Friday, April 15, 2011

HOW TO MEASURE THE WEATHER

There are five basic instruments needed for an accurate record of the weather. A rain gauge, anemometer (wind gauge), thermometer, barometer and weathervane.


1.Rain gauge. These come in all shapes and sizes from a basic glass jar with incremental measurements on the side, to a wireless rain gauge which can be placed anywhere in your garden and remotely records data such as current rainfall total, current rainfall rate per hour and daily, weekly or monthly totals. They can also be self-emptying allowing you to measure large precipitation amounts over a period of time.

2.Anemometer (wind gauge). This is a device used to measure the speed of the wind. Its most basic form is a cup-anemometer consisting of four hemispherical shafts mounted horizontally to each other on a vertical shaft. Anemometers can be split into 2 broad groups, hand held and fixed. A fixed wind gauge can measure the wind speed at a given location, and also can provide historical measurements such as average wind speed and maximum gust. A hand held anemometer meanwhile will generally just display the current wind strength, however is extremely flexible as it can be carried anywhere so you can measure the wind speed at the coast or on the top of a mountain.

BAROMETER MERCURY

3.Thermometer. These devices of course measure the temperature. Thermometers have progressed a huge amount since the days of a simple mercury thermometer. Now wireless is all the rage, and from the comfort of your favourite armchair you can check the current, maximum or minimum temperatures and have it displayed in °C or °F. So if you are a keen gardener you will be able to judge how cold it is outside and decide whether or not to cover your more sensitive plants.

4.Barometer. Now barometers measure the atmospheric pressure and again can be used to see if the pressure is rising or falling or steady, providing a good indication of the near future weather. However barometers are so much more than a weather instrument, they can be a work of art. Ornamental barometers grace the walls of many a home, and I can remember as a child tapping our barometer every day to see if the pressure was changing and if the weather was going to be 'fine' or 'stormy'. Of course technology has caught up with air pressure too, so digital barometers are widely available and, as in the instruments above, can be used to measure atmospheric trends aiding in a more accurate picture of the coming weather.

5.Weathervanes. Quite simply the weathervane measures which direction the wind is blowing from. A key component to any weather forecast. But, as with a barometer, they can also be an aesthetical addition to your garden, or roof top! There is now an almost unlimited range of designs ,the more popular styles including animals, birds, sports and many others. It is also possible to have your own hand crafted, designer weathervane.

All these weather recording instruments are widely available as individual units or bundled as a weather station. Whatever your reasons for recording the weather, be it as a hobby or as a necessary part of your profession, enjoy the weather whatever it throws at you!


ACESSORIES FOR MEN

When people think about the word accessory, they usually think about women, but that notion is quickly changing. While women have always had the choices of different types of jewelry, belts, hair accessories, scarves and shoes, men are creeping up with their latest accessories now too. There is no reason that men should not have the same variety as women; they like to change their minds and outfits too.

Fashion for men has really been changing a lot over the past few years and more and more designers are making clothes that tailored specifically for all types of men. It used to be that men fashion designers were only designing suits, shirts and pants for men, but now it has become all about the accessories and really tying that outfit together. Today, men focus more on the perfect pair of shoes, the ties that brings the whole suit together, and the latest belts and scarves.


Ties are becoming the most stylish way to really bring a mens fashion designer suit to a whole new level. Edwardian style cravats and the old fashioned styles of ties are definitely coming back in style. With this type of style tie you do not have to get too flashy with it; a very simple color or a silky white for a more formal look will tie everything together. When you wear a nice stylish yet simple tie like this, you can get a little jazzier with the color of the shirt or even the suit.

Shoes for men are coming out in hordes these days, you can tell by how much larger the shoe department in stores has gotten over the past few years. Dark and earthy shoe colors for men are always classic and very versatile. Be sure to stick to shoes that have a slim and thin sole; this makes the shoe look sleeker and will go well with your favorite designer suit. Belts are an accessory that every man should have, regardless of your everyday style. Men are also becoming much more fashionable and really raising the bar with stylish scarves. Scarves can turn a simple and basic outfit into something that is ready to be out on the town. Knit or smooth silky scarves are materials that you cannot go wrong with for any occasion. If you decide to opt for a more textured scarf then you probably want to go with one that is a solid color or a very simple pattern; do not overdo it. So next time you are getting ready for a night out, think about what extra little thing you could add to make your outfit perfect.


GUNUNG JERAI



Hai guys!!!

In this entry, I want to share about Gunung Jerai where is located at my mom's village...mai pi kedah!!


Formerly known as "Kedah Peak", this forest-clad Gunung Jerai is a massive limestone outcrop that rises 1200m above sea level. As the highest peak in the state, it adds a touch of variety to the scenic flat plains seen throughout the area. It's located near Sungei Petani, not far from the island of Penang. When you've been on Penang you must have seen the Gunung Jerai (across the sea) on the mainland.

From the historical viewpoint, Gunung Jerai plays an important part in the history of Kedah. Even before the Malacca Sultanate became famous, Indian and Arab merchants were already making a beeline for the Merbok estuary at the foothills.

After travelling from the Bay of Bengal, the first glimpse of this strategically located mountain was a welcoming beacon to the sea farers. As a result, they traded and even settled down at the foothills.

Considering this place to be sacred, traders built a complex of temples that have now been excavated and preserved at the Lembah Bujang Archeological Museum site.

Like all other mountains, Gunung Jerai has its fair share of history and fascinating tales. Legend has it that Raja Bersiong, the 'king of fangs', once had his ancient kingdom within the Bujang Valley, at the foot of the mountain. Recent archeological findings revealed the existence of the "Temple of the Ninth Water Pool"; many believe that it was Raja Bersiong's private pool.

Relics uncovered in the area provide evidence of a Hindu-Buddhist civilisation dating back to the fourth century A. D. Isolated from the other mountain ranges of Peninsular Malaysia, Gunung Jerai has a unique range of medicinal plants and herbs not found in other mountains

Today, Gunung Jerai is Kedah's premier hill resort and recreational park. On a clear day atop the peak, the cool, refreshing mountain offers spectacular views of the rolling paddy fields of Kedah stretching up to Perlis, and the islands of Penang in the south and Langkawi in the north-west.

The mountain also offers a unique selection of plants, which make it even more intriguing for the botanist. The Sungai Teroi Forest Recreation Park houses an endless variety of herbs, ferns, flowering plants, and climbers. Picnic sites are scattered all over the park, offering sweeping views of lowland plains and padi fields. Hiking trails that are interspersed with flowerbeds of vivid hues provide opportunities for leisurely strolls. Trees along the path are labelled for easy identification. Part of the mountain stream has even been dammed to provide cool clear pools for swimming. For the more adventurous, overnight shelters have also been provided.

The main vegetation is the dipterocarp forest which consist of hardwoods such as keruing, cengal and meranti. Going up the landscape changes dramatically from lowland to montane conifer forest. Typical species of the conifers include Agathis dammara and Podocarpus imbricatus. Several rare orchids are found on Gunung Jerai including the Bulbophyllum longiflorum. Pitcher plants of the Nepenthes species are also quite common.

The famous Alur Naga waterfall is located about 200m from the resort, which is a magnificent spot. The hike down a path of steep boulders was well worth it as one could spend the whole day enjoying the serenity and beauty of the falls.

The water was clear and the 30m high waterfall simply breathtaking. The pool beneath it is waist deep and safe for swimming. The name was derived from a legend where a dragon was believed to have lived in the cave behind the waterfall and occasionally came out to bathe in the pool.

At the peak of the mountain, the Museum of Forestry houses a wealth of information and artefacts on Malaysian forestry. The museum is housed in a beautiful traditional Malaysian house. It's located on a short distance from the Peranginan Gunung Jerai Resort. At the museum visitors can derive useful information on Malaysian forests and learn among other things, the commercial and medicinal uses of different indigenous plants.


OGRE???



An ogre (feminine: ogress) is a large, cruel, monstrous and hideous humanoid monster, featured in mythology, folklore and fiction. Ogres are often depicted in fairy tales and folklore as feeding on human beings, and have appeared in many classic works of literature. In art, ogres are often depicted with a large head, abundant hair and beard, a voracious appetite, and a strong body. The term is often applied in a metaphorical sense to disgusting persons who exploit, brutalize or devour their victims. Closely related is the troll figure, although these are sometimes not as malevolent.

The word ogre is of French origin. Its earliest attestation is in Chrétien de Troyes' late 12th century verse romance Perceval, li contes del graal, which contains the lines:

“et s'est escrit que il ert ancore

que toz li reaumes de Logres,

qui ja dis fu la terre as ogres,

ert destruite par cele lance”

"And it is written that there will come a time when all the kingdom of Logres [England] which formerly was the land of the ogres will be destroyed by that spear." The ogres in this rhyme may refer to the ogres who, in the pseudohistorical work History of the Kings of Britain by Geoffrey of Monmouth, were the inhabitants of Britain prior to human settlement. Ogre could possibly derive from the two mythical giants Gog and Magog (or from the Greek river god Oiagros, father of Orpheus).

The word ogre came into wider usage in the works of Charles Perrault (1628–1703) or Marie-Catherine Jumelle de Berneville, Comtesse d' Aulnoy (1650–1705), both of whom were French authors. Other sources say that the name is derived from the word Hongrois, which means Hungarian, as of western cultures referred to hungarians as a kind of monstrosity. The word ogre is thought to have been popularized by the works of Italian author Giambattista Basile (1575–1632), who used the Neapolitan word uerco, or in standard Italian, orco. This word is documented in earlier Italian works (Fazio degli Uberti, XIV cent.; Luigi Pulci, XV; Ludovico Ariosto, XV-XVI) and has even older cognates with the Latin orcus and the Old English orcnēas found in Beowulf lines 112-113, which inspired J.R.R. Tolkien's Orc. All these words may derive from a shared Indo-European mythological concept (as Tolkien himself speculated, as cited by Tom Shippey, The Road to Middle-earth, 45). Some see the French myth of the ogre as being inspired by the real-life crimes of Gilles de Rais.


The first appearance of the word ogre in Perrault's work occurred in his Histoires ou Contes du temps Passé (1697). It later appeared in several of his other fairy tales, many of which were based on the Neapolitan tales of Basile. The first example of a female ogre being referred to as an ogress is found in his version of Sleeping Beauty, where it is spelled ogresse. The Comtesse d' Aulnoy first employed the word ogre in her story L'Orangier et l' Abeille (1698), and was the first to use the word ogree to refer to the creature's offspring.


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