Offseason Changes

The Red Sox were typically active this offseason, signing RF J.D. Drew and SS Julio Lugo. Their biggest splash, however, was also the biggest offseason player signing story in MLB, as the Red Sox added Japanese legend Daisuke Matsuzaka, the pitcher who boasts of the yet-to-be-seen "Gyro ball" that many proclaim will baffle hitters like no other pitch they've ever seen. These were all risky signings, but if Drew stays healthy and Matsuzaka is as good as advertised, the Red Sox improved dramatically both at the plate and on the mound.

Players to Watch

Aside from their new signings, other players on the roster will be worth the effort to obtain Boston Red Sox tickets this season. Manny Ramirez is back, and this ultra-talented hitter is never boring for many reasons. David Ortiz is coming off a 54-home run season, and is known as perhaps the most clutch hitter in the game. Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling return to the pitching staff, and their combination with Matsuzaka could be formidable.

2007 Outlook

The Red Sox find themselves in somewhat familiar territory, as they appear to be the favorites in the division along with the Yankees. The Blue Jays are not to be discounted, though, and it could be another close finish in the AL East. If the Red Sox can stay healthier than they did a year ago, avoid the off-field controversies and see Beckett return to form and Matsuzaka add to the staff, this team is as talented as any in MLB. That may seem like a lot of "ifs," but it's less than most teams face as they enter spring training.

The 2007 season will be another one to watch with interest for Red Sox and baseball fans everywhere, and Boston Red Sox tickets will once again give you a chance to see a team actively chase a championship.

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Mexico is seeped in both history and culture. The Mayan ruins are one of the main reasons that many tourists are drawn to the shores of Mexico. Dating back hundreds of years, the ruins give some insight into the lives and traditions of ancient cultures.

Among the most fascinating are the Olmac stone heads, which have baffled historians with their typically African features and the Templo de las Inscripciones in Palenque where the tombs of classical Mayan rulers can be buried deep in tropical forests of the region.

There are a number of fascinating churches, museums and galleries scattered throughout Mexico.

Some of the more well known destinations include the National Anthropology Museum in Mexico City and the 16 th century Baroque Church of Santo Domingo in Oaxaca. Visiting the village of San Juan Chamula near San Cristobal is equivalent to entering a time capsule that has remained undisturbed for centuries. Local villagers still practice ancient religious traditions in the village church and the area has remained untouched by civilization for centuries.

Cultural heritage is by no means the only reason to visit Mexico however.

If you are looking to experience the best of what nature has to offer, then you won't be disappointed by the azure waters, endless white sands and lush tropical forests of the region. Filled with colourful aquatic creatures, porpoises and giant turtles, Mexican reefs are a snorkels and divers paradise.

Visit the Sian Kaan Biosphere Reserve and you will understand why it has been named the place where the sky was born by the local population. The ecoreserves scattered throughout the country are home to an endless array of bird and animal life and you could spend days exploring the treasures of the mangrove swamps and tropical forest areas alone.

Many tourists make the mistake of thinking that the only destinations worth visiting in Mexico are the buzzing coastal hot spots such as Cancun and Acapulco. With their towering hotels, array of water sports and fantastic nightlife, it is not surprising that these areas are a popular choice with vacation goers from around the globe. But while a lot can be said for these lively resort towns, venturing into some of the sleepy Mayan fishing villages around Mexico can prove just as worthwhile.

Rent a beachside cabana and lie back on a hammock strung between two palm trees on the beach as you stare out at the never ending blue of the ocean. Or visit one of the local farmer's markets and tuck into a plate of freshly baked tortillas. Sit in a beach side cafe and enjoy fresh prawns as they are carried up from the beach by local fishermen. The rural areas of Mexico truly do paint a charming and vivid picture of some of the last unspoilt areas on earth.

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Loudspeakers have come a long way from the days of 1876 when Alexander Graham Bell patented the first electrical loudspeaker as part of his telephone. With the unprecedented improvement in technology since then, speakers have also evolved from a simple metal horn to the present day hi fi plasma arc speakers. But the basic technology is in fact rather simple and has not altered much for nearly 50 years. However modern speakers sound much better than they did 50 years ago.

The word loudspeaker usually denotes individual devices or drivers, and the entire system consisting of an enclosure integrating one or more drivers and additional electronics. Based on such structural qualities as well as the dynamics of working some of the popular types of speakers are as followed.

The monopole is a box speaker with its collection of speaker drivers generally set together on one side of the box. Sound transmission is achieved usually when all drivers are operated with the help of the movement of air in the same direction.

Bipole speakers have two cones, one facing the room, and the other facing backwards to produce one half of the total sound quantity as a direct sound and the other reflects off the wall.

Dipole speakers are of two types. One is physically similar to bipoles, but the speakers are out of phase, the front cone and the rear cone move in opposite directions. And the other with both speakers almost in front, but pointed 90 degree off from each other, so if the speaker is mounted on the wall, the speakers are aimed along the wall.

Speakers are also categorized based on the operating technology and other specifications as well. Accordingly there are several types available in the market.

Based on impedance speakers can be 4 ohms or 8 ohms type. Again the baffle or enclosure types are responsible for names such as sealed speaker, bass reflex speaker etc. The number of drivers a speaker has got also decides its classification such as 2 ways, 3 ways etc.

There is a full range single driver speaker, which attempts to cover the entire audible frequency spectrum with only one driver unit. Therefore, there is no need of an electronic crossover network.

The other is the midrange, which has the capability to produce frequency ranging from approximately 300 to 5000 hertz. They are also called, less commonly, squawkers.

Piezoelectric speakers are commonly found in watches used as beepers. They produce single high frequency sound.

Electrostatic loudspeakers produce sound by using high voltage electric field to drive a thin membrane between two perforated conductive plates called stators.

Ribbon speakers, just as the name suggests, consist a thin metal film ribbon suspended in a magnetic field. When electrical signal is applied to the ribbon it produces the sound.

Planar magnetic loudspeakers have flat roughly rectangular shaped radiating surfaces, with a flexible membrane and a voice coil printed or mounted on them. The current flowing through the coil interacts with the magnetic field of carefully placed magnets on either side of the diaphragm. This causes the membrane to vibrate more or less uniformly and without much bending or wrinkling.

Bending wave loudspeakers use a diaphragm that is intentionally flexible.

Plasma arc speakers use electrical plasma as drivers. It has minimal mass, but it can be charged and manipulated by an electric field, the result is a very linear output at frequencies far higher than the audible range.

Apart from the above mentioned speaker types, one can find other classifications of speakers, based on various other features and functionalities, such as woofers, subwoofers, tweeters, etc.

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The culture of today's Seminole Tribe of Florida can be traced back at least 12,000 years. In the early day of its existence, the US government carried out a policy of displacement and extermination against the American Indians in the east US systematically removing them from the path of "white "settlement. Two legendary leaders Osceola and Abaca. Osceola masterminded successful battles against five baffled general. Murdered the US Indian agent, took punitive action against any who cooperated with the white man and stood as a national manifestation of the Seminole's strong reputation for non surrender... though his exploits were not so well published Seminole medicine man Abiaka may have been more important to the internal Seminole war machine. He was a powerful spiritual leader who used his medicine to stir warriors into frenzy. For all of the resistance the Seminoles began the 20th centaury where they had been left at the conclusion of the Seminole Wars, in abject poverty and hiding out in remote camps in the wet wilderness areas of South Florida. The tribe has matured both politically and financially and the challenge of maintaining the unique Seminole culture while operating in the mainstream economy is the priority for them today. Until 1821 Florida was under the control of the government of Spain.

Entertainment was plentiful in Hialeah during the decade known as the "Roaring 20's" The Spanish sport of jai-alai and greyhound racing drew visitors from far and near. Even the 1926 hurricane that nearly destroyed the city those who believed in the future of Hialeah could not be deterred.

Hialeah Park racetrack opened in 1925 and is one of the oldest existing recreational facilities in southern Florida. Racing drew spectators and competing stables from all around. When the facility was severely damaged by a hurricane in 1926. Philadelphia horseman Joseph Widener and Kentucky horseman Col Edward Bradley hired architect Lester Deisler to design a complete new grandstand and a clubhouse in the Renaissance Revival style. Beautiful landscaped gardens with native plants and a lake in the infield stocked with flamingos. When is opened again in 1932 it was considered one of the most beautiful in the world and became so famous for the flamingos that is has been officially designate d a sanctuary for them by the Audubon society. The track is gone but the flamingoes remain in this park which was once considered one of the world's most beautiful racetracks.

The flamingo Stakes race was an important stepping stone to the Kentucky Derby for 3 year old horses. The well known cult classic horse racing movie "Let it Ride" with Richard Dreyfuss, Terri Garr, JenniferTilly had most of its principal outdoor scenes at Hialeah Park.

The Hialeah Park Racetrack was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and was determined to be eligible as a National Historic Landmark. The park closed to the public in 2001 but the facilities remain intact except for the stables. Since the closing citizens to Save Hialeah Park Race Track have worked to preserve it. They offer this quote " the Park was once the most beautiful rack track in the world, it marks the beginnings of the city of Hialeah and its founders, features a unique central park area, and is a symbolic resting place for the horses that raced there and the millions of people who once cheered from the clubhouse and grandstand. Hialeah Park is the city's most evident and only historical link with the rest of the nation. It deserves nothing less than to be completely restored and preserved" What the fans will miss the most is the ritual after the seventh race, the flight of the flamingos. The quality of racing in general in the area was adversely affected when Hialeah did not open up the backside to accommodate 1,000 to 1,300 horses from all around the country who were normally stabled there. This reduced the number of horses coming into the area to race.

From a population of 1500 in 1925 Hialeah has grown at a rate faster than most of the ten largest cities in Florida. Predominantly Hispanic, Hialeah resident s has assimilated their cultural heritage and traditions into a hard working diverse community. Citizens are proud of their ethnic background and strive to keep neighborhoods family oriented.

Nearly 92% of the populations are Spanish speakers The city was once proposed to be a playground for the rich but in 1959 Cuban exiles flooded in a finished building this working class community. Several waves of Cuban exiles streamed in after Castor's takeover in Cuba in 1959. There were even more in the Freedom Flights, the boat lifts and the desperate boat people who in the late 1990's set out in any possible conveyance to try to reach our shores. They have created a very successful economy and industry that has seen continued growth.

The city's first slogan was "All Ways Lead to Hialeah". From the beginning Glenn Curtiss and James Bright knew of the potential of the area but could not have imagined how important Hialeah's location would be for transportation. Hialeah has access to every major means of transportation. The I-75 and the Palmetto Pwky direct economical access to the Opa Locka and Miami International Airports. There is Amtrak, Tri Rail and Metro Road station conveniently located with the city.

The Miami-Dade Public School System serves the city with 3 high schools, 4 middle schools, and 17 elementary schools. The Dade Christian School (Baptist) is the largest private school in the area and is a ministry of new Testament Baptist church.

Monsignor Edward Pace Hitch School, St John the Apostle School and Immaculate Conception School serve the primacy and secondary private school students.

Miami Dade College Hialeah Campus opened in 1980. In addition to academics there are many cultural and community events sponsored by the college.

The larges Santero Community outside of Cuba is in Hialeah, the Santeria World Headquarters. In a lawsuit between the Church of lukumi Babalu Aye v. city of Hialeah, the Santeria practice of animal sacrifice was ruled unconstitutional.

Telemoundo is the second largest Spanish language network. It is headquartered in Hialeah. There are several studios working taping programming, talk shows, news programs and telenovelas.

Hialeah is the densest city in the United State without a skyscraper. The city's tallest building is 14 floors and is only considered a mid rise.

Sports enthusiasts can enjoy Major League Baseball. The Florida marlins and Minor League Baseball, the Jupiter hammerheads and the Palm Beach Cardinals play and hour and a half north in Jupiter, Florida. The hammerheads are a Class A Advanced affiliate of the Florida Marlins, and the cardinals are a Class A Advanced affiliate of the St Louis Cardinals.

The National basketball League Miamian Heat, The National football League Miami Dolphins and the national Hockey League Florida Panthers are all within a small driving distance of Hialeah. The United soccer League is represented by the First Division Miami FC and fans of college football will enjoy the fact that nearby Miami is the home of the Orange Bowl

Hialeah restaurants and bars are a mix of traditional Cuban and international fusion food. Asturias features a unique menu that combines traditional Spanish menu items like tapas which are small plates of different appetizers that are eaten as a meal, with an American influence. Cantina Okeechobee is known for their delicious margaritas and fajitas. At Caf?aul on Palm Avenue the Cuban coffee, sandwiches and pastries are extremely popular amount the locals.

Shopping centers and malls abound in and around Hialeah. Westland Mall, just off the Palmetto Expressway, is a popular shopping destination. Anchored by Macy's JCPenny and Sears, Westland Mall features nearly 100 stores. There are also cafes and restaurants like Crepe's Land and Havana Madrid Restaurant, Just up the street from Westland Mall is the Miracle Mille Shopping Center, whose stores include Ross, TJ Maxx and Lane Bryant. Across the street there is Burlington coat Factory and Marshall's. Other nearby shopping malls includes mall of the Americas, Dolphin mall and Miami International Mall.

On the southeastern section of Hialeah is the historic district called Deer park. This tiny section of Hialeah is unique because its street names were probably borrowed from the natives who lived in the area. Per-na-na and To-to-loche are but a few of the interesting names.

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Not only are there monthly payments such as the mortgage and the insurance on the home but there are also maintenance expenses that need to be taken into consideration.

While many buyers may be baffled at trying to determine just how much it will cost them, it's helpful to know the life expectancy of some home items. This will provide the homeowner with a general idea of when things will need to be repaired or replaced and how much it will cost them.

Foundations: A foundation that is made from poured concrete block footings should last for eighty to one hundred years. This is also true for slab foundations. Termite proofing, which is applied to the foundation generally lasts for twelve years. A waterproofing coat that contains bituminous coating will last for ten years.

Flooring: Wood flooring will last the longest, about one hundred years with proper care and maintenance. The same is true for marble, slate, and granite floors but these also need care. Vinyl floors will last fifty years, linoleum will stay in good shape for twenty-five years and carpet has the shortest life span, with only about eight to ten years.

Electrical Systems: The actual structure of an electrical system such as wiring that is copper plated, copper clad aluminum, and bare copper wiring will be good for one hundred years. However, things like outlets and light switches will need to be replaced after ten years.

Outside Materials: There are many components outside the home that may or may not need replacing. The actual materials used to build the home such as brick, vinyl, wood, or stone will stay with the house for its lifetime.

Wood shutters will last for twenty years, the amount of time gutters last will depend on what they are made from. Copper can last up to fifty years while aluminum will only last about twenty. The same is true for downspouts as well. Copper will last one hundred years and aluminum will last about thirty.

Doors: Outdoor doors that are constructed from wood, steel, or fiberglass will last about one hundred years. Screen and vinyl doors can last anywhere from twenty to forty years. Closet doors will generally also last for one hundred years and French doors have thirty to fifty years of life in them.

Windows: If the homeowner wants the window to last for as long as possible, wood is the way to go, as they last twice as long as other types.

HVAC Systems: These systems need very careful care and maintenance. Furnaces have twenty years max, heat pumps have fifteen or sixteen years, and air conditioners only have ten to fifteen years. Tankless gas water heaters are best as they will last about twenty years.

Appliances: If homeowners want to keep their appliances for their lifetime, gas stoves will last about fifteen years. Dryers and refrigerators only have about thirteen years and dishwashers and microwaves have the shortest lifespan with only nine years.

Roofing: Typically slate, copper, clay, and concrete roofs are best with life spans of fifty years. Wood shake roofs last about thirty years, fiber cement shingles are good for twenty-five years, and asphalt shingles will deteriorate the most quickly at about twenty years.

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Trying to force curly hair to be straight is a big no-no according to industry-leading professional hairstylists. The process involved in performing such a thing is dreadfully damaging to the hair and the underlying hair follicles. A chemical is applied to the hair and allowed to remain on for a short time. After, a flat iron (a styling tool with two hot plates) is used to heat the hair and remove all kinks and bends. The immediate effect is beautiful, but the long-term use of such a treatment can irreversibly damage hair.

On the other side we look at straight hair forced to become curly. This process too can become quite evasive. In a method that hairstylists call a curling permanent, a chemical is applied to the hair and curling rods of different lengths and thickness are rolled into the locks close to the scalp. Calling this technique "permanent" is baffling because it is not permanent at all. In a few months, you will be returning to your local salon to have it performed again. This process as well "fries" the hair and in the long run damages the healthy straight hair you began with.

This brings us to the shape of the face. You see a gorgeous style on you best friend and decide that you must have it done exactly the same. After all, your bodies and choice of clothing are the same, why shouldn't your hairstyles be. You spend your whole afternoon at your stylist and when the final effect is unveiled, you stare unbelievably into the mirror. What happened!! Your stylist assures you that it's the same hairstyle that he gave your best friend yesterday. She looks like the princess and you look like the ugly stepsister. I have two words for you, facial shape.

The shape of your face plays a crucial part in hairstyle selection. A haircut that looks good on a heart-shaped face won't necessarily look nice on a person with a round face. Most of the European hairstylists agree that nearly every style and length is suitable for an oval-shaped face.

Now comes the big question, long or short? There are many varying opinions regarding this subject so the decision is actually quite difficult. There are so many variables to consider when making this decision. Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself before making a choice.

• What is your climate like?
• What activities do you perform daily?
• How many times do you have to devote to your hair?

No matter what style or length you choose, make sure that you take the time to sit with your stylist and discuss the pros and cons of the hairstyle you are thinking of trying. The most important thing to remember about hair is that regardless how bad it turned out; it will always grow back.

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Wholesale Bedding

Let's face it, those extra long twin sheets for the dorm bed just won't lead to matrimonial bliss. Most couples about to wed have invested in a grown up bed with room for two. Affording extra sets of sheets might be a strain on the budget. High thread count wholesale sheet sets make great wedding gifts. If the color isn't the perfect shade for the bride and groom, the wholesale sheets can easily transfer to a guest room bedding. However, if the wholesale sheets are of the highest thread count, the luxury will override any mismatch in color!

Wholesale sheet sets are not the only bedding items that are pricey in retail, but welcome wedding presents. Wholesale pillows, overstock comforters, and liquidated blankets work well as stock for customers with a wedding invitation in hand. The best wholesale bedding products will be shelf-pulls or company overstock, and still encased in the original packaging.

Wholesale Home Decorations

One fun activity for a new couple is decorating the shared living space. Friends and family members can help by providing the building blocks for this design. Wholesale home decorations, such as wholesale lamps, overstock wall art, and surplus rugs can offer the deepest discounts. An easy way to develop a room style is to start with one piece as a guideline. By selecting a neutral, or specifically tailored selection, a bargain priced lamp, wall hanging, or rug could easily be the focal point to base the rest of the design.

Wholesale Dining Pieces

A clear indication of maturity is moving up from paper plates and pizza boxes. Married couples have a need for shelf-pull dish sets, and other table setting items. Large discounts can be found on wholesale table linens, such as table cloths and napkins, and liquidated flatware. Make sure you stock at least a full six or eight person seating. Wedding guests will look to purchase complete sets of dining pieces, even if the items are offered at wholesale prices.

Wholesale Kitchen Products

The kitchen is the heart of a home. Great wedding gifts come again from sets of wholesale items. Wholesale cookware kits, with pots and pans, wholesale knife sets, and overstock or customer returned small appliances are all the rage. Why give the couple a retail priced blender, when a wholesale version is available for half the cost? Offer your customers the best variety in this category, and it won't matter if an item is not on the official registry, if the price is right.

Wholesale wedding gifts make perfect sense for the discerning wedding patron. Wholesale wedding presents allow a customer to stretch the dollar, and purchase perhaps a nicer gift than what is affordable at retail prices. By providing wedding gift registry services on your website, or in store, you offer a wholesale solution to a costly growing problem. Consumer goods keep rising in price, and married couples are asking for more and more. With wholesale wedding gifts, everyone is happy. The customer spent less, the bride and groom receive a quality gift, and your cash register drawer is a little heavier.

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                             ANTIQUITY OF THE VEDIC CIVILIZATION                              

  THE GREAT DELUGE:

 Certain things or events, happens, that gets ingrained in the memory of not one person but of the whole race or population and then that information is passed on from one generation to the other thus becoming a legend. One such event was the great flood which got ingrained in the memory of humanity in a large scale as is evident from various legends not only from India but also from different parts of the world. The legend of the flood is one such memory of the humanity that is there in the legends of many tribes and civilizations, present and past, from Celtic in the north to India and also mentioned in the old testament. The mention of the great flood in also there in the Vedas

 I call this disaster global because of the geographical distribution of this particular legend. To be present in the legends of so many civilizations and tribes, this disaster must have been on a large scale. So large that people from all parts of the world was affected in a major way, so as to find mention in their legends. Such a massive global disaster did not occur within 4500 years, before present. The myths and legends surrounding the huge, tremendous, catastrophic global flood, seems more to be a fact rather than a fiction. The earliest written record of the flood comes from the Sumerian civilization some 4th to 3rd millennia BC. In the Sumerian city of Nippura ( located some 200 Km south of the city of Baghdad on the bank of the Euphrates river). There an archaeological excavation brought about a clay tablet and from this very clay tablet we come to know about a very pious man named Zisudra. He was appointed by the almighty and thus he was told to built a huge Ship and to save the mankind from the impending disaster. According to the tablet, Gods were angry of the human race and their wrong doings and they came to a conclusion that such a cleansing act should be done. The good and the pious people should be exempted from the trauma of such an act and hence Zisudra was chosen by the gods to save mankind. Zisudra got a vision that such a catastrophic deluge is going to come and that he should make a huge boat and take with him seeds of future civilization, flora, and fauna so that he can oversee the rebirth of eden once again. In the Epic Of Gilgamesh the legend of the flood is no different from the Sumerian legend.

 Utnapishtim, the only man to survive the great flood sent by the gods, had lived in the city of Shurrupak, where he served the god Ea. The city and gods grew old, and the goddess Ishtar caused such strife among men that the gods could not sleep for the noise. So Enlil, god of earth, wind, and air, said, "Let us loose the waters on the world, and drown them all." The gods agreed, but Ea warned Utnpishtim of the impending disaster in a dream and told him to build a boat, and take on board two of every creature. For seven nights the tempest raged, until the entire world was covered in water.

At last, the boat ran aground on the top of Mount Nisir. To check the water level, Utnapishtim set free a dove, then a swallow, then a raven. When the raven did not return, Utnapishtim knew it had found a resting place and the waters were subsiding. In thanks, he lit a fire to make a sacrifice to the gods. Enlil was furious when he smelled the smoke, but wise Ea interceded, and Enlil made Utnapishtim and his wife immortal; they are the ancestors of all humanity.

The legend of the flood is also so very similar among the Greeks. It goes some thing like this---- From his throne in the high Olympos, Zeus looked down on the children of men, and saw that everywhere they followed only their lusts, and cared nothing for right or for law. And ever, as their hearts waxed grosser in their wickedness, they devised for themselves new rites to appease the anger of the gods, till the whole earth was filled with blood. Far away in the hidden glens of the Arcadian hills the sons of Lykaon feasted and spake proud words against the majesty of Zeus, and Zeus himself came down from his throne to see their way and their doings. Then Zeus returned to his home on Olympos, and he gave the word that a flood of waters should be let loose upon the earth, that the sons of man might die for their great wickedness. So the west wind rose in its might, and the dark rain-clouds veiled the whole heaven, for the winds of the north which drive away the mists and vapors were shut up in their prison house. On hill and valley burst the merciless rain, and the rivers, loosened from their courses, rushed over the whole plains and up the mountain-side. From his home on the highlands of Phtia, Deukalion looked forth on the angry sky, and when he saw the waters swelling in the valleys beneath, he called Pyrrha, his wife, and said to her: 'The time has come of which my father, the wise Prometheus, forewarned me. Make ready, therefore, the ark which I have built, and place in it all that we may need for food while the flood of waters is out upon the earth.' The Pyrrha hastened to make all things ready, and they waited till the waters rose up to the highlands of Phthia and floated away the ark of Deukalion. The fishes swam amidst the old elm-groves, and twined amongst the gnarled boughs on the oaks, while on the face of the waters were tossed the bodies of men; and Deukalion looked on the dead faces of stalwart warriors, of maidens, and of babes as they rose and fell upon the heavy waves.

The  Chaldean flood myth is very near to the Old testament. In this legend even the dimension of the huge boat has been reveled. The myth goes like this----After the death of Ardates, his xon Xisuthrus reigned eighteen sari. In his time happened a great deluge, the history of which is thus described: The deity Cronos appeared to him in a vision, and warned him that upon the fifteenth day of the month Desius there would be a flood, by which mankind would be destroyed. He therefore enjoined him to write a history of the beginning , procedure, and conclusion of all things and to bury it in the City of the Sun at Sippara: and to build a vessel, and take with him into it his friends and relations, and to convey on board everything necessary to sustain life, together with all the different animals, both birds and quadrupeds, and trust himself fearlessly to the deep. Having asked the deity whither he was to sail, he was answered: 'To the Gods;' upon which he offered up a prayer for the good of mankind. He then obeyed the divine admonition, and built a vessel five stadia in length, and two in breadth. Ito this he put everything which he had prepared, and last of all converged into it his wife, his children, and his friends. After the flood had been upon the earth, and was in time abated, Xisuthrus sent out birds from the vessel; which not finding any food, nor any place whereupon they might rest their feet, returned to him again. After an interval of some days, he sent them forth a second time; and they now returned with their feet tinged with mud. He made a trial a third time with these birds; but they returned to him no more: from whence he judged that the surface of the earth had appeared above the waters. He therefore made an opening in the vessel, and upon looking out found that it was stranded upon the side of some mountain; upon which he immediately quitted it with his wife, his daughter and the pilot. Xisuthrus then paid his adoration to the earth, and  having constructed an altar, offered sacrifices to the gods.

The very effort to mention all these flood legend in this article has but one motive and that is to impress upon my readers the striking similarities of these legends, though these legends are from different geographical regions. The legend of Noah’s ark in the Old Testament is no different than all the above legends discussed. In India we have two flood legends The first is about a pious king called Manu. This legend appears in satapata Bhramana. HYPERLINK  \l "toHYPERLINK  \l

Once very long ago a pious king named Manu was washing himself. When he reached into the water jar to wash his hands, he pulled up a small fish.

The fish spoke to him, saying, "If you take care of me and protect me until I am full grown, I will save you from the terrible things to come." Manu asked the fish, "What do you mean? What terrible things?" The fish told Manu that there would soon be a great flood that would destroy every human being on earth. The fish then instructed Manu to place him in a clay jar for safety, and Manu complied. As the fish grew, Manu kept placing it in a series of larger clay jars until the fish was full grown and could be placed safely in the sea. Soon the fish became ghasha, one of the largest fishes in the world.

The fish instructed Manu to build a large ship, as the flood was now only months away. As the rains began, Manu tied a rope form his ship to the ghasha, which safely guided him as the waters rose. The waters grew so high that the entire earth was covered. As the waters subsided, the ghasha guided Manu to a mountaintop.

The second legend is about a pious man named satyabrata .( The name means one who always speaks the truth). Many ages after the creation of the world, Brahma resolved to destroy it with deluge, on account of the wickedness of the people. There lived at that time a pious man named Satyavrata, and as the lord of the universe loved this pious man, and wished to preserve him from the sea of destruction which was to appear on account of the depravity of the age, he appeared before him in the form of Vishnu and said: in seven days from the present time the worlds will be plunged in an ocean of death, but in the midst of the destroying waves, a large vessel, sent by me for thy use, shall stand before thee. Then shalt thou take all medicinal herbs, all the variety of feeds, and accompanied by seven saints, encircled by pairs of all brute animals, thou shalt fasten it with a large sea-serpent on my horn; for I will be near thee, drawing the vessel, with thee and thy attendants. I will remain on the ocean, O chief of men, until a night of Brahma shall be completely ended. Thou shalt then know my true greatness, rightly named the Supreme Godhead; by my favor, all thy questions shall be answered, and thy mind abundantly instructed.

The factor of commonality, in this legend, from Sumer to India and Europe is baffling. Were, Zisudra, Utnaphistim, Zeus, Xisusthrus ( note the phonetic similarity with that of Zisudra ), Manu, and satyabrata, the same person?? OR are they different people of the same civilization, who managed to save themselves from the great deluge and started a fresh civilization where ever they sighted land and hence the names of the person changed but the story remained the same. Did the flood actually take place? If so what was the scale of this deluge and where did this happen? These are all the question that needs to be probed. The myth of this great flood is not limited to the few mentioned herein in fact there are many, many more. They can be categorized as follows :

•        59 North American Indian flood legends

•        46 Central and South American Indian flood legends

•        31 European flood legends

•        17 Middle Eastern and African flood legends

•        23 Asian flood legends

•        37 Pacific Island and Australian Aboriginal flood legends

All these myths have few things in common:  HYPERLINK  \

A worldwide flood happened that destroyed both man and animals

There was a vessel, a huge boat, the dimensions also being mentioned in the myth.

An extremely small remnant of people survived

Finally resting on a mountain

Birds being released and not returning

Birds being released and returning with something

I will now try to give my readers some evidences of such a devastating deluge which took place and its possible time frame. The first and very compelling evidence is the very fact that this myth is prevalent in all culture but in spite of the varied geographical presence and varied cultural dogma the similarities are all but same. There was an article in the Sunday times dated 29.9.99 which I have quoted here verbatim for my readers.

“Compelling evidence that there was a Great Flood, as told in the Old Testament story of Noah's Ark, has been found far below the waters of the Black Sea by an American expedition.

Underwater surveyors, led by Robert Ballard, the renowned oceanographer who found the Titanic and other sunken ships of the 20th century, have discovered an ancient coastline at a depth of 450 ft.

"I am not sure whether it is Noah's flood or not Noah's flood, but I do buy that there was a flood," said David Mindell, one of the surveyors.

The Ballard team was working from a theory about the biblical flood of antiquity propounded by two marine geologists from Columbia University in New York, William Ryan and Walter Pittman, in their new book, Noah's Flood, reviewed in Scribe No. 71, page 3.

As Dr Ballard explained; "During the last great Ice Age glaciers advanced across the surface of the world. That lowered the sea level 400ft. Then, 12,000 years ago at the end of the Ice Age, the glaciers began to retreat".

With its lower sea level, the eastern Mediterranean was cut off from the Black Sea so that when the oceans started to rise, the Black Sea did not.

Dr Ballard continued: "Around 7,600 years ago, guess what happens? The Mediterranean breaks through a natural dam at the Bosphorus and catastrophically floods the land surface. People living there are 400ft below sea level and in trouble. They are facing a flood equal to 10,000 Niagara Falls."

This flood was on a far greater scale than the one described in Genesis, which is said to have lasted for 40 days and 40 nights, covering every living thing on Earth beneath 24ft of water other than Noah, his family and his pairs of animals carried to safety on the ark.

In the new theory, it is believed that each day for two years ten cubic miles of ocean water cut through the widening Bosphorus channel as it flowed into what was then a fresh water lake, raising the level by six inches a day.

The incoming salt water, more dense than the fresh water it displaced, plunged to the bottom of the lake bed, transforming it into a sea where the depths support no life.

This area of inert darkness is known as an abyss that is anoxic, meaning that the trapped water could not circulate and has lost its oxygen, "Such conditions exist nowhere else in the world," Dr Ballard said.

The theory supposes that in this dead zone wooden ships will be preserved intact, possibly still with their Bronze Age sails, and just waiting for Dr Ballard and his team. The explorers are convinced that there may be many ships on the bottom because the Black Sea served as an important commercial waterway.

Dr Ballard has participated in 120 deep-sea expeditions. He found two Phoenician vessels more than 3,000 years old.

Fredrik Hiebert of the University of Pennsylvania, the team's chief archaeologist, said the discovery "represents the first concrete evidence for occupation of the Black Sea coast prior to its flooding."

"This is a major discovery that will begin to rewrite the history of the cultures in this key area between Europe, Asia and the ancient Middle East," Hiebert said.

The remnants of human habitation were found in more than 300 feet of water about 12 miles off the coast of Turkey.”

According to professor Masse , Among all the flood myths he is interested in the Hindu myth where particularly, the myth describes an alignment of the five bright planets that has happened only once in the last 5,000 years. Thus we do start getting a possible time frame about the great deluge. That’s from 7500BC to 5000BC. In 2004, at a conference of geologists, astronomers, and archaeologists, Masse outlined his evidence for a world-ravaging impact in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Ted Bryant, a geomorphologist at the University of Wollongong in New South Wales, Australia, was intrigued and enlisted the help of Dallas Abbott, an assistant professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. In 2005, they formed the Holocene Impact Working Group (referring to the geological period covering the last 11,000 years) to seek out the geological signatures of a mega tsunami. If a 600-foot-high wave ravages a coastline, it should leave a lot of debris behind. In the case of waves generated by asteroid impacts, the debris they leave in their wake is believed to form gigantic, wedge-shaped sandy structures known as chevrons that are sometimes packed with deep-oceanic microfossils dredged up by the tsunami.

When Abbott began searching satellite images on Google Earth, she saw dozens of chevrons along shorelines and inland in Africa and Asia. The shape and size of these chevrons suggest that they might have been formed by waves emanating from the impact of a comet slamming into the deep ocean off Madagascar. The chevrons in Madagascar associated with the crater were filled with melted microfossils from the bottom of the ocean. There is no explanation for their presence other than a cosmic impact, she says. “People are going to have to start taking this theory a lot more seriously. The next step is to perform carbon-14 dating on the fossils to see if they are indeed 5,000 years old. Meanwhile, Bryant contends that chevrons found (pdf) 4 miles inland from the shore of Madagascar were formed by a wave that traveled 25 miles along the coast, moving almost parallel to the shoreline. “Neither erosion nor any other terrestrial process could have caused these formations. The biggest marine landslide ever recorded happened 7,200 years ago off the coast of Norway, and there was a tsunami, but it was a far cry from leaving deposits 200 meters above sea level, Bryant says.

The Great Flood was a very unusual and singular event. Because of the magnitude of the destruction, it would have left an indelible and permanent mark on the minds of any survivors. This story would have been told and retold, passing down from generation to generation. And so it was. What could have caused such an event that etched its remembrance in the population of the world. That event has to be really big. It is now pertinent to mention the work of Plato here at this juncture-- Timaeus and Critias. Here plato described about a paradise named Atlantis which suddenly vanished from the face of the earth. He described about an intelligent civilization that lived in this beautiful paradise. Both accounts, Timaeus and Critias, describe:

A pre-flood civilization.

God’s decision to destroy mankind because of his wickedness.

The destruction of civilization by a Great Flood.

The suddenness of the cataclysm.

The extent of the destruction affecting the entire globe.

According to Plato, the island of Atlantis and the distant Mediterranean civilizations were completely destroyed in a single day and night of violent earthquakes and floods. They disappeared into the depths of the sea. And according to Plato, the Great Flood occurred around 11,400 years ago. (The account records the event occurring 9000 years before Plato’s time. Plato’s dialogues were written around 360 BC) This would make the Pre-Flood civilization an Ice Age civilization.

A Global disaster of such proportion can happen only when there is an impact by a comet or an asteroid. An atmospheric impact, commonly referred to as a bolide or airburst, is another type of impact event. The Tunguska impact is an example of a strong bolide event. Another type of impact is an Ice Age glacial impact. Such an impact could produce the effects contained in the Biblical description of the Great Flood.

A comet/asteroid impact on a large glacier mass could cause the following effects:

Release vast quantities of heat.

Produce massive earthquakes.

Produce trapped superheated steam that would exert force to uplift and move a large glacier mass.

Fracture glacial sheets.

Eject water, steam and ice high into the atmosphere.

Release stored potential energy.

Produce a partial glacial ice melt.

Produce an almost immediate rise in sea level.

Produce great rainfall.

Slowly driving the ocean crust deeper.

Slowly raising the continental crust higher.

Produce volcanoes and lava flows.

The impact of a large comet/asteroid (~2 mile diameter) with an Ice Age glacial sheet could produce the following chain of events:

The impactor penetrates through miles of thick ice, like a bullet. Below the surface, the impact releases the energy of a million nuclear bombs. A gas bubble of trapped superheated steam forms. The steam causes a general uplifting of the glacier ice sheet. The ice sheet rises like a steam boiler about to burst. The gas bubble exerts tremendous force on the ice flow. The impact triggers the release of potential energy locked in ice flow allowing million of tons to break loose and begins to move on the frictionless fluid bed toward the oceans. Some of the steam escapes like an erupting geyser or volcano. The glacier sheet fractures, opening up fissions for the steam to escape. Boiling water and steam further lubricate the surface boundary layer of the ice flow. The explosion hurls large masses of ice fragments into the air with great force. Ice and water flowing off the continents cause an immediate rise in sea level in conformance with the Displacement Theory. The released superheated steam falls back to Earth, generating very violent storms. Heavy rain falls for several days and weeks. The atmosphere heats up. Large earthquakes combined with the Earth’s crustal rebound from the movement of large ice sheets exert significant strain on the tectonic plates. The strain is relieved by the eruption of volcanoes, and lava flows throughout the world. Underwater earthquakes expose frozen methane hydrate beds. The heat generated at the impact point and the heat from underwater volcanoes and lava flows elevate the temperature of the ocean bottoms and melt the exposed methane hydrate. The released methane bubbles to the surface, where in time it is ignited by lightning strikes, which further raises atmospheric temperatures. The methane burn releases large quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In the end, the global temperature rises significantly, breaking the back of the Ice Age. This in turn sets the ball rolling and the earth plunges in the cycle of destruction till the earth and its dynamics slows down considerably. Then the climate again stabilizes. The oceans, the sees, the rivers starts their respective restorative actions.

In India also there are strong evidence of this Global disaster. Mahabharat tell about the sunken dwarka. For centuries, local fishermen on the coast of Mahabalipuram in India have believed that a great flood consumed a city over 10,000 years ago in a single day. This story was recorded  by British explorer J. Goldingham, who visited the area in 1798. The legend said there were six temples submerged beneath the water, with the seventh temple still standing on the shore. Now author Graham Hancock thinks he's found them.

“I have long regarded Mahabalipuram, because of its flood myths and fishermen’s sightings as a very likely place in which discoveries of underwater structures could be made, and I proposed that a diving expedition should be undertaken there,” says Hancock.

In April, he made a diving expedition to the area, working with the U.K. Scientific Exploration Society and India’s National Institute of Oceanography. The SES says, “A joint expedition of 25 divers from the Scientific Exploration Society and India’s National Institute of Oceanography led by Monty Halls and accompanied by Graham Hancock, have discovered an extensive area with a series of structures that clearly show man made attributes, at a depth of (16-23 feet) offshore of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu. The scale of the submerged ruins, covering several square miles and at distances of up to a mile from shore, ranks this as a major marine-archaeological discovery as spectacular as the ruined cities submerged off Alexandria in Egypt.”

The NIO says, “A team of underwater archaeologists from National Institute of Oceanography NIO have successfully unearthed evidence of submerged structures off Mahabalipuram and established first-ever proof of the popular belief that the Shore temple of Mahabalipuram is the remnant of series of total seven of such temples built that have been submerged in succession. The discovery was made during a joint underwater exploration with the Scientific Exploration Society, U.K.”

“Between 17,000 years ago and 7000 years ago, at the end of the last Ice Age, terrible things happened to the world our ancestors lived in,” Hancock says. “Great ice caps over northern Europe and north America melted down, huge floods ripped across the earth, sea-level rose by more than (325 feet), and about (15 million square miles) of formerly habitable lands were swallowed up by the waves.”

Besides deep diving explorations, ancient submerged structures have also been discovered from space. Space NASA satellite images have revealed a mysterious ancient bridge in the Palk Strait between India and Sri Lanka. The bridge has been named Adam’s Bridge and was created from a chain of shoals, about 18 miles long. It’s unique curvature reveals that it’s manmade.

Archeological studies reveal that the first human inhabitants of Sri Lanka came to the island around 1,750,000 years ago and the bridge is about the same age. This is in line with a legend called Ramayana, which dates from more than 1,700,000 years ago. In this epic, a bridge was built between Rameshwaram (India) and the coast of Sri Lanka under the supervision of the god-like Rama. This also gives us some idea about the antiquity of the Vedic civilization. If Ramayana was a reality then Vedic civilization is the pre glacial civilization.

In the end of this article I can only say that The universal human myth may be the first example of disaster reporting.

Bibliography:

In search of the cradle of civilization.----by, George Feuerstien, Subhash Kak,          and David frawley.

Underworld:      Graham Hancock

http://personals.galaxyinternet.net/tunga/Flood.htm

http://www.unknowncountry.com/news/?id=2075

www.runtus.org/USERIMAGES/CulturalEvidence.doc

The Sunday Times - 27.9.99

http://www.atheistnation.net/news/?atheist/article,00127

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Microwave cooking is not for the faint hearted who are afraid to experiment and who are not ready to make mistakes while cooking. Here in microwave cooking though it is partly science where microwaves waves are used for cooking, it is also a great way to learn to cook. You can check out on the many recipes that are available on the internet. This will help you to determine how much time and what wattage are needed to be used to make the different meals. When you take up microwave cooking you should be prepared to learn from through the trail and error method to turn out the perfect dish. But if you use the recipe book which is provided with the microwave oven then you can turn out perfect dishes using the recipes in it.

People who have been using the microwave have discovered that it is the most ideal way to cook meals especially for large families as it helps save on expenses. The time taken to cook for a single person would be same as that for a large family. College student can easily prepare simple nutritious dishes using the microwave and thus save on expenses of eating outside.

Microwave cooking also entails that you will have far less spills to clean up after you finish your cooking. This is possible by using plates that can be removed and dish washed or by having the food covered so that nothing gets spilled while cooking is going on. No more cleaning all the mess on stove tops.

Microwave cooking is very popular among people today and proof of this can be found from the many accessories that are available in the stores these days. If you pay a visit to any store selling kitchen accessories, you will find that there are trays for baking bacon and for making omelets too. This many products have microwave cooking all simpler.

If you have been using your microwave only to melt butter or to warm up pizzas then be assured that you have failed to utilize your microwave fully. Start looking up recipes in the internet that will help you to turn out exquisite dishes that will baffle your family and friends. They will be praising your cooking skills thinking how much time you would have spent toiling on hot kitchen stoves when you would have hardly spent just checking on your dishes being cooked in your microwave.

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While many may assert that Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was a disappointment in his first year driving for the Hendrick Motorsports juggernaut, his season was not that bad when weighed against his teammates. Aside from Jimmie Johnson, it is difficult to say that his teammates outperformed him. Jeff Gordon enjoyed several solid races towards the end of the season, but overall, Earnhardt, Jr. won a race and led more laps.

Hendrick Motorsports was not the same ascendant operation they were in 2007, so the season fell short of expectations in comparison.

In 2009, expect Dale Earnhardt, Jr. to improve upon the 2008 season and qualify for the Chase for the Championship for the second consecutive season. He will likely win a race or two.

11. Matt Kenseth-

The goose egg in the win column for Matt Kenseth in 2008 is rather baffling. Although Kenseth does not win races in bundles, he has won at least one race in every season from 2002 to 2007. Following a sluggish start to the season, Kenseth’s performance picked up, but not at the level that he is accustomed. He scored 20 top ten finishes, more than all drivers with the exception of Jimmie Johnson, Carl Edwards, and Kyle Busch, so consistency was not the issue. He simply did not put himself in position to win very often.

In 2009, Kenseth should return to victory lane. Furthermore, a driver with his consistency is unlikely to miss the Chase for the Championship.

10. Kyle Busch-

Kyle Busch had the field covered for the first 26 races of the 2008 campaign, as he amassed eight victories. However, once the Chase for the Championship started, his championship aspirations suddenly vanished. Mechanical woes and performance issues haunted Kyle Busch and the 18 team throughout the final ten races.

Overall, Busch had a superb season in NASCAR In all three of NASCAR’s premier series, no other driver won as frequently as Busch, as he recorded 21 total victories. Moreover, it was his first year piloting Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas.

Kyle Busch may not win eight races in 2009, but he is one of the favorites to capture the Sprint Cup championship, and rightfully so. Expect him to win three or four races, and contend for the championship.

9. Tony Stewart-

Tony Stewart was in the headlines quite frequently in 2008, but it was not for his on-track accomplishments. Stewart will endeavor to administer his own Sprint Cup operation in 2009 and beyond with Ryan Newman as his teammate. Ironically, Stewart’s maddening season began when Newman passed him on the backstretch on the final lap of the Daytona 500.

Stewart’s only victory occurred at Talladega, but it was in October, more than a year following his previous victory at Watkins Glen in August of 2007.

It is difficult to project how the 2009 season will transpire for Stewart and Stewart Haas Racing. Stewart will likely contend for wins on restrictor plate tracks and road course tracks, but other than that, we will have to take the ‘wait and see’ approach.

8. Denny Hamlin-

Following his remarkable rookie season in 2006, Denny Hamlin has shown modest improvement. He is one of the more consistent drivers in the series, and he has qualified for the Chase for the

Overall, Busch had a superb season in Championship in each of the last three seasons, but it is time for Hamlin and the 11 team to contend for championships. While his teammate Kyle Busch won eight races, Hamlin only recorded one victory. However, Hamlin enjoyed some strong performances at Atlanta, Phoenix, and Homestead towards the end of the season.

In 2009, look for Hamlin to post similar results as the last couple of years. Nevertheless, this could be one of the few teams in the top twelve that does not return to the ten-race showdown next fall.

7. Jeff Gordon-

For the first time since his rookie season in 1993, Jeff Gordon failed to reach victory lane. However, it was not a terrible year for Gordon and the 24 group by any means. Throughout the spring months, Gordon hit a minor skid on the intermediate tracks, but the program seemed to improve during the second half of the season. Gordon’s season was similar to Matt Kenseth’s in the fact that he was competitive, just not enough to challenge for many wins. Gordon posted thirteen top five finishes and nineteen top ten finishes.

In 2009, Gordon will win a race, if not two, three, or four. It is still too early to anoint him as the championship favorite, but do not be surprised to see the 24 car chasing the championship next fall.

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