Where are A, B, C

Wikimedia Commons by Xixtas

We often write the numbers like one, two, three, four and so on in English. 

But the spellings of numbers in English have peculiar and interesting facts associated with them.

It is worthwhile to note that the spelling from one to 99 does not include the letters A, B, C and D.

The letter D comes in the spelling of the word hundred.

The letters A, B and C never occur in the spelling of numbers from one to 999.

On close observation a strange thing appears that the letter C never comes in the spelling of any number.

The Historic Silk Route

The SIlk Route
Wikimedia Commons by Splette

It is the ancient network of interlinking trade routes leading to China. The name silk route or silk road has been derived from the lucrative silk trade to China. Along this route of about 6,437 Km, the silk was the major trading commodity. 

This route passed across the extensive transcontinental network or the Afro-Eurasian landmass and connected the East, South and west Asia, with Europe, North-East Africa and the Mediterranean world through land and water. It passed from Europe, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and India the up to China.

The silk trade on this route, began during the reign of Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD) in China. The part of route in central Asia was developed around 114 BC, due to the efforts of Zhang Qian of the aforesaid dynasty, who sent several expeditions on this route. From 114 BC, up to the time of collapse of the Yuan Dynasty, this world-famous route remained important for 1,600 years.

It is worth mentioning that before the discovery of silk route, other trade routes across the continents also existed at that time.The trade along this route helped in the development of the civilizations. The prominent among them are those of China, India,Persia, Europe, Arabia, Africa etc. 

Besides silk from China, many other goods were also traded, and various technologies, religions and philosophies hybridized with each other. Moreover the plague and other diseases also traveled along this route. The Indians,Arabs, Persians,Sogdians, Bactrians etc., were the main traders on this route.

The products of China like iron ware, gold and platinum items, bronze mirror, lacquer ware, bamboo works, medicines, farming and metallurgy techniques were introduced in India and Europe through this route.On the other hand the alfalfa, grapes, flax, pomegranates, walnuts, cucumbers, lion, peacock, elephant, camel and domestic animals along with some other plants and animals were taken back to central China.

How to Clean the Washing Machine

The Washing Machine
Wikimedia Commons by Stilfehler

Sometimes the washing machine looks more dirty than the clothes.So it is necessary to keep it clean, because it becomes a fertile ground for the bacteria and germs. So here are the few rips to keep the washing machine clean and sparkling.

1. Clean the detergent box of the washing machine, as it is the breeding ground for the germs. Remove the box from the machine and clean it with the help of an old toothbrush and ordinary household cleanser.

2. Because of the dampness and the warmth, the filter is another hidden place for the bacteria. Open the filter and clean it.

3. The drum inside the washing machine contains several holes where the germs accumulate.So it is better to clean the drum every month by starting the empty machine. 

For this purpose use water at 60 degree temperature and put some soda crystals in it. This will kill the bacteria and germs. It will also remove the bad smell from the machine.

The Hand Driven Old Washing Machine
Wikimedia Commons by Julo

4. The bad smell can also be removed by keeping the lid of machine open after washing the clothes. 

This will allow the free passage of fresh air and the germs would not develop.


5. The choice of right detergent is also necessary. 

Don't use liquid soap, because the lather or foam of the soap remain embedded to the hidden places and the internal walls of the machine, which later cause foul smell.

Online Publishing

Wikimedia Commons by Hoblok

In earlier times it was very difficult for a writer to get his works published. He had either to bear the entire cost of publishing or just surrender and accept defeat. But now there is an option of online publishing on internet. Some writers have earned millions from online publishing by writing e-books. These books are cheaper and are easy to be published, copied distributed, purchased or sold.

This trend has revolutionized the world of publishing. The publishers too have benefited from it, Because now they have an option of getting the online feedback of the readers, instead of deciding themselves or seeking the opinion of few selected and paid readers. In this way they can successfully publish the e-books.

The online publishing is very easy. The writer can give an appropriate form of e-book to the creative work, and upload it on the gadgets meant for e-books. The popular gadgets are Amazon’s kindle, ipad of apple,and Sonny’s e-reader etc. These companies look after an unauthorized presentation, sale, and income etc. They charge a part of the income against the services provided by them. 

Every e-book cannot become an online bestseller. Because anyone can upload anything on internet, but the quality needs hard work and dedication, so that the people may buy and recommend the work with favorable comments.

In America the income from online publishing has reached millions of dollars, and is about one fifth of the market share. 

Monsoons in India

Wikimedia Commons by Honinbou

The monsoons are the seasonal rains in India. They usually come in the month of June. It is the rainy season which ends by the end of August. 

The monsoons rise from the Indian ocean and come from the Arabian Sea, with the clouds heavily laden with water. These rains are beat for the crops and the entire vegetation.

It was about in 45 AD that Hippalus, the Alexandrian merchant discovered the phenomenon of monsoons. It was the monsoons that made it possible for the mariners to cross the Arabian Sea in much shorter time than they could do by keeping close to the coast. 

The favorable winds blowing towards the Indian continent were very helpful for the ships to reach the shores.

The Dark Side of Modern World

Wikimedia Commons by Dellas Krentzel

The modern man has basically become corrupt and selfish, while the claims are made that the world has become more civilized and a better place to live, than it was before.

The dishonesty, greed, selfishness, treachery, machinations and betrayal are present everywhere. It is done to arrange more and more luxuries and amenities in life. When the man is after the blood of man, then how the present world could be termed more better than the previous ages. 

It may be a stage in evolution, where everyone is likely to become corrupt, so that ultimately all will realize the importance of honesty and truthfulness, because then everyone will become the victim. 

Better times will come after this transition. This may be a wishful thinking, but good sense will prevail and the coming generations will term this period as the dark phase of modernism.

The Mcmahon line on Indo-China Border

Wikimedia Commons by QuartierLatin1968

Title- The map is an azimuthal equal-area projection. The Line of Control through Kashmir is green. Where the line of control along the Indo-Chinese frontier coincides with one side's territorial claims, the line is pink; borders claimed but not controlled are purple. Non-disputed boundaries are in red.

The task of defining the boundary between India and Tibet was entrusted ti Sir Henry Mcmahon, a British plenipotentiary to the conference, who was the Secretary to Govt. of India in foreign and political department.

This boundary line was accepted in tripartite conference held at Simla in 1914, between The British India, China and Tibet.

This line is 1040 Km long, extending from the tri-junction of Bhutan, India and Tibet. This boundary was accepted by Tibet, and China was given a copy of the same map. 

This line runs through the crest of Himalayan Ranges, which form a part of watershed of Brahmaputra. The continuity of the line is broken by Lohit, Dihang, Pubansiri and Nyamjang rivers.

Till 1954, China did not raise any objection to the boundary line, and thereafter declined to accept the accord. Now after the annexation of Tibet by China, the accord and the Mcmahon line are the things of the past. This boundary line may get revived, as and when Tibet becomes Independent. But It may not happen until China follows the suit of USSR.

Continental Drift Theory

The Physical Map of the World
Wikimedia Commons by Central Intelligence Agency

It is the hypothetical tendency or the ability of continents to drift on the earth’s surface. It is because of the weakness of sub-oceanic crust. Observing that a close fit can be made between the continental shelves of Western Hemisphere, Europe and Africa; many geologists believe that the continents were once a part of single landmass, which has since been slowly drifted apart.

This theory was first propounded in 1921, by Alfred Wagner, a German geologist. He named the original land and mass as “Pangea” (Panjia), and the whole sea as “Panthalassa”. 
After the division of the continents in two parts, the northern part was named as “Augura Land” and the southern part was called as “Gondwanaland”. The sea in between was named as “Tethys sea”, when there were only two major continents.

Alfred Wegener analyzed either side of the Atlantic Ocean for rock type, geological structures and fossils, and found the similarity between matching sides of the continents, to prove the continental drift theory.

Whereas in order to propose continental drift as an explanation, Abraham Ortelius( the creator of the first modern atlas), had imagined and underlined the geometrical coincidence between the coasts of America and Europe-Africa. 

Internet Addiction

Wikimedia Commons by Xadai 

Not only the adults but the children too have got addicted to the reckless use of internet. As per researches, the children up to the age group of 12 years are the worst affected. They are found to spend more than 5 hours per day on the internet, by just sitting in front of computer screens, like dumb beasts. And this prolonged sitting is causing adverse effects on their mental and physical health. 

This addiction sometimes reaches the levels of insanity. It is not wrong to get the knowledge and information through internet, but this curiosity leading to addiction is dangerous.

The first victim of this addiction is the eyesight, which gets blurred, because the children continuously look at the screens. While it is advisable to look at some other thing after every 10 minutes, or to change the focus of the eyes, or to close the eyes for a while.

It also causes headache, backache, indigestion, sleeplessness, fatigue, stiffness in the neck leading to spondilitis, stress etc. The development of these symptoms in childhood is likely to cause severe problems in later life. 

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and the new generation instead of getting information are generally found to see what they like. They search only those things which suit their tastes, whims and thoughts. For them it is a game, and they may learn even those things which they should know in adult age.

There are very few children who take the help of internet for doing their homework. But there are the chances that such children may too get swayed. 

The lonely children of working parents are the worst affected. They get a friend or a guardian in the form of internet, but here the child has full control on them. 

The social networking sites are becoming more dangerous for the moral makeup of the children. They learn how to lie, how to be vulgar, how to distort facts and how to humiliate others by becoming self- oriented. They become obdurate, and whimsical; and develop an attitude of “I don’t care”, and “to hell with everything”.

What are Pixels?

The zoomed section shows how image is made up of pixels. 
The individual pixels shown as small squares can easily be seen
Wikimedia Commons by ed g2s 

The digital pictures are made up of small parts. These pictures do not appear to be composed of fragments; rather they look complete in themselves. But on close observation it becomes clear that in reality the digital picture on screen is made of a collection of small spots called pixels.

The pixel scenes and matter together form a picture. But pixel is not a scale to measure the size of the picture in inches as is sometimes mentioned on camera pixels. 

The clarity of picture indeed depends on the number of pixels. The screen of computer monitor is made up of millions of pixels. The monitor has a depth in bit, which decides the number of colors that could be assimilated in its pixels. 

Every pixel acquires eight or the multiple of eight colors. If a pixel has 24 bits, then it can display the maximum of 1.6 million colors.

The pixel is considered to be the smallest unit of a picture, but in reality it is not so. The pixels are further made of small matter. A pixel in the computer monitor is made of three color points. These three points are red, green, and violet. These three colors could not be seen separately as they remain in mixed form in the pixel. 

The word megapixel is used in digital cameras and it is a bigger unit than pixel. The unit of megapixel improves the quality of camera pictures.

The World is Fast Becoming an Old Age Home

Old Man
Wikimedia Commons by Leroy Allen Skalstad

In our childhood, we treat the people whom we love as Gods. This thing applies more on our parents. But when we grow up, we feel and find that they too are tragically human. This realisation may sometimes complicate the things, when the label of hypocrisy gets affixed on the parents and a latent ego clash begins. 

Despite mutual love and affection, the hostility gets developed between the parents and the children, which gets embedded into the subconscious. It may be due to ego, generation gap, individualism, materialism, nuclear family concept or other issues. This further strains the relations and leads to breaking of family ties.

It is a matter of great concern that the parents who sacrificed their lives for the children are abandoned by the same, and are forced to live in old age homes in their declining age and sinking frame. 

Another reason for this problem is the selfishness of the children, which is due to the faulty upbringing by the parents. In their efforts to make the children successful in the society, which is presently highly competitive, the parents fail to cultivate a sense of mercy, honesty, compassion, and humanity in them. 

The parents themselves teach the children not to get involved in anything except their personal advancement. They teach the child not to bother about the lonesome puppy left astray on the road, even if the child is afraid that it may get overrun by some vehicle. The result is an indifferent and self- centered new generation. 

Behaving exactly as per the teachings of their elders the grown up children leave the parents like that puppy, which they saw in their childhood. The sermons always get affixed in the psyche of the child and his aforesaid behaviour becomes an innate quality. His compassion becomes shallow without his knowing, and the whole society adopts this attitude. But when the old age comes the same parents expect exactly the opposite from their children.

Further our education system too has lost its moral appeal. The stories of greedy dog, union is strength faithful dog etc., are no more in the curriculum. The man and his material needs are the primary concerns. 

Now there is a new concept of live-in relationship, that is, there is no family, and who knows what form the society will take when the children born of these relations, would become adults. We are slowly moving towards animal life without any “Oedipus” complex.

Further Reading- How to Make Old Age Ideal

What is Consciousness

Consciousness
Wikimedia Commons by me was a bee

In our modern society, the people are out of touch with the native roots and are devoid of traditional wisdom. They consider it fashionable to make fun of the age old traditions as merely the figments of imagination.They have been programmed to believe in what they touch, taste, measure, hear and smell. Their motto is, "Only believe in what you see".

But when the man tries to understand something beyond the scope of material senses; beyond the measuring instruments, and the faculties of mental speculation or ratiocination, then there is only one alternative to approach the higher source of knowledge and wisdom which is metaphysics. 

The psychologists have described the three stages of consciousness. The first is the conscious, then the subconscious, and the unconscious. The first is what we see and do, the second is our memory into which all our actions are stored, while the third is the hidden and the mysterious. The dreams occur due to an interaction between the sub-conscious and the unconscious.

No scientist has successfully explained through laboratory explanations the mystery of consciousness or its destination after the destruction of the material body. The consciousness is an energy separate and distinct but superior to the matter composing the physical body. 

The man has infinite potential and his capabilities, which cannot be evaluated or explained by atoms, molecules and nucleons. Albert Einstein, the father of modern physics too admitted that the consciousness could not be adequately described in terms of the principles of physics in general and the science in particular.

What is the Greenwich Mean Time

Greenwich Observatory. G.M.T. (Zulu)- Officially
Wikimedia Commons by Ron Hann

Greenwich is a metropolitan borough in London, and is situated on ricer Thames. It is famous for its royal observatory, from which the international standard time is taken. Greenwich became a royal borough in 2012.

The Greenwich meridian, that is the 0 degree longitude is taken from it. In other words it is from Greenwich that the degree of longitudes are reckoned with us. 

Since the globe is divided into 360 degrees, longitudes and as the earth goes round its axis in twenty four hours, so 15 degree longitude = one hour. The time is increased or decreased according to the position or longitudes.

How to Save the Electricity

Wikimedia Commons by Sun Ladder

The compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) have many advantages.
They save energy.

They save money on electricity bill.

They last ten times longer than a traditional incandescent light bulb.

They need less replacement, hence reduce the packaging waste and the junk.

They contain some mercury and should not be disposed off in normal trash. 

Start replacing the traditional incandescent light bulbs one by one.Replace them with CFL's or LED's, at the places where the light is lit daily for longer periods.This will result in greatest savings of electricity bills. 

Whenever other incandescent bulbs break or become useless, replace them with with CFL's or LED's. 

It has been estimated that LED light bulbs will improve more as compared to CFLs. 

A new Electron Stimulated Luminescence Technology has been developed which has and no toxic chemicals and gives a better quality of light than CFL's.

How to Store and Preserve Water

Wikimedia Commons by Matthew Bowden

I remember the oft quoted lines of S.T. Coleridge in Rime of Ancient Mariner, 
“ Water water every where,
All the boards did shrink.
Water water every where,
Nor any drop to drink”.

Indeed, water is the most important thing in life and even more important than food. In present times the scarcity of water is increasing throughout the world. The sources of fresh water are depleting and the remaining ones are likely to follow the suit. 
It is better to properly store the water for long term use and it is advisable reduce the use of water to the minimum. 

Normally a person needs at least one gallon of water per day for drinking purpose alone.
Store water in stainless steel or plastic containers, as they do not corrode, or effect the water, or support the growth of bacteria. On the other hand glass though better is fragile and heavy. The metal is generally corrosive and imparts its flavor to the water. Wooden or clay or cement containers are also acceptable.

Always keep the water containers clean, by washing them with soap and water. But properly rinse then after washing to remove the soap contents. Put one tablespoon of bleach for every gallon of water to sanitize the containers. 

For the best preservation of water, store it at some cool or dark place, where it may not get contaminated. 

The tap water does not require any treatment except filtering it. But the water from the well or some natural source needs chlorine bleach for treatment. 

Instead a bit of colloidal silver with and the ozonation of is better. Approximately after every 6 months, the big tanks or containers should be emptied and refilled with fresh water.

Water in Exposure of 1/200 seconds
Wikimedia Commons by Li-sung

How to Save Water at Home

The water saving is essential and an easy way to reduce the consumption or the wastage of water. It will result in the saving on expenses incurred on water.

The old taps, faucets, showers and toilets use a lot of water and result in the wastage of water. The inexpensive changes in water fittings reduce the wastage to 60 percent. 

One can save about $90 per year, by reducing the consumption of water in the toilet. 

Because about 27% of household water is used in toilets. Therefore use new cisterns, which consume up to 1.5 gallons of water, instead of 7 gallons per flush in old systems. Besides place a durable plastic block inside the cistern to reduce the volume of water. The pressure would be the same because the height of water does not change.

Another 17% of household water is used in shower. The maximum flow rate of new shower heads is 2.5 gallons per minute, instead 3-7 gallons in old ones. Besides the former increase the aeration of the water, thereby creating a sensation of high water pressure, without any increase in the amount of water flow. To reduce the flow of water, a shower faucet can be connected to the old shower head.


About 16% of water is used in an average kitchen and bathroom sinks. Here again a low flow faucets can be used to reduce the flow of water in a running tap. To avoid the replacement, just add a plastic insert type low flow rate aerator device inside the old faucet. In bathroom sinks use low flow faucet with a flow rate from 0.5 to 1.0 gallons per minute, instead of 2 gallons per minute. 

Gul Mohar

 Rare yellow flowers of Gulmohur 
Wikimedia Commons by Averette

It is a tall deciduous tree growing to a height of about 40 to 50 feet.It has spreading branches and the leaves are fan shaped and feathery, which wave gaily with a slight wind. It is also called Ashanti or noisy tree because its pinions wave constantly.

The British in India named it Gulmohar. The vernacular points to Gul meaning flower and mohr meaning moor or peacock crest due to it resemblance to peacock, or mohr also means coin.

The tree belongs to Delonix Regia or Poinciana regia genre. The name Poinciana was given in honor of M. de Poincy- the Governor of French Antilles. Delonic is a Greek name meaning claw like petals of flowers of gulmohar.

Why People say Hello on Phone?

Wikimedia Commons by Unknown

While making or receiving a telephone call, we often say hello in the very beginning. It has become a tradition throughout the world. But why this word is used. The answer is more surprising, as Hello was the name of some person.

The name of the beloved of the scientist Alexander Graham Bell was Hello. Her complete name was Margret Hello, while Hello was her nick name.

It was Graham Bell who invented the telephone. Whenever he made a call to his beloved he used to say hello. Since then the word became popular.

The people may not know that who invented telephone but the word hello is well known. It was Graham Bell who invented the metal detector too. It is now being used in the world for security purposes.

The Genesis of the Smile

The smile is an exquisite gift of God, and is liked by one and all. The smile induces and inspires others to smile in return. Besides being natural the smile could be artificial too. It is natural, when it springs from the core of the heart and is artificial, when it is just meant as a show off. 

The natural smile does not need any reason for it, as it signifies inner pleasure, while the artificial smile is always deceiving, both for the giver and the receiver.

So the natural smile should be practiced by cultivating an inner pleasure. 

When a person is in sad and in pensive mood, the smile disappears. If somehow a method is found to overcome this state, the life would become joyful. 

For this purpose a person should remember those happy moments of life, the thoughts of which may fill him with joy and effulgence. Remember the friends, the family members, the places, the things or the happier times spent, or the memory of some achievement in life, which may bring smile on your face.

As an another measure, intently look at your face in the mirror, just smile and see the difference. Thirdly, feel the expressions of your face deep in the heart and smile naturally.

Next, seek refuge in nature; go for a bath in a river or a lake; take morning or evening walks; watch the birds, flowers, insects etc ; enjoy the cool breeze and you will find the sadness fading away like a mist. Because nature never becomes sad, and the man is the blessed creation on this pretty earth. 

So do not get confined inside the room or the shell within you; do not get isolated; avoid becoming sad or getting disturbed; as these actions deprive a man from the natural smile and happiness. The value of smile could be judged by feeling the moments.

The Ultraviolet Radiations and Their Effects

Wikimedia Commons by charles

The electromagnetic or the light spectrum of the sunlight contains ultraviolet or UV radiations of wavelengths shorter than the visible light. These are invisible to the naked eye. It is also produced by an electric arc, hence the welders are expected to cover the eyes. 

These UV rays have different bands like long waves or black light ( UVA ), and medium waves (UVB ), which penetrate the atmosphere of the earth. They cause premature skin aging, cataracts, skin cancers and suppress the immune system, when overexposure occurs.

UVA account for 95 % of the UV radiations reaching the surface of the earth and are less intense than UVB, and can penetrate through clouds and glass. Their intensity is constant throughout the year day and throughout the day. The vitamin D is produced in body due to it, but its overexposure suppresses the immune system, forms cataract and toughens the skin. As compared to UVB, they penetrates more deeply into the skin but does not cause significant damage to epidermis or the outermost skin layer, where most skin cancers appear. It causes skin aging, wrinkling or photo-aging. It is the the tanning ray, but both outdoor or salon tan damage the skin by damaging the skin DNA. About 99.9 %of UVA radiation is blocked by UV film,while sun blocking lotions offer limited protection. 

UVB, the most energetic and destructive form of UV radiations, are completely absorbed by the atmosphere atmospheric ozone layer. But the depletion of ozone layer by the chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), have increased the skin cancer risks. It causes cataracts, photo-aging, skin cancer, reddening of skin, erythema or sunburn and the photochemical damage to cellular DNA by damaging the superficial epidermal layers. Its benefits of its exposure include effective and long-term treatment for eczema, vitiligo, and psoriasis. Its intensity varies according to season, location and the time of the day. It does not penetrate the glass but it strikes the skin with double intensity at high altitudes, snow or ice areas, because 80% of these rays get reflected.

Most of the short wave or germicidal waves (UVC ), are absorbed by the ozone layer and does not reach the earth. 

The amount of melanin in the skin determines the color of the skin. It is the melanin which absorbs the ultraviolet rays. The fair complexioned people have little amount of melanin and are more prone to melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer.

The photochemical effect of UV radiations is increased by chemicals like tetracycline, birth control pills, sulphathiazole, lime oil, antidepressants, anti dandruff shampoos, some cosmetics or sunscreens etc,.

The bright or deeply dark colored and lustrous clothes reflect UV radiations more than pastels or bleached cotton, while the loose fitting or closely woven clothes block the sunlight from touching the skin. Also the broad brimmed hats and UV sunglasses protect the neck,head, and eyes.

Vacuum Cleaning

Vacuum Cleaner
Wikimedia Xommins by Alf van Beem

The dust, soil and filth are the fertile and hidden places for the bacteria and cause several diseases. So it is a healthy practice to keep the house clean and free from bacteria.

We generally broom and dust the rooms, but these methods are superficial time consuming and not completely effective. 

The vacuum cleaner is a device which pulls out the dust from every hidden place like curtains, sofa sets, beds etc.

There are several types of vacuum cleaners which are available in different shapes and sizes as per the needs. Before buying a vacuum cleaner, it is advisable to collect complete information about the product. 

The upright vacuum cleaner is the most powerful one and can pull out dust particles from the close fibers of the carpets.

The canister vacuum cleaner is smaller in size and is better for staircases, floors, tiles etc.
There is another vacuum cleaner suitable for the houses where pet animals are found as it picks up the hair from every corner of the house.