Amazing Facts About Snow...!!!!!

Did you know that each winter one septillion (1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000) of snow crystals drop from the sky and that it takes about a million little droplets to make one snowflake? As common as it might seem at first glance, snow is actually a very complex type of precipitation. If you are wondering which is the world's largest snowflake or what is the record for the greatest snowfall in the United States, you have landed on right page. Here are my Top 10 fascinating facts about snow.  10. Funny Snow Terminology Not all snow is the same and who knows this better than skiers  and snowboarders? Skiers created in the early 1900s their own terminology  to describe various types of snow. The crazy lingo used by them includes  funny terms such as "pow pow," "mashed potatoes," "champagne snow (powder)," "cauliflower," "sticky snow," "dust on crust" and many other descriptive terms. Slang adds humor, color and personality to any vocabulary.  Did you know that "pow pow" or simply pow (from powder) is the fresh powder snow, which is actually a soft, fluffy type of snow? "Champagne snow" has such an extremely low moisture content that you can't even make a snowball with it. While "champagne powder" is great for skiing because it's smooth and dry, "mashed potatoes" is an old, dense and heavy snow that is hard to turn skis in. 9. The World's Largest Snowflake According to specialists, "snowflakes are agglomerates of many frozen ice crystals., most snowflakes are less than one-half inch across",  NSIDC. The water content of snowflakes is more variable than we think. An average snowflake is made up of 180 billion molecules of water, but  the snow-water ration depends on various factors such as temperature, crystal structure, wind speed etc.  8. The Colors of Snow While many think that snow is either white or blue, its 'colors' range from yellow and orange to green and even purple, but…believe it or not,  snow is actually colorless. According to the National Snow and Ice Data Center, "the complex structure of snow crystals results in countless tiny  surfaces from which visible light is efficiently reflected. What little sunlight is absorbed by snow is absorbed uniformly over the wavelengths of visible light  thus giving snow its white appearance." Different strains of algae can color the snow yellow, red, orange, brown, green.  Of course, the snow acquires its color after it has fallen. You may see snow that falls pink, brown, orange or red, if the air is filled with dust, pollutants or sand. Orange snow fell over Siberia in 2007 and Krasnodar (Russia) was covered by pink snow in 2010. 7. Snowfall Record Mount Baker, in the North Cascades of Washington State, holds  this amazing world record, a reported 1,140 inches accumulated during the 1998-99 snowfall season. It is the youngest volcano of the Mount Baker volcanic region and the most heavily glaciated of the inhospitable Cascade volcanoes. Mount Baker (10,775 feet) is for sure one of the snowiest places on earth. 6. Snowfall Record Within 24th The greatest amount of snow to fall within 24 hours in U.S. occurred in Silver Lake – Colorado in 1921: 76 inches of snow. Another impressive record of 63 inches was registered in Georgetown, Colorado on December 4, 1913. It can never be to cold to snow. Actually, it can snow even at incredibly  low temperatures "as long as there is some source of moisture and some way  to lift or cool the air." (National Snow and Ice Data Center). However, major snowfalls occur in relatively warm temperature climates. If you are curious to know how much snow falls where you live, check out the Snowfall Table  provided by the National Climatic Data Center.  5. The Longest Winter Road in the World Constructed each January on ice and snow, the 'Wapusk Trail' road has a length of 467 miles and links Gillam, Manitoba with Peawanuk,  Ontario, Canada. 'Wapusk Trail' is the longest seasonal winter road  in the world. It even got a Guinness World Records certificate. This type of 'temporary highways' have a crucial role in enabling goods to be delivered to communities without permanent road access. Warm weather forces the  closure of the winter road staring with March, early April. Air transportation  is an alternative, but it's quite expensive.  4. Snowstorms and Bombs Did you know that a single snowstorm can drop more than 39 million  tons of snow, carrying the energy equivalent to 120 atomic bombs? 'The Great Blizzard of 1888' was one of the most devastating snowstorms  to hit New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. The storm  dumped up to 50 inches of snow. 'The Great Snow of 1717', 'The Washington  and Jefferson Snowstorm', 'The Long Storm of November 1798' and the 'Portland Storm' are other major snowstorms that struck America.  3. The Fastest Ever Half-Marathon Run Barefoot on Snow Dutch daredevil Wim Hof holds the world record for running the fastest  half marathon barefoot on snow and ice. He completed the marathon in  2 hr 16 min 34 sec near Oulu, Finland, on 26 January 2007. Hof's stunning abilities to withstand harsh winds, snow, ice and freezing temperatures won  him the nickname 'Ice Man'. By courageously swimming 80 meters under the North Pole ice, Wim Hof earned another Guinness World Record. 2. The Largest Snow Sculpture A team of 600 amazing sculptors unveiled at the Harbin International Ice  and Snow Sculpture Festival held on December 20, 2007 – 'Romantic Feelings' – the world's largest snow sculpture. The Olympic Games were the source of inspiration for the staggering 656 ft long and 115 ft tall sculpture. This magnificent 'landscape' was the centerpiece of the festival opened in the Heilongjiang Province, one of China's coldest places. 1. The Snowflake Man Throughout time, snowflakes have fascinated many eminent scientists  and philosophers such as René Descartes, Johannes Kepler and Robert Hooke, but the man who literally devoted his entire life to showing us  the diversity and beauty of snowflakes is American Wilson A. Bentley  (February 9, 1865 – December 23, 1931). This 'snowtastic' Top 10 list is a tribute to Wilson Bentley, the first man to capture snow crystals on film. Known as "The Snowflake Man", Bentley  captured more than 5000 photographs of snowflakes. He received international acclaim in the 19th century for his pioneering work in the fields of photomicrography, because he perfected a process of photographing snowflakes before they either melted or sublimed.

Happy Birthday Dirk Nannes

Today's Thought from BENNY MARAMON

Real Madrid arrive in Kuwait, take on Kuwait National team tonite - 16.05.2012

Kuwait: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said on Tuesday that he hoped to have a good and exciting match tomorrow between his team and Kuwait's national team, without injuries to players from both sides.

Mourinho said, in a press conference after arrival along with his team, that this is his first visit to Kuwait, an importance one to him and for the team because "they came to play football and make the fans enjoy the game, despite exhaustion which most players are suffering from." The coach also added his team played vital and important matches, but in recent days training was suspended for several days.

"The team came to play a friendly match and with first team lineup, but two different set of formation and players pick," Mourinho said, adding that his team will not any training before the match, relaxing at the swimming pool." "I know  there are many football fans in the Gulf, especially in Kuwait, who were keen to watch recent matches of Real Madrid at Santiago Bernabeu," Mourinho added.

"I respect Kuwaiti football national team which qualified for the World Cup in Spain in 1982, they played good matches back then," said Mourinho.

Mourinho, a Portuguese, said that he knew an old friend who is also from Portuguese, and was currently Kuwaiti Al-Arabi football team Coach, Jose Romao, noting that he hoped to meet him and get to know the Kuwaiti football more.

Regarding the timing and reason for the visit, Mourinho said that he preferred to play after the season was over, and before the players goes to official holidays, especially to some players who will be joining their national teams ahead of the Euro 2012 Championship.

Mourinho added that he preferred to play at his time, instead of having to play the match in August or July. For his part, Kuwaiti national team Captain Jarrah Al-Atiqi said during the same press conference that he hopes the team play well and represent the team with a good performance.

(NEWS reproduced from KUNA)

NOTE:

According to Kuwait's Alwatan Newspaper, it has been announced that the company responsible for this event is going to pay 2 Million Euros = 2.84 Million dollars = 809,000 KD._,___

பராசக்தி (புத்தம் புதிய காப்பி)

பராசக்தி (புத்தம் புதிய காப்பி)-----------------------------------------------

மடாதிபதி ஆனேன்; நீதிபதி வேண்டாம் என்பதற்காக அல்ல; நீதிபதியின் தீர்ப்பை விட இறைவனின் தீர்ப்பு பெரிது என்பதற்காக.

உனக்கெதற்கு இந்தப் பதவி, பல்வேறு குற்றச்சாட்டுகள் இருக்கும்போது என்று கேட்கலாம்; எனது புகழுக்கு களங்கம் ஏற்பட்டது; உள்நாட்டிலும், வெளிநாட்டிலும் எனது வளர்ச்சி பாதிக்கப்பட்டது; எனது பக்தர்கள் பாதிக்கப்பட்டார்கள்; 293-வது ஆதீனமாக பதவி ஏற்றேன்!நல்லது! 

ஞானமும், பேச்சாற்றலும், வீரமும், போர் குணமும், அழகும், ஆங்கில அறிவும் கொண்ட நித்திதான் தனது அடுத்தஆதீனகர்த்தா என்று கட்டிப்பிடித்து உச்சி முகர்ந்தார் மதுரை ஆதீனம்!அப்படி அவர் பாராட்டியது தவறா? இது போறாதா? பொங்கி எழுந்தனர் எங்கள் எதிரிகள்! ஊடகத் துறையை உசுப்பினார்கள், விஷயத்தை ஊதிப் பெரிதாக்கச் சொன்னார்கள்! அந்த விஷமிகள் நினைத்தவாறே விஷயம் இப்போது நீதிமன்றம்வரைவந்துவிட்டது! 

ஆகாரத்திற்காக அழுக்கை உண்டு தடாகத்தை சுத்தம் செய்கிறதே மீன்... அதுபோலதான் நானும். உலகின் நன்மைக்காக ஆன்மிகத்தில் குதித்தேன்; நாட்டுக்குத் தொண்டாற்ற மடங்களை ஆரம்பித்தேன்; என் சுயநலத்தில்பக்தர்களின் பொதுநலம் மட்டுமே கலந்திருந்தது!

பாவம் அந்த   ரஞ்சி; சினிமாத் துறையால் ஓரங்கட்டப் பட்ட ஒரு அபலைப் பெண்; அப்போதெல்லாம் கவலைப்பட்டதா இந்த ஊடகங்கள்? அவரை தேடிப் பிடித்து அவரது வாட்டத்தைப் போக்கியிருக்க வேண்டும். ஆனால் அவ்வாறு செய்யவில்லை! அந்த பக்தையை கைபிடித்து கரையேற்றியபோது வந்தார்கள்! 

"கதவைத் திற காற்று வரட்டும்' என்றுதான் சொன்னேன்! ஆனால் காற்றுக்குப் பதிலாக காமெராவுடன் உள்ளே வந்தது ஒரு ஊடகம்! பொல்லாதது எல்லாவற்றையும் படம் பிடித்தான்; பணம் கேட்டு மிரட்டினான், இல்லை என்றேன்! தனது செய்தி சானலின் மூலம் வீடு வீடாக நீலப்படம் காண்பித்து பிஞ்சுகளின் மனத்தில் கூட என் மீது வஞ்சகம் வளரச் செய்தான்! அவனைக் கண்டித்ததா இந்த உலகம்? 

நிம்மதியாக வாழவிட்டார்களா என்னை? வழக்குமேல் வழக்கு தொடுத்தார்கள்!கஞ்சிக்குக் கூட வழியில்லாமல் போய் விடுவேனோ என்று  பதறினேன்!

முதலில் ரஞ்சி ஓடினாள்; பிறகு நானும் ஓடினேன்; பின்னர் இருவரும் சேர்ந்து ஓடினோம்; ஓடினோம் ஓடினோம்பிடதியில் இருந்து ஊர் ஊராய் ஓடினோம்! மதுரையை அடைந்தோம். இறைவனேஆதீனம் உருவில் வந்து என்னை அடுத்த ஆதீனம் நீதான் என முடிசூட்டி மகிழ்ந்தார்! இப்போதாவது விட்டார்களா? 

ஆதீனத்தை போதையிலும் மயக்கத்திலும் வைத்திருக்கிறேன் என்கிறது ஊடகங்கள்? யார்  இவர்கள்? ஐபிஎல்,சினிமா செய்திகள், டி.வி. சீரியல்கள்... என பல்வேறு போதை வஸ்துகளுக்கு  மக்களை நிரந்தரமாக அடிமைப்படுத்தி வைத்திருப்பவர்கள்! இப்போதாவது கூறுங்கள், இது யார் தவறு?என் தவறா? ஆதீனத்தின் தவறா?இறைவனின் தவறா...?!

Meet the MBA who now sells vegetables

Kaushalendra Kumar, an IIM-A alumnus is currently doing some pioneering work in the field of vegetable retail.

He is an alumnus and topper from IIM- Ahmedabad.

He is shy especially when talking to a girl. He loves Bihar, the state in which he was born and brought up. He speaks broken English.

He was the winner of MTV Youth icon 2008. And he is a vegetable vendor!

Meet Kaushalendra Kumar, a young man currently doing some pioneering work in the field of vegetable retail.

What inspired you to do something on your own? Did you always want to do this?

Since childhood, I have been learning many should-be-done-in-agriculture-sector things. Especially in Bihar.

I always found farmers had nobody to look up to, no support from anybody.

Being a farmer's son myself, I thought I have been given an opportunity of good education and to be knowledgeable which most farmers' children don't get in this country.

So I wanted to do something for our society and for the farmers' kids in particular. Because nobody cares for them.

Is your work completely charity or are you also making a livelihood out of this?

We are not doing any charity. We are making our livelihood out of this. This is a business opportunity for farmers and for all of us.

What's the name of your company? What exactly do you do?

My organisation is called KNIDS Green Pvt. Ltd.

We focus on mobilising and organising the informal and fragmented vegetable sector.

We source poor vegetable growers, vegetable vendors, and farm labourers of Bihar.

The goal of the foundation is to create opportunities -- gainful and dignified self-employment -- for the families that are dependent on the agricultural sector.

Specially the disadvantaged sections namely farmers, farm labourers, agriculture produce vendors and many others.

This is a community that brings rice and dal to your home. And nobody cares for them.

We ensure sustainable livelihood, enriched environment, improved quality of life and good human values for them.

Can you describe step-bystep the process of your work?

We have been working towards making the street vegetable vendors, your sabziwala and marginal growers more professional.

We also work towards empowering them to face future challenges in the new global economy, thus creating wealth and prosperity from 'farm-gate to food-plate' through undertaking the holistic view of vegetable supply chain under our project 'Samriddhii.'

We have formed some attractive partnerships between the farmers and vendors with a focus on shared interests and mutual growth.

To maintain product integrity from the source to the customer, the organisation has established a totally integrated supply chain and services bundle which connects and maintains the flow of goods from the source (growers) to customer (road-side vendors, organised retailers, food services and hospitality industry).

Key benefits of the model include waste reduction (quantity and time), shelf-life extension and cost reduction of agri-produce from hinterlands and upcountry sources to the markets.

We have public and private partnerships with Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA), Patna.

We have been assisted financially through soft loan by Friends of Women World Banking (FWWB) Ahmedabad. Recently, Punjab National Bank (PNB) has sanctioned Rs. 50 Lakhs to our project.

Approximately 1000 farmers are associated with us. We have our procurement network in two districts of Bihar namely Patna and Nalanda.

How much of your MBA knowledge do you practically use in your work?

MBA knowledge has brought confidence in me.

I have been using the concepts learnt at IIM-Ahemdabad in designing training modules, expansion strategies and overall development strategies of the work we are involved in.

You know, MBA taught me to take a holistic approach to problems.

When and why did you decide to become a 'vegetable vendor?'

Marketing has been the biggest bottleneck for Indian farmers.

They have never considered it as an integral part of their work. It would be impossible to think of their prosperity unless they have the ability to market their produce.

To get first hand experience of vegetable selling and marketing, we decided to learn the menaces of vegetable sales and now lessons learnt are being transferred to farmer members.

I used to actually go with my father to the market and sell vegetables on a cart for first hand experience.

What was the reaction from parents, friends, and teachers to your vegetable vending endeavour? Did you have to forgo a well-paying job to do this?

My family members were shocked to know that I am going to start my own organization and sell vegetables from a cart. And that too in Patna, Bihar!

Nevertheless, they did not try to persuade me to go for a job because they are aware of my nature that if I decide something, I will do only that. They have never interfered with my decisions since childhood. They always encouraged independent decision making.

My elder brother Shri Dhirendra Kumar has left his job and is working as programme coordinator in our organisation.

Many of my professors from IIM-A are supporting us. Our mentor is Prof. Piyush Kumar Sinha, Chairman, Centre of Retailing, IIM-A.

Under his continued guidance we have been able to take this so far.

Many of my friends from IIM-A like Om Prakash Singh, Abhishek Kumar, Vaibhav, Vineeta Singh (from IIRM) and many others are continuously supporting us.

They always provide their strategic input and sometimes financial support too. Their encouragement helps me move ahead always.

Do you have a mission in this direction? What is it?

My mission is to make Bihar the vegetable hub of the nation and to develop brand Bihar in the vegetable sector.

Did you take any kind of training or special research to get into this kind of work?

No, I have not taken any special training. I am born and brought up in a village. My native district Nalanda is the largest producer of vegetables in Bihar. I have grown up here. I have seen their hardships. And I have seen the government's apathy towards this community. They don't care. Nobody cares.

Do you plan to do this all your life?

I am committed to the prosperity of Bihar. Most people make fun of the state. But well, they don't know its potential.

Goa eyeing UAE, Iran tourists

Encouraged by the increasing number of tourists to Goa from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran, the tourism department has decided to participate in the Arabian Travel Mart to tap potential tourists to the state.
In the 2011-12 tourism season (October to March), the Dabolim airport received 13 charter flights from Iran, bringing in 1,700 tourists, while 1,000 tourists arrived from the UAE.
"We may participate in the Arabian Travel Mart in Dubai this year. We did not participate during the last two years. This year, there are many direct scheduled flights arriving in Goa from Dubai and that is why we want to tap the market," tourism director Swapnil Naik told STOI. Goa can attract tourists from the UAE and Iran, which has shown good potential now, he added.
Air India, Air Arabia and Qatar Airways have scheduled direct flights to Goa from UAE, Naik said.
The tourism department will also participate in major international tourist marts to attract tourists from various countries for the next tourism season. "We will participate in World Travel Mart-London, International Travel Bazaar in Berlin and FITUR in Spain," he added, while stating that the team will also go to travel marts in Poland, Hungary and Austria to attract charter flights from these countries.
This year, so far, Goa received 25 charter flights from Poland, which brought 2,700 tourists. As per the provisional figures, 2,185 tourists have arrived from Austria in 2011.
In all, Goa received 910 charters from various countries, bringing in 1.75 lakh tourists.