facts and fiction

Actor Raghuvaran Dies

2008-03-19T07:18:00.000-07:00

Popular South Indian film actor Raghuvaran died of cardiac arrest in Chennai at the age of 60.

Originally from Palakkad area of Kerala, Raghuvaran acted in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Hindi films in supporting roles like the doctor in Sivaji or as villain like the criminal gang leader in Bheema. His last film was the Tamil movie Sila Nerangalil.

Raghuvaran is survived by a son and his ex-wife actress Rohini.

Ajith and Shalini have a daughter:

2008-03-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

Ajith and Shalini celebrated the birth of their daughter on january 3rd.The daughter weighed 3.3 kgs and resembles Ajith.

The daughter has been named as Anuoshka after much pondering.

Riding on a wooden rollercoaster

2008-03-14T23:52:00.000-07:00

A theme park in South Korea unveils a wooden rollercoaster with the world's largest drop.

South Korea's largest and tallest rollercoaster, 'T-express' which has been labelled as the most extreme ride in the country has opened for business.

Passengers screamed and giggled as they experienced the g-force and 77 degree plunge on the wooden construction.

36 passengers can ride on the rollercoaster that travels up to 104Km per hour.

Life is beautiful:

2008-03-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

What are we earning for.

this is what actually happens in everyones life.In the beginning of our life,we die to finish high school,then die to earn,then die to get married,die to have children,die to make them big so that we can retire,then at the end of it all,we realise at the time of death that we hadnt lived life after all.

To earn money,we lose wealth and in the end to save our health we lose money.thats what life is all about. enjoy life and dont make money a priority....

Earning money:

2008-03-09T07:46:00.000-07:00

Its time the weekend has arrived and you have a tough time planning for the things to celebrate at the weekend.All through the week you would have planned with your friends on what all to do on the weekend,like hanging out,chilling out in some beach,not to mention playing some match on the streets or perhaps on a ground.

But rather,the greatest problem that you always face besides the regular putting up of a schedule,is the money.generally you may find the money sufficient at the beginning of every month,but by the middle you have a tough time managing expenditures and time comes when you are left at the mercy of your mother or father to get some money to freak out.

How cool will it be if you could have money everyday,that too sitting at your home,and also more than sufficient enough to meet your expenses.Payperpost takes care of all this by paying money in exchange for publicising a product and in addition you can choose an amount depending on your requirement and also the time you can spend writing a blog.I had faced similar problems.That was when I came across Payperpost in the web,and I had to wait for a month to get my blog approved and now its time i begin to earn.The better you drive traffic into your blog,better your chances of earning..

Dont you think its is a blessing in disguise.........

India ranked 4th in ODI rankings:

2008-03-04T21:23:00.000-08:00

THe recent win against Australia has placed India on par with the New Zealand and both of them stand very close in the ICC rankings with 117 points with the New Zealand leading by just a few decimal points.

The same holds for the difference between the 1st and 2nd slots held respectively by Aussie and the Proteas.They differ by a few decimal points and in the ongoing series between Suth Africa and Bangladesh,if the South Africans manage to win with a clean sweep,it will put them ahead of the aussies in the ICC ranking and will replace Australia as the world no 1,a title they held for quite some time before the world cup.

If the South Africans lose a single game then Aussie will retain their current spot and will be leading by 2 points.

Sachin:Ranked No.1 in ICC ODI ranking

2008-03-04T07:52:00.000-08:00

No Doubt that Sachin had,has and will capture many hearts with his awesome strokes and his game.

His latest performance in the Australian series and his exceptional century and a ninety in the most crucial games has moved him to the top spot in the ICC rankings.

Sachin is the number one ODI player according to the recently released ICC rankings.

Isn't that truly amazing and something which he truly deserves and achieving this even while he is not in his prime is truly incredible.

Indians emerge victorious:

2008-03-04T05:10:00.001-08:00

Indians have finally crushed the world champions.The Indians have emerged victorious in the finals in both the games and have proved the world that the Australians are truly out of form.

The Indians who batted first had a very good start.The opening pair of Tendulkar and Uthappa gave a very good start and scored consistently,until a score of 90's.That was when the foundation began to rattle with Uthappas dismissal.

Yuvraj followed up and scored eloquently,but got dismissed in his 30's.Certainly a series he wouldn't like to remember as far as his batting goes.Next in line,Rohit sharma who scored a staggering and gentle 66 in the last game made way with just a few runs.All through,Sachin batted consistently and was at the peak of his form.It was his day,as had been the last ODI.Dhoni scored credibly,and the middle order played and the team somehow managed to settle with a score of 258.At a position with no loss of wickets when the team was in its 90s,the score of 300 itself seemed easily gettable.The frequent loss of wickets created panic,and they had to strain to get the score.

On the Australian side,the run getters had been Symonds,Hussey,Hayden,Hopes,who scored in 40s and 50s.Praveen Kumar had a succesful day as he Managed to scalp 4 wickets,and the low bounce of his deliveries no doubt,shattered the aussie line-up.

Finally,after an enticing game,Indians emerged victorious by 9 runs.The Aussies never let off the game and fought until the final over until they were all out.

Bracken was the man of the series and Praveen kumar the man of the match.

Can india emerge a winner:

2008-03-03T07:41:00.001-08:00

Indians are one up in the series and it definitely gives them an edge in tomorrows game.

It definitely serves as a morale booster,and with the Indians winning the last game comfortably and with little masters amazing ton along with a truly memorable partnership with Rohit sharma,the Australians are definitely on their toes and no doubt have plans to win comfortably,by targetting on the aforementioned as their coveted wickets.

It is a test of nerves versus ability.The Australians in order to win will have to hold their nerves and the Indians would have to retain their wickets from losing at regular intervals.They'll have to build a solid start and have to build good partnerships,and their chances of winning mostly rests on a striking partnership.

A virtual Keyboard:

2008-03-03T07:30:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows what a keyboard is.Right and Maybe the different types in it:Be it wireless,wired,usb et al.

Ever heard of a virtual keyboard.One which you can use.But the keys rarely exist physically.

You should be confused by now.Making it clear this is what a virtual keyboard is:there are NO KEYS.

You have a laser projector sort of a thing that projects a beam.

The beam creates a pattern similar to a keyboard with keys.All you have to do next is to start typing just like you would do in any other keyboard.As simple as that.

No wear and tear of keyboard,and further you dont need a place for the keyboard.All you have is the projector to project the beam.

And further it can be used for mobiles even.

truly amazing stuff!!!!

Earn through blogs the smorty way:

2008-03-03T05:16:00.000-08:00

Are you an ardent blogger,and do blogging for leisure.If you are happy blogging,then how does it feel like to be paid actually just to do what you do.Yes you heard it right,you actually get paid to blog.

One of the sites that does just this is smorty,that allows you to perform blog advertising about a product and you get paid amounts for doing the deed.

Now think about it.You dont have to invest any money.You sit at the leisure of your home,or your workplace and just blog for money.In fact you are advertising in addition a product which you may have benefited with yourself.

Blogging is especially meant to convey the pleasures of a person and smorty gives you the right to visit a products website,learn in detail of the product and to write in their own words about the product,its features and you get paid for conveying your opinion.

The better your rank,the better your chances of earning offers and better your chances of earning more.

Online selling:

2008-03-03T04:49:00.000-08:00

In the modern world,it has been a daunting task in order to sustain a business,as it requires selling of goods and identifying potential customers in most cases.

Most of the customers prefer buying online.Under such circumstances ,the sellers would find it a welcome respite to sell online,and they need help in this regard.

This is what shopping cart software aims to achieve.It provides a revolutionary online store using a shopping cart which is 100% optimised.

Further than this,it provides advice on establishing an online store.what else could you expect more from it?further its affordable,and further it provides a discretion to the sellers to try the shopping cart software for free,if at all they have any doubts about its credibility.But certainly its bound to create a revolution in online business.

all shopping carts are provided on ultra fast web servers that operate 24 x 7 and provide 99.8 uptime guaranteed to provide ecommerce solution with ecommerce software.

Widgets for blogger:

2008-03-02T04:50:00.000-08:00

Want some amazing widgets for your blogger,then do visit this site....It offers amazing collection of a million widgets for myspace,blogger.etc.You tell a name,and you have it.

Widgets

where are we heading towards in cricket:

2008-03-02T03:33:00.000-08:00

It is not the cricket as we know it.Players being auctioned and the so called team owners shelling money in order to set up a team.

It is not new to the game of cricket the term innovation.There was a time when test matches were the only known form of a game in cricket.No one thought beyond it and it was the ultimate test of a players build.

Then there arrived a thought to reduce the hardships-if any-that are borne by the players as they are playing for 5 consecutive days.So there arrived a thought to replace the fashion of 5 days by a single day with the limited 50 overs per side.

Though the thought was objected,as objections rule innovation in a game,and there was a time when limited overs was held to be a substitute for tests.But things changed with gaining acceptance among the crowds as the entertainment ruled in the 50 overs game and the audience found the concept to be gradually acceptable.The players also found it to be a welcome respite from tests,in the fact that the techniques in both the forms are nearly the same,and both the bowlers and the batsmen find a role to play in a game.

But things have changed with the arrival of 20 20.The bowlers are merely looked upon as a goat in the hands of the butcher(read batsman).The batsmen who had mastered the techniques gained with playing tests simply aim at scoring runs,and in 20 overs,technique hardly matters,as far as one can score,and perhaps as far as the ball hits the bat.The bowlers on the other hand pray that the next ball is a maiden one,and all they can try is get some wickets,as runs start flowing in tandem once a momentum is set.

The batsmen on the other hand,instead of rotating strike as they are supposed to,rotate the bat as fast as they can so that it would make a better fan than a bat.

There is no doubt that the 20 20 will face a similar fate as the versions which we know.Further the IPL players are comprised of players from different teams.Nationalistic feelings run high during a cricket match.Every match is like a war:A war is a match without balls;A match is a war without guns.

How many of us would like our tems winning with the help of a Mathew Hayden,or how many Australians would like it.

What the IPL can do is to centralise the players,rather than what they've done....

"Quiet!You are going to jail":

2008-03-01T22:09:00.000-08:00

A police officer stopped a motorist who was speeding down Main Street. "But officer," the man began, "I can explain."

"Just be quiet," snapped the officer. "I'm going to let you cool your heels in jail until the chief gets back."

"But, officer, I just wanted to say,"

"And I said to keep quiet! You're going to jail!"

A few hours later the officer looked in on his prisoner and said, "Lucky for you that the chief's at his daughter's wedding... He'll be in a good mood when he gets back."

"Don't count on it," answered the fellow in the cell. "I'm the groom."

How people give leave explanations:

2008-03-01T22:08:00.000-08:00

.....How people give explanations for Leave.

Suddenly one of the employees in an organization took 10 days Leave without any notice.
When he returned his PL(Project Leader) asked for explanation. The employee said "Sir, my mom died unexpectedly".
The PL let it go at that.

After 3 months the same pattern repeated, and this time he said his father died. Then the PL got changed.

After 3 months the same pattern repeated. And the employee gave the explanation that his mom died. After 3 months same thing again... and this time his father died. This happened repeatedly for 2 years.

At the end, one PL checked his past records and told him, "I have caught you red handed, How come in the past 2 years, your mom has died 5 times, and your dad has died five times?"

To which the guy said, "Sir, my mom died and my father remarried. Then my father died and my new mom remarried. Then my mom died and the new father remarried. This has been going on and on and on and..."!!!!!!

Barber and a software engineer:

2008-03-01T22:02:00.000-08:00

There was a good old barber in Mumbai. One day a florist goes to him for a haircut. After the cut, he goes to pay the barber and the

barber replies: I am sorry, I cannot accept money from you; I am doing a Community Service. Florist is happy and leaves the shop.

The next morning when the Barber goes to open his shop, there is a "Thank You" Card and a dozen roses waiting at his door.

A Confectioner goes for a haircut and he also goes to pay the barber he again refuses to take the money. The Confectioner is happy and leaves the shop.

The next morning when the Barber goes to open his shop, there is another "Thank you" Card and a dozen Cakes waiting at his door.

A Software Engineer goes for a haircut and he also goes to pay the barber again refuses the money saying that it was a community service. The next morning when the Barber goes to open his shop, guess what he finds there......

A Dozen Software engineers waiting for a free haircut... with printouts of forwarded

mail mentioning about free haircut

Four beautiful girls:

2008-03-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

Teacher: Four beautiful girls are walking on the road.
Change it to exclamatory sentence.
Student: WOW !

Engineer:Tickles your ribs:

2008-03-01T21:58:00.000-08:00

Once there were 3 engineers traveling in a car on the highway to a project site at a remote location, a Microsoft certified, electrical engineer and a chemical engineer. Suddenly, the car stops moving, somethings obviously wrong.

First the electrical engineer steps up. it takes him 2 hours, he gives up, says he has rewired the entire car, he is damn sure nuthing wrong with the electronics..

The chemical engineer is next... he analyses all the fluids and oils for 5 hours using his mini lab kit he carries, gives up says all the fluids are correct.

Now the M$ guy is in trouble, he has to come up with something to to look intelegent.

His idea "Quick lets close all the windows, shut down the car, and try starting it again"

Saeed Anwar:

2008-03-01T21:39:00.000-08:00

The first batsman in modern cricket history to have had a beard. He is known for a legendary knock of 194 against India in 1997. The ball was flying all around the ground. so were the fielders.they fell and skidded and jumped in order to save runs,but it was later that they realised that they had done all this after the ball had crossed the fence.Spare a thought for the Indian bowlers.
They were disappearing to all corners of the park. He is also known for having made Anil Kumble cry, after hitting him for 3 sixes in a row in that very knock of 194. Strangely his other 500 matches were known to bring him less fortunate results. While he started off without a beard, he grew one later on. Coincidentally, his batting form depleted with the increasing growth of his beard.

Indians playing two cricket finals:

2008-03-01T21:30:00.000-08:00

It may sound rather absurd.

But it is a battle between the u-19 Indians and south Africans on one side and between the Australians and the Indians on the other.

The u-19 Indians who have had a winning streak throughout the world cup have a tough challenge facing them,and they feel they have come far enough not to lose.

The seniors on the other hand have to prove the Australians that they are fallible and have to conquer them in their country in a game in which they have until now dominated in all its versions.It is a test of their physical and mental strngth.

Kournikova.A short history:

2008-03-01T21:19:00.000-08:00

Young Anna first made an impact on the women's tour in 1996. She performed admirably and impressed everybody who looked at her. She had some early success, but her inexperience was clear for all to see in her over-ambitious shots, nervous errors.

By 1999, Kournikova's skills had truly blossomed. Her strong, yet gentle, play was a joy to watch and she soon penetrated the top 10, reaching a career high of 8 in 2000 (and you can't get much higher than that).

This achievement was a testament to her remarkable consistency.Always consistent in reaching the quarters or semi-finals of tournaments.Never beyond that.

Unfortunately, years of arduous photoshoots caught up with Kournikova and she suffered a debilitating back injury in 2001. Being naturally supple,she lets the tides wet her feet, as she gazes longingly into the camera, as if you and her are the only two people in the world. Kournikova fought on for two more years before retiring in 2003.

Tragically cut down in her prime, the tennis world lost a spectacular talents that could have perhaps possibly dominated the sport for years to come.

Sania Mirza:

2008-03-01T21:10:00.000-08:00

A name that sends many male hearts aflutter.A name that is bound to find itself a place in the list of women that men admire,mostly for her beauty than for her game.

It wouldn't come as a surprise that most youngsters look forward to her assets(physical ones) than her game.Perhaps its the reason why,besides her poor show mostly,and not having many majors in her kitty,there is still a huge fan following her.

She is Indian Pam Personified.And with muslim organisations rendering her dress as against muslim law,and issuing fatwas,it no doubt creates a stir among the young as its her attire rather than her game that they await eagerly.

A record made to be broken:

2008-03-01T07:34:00.000-08:00

A long standing record of nearly 50 years has been finally broken.

Graeme smith and Nei Mckenzie have surpassed the highest parternship of 413 runs which was previously held by the pair of Pankaj roy and Vinoo Mankad.

It was a disappointing first day for the bangladesh players with no wickets on the first day of the test with only the run meter running.the 400 mark was crossed in the first day itself,with the bangladesh bowlers ocassionally straying away from the line.It was a day to remamber and the second day saw the record being broken.However within a run of breaking the record,Smith was bowled when the partnership stand of 415 had created history.

so,a new record.....

An Amazing score board:

2008-02-28T05:19:00.000-08:00

The score board above reads the score in the qualfying match for women's worldcup in cricket.The bermuda women who batted first could only manage to make a mere 13 runs in their designated 50 overs.They managed to sustain only for 18 overs when all the players had made their way back to the pavilion.The southafrican women conquered victory hitting 15 runs within an over(read 0.4 overs,4 minutes).A victory really hard to digest.

Eminent writer Sujatha dies:

2008-02-28T05:05:00.000-08:00

How many of us still remember the dialogues of the movie 'Sivaji'.

How about the dialogues from the movie 'Anniyan'.

All the dialogues in both the movies have been penned by Sujatha.

A key player in the development of electronic voting machine,S.Rangarajan alias sujatha attained heavenly abode yesterday .

An electronics engineer from MIT,chennai,he served as a general manager in BEL and was instrumental in the development of the EVM's.then,the efficacy of the voting machines were taken into suspicion.

He was a pioneer in the field of science fiction in tamil movies.

With 100 novels and 200 short stories under his kitty,Its hard to beleive such an enigmatic personality is no more.

He is survived by his wife and two sons.

A man was wheeling himself fra..........

2008-01-29T05:42:00.000-08:00

A man was wheeling himself frantically down the hall of the hospital in his wheelchair, just before his operation. A nurse stopped him and asked, "What's the matter?"

He said, "I heard the nurse say, 'It's a very simple operation, don't worry, I'm sure it will be all right.'"

"She was just trying to comfort you, what's so frightening about that?"

"She wasn't talking to me. She was talking to the doctor!

The brave mental patient:

2008-01-29T05:40:00.001-08:00

After hearing that one of the patients in a mental hospital had saved another from a suicide attempt by pulling him out of a bathtub, the director reviewed the rescuer's file and called him into his office.

"Mr. James, your records and your heroic behaviour indicate that you're ready to go home. I'm only sorry that the man you saved later killed himself with a rope around the neck."

"Oh, he didn't kill himself," Mr. James replied. "I hung him up to dry".

New to football--(Funny):

2008-01-29T05:37:00.000-08:00

A guy took his girlfriend to her first football game. Afterward he asked her how she liked the game.

"I liked it, but I couldn't understand why they were killing each other for 25 cents," she said.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, everyone kept yelling, 'Get the quarter back!'"

Confusing name:(Funny)---

2008-01-29T05:08:00.001-08:00

An Indian guy named "Anantharaman Subbaraman " arrived at the New York airport and ended up waiting for his visa for about 2 hours for the authorities to call his name.

He got fed up and went to them and asked why they haven't called his name yet.

They said that they have been calling him for the last 2 hours as

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"Anotherman Superman"

Leave Letter's::(Funny)-------

2008-01-29T05:06:00.000-08:00

nfosys, Bangalore: An employee applied for
leave as follows:

Since I have to go to my village to sell my land
along with my wife,
please sanction me one-week leave.

Another gem from CDAC. Leave-letter from an
employee who was performing his daughter's wedding:

"as I am marrying my daughter, please grant a
week's leave.."

From H.A.L. Administration dept:

"As my mother-in-law has expired and I am only one
responsible for it,
please grant me 10 days leave."

Another employee applied for half day leave
as follows:
"Since I've to go to the cremation ground at 10
o-clocks and I may not
return, please grant me half day casual leave"

An incident of a leave letter

"I am suffering from fever, please declare one day
holiday."

A leave letter to the headmaster:

"As I am studying in this school I am suffering
from headache. I request
you to leave me today"

Another leave letter written to the
headmaster:
"As my headache is paining, please grant me leave
for the day."
*
Actual letter written for application of
leave:
"My wife is suffering from sickness and as I am
her only husband at home
I may be granted leave".

Mother confusion(A Joke):::

2008-01-29T05:05:00.000-08:00

Banta Singh: (crying) the doctor called, my mother is dead.

Friend: condolence, my friend.
After 2 minutes Banta Singh cries even louder

Friend: what now?

Banta Singh: my sister just called, her mother died too!

Exam was okay ...

2008-01-29T05:04:00.001-08:00

Banta singh finished his English exam and came out. His friends asked him

how did he do his exam, for that he replied "Exam was okay, but for the

past tense of THINK, I thought, thought, thought ... and atlast I wrote

THUNK !!!"

Life on Mars:----

2008-01-24T07:33:00.000-08:00

This is the image that has created a stir.

This is the image that many claim to confirm or rather clear the notion of the existence of life on mars.This image-which appears like a naked mystery figure walking down a hill-was revealed by NASA.The photo of what looks like a naked woman with her arm outstretched was among several taken on the red planet and sent back to Earth by NASA's Mars explorer Spirit.

No official confirmation has come from NASA on whether it is really a woman or an optical illusion.Certainly a finding which seems to have invited a lot of flak.

Lets wait and find the mystery behind it....

A Rapist search:(Funny image):::::

2008-01-22T23:06:00.001-08:00

funny pictures:

2008-01-22T22:56:00.001-08:00

PUG Buddha!!!!!!!

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A dangerous urinal

First in the world:

2008-01-19T20:54:00.000-08:00

Plexicushion:

Plexicushion is the world's premier tennis surface and represents the latest in sports surfacing technology. It is a system that provides a more comfortable playing surface that enhances both team and individual performance.

Plexicushion is a specially constructed "cushioned acrylic" surface, designed to increase shock absorption in the court itself and reduce player's foot and leg fatigue.

Unlike other cushioning systems, it provides a firm, uniform surface, enabling players to play on the surface not in it. This prevents the subtle fatigue caused by playing on a soft, spongy surface. Additionally, Plexicushion is available at an affordable price.

Plexicushion is a series of resilient layers installed in liquid form on site that contain rubber and acrylic particles. The multiple cushion layers are installed prior to the Plexipave® Surfacing System.

Giant Rodent as big as a bull found.

2008-01-18T02:36:00.001-08:00

An illustration (top) and sculpture flesh out the fossilized skull of the largest rodent ever found. (Read full story.)

The South American "rat" lived two to four million years ago and weighed about 2,200 pounds (1,000 kilograms), based on an analysis of its 21-inch-long (53-centimeter-long) skull, a new study says.

The rodent may have used its bulk and fearsome teeth to fend off attacks from saber-toothed cats and giant meat-eating birds, the researchers added.

Though found in a cliff in Uruguay, the animal lived in lowland rain forests close to river deltas or estuaries, where it feasted on fruit and aquatic plants, said the study, published in the journal Procedings of the Royal Society: B.

2008-01-18T02:33:00.001-08:00

The giant skull of a newly discovered one-ton “prehistoric rat”—shown here next to a modern-day rat—was revealed on January 16, 2008.

Measuring 53 centimeters (21 inches) long, the skull was found in Uruguay by an amateur fossil hunter among fallen cliff rocks in the San José region. Analysis of the bizarre find by paleontologists suggests it belonged to a bull-size species, which has since been named Josephoartigasia monesi.

The previous holder of the title “world's largest rodent” was a 1,500-pound (700-kilogram) fossil creature (see pictures) from Venezuela, revealed by scientists in 2003.

South America's rodents evolved in isolation for more than 60 million years, resulting in stunning diversity. The "experiment" ended when the continent became attached to North America via the Panama land bridge some three million years ago, allowing new predators into the southern continent.

Real life ghost images:

2008-01-16T01:15:00.001-08:00

Bird flu outbreak in india:Culling begins

2008-01-16T01:00:00.000-08:00

Health officials in eastern India began the slaughter of tens of thousands of chickens Wednesday, a day after New Delhi confirmed an outbreak of the deadly avian flu in the region of Kolkata.

The state government has put together 55 rapid response teams to slaughter more than 400,000 chickens in the area, 125 kilometres (75 miles) from the state capital Kolkata.

The state borders Bangladesh, where authorities have been struggling to contain an outbreak of the virus.

Funny Baby Photos:

2008-01-13T22:18:00.001-08:00

2008-01-13T22:16:00.001-08:00

Dare to climb these steps:

2008-01-13T22:10:00.001-08:00

Schoolboy genius hacked into tram network

2008-01-13T21:57:00.000-08:00

Schoolboy genius hacked into tram network

A Polish schoolboy caused chaos after hacking into a city's public transport system and using a TV-style remote control.

The 14-year-old, described by teachers as a model pupil and an electronics genius, hacked into the transport network in Lodz. He changes the track points and made at least four trams derail - leaving dozens injured.

The boy told local police he had changed the points on tram tracks across the city for a prank. But in one incident alone 12 people were injured.

He studied the trams and the tracks for a long time and then built a device that looked like a TV remote control and used it to manoeuvre the trams and the tracks. He had converted the TV control into a device capable of controlling all the junctions on the line and wrote in the pages of a school exercise book where the best junctions were to move trams around and what signals to change.

He treated it like any other schoolboy might a giant train set - but it was lucky nobody was killed. Four trams were derailed, and others had to make emergency stops that left passengers hurt. He clearly did not think about the consequences of his actions.

The boy faces charges of endangering public safety in a special juvenile court.

Feels like heaven-A birds view atop the burj-al-arab on a foggy day in dubai:

2008-01-13T00:03:00.000-08:00

Silly jokes:

2008-01-13T00:02:00.000-08:00

1) NUDITY

I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat, "Mom, that lady isn' t wearing a seat belt!"

2) OPINIONS

On the first day of school, a first-grader handed his teacher a note from his mother. The note read, "The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents."

3) KETCHUP

A woman w as trying hard to get the ketchup out of the jar. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter to answer the phone. "Mommy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's hitting the bottle."

4) MORE NUDITY

A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter, haven't you ever seen a little boy before?"

5) POLICE # 1

While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old. Looking up and down at my uniform, she asked, "Are you a cop?"
"Yes," I answered and continued writing the report.
"My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police. Is that right?"
"Yes, that's right," I told her.
"Well, then," she said as she extended he r foot toward me, "would you please tie my shoe?"

6) POLICE # 2

It was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring in at me. "Is that a dog you got back there?" he asked.
"It sure is," I replied.
Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then towards the back of the van. Finally he said, "What'd he do?"

7) ELDERLY

While working for an organization that delivers lunches to elderly shut-ins, I used to take my 4-year-old daughter on my afternoon rounds. She was unfailingly intrigued by the various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walkers and wheelchairs. One day I found her staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As I braced myself for the inevitable barrage of questions, she merely turned and whispered, "The tooth fairy will never believe this!"

8) DRESS-UP

A little girl was watching her parents dress for a party. When she saw her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, "Daddy, you shouldn't wear that suit."
"And why not, darling?"
"You know that it always gives you a headache the next morning. "

9) DEATH

While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased.

The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his father always said: "Glory be unto the Faaather, and unto the Sonnn, and into the hole he goooes." (I want this line used at my funeral!)

10) SCHOOL

A little girl had just finished her first wee k of school. "I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother. "I can't read, I can't write, and they won't let me talk!"

11) BIBLE

A little boy opened the big family Bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages.
"Mama, look what I found," the boy called out.
"What have you got there, dear?"
With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's Adam's underwear!"

Are you a non-smoker-Then there are chances you may lose your job:

2008-01-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

The owner of a small German computer company has fired three non-smoking workers because they were threatening to disturb the peace after they requested a smoke-free environment.

The manager of the 10-person IT company in Buesum, named Thomas J.,had fired the trio because their non-smoking was causing disruptions.

Germany introduced non-smoking rules in pubs and restaurants on January 1, but Germans working in small offices are still allowed to smoke.

Twins separated at birth met and married:

2008-01-12T20:01:00.000-08:00

A couple discovered after they had married that they were twins who had been split up at birth and adopted by separate families.

British peer David Alton recounted the story to parliament last month to support his argument that artificially conceived children should be told who their biological parents are.

It involved the normal birth of twins who were separated at birth and adopted by separate parents.They were never told that they were twins.

They met later in life and felt an inevitable attraction, and the judge had to deal with the consequences of the marriage that they entered into and all the issues of their separation.

We may find it amusing,but a very tragic story for the people involved.

Germanys newest celebrity:

2008-01-12T19:49:00.000-08:00

BERLIN -

You know who the latest celebrity in Germany is?Any guesses.

Its latest celebrity is a polar bear cub.It remains nameless — but already boasts a dedicated Web site providing details of its health and giving readers a chance to christen the cuddly creature.

The city of Nuremberg, in cooperation with its zoo,which launched the site on friday lures viewers with a gallery of photos of the winsome 4-week-old cub.Visitors also were inundating the site's operators with suggestions for names.

The bottle-fed cub now weighs 4.4 pounds and is about 13.8 inches long. If it cries, a nearby baby monitor alerts its four keepers.

Movie reality:

2008-01-12T07:38:00.000-08:00

You may have seen in many movies scenes which actually mesmerise you with the locales,But you still remain assured that the background that appears is not for real.

One such technique which actually hides or morphs the background is a Chroma Key Color Transition technique.In this technique the actors and the required scenes are shot in front of a green or a blue screen.

The choice of a green or a blue screen is made depending on the image to which the background is to be changed.For instance if the background has to be replaced by an image of a sea,it is usually shot in a blue screen.Same applies for a green one.Then using a software tool like a video edit magic,the background is changed.Sounds simple,doesn't it.

Nicole Richie gives birth to a baby Girl

2008-01-12T07:22:00.000-08:00

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden have welcomed a baby Girl.

The baby with the name 'Harlow Winter Kate Madden' was born at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A on friday.

She weighed 6 lbs., 7 oz.

In November,during her pregnancy,Richie had said that she hadn't decided a name for her baby and was still contemplating on it then.

Richie and Madden who have been actively supporting families and children in need since they launched the Richie-Madden Foundation in December threw a "winter wonderland" party for more than 200 children and their families celebrating her arrival.

Pollock announces retirement.

2008-01-12T07:12:00.000-08:00

South African all-rounder Shaun Pollock announces his imminent retirement from international cricket on Friday.

Pollock, 34, said the current third Test against West Indies [Images], his 108th Test, would be his last. But he said he would remain available for South Africa's five-match one-day series against West Indies."

A few people have made me offers, but I haven't decided anything yet," Pollock told a news conference."I'd like to take at least a year off to be with my family."

Pollock was left out of the first six Tests South Africa played this season. He returned to take 4-35 in the first innings of the third Test.Pollock made his Test debut against England at Centurion in 1995.

Funny leave letters:

2008-01-12T02:27:00.000-08:00

ENJOY:

This is a collection of leave letters and applications written by people knowing thodi bahut angreji. English is a funny language.

1. A student's leave letter:
"As I am suffering from my uncle's marriage I cannot attend the class...."
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -------

2. A candidate's application:
"This has reference to your advertisement calling for a 'typist And an accountant - Male or Female'... As I am both for the past Several years and I can handle both; I am applying for the post."
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -------

3. I.T.I., Lahore: An employee applied for leave as follows:
Since I have to go to my village to sell my land along with my wife. Please sanction me one-week leave.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -------

4. Another employee applied for half day leave as follows:
"Since I've to go to the cremation ground at 10 o-clocks and I may not return, please grant me half day casual leave"
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -------

5. A leave letter to the headmaster:
"As I am studying in this school I am suffering from headache. I request you to leave me today"
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -------

6. An incident of a leave letter:
"I am suffering from fever, please declare one day holiday."
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -------

7. Another leave letter written to the headmaster:
As my headache is paining, please grant me leave for the day.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -------

8. A covering note:
"I am enclosed herewith..."
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -------

9. From H.A.L. Administration dept:
As my mother-in-law has expired and I am responsible for it, Please grant me 10 days leave.
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -------

10. Actual letter written for application of leave:
"My wife is suffering from sickness and as I am her only husband At home I may be granted leave".
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -------

11. Letter writing:
"I am in well here and hope you are also in the same well."
------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -------

12. Another gem from I.T.I. Leave-letter from an employee who was

Performing his daughter's wedding:
"As I am marrying my daughter, please grant a week's leave.

Lawyer jokes:

2008-01-12T00:09:00.000-08:00

Two lawyers were out hunting when they came upon a couple of tracks. After close examination, the first lawyer declared them to be deer tracks. The second lawyer disagreed, insisting they must be elk tracks. They were still arguing when the train hit them.

Just for laugh:

2008-01-12T00:05:00.000-08:00

One night, Tim was walking home when, all of a sudden, a thief jumped on him. Tim and the thief were began to wrestle. They rolled about on the ground and Tim put up a tremendous fight. However, the thief managed to get the better of him and pinned him to the ground. The thief then went through Tim's pockets and searched him. All the thief could find on Tim was 25 cents.

The thief was so surprised at this that he asked Tim why he had bothered to fight so hard for a 25 cents.

"Was that all you wanted?" Tim replied, "I thought you were after the five hundred dollars I've got in my shoe!"

Joke for all:

2008-01-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

Two guys met in the middle of the desert. One was carrying a car door, the other an umbrella.

The one with the car door said to the guy with the umbrella, "Why are you carrying that umbrella around, it isn't going to rain in the desert?"

To which the guy with the umbrella replies, "Yeah”, but it keeps me out of the sun! By the way, why are you carrying around that car door, you don’t even have a car to go with it”

The guy with the car door says, "yeah, well at least if I get too hot from the sun I can just roll down the window!"

Everest conquerer hillary dies at 88

2008-01-11T21:33:00.000-08:00

Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to stand atop the world's highest mountain, was remembered as a deeply driven but unassuming man who strived to help Nepal's people in the decades after his ascent of Mount Everest.

Hillary, who died Friday of a heart attack at 88, will have a state funeral in New Zealand, where he began the mountaineering career that took him and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay to the tallest point on earth, a spokesman for his family said. He is survived by his children Peter and Sarah and wife June, who her family was comforted by the messages of support from around the world.

Ensure you are insured!!!!!

2008-01-11T07:54:00.000-08:00

Everyone would have known by now what an insurance is for.But still many would have not yet fully understood the importance of one.

The is always an element of uncertainity happening and it is possible that we may be one to encounter it.Its good to be optimistic,but man being a social animal has to be practical and be prepared in case any eventuality happens.

Insurance is one such factor which will be of great help in case of an eventuality.

Advantage term life is one such agency which caters to the insurance needs of a common man.It gives the discretion to visit their site and and fill in a short form and lo,the application form would be send right to you.It gives a choice of a life or term life policy.Even in case anyone is confused on the choice of a policy,they are always willing to help.All you need to do is to contact their customer service representative.

The client can easily decide his requirement of policy as he can choose from a wide choice of policies based on his affordability.all he has to do is to fill in a form at their site.

Underwater Hotel(Under construction in Dubai) !!!!!

2008-01-10T02:26:00.000-08:00

Currently under construction in Dubai , Hydropolis is the world's first underwater luxury hotel. It will include three elements: the land station, where guests will be welcomed, the connecting tunnel, which will transport people by train to the main area of the hotel, and the 220 suites within the submarine leisure complex. It is one of the largest contemporary construction projects in the world, covering an area of 260 hectares, about the size of London 's Hyde Park .

This will be a hotel where those who do not dive - or do not even swim - can experience the tranquillity and inspiration of the underwater world.

2008-01-10T02:22:00.001-08:00

The upper storeys of the land station house a variety of facilities, including a cosmetic surgical clinic, a marine biological research laboratory and conference facilities.

2008-01-10T02:21:00.001-08:00

2008-01-10T02:19:00.000-08:00

The shallow water hotel will be shaped as a bowl and will be positioned on the sea ground, according to Hohmann. The deep water version is floating in the sea with anchors on the ground.
The bowl will be constructed externally and then positioned on the location. It will then be emptied of the water and equipped with huge aquariums as an attraction for the guests. "At the shallow water hotel, guests are exposed to big fish tanks that contain controlled water and fish, since shallow water is muddy and not transparent. At the deep water hotel, visitors are looking directly into the sea

2008-01-10T02:17:00.001-08:00

In order to enter this surreal space, visitors will begin at the land station. This 120m woven, semicircular cylinder will arch over a multi-storey building.

Is it a run way or a run away????

2008-01-10T02:10:00.001-08:00

In Portugal

A special airport -- the airport's runway has a length of 2781 meters
1000 meters of the runway is supported by 180 pillars
Each pillar 50 meters high ( abt 17 floors ),
surprisingly , the runway design is for B-747(B for boeing)

2008-01-10T02:08:00.001-08:00

2008-01-10T01:58:00.000-08:00

Top ten fountains:The final four in the top five are:

2008-01-10T01:22:00.000-08:00

top ten Fountains(the last five spots)

2008-01-10T01:14:00.000-08:00

Nike Robot Shoes:

2008-01-10T01:09:00.000-08:00

A Shoe that doubles up as a play mate.

Very cute photos:

2008-01-10T00:59:00.001-08:00

Burmester's $50,000 CD Player

2008-01-10T00:53:00.000-08:00

The 069 CD Player is a cutting-edge digital playback system, created for well heeled connoisseurs of music and German industrial design. Its audiophile credentials come in the form of its proprietary belt drive motor system that spins the CDs (instead of the off-the-shelf direct-drive mechanisms other manufacturers use).

The 069 CD Player's spiked feet may be set directly on the its proprietary aluminum base (supplied as standard with the unit), and it uses special carbon-fiber spring pucks to isolate the sensitive electronics from external interference. The player also boasts newly developed and 96 and 192-kHz oscillators with minimal phase noise and high thermal stability. Burmester's 069 Reference Line CD Player is available with a silver housing with a chrome front panel at a suggested price of, whoa, $49,995!

MiniCat car runs on compressed air

2008-01-10T00:45:00.000-08:00

Does a yeti really exist????

2008-01-09T07:17:00.000-08:00

What You see above is the image-as is believed -of an Yeti.The question that has been confounding many is:does an Yeti really exist?The Mystery still remains to be solved.

Abominable Snowman is an apelike animal cryptid said to inhabit the Himalaya region of Nepal and Tibet. The names Yeti and Meh-Teh are commonly used by the people indigenous to the region,[1] and are part of their history and mythology. Nepalese have various names for Yeti like "Bonmanche" which means "wild man" or "Kanchanjunga rachyyas" which means "Kanchanjunga's demon." Most mainstream scientists, explorers and writers consider current evidence of the Yeti's existence to be weak and better explained as hoax, legend or misidentification of known species,yet it remains one of the most famous creatures of cryptozoology. The Yeti can be considered a Himalayan parallel to the Sasquatch or man-beast.Western interest in the Yeti peaked dramatically in the 1950s. While attempting to scale Mount Everest in 1951, Eric Shipton took photographs of a number of large prints in the snow, at about 6,000 m (19,685 ft) above sea level. These photos have been subject to intense scrutiny and debate. Some argue they are the best evidence of Yeti's existence, while others contend the prints to be from a mundane creature, and have been distorted by the melting snow. In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reported seeing large footprints while scaling Mount Everest. But Hillary would later discount Yeti reports as unreliable. In his first autobiography Tenzing said that he believed the Yeti was a large ape, and although he had never seen it himself his father had seen one twice, but in his second autobiography he said he had become much more sceptical about its existence. During the Daily Mail Snowman Expedition of 1954, the largest search of its kind, the mountaineering leader John Angelo Jackson, made the first trek from Everest to Kangchenjunga during which he photographed symbolic paintings of the Yeti at Thyangboche Gompa. Jackson tracked and photographed many footprints in the snow, most of which were identifiable. However, there were many large footprints which could not be identified. The flattened footprint-like indentations were attributed to erosion and subsequent widening of the original footprint by wind and particles. Beginning in 1957, wealthy American oilman Tom Slick funded a few missions to investigate Yeti reports. In 1959, supposed Yeti feces were collected by Slick's expedition; fecal analysis found a parasite which could not be classified. Bernard Heuvelmans wrote, "Since each animal has its own parasites, this indicated that the host animal is equally an unknown animal." In 1959, actor James Stewart, while visiting India, reportedly smuggled remains of a supposed Yeti, the so-called Pangboche Hand, by concealing it in his luggage when he flew from India to London. In 1960, Sir Edmund Hillary mounted an expedition to collect and analyse physical evidence of the Yeti. He sent a Yeti "scalp" from the Khumjung monastery to the West for testing, whose results indicated the scalp to be manufactured from the skin of the serow, a goat-like Himalayan antelope. But some disagreed with this analysis. Myra Shackley said that the "hairs from the scalp look distinctly monkey-like, and that it contains parasitic mites of a species different from that recovered from the serow."

In 1970, British mountaineer Don Whillans claims to have witnessed a creature when scaling Annapurna. While scouting for a campsite, Whillans heard some odd cries which his Sherpa guide attributed to a Yeti's call. That very night, Whillans saw a dark shape moving near his camp. The next day, he observed a few human-like footprints in the snow, and that evening, viewed with binoculars a bipedal, apelike creature for 20 minutes as it apparently searched for food not far from his camp. Nothing was seen again. In 1984, famed mountaineer David P. Sheppard of Hoboken, NJ, was near the southern Col of Everest and claims to have been followed by a large, furry man over the course of several days. His sherpas, however, say they saw no such thing. He claims to have taken a photograph, but a later study of it proved inconclusive. In early December 2007, American television presenter Josh Gates and his team reported finding a series of footprints in the Everest region of Nepal resembling descriptions of Yeti. Each of the footprints were measured as 33 cm in length - longer than a ruler - with five toes that measured a total of 25 cm across. Casts were made of the prints for further research.

Need for speed

2008-01-09T07:10:00.000-08:00

The fastest animal that we know of is the peregrine falcon, which can reach 349 kilometres per hour as it dives for the kill. We have also been told that the fastest mammal is the cheetah at 112 kph, and - get this - the fastest insect is the Deer Botfly at 1,287 kph - which is faster than the speed of sound!

However, it seems that someone has been cheating on the cheetah figures, and that the stats for the botfly have been badly botched. Just like bad science, once a wrong speed record is published, it takes a long time to die.

The botfly story began back in 1927, when the entomologist, Charles H. T. Townsend published an article in the Journal of the New York Entomological Society. Right at the end of his article, he included this very interesting paragraph:

"On 12,000-foot summits in New Mexico I have seen pass me at an incredible velocity what were quite certainly the males of (the deer botfly). I could barely distinguish that something had passed, only a brownish blur in the air of about the right size for these flies and without sense of form. As closely as I can estimate, their speed must have approximated 400 yards per second [800 miles per hour]."- (actually closer to 818 mph)

In 1938, Irving Langmuir, an American chemist and Nobel Prize winner, demolished this astounding claim.

First, at 1,287 kph the air pressure against the head of the fly would have been about half an atmosphere, which would have been enough to crush the poor little fly. Second, the energy needed to fly at that speed meant the deer botfly would have to eat one-and-a-half times its own weight in food every second! Third, at what speed does a flying insect turn into a blur? Langmuir just got a lump of metal the size of a deer botfly, tied it to a thread and swung it around. At 20 kph, it was a blur - "the shape could not be seen, but it could be recognised as a small object of about the correct size". At 41 kph, "the fly was barely visible as a moving object". So Townsend probably saw deer botflys cruising at around 40 kays, which is a lot less than 1,287 kph.

Also, you would get an extremely nasty injury from a supersonic botfly running into you - but there are none on record. The fastest insect on record, that has been reliably measured, is the Australian dragon fly - which has a top speed of around 57 kph.

So what about the cheetah? The claim that it can travel at 112 kph (70 mph) originally came from an article by Kurt Severin published in the magazine 'Outdoor Life' in April 1957.

The cheetah's trainer marked out a course 80 yards long. He attached a bag that was scented with meat to the wheel of an upside down bicycle, and then hand-cranked the pedals like crazy. The trainer called out 'GO' and started his stopwatch, and then the cheetah took off. An assistant fired a pistol when the cheetah crossed the finish line, at which point the trainer stopped his stopwatch. Severin then wrote an article saying that "from a deep crouch ... (the cheetah) .. spurted to the end of the 80-yard course in 2.25 seconds, for an average speed of about 114 km (71 mph)".

But there are a few problems with this measurement.

First, there was a mathematical error! 80 yards in 2.25 seconds works out to 117 kph, not 114 kph. Second, it turns out that the track was only 65 yards long, not 80 yards long. Thirdly, there's a lot of room for human reaction time error in measuring a time as short as 2.25 seconds. Fourthly of course, the animal was timed from a standing start, not once it had got up to speed.

The best measurement on record was made in 1965 by N. C. Craig Sharp, who was at that time a veterinary surgeon in Kenya. He had access to a tame cheetah that had been raised on a farm. He wanted to see how fast this cheetah could go, so he measured out a 201 metre (220-yard) course. He was sensible enough to realise that the animal needed a bit of acceleration time, so the cheetah began some 20 yards behind the starting line. Sharp was in the back of a Land Rover, trailing a lump of meat in the path of the cheetah. The Land Rover took off with the meaty lure, and the cheetah chased. Sharp simply clicked his stopwatch on and off, as the cheetah crossed the start and finish lines.

He did only three runs, which is not a very large or statistically significant sample size, but he did measure times of 7.0, 6.9 and 7.2 seconds. This works out to around 102 kph. Now Sharp didn't bother publishing his results, because he thought that other people had done more scientifically rigorous measurements of the speed of a running cheetah. But eventually he realised that there were no really accurate speeds published for the cheetah, so he released his results in 1997, in the Journal of Zoology.

With rickety results like these, can we really believe that the cockroach has been clocked at a top speed of only 2.9 kph, when they get out of your way so rapidly when you enter the kitchen at midnight?

Youngest Mother

2008-01-09T07:05:00.000-08:00

Peruvian five-year-old Lina Medina, accompanied by her 11-month-old-son Gerardo, and Doctor Lozada who attended her son's birth, are shown in this 1940 file photo taken in Lima's hospital.

When her child was born by Caesarean section in May 1939, Medina made medical history, and is still the youngest known mother in the world.

Lina Medina's parents thought their 5-year-old daughter had a huge abdominal tumor and when shamans in their remote village in Peru's Andes could find no cure, her father carried her to a hospital.

Just over a month later, she gave birth to a boy.

Medina was born on September 27, 1933 in the small village of Paurange. She was only 5 years 8 months old at the birth of her child on Mother's Day, May 14, 1939.

Born at full term at Lima's maternity clinic, her child was taken through a caesarian operation (Dr. Lozada and Busalleu, operators, Dr. Colretta, anesthesiologist). The child (boy), weighing 2,700 grams, was well formed and in good health. Child and mother were able to leave the clinic after only a few days.

Doctor Lozada has conducted very detailed studies since the diagnostic of the pregnancy which aroused much curiosity in the country; he took an x-ray of the child and her baby, established a diagnostic of the fetal situation, observed the state of functionality of the little mother who had begun menstruating at the age of 8 months. At four years old she had already developed breasts as well as pubic hair, her body proportions were a bit amazing and her bone hardening a bit advanced, things that are often observed in cases of such premature pregnancy.

After taunting from schoolmates, Medina's son, Gerardo - who was named after one of the doctors who attended Medina and who became their mentor - discovered when he was 10 that the person he had grown up believing to be his sister was in fact his mother.

Gerardo died in 1979 at age 40 from a disease that attacks the body's bone marrow, but it was said it was not clear there was any link with his illness and the fact his mother had been so young at his birth.

Medina herself married and in 1972 had a second son, 33 years after her first. Her second child now lives in Mexico.