Khamis, Februari 28, 2008

Armadillo Lizard






The Armadillo Lizard (Cordylus cataphractus) is a spiny-tailed lizard endemic to desert areas of southern Africa. It is also known as the Armadillo Girdled Lizard or the Armadillo Spiny-tailed Lizard. They can be a light brown to dark brown in coloration and are sometimes referred to with the common name of golden armadillo lizard. The underbelly is yellow with a blackish pattern, especially under the chin.This lizard has a distinctive defensive posture, in which it grabs its tail and curls into a ring. Its size ranges from 16 to 21 cm (6½ to 8½ in) in length. In South Africa, trade in Armadillo Lizards is illegal.

This animal is named after the armadillo for its appearance and a similar defense mechanism. The lizard's skin is covered with thick, squarish, protective scales along its back and stout spines on its neck and tail for making it awkward for predators, such as birds of prey to attack in defence.
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Selasa, Februari 26, 2008

Google Talk chatback

Screenshot.



Live Badge.


A Google Talk chatback badge will let visitors to your web page chat with you. They'll be able to chat with you whenever you're signed in to Google Talk.

Setup badge for your blog here.

I have setup this badge at the side bar of RANDOMNESS blog.

UPDATE: I decide to remove this module from RANDOMNESS because it will not function if I set my status to busy.

Isnin, Februari 25, 2008

Social network popularity around the world

Click to enlarge


MySpace vs Facebook vs Bebo vs Cyworld vs Skyblog vs Hi5 vs Friendster vs Orkut vs Live Journal

Where is Multiply?

Rabu, Februari 20, 2008

Paris-Dakar truck rally



Link

p/s: that truck is made in russia!

NewsGlobe



New ways to check recent news, try here.

mobile wallpaper v3



Ketagih sabun mandi

Pelajar kemaruk telan sabun mandi:
KUALA LUMPUR: Sukar dipercayai tabiat pelik segelintir pelajar yang mengaku ketagih memakan sabun mandi yang didakwa enak persis ‘manisan’.

Kebanyakan pemakan sabun mula berjinak dengan makanan pelik itu selepas tertarik dengan bau wangi sabun sebelum kemaruk menjamahnya setiap hari.

Tabiat seperti wanita mengandung yang mengidam itu dikhuatiri tidak sekadar boleh menyebabkan kerosakan pada organ dalaman mereka, terutama perut, malah dibimbangi boleh menyebabkan maut.

Seorang pelajar kolej swasta yang hanya mahu dikenali sebagai Wani, 19, berkata tabiat pelik memakan sabun dialaminya bermula apabila dia ketagih menghidu bau sejenis sabun mandi ketika pulang ke kampung di Benta, Kuala Lipis, dua tahun lalu.

Ketika itu, katanya, dia yang pulang bercuti semester tercium bau sangat ‘sedap’ dalam tandas rumah neneknya sebelum tercari-cari punca bau berkenaan.

“Saya akhirnya terjumpa seketul sabun berwarna kuning dengan jenama ***** sebelum menciumnya berulang kali. Akibat tertarik dengan bau berkenaan, saya mengambil keputusan membeli sabun itu dan menyimpannya di bilik tidur.

“Setiap kali letih atau pening, saya akan mengambil sabun berkenaan dan menciumnya berulang kali. Tabiat ini berlanjutan hingga beberapa bulan sebelum saya akhirnya mula memakan sabun itu,” katanya ketika ditemui di sini, semalam.

Pada peringkat awal, kata Wani, rasa sabun terbabit agak pelik, namun semakin lama ia bertukar menjadi rasa seperti lemak masin disertai bau wangi menusuk.

“Saya tidak menggigit sabun itu begitu saja, sebaliknya memotongnya menjadi ketulan kecil sebelum dimamah,” katanya.

Ditanya sama ada perbuatan anehnya itu boleh menyebabkan keracunan dalam perut, gadis berkenaan yang kini menuntut dalam jurusan grafik, mendakwa dia tidak pernah sakit berikutan makanan luar biasanya itu.

“Ada rakan mengatakan perbuatan saya sebagai gila, malah ada yang menyifatkan boleh menempah maut. Tidak kurang mendakwa saya terkena penyakit ‘mengidam’ yang kerap dikaitkan dengan wanita mengandung.

“Saya pernah cuba berhenti, tetapi sukar melupakan ‘makanan’ terbabit yang sudah dilakukan selalu, terutama ketika bersendirian dalam bilik,” katanya.

Seorang lagi pemakan sabun yang enggan namanya didedahkan berkata, tabiat aneh memakan sabun itu mula berkembang di kalangan remaja, terutama wanita yang ‘jatuh cinta’ pada keharuman sabun.

Menerusi e-mel kepada wartawan Harian Metro, wanita itu mendakwa ada antara jenama sabun tertentu mempunyai bau istimewa hingga bagaikan memanggilnya memakan bahan pencuci itu.

Dia pernah bertanya Pusat Racun Negara berhubung kesan jangka masa panjang amalan itu terhadap kesihatannya.

Agak terkejut apabila dia diberitahu ada sabun mandi dan ubat gigi di pasaran mengandungi bahan kimia formaldehyde yang turut digunakan bagi pengawetan.

“Saya dimaklumkan ada sabun mandi mempunyai bahan aktif berbahaya yang boleh mengakibatkan keracunan.

Kajian terhadap 140,000 kes keracunan di Amerika Syarikat mendapati 10 peratus daripadanya disebabkan sabun dan bahan pencuci.

“Ramai mangsa menemui maut akibat tertelan bahan itu,” katanya.

Bagaimanapun, difahamkan kebanyakan sabun mandi dijual di pasaran dihasilkan menggunakan garam dan asid lemak bebas yang mempunyai kadar toksik rendah dan tidak mendatangkan kemudaratan sekiranya digunakan pada kulit.

Mangsa bagaimanapun yang tertelan sabun akan rasa mual dan mungkin muntah selepas beberapa minit atau berlanjutan hingga 24 jam.
Gejala sosial barukah ini??

Selasa, Februari 19, 2008

Castro resigns as Cuba president

Bloomberg.com: Worldwide:
Feb. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Fidel Castro resigned as president and commander-in-chief of Cuba, after almost 50 years as the country's leader, the official daily Granma said.

``I neither will aspire to nor will I accept, the position of president of the council of state and commander-in-chief,'' Castro wrote, according to Granma in its online edition. ``My only desire is to fight as a soldier for my ideas.''
Link

Networking tools for students



Unicitee is a website made for students and lecturers that allows you to collaborate, discuss and work together on your university courses.
Upload lecture notes, coursework assignments and past papers
Post questions, comments, links, ideas and opinions
Watch (and upload) streaming audio/video of each of your lectures
Search for similar modules at other universities
Send Messages to your fellow students and lecturers
Get organised with the online timetable, to-do list and calendar

Take the site tour Register Register


p/s This is another excellent networking tools for students for sharing course works/assignments and for lecture-related discussions. It's just recently launched. I found it as an excellent tool for students to share educational related info's. However, you will need an "academic email address" to register. Try it.. might benefit your study. Mel~~

$140k diamond Hot Wheels for 40th Anniversary Car


Link

Isnin, Februari 18, 2008

Penantian ...



Rainbow cauliflowers



Scientists have developed amazing variants of vegetable where the traditional white florets have been changed to a garish orange, purple and green.

The "rainbow cauliflowers" are said to taste the same as the normal varieties, but add a splash of colour to the dinner table.

Some scientists have even claimed that they are healthier for you.

Andrew Coker, a spokesman for the plant company Syngenta - which is developing the plants in Europe - stressed that the colourful cauliflowers were not the result of genetic engineering, but came after decades of traditional selective breeding.
Link

Khamis, Februari 14, 2008