inexplicable reason, he stared off into the vast horizon for a while before doing a few cute bounces into the big, scary sea. You can see why this was be wrong on so many levels. Can he swim, the mildly finicky may ask. “What about horrid sea currents that pull you in”, the fretting parents who hover over their children will wonder. Of course, the avid movie watcher will say, “what about the damn sharks?” Yea, apparently minutes into this swimming adventure little bouncy was attacked by a shark. Ouch. That’s terrible and you honestly feel bad for the kangaroo. For instance, there probably was a “Watch out, no swimming, sharks about” sort of sign somewhere on the beach. Admittedly, it was aimed at language savvy humans and not marsupials, but that ain’t the point. Secondly, if an enterprising kangaroo had creatively put together a play about a vicious shark attack on a little island and word or peeps or whatever noises they make had spread all across the Roos, this little fella might not have gone where no kangaroo had gone before. Makes you wonder why the fella bounced into the sea. Maybe he wanted a good word with dictionary makers about that annoying urban legend surrounding his name. Laser Scissors If you sell fabrics for a living or you are an experienced tailor, you would probably think that you are pretty good in precision cutting but hey, nobody is perfect, right? Cutting straight lines can strain your eyes, make your hands shiver and a long cut later, we will probably find crooked line or uneven jagged lines. Now, you won’t get that with the Laser Scissors! With just the aim of the pinpoint laser, cut following the visible line and you’ll get a perfect straight line. Don’t believe? Well, believe it! The combination of the laser just above the upper blade and the stainless steel, mirco-serrated edge is going to give you a straighter, cleaner and smoother cut for sure! 10 Most Poisonous Animals in the World 1. Box Jellyfish The top prize for “The World Most Venomous Animal,” would go to the Box Jellyfish. It has caused at least 5,567 recorded deaths since 1954. Their venom is among the most deadly in the world. It’s toxins attack the heart, nervous system, and skin cells. And the worst part of it is that jelly box venom is so overpoweringly painful, that human victims go in shock, drown or die of heart failure before even reaching shore. Survivors experience pain weeks after the contact with box jellies. 2. King Cobra The King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) is the world’s longest venomous snake - growing up to 5.6 m (18.5 ft) in length. Ophiophagus, literally means “snake-eater” as it eats other snakes. One single bite of this deadly snake can easily kill a human. This snake is even capable of killing a full-grown Asian Elephant within 3 hours if the larger animal is bitten in a vulnerable area such as the trunk. 3. Marbled Cone Snail This little beautiful looking Marbled Cone snail can be as deadly as any other animal on this list. One drop of its venom is so powerful that it can kill more than 20 humans. If you ever happen to be in warm salt water environment (where these snails are often found) and see it, don’t even think of picking it up. Of course, the true purpose of its venom is to catch its prey. 4. Blue-Ringed Octopus The Blue-Ringed Octopus is very small, only the size of a golf ball, but its venom is so powerful that can kill a human. Actually it carries enough poison to kill 26 adult humans within minutes, and there is no antidote. They are currently recognized as one of the world’s most venomous animals. 5. Death Stalker Scorpion Contrarily to the popular belief most of the scorpions are relatively harmless to humans as stings produce only local effects (pain, numbness or swelling). However, the Death Starker Scorpion is highly dangerous species because its venom is a powerful cocktail of neurotoxins which causes an intense and unbearable pain, then fever, followed by coma, convulsions, paralysis and death. Fortunately, while a sting from this scorpion is extremely painful, it would be unlikely to kill a healthy, adult human. Young children, the old, or infirm (with a heart condition) are at the biggest risk. 6. Stonefish Maybe Stonefish would never win a beauty contest, but it would definitely win the top prize for being “The World Most Venomous Fish”. Its venom causes such a severe pain that the victims of its sting want the affected limb to be amputated. It is described as the worst pain known to man. It is accompanied with possible shock, paralysis, and tissue death. If not given medical attention within a couple of hours It can be fatal to humans. 7. The Brazilian wandering spider The Brazilian Wandering Spider (Phoneutria) or banana spider appears in the Guinness Book of World Records 2007 for the most venomous spider and is the spider responsible for most human deaths. This spider is believed to have the most potent neurotoxic venom of any living spider. Only 0.006mg (0.00000021oz) is sufficient to kill a mouse. They are also so dangerous because of their wandering nature. They often hide during daytime in highly populated areas inside houses, clothes, boots, and cars. 8. Inland Taipan The prize for “The World’s Most Venomous Snake” goes to the Inland Taipan of Australia. Just a single bite from this snake contains enough venom to kill 100 human adults or an army of 250,000 mice. Its venom is at least 200 - 400 times more toxic than a common cobra. The Inland Taiwan’s extremely neurotoxic venom can kill an adult human in as little as 45 minutes. Fortunately this snake is very shy and there have been no documented human fatalities (all known bites were treated with antivenin). 9. Poison Dart Frog If you ever happen to be running through the rain forests somewhere in Central or South America, do not ever pick up beautiful and colorful frogs - it can be the Poison Dart Frog. This frog is probably the most poisonous animal on earth.The 2 inch long (5cm) golden poison dart frog has enough venom to kill 10 adult humans or 20,000 mice. Only 2 micrograms of this lethal toxin (the amount that fits on the head of a pin) is capable of killing a human or other large mammal. They are called “dart frogs” because indigenous Amerindians’ use of their toxic secretions to poison the tips of their blow-darts. Poison dart frogs keep their poison in their skins and will sicken or kill anybody who touches or eats it. 10. Puffer Fish Puffer Fish are the second most poisonous vertebrate on earth (the first one is golden dart Frog). The meat of some species is a delicacy in both Japan (as fugu) and Korea (as bok-uh) but the problem is that the skin and certain organs of many puffer fish are very poisonous to humans. This puffy fish produce rapid and violent death..Puffer’s poisoning causes deadening of the tongue and lips, dizziness, vomiting, rapid heart rate, difficulty breathing, and muscle paralysis. Victims die from suffocation as diaphragm muscles are paralyzed. Most of the victims die after four to 24 hours. There is no known antidote, Most deaths from fugu happen when untrained people catch and prepare the fish. Stunning BLUE Puya! - Rare, hardy Bromeliad - Must see! From outer space - I mean Chile - comes the amazing, rare Bromeliad, the Blue Puya. With its massive, 7 foot flower cluster, this is one of most outrageous plants anywhere. The turquoise-blue color is very rare in the plant world, and it's even rarer to be combined with orange. The Blue Puya (P. berteroniana) is a terrestrial Bromeliad related to Pineapple. The plant forms a rosette of silvery-green leaves about 3 feet long. The leaves are spiny, so move carefully around the plant. The flower stalks themselves are soft, and the flowers are silky-smooth. These other-worldly blooms appear around May or June. It is an unforgettable experience to stand next to one of these massive, blue stalks. The blooms are pollinated by birds, which love to sit on the outward-pointing tips and drink the nectar inside! The Blue Puya has bluer flowers than my Turquoise Puya (below), which has more of an emerald tint. They are both the same species, but they come from different provinces in Chile. The outward tips of the blue variety are thicker and whiter, which makes the flowers look even bluer! Unlike the tree-dwelling Bromeliads, Puya has fully-functional roots and grows in soil, much like a cactus or succulent. Eventually it will form a large stand of offshoots. Puya is hardy to zone 8b-11. Mature plants can survive temperatures down to about 20 degrees F (-7°C) if kept relatively dry. You can grow it in a large pot and move it to a protected spot over the winter. Protect it from frost the first couple of years. It enjoys sun, but in hotter areas it might appreciate a little afternoon shade. Be patient with Puya, as it can take 6-8 years to reach flowering size. Your patience will pay off when you witness the mind-blowing colors of this incredible plant! This species is rare, and if you find it for sale, it's sometimes a similar species, Puya alpestris, mislabeled as Puya berteroniana. Alpestris is a smaller plant, with shorter, less impressive clusters. 10 Strange Buildings of the World 1. The Crooked House (Sopot, Poland) Construction of the building started in in January 2003 and in December 2003 it was finished. House architecture is based on Jan Marcin Szancer (famous Polish drawer and child books illustrator) and Per Dahlberg (Swedish painter living in Sopot) pictures and paintings. 2.Forest Spiral - Hundertwasser Building (Darmstadt, Germany) The Hundertwasser house “Waldspirale” (”Forest Spiral”) was built in Darmstadt between 1998 and 2000. Friedensreich Hundertwasser, the famous Austrian architect and painter, is widely renowned for his revolutionary, colourful architectural designs which incorporate irregular, organic forms, e.g. onion-shaped domes. The structure with 105 apartments wraps around a landscaped courtyard with a running stream. Up in the turret at the southeast corner, there is a restaurant, including a cocktail bar. 3. The Torre Galatea Figueras (Spain) 4. Ferdinand Cheval Palace a.k.a Ideal Palace (France) 5. The Basket Building (Ohio, United States) The Longaberger Basket Company building in Newark, Ohio might just be a strangest office building in the world. The 180,000-square-foot building, a replica of the company’s famous market basket, cost $30 million and took two years to complete. Many experts tried to persuade Dave Longaberger to alter his plans, but he wanted an exact replica of the real thing. 6. Kansas City Public Library (Missouri, United States) This project, located in the heart of Kansas City, represents one of the pioneer projects behind the revitalization of downtown. The people of Kansas City were asked to help pick highly influential books that represent Kansas City. Those titles were included as ‘bookbindings’ in the innovative design of the parking garage exterior, to inspire people to utilize the downtown Central Library. 7. Wonderworks (Pigeon Forge, TN, United States) 8. Habitat 67 (Montreal, Canada) Expo 67, one of the world’s largest universal expositions was held in Montreal. Housing was one of the main themes of Expo 67. The cube is the base, the mean and the finality of Habitat 67. In its material sense, the cube is a symbol of stability. As for its mystic meaning, the cube is symbol of wisdom, truth, moral perfection, at the origin itself of our civilization. 354 cubes of a magnificent grey-beige build up one on the other to form 146 residences nestled between sky and earth, between city and river, between greenery and light. 9. Cubic Houses (Rotterdam, Netherlands) The original idea of these cubic houses came about in the 1970s. Piet Blom has developed a couple of these cubic houses that were built in Helmond. The city of Rotterdam asked him to design housing on top of a pedestrian bridge and he decided to use the cubic houses idea. The concept behind these houses is that he tries to create a forest by each cube representing an abstract tree; therefore the whole village becomes a forest. 10. Hang Nga Guesthouse a.k.a Crazy House (Vietnam) The house is owned by the daughter of the ex-president of Vietnam, who studied architecture in Moscow. It does not comply with any convention about house building, has unexpected twists and turns, roofs and rooms. It looks like a fairy tale castle, it has enormous “animals” like a giraffe and a spider, no window is rectangular or round, and it can be visited like a museum. Archaeologists unearth 2500-yr-old city in Orissa Bhubaneswar: Archaeologists have made interesting findings at an ancient city Sisupalgarh in Orissa, which is more than 2500 yrs old. They believe it is older and bigger than even Athens in Greece. Situated on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, Sisupalgarh was once a thriving metropolis, with a population of over 25,000. That makes it even larger than the biggest city of classical Greece, Athens. University of California Head archeologist Dr Monica L Smith says, “These cities from a very early time about the third or fourth century BC were very densely populated and urban in every sense of the word.” Even though Sisupalgarh was discovered in 1948, it wasn’t until three years ago that excavations started here. A team of archeologists from Deccan College in Pune, University of California and Archeological Survey of India (ASI) are manning the digs. Deccan College Head Archeologist Dr R K Mohanty says, “What we have excavated is a very small area of the site. Each area has given a different perspective and architecture.” A large variety of pottery discovered, show the high quality of life in the city. Excavations reveal the city was well planned with eight gateways. There was a large monument for public gatherings. The whole city was surrounded by large defensive walls. Archeologists believe that it is because of the excellent architectural skills; the pillars could stand for so many years. But so far only a small portion of the huge site has been excavated. Researchers have to depend largely on foreign funding for the excavation as the government has not yet stepped in to help. Rare YELLOW Bird of Paradise! Strelitzia Mandela's Gold The Yellow Bird of Paradise - Strelitzia reginae 'Mandela's Gold' - is a rare yellow form of the famous orange Bird of Paradise. This spectacular cultivar has flaring, yellow sepals and blue petals reminiscent of a crested tropical bird. Like the orange form, it is easy to grow in the right conditions. It can be difficult to start from seeds, so i am offering an established plant. Related to Heliconias and Bananas, the Yellow Bird of Paradise has similar foliage to the orange form, growing to about 4-5 feet tall. Over time, this South African native multiplies into a huge colony of plants 6 feet across. It blooms throughout the year in mild areas. The tall flower stalks rise above the foliage, with a beak-like spathe growing outward, about 6" in length. The bright yellow sepals spread out to invite birds to perch on the blue petals, which contain nectar. The blooms make very long lasting cut flowers. 'Mandela's Gold' was named in honor of South African statesman, Nelson Mandela. While it thrives in mild temperatures, it tolerates heat well, such as in Florida. The leaves may die back from frost, although new growth can sprout from the base. It is slightly more cold-sensitive than the orange form, so i recommend protecting it from temperatures below 35 degrees. It grows well indoors in a large container. It is adaptable to many types of soils. Ideally it prefers a rich, well-draining soil, such as potting soil with some perlite added. It prefers mostly sunny conditions. In warmer areas, a little shade from strong afternoon sun is helpful. Mature plants are fairly drought tolerant, but they look best if given regular water and fertilizer. Seeds can be difficult to germinate, and slow-growing when young, so i am offering a 3 year-old plant. Shown below, it stands about 8" tall and has 3 leaves, with a 4th one emerging. It can reach flowering size in 2 years. It will be shipped bare-rooted, and will need shade the first few weeks, then adapted slowly to sun. Promptly sent by 2-3 day Priority Mail. Outside the mainland United States, please email me before bidding for the shipping terms & costs. Top ten richest Indian companies 1. Reliance Industries: The main business of Reliance is in the energy sector (oil and gas). However, it has strong presence in garments and telecommunication sectors too. According to Forbes, annual sale of Reliance is $18.0 billion. This company is very popular in the share market among investors. 2. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) : It is one of leading oil and gas companies in Asia and one of most profit making corporations in India. It is trying to become a global player. 3. State Bank of India Group : It is the largest bank in India and of the largest in the world. It is also the oldest bank in South Asia. Its history goes back to 1806. According to Forbes, it has $156.4 billion of assets- very impressive! 4. Indian Oil: Again, an oil company. According to Forbes, its sales are $34.6 billion and thus it has the largest sale for an Indian company. 5. National Thermal Power : It is owned by Indian government and it made $1.3 of profit against sales of $6.1 billion. 6. Icici Bank: It is the largest bank in the private sector. It is also a popular company in the share market. In television channels, you can find their ads round the clock. 7. Steel Authority of India: It is a public sector company and it has several plants in India. It is one of the fastest growing companies in the public sector. Its profit figure of $1.6 billion is quite impressive too. 8. Tata Steel: It is a company with a great heritage. It is a company in the private sector. It was India's first and largest steel company in the private sector. 9. Tata Consultancy Svcs (TCS ): Among the top ten companies, TCS is the only company related to Information Technology. It has made its mark in outsourcing and its market value is $19.5 billion. It is quite impressive considering the fact that it has only $1.9 billion of assets. 10. Tata Motors : Tata Motors came into the headline this year for its effort to build the World's cheapest car . These days; Tata Motors is trying to expand its business both in home and abroad. The Coolest Way To Read In The Dark: LED Reading Glasses The newest thing in reading at night makes more sense than a lamp, an LED book light, and certainly a flash light. It not only creates maximum efficiency by focusing on what you're viewing, but it can be used for more than just reading! This cool pair of reading glasses have super-bright LED lights built into each corner of the lens frame. The frame holds their four small batteries and they are good for up to 30 hours of illumination. The lights automatically turn on when the frame is opened and turn off when the frame is closed. Those little book lights, the battery-operated LED lamps that hook onto your book... They're cute, but they have their limitations; the biggest one being that they're not very stable on anything else but a hardcover book. Try them on a magazine or a newspaper and watch them flop over! The other huge drawback is that when you move the book, even just to turn a page, the book light moves with it and ends up blinding your formerly-asleep partner. I can tell you that partners don't take a shine to that. So the LED Reading Glasses are a winner from two perspectives. They enable you to read anything comfortably and you can keep them from waking up your partner... just don't look! (if you happen to glance at your sleeping partner, the small lights from two sources create a more diffuse illumination than the book light, so are less likely to disturb her.) And think about the convenience of being able to use your computer at night without turning on the room lights. Though the computer screen creates it's own light, the LED Reading Glasses will help you see your keyboard! The LED Reading Glasses are also great for searching in small spaces, like when you are trying to find your chimney flu, or replacing a fuse, or searching for wires behind your drywall.... Hands free! Rare Fuchsia boliviana - Breathtaking Bolivian Fuchsia! The Bolivian Fuchsia (Fuchsia boliviana) is a gorgeous, rare species that's truly a delight! Throughout most of the year, it sends down exotic, hanging clusters of 4" flowers in a stunning combination of pure white and fluorescent red. The trumpet-shaped blooms open progressively down the cluster over several months, followed by tasty, green fruits! This tree-like Fuchsia comes from the Andes, where it grows over 15 feet tall! The lush, oversized leaves give it a great, "rainforest" look. This is an extremely showy species that deserves center-stage in the garden! The Bolivian Fuchsia grows in the cool cloud forests, where it doesn't freeze, but it also doesn't get very hot. It might not thrive in areas that are consistenly hot, particularly if nights are warm. If you can grow other Fuchsias, you should be able to grow this one. It can only handle a few degrees of frost; protection from freezing temperatures is recommended. You may grow it in a pot and move it indoors over the winter, pruning it to 3 or 4 feet tall if necessary. Some humidity is needed for it to thrive. It prefers tree-filtered sun, or morning sun + bright shade. In the right conditions, it is a vigorous plant, blooming almost every month of the year! This species is resistant to Fuchsia mites. The ancient Incas cultivated this exotic plant centuries ago, and the fruits are still sold in South American markets. They taste sort of like Kiwi fruit, but not as sweet. It's refreshing to pluck the fruits while walking through the garden! Indoors, you'll need to pollinate the flowers with a paint brush if you want to get fruit. But it's safe to say that most people would grow this plant for the flowers! :-) Extremely rare Deppea splendens! There's a story behind Deppea splendens. In 1973, botanist Dennis Breedlove discovered this eye-catching plant while trekking through the mountains of southern Mexico. It was a beautiful member of the coffee family, with rich, warm colors that almost seemed to glow. The plants were found nowhere else except a single location in the Mexican hills. When Breedlove returned to the site in 1986, the plants were gone - a victim of farmland development. The species is now believed to be extinct in the wild. Fortunately, Breedlove had saved some seeds of Deppea and grew them. Any existing plants of this species originated from those seeds. This is one of the rarest plants in cultivation today. Deppea splendens is an evergreen bush that grows about 6 to 10 feet tall (potentially double that in the wild). The leaves grow in whorls of 3 and have an interesting, ribbed texture to them. The plant flowers from fall through spring here in San Francisco and is a heavy bloomer. The 2½" blooms are mango or apricot in color, with a burgundy or wine-red calyx. The tips of the petals are sunset orange before they recurve gracefully. Each flower - and the entire cluster - is suspended by a long, wiry stem. It's amazing how such a thin strand can hold the flower bunches. This is a very elegant and beautiful species, and not simply a "collector's plant." Deppea needs frost-free conditions. I don't know if it can survive more than a degree or two of frost. It comes from cool cloudforests, so it prefers moderate temperatures, moist soil, and some protection from strong afternoon sun. I don't think it will thrive in very hot climates, especially if nights are warm. It grows well in a pot and can be grown indoors if the air isn't too dry.