Flute

The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening. According to the instrument classification of Hornbostel-Sachs, flutes are categorized as edge-blown aerophones.

A musician who plays the flute can be referred to as a flute player, a flautist, a flutist, or less commonly a fluter.

Aside from the voice, flutes are the earliest known musical instruments. A number of flutes dating to about 40,000 to 35,000 years ago have been found in the Swabian Alb region of Germany. These flutes demonstrate that a developed musical tradition existed from the earliest period of modern human presence in Europe.

History
The oldest flute ever discovered may be a fragment of the femur of a juvenile cave bear, with two to four holes, found at Divje Babe in Slovenia and dated to about 43,000 years ago. However, this has been disputed. In 2008 another flute dated back to at least 35,000 years ago was discovered in Hohle Fels cave near Ulm, Germany. The five-holed flute has a V-shaped mouthpiece and is made from a vulture wing bone. The researchers involved in the discovery officially published their findings in the journal Nature, in August 2009. The discovery is also the oldest confirmed find of any musical instrument in history.

The flute, one of several found, was found in the Hohle Fels cavern next to the Venus of Hohle Fels and a short distance from the oldest known human carving On announcing the discovery, scientists suggested that the “finds demonstrate the presence of a well-established musical tradition at the time when modern humans colonized Europe”. Scientists have also suggested that the discovery of the flute may help to explain “the probable behavioural and cognitive gulf between” Neanderthals and early modern human.

A three-holed flute, 18.7 cm long, made from a mammoth tusk (from the Geißenklösterle cave, near Ulm, in the southern German Swabian Alb and dated to 30,000 to 37,000 years ago) was discovered in 2004, and two flutes made from swan bones excavated a decade earlier (from the same cave in Germany, dated to circa 36,000 years ago) are among the oldest known musical instruments.

Categories of flute
- The Western concert flutes
- The Indian bamboo flute
- The Chinese flute
- The Japanese flute

San Thome Basilica

Name: San Thome Basilica
Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Country: India
Denomination: Roman Catholic
Website: www.santhomebasilica.com

History
Former name: San Thome Church
Dedication: St. Thomas
Relics held: Bone of St. Thomas

San Thome Basilica is a Roman Catholic (Latin Rite) minor basilica in Santhome, in the city of Chennai, India. It was built in the 16th century by Portuguese explorers, and rebuilt again with the status of a cathedral by the British in 1893. The British version still stands today. It was designed in Neo-Gothic style, favoured by British architects in the late 19th century.

History
Christian tradition holds that St. Thomas arrived in Kerala from Israel in 52 A.D. preached between 52 A.D. and 72 A.D., when he was martyred on St. Thomas Mount. The basilica is built over the site where he was believed originally to be interred.

San Thome Basilica is the principal church of the Madras-Mylapore Catholic Archdiocese. In 1956, Pope Pius XII raised the church to the status of a Minor Basilica, and on February 11, 2006, it was declared a national shrine by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. The San Thome Basilica is a pilgrimage centre for Christians in India. The church also has an attached museum.

Pluto

Pluto, formal designation 134340 Pluto, is the second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System (after Eris) and the tenth-most-massive body observed directly orbiting the Sun.

Originally classified as the ninth planet from the Sun, Pluto was recategorized as a dwarf planet and plutoid due to the discovery that it is one of several large bodies within the newly charted Kuiper belt.

Like other members of the Kuiper belt, Pluto is composed primarily of rock and ice and is relatively small: approximately a fifth the mass of the Earth’s Moon and a third its volume. It has an eccentric and highly inclined orbit that takes it from 30 to 49 AU (4.4–7.4 billion km) from the Sun. This causes Pluto to periodically come closer to the Sun than Neptune. As of 2011, it is 32.1 AU from the Sun.

From its discovery in 1930 until 2006, Pluto was classified as a planet. In the late 1970s, following the discovery of minor planet 2060 Chiron in the outer Solar System and the recognition of Pluto’s relatively low mass, its status as a major planet began to be questioned.

In the late 20th and early 21st century, many objects similar to Pluto were discovered in the outer Solar System, notably the scattered disc object Eris in 2005, which is 27% more massive than Pluto.

On August 24, 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) defined what it means to be a “planet” within the Solar System. This definition excluded Pluto as a planet and added it as a member of the new category “dwarf planet” along with Eris and Ceres.

After the reclassification, Pluto was added to the list of minor planets and given the number 134340. A number of scientists continue to hold that Pluto should be classified as a planet.

Pluto has four known moons, the largest being Charon discovered in 1978, along with Nix and Hydra, discovered in 2005, and the provisionally named S/2011 P 1, discovered in 2011.

Pluto and Charon are sometimes described as a binary system because the barycenter of their orbits does not lie within either body. However, the IAU has yet to formalise a definition for binary dwarf planets, and as such Charon is officially classified as a moon of Pluto.

Mysore Palace

Name: Mysore palace
Built: 1912
Architect: Henry Irwin
Architectural style: Indo-Saracenic

The Palace of Mysore is a palace situated in the city of Mysore in southern India. It is the official residence of the Wodeyars – the erstwhile royal family of Mysore, and also houses two durbar halls (ceremonial meeting hall of the royal court).
Mysore is commonly described as the City of Palaces, however, the term “Mysore Palace” specifically refers to one within the old fort. The Wodeyar kings first built a palace in Mysore in the 14th century, it was demolished and constructed multiple times.
The current palace construction was commissioned in 1897, and it was completed in 1912 and expanded later around 1940.
Mysore palace is now one of the most famous tourist attractions in India after Taj Mahal with more than 2.7 million visitors. Although tourists are allowed to visit the palace, they are not allowed to take photographs inside the palace.
Price of admission for foreign tourists is 200 INR., and for Indians 20 INR. All visitors must remove their footwear to enter the palace.
The regent of Mysore, Maharani Vani Vilas Sannidhna, commissioned a British architect, Henry Irwin, to build yet another palace in its place. The construction was completed in year 1912.
But slowly the beautification of the fort was also taken up and the inhabitants of the fort were slowly shifted out to newer Extension built outside. The present Public Durbar Hall wing was also added much later around 1940.
Temples
The palace complex includes twelve Hindu temples. The oldest of these was built in the 14th century, while the most recent was built in 1953.

Some of the more famous temples are:
Someshvara Temple
Lakshmiramana Temple
Shwetha Varahaswamy Temple

Attractions
The Palace houses several rooms of importance. These include:
Audience Chamber
Public Durbar
Royal wedding hall
Armoury

Gulmarg

Gulmarg (translation: “Path of Roses“) is a town, a hill station and a notified area committee in Baramula district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Geography
Gulmarg is located 52 km from Srinagar. It has an average elevation of 2,690 m (8,825 ft).

History
Gulmarg has been a resort for the kings like Yousuf Shah Chak and Jahangir who used to visit frequently. The old name of Gulmarg was “Gaurimarg“, the name of Lord Shiva’s wife. Yousuf Shah Chak changed its name to Gulmarg, meaning the place of roses. During the early part of the 20th century the famous Central Asian explorer Sir Marc Aurel Stein (1862–1943), made his home here in a tent between his expeditions. It was a favourite summer holiday destination for the British stationed in India.

The surrounding areas were politically restive during a period of relative peace and quiet. The town is nestled within the imposing Himalayan peaks, and lies within miles of the Line of Control. It receives heavy snowfall during the winter season and is a popular ski resort.

With the abatement of militancy in the area, Gulmarg has quickly become one of the state’s most visited destinations. The slopes of the Afarwat Hills of the Pir Panjal Range of the Himalaya Chain boast one of the longest and highest ski slopes in Asia. The total distance covered by ski lifts is five kilometres and the resort peaks at an altitude of 3,950 m (12,959 ft), accessed by an aerial gondola (telecabine).

The entire hill is guarded by the army at all times. The army, which is seen everywhere in the cities of Kashmir, is not in the town or the actual hilltop. Frisking is only done midway on the access road at 3 places: Tangmarg, near an army camp on the road from Tangmarg, and 5 km before entering Gulmarg.

Mie goreng

Origin
Alternative name: Mee Goreng or Mi Goreng
Place of origin: Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore
Region or state: Nationwide
Creator: Chinese Indonesian and Peranakan

Dish details
Course served: Main course
Serving temperature: Hot
Main ingredient: Fried noodles with chicken, meat or prawn

Mie goreng (Indonesian: mie goreng or mi goreng; Malay: mee goreng or mi goreng; both meaning “fried noodles”) is a dish famous in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.

It is made with thin yellow noodles fried with garlic, onion or shallots, fried prawn, chicken, or beef, sliced bakso (meatballs), chili, vegetables, tomatoes, egg, and acar (pickles).

Ubiquitous in Indonesia, you can find it everywhere in the country, sold by street-hawkers to high-end restaurants. It is commonly available at mamak stalls in Singapore & Malaysia and is often spicy.

The instant version of mie goreng, Indomie Mi goreng, is also popular in Indonesia and other countries, notably Australia and New Zealand.

The dish is derived from Chinese chow mein and believed to have been introduced by Chinese immigrants in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Mie goreng is also similar to Japanese yakisoba.

However mie goreng has been more heavily integrated into Indonesian cuisine. For example the application of popular sweet soy sauce and the absence of pork and lard in favour for shrimp, chicken, or beef; to cater for the Muslim majority.

Thar Desert

The Thar Desert is a large, arid region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent and forms a natural boundary running along the border between India and Pakistan. With an area of more than 200,000 km2, it is the world’s 9th largest subtropical desert.

It lies mostly in the Indian State of Rajasthan, and extends into the southern portion of Haryana and Punjab states and into northern Gujarat state. In Pakistan, the desert covers eastern Sindh province and the southeastern portion of Pakistan’s Punjab province. The Cholistan Desert adjoins the Thar desert spreading into Pakistani Punjab province.

Basic Facts About the Thar Desert
- 74,000 sq mi
- Also known as the Great Indian Desert
- Borders India and Pakistan
- 4000 to 10000 years old
- 2000 to 1500 BC this is a resent desert
- The home to species of cow, sheep, goats, camel, and ox.
- People grow musterd seed in the desert
- Some trees came be grown in the desert however people grow them for money
- some salt water lakes are in the desert and peole depend on them
- 7th largest desert in the world
- 1974 the Thar desert had its first bomb exploded by the people of india
- filled with brocken rocks and shifting sand dunes
- There is a significent amount of shrub vegitation
- 500 miles long by 250 miles wide
- The Thar desert is home to many plants and animals

UNICEF

Org type: Fund
Acronyms: UNICEF
Status: Active
Established: December 1946
Headquarters: New York, USA
Parent org: ECOSOC

United Nations Children’s Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II.

In 1953, UNICEF became a permanent part of the United Nations System and its name was shortened from the original United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund but it has continued to be known by the popular acronym based on this old name.

Headquartered in New York City, UNICEF provides long-term humanitarian and developmental assistance to children and mothers in developing countries. It is one of the members of the United Nations Development Group and its Executive Committee.

Governments contribute two thirds of the organization’s resources; private groups and some 6 million individuals contribute the rest through the National Committees. UNICEF’s programs emphasize developing community-level services to promote the health and well-being of children. UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965 and the Prince of Asturias Award of Concord in 2006.

Most of UNICEF’s work is in the field, with staff in over 190 countries and territories. More than 200 country offices carry out UNICEF’s mission through a program developed with host governments. Seven regional offices provide technical assistance to country offices as needed.

Overall management and administration of the organization takes place at its headquarters in New York. UNICEF’s Supply Division is based in Copenhagen and serves as the primary point of distribution for such essential items as vaccines, antiretroviral medicines for children and mothers with HIV, nutritional supplements, emergency shelters, educational supplies, among others.

A 36-member Executive Board establishes policies, approves programs and oversees administrative and financial plans. The Executive Board is made up of government representatives who are elected by the United Nations Economic and Social Council, usually for three-year terms.

UNICEF is an inter-governmental organization and thus is accountable to governments. UNICEF’s salary and benefits package is based on the United Nations Common System.

Camel

1. The oldest known camel is Protylopus, appeared 40-50 million years ago in North America. It had the size of a rabbit and lived in forests. Later, camels spread to the savanna and increased their size. In Oligocene, 35 million years ago, Poebrotherium had the size of a roe deer, but already resembled a camel.

2. There are 17 million camels worldwide. 90 % are dromedaries or Arabian camels and 75 % of the dromedaries are found in North/East Africa. 50 % of the world’s dromaderies are found in Sudan and Somalia, in semidesert areas. 15-20,000 bewildered dromaderies roam western and central Australia.

3. Dromedary could have been domesticated in southwestern Arabia between 6,000 to 3,400 years ago, initially for their milk, while the larger and slower Bactrian camel in Northeastern Iran and southwestern Central Asia about 3,500 years ago. From Arabia, dromedaries entered Somalia, 3,500 years ago, and by 500 BC they reached the Atlantic coast.

4.Camels are gregarious and well adapted to their environment, the desert. They can carry heavy cargoes, stand sand storms and large temperature differences. Camels are called the “desert ships“, and they can swim when they encounter water. The north Egyptian Lake Borollos has a depth varying between 20 cm and 2 m. It cannot be crossed by boat or vehicles, and only camels can be used in this case.

5.The camels’ humps are reservoirs of fatty tissue. A full hump has 10-15 kg. When this fat is metabolized, it is not only a source of energy, but yields through reaction with oxygen from the air 1,111 g of water per 1,000 g of fat converted.

7. Camels walk 3 km per day looking for food, on average 3 hours, and disperse when food is scarce. They require 10-20 kg of fresh food daily, depending on the animal’s size. If working, the food requirement is of 30-50 kg per day. They spend 8-12 hours per day eating.

8. Camels mate all year round, but they have a favorable period when vegetation is lush. The male is extremely aggressive during mating period. During the arousal, he shows off his teeth, salivate abundantly, and the epidermic glands of the neck and shoulders are extremely active. He urinates frequently, and keeps the head and the fore limbs as raised as possible. Males possess an organ called dulla, like a pink bladder, normally harbored in the throat. During the rut period, the male throws the dulla out of his mouth in a display dominance. Dulla hangs like an inflated pink tongue and at the same time the male burbles, a disgusting sight to most humans.

9. Camels are gregarious. Free roaming camels form groups of 6-30 individuals, made of one male, several females with offspring. The rest of the males are solitary of form bachelor groups. There may be groups of females lacking males.

10. One of the worst habits of the camels is spitting. A distressed camel will spit a fetid stream coming from its first stomach chamber, especially when angry, frustrated or spooked, a real chemical bomb.

Strange Facts

01. There are 62,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body – laid end to end they would circle the earth 2.5 times

02. At over 2000 kilometers long, The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on Earth

03. A typical hurricane produces the energy equivalent of 8,000 one megaton bombs

04. Blood sucking hookworms inhabit 700 million people worldwide

05. The highest speed ever achieved on a bicycle is 166.94 mph, by Fred Rompelberg

06. We can produce laser light a million times brighter than sunshine

07. The combined length of the roots of a Finnish pine tree is over 30 miles

08. The oceans contain enough salt to cover all the continents to a depth of nearly 500 feet

09. Polar Bears can run at 25 miles an hour and jump over 6 feet in the air

10. 60-65 million years ago dolphins and humans shared a common ancestor

11. Polar Bears are nearly undetectable by infrared cameras, due to their transparent fur

12. The average person accidentally eats 430 bugs each year of their life

13. A single rye plant can spread up to 400 miles of roots underground

14. The temperature on the surface of Mercury exceeds 430 degrees C during the day, and, at night, plummets to minus 180 degrees centigrade

15. Butterflies taste with their hind feet, and their taste sensation works on touch – this allows them to determine whether a leaf is edible