Tallest trees
The heights of the tallest trees in the world have been the subject of considerable dispute and much exaggeration. Modern verified measurement with laser rangefinders combined with tape drop measurements made by tree climbers, carried out by the U.S. Eastern Native Tree Society has shown that some older measuring methods and measurements are often unreliable, sometimes producing exaggerations of 5% to 15% above the real height. Historical claims of trees of 130 m (427 ft), and even 150 m (492 ft), are now largely disregarded as unreliable, and attributed to human error. Historical records of fallen trees measured prostrate on the ground are considered to be far more reliable. The following are now accepted as the top five tallest reliably measured species:
1. Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens): 115.56 m (379.1 ft), Redwood National Park, California, United States[10]
2. Australian Mountain-ash (Eucalyptus regnans): 99.6 m (326.8 ft), south of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia[11]
3. Coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii): 99.4 m (326.1 ft), Brummit Creek, Coos County, Oregon, United States[12]
4. Sitka Spruce (Picea sitchensis): 96.7 m (317.3 ft), Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California, United States[13]
5. Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum): 94.9 m (311.4 ft), Redwood Mountain Grove, Kings Canyon National Park, California, United States[14]
A view of a tree from below; this may exaggerate apparent height
Stoutest trees
The girth of a tree is much easier to measure than the height, as it is a simple matter of stretching a tape round the trunk, and pulling it taut to find the circumference. Despite this, UK tree author Alan Mitchell made the following comment about measurements of yew trees:
“ The aberrations of past measurements of yews are beyond belief. For example, the tree at Tisbury has a well-defined, clean, if irregular bole at least 1.5 m long. It has been found to have a girth which has dilated and shrunk in the following way: 11.28 m (1834 Loudon), 9.3 m (1892 Lowe), 10.67 m (1903 Elwes and Henry), 9.0 m (1924 E. Swanton), 9.45 m (1959 Mitchell). . . . Earlier measurements have therefore been omitted." ”
—Alan Mitchell; in a handbook "Conifers in the British Isles".[15]
As a general standard, tree girth is taken at 'breast height'; this is defined differently in different situations, with most forestry measurements taking girth at 1.3 m above ground,[16] while those who measure ornamental trees usually measure at 1.5 m above ground;[3] in most cases this makes little difference to the measured girth. On sloping ground, the "above ground" reference point is usually taken as the highest point on the ground touching the trunk,[3][16] but some use the average between the highest and lowest points of ground[citation needed]. Some of the inflated old measurements may have been taken at ground level. Some past exaggerated measurements also result from measuring the complete next-to-bark measurement, pushing the tape in and out over every crevice and buttress.[15]
Modern trends are to cite the tree's diameter rather than the circumference; this is obtained by dividing the measured circumference by π; it assumes the trunk is circular in cross-section (an oval or irregular cross-section would result in a mean diameter slightly greater than the assumed circle). This is cited as dbh (diameter at breast height) in tree and forestry literature.[3][16]
One further problem with measuring baobabs Adansonia is that these trees store large amounts of water in the very soft wood in their trunks. This leads to marked variation in their girth over the year (though not more than about 2.5%[17]), swelling to a maximum at the end of the rainy season, minimum at the end of the dry season.
The stoutest living single-trunk species in diameter are:
1. African Baobab Adansonia digitata: 15 m (49 ft), Big Baobab, Limpopo Province, South Africa.[18]
2. Montezuma Cypress Taxodium mucronatum: 11.62 m (38.1 ft), Árbol del Tule, Santa Maria del Tule, Oaxaca, Mexico.[19] Note though that this diameter includes buttressing; the actual idealised diameter of the area of its wood is 9.38 m (30.8 ft).[19]
3. Giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum: 8.85 m (29 ft), General Grant tree, Grant Grove, California, United States[20]
4. Coast Redwood Sequoia sempervirens: 7.44 m (24.4 ft), Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California, United States.[citation needed]
Charles Darwin reported finding Fitzroya cupressoides with trunk circumferences of up to 40 m (130 ft)[21] implying a diameter of about 12 m (40 ft), but this may be an anomaly as the largest known measurements are about 5 m.[22]
An addition problem lies in cases where multiple trunks (whether from an individual tree or multiple trees) grow together. The Sacred Fig is a notable example of this, forming additional 'trunks' by growing adventitious roots down from the branches, which then thicken up when the root reaches the ground to form new trunks; a single Sacred Fig tree can have hundreds of such trunks.[1]
Occasionally, errors may occur due to confusion between girth (circumference) and diameter.[23]
Largest trees
The largest trees in total volume are those which are both tall and of large diameter, and in particular, which hold a large diameter high up the trunk. Measurement is very complex, particularly if branch volume is to be included as well as the trunk volume, so measurements have only been made for a small number of trees, and generally only for the trunk. No attempt has ever been made to include root volume. Measuring standards vary.
The top four species measured[24] so far are:
1. Giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum: 1,487 m³ (52,508 cu ft), General Sherman[24]
2. Coast Redwood Sequoia sempervirens: 1,203 m³ (42,500 cu ft), Lost Monarch[25]
3. Montezuma Cypress Taxodium mucronatum: 750 m³ (25,000 cu ft), Árbol del Tule[26]
4. Western Redcedar Thuja plicata: 500 m³ (17,650 cu ft ), Quinault Lake Redcedar[24]
5. Kauri Agathis australis: circa 400 m³ (15,000 cu ft), Tane Mahuta tree[24] (total volume, including branches, 516.7 m³/18,247 cu ft)[27]
However, the Alerce Fitzroya cupressoides, as yet un-measured, may well slot in at fourth or fifth place. The largest angiosperm tree is currently a Tasmanian Blue Gum (Eucalyptus globulus) in Tasmania, with a volume of 368 m³.[28]
Oldest trees
The oldest trees are determined by growth rings, which can be seen if the tree is cut down or in cores taken from the edge to the center of the tree. Accurate determination is only possible for trees which produce growth rings, generally those which occur in seasonal climates; trees in uniform non-seasonal tropical climates grow continuously and do not have distinct growth rings. It is also only possible for trees which are solid to the center of the tree; many very old trees become hollow as the dead heartwood decays away. For some of these species, age estimates have been made on the basis of extrapolating current growth rates, but the results are usually little better than guesswork or wild speculation. White (1998)[29] proposes a method of estimating the age of large and veteran trees in the United Kingdom through the correlation between a tree's stem diameter, growth character and age.
The verified oldest measured ages are:
1. Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Methuselah) Pinus longaeva: 4,844 years[30]
2. Alerce Fitzroya cupressoides: 3,622 years[30]
3. Giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum: 3,266 years[30]
4. Sugi Cryptomeria japonica: 3,000 years[31]
5. Huon-pine Lagarostrobos franklinii: 2,500 years[30]
Other species suspected of reaching exceptional age include Ginkgo Ginkgo biloba (over 3,500 years[32]), European Yew Taxus baccata (probably over 2,000 years[33][34]) and Western Redcedar Thuja plicata.
The oldest reported age for an angiosperm tree is 2293 years for the Sri Maha Bodhi Sacred Fig (Ficus religiosa) planted in 288 BC at Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka; this is also the oldest human-planted tree with a known planting date.[citation needed]
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
A.R.Rahuman won the award of soundtrack
28/09/2009
Top Composer To Attend World Soundtrack Awards Ceremony
Source: Film festival
The World Soundtrack Academy is happy to welcome an impressive amount of top composers at the 9th edition of the World Soundtrack Awards Ceremony and Concert on October 17 in Ghent. Among them Alexandre Desplat and AR Rahman.
Following nominees have confirmed their presence Alexandre Desplat (nominated for Composer of the Year and Best Original Score of the Year) Reinhold Heil and Johnny Klimek (nominated for Best Original Score of the Year) A.R. Rahman (nominated for Best Original Score of the Year and twice for Best Original Song Written Directly For a Film) Anna Chalon (nominated for Best Original Song Written Directly For a Film) Jérôme Lemonnier (nominated for Discovery of the Year) Andrew Lockington (nominated for Discovery of the Year) Atli Örvarsson (nominated for Discovery of the Year)
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Baby excaping in train accicdent
Moment a baby fell in front of a train...and lived
Passengers watched in horror as a pushchair carrying a baby rolled off the edge of a platform in front of a train.
The pram and the six-month-old infant were dragged along under the engine as the driver desperately fought to slow his 250-ton train.
No one on the platform believed the child could possibly have survived.
See the shocking footage here
But when ambulance officers arrived a few minutes later they were astounded to find that, not only had he escaped with just a minor bump on his head - but he was safely back in his mother's arms.
Rescue workers found the child amid the wreckage of the smashed pushchair under one of the carriages. There was a gap between the bottom of the carriage and the lines of just a few inches, but it was those inches that made the difference between life and death.
The drama, at a suburban railway station in Melbourne, was captured on video footage obtained by the city's Herald Sun newspaper.
The mother, pictured, momentarily distracted as she hitches up her jeans several feet from the edge of the platform, suddenly realises the pushchair is rolling away from her.
The carriage rolls to the edge of the platform - and, as the mother realises what is happening and darts toward it, topples onto the tracks - directly into the path of the oncoming train
Enlarge 
Despair: The mother, at the edge of the track, frantically reaches as the train roars into the station - but she cannot reach her baby in time
Enlarge 
Still believing the baby is dead, workmen struggle to get him out from underneath the train
She instinctively lunges towards it, but she is still two or three feet away as it tumbles over the edge.
In a split second, the train comes into the station at 30mph and ploughs into the pram.
The mother's frantic body language, with her hands to her head, leaves no doubt that she believes her baby has been killed before her eyes.
Last night police and railway officials were describing the baby's survival as 'a miracle'.
They believe that the pushchair acted as a protective shield.
Another factor was the swift reaction of the train's driver who slammed on the brakes when he saw the pram rolling across the platform.
He could not stop the train immediately but slowed it enough to lessen the impact.
Jon Wright, an intensive care paramedic, said: 'All the baby needed afterwards, apparently, was a feed and a nap.'
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Today we have celebrated National Boss Day (16/10/09)
Boss's Day (also known as Bosses Day or National Boss Day) is a secular holiday celebrated on October 16 in the United States. It has traditionally been a day for employees to thank their boss for being kind and fair throughout the year. The holiday has been the source of some controversy and criticism in the United States, where it is often mocked as a Hallmark Holiday.
Patricia Bays Haroski registered "National Boss's Day" with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 1958. She was working as a secretary for State Farm Insurance Company in Deer field, Illinois at the time and chose October 16 because she forgot that the birthday of her boss, who was her father, was actually on the 16th. Four years later in 1962, Illinois Governor Otto Kerner backed Haroski's registration and officially proclaimed the day.
National Boss's Day has become an international celebration in recent years and now is observed in countries such as Australia, India and South Africa and very recently Ireland.
Hallmark did not offer a Boss's Day card for sale until 1979. It increased the size of its National Boss Day line by 90 percent in 2007 by creating collections of new and innovative cards.
Diwali
How do you celebrate Diwali? By lighting diyas, bursting crackers and eating sweets! But as we do this every year, how about bringing in a
positive change this time, which will help people around as well?
Traditional way to save electricity
Diwali is also known as the Festival of Lights. So this time let’s decorate our houses with traditional lamps and diyas rather bulbs. This was how in earlier times, people touched up their homes with cotton wicks dipped in ghee or oil. This will help you save electricity as well. This will add a traditional stroke with social responsibility in the festival.
Food wise
There are many people who cannot afford even one square meal so, how can they afford Diwali celebrations? In this season cut short your list of crackers and use that money in buying them food. Your joy will be doubled and your kitty will brim over with blessings and wishes.
Celebrate with a new expression
Our country is a blend of several religions and festivals too. Then why not celebrate this Festival of Lights with our Muslim, Christian and Sikh friends? Use this opportunity to introduce one culture to another. Such an act will encourage unity and teach new morals to your kids.
Make a new family
Diwali is family time. But what about those elders and kids who have no families. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all could take out some time this Diwali to meet them. There are several old age homes and orphanages dotting the city so finding them shouldn’t be a problem. This is the time to exchange your happiness with their gloominess. So go ahead and put a smile on at least one such pretty face.
Have a healthy Diwali
Post Diwali pollution is always on an all-time high despite there being a ban on crackers. Say no to crackers if you haven’t done so already and gift saplings to friends and relatives along with sweets. This effort will sweeten the celebrations of your loved ones. Plants are great for a pure and positive environment.
Decorate the neighbourhood
Every year we paint and touch up our homes. But no one pays attention to that garbage dump in the corner. It stinks to the high heaven and is a veritable house of all ills. Have it cleaned up and painted afresh. At least for sometime, flies and mosquitoes will be less. Let’s join hands to clean the society as well as it will encourage positive atmosphere in neighborhood and double the joy of festivity.
6 novel ways to celebrate Diwali (TOI Photo) |
Traditional way to save electricity
Diwali is also known as the Festival of Lights. So this time let’s decorate our houses with traditional lamps and diyas rather bulbs. This was how in earlier times, people touched up their homes with cotton wicks dipped in ghee or oil. This will help you save electricity as well. This will add a traditional stroke with social responsibility in the festival.
Food wise
There are many people who cannot afford even one square meal so, how can they afford Diwali celebrations? In this season cut short your list of crackers and use that money in buying them food. Your joy will be doubled and your kitty will brim over with blessings and wishes.
Celebrate with a new expression
Our country is a blend of several religions and festivals too. Then why not celebrate this Festival of Lights with our Muslim, Christian and Sikh friends? Use this opportunity to introduce one culture to another. Such an act will encourage unity and teach new morals to your kids.
Make a new family
Diwali is family time. But what about those elders and kids who have no families. Wouldn’t it be nice if we all could take out some time this Diwali to meet them. There are several old age homes and orphanages dotting the city so finding them shouldn’t be a problem. This is the time to exchange your happiness with their gloominess. So go ahead and put a smile on at least one such pretty face.
Have a healthy Diwali
Post Diwali pollution is always on an all-time high despite there being a ban on crackers. Say no to crackers if you haven’t done so already and gift saplings to friends and relatives along with sweets. This effort will sweeten the celebrations of your loved ones. Plants are great for a pure and positive environment.
Decorate the neighbourhood
Every year we paint and touch up our homes. But no one pays attention to that garbage dump in the corner. It stinks to the high heaven and is a veritable house of all ills. Have it cleaned up and painted afresh. At least for sometime, flies and mosquitoes will be less. Let’s join hands to clean the society as well as it will encourage positive atmosphere in neighborhood and double the joy of festivity.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
gandhi jayanti
காந்திஜி ஒரு உன்னதமான மனிதர் நாம் அனனவரும் அவரை போற்றவேண்டும் அதுமட்டுமில்லாமல் அவருடைய கொள்கைகளையும் பின்பற்றவேண்டும் 
Gandhi Jayanti, is International Non-Violence Day
| The Father of The Nation is fondly remembered today by many and some would also equate Gandhigiri as selfless non-violent acts but few are aware
the fact that on June 15, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 2 (Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary) as the International Day of Non-Violence. | ||
| Topics: |
gandhi jayanti
காந்திஜி ஒரு உன்னதமான மனிதர் நாம் அனனவரும் அவரை போற்றவேண்டும் அதுமட்டுமில்லாமல் அவருடைய கொள்கைகளையும் பின்பற்றவேண்டும் Gandhi Jayanti, is International Non-Violence Day
| The Father of The Nation is fondly remembered today by many and some would also equate Gandhigiri as selfless non-violent acts but few are aware
the fact that on June 15, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 2 (Mahatma Gandhi's birth anniversary) as the International Day of Non-Violence. | ||
| Topics: |
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