Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Eating Rhubarb

Rhubarb is one of the few perennial vegetables. It is also called pieplant. Rhubarb originally came form Mongolia, but is grown both in Europe and America. The plant forms a large, yellow storage root and a mass of feeder roots underground. Its rhizome, or underground stem produces buds from which grow long, thick leafstalks with large leaves. People use the reddish, juicy stalks for food. A person may become ill from eating leaves because they contain poisonous oxalic acid salts.

Although rhubarb is technically a vegetable, people usually prepare it as dessert food, often as pie fillings and sauces. Stores sell rhubarb packaged frozen and in cans. However, many people prefer to eat the fresh stalks. Rhubarb contains some vitamin C, and has laxative qualities.

Rhubarb plants produce many seeds, but plants from the seeds are not always like the parent plant. Growers plant pieces of the big storage root that have several buds from which new plants grow. Each plant lasts 5 to 8 years. Rhubarb is relatively free from insect attack and suffers from few diseases.

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Cerberus - Hades' Dog

Cerberus was a monstrous three-headed dog who guarded the entrance to Hades, the Underworld of Greek and Roman mythology. Cerberus was the offspring of the monsters Typhon and Echidna. His name or tail consisted of snakes.

Cerberus allowed only shades (spirits) of the dead to enter Hades and savagely barred their escape. However, three living mortals successfully overcame him. Orpheus used their magical power of his music to charm Cerberus into submission. Hercules used his great strength. Aeneas entered the Underworld with the help of an old woman called sibyl, who lulled Cerberus to sleep with drugged food.

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Neptune - God of the Sea

Neptune was the god of the sea in Roman mythology. He had power over the sea and seafaring. For example, he could cause - or prevent - storms at sea. Neptune resembled the Greek god Poseidon. Like Poseidon, he was also the god of earthquakes and horses.

The ancient Romans were a seafaring people and imported much of their food and other necessities by ship. As ruler of the sea, Neptune thus had an important role in their daily life. Sea travel was dangerous in ancient times, and Roman sailors prayed to Neptune for safe voyages. After their return, sailors often showed their gratitude by dedicating a valuable object to Neptune.

Neptune was the son of Saturn and Ops (called Cronus and Rhea by the Greeks.) He married the sea nymph Amphitrite, and they had a son, Triton, who was half man and half fish. Triton played an important role in many ancient legends about the sea.

Neptune appears in a famous episode at the beginning of the Aeneid, an epic by the Roman poet Virgil. In this epic, Neptune calms a storm that had threatened to destroy the fleet of the Trojan hero Aeneas. Many ancient and modern seascapes feature Neptune, Amphitrite, and Triton. Artists portray Neptune as a man carrying a trident (three-pronged spear). Some show him riding in a chariot pulled by sea horses and accompanied by dolphins. Many fountains, notably the Trevi Fountain in Rome, include a statue of Neptune. One of the planets is name for him.

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Raising Lemons

Lemon trees can grow from 22 to 25 feet tall. They are covered with thorns and have long, pointed, pale green leaves. The trees produce large, white, fragrant flowers throughout the year, except for the winter. Lemons develop from the ovaries of the blossoms and riped about 7 to 8 months after the flowers bloom. Lemon trees may carry blossoms and fruit at the same time.

Lemon trees are grown from buds cut from trees that produce the type of lemon desired. The buds are grafted to seedling lemon trees called rootstocks. Rootstock varieties are chosen for about 4 years after grafting, and some continue to bear fruit for 50 years.

Lemon trees may be severely damaged by frost and freezing temperatures, and growers use a variety of methods to protect the trees from cold weather. For example, some growers prevent frost by warming the cold air near the ground with oil-burning heaters. Other lemon growers use large fans called wind machines to mix the cold surface air with the warmer air above it. Lemon trees may also be attacked by such insect pests as mites, scale insects, and thrips. Mites and scale insects feed on the leaves, fruit, and twigs of the trees. Thrips attack the buds and the fruit. Growers combat the insects by growing varieties of trees that resist the pests spray orchards with fungicides to fight fungal diseases, which attack the leaves, fruit, and roots of the trees.

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How to Cut All Over Layers

Step 1: Part hair into five cutting sections. Starting at the back of the top section use 1/2" partings across the head. Hold the hair at 90 degrees from the head form and cut to the desired length.

Step 2: Make a second parting working towards the front. Direct the first parting to the second parting and cut the second parting to the same length as the guide. Continue working from back to front of the top section until all the hair has been cut to the same length.

Step 3: Divide the top section in two from front to back and comb to the sides. This will be the guide for the side sections.

Step 4: Start at the back of the right side section. Use vertical partings 1/2" thick. Hold the hair at a 90 degree angle from the head form. Use the previously cut hair in the top section to establish the length. Work down the section, cutting every hair the same length. This will establish a guide for the rest of the section.

Step 5: Take another 1/2" vertical parting. Move the previously cut side parting to the parting to be cut. Use the previously cut side parting and the top section as a guide. Cut the hair from the top of the section to the bottom.

Step 6: Continue using 1/2" vertical partings and the previously cut parting as your guide. Work forward to the front hairline.

Step 7: Repeat the procedure on the left side.

Step 8: At the front of the rear section take a 1/2" pie-shaped vertical parting from the center of the top of the crown tot the nape. Make a second parting starting at the top section down to the bottom of the side section. This will be your guide. Direct the previously cut parting tot he parting to be cut. Cut to the same length. When you get below the side parting into the nape, you will be creating a new guide for the rest of the nape area.

Step 9: Work from right to left and continue making vertical pie-shaped partings. You should have one parting to be cut and one parting as a guide, continuing the guide down into the nape. Always move the guide to the parting to be cut.

Step 10: Follow this procedure into the left rear section. When you have completed the back, the left rear section should match the left front section.

Note: All the hair that has been cut should be the same length when measured.

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The Lena River

Lena River is the chief waterway of a large district of eastern Siberia. The river rises on the slopes of the Baikal Mountains and flows northeast for 2,734 miles. It empties into the Artic Ocean through the Laptev Sea. The river's delta is about 250 miles wide. Ships can sail up the river for about 2,000 miles.

The Lena River drains an area of about 1 million square miles, which is nearly one-third the size of Canada. Its chief branches are the Vitim, Olekma, Aldan, and Vilyuy rivers. Gold is mined along the Vitim and the Aldan.

Along its middle course, the Lena River flows through a region that is inhabited by the Yakuyts, a Turkic people. The Yakuts make their living by fishing, farming, and raising livestock. The largest city on the river is Yakutsk.

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Monday, June 21, 2010

A Parrot's Home in Your Home

Parrot's are very big tropical birds and can't be confined to just any cage. Since they are huge they need ample space to move around if they are going to be left in their cage. Oftentimes, cages like these are hard to find in pet or even bird specialty stores; when you do find them, they're usually expensive as well. More often then not, you're parrot will usually be roaming around the house or just likes to sit outside of it's cage on a perch. That's two different homes for your parrot, which can be expensive! Well, why not combine the perch and the cage together to save some money? These are the kinds of parrot cages that are alot more efficient, economic and doesn't take up too much space.

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