GOLDEN-HEADED QUETZAL

GOLDEN-HEADED QUETZAL

Pharomachrus auriceps 

1. Quetzals are members of the family Trogonidae. The golden-headed quetzal has a large range; they are found throughout Panama, northwest Venezuela, the Andes of Columbia and south to northern Bolivia & Peru. 

2. The golden-headed quetzal is well adapted to lush tropical and sub-tropical areas.

3. These birds prefer to eat fruits, with avocado being a favorite meal. They will also eat lizards and insects especially during their breeding season. When seeking fruit, they make an upward sweeping flight. Some fruits rely on this family of birds to spread their seed. 

4. The golden-headed quetzal is about 14 inches (35 cm) long. Both sexes are colored a bright iridescent green with a red underbelly and golden-colored heads. Males tend to be more brightly colored than the females, with a solid black tail and a yellow-orange bill. Females have brownish bills, shorter green tails, and a dull brownish-golden head. The gold feathers are also iridescent and appear brighter or golden in sunlight. Quetzals have short, rounded wings, broad squared tails and small legs and feet. They are zygodactyls, like parrots, which means they have two toes facing forward and two facing backwards, helping them to grasp perches. 

5. Quetzals are largely sedentary birds, relying on their brilliant green feathers to camouflage their location in the rain forests as they perch quietly for most of the day.

6. These birds make a variety of whistling, clucking calls to maintain pair bonds and communicate with their mates in the thick forest vegetation. Their wide bills can accommodate large pitted fruits. They swallow the fruits and then disgorge the pit. This allows trees to have their fruit dispersed for future germination.

7. Revered by the Mayans, the quetzal feathers were worn only by priests and nobility. 

8. The name quetzal is derived from the Aztec word ‘quetzalli,’ which means ‘beautiful’ or ‘precious.’ 

9. Guatemala proudly uses images of the quetzal on its flag, the national shield, postage stamps, and has a currency called the quetzal.

The Resplendent Quetzal (Pharomachrus mocinno)

Read More

10 Golden Rules to Stay Young Forever

10 Golden Rules to Stay Young Forever

Weight management is on everyone's mind. Every time you turn on the television, you are bombarded with stories about the growing obesity rate. You have seen the commercials and you may own one or more of the widely marketed ab roll thinners, butt tuckers, tummy suckers and electronic fat removers. You may have also tried an Assortment of firming cream and burning pills. People are on a relentless search for the answers to weight loss, physical fitness and to look younger and beautiful. Often people go to any extent to look younger on the outside. They buy the best clothes and cosmetics that money can buy but looking young is not only about what you wear and how you apply make-up.  What you put inside your body by maintaining a high quality natural food diet, has the best effect on how we look and feel. There are some basic facts which can be helpful in achieving your goals faster than you have ever thought.
Here is the list of some of the things that can help you own an enviable toned body and stay in top shape for years to come.

1) Eat “Fit Foods”- your choice in a high quality natural diet plays a significant role in the way to look and feel.  A diet containing balanced amount of complex  carbohydrates, protein and fats  is the key.  Complex carbohydrates intake through brown rice, whole wheat pasta, salads, potatoes, unprocessed cereals etc. have proved to be very effective in losing weight because complex carbohydrates not only control hunger but also provide energy as our body  burns them more efficiently as compared to unprocessed food.

Similarly,  fiber (contained in fruits, vegetables and whole grains) helps get rid of unwanted and toxic substances present in your intestine and colon, accelerates weight loss and keeps the skin glowing. High quality, easily digestible protein can be derived by consuming chicken, turkey, egg whites, fish, low-fat dairy and certain lean cuts of red meat. Protein present in these food sources is easy to digest and helps increase the muscle tissue rather than fat tissues.

2) Eat at least three meals per day - Our body needs to have 3 balanced meals per day which includes a heavy breakfast in the morning containing fruits, cereals, grain bread, eggs,  along with a healthy drink. Research has shown that people who skip breakfast,  find it harder to lose weight. Your body needs energy to get you through the day and that energy is supplied only through a proper breakfast, so if you are not a “breakfast person” start by eating  at least a piece of fruit on your way to work.

3) Drink plenty of water- Water plays a key role in the prevention of diseases, reduction of weight, toxins and chances of cancer; absorption and digestion of food, regulation of body temperature, removal of waste and toxins from the body and maintaining glow of the skin. Water helps the body to metabolize stored fat and acts as appetite suppressant, and thus, leads to weight loss. Whenever you feel hungry, drink a pint of water, it will curb your appetite.

4) Eliminate soft drinks, fruit juices and processed foods - Avoid carbonated beverages and fruit juices even if they are naturally sweetened.  Processed food, refined food and pre-packaged food are loaded with sugars and preservatives. You can replace soft drinks and juices with natural water, herbal tea and caffeine free coffee.

5) Fast once a week- I strongly recommend fasting for everyone. It is something which everyone needs to do and please bear in mind that this has nothing to do with religious beliefs. If you abstain from meals, you are giving your body a chance to rest. In USA, we incessantly eat endless calories with every meal. The body never gets a chance to get rest, repair and restore itself. Our digestive system works round the clock even when we are sleeping. When we eat, it takes that meal three to four hours to travel through the stomach, another five hours for the food to be processed in the small intestine and an additional 12 to 36 hours for the food to go through the large intestine. If you fast one day in a week, you are giving your body a chance to rid itself of abnormal  cells, toxins, heavy metals and chemicals that you have ingested.

6) Don't eat 2 hours before you go for sleep: People generally make the mistake of not eating much during the day and then eating a big dinner before they go to bed. It becomes difficult for the body to burn the extra calories while you are sleeping because your energy levels plummet while sleeping. Therefore, try to eat earlier in the day and keep dinners as simple and light as possible.

7) Exercise to stay fit and young- We all have excuses and explanations for not exercising, like, lack of time, odd working hours, home, kids etc. Good eating and drinking habits and exercise keep you fit for your entire life. Exercise and workout will not only keep you healthy, increase longevity but will also give you mental peace because “A healthy body has a healthy mind”. Any anaerobic exercise like stationary cycling, walking, jogging, swimming, yoga etc. four times a week yields good results. If possible, go for a brisk walk of 10 to 15 minute at lunch or in the evening to boost your metabolism even more. Don't forget to tone your muscles with weight training three days per week.

8) Mediation and deep breathing- Meditation helps develop a stronger body and mind connection. This connection is vital for feeling younger and healthier. Breathing is one of the important and the oldest weapon to fight toxicity in the body. Breathing is an effective way to remove toxins as well as to cleanse and purify the body. When we exhale, we take out carbon dioxide and the toxins which are deadly poisonous for the body. The body has a great tendency and capacity for oxygen. If our body lacks oxygen, we feel tired and have headaches. A few deep breaths not only relieves us from the anxiety and ease digestion but also helps with waking up and going to sleep.

9) Stop smoking and drinking alcohol- Smoking and alcohol consumption have negative effects on your body. Alcohol depresses your metabolism and stimulates your appetite and thus affects your eating habits.

10) Live with a positive attitude- The way to a healthy life begins with a healthy mind. How we think determines everything in our life. We should choose the habits that make us feel younger and live longer with a healthy body and mind. 

Read More

Golden Monkey

Golden Monkey

The Golden Monkey is a subspecies of the Blue monkey (or Sykes monkey). As a result of continuous divisions of forests, Cercopithecus species were isolated in different regions and therefore forced to adapt to these regions.  The golden monkey is said to have diverged from Cercopithecus mitis during these isolation events (it is one of 8 subspecies of Cercopithecus mitis), and is now endangered. Because it has been seldom studied, little is known about the golden monkey, its behavior and ecology.

Physical Characteristics 
Golden monkey males have a reddish color on their back and on the dorsal part of their sides as well as some grizzled darker patches. Females are lighter in color and have less grizzled brown patches.

Behavior 
Golden monkeys live in groups of between 30-80 individuals, usually led by one adult male. The female defends her territory, while males stay for a certain period of time after which they leave the group. These males are in the position to copulate with every female in the group; however it is the females that solicit the males. These monkeys use a series of different calls to express themselves. Males use calls to communicate territoriality and fighting, females to display group cohesion, and alertness, and subadults to display
submissiveness, and to stimulate mobbing behavior. They also communicate using visual expressions.

Diet 
Golden monkeys eat about 20 to 30 plant species. They mostly rely on leaves, fruits, and invertebrates, but their main preference is bamboo.

Caring for the Young 
Golden Monkeys breed seasonally and have a gestation period of 5 months. They give birth to a single offspring that is born with all its fur and with its eyes open. The female eats the placenta, and then cleans the baby by licking it. After the first few months, the female nurses the offspring less, and stops once a new offspring is born usually 2 years later. Male offspring become independent of the group when they reach sexual maturity.

Predators 
Humans are the main predators, as they encroach onto the golden monkeys’ habitat, set snares, and illegally cut down bamboo.

Read More

Celebrity From The Golden Globes

Celebrity From The Golden Globes

New York photographer Tricia Messeroux has painstakingly recreated the stars' iconic looks from this week's Golden Globes - using kids.

Read More

20 golden rules for any office

20 golden rules for any office

1. Rule 1.-The Boss is always right.

2. Rule 2.-If the Boss is wrong, see rule 1.

3. Those who work get more work. Others get pay, perks, and promotions.

4. Ph.D. stands for "Pull Him Down". The more intelligent a person, the more hardworking a person, the more committed a person; the more number of persons are engaged in pulling that person down.

5. If you are good, you will get all the work. If you are really good, you will get out of it.

6. When the Bosses talk about improving productivity, they are never talking about themselves.

7. It doesn't matter what you do, it only matters what you say you've done and what you are going to do.

8. A pat on the back is only a few centimeters from a kick in the butt.

9. Don't be irreplaceable. If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted.

10. The more crap you put up with, the more crap you are going to get.

11. If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.

12. When you don't know what to do, walk fast and look worried.

13. Following the rules will not get the job done.

14. If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done.

15. Everything can be filed under "Miscellaneous" .

16. No matter how much you do, you never do enough.

17. You can do any amount of work provided it isn't the work you are supposed to be doing.

18. In order to get a promotion, you need not necessarily know your job.

19. In order to get a promotion, you only need to pretend that you know your job.

20. The last person that quit or was fired will be held responsible for everything that goes wrong.

Read More