- Latest Popular Stories, Instablogs Community by Rekha

Disneyland opens 'Dream Home' with futuristic flourishes

Rekha — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 09:42:37 +0000

Disneyland has seen the future, and the future is now-ish.

For its “Innoventions Dream Home” that opened Monday, the Happiest Place on Earth combined today’s cutting edge technology with a few Jetsons-like flourishes.

Many of the 5,000-square-foot home’s technologies are practical, such as a virtual bulletin board for the kids’ schedules and a flat-screen outdoor monitor that gives barbecue instructions.

Here's why you hate Mondays!!

Rekha — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 06:53:50 +0000

Scientists have discovered a cure for the dreaded Monday morning blues - stop sleeping in on weekends.

A new study has found that lazy Saturday and Sunday lie-ins can disturb your body clock, leaving you fatigued at the start of the week.

Flinders University sleep expert Leon Lack said people often used the weekend to catch up on sleep lost during the week.

But he told the Australasian Sleep Association Conference in Perth that while this might help pay off a “sleep debt”, it came at a cost.

How I Traded My Life For Future Security And How I’m Getting It Back

Rekha — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 09:08:23 +0000

Have you ever had a feeling in life that you were exactly where you were supposed to be, doing exactly what you were supposed to be doing?

If you’ve ever been fortunate enough to experience it, you know that when it happens you feel a deep a sense of contentment in knowing that you are on the right path. All is as it should be, and the path that led you to that point was exactly the one you should have taken.

Backpackers Dream 10 - Outstanding Hostels Around the World

Rekha — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 05:23:08 +0000

There are so many fascinating hostels around the world, but here are some of the more interesting and popular places that you may want to consider staying in if you are going to be spending some time traveling.
Stumble It!

The water isn’t always hot, it is sometimes crowded and noisy, and you can definitely expect the unexpected from the other visitors, but there is no denying that spending some time in a hostel can be one of the most surprisingly enjoyable moments of any backpacker’s vacation. Throughout the world, while many vacationers expect the pampering and luxury of the best hotels, some brave souls, both young and old, appreciate the alternative adventure of communal living in a hostel.

Mother's breast milk thrown into garbage

Rekha — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 04:58:41 +0000

Nina Brewer-Davis stood in tears at Vancouver International Airport’s security checkpoint Tuesday morning as she watched a guard throw 1½ litres of her breast milk in the garbage.

Security staff told her she couldn’t bring it on the plane unless she had her baby with her, Ms. Brewer-Davis said. But according to Transport Canada regulations, she should have been able to keep at least some of the milk.

The Experience of "Being In Love" Is Not The Same For Everyone

Rekha — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 05:18:59 +0000

Not everyone experiences love in exactly the same manner. Research has shown that love comes in several different forms or styles. For the most part, people experience love as a blend of two or three of the styles listed below. Essentially, people...

Rape: now women can bite back

Rekha — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 07:04:29 +0000

The words of a rape victim - “If only I had teeth down there” - have inspired the design of a new anti-rape device.

Rapex - dubbed the ‘rape trap’ - is a product worn internally by women. The hollow inside is lined with rows of razor-sharp hooks, which are designed to latch on to a rapist’s penis during penetration. They can only be removed by a doctor.

You are what your mother eats: First evidence that mother’s diet influences infant sex

Rekha — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:44:26 +0000

New research by the Universities of Exeter and Oxford provides the first evidence that a child’s sex is associated with the mother’s diet. The study focused on 740 first-time pregnant mothers in the UK, who did not know the sex of their fetus. They were asked to provide records of their eating habits before and during the early stages of pregnancy. They were then split into three groups according to the number of calories consumed per day around the time they conceived. 56% of the women in the group with the highest energy intake at conception had sons, compared with 45% in the lowest group. As well as consuming more calories, women who had sons were more likely to have eaten a higher quantity and wider range of nutrients, including potassium, calcium and vitamins C, E and B12. There was also a strong correlation between women eating breakfast cereals and producing sons.

World's Ultimate Unplugged Vacations

Rekha — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 05:14:32 +0000

It’s getting harder to escape the blinking light of one’s BlackBerry while on vacation. The handheld device is now supported in 135 countries and available from over 350 carriers and channels.

Travelers might also be surprised to hear cellphones ring in the Yosemite Valley, Galapagos Islands and even on Mount Everest. Not only are these remote destinations now rigged for basic cellphone service, wireless Internet is available at local hotels and resorts.

That’s not so good for those seeking a reprieve from the daily grind.

Expect the Unexpected!

Rekha — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 05:57:40 +0000

Visitors at the annual horticultural show at Lalbagh are blown away by the spectacular display of flowers and plants. Just like anyone else, I was drawn by the sheer beauty of flowers displayed there when I happened to visit a show four years ago. One particular flower that caught my fancy was the Bird of Paradise. There was something fascinating about the orange and purple beauty and I just wanted to see these flowers blooming in my garden in spite of not having a green thumb. We bought four plants from one the stalls selling the saplings and with great enthusiasm watered them every day waiting for the beauties to bloom….Days, months and years passed but the plants showed no sign of flowering in spite of happily lapping up all the care shown to them for four long years. Every gardener we consulted kept saying that they bloom when the time is right but the right time simply didn’t seem to come around and I just couldn’t wait any longer.

We decided to get rid of these plants so that we could replace them with something better. Now, the gardener who was supposed to do the job suddenly disappeared for two weeks and in my melee of hectic schedule ignored the plants. There was a surprise waiting for me the next weekend - A Bird of Paradise greeting me in all its blooming colors. Oh boy! I just jumped with joy. Something else happened the same day, there was a riot of colors in the garden with lots of other blooming flowers-a sight I had never witnessed before at home.

Okay, so what did I learn from this little act of nature? Expect the Unexpected! Life may not be the way we expected, but it sure throws little surprises and miracles we never expect and this is probably nature’s way of showing that no matter how long your tunnel is; there is always a light at the end of it. Btw, I am still waiting for the other plants to flower and waiting for the next surprise nature throws in.