100 YEARS OF NATIONAL ANTHEM

India's National Anthem turns 100 today. Rabindtanath Tagore's Jana Gana Mana was first performed on 27th December,1911 at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress.On January 24,1950,it was adoted as the National Anthem. What we know as our National Anthem is only the first of five verses composed by Tagore.
There are several renderings of the full song,including some by great artists like D.K.Pattammal,Bhimsen Joshi,Dr.Balamurali Krishna,Pandit.Jasraj,Lata Mangeshkar-in their trademark style.
The song has had its share of controversy. Since it was composed by Gurudev at the time of King George V'S Coronation Durbar,there was some debate over whether it was in praise of Indian Mother Lnad or to welcome the Emperor. Of course,since Tagore translated the song as Morning Song of India,that controversy was put to rest soon.

STUDDED TOILET

First,Japan gave the world high-tech toilets. Now a crystal toilet-studded with more than 72000 pieces of Swarovski cut crystal and valued at over $100000. Toilet manufacturer INAX teamed up with the Austrian jeweller to create the ornate fixture,which is on display in a showroom in the posh Ginza shopping district,an effort to draw more customers in a year fraught with economic gloom and natural disaster. In a nod to traditional belief,the sparkling toilet was created to please the "God of toilets",said Kazuo Sumimiya,Director of the showroom for the Lixil Interior Fixture company of which INAX is a part."In japan we believe a deity exists in the toilet.That's why keeping toilet clean and taking good care of it have been a Japanese custom since long ago," he added.

SHORTEST WOMAN

Jyoti Amge of Nagpur is celebrating her 18th birthday by winning the title of World's shortest woman from the Guinness World Records.Guinness representative measured Amge at 62.8 cms(24.7 inches) tall,7 cms(2.76 inches) shorter than the 22 year old American who held the title since September. It is not Amge's first Guinness record,until Friday(16/12/2011) she was considered the World's shortest teenager,but on turning 18 qualified for the new title.
Guinness says in a statement,Amge has grown less than 1 cm(0.4 inch) in the last two years and will grow no more due to a form of dwarfism called Achondroplasia.
The previous holder of the World's shortest living woman was 69.49 cms tall Bridgette Jordon,from the US State of Illinois.

RARE COIN

A rare 1787 gold Brasher Doubloon, which was sold for $ 7.4 million,is one of the highest prices ever paid for a gold coin. The coin was purchased by a Wall street Investment Firm.

INCREDIBLE MONKEY

A Capuchin monkey has earned a reputation as an artist with his paintings sold to buyers in Europe and Israel for hundreds of dollars. The white capped capuchin,nick named "Pockets Warhol" uses his tail,hands,feet and of course a brush to daub canvases with his own unique artistic stylings at Story Book Farm, a primate sanctuary. Pockets has become a money-spinning machine for bosses at the home of primates,with his paintings selling as mech as pound 250 each. He's not the tidiest of artists and his paintings could at best described as "abstract" or "experimental". The monkey was introduced to painting by Story Book's volunteers,a year ago.

World's oldest bed.

Archaeologists claim to have uncovered the earliest evidence of preserved bedding and the use of insect-repelling plants by cavemen who slept on them 77000 years ago. An international team,led by Lyn wadley at University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg,says it has discovered the bedding made from compacted stems and leaves at a rock shelter in South Africa. At least three different layers at the Sibudu site contained bed remains,left by people who slept there between 38000 and 77000 years ago.The leaves contained insecticide chemicals that would have kept mosquitoes at bay.

Hitler's Munich Treaty Signing Desk

A brass desk set inscribed "AH" and used by Adolf Hitler in the signing of the Munich Pact,which preceded World War-II was sold for $423000,a US auction house said.The ceremonial desk set,including ink wells and the Nazi crest of an eagle and Swasitka had been expected to fetch at least half a million dollars. It did not fetch the minimum reserve price and failed to sell in live auction.The buyer was a private US West Coast Collector. The massively constructed set may have been designed by Hitler himself.

OLDEST SURVIVOR

On 7th December,2011 Hawaii marked the 70th anniversary of the surprise attack on USS.Arizona at the Pearl Harbor Naval Base in 1941,which forced the US into a war with Japan.Mr.Joseph Langdell, who is the oldest survivor of the Pearl Harbor attack,was present in the anniversary function.

BRAVE ACT

A cancer stricken Singaporean grand mother who postponed chemotherapy to compete in the South East Asian Games for the first time took an emotional gold at the week end. Tan Yoke Lan 63 underwent a mastectomy after being diagnosed with stage-II breast cancer.She traveled to Indonesia against medical advice and deferred chemotherapy to kill the remaining cancerous cells in her body until after the games. On Sunday,she earned a gold medal in the women's pair of bridge with partner Seet Choon Cheng.

LENGTHY TONQUE

A 21 year old American woman has been officially certified by Guinness as having the World's longest tongue,measuring a whooping 9.7 cm. Chanel Tapper from Houston,USA shot to fame as a 13 year old,when she was spotted sticking out her monster tongue in a You Tube video,say the Sun. She beat two other women contended to the World Record.

THREE EYED FISH

A fish with three eyes has reportedly been found in a reservoir near nuclear power plant in Argentina. The mutated wolf-fish was caught by fishermen in Cordoba. Local people said pollution spreading from the nuclear plant,which pumps hot water through pipes into the reservoir,may be responsible.The fishermen decided not to eat or sell the fish and instead sent it for testng to verify whether it had been affected by radiation.

STANDING TALL

Scores of people waved tiny flags after taking the oath of United States citizenship at the foot of the statue of Liberty on 28/11/2011, 125 years after the iconic American symbol welcoming visitors and immigrants was dedicated. The 125th birthday was celebrated in New York Harbour and ending with fireworks.

T'Nagar,Chennai

T'Nagar in Chennai,Tamilnadu is named after Sir Pitti Theagaraya Chetty ,an eminent lawyer,industrialist and political leader from the erstwhile Madras Province. He had also served as the President of Madras Corporation. Recently his statue was removed from its pedestal at Ripon Buildings,the headquarters of Chennai Corporation. It will be restored after the construction of an underground Metro railway Station.

WINNER AFTER DEATH

The 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to Bruce Beutler of US,French man Jules Hoffman and Canadian Ralph Steinman for their research on the immune system.Steinman died of pancreatic cancer on September,30th,2011, but the committee announced that he would be awarded the prize posthumously.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY-EMOTICON

A few humble dots and dashes can speak what a hundred words possibly can't.Known as Emoticons-it was first digitally used in 1982 by American Scientist Scott Fahlman to help his colleagues discern a joke. Since then emoticons have multiplied crazily using all combinations possible on the key board to express even the most subtle of human emotions. This September,the Emoticon turned 29.

The emoticon is not to be confused with the original smiley,an adorable yellow bald head with two black dots for eyes and an upturned thick curve for a smile. It was created by freelance artist Harvey Ball in 1963.

HEIGHT OF SAVING

A Chinese woman astonished tourists when she scrambled up a seventy feet castle wall to avoid paying the 2.50 pound entry fee. Nimble Ma Jei told other visitors that she grew up in Nanjing,climbing the walls of Zhonghau castle since childhood and had never once paid to get in. Her stunt encouraged other visitors to follow her example-with two falling and breaking their legs and three others having to be rescued by police.

Long cake

A 100 meter long egg-less chocolate cake weighing 100 kg was on display at Express Avenue Mall,Chennai,Tamil Nadu on 6/10/2011. The staff at French Loaf Bakery spent two days baking the photo cake which commemorated 75 years of Tamil Cinema. One Kg of the cake was priced at Rs1500.

Unfortunate Death

On Steve Job's death on 6/11/2011 (the founder of Apple Inc) ,"the online chain mail" wrote- Three apples have changed the world.

1. Adams apple

2. Newton's Apple

3.Steve Job's Apple

OUR NATIVE VILLAGE

Recently we had the opportunity of staying in a resort called "Our Native Village". This resort is about 30 kms from Bangalore,near to "Taj Kuteeram". If you are a lover of peace,fresh air and village life,this resort is worth visiting. They have limited rooms (around 20) and charge Rs8000 per day,inclusive of breakfast,lunch and dinner. This resort is an award winning Eco Retreat. They serve only vegetarian food (less of oil) and use mainly "whole foods instead of processed and polished foods." They use bio gas stoves and most of the ingredients are organic and grown in their farm.
They have the following activities:
-Meditation and Yoga Class
-Swimming
-Ride in bullock cart.
-Play old games like Gilly -Thandu,Pallanguzhi,kites flying,etc
-Milking cows,feeding rabbits ,cats,chicken and ducks.
Children will enjoy this place because of fresh air,different atmosphere,tasy food and other activities.
Rooms have huge beds,nicely furnished in a eco friendly manner. Toilets have hand made soaps and shampoos free from chemicals.
Eventhough the charges appear to be high,it is worth for the enjoyment we face-music of birds chirping,wind rustling the leaves,pitter patter of rain,croaking of frogs,etc.
Really a memorable place.

God is cruel

Sometime back, I could trace my friend Ramakrishnan's(Ramki) whereabouts,through my walking friend Subramanian from Besant Nagar. Ramki and me belonged to the same village at Kollengode,Kerala State,Studied Chartered Accountancy (ACA) together at the same firm and stayed in Gopalapuram. After finishing ACA he left for some job in Mumbai and I could not trace him nearly for 40 years. Subramanian told me that Ramki is living in Coimbatore,after retirement and gave his e mail address and phone number. We started corresponding with each other. I promised to meet him at the earliest. But God had other plans. About 20 days back,I got a message from Subramanian,that Ramki paseed away due to massive heart attack. I was very much shocked as I was planning to meet him shortly. All our past memories came flooded and I was in tears.I hope to meet his family and offer condolences. I sincerely pray for the departed soul.

MOVING ON WHEELS

An African tortoise moves across a pavement outside the Washington State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital.The artificial limb attached to it did not come from a high-tech prosthetics lab. It came from an Ace Hardware store. The caster-style wheel cost around 7 dollars according to the veterinarians who installed it on the tortoise after amputing a damaged front leg.

ROYAL WEDDING

A Royal Wedding stamp from the tiny of NPacific Island iue-The stamp was officially released in New Zealand and features Britains Prince William and his fiance Kate Middleton ,with a perforated line down the centre to split the stamp into individual stamps. Prince William and his long term girl friend will marry at London's Westminster Abbey on April,29,2011

Elizabeth Taylor

Two time Academy winner Dame Elizabeth Taylor died on March 23,2011 at the age of 79 years. She had starred in block busters such as Jane Eyre,Cleopatra,Little women,The taming of the shrew,Doctor Faustus, Cat on a hot tin roof,Butterfield 8 and Who's is afraid of Virginia Wolf. (The last two films bagged Oscar awards). She was married eight times.

SCOT FREE

The term "Scot Free" came into use as follows:
English Inns were once required to pay a tax known as a "Scot". Customers who left town to drink in rural taverns were said to be drinking "Scot Free".

Mount Kilimanjaro- Himalayan task

Three US amputee vetrans climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, enduring fumbles and sores to reach Africa's highest peak with only one good leg among them. The vetrans of Vietnam,Afganistan and Iraq hiked to the top of the 5891 m high Tanzanian mountain in 6 days to show that disability need not lead to in-activity. The hikers were Dan Nevins 37,who lost his legs in Iraq; Neil Duncan 26,who lost both the legs in a roadside bomb attack in Afganistan in 2005 and Kirk Bauer 62,who lost a leg in Vietnam in 1969.