Photos credit: Rothamsted Research Visual Communications Unit

This is an unknown species of aphid which was found by a scientist and vice-president of the Royal Entomological Society of London, Dr. Richard Harrington, who bought this fossil on an internet auction on eBay for £20 from a man in Lithuania. The fossil itself is measured 3 to 4mm in length and was encased in a 40 to 50 million-year-old piece of amber about the size of a small pill. It is said that this aphid became trapped in the resin as it seeped from a tree millions of years ago. An aphid expert in Denmark, Prof. Ole Heie confirmed that this insect is a new species which has turned out to be a long extinct aphid from the Earth and he named it as Mindarus Harringtoni after Dr. Harrington, who first named it as Mindarus ebayi. This fossil is now well-kept in the Natural History Museum.

A Spider Musician Called “Neil Young”

Photo credit: ECU News Services

This newly discovered arachnid or a trapdoor spider has been named in honor of a rock musician, Neil Young who is also an activist for justice and peace. Thereafter, this spider has become a famous “rock musician” in the nature. A biologist at East Carolina University, Jason Bond, has named it as Myrmekiaphila neilyongi. Bond discovered it in 2007 in Jefferson Co., Ala. and later this species was described in a journal. This spider lives in a burrow and crafts a trap door to keep out unwanted parasites and predators. Unlike other spiders which make webs out of silk, this spider uses silk to line burrows and an extension of the lining is part of its trap door.

A Genetically Modified Mosquito

Photo credit: PNAS Photo credit: Reuter

This is a genetically modified strain of malaria-resistant mosquito which has been created successfully by a scientist. Undoubtedly, it gives new impetus for controlling the most common and deadly parasitic disease, Malaria (spread by the single-celled parasite called Plasmodium which is passed to humans via the bite of Anopheles mosquito) which makes 300 million people ill, causes 2.7 million deaths and more than 500 million people are infected each year. This epidemic rages furiously particularly in parts of the central and South of America, Asia and Africa. Also, it was reported that children die of malaria every 30 seconds in sub-Saharan African in most cases. The creation of mosquitoes with green fluorescent testicles undoubtedly will help curb the spread of malaria carrying mosquitoes.

This genetic modification of mosquito has a relatively higher survival rate even when not exposed to malaria besides laying more eggs. Scientists hope that by introducing it to the nature, the epidemic of malaria could be reduced as it carries a gene that prevents infection by the malaria parasite. Besides carrying gene that confers resistance to the malaria parasite, it has the gene for green fluorescent protein (GFP) inserted into its transgenic mosquito, making its eyes glow green.

Dr. Rasgon said, "I think it will be 10 to 20 years before transgenic mosquitoes are released into nature. It's very difficult to predict what will happen when we release these things."

"There is quite a lot of research that needs to be done, both in terms of genetics and the ecology of the mosquitoes; and also research to address all the social, ethical and legal issues associated with releasing transgenic organisms into the environment," he added.

The Cat with Four Ears

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Unlike other cats, this popular cat has an extra set of ears which mark its unique appearance. Despite its unusual looks, its hearing and behavior are normal and it meows very softly. It was born on Brenda Pearson's parents' farm in Capron Illinois in May 2007. It was named as Yoda, after the pointy-eared Jedi Knight, a character in Star Wars based on George Lucas' cat. Yoda now lives in Belvidere, Illinois with Tim and Brenda Pearson.

Cloned Cats that Glow

Photo credit: AFP/ Getty Image

South Korean scientists have successfully cloned cats via the advantage of a technological twist that could use to make significant genetic changes in every creature on Earth. These cats carry genes that have been altered genetically to enable them to glow in the dark. Photos from South Korea's Ministry of Science and Technology show cats appear normal in visible light (left) but their skins glow red under ultraviolet light (right).

Photo credit: Yonhap

A research team at Gyeongsang National University in Jinju, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea, headed by Kong Il-Keun, has created several kitty clones that glow a dull red under ultraviolet light.

"The ability to manipulate the fluorescent protein and use this to clone cats opens new horizons for artificially creating animals with human illnesses linked to genetic causes," said the Ministry of Science and Technology.

These gene-altered cloned cats that glow in the dark are really cool. How did scientists do this? According to the researches in South Korea, this is what they did on these cats: They took skin cells from Turkish Angora female cats and used a virus to insert the genetic instructions for making red fluorescent protein (RFP). Then they put the gene-altered nuclei into eggs for cloning. The cloned embryos were implanted back into the donor cats, which effectively became the surrogate mothers for their own clones.

In the near future, these animal clones might be genetically altered to produce human body parts. And it sounds like scientists have gone too far away from the perspective of humanity. Will this clone be a way-out science-fiction play? Well, this is not a fiction in a reality. Instead, it's already happened and will happen very often in the future, which I'm sure will spark a controversy debate. What would you say then? Will you allow this nightmare to happen?

Is Our World a Ground Field for Cloning?

Photo credit: AP images

The researches at National Taiwan University's Department of Animal Science and Technology claimed that they have bred the only three fully fluorescent pigs, while other researchers have managed to breed partly fluorescent pigs. Their heart and internal organs are green. In the daylight, their skins and eyes are greenish tinged. Even their teeth and trotters look green. In the dark, they shine a blue light and they emit torch-light bright. They are about 265 transgenic pigs created by adding DNA from jellyfish into pig embryos which were implanted in 8 different sows. By creating these fluorescent pigs, researchers hope to boost the stem cell research, as well as helping to study human disease.

Photo credit: AP image

A research team at the National University of Singapore led by a fish molecular biologist, Dr. Gong Zhiyuan from the Department of Biological Sciences has successfully bred Zebra fish that are greenish tinged under special lighting. According to Dr. Gong's group, they have cloned over 300 non-redundant zebra fish genes encoding known proteins and soon they may also create a fish that changes color when it passes through different temperatures.

Photos credit: AP images 

This is a nude transgenic mouse which has developed by Anticancer Inc. Under blue light, every cell of the mouse in its body is greenish tinged (left), while under normal light, it seems like not much different from other mice (right).

Human cancers that express DsRed can now be implanted into this mouse to enable scientists to observe and monitor the progress of the cancer cells in live green mouse. The cancers will give off red fluorescence. This creation gives new impetus to the medical field that allows the researchers at Anticancer Inc. to monitor angiogenesis (blood vessels growing into the cancer and supplying oxygen and food) as well as to observe metastasis (cancer cells moving around the body).

With regards with this cloning, different communities act differently, some agree but some object strongly. Of course, the scientific applications of transgenic technology sparks the debate as in some cases, human genes are transferred into other animal species to produce animals that are half-animal and half-human alike as in my article entitled The First Creation of Human-Animal Hybrid Embryo. The genetic differences that separate species from one another create concerns among certain communities as they question whether this technology is morally acceptable. It must be a nightmare that human genes are merged with animal genes, mustn't it? Thinking of this, what'll our world looks like with all these scary cloned creatures? What do you think?

Mushrooms Can Glow in Green Light too, Amazing!

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These bioluminescent mushrooms and fungi can be seen in the forests of southern Brazil. They emit light the whole day but are best to observe at night. They appear as “dozens of stars” or “fireflies” that glow at night. There are only 65 species out of 85,000 species in the Fungi kingdom, of which Jack-o-Lantern Mushroom (Omphalotus spp.) and the Honey Mushroom (Armillaria spp.) are the known luminescent species which belong to different lineages. These 65 luminescent species form thin-walled white spores help in spore dispersal, and they are all white rot fungi which are capable to digest both the cellulose and lignin in plant debris. They glow by emitting a constant yellowish-green light at a wavelength of 520 to 530 nanometers. Not all their parts can glow. In some species, the cap or the gills glow; in others, only the stem, but in some species, the fine, thread-like filament called mycelium (from which the mushrooms develop) glow brightly. They glow to attract nocturnal animals to help in spore dispersal as in the closed canopy forests the wind dispersal is very limited. Others may glow to attract the predators of insects that eat the mushrooms.

Golden, Glistering Seahorse

Photo credit: Reuter

This golden, glistering seahorse was created by a research team at Viet Nam National University's College of Science using a shooting method (generated via a strong force to insert the light-emitting gene into the seahorses' egg cells). There are about 108 living seahorses glistering in gold created successfully via genetically engineered technology.

With regards to the creation of this golden, glistering sea horse, the researcher said, “Gene GFP, a light-emitting gene extracted from jelly fish, was combined with tiny grains of gold. Then these grains of gold were injected into seahorse's egg cells. The gold mixed with the jellyfish genes was incorporated into the cells of the sea horses, which glittered when they came into being.”

What's Okapi? Is it a Giraffe or a Zebra?

Photos credit: ZSL

This elusive forest-dweller was officially discovered in 1901. It has a short, dense, velvety coat and a long, black, prehensile giraffe-like tongue and zebra-like stripes on its back. It has a close relationship to the family of giraffe.

This Anteater is not only cool but also an Interesting creature. Want to Keep It as a Pet?

Photos credit: Nick, James, Mahesh

An anteater is about 6 feet long, but its mouth is only an inch wide. It has 42 teeth. It will be nice to have one as a pet at home, as you do not have to worry about ants anymore!

True Love in Animal Kingdom

Photos credit: James, Chong, Max, Bob

These are true love in the animal kingdom, marking no “discrimination” true-loved world. These scenes are very touching and they are the best masterpiece on Earth. This is a beauty world of the nature.

Chupacabra, Vampire in the Nature?

Photos credit: animal.net

Chupacabra (means “goat sucker” in Spanish) is rumored to inhabit parts of the America. It was first spotted in Puerto Rico in the early 1990s, and have later been seen spotted in Mexico and as far as the United States. Its name came after its habit of attacking and drinking the blood (and sometimes organs) of livestock, particularly goats, dogs and sheep through a single hole or two holes. It has been reported that Chupacabra killing animals in places like Puerto Rico, Miami, Chile, Nicaragua, and Mexico. The report of attacks perpetrated by this creature showed telltale marks on their necks. It is characterized by its dog-like reptile, small half-alien, and half-dinosaur tailless vampire-like appearance; dog or panther like nose and face, a forked tongue, hairless body, unusually pronounced eye sockets, sharp claws, large fangs, and a long snake-like tongue. It stands about 1 to 1.2m (3-4ft) high, and can stand and hop just like a kangaroo.

Very Ugly Sphynx Cat

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The Sphynx cat, also called Canadian Hairless cat, is a rare breed cat known for its lack of hair coated its body. Some of its species do have a fine hair over their bodies that could be felt or seen only with difficulty. The hairless species feel rubbery when touched. Due to its lack of a coat, its ears tend to build up with a brown waxy substance. One can see some slight hair scattered all over its nose, ears, tail and feet. It has a wedge-shaped head, long slim legs, small dainty paws along with its long fine muscular body, but it has no true eyebrows or whiskers. Wrinkled skin is highly desirable, especially around its muzzle, between the ears, and around the shoulders. The adult female weights between 6 to 9 pounds, while the male weights between 10 to 15 pounds. Though it looks uglier, it is a very lively, intelligent and playful breed as it interacts well with humans. Because of its affectionate nature, it is kept at home as a pet.

What's this Creature?

This small creature is an insectivorous mammal native to Africa. It is named as an elephant shrew or a jumping shrew. It has a mouse-like tail and an elephant-like long trunk. It varies in size from about 100mm to almost 300mm, and weights from below 50 to 500g. BBC said it has a close relationship with an elephant, walrus, dolphin and the African rabbit.

Is Yeti Another Version of King Kong?

Photos credit: myth of yeti. net

Katmandu, the capital of Nepal, has been a home for the Yeti legend. In Tibetan, “Yeti” means “magical creature” and it has been described as a supernatural enigma in the appearance of hairy and biped creature that resembles a giant ape. The first report about the myth of Yeti appeared in 1925 when a Greek photographer, N.A. Tombazi has witnessed this creature moving in the distance across some lower slopes while working in his geological expedition in the Himalayas.

"Unquestionably, the figure in outline was exactly like a human being, walking upright and stopping occasionally to uproot or pull at some dwarf rhododendron bushes," said Tombazi, "It showed up dark against the snow and, as far as I could make out wore no clothes."

Have you spotted these Creatures elsewhere?

Photos credit: animalwonder, vet, John, William, Zag

These creatures are not existed on Earth. The manufacturers have shaped them into animal appearance for making toys, PS and also for home or garden decorations.

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Thorny Devil

Say hello to the Moloch, or mountain devil. Dr. John Grey, who discovered the lizard, named it after the Canaanite god (Moloch), who used to sacrifice children. This small lizard may look fierce, but that's just the impression it wants to give. The horns are a defense to ward off potential predators. In fact, the animal is rather non-aggressive. It may grow up to 8 inches. It readily eats ants, sometimes thousands in one day. It is also able to absorb water through its skin by way of channels that lead to their mouths. Their skin contains tiny grooves that run throughout their scales. When they come into contact with water, the water channels its way to the corners of the lizard's mouth where it becomes absorbed.

Narwhal

This animal is elusive and rarely seen. The name Narwhal means corpse whale, most notably due to its bluish, blotchy skin tone. It is much like the mythical unicorn, with the males growing a tooth larger than the rest. Narwhals have 2 upper teeth. The male's left tooth will end up growing and spiraling outward of its mouth. The tooth will then grow to be nearly 7-10 feet long. The use of the tooth is unknown; perhaps to be used during mating season to fend of rivaling males. More recently however, it has been suggested that the tooth is a sensory organ, used in channeling sonar pulses.

Proboscis Monkey

The male monkeys grow noses up to 3 inches long in this species. And the longer the nose, the better the odds with the ladies. The nose also amplifies sound when danger is near, or when the male becomes aggressive. They are mostly arboreal animals (tree-dwelling), living in troops of 11- 24. They are endemic to Borneo, and sadly, there are only 3,000-4,000 of these creatures left. They are unable to survive in captivity due to their complicated digestive systems. They cannot eat fruit like humans, and most of their diet consists of leaves, starchy dried fruits, and leaves, hence why their stomachs are larger than most simians.

Cassowary

This bird is the Jet Li of birds, capable of delivering a bone-smashing kick to anything it perceives as a threat. It is the third largest bird in the world (the ostrich being the largest, and emus in second). Each foot of the bird has 3 toes; while the inner toe has a long 5 inch spike used for defense. It is the most dangerous bird in the world, and capable of killing a person if cornered

Long-eared Jerboa

This little fellow is a nocturnal animal, marked with Mickey Mouse-like ears. It has the biggest ear-to-body ration of any animal. It is primarily found in Mongolia and China, and the animal is very elusive. Sadly, little is known about the rodent, and it is already an endangered species. They hop on their hind legs, much like a kangaroo would. They have hairs on their feet that protect their paws as they jump along the hot sand.

Oreo Dory

It's found in the waters around New Zealand and Australia and can live to a depth of nearly 4,200 feet. They've been documented to having lived up to 100 years. That's amazing for a fish! They feed mainly on planktonic animals and crustaceans.

Pangolin

Although they appear to look like reptiles, they are actually mammals. There are 3 types of pangolins; the tree pangolin, the ground pangolin, and the giant pangolin. They exist in Africa. If frightened, they will roll themselves into a ball in order to defend themselves. Even when a mother senses danger, the baby will slip under her as she rolls up her entire body. Once rolled up, predators are unable to reach to their underside. They also produce foul smelling secretions from their anal glands when frightened.

Carrier Shell

They are mollusks who decorate their shells by selecting bits of other shells, rocks, or fragmented pieces, and cementing them onto their own. There are only 22 species, and each species likes to design their shell with their own preferred objects. They add fragments of objects by secreting a calcium carbonate while holding the object in place. Scientists are uncertain as to the purpose of the shell attachments. Some theories include camouflage, shell support, and adding strength in areas of weakness.

Whorl-Tooth Shark

While this shark no longer exists, it is certainly bizarre and unusual. The animal lived more than 250 million years ago, having grown to maybe 13 feet in length. The bottom row of teeth resemble that of a buzz saw, whilst the upper jaw only contained a few teeth. Scientists are unsure about the exact operation of the teeth, but perhaps they acted as a whip, slicing or disabling prey that came near; which then allowed the shark to eat when ready.

Bongo Antelope

They are a species of antelope, where both sexes are characterized by their striking horns. In other species, only the males have horns. They are the largest forest antelope. In their native Africa, native people will not hunt them because it is believed that the meat of the antelope will give them seizures. Unfortunately, they are hunted for sport, and the Lowland Bongo is almost an endangered species, whilst the Mountain Bongo has now been classified as an endangered species.

Philippine Tarsier

It is one of the smallest animals in the world. So small is this creature, that a human is capable of cradling it in their hand. The abnormally large eyes allow for incredible night vision while hunting for prey. Their numbers are drastically falling in the wild, making them an endangered species. Hunting and deforestation have added to the decimation of this unusual creature.

Yeti Crab

This blind, furry crustacean has only been discovered in the last few years. It was found more than a mile and half down near hydrothermal vents. No one is sure as to the use of the fine hair that covers the crabs' claws. It is theorized that perhaps they trap bacteria which then filters out toxic minerals spewed forth from the vents.

Soda that came in glass bottles. These glass bottles were returnable and you got a few pennies for each bottle that you turned in. That bottle refund paid for many picture shows for me.

Do you remember when you could go to the movies on Saturday, and sit through a host of cartoons, Buck Rogers, and various other short features for two bits or less?

Do you remember when the neighborhood doctor made house calls at all hours of the night and day? Do you remember when the local druggist knew you by name and could prescribe a cure for most anything to save a doctor's visit.

Do you remember going to the neighborhood drug store, sitting on a high stool that swiveled, and you got a root beer float or a shake?  Your friends came in and you could spend a lovely evening just sitting there and talking.

Do you remember neighborhood dances?  The teens in the neighborhood would gather at the local church and dance/visit the night away.

Do you remember jumping rope to the tunes of Simon, Simon, I've been thinking;  Johnny on the ocean, Johnny on the sea, Johnny broke a window and blamed on me.  The rope would get faster as you jumped.

Do you remember those street skates?  They had a key and large wheels. If someone did not have a pair, you shared a skate, and used one like a skateboard.

Things are different now, but in those days, fun was different. There was no 64 channels of TV, and who had a TV anyway. Cars were a luxury; Dads got to drive them, not kids. No, this wasn't the early 1900's - this was the 1950 generation.

We did have fun.

One day, they asked him to play "Partita in D minor for solo violin" by Johann Sebastian Bach. This man had never played the piece because he avoided music that had anything to do with Germany or the Nazi's. They told him if he didn't play it, they would shoot him.
This man picked up his violin and by the glory and grace of God's hand "as he said", he played the piece without even remembering it took place.

So you see, some of the most awe inspiring individuals in the world will never get their chance to tell their story. I am here to share with you a few that have inspired me.

Big things do come in small packages as you shall soon see.

The Next Mozart? 6-Year Old Piano Prodigy

Even at 6 years old, Emily Bear has astonished audiences from the White House to her own siblings who are also gifted. Emily has played the piano since the age of 3 and she even composed her first piece of music at age 2.

Paul Potts sings Nessun Dorma at "Britain's Got Talent"

A mobile phone salesman who works at Car phone Warehouse brings out the beauty of "Nessun Dorma", an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot, made famous by Luciano Pavarotti.

Esref Armagan: Artist Born without Eyes:

Born with a defect of the eyes, this painting visionary is imaging shapes in his mind and transcribes them and translates the final picture in his psyche to a canvas.

Ruediger Gamm: The Human Calculator

At 35 years old, Rudiger Gamm can instantly solve complex mathematical formulas inside his head. He is also able to multiply higher powers and divide two prime numbers to 60 decimals He is also a calendar calculator and he can determine within seconds the day of the week of any date in history.

Kim Peek: The Real Rain Man

Kim Peek has a photographic or eidetic memory and developmental disabilities, perhaps resulting from congenital brain abnormalities. He was the inspiration for the character of Raymond Babbit, played by Dustin Hoffman, in the movie Rain Man.

Daniel Tammet: The Boy with the Incredible Brain

Daniel Paul Tammet is a British high-functioning autistic savant gifted with a facility for mathematical and natural language learning. "In his memoir, Born on a Blue Day, he talks of how having epilepsy, synaesthesia, and Asperger Syndrome all deeply affected his childhood."

Stephen Wiltshire: The Human Camera

Stephen Wiltshire MBE is an architectural artist who has been diagnosed with autism. He is recognized for being able to illustrate an entire landscape just by seeing it once.

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Robert E. Cornish

He had conducted multiple experiments on dogs (all named Lazarus), whereby he asphyxiated them with ether and nitrogen. He then attempted to revive the dogs by using a seesaw-like contraption he called the teeterboard. He would then open a vein on the dog's thigh to administer a saline solution saturated with oxygen and adrenalin. He would then administer CPR as the dog would rock on the teeterboard. A few of the dogs died. Those that survived were feeble and parts of their brain were dead. They were vacant and didn't respond as most dogs would. What was his purpose with such experiments? To hopefully one day revive the dead (humans). He had petitioned a few state governors to supply him with the corpses of condemned criminals. He found one, Thomas McMonigle. The state of California eventually refused, for fear that if the experiment worked, they would have to release him. Eventually he managed to gain access to some corpses, but none of the experiments were successful.

Japanese Whale Experiments

What do you get when you cross-breed a whale with a cow? I haven't the faintest clue, and I'm not sure the Japanese scientists do either. For reasons unknown, the scientists were injecting minke whale sperm into cow eggs. They also tried to create test tube whale babies. For 18 years the experiments were conducted, all with no useful outcomes. Why they chose to cross-breed a cow and a whale is beyond comprehension. What purpose could an animal like that even serve?

Spiders on Drugs

When my husband used to work at the University of Arizona, he and his colleagues used to have a poster on their door of spiders. Upon further inspection, one would notice the haphazardly shaped webs, and a caption underneath that would say, spider on cannabis, spider on alcohol, and so forth. Apparently in the 1960's, a young Swiss pharmacologist named Dr. Witt laced spiders with various forms of drugs. While the spider was doped up, it would spin cockeyed cobwebs. Depending on the drug the spider had ingested, then the shape of the web would vary. Dr. Witt had drugged the spiders as a method for identifying drugs. Supposedly it's easier identify what the drug is when dosing a spider, rather than chemically analyzing a drug to differentiate the closeness between common drugs.

Fluorescent Cats

Last year in Korea, 4 cats were cloned with modified genes with a fluorescent protein. Cloning of cats had been done for the past 5 years, but these cats were different. The Korean scientists used skin cells of a Turkish Angora cat. The genes were modified with a virus making them fluorescent. The genes were then transplanted into the ova; which were then placed into the womb of a donor cat. The purpose you ask? Supposedly the cat research was designed to detect genetic diseases in humans and animals. And theoretically, you could add in a coding for endangered species, producing cloned hybrids, boosting the gene pool for tigers or Iberian lynxes. While the idea of a glow-in-the dark cat seems kind of nifty, there's no telling where this kind of experimentation might lead (i.e. genetic modifications of animals, possibly human cells).

Cat in Zero Gravity

What happens when you take a cat and toss it into zero gravity? It spins out of control while trying uncontrollably to right itself. For whatever reasons, and one can only postulate as to why, some astronauts took a cat into a vomit comet to see what the end results would be. The video circulating on the Internet shows a man tossing a cat to female scientists. The cat spins out of control while trying to claw at the side of the plane, before falling uncontrollably to the ground. It is then picked up, only to be tossed like a rag doll again. I can only assume that the logic behind this experiment would be to test the cat's ability to right itself in free-fall. Maybe it has something to do with the cat's balance mechanism in its inner ear. Whatever the reason, although the outcome was harmless overall to the cat, I can't imagine how many years this cat will end up spending in therapy. “The Horrors…meow!”

The Study of Kangaroo (Farts)

Apparently kangaroos have gone green. Australia scientists have done a study on the marsupial's ability to produce “eco-friendly”, ahem… farts. The kangaroo has a bacteria in the lining of its stomach, which means that its gas contains no methane. Methane creates a greenhouse gas more damaging than carbon dioxide. The study of kangaroo farts is trying to lead to a more climate-friendly cattle. Cows account for 14% of greenhouse emissions in Australia alone. So, by lacing cattle feed with the kangaroo bacteria, scientists want to determine if this could help reduce the greenhouse emission of cow farts. Someone light a match.

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The first moving stamp was issued in the Netherlands.

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Later, moving image stamps were issued by several countries. For these stamps, lenticular technology is used, in which a plastic lens atop a specially-formatted image makes it appear to change. Austria issued this type of postage stamp, which has 48 images in a 3-second sport clip in May 2008.

Silver Foil Stamp

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Tonga is country made up of more than 150 islands in the Pacific Ocean. It released a stamp shaped like one of the Tonga islands in 1964. This stamp was printed on silver foil. Tonga issued several self-adhesive stamps in different shapes like watches, parrots, bananas etc.

The Football (Soccer) Stamp

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The football (Soccer) stamp was issued by Austria in March 2008. This stamp is made with the same plastic polyurethane that is used to manufacture the official football of the UEFA. This 69cm self adhesive ball stamp can be shrunk to 36mm.

Steel Stamp

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The first steel stamp was issued by Bhutan.

Glow-in-the-Dark Stamps

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Malaysia issued these glow-in-the-dark stamps that feature nocturnal animals. These stamps come in a miniature sheet.

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Hong Kong issued six stamps featuring jellyfish in June 2008. These stamps are being printed with a glow-in-the-dark effect.

3-D Stamp

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The first three-dimensional stamps were issued by Bhutan. The sets of series include wildlife, spaceships, sports cars, ceremonial masks, and other.s

Sweet and Sour Pork Scented Stamp

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The Sweet and Sour Pork Scented stamp was issued by China in celebration of the Year of Pig in 2007. This stamp has the aroma of sweet and sour pork, and the glue on the back of the stamp tastes like the famous Chinese dish.

Musical Stamp

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Bhutan released this music-playing stamp in 1973. There are seven stamps in this series and each plays either the country's national anthem, folk songs of Bhutanese or tells the history of Bhutan.

Scented Stamps

There are many scented stamps printed around the world.

The first scented stamp was issued by Bhutan in 1973. The series of six stamps was perfumed to smell like a rose.

Later, several countries issued flower-scented stamps.

Burnt Wood Scented Stamp

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This stamp was issued by Brazil in 1999 to raise awareness about the damage of forest fires and their impact on environment. This stamp has a smell of burnt wood. This is set of four stamps featured an anteater, a flower, a leaf and a burnt tree trunk, each of which indicates what is at risk when a forest burns.

Coffee Scented Stamp:

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This stamp was issued by Brazil. The stamp is coated with varnish containing the microcapsules that were prepared from the matured coffee beans, after being roasted, ground and filtered under pressure. This process gives a strong coffee aroma to the stamp that lasts for up to five years.

Chocolate Stamp

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Choco Suisse, a chocolate stamp, was issued by Switzerland in 2001. This stamp comes in a foil-wrapped booklet, like a chocolate bar, and tempts us to lick it. But it only smells like chocolate, and doesn't taste the same as chocolate.

Eucalyptus-Scented Stamp

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This stamp was issued by Britain with the medicinal scent of eucalyptus to honor the centennial of the Nobel Prizes in 2001. The top layer of the stamp was covered with tiny capsules filled with eucalyptus aroma, which are released when the stamp is scratched.

Incredibly, people in North America and Europe behave very strangely on Friday the 13th. On 13th Friday, they won't fly in airplanes, host a party, apply for a job, get married, do a business, or even start a new project. Some people won't go to work; some won't drive their cars; some won't think of setting a wedding or holding a ceremony; and many won't eat in restaurants. This superstition is particularly more widespread in the United States. Some believe that the risk of hospital admission due to vehicular accidents might be increased by as much as 52% than on “normal” Fridays. Hence, they'd rather prefer to stay at home on Friday 13th. That's why for many Christians in the past, they would never begin any activities or trip on Friday for fear that their endeavor would be doomed from the start.

According to Dr. Donald Dossey, a psychotherapist who specializes in the treatment of phobias, about 21 million of the Americans have an irrational fear of Friday the 13th. That means 8% of the Americans are still in the grip of this very old superstition.

By labeling Friday the 13th as “the unluckiest day of all”, we are guilty of perpetuating a misnomer by a negative designation, say, someone breaks a mirror, spills the salt, spies a black cat crossing one's path, and walks under a ladder - Friday the 13th, a day that one would be in the safety to be at home with doors locked, windows or shutters closed.

People who lived before the late 1800s perceived Friday the 13th as a taboo. They used to think that this day was a catastrophic and misfortune day as many cultural significance and historical events that occurred on this day was shrouded in obscurity. Perhaps, the most convincing answer lies with Christianity as many bad things happened in Christianity on Fridays, for instance, Christ was crucified on a Friday, Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, the start of the Great Flood. In fact, Christians have traditionally been wary of Fridays as on this day, Jesus Christ was crucified. This misfortune day is also considered as a day of penance for Christians. God tongue-tied the builders of the Tower of Babel on a Friday and the Temple of Solomon was destroyed on a Friday as well, are two other reasons that associate Friday the 13th as an unlucky day.

Interestingly enough, the identical superstition has been attributed to the ancient Vikings, which has become a hot debate among the scholars. The story has been laid down as follows:

“Never change your bed on Friday; it will bring bad dreams. Don't begin a trip on Friday or you will have misfortune. If you cut your nails on Friday, you cut them for sorrow. Ships that set sail on a Friday will have bad luck ?As in the tale of H.M.S. Friday ... One hundred years ago, the British government sought to quell once and for all the widespread superstition among seamen that setting sail on Fridays was unlucky. A special ship was commissioned, named "H.M.S. Friday." They laid her keel on a Friday, launched her on a Friday, selected her crew on a Friday and hired a man named Jim Friday to be her captain. To top it off, H.M.S. Friday embarked on her maiden voyage on a Friday, and was never seen or heard from again.”

No one could say for sure why and when the number 13 is associated with misfortune, its belief stems from the events that took place on Friday, October 13, 1307. Legend has it said that on that day, the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, together with the King of France, sentenced “the Knights Templar” (the legendary order of “warrior monks” formed during the Christian Crusades to combat Islam) to death and ordered the torture and crucifixion to be held among his leaders. This story was written by Katherine Kurtz in “Tales of the Knights Templar” (Warner Books, 1995) as follows:

"On October 13, 1307, a day so infamous that Friday the 13th would become a synonym for ill fortune, officers of King Philip IV of France carried out mass arrests in a well-coordinated dawn raid that left several thousand Templars- knights, sergeants, priests, and serving brethren - in chains, charged with heresy, blasphemy, various obscenities, and homosexual practices. None of these charges was ever proven, even in France - and the Order was found innocent elsewhere - but in the seven years following the arrests, hundreds of Templars suffered excruciating tortures intended to force "confessions," and more than a hundred died under torture or were executed by burning at the stake."

Photo credit: Chengfang.com

On 11 April, 1970, Apollo 13 spacecraft was launched at John F. Kennedy Space Centre (KSC) on Merritt Island, Brevard Country, Florida, United States. Many claimed that the landing mission of Apollo 13 would be a catastrophic event as the number “thirteen” itself is an ominous figure which is believed to be of bad omen and evil doings.

Photo credit: Jenascia

Many Westerners have perceived Friday the 13th as the unluckiest day as many biblical negative events occurred on a Friday. According to Bible, the first man was created on a Friday, and Eve was then created. Supposedly, on a Friday, Eve tempted Adam with the forbidden fruit. When both of them ate the forbidden fruit, they were ejected from the paradise. Not only did Adam and Eve were ejected from the Garden of Eden, but many also believe that the Great Flood began on a Friday.

Image source- The Last Supper

Photo credit: Sohu- Jesus' crucifixion

Thirteen is significant to Christians as it is the number of dinner guests who were present at the Last Supper. The Bible tells us that there were exactly 13 present at the Last Supper. 12 of them are his apostles, one of which being Judas, who was said to have betrayed Jesus by setting the stage for Jesus' crucifixion, making 13 an unlucky number. And this was held on a Friday.

Image source

Cain and Abel were the first and second sons of Adam and Eve. Cain, a farmer, had committed his first murder by killing his brother Abel, a shepherd on Friday, after God rejected Cain's sacrifice but accepted Abel's.

Photo credit: CRI

The Friday has regarded by Judaism as the “Witches' Sabbath,” in the Middle Ages.

Photo credit: absolutads.co

Photo credit: Wupo.net

Various legends said: the witches of the north used to observe their Sabbath by gathering in a cemetery in the dark of the moon. On one such occasion the Friday goddess, Freya herself, came down from her sanctuary in the mountaintops and appeared before the group, who numbered only 12 at the time, and gave them one of her cats, after which the witches' coven - and, by tradition, every properly-formed coven since - comprised exactly 13.

Photo credit: Fridaymyth

Twelve gods were invited to a banquet at Valhalla. Loki, the Evil One, god of mischief, had been left off the guest list but crashed the party, bringing the total number of attendees to 13. Loki raised hell by inciting Hod, the blind god of winter, to attack Balder the Good, who was a favorite of the gods. Hod took a spear of mistletoe offered by Loki and obediently hurled it at Balder, killing him instantly. All Valhalla grieved. This story was apparently included in the Norse, “Beware of uninvited guests bearing mistletoe,” signifying that 13 people at a dinner party is just plain bad luck.

In the early England, many of the hangings took place on Fridays. There were 13 steps leading up into the gallows. Fridays were considered as an execution day or more commonly known as Hangman's Day in Britain. This is another reason that linked Friday the 13th as the unlucky day. However, in other pre-Christian culture, this day was regarded as the Sabbath, a day of worship, so those who indulged in secular or self-interested activities on this day could not expect to receive blessing from the gods. This may explain why most trips or important projects are not done on Fridays.

As Fridays are regarded as the unluckiest day, many cities do not have a 13th Street or a 13th Avenue. Many buildings don't have a 13th floor. If you have 13 letters in your name, you will have the devil's luck (Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jeffrey Dahmer, Theodore Bundy and Albert De Salvo all have 13 letters in their names). Legend had it said: If 13 people sit down to dinner together, all will die within the year. The Turks so disliked the number 13 that it was practically expunged from their vocabulary (Brewer, 1894).

I'm wondering what so unlucky of Fridays? Every Friday, no matter it be Fridays the 11th, 12th or 13th, they haven't been all that evil days as claimed by the old superstition, instead they're just like any other day. Is Friday the 13th an unlucky or an evil day? This question deserves your debate. What do you say then?

Most individuals who handle these snakes are likely to get bitten. They're highly aggressive and wiry. Their fangs come out of the side rather than the front, which makes them more difficult to handle than other snakes. They get their names from the stiletto heels, because when their fangs swing out, they look like the heel of the shoe. They're nest raiders whereby they will enter the nest of rodents, striking the young and ingesting them once they're dead. They are predominant throughout Africa. This snake has no antivenin. It causes a lot of problems in the rural areas of Africa. Many who get bitten by these snakes lose limbs, fingers, or their lives.

The bite sends pain receptors throughout the nervous system, as well as swelling of the blood vessels. The surrounding tissue near the bite slowly begins to digest. The wound will swell up into a huge blister, and then it will eventually decompress, releasing the blood from the wound. The flesh will begin to rot at the site. Liquefaction necrosis of the flesh is not uncommon (where the bone, tissue, and underlying muscle turns into liquid). The bite causes a rapid increase in heart rate/blood pressure, which can cause heart attack. Since there is no antivenin, survival is rare, and if one does survive the bite, they're liable to experience excruciating, disabling pain months after the bite has occurred.

Killer Bees

If one bee stings a victim, it stirs up a reaction in the hive. The worker bee that has stung the victim secretes a pheromone in response to a perceived threat. Thousands of bees will swarm and attack the victim. Killer bees primarily attack the head and upper body. It's also not uncommon for the bees to find their way into a victim's mouth and throat area if a victim's mouth is open. Killer bees are so aggressive, that they will continue to attack. Thousands of them will deposit small amounts of venom. While killer bees have a smaller amount of venom than honeybees, there are more of them while in the midst of a swarm. The thousands of bees that can attack a person will cause a massive amount of envenomation.

When a bee pulls away from its stinger, the stinger remains in the victim. The stinger is still attached to its venom gland; which continually pulses venom into the victim until all the venom is released into the body. The body can become numb from the massive amounts of stings because the body has over stimulated its pain fibers in response to the stings. While there have not been many deaths occurring from killer bee stings, all people react differently. Some people can have a delayed reaction to the venom. The venom can attack the muscles causing rhabdomyolysis. The muscle cells can break down and rupture, releasing proteins into the bloodstream. The protein is transported from the blood into the kidneys. The kidneys can be damaged, but since the heart is a muscle, damage to the heart is also concern.

Brown Recluse

The bite of a brown recluse is sometimes subtle. But it will lead to a mild stinging, followed by redness and severe pain. Their bites are more noticeable because they will turn into a target like shape. At first the bite may be bluish or purple in color. But as the venom starts to spread throughout the wound, the flesh will start to form a blister. When the blister begins to peel, the underlying tissue will reveal a deep ulcer that begins to turn black. Necrosis of the tissue isn't uncommon, and sometimes, severe wounds can develop that will last for months. Victims of brown recluse bites have experienced flu-like symptoms, headaches, muscle cramping, rashes, and joint stiffness. More serious bites have resulted in convulsions, the prevention of blood clotting, renal failure, or even death. While deaths have occurred, they are more common in children since they are smaller and usually unable to fight the envenomation.

Saw-Scaled or Carpet Viper

This snake attacks and kills more humans than any other species of snake. They are small, never growing more than 2 feet. They are usually difficult to spot because they blend into the surrounding area. They are one of the most dangerous snakes. They are very bad tempered and easily provoked. Sometimes they are known to travel in groups. No other species of snake does this. In northwest India, more than a quarter of a million of them were exterminated in one region. Gram for gram, their venom is more deadly than any other viper. Most patients will have swelling at the bite. Necrosis of the flesh is common. Renal failure, shock, cardio toxicity (muscle damage of the heart) and the inability for the blood to clot are common. Some victims will die slow, excruciatingly painful deaths.

The trial was treated as seriously as if it were a human in the dock! And that animals were morally and legally responsible for their actions.

Pig

The Plaintiff: French Family

The Defendant: A Pig

The Charge: The pig was accused with unauthorised entry a house whereupon the pig did willfully disfigure the face of a child, as a result of these injuries the child then departed this life.

The Verdict: Guilty - The pig failed to adequately defend itself in court.

Punishment: Death by Hanging

Caterpillars

The Plaintiff: The Grand Vicar of Valence, France

The Defendant: Caterpillars

The Charge: The caterpillars were willfully causing destruction of the Grand Vicar's crops. Failure of the caterpillars to appear in the dock in accordance with the Court Order meant that a lawyer had to be appointed by the court to defend them.

The Verdict: Guilty as charged (the appointed lawyer failed to make a good case on the caterpillar's behalf)

Punishment: Banishment from the Diocese.

Rats

The Plaintiff: Barley Growers of Autun, France

The Defendant: Rats

The Charge: Burglary of barley - When the impudent rats failed to appear in court, a young lawyer by the name of Chassenee was appointed to defend the rodents. He was determined to make a name for himself in court - Chassenee first argued that the case involved all the rats in diocese, therefore they must ALL appear in the dock - when they failed to appear in accordance with their summons, he argued that under the law, the rats were entitled to protection to and from court, so not appeared as they were scared of being caught by wild cats on route to court.

The Verdict: Unknown - (but every felon wanted to hire Chassenee)

Weevils

The Plaintiff: Vineyard Growers - St Julien, France

The Defendant: Weevils

The Charge: Destruction of Vines / Grapes

The Verdict: Guilty - A proclamation was issued by the Judge that the offending Weevils must desist their illegal activities with immediate effect.

Punishment: None (as amazingly the weevils disappeared)

Mosquitoes

The Plaintiff: The People of Mayenne - France

The Defendant: Mosquitoes

The Charge: Causing a public nuisance by swarming and biting

The Verdict: Not Guilty (the mosquitoes failed to appear in court and a lawyer was appointed who pleaded such a convincing case, that the townsfolk took pity on the flying nuisances).

Rooster

The Plaintiff: The City of Basal, Switzerland

The Defendant: A Rooster

The Charge: Indulging in Sorcery - based upon the fact that it laid eggs - and an egg laid by a rooster is prized by sorcerers

The Verdict: Guilty as charged

Punishment: Death - by burning at the stake.

1. Crayola Crayons

   
   
   Crayola Crayons first box of eight crayons was first introduced in 1903. Invented by cousins Edwin Binney and C. Harold. Smith , the crayons sold for a nickel a box and came in black, brown, blue, red, purple, orange, yellow, and green. Today there are over a hundred different types of crayons being made by Crayola.

2. Erector Set

   
   
   Invented in 1913 The Gilbert Erector Set quickly became a favorite with little boys everywhere. You can still find erector sets in stores today, but there's nothing quite like the original which can still be found for sale on ebay for a fairly decent price.

3. Lincoln Logs

   
   
   Invented in 1916 the Lincoln Logs quickly became a success. The inventor John Lloyd Wright claimed that the shape of the logs was inspired by Tokyo's earthquake-proof Imperial Hotel which he saw while it was under construction.

4. Yo Yo

   
   
   The Yo Yo which with dolls being the first may actually be the worlds second oldest toy, first made a come back in the 1920's. A young man from the Philippines who worked as a bellhop at a Santa Monica hotel started his own company called The Flores Yo You Company which was later bought out by an American business man and the rest is history.

5. View-Master

   
   
   Invented in 1939 the View-Master was introduced at the New Yorks World Fair, the first View-Master was intended as an educational tool aimed at adults. But it soon caught on with the Military, and with children when they obtained the rights to display Disney characters on their reels. This opened up an amazing new world for children everywhere.

6. Candy Land

   
   
   Who could forget Candy Land, invented in 1949 Candy Land has been a beloved game with children for almost 60 years now. The game was first invented by Eleanor Abbott to keep herself busy while she was recovering from polio. Children loved the game so much that she submitted it to Milton Bradly where it went on to become the number one top selling preschool game of all time.

7. Mr. Potato Head

   
   
   Invented in 1952 by George Lerner Mr. Potato Head has the distinction of being the very first toy ever to be advertised on television. The original Mr. Potato Head contained only parts such as arms, eyes, nose etc. and parents had to supply the potato. Eight years later a hard plastic body was included and Mr. Potato head went on to be a world class personality.  In 1987 he gave up his pipe and went on to be a spokespud for The American Cancer Societies Great American Smokeout campaign.

8. G.I. Joe

   
   
   Invented in 1964 G.I. Joe was the very first action figure!  G.I. Joe was born when inventor Stanley Weston convinced that boys were secretly playing with Barbie dolls felt that they deserved their own action figure. At  Hasbro it quickly became taboo to call G. I. Joe a doll. During the Vietnam era Joe slowly began to loose popularity and eventually sank from sight. Only to reappear again in the 1980's with a new look, new weapons,and new enemies. Launched in 1982 the new G. I. Joe proved to be one of the most successful toys of that era. By the mid 1990's Joe again ran out of steam and Hasbro stopped producing them. Only for Joe to make yet another come back, in recent years Joe and his Cobra have yet again returned to toy store shelves.