FW: Top Ten Most Amazing Pictures Taken by Hubble Space Telescope

Astronomers Select Top Ten Most Amazing Pictures Taken by Hubble Space Telescope in Last 16 Years '...they illustrate that our universe is not only deeply strange, but also almost impossibly beautiful.'

After correcting an initial problem with the lens, when the Hubble Space Telescope was first launched in 1990, the floating astro-observatory began to relay back to Earth, incredible snapshots of the 'final frontier' it was perusing.

Recently, astronauts voted on the top photographs taken by Hubble, in its 16-year journey so far. Rema rking in the article from the Daily Mail, reporter Michael Hanlon says the photos 'illustrate that our universe is not only deeply strange, but also almost impossibly beautiful.'

Enjoy!

Hubble Telescope's top ten greatest space photographs. Awesome!!!

The Sombrero Galaxy - 28 million light years from Earth - was voted best picture taken by the Hubble telescope. Th e dime nsions of the galaxy, officially called M104, are asspectacular as its appearance It has 800 billion suns and is 50,000 light years across.

The Ant Nebula, a cloud of dust and gas whose technical name is Mz3, resembles an ant when observed using ground-based telescopes... The nebula lies within our galaxy between 3,000 and 6,000 light years from Earth.

In third place is Nebula NGC 2392, called 'Eskimo' because it looks like a face surrounded by a furry hood. The hood is, in fact, a ring of comet-shaped objects flying away from a dying star. Eskimo is 5,000 light years from Earth.

At four is the Cat's Eye Nebula.

The Hourglass Nebula, 8,000 light years away, has a 'pinched-in-the-middle' look because the winds that shape it are weaker at the centre.

In sixth place is the Cone Nebula. The part pictured here is 2.5 light years in length (the equivalent of 23 million return trips to the Moon).

The Perfect Storm, a small region in the Swan Nebula, 5,500 light years away, described as 'a bubbly ocean of hydrogen and small amounts of oxygen, sulphur and other elements'.

Starry Night, so named because it reminded astronomers of the Van Gogh painting. It is a halo of light around a star in the Milky Way.

The glowering eyes from 114 million light years away are the swirling cores of two merging galaxies called NGC 2207 and IC 2163 in the distant Canis Major constellation.

The Trifid Nebula. A 'stellar nursery', 9,000 light years from here, it is where new stars are being born.

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www.hubblesite.org

SIX WAYS TO GAIN PEOPLE'S LOVE & RESPECT

Principle 1: Become genuinely interested in other people.
A simple way to make a good impression.
The expression one wears on one's face if far more important than the clothes one wears on one's back. Actions speak louder than words, and a smile says, " I like you. You make me happy. I am glad to see you." You must have a good time meeting people i f you expect them to have a good time meeting you. You don't feel like smiling? Then what? Two things. First, force yourself to smile. If you are alone, force yourself to whistle or hum a tune or sing. Act as if you were already happy, and that will tend to make you happy. "Action seems to follow feeling, but really action and feeling go together; and by regulating the action, which is under the more direct control of the will, we can indirectly regulate the feeling, which is not." -William James. Happiness doesn't depend on outward conditions. It depends on inner conditions. It isn't what you have or who you are or where you are or what you are doing that makes you happy or unhappy. It is what you think about it. "There is nothing either good or bad," said Shakespeare, "but thinking makes it so." Your smile is a messenger of your good will. Your smile brightens the lives of all who see it. To someone who has seen a dozen people frown, scowl or turn their faces away, your smile is like the sun breaking through the clouds.
Principle 2: Smile. If you don't do this, you are headed for trouble
The average person is more interested in his or her own name than all the other names on earth put together. Remember that name and call it easily, and you have paid a subtle and very effective compliment. But forget it or misspell it-and you have plac e yourself at a sharp disadvantage. Whenever you meet a new acquaintance, find out his or her complete name and some facts about his or her family, business or political opinions. Fix all these facts well in mind as part of the picture, and the next time you meet that person, even if it was a year later, you will be able to shake hands, inquire after the family, and ask about the hollyhocks in the backyard. Sometimes it is difficult to remember a name, particularly if it is hard to pronounce. Rather than even try to learn it, many people ignore it or call the person by an easy nickname. Most people don't remember names, for the simple reason that they don't take the time and energy necessary to concentrate and repeat and fix names indelibly in their minds. If you don't hear the name distinctly say excuse me I didn't get your name clearly. Then, if it is an unusual name, ask how it is spelled. Use the person's name several times in the conversation; try to associate it in your mind with the person's featur es, expression and general appearance. Then, when you are alone write the name down on a piece of paper, look at it, and concentrate on it, fix it securely in your mind, in this way you will gain an eye impression of the name as well as an ear impression.
Principle 3: Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language. An easy way to become a good conversationalist
Listen intently; listen because you are genuinely interested. That kind of listening is one of the highest compliments we can pay anyone. The chronic kicker, even the most violent critic, will frequently soften and be subdued in the presence of a patient, sympathetic listener-a listener who will be silent with the irate fault-finger dilates like a king cobra and spews the poison out of his system. Be more eager to hear what a person has to say then even they are to tell it. Many people prefer good list eners to good talkers, but the ability to listen seems rarer than almost any other good trait. All we want when we are in trouble is a friendly, sympathetic listener to unburden yourself. That is frequently all the irritated customer wants, and the dissat isfied employee or the hurt friend. If you want to know how to make people shun you and laugh at you behind your back and even despise you, here is the recipe: Never listen to anyone for long. Talk incessantly about yourself. If you have an idea while the other person is talking, don't wait for him or her to finish: bust right in and interrupt in the middle of a sentence. If you aspire to be a good conversationalist, be an attentive listener. To be interesting, be interested. Ask questions that other persons will enjoy answering. Encourage them to talk about themselves and their accomplishments.
Principle 4: Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.. . How to interest people
The royal road to a person's heart is to talk about the things he or she treasures most. Make an effort to find out what interests the person then get them talking about it. Talking in terms of the other person's interests pays off for both parties. When asked what reward he got from it, Mr. Herzig responded that he not only received a different reward from each person but that in general the reward had been an enlargement of his life each time he spoke to someone.
Principle 5: Talk in terms of the other person's interests. How to make people like you instantly.
Ask yourself " What is there about him or her that I can honestly admire?" That is sometimes a hard question to answer, especially with strangers. You want approval of those with whom you come in contact. You want recognition of your true worth. You want a feeling that your are important in our little world. You don't want to listen to cheap, insincere flattery, but you do crave sincere appreciation. So let's obey the Golden Rule, and give unto others what we would have others give unto us. How? When? Where? The answer is all the time, everywhere. Use little phrases such as "I'm sorry to trouble you, ___." "Would you please ___?" "Won't you please?" "Would you mind?" "Thank you." The unvarnished truth is that almost all the people you meet feel themselves superior to you in some way, and a sure way to their hearts is to let them realize in some subtle way that you recognize their importance, and recognize it sincerely. Talk to people about themselves and they will listen for hours.
Principle 6: Make the other person feel important-and do it sincerely. In a Nutshell: Six ways to make people like you Become genuinely interested in other people.
Smile.
Remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
Talk in terms of the other person's interests.
Make the other person feel important-and do it sincerely

From : Rajesh > verygood101@yahoo.com

Artha meets Santa for the first time in her life !

Fastest Cars in the World (6)

Rank 6. Ferrari Enzo

The Enzo Ferrari is a 12-cylinder mid-engine berlinetta named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It is currently one of the most powerful naturally aspirated production car in the world. It was built in 2003 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fibre body, F1-style sequential shift transmission, and carbon-ceramic brake discs. Also used are technologies not allowed in F1 such as active aerodynamics and traction control. After a downforce of 775 kg (1709 lb) is reached at 300 km/h (186 mph) the rear wing is actuated by computer to maintain that downforce.

Fastest Cars in the World (5)

Rank 5. McLaren F1

The McLaren F1 was formerly the fastest street legal production car in the world, holding this record from 1994 to 2005, the longest period the record has been held by any street legal or production car in the history of automobiles. It was engineered and produced by McLaren Automotive, a subsidiary of the British McLaren Group that, among others, owns the McLaren Mercedes Formula One team. Today, it is still the fastest naturally aspirated car in the world.

The McLaren F1 was at the time the fastest production car ever built, eclipsing the Jaguar XJ220. A standard version of the McLaren achieved a top speed of 371 km/h (231 mph) in 1994, holding this record for more than 10 years until it was finally eclipsed in 2005 by the Koenigsegg CCR

Fastest Cars in the World (4)

Rank 4. Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo

The Saleen S7 is a limited production, hand built high-performance automobile developed jointly by Saleen, Hidden Creek Industries, Phil Frank Design, and Ray Mallock Ltd. with RML taking full credit designing and developing the S7 and produced solely by Saleen in Irvine, California. It is the first car produced by Saleen not based on an existing design. The S7 debuted on August 19, 2000 at the Monterey Historic Races. From 2000 until 2004, the S7 featured a naturally aspirated V8 engine with 550 horsepower. In 2005, the S7 was replaced by the S7 Twin Turbo, which featured a more powerful twin-turbo system that boosted engine power to 750 horsepower (760 PS/559 kW) and the top speed to an estimated 250 mph (402 km/h)

Eric Clapton’s 1971 “Albino” Rolex Daytona Sells For $505,000

Rolex is the new champion in the auction house, certifying the watch company’s legendary position as the creator of the highest quality wristwatches. On April 23, 2008, an ultra-rare 1971 “Albino” Rolex Daytona, formerly owned by rock n’ roll legend Eric Clapton, sold at Sotheby’s “Important Watches Auction” for $505,000 including buyer’s premium. Although it was expected to fetch $100,000-$150,000 by watch experts, the Rolex Daytona broke all records when it sold for over half million dollars once the dust had settled.

Created by Rolex in 1971, the watch is nicknamed the “Albino” Daytona because the background and subsidiary dials are a monochrome silver color, in stark contrast to the normally contrasting dials of more common Rolex Daytonas. It was a design that was not too popular, as the contrasting outlined sub-dials make for better visibility. If you look at the Rolex Daytona models today, they have no “Albino’s”. Basically, the watch was an unpopular variant of a popular model. Before the auction, the Rolex Daytona was not even expected to be in the top three of most expensive watches sold on that day. At this auction, the 6th most expensive watch sold was a “James Bond” Rolex Submariner from 1959, which brought in $211,000. The 2nd through 5th most expensive watches sold at this auction belonged to Pate Philippe and ranged from $217,000 to $445,000. At the Antiquorum’s recent $8.5 million Rolex auction, the top-priced timepiece sold for $248,000.

For years, Eric Clapton has been recognized as a major Rolex watch collector. The guitar legend’s personal collection is quite extensive, and Clapton even named his record collection of greatest hits, Timepieces. Still, nothing in Clapton’s collection compares in price to the 1971 Rolex “Albino” Daytona, which will now go down in history as the Rolex that shocked the refined world of high-priced auction.

Fastest Cars in the World (3)

Rank 3. Koenigsegg CCX

The Koenigsegg CCX is a mid-engined roadster from Swedish car manufacturer Koenigsegg. The CCX has been engineered to comply with the US regulation and market demands and is an evolutionary design that replaced the Koenigsegg CCR. CCX is an abbreviation for Competition Coupe X; the X commemorating the 10th anniversary, (being the Roman numeral for ten), of the completion and test drive of the first CC vehicle in 1996.

The CCX was first unveiled on February 28, 2006 at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show although its existence was announced earlier. A derivative known as the CCXR is available, the difference being that CCXR's engine is tuned to run on biofuel. The different fuel and tune allows the CCXR to produce 25% more power than the CCX

Fastest Cars in the World (2)

Rank 2. Bugatti Veyron

The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 is a mid-engine sports car produced by Volkswagen Group subsidiary Bugatti Automobiles SAS introduced in 2005. It is currently the fastest accelerating and decelerating production car in the world. It is currently also the most expensive production car available at a price of 1.1 million Euro. It is able to achieve the second highest top speed for a production car, behind the SSC Ultimate Aero TT .

Powered by a 736-kilowatt (1,001 PS/987 hp) W16 engine, it is able to achieve an average top speed of 408.47 km/h (253.81 mph). The car reached full production in September 2005, and is handcrafted in a factory Volkswagen built near the former Bugatti headquarters in Château St Jean in Molsheim (Alsace, France). It is named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron, who won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1939 while racing for the original Bugatti firm. Two examples of the Veyron are known to have been wrecked since production began

Fastest Cars in the World (1)

Rank 1. SSC Ultimate Aero

The SSC Aero is an American-built mid-engine sports car by Shelby Super Cars. Its higher-performance limited production version, the SSC Ultimate Aero TT, is currently the fastest production car in the world, with a fastest recorded speed of 413 km/h (257 mph).This speed was reportedly achieved during tests on September 13, 2007 in West Richland, Washington, United States and verified by Guinness World Records on October 9, 2007.

The Aero and the Shelby Super Cars company are the brainchildren of Jerod Shelby, who spent over seven years designing the car. The basic Aero model is no longer produced, while, as of 2008, the Ultimate Aero costs about 620,000 dollar

A Knobby Light

Designer Jeong-Sun Park is a deep man heavily interested in the butterfly effect - the idea that variations systematic outcomes can dictate behavior.

His Knob Light is a door knob with an internal generator that stores energy and illuminates the way in emergencies or whenever you need a guide to the loo.

How it relates to the butterfly effect theory is esoteric but simply by expanding the knob’s function to include illumination, you effectively change the way you use the knob.

Designer: Jeong-Sun Park

Clothes Hangers + Plastic Bag = Trash Can

Optimally, I would have a plastic trashcan with basketball hoop 10 feet away at all times. Unfortunately, my trashcans typically consist of unused secondary packaging, a reality that gives the Trash Bag Holder from Chen & Karlsson great impact in the context of our makeshift lives. Never mind the holder’s promotion of “re-use” (the best of all the Three R’s), all it needs now is another clothes-hanger above all the rest for the basketball hoop.

Availability: indo@dcigift.com

Designer: Chen & Karlsson

Disasters killed more than 238,000 people in 2008

Geneva (AFP)
Catastrophes killed more than 238,000 people this year, with cyclone Nargis which swept through Myanmar accounting for more than half the deaths, a study by reinsurer Swiss Re showed on Thursday.

"While the total cost to society was 225 billion dollars (182 billion euros), 50 billion dollars was covered by property insurance, making 2008 the second costliest year ever in terms of insured losses," the world's biggest reinsurer said.

The worst year of natural and man-made catastrophes was 2005, with 374,042 people killed and 107 billion dollars in insured losses.

Cyclone Nargis accounted for the most fatalities in 2008, and the earthquake in Sichuan, China was the second most serious, killing 87,449 people.

"Most of the losses from these two events were not insured," added Swiss Re.

Hurricanes Ike and Gustav which hit the United States and the Caribbean were the most costly for insurers which carried affected insured risks of 24 million dollars.

The United Nations disaster management agency in October estimated that more than 230,000 people were killed by disasters during the first half of the year, with the economic cost reaching 35 billion dollars.

Funny Beggars !

SEASON'S GREETINGS

The Polar Bear

The polar bear is a bear native to the Arctic Ocean and its surrounding seas.
The world's largest predator found on land, an adult male weighs around 400–680 kg (880–1,500 lb), while an adult female is about half that size.
Although it is closely related to the brown bear, it has evolved to occupy a narrow ecological niche, with many body characteristics adapted for cold temperatures, for moving across snow, ice, and open water, and for hunting the seals which make up most of its diet. As it can hunt consistently only from sea ice, the polar bear spends much of the year on the frozen sea, although most polar bears are born on land.
The polar bear is classified as a vulnerable species, with 5 of the 19 polar bear subpopulations in decline. For decades, unrestricted hunting raised international concern for the future of the species; populations have rebounded after controls and quotas began to take effect. For thousands of years, the polar bear has been a key figure in the material, spiritual, and cultural life of Arctic indigenous peoples, and the hunting of polar bears remains important in their cultures.
The IUCN now lists global warming as the most significant threat to the polar bear, primarily because the melting of its sea ice habitat reduces its ability to find sufficient food. The IUCN states, "If climatic trends continue polar bears may become extirpated from most of their range within 100 years." On May 14, 2008, the United States Department of the Interior listed the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.
The polar bear is often regarded as a marine mammal because it spends many months of the year at sea. Its preferred habitat is the annual sea ice covering the waters over the continental shelf and the Arctic inter-island archipelagos. These areas, known as the "Arctic ring of life", have relatively high biological productivity in comparison to the deep waters of the high Arctic. The polar bear tends to frequent areas where sea ice meets water, such as polynyas and leads (temporary stretches of open water in Arctic ice), to hunt the seals that make up most of its diet. Polar bears are therefore found primarily along the perimeter of the polar ice pack, rather than in the Polar Basin close to the North Pole where the density of seals is low.
Annual ice contains areas of water that appear and disappear throughout the year as the weather changes. Seals migrate in response to these changes, and polar bears must follow their prey. In Hudson Bay, James Bay, and some other areas, the ice melts completely each summer (an event often referred to as "ice-floe breakup"), forcing polar bears to go onto land and wait through the months until the next freeze-up. In the Chukchi and Beaufort seas, polar bears retreat each summer to the ice further north that remains frozen year-round.

From : Priya Malhotra

Five simple ways to save yourself hundreds of dollars a month

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- We are a country of spenders who must learn the hard way to practice what our grandparents have always known: A penny saved is a penny earned.
Consider that about 43% of Americans spend more than they earn, according to estimates from the federal government, and the average household carries some $8,000 to $10,000 in credit-card debt.
To make matters worse, the average American no longer saves money. That's tumbled from a 10.8% average savings rate in 1984 into negative territory today. It's no wonder that many of us have been living way above our means for some time.
But that is getting harder and harder to do. Available credit for people to finance their lifestyles has shrunk if not dried up altogether and many Americans are standing by in shock watching their mortgage payments surge while the value of their 401(k)s drop.
It's clear Americans need to start spending less and saving more. That may sound easier said than it's done. The key is to be aware of your where your money is going and take steps to stop the leaks. Here are five simple tips that could save you hundreds of dollars a month:
1. Cash back at the pump
In the past five months gasoline prices have dropped 56%, from an average price of $4.11 to $1.80 a gallon. Somehow, households found the money to pay the higher price and survive so now people should take that excess money they are saving and bank it.
Jean Chatzky, author and personal finance expert suggests using the money you were spending on gasoline to build up that rainy day fund or to pay some your holiday expenses instead of racking up more debt.
2. Supper savings
Another great way Americans can cut costs each month is to eat at home, says Jonathan and David Murray, twin brothers who are financial advisers.
According to a recent Zagat survey, Americans will spend an average of $34 this year every time they go out to eat dinner, that's for one dinner, drink and gratuity; $76.00 if they live in one of the 20 most expensive cities. If a couple does that four times in a month the expense is close to $300 in low-cost areas and $600 in higher-cost regions, and if you have more than one drink or are treating family or friends, costs can add up quickly.
Plan a dinner or party at home and ask guests to bring a dish. If you're big on getting together with friends, family and work associates, this could save you hundreds of dollars a month.
3. Renegotiate bills
You may not be able to negotiate with the gas company or the electric company, but you can with credit cards, cable and phone services, among others. Do the homework and find out what competing cable companies, for example, are offering and ask your provider to renegotiate your bill. You may have to get through to a manager but Chatzky said she recently did this and got her monthly bill reduced by $50.
4. Smart shopping
Retailers are poised to have one of the worst holiday shopping seasons in decades and are offering deep discounts to move merchandise. But smart shoppers can save even more money by hunting down coupons. Before ordering online or going to a store, go to sites like Couponcabin.com and Ultimatecoupons.com or Google the name of a store and often you'll get a coupon code to enter at checkout. You can save 10% to 20% or more on the total order or maybe get free shipping.
There are also coupons to print out and take to the store for deeper discounts. And don't be afraid to pit one retailer against another by asking for a price match on sale items.
5. Keep the receipt
It is important to hang on to all your store receipts and keep track of sales. Savvy shoppers can possibly save even more on purchases by checking back to see if the retailers lower prices even further. If that happens within two weeks of your purchase, most stores will credit you the difference.
/By : Kelsey Hubbard

When Insults Had Class !

These glorious insults are from an era when cleverness with words was still valued, before a great portion of the English language got boiled down to 4-letter words and middle fingers---
The exchange between Churchill & Lady Astor : She said, "If you were my husband I'd give you poison," and he said, "If you were my wife, I'd drink it."
A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows or of some unspeakable disease." "That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "on whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."
"He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr
"He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire." - Winston Churchill
"A modest little person, with much to be modest about." - Winston Churchill
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." Clarence Darrow
"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." - William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).
"Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?" - Ernest Hemingway (about William Faulkner)
"Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it." - Moses Hadas
"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." - Abraham Lincoln
"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." - Mark Twain
"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." - Oscar Wilde
"I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play; bring a friend.... if you have one." - George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill
"Cannot possibly attend first night, will attend second... if there is one." - Winston Churchill, in response.
"I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here." - Stephen Bishop
"He is a self-made man and worships his creator." - John Bright
"He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others." - Samuel Johnson
"There's nothing wrong with you that reincarnation won't cure." Jack E. Leonard
"He has the attention span of a lightning bolt." - Robert Redford
"In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily." - Charles, Count Talleyrand
"Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?" - Mark Twain
"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." - Mae West
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go." - Oscar Wilde
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts.. . for support rather than illumination. " - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
"He has Van Gogh's ear for music." - Billy Wilder
"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening but this wasn't it." - Groucho Marx