Twin Ducklings hatch from One Egg!

Take a look at the picture. These two cute ducklings are the first recorded twin ducklings to ever hatch from same egg and survive. The ducklings hatched from the same egg at a British duck farm. The ducklings named Romulus and Remus will now become pets at the Cornish Duck Company in St Austell, Cornwall.

British farmer Roger Olver and partner Tanya Dalton had overseen the hatching of a group of eggs when they noticed that one was left uncracked and when she tried to help it turned out to a rare spectacle. When Tanya tried to break it, she saw a beak peck through at one end, but was stunned when seconds later another bird emerged from the other end.

"When we did the hatch there was one duckling left struggling to get out at the end," the Telegraph quoted Olver, 56, as saying.

"It was unbelievable. Two ducklings from the same egg. We managed to get them both out and now they are doing fine. They are in perfect health. They're looking pretty good, bearing in mind they were cooped up together in the same shell," Olver added.

Tanya Dalton, 38 has described the births as a "miracle" and has prepared an area at the farm where Romulus and Remus can be kept as pets.

Stop Singing in Shower to Save Water

According to the Daily Mail, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has instructed his citizens to stop singing in the shower. Why? Because his country is currently going through chronic water and energy crisis. So, by spending little time in the bathroom, people can save water.

"Some people sing in the shower, stay in the shower for half an hour," Chavez expressed his view in a televised cabinet meeting.

"No, kids," he urged, "three minutes is more than enough. I've counted, three minutes, and I don't stink." Warming to his subject, he continued: "If you're going to lie back in the bath with the soap and you turn on the Jacuzzi, imagine that - what kind of Communism is that?"

In recent months, Venezuelans are facing serious blackouts due to increased demand and a lack of investment. On top of that low rainfall is affecting the hydroelectric dams that generate much of the Venezuela's power. So, President Chavez is taking a lead in the fight against wasted energy. He has already announced measures to curb energy use, instructing government departments and nationalized companies to reduce their energy consumption by 20 per cent.

Best Television Service in Your Area

I am a web savvy person, but do love television. Why love television? Because it stops me from getting bored when I am doing nothing or when I am away from my computer. And, now we have digital television that provides crystal clear picture and incomparable packages of both entertaining and informative channels. So, why shouldn't I love television?

Just like me, I am sure that most of you love television. Do you use satellite TV services such as Directv? Or still with your favorite cable TV services? In my case, it is Directv satellite television service, with which TV watching becomes more fun and interesting. And even if I move to a new city, I am not gonna miss this service. Because it is available all over the country.

Do your work requires moving around? Or are you moving to a new home in another state? How you gonna find a good television service? First know the available options. For example, if you are moving to a city in California, first try to find the best cable or satellite TV provider in California. You can do that easily with the help of a website called MyTVOptions.com. Visit that site, type your zip code and specify what TV channels you want. Voila! Instantly you will recommendations based on your preferences. On the other hand, if you are a Directv fan, you can use this site to find Direct TV in California or in any other state.

Moreover, MyTVOptions have lots of information on different Directv packages. So, if you want to try a new package, you may refer to their site. It may also help you find special Direct TV offers in your area, which means you could save a lot of money while getting the best of the best in television entertainment. So, in my view that site is worth visiting, specially when you are moving to a new state.

Scarlett's Magic : World's Tallest Domestic Cat

Scarlett’s Magic, an F1 Savannah cat from Corona, California, has been named the World's Tallest Domestic Cat by Guinness World Records. Scarlett’s Magic, who measures 43.43 centimetres (17.1 inches) from shoulder to toe, is also awaiting the result on a second nomination as the longest (tip of the nose to tip of the tail) domestic cat. Take a look at the picture. Cute animal. Isn't it?

Scarlett’s Magic is 18 months old and has a beige coat and dramatic auburn and black spots. "The Savannah is the most intelligent, loving and beautiful animal companion a family could wish for," Kim Draper, the owner of Scarlett said.

Savannah cats are a cross between an African Serval and a domesticated breed. According to Draper, Savannahs are becoming increasingly popular in California due to their unique appearance and learning abilities. Dropper is Savannah breeder and owns the Californian-based, Savannah Cat Shoppe, with her husband Lee.

Ideas Stolen at Work? One in Four said 'Yes'!

According to a recent survey, more than one in four employees have had their ideas stolen at work and more than half of those who have had their ideas stolen never did anything in response. It means idea theft is prevalent in workplace and most idea thieves get away without any problem. This is really scary, specially when we talk about teamwork. Isn't it?

The interesting survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a staffing service, and was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with 444 workers 18 years of age or older and employed in an office environment. At the end of the survey, it was found that 29% employees had said 'Yes' to the question: "Has a coworker ever taken credit for your idea?". It means more than one-quarter of employees have had their ideas stolen at work. Surprisingly 51 % of them said 'Nothing' to the question "What did you do in response?". So, more than half of those ideas thieves get away without

"Today's workplace is more competitive than ever and, unfortunately, there are people who will go to great lengths to make themselves look good or get promoted, including taking credit for someone else's ideas," said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam. "Being proactive in sharing your vision with your manager and colleagues early on can help ensure others know the concept originated with you."

OfficeTeam offers the following tips for getting the credit you deserve:

• Report up. Use status updates to remind your manager of your ideas and the progress being made to implement them.
• Look for patterns. If a minor contribution is occasionally overlooked, you may decide to let it go. However, if other people routinely get credit for your ideas, it's a sign that you need to be more assertive.
• Don't act in haste. When someone receives credit for your idea, try to get to the bottom of the situation. It could be a misunderstanding. Be sure to give your colleague the opportunity to present his or her side of the story to you.
• Set the record straight. If you are credited with a coworker's idea, be sure to swiftly correct the situation. Your colleague will appreciate it.
  

via: OfficeTeam

Credit Card Fraud : Miss Singapore Quits

Miss World Singapore 2009 winner Ris Low, who was revealed to be a convict of a credit card fraud, has decided to back out of the finals at Miss World 2009 to be held in South Africa in December. I think it was for the first time in Miss World history, a contestant backed out because of revealed fraud.

Ris Low was already under presser after a slew of negative media reports, where she incurred the ire of the public for her poor English, according to local radio 938 Live. Later, news of her conviction for credit card fraud in May also surfaced, which put her in the spotlight again. She was sentenced to two years' probation for using illegally obtained credit cards to purchase expensive items and dining at posh restaurants, running a bill close to 8,000 dollars.

There was controversy on whether she could or should represent the country. Many Singaporeans wanted her to be stripped of her title, while others requested her not to represent Singapore in the finals of the Miss World pageant to be held in South Africa in December. China Press reported that Low pleaded to be given a second chance, and asked for forgiveness from Singaporeans.

The 19-year-old beauty said that it would be better for everyone and that giving up the crown is the best choice she could make. ERM World Marketing, organizer of Miss Singapore World pageant, said it will be interviewing a new representative to represent Singapore at Miss World 2009 in the coming days.

Funny Sign : Birds Poop Every 15 Minutes!

Love funny pics? Take a look at the picture. The sign tells that birds poop their frequently. It says, "Birds poop every 15 minutes". So, it is not a good idea to stand there for a longer period of time. If you did, someone  chances are more that birds just pooped on your head! Funny but important sign. What you say?

Asteroid named after Rescuer of Anne Frank's Diary

On Sunday, an asteroid between the planets Mars and Jupiter has been named after Miep Gies, the woman who saved the diary of Anne Frank. The asteroid, discovered in 1972, orbits between Mars and Jupiter and has an estimated diameter of seven kilometers. From now on it will be known as Miep Gies. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) said it wanted to draw attention to the steadfast courage of the now 100-year-old last surviving helper of the Frank family who hid in a building behind a house in Amsterdam during World War II.

Gies, now aged 100, took care of the Franks - the teenaged Anne, her parents and sister - and other Jews who hid from the Nazis in the Netherlands. Anne kept the diary from 1942-1944, while living in a building at 263 Prinsengracht. After they were discovered and deported, it was Gies who found and hid Anne's diary.

Anne Frank died of typhus at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in March 1945, shortly before her sixteenth birthday and the end of the war. After the war, Gies gave the only surviving family member, Otto Frank his daughter's diary. The world famous diary of Anne Frank, which is now in Anne Frank museum, attracts nearly a million visitors as year from all over the world.

In a diary entry dated July 11, 1943, Anne wrote: "Miep is just like a pack mule, she fetches and carries so much. Almost every day she manages to get hold of some vegetables for us and brings everything in shopping bags on her bicycle."

Ig Nobel for Gas Mask Bra

A bra that can save your life by turning into two gas masks during terrorist attack or disasters, is one of the many unusual scientific achievements that won  the 2009 Ig Nobel prize. Take a look at the picture.

Designed by Dr Elena Bodnar, a young Ukrainian medical student, the fashionable bra can be converted into a pair of emergency HEPA-filter gas mask in a matter of seconds. Dr Elena Bodnar won the Ig Nobel in public health for the bra. She demonstrated her invention and gave one to each of the Nobel laureates as a gift.

Ig Nobel awards are intended to celebrate the unusual, the imaginative and spur people's interest in science, medicine, and technology. It is a parody of the Nobel Prizes and are given each year in early October for ten achievements that "first make people laugh, and then make them think"

Michael Jackson and Osama! Funny Pic

Take a look at the picture below. What's odd in the picture? Osama and Michael Jackson together! Okay they are just portraits. Still, doesn't it looks odd? One is world's most wanted terrorist and the other one is the world's greatest singer - the King of Pop. Perfect timing! What you say?

Anne Frank Video on YouTube

Take a look at the video. This is the only existing video footage of Anne Frank, now published on YouTube by Amsterdam museum the Anne Frank House. The footage, filmed on 22 July 1941, shows Anne's neighbor on her wedding day. A 13-year-old Anne can be seen nine seconds into the video, leaning out of a second-floor window to get a better look at the bride-to-be next door.

Anne Frank was a Jewish girl who was born in the city of Frankfurt am Main in Weimar Germany, and who lived most of her life in or near Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. By nationality, she was officially considered a German until 1941, when she lost her nationality owing to the anti-Semitic policies of Nazi Germany. Anne gained international fame posthumously following the publication of her diary which documents her experiences hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands in World War II.

Today's Babies will Live to 100 Years!

More than half of babies born in rich countries after year 2000 will live to 100 years, a paper published in the latest edition of medical journal Lancet suggests. According to the Danish experts, life expectancy in developed countries increased by more than 30 years since the 20th century and surprisingly the trend shows no sign of slowing down. So, if the trend continues, most babies born today in developed countries will live to see the 22nd century.

For the study, James Vaupel of the Max Planck Institute in Germany and colleagues in Denmark examined data published globally on numerous issues related to aging in 2004-2005. They found that human life expectancy is increasing steadily in most countries and there is no sign of slowing down. It is basically the improvements in health care, that are slowing down the process of aging and challenging the idea that there is a limit to human longevity.

While illnesses affecting the elderly like heart disease, cancer and diabetes are rising, advances in medical treatment are also making it possible for them to remain active for longer. But the obesity epidemic may complicate the matters. Though our kids could live to be 100, obesity could make them more susceptible to diseases and may even increase their risk of earlier deaths from cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.

Guy Laliberte : The First Space Clown

Canadian circus billionaire Guy Laliberte, who founded Cirque du Soleil, has become the "first clown to go into orbit". A Soyuz capsule carrying Laliberte and two other astronauts blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome atop a Russian rocket on Wednesday. Guy Laliberte put on a red nose like a clown when he boarded the spacecraft.

Mr Laliberte is also is taking nine red clown noses into space, one each for members of the orbiting ISS crew. He says he will make the ISS astronauts laugh during his 12-day stay, and produce a web event that highlights the issue of clean water for all. He intends to lead a "poetical social" performance from orbit. The two-hour show will link up with contributions from 14 cities worldwide and will be streamed on the web. Guy Laliberte reportedly paid more than £20m for his ticket to the International Space Station.