Facts about Christmas

Christmas is not a holiday. Statue of Liberty was a Christmas present. Jingle Bells is not for Christmas.

   

1. Each year more than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the U.S. alone.

2. In A.D. 350, Pope Julius I, bishop of Rome, proclaimed December 25 the official celebration date for the birthday of Christ.

3. The Bible doesn't specify a date or time of Jesus' birth. Dec. 25th was chosen in the fourth century, most likely because it was also the day of two similar pagan holidays that influenced the formation of Christmas-- the birthday of Mithra and the Feast of Saturnalia.

4. Jesus was actually born in a cave. According to the gospel of Luke, the shepherds that helped find shelter for Mary to give birth kept their flock in a cave. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is built over the cave (dubbed "The Grotto of the Nativity") where Jesus is believed to have been born.

5. The French gave the biggest Christmas present ever in 1886. It was the Statue of Liberty, and they gave it to the United States of America.

6. Christmas has many, many names. Do you know some of them—aside from, of course, Christmas? How about? Sheng Tan Kuai Loh (China), or Hauskaa Joulua (Finland), or Joyeux Noel (France)? In Wales, it’s Nadolig Llawen, and in Sweden, God Jul and many more.

7. The largest Christmas star ornament measures 103 feet and eight inches tall and can be found in India.

8. Japanese people traditionally eat at KFC for Christmas dinner, thanks to a successful marketing campaign 40 years ago. KFC is so popular that customers must place their Christmas orders 2 months in advance. 

9. According to the Guinness world records, the tallest Christmas tree ever cut was a 221-foot Douglas fir that was displayed in 1950 at the Northgate Shopping Center in Seattle, Washington.

10. The traditional three colors of Christmas are green, red, and gold. Green has long been a symbol of life and rebirth; red symbolizes the blood of Christ, and gold represents light as well as wealth and royalty.

11. The British wear paper crowns while they eat Christmas dinner. The crowns are stored in a tube called a “Christmas cracker”.

12.Christmas was not declared an official holiday in the United States until June 26,1870.Oklahoma was the last U.S. state to declare Christmas a legal holiday, in 1907.

13. Puritan Oliver Cromwell outlawed Christmas celebrations and carols in England from 1649-1660. The only celebrations allowed were sermons and prayers.

14. Santa has a real zip code in Canada so that children can post letters and they receive replies. The zip code? H0H 0H0, of course.

15. 'Jingle Bells' was written for Thanksgiving, not Christmas by composer James Lord Pierpont in 1850. Kids and adults loved the song and eventually changed the lyrics to fit Christmas.

Best Director passes away!

Iyakkunar Sigaram leaves the Earth!

Veteran director K Balachander who was recently admitted in Kaveri hospital in Chennai was diagnosed to have developed urinary tract infection after being admitted in ICU. The ace director who was stable and recovering after initial treatment seems to be in critical condition again.

In this condition, he breathed his last in Kauvery Hospital in Chennai.His Son Kailasam's demise in this year is a notable one.

K Balachander was instrumental in both Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan's film career. When he was first admitted in the hospital a few days ago, superstar Rajinikanth among the first to visit his mentor in the hospital.He directed many famous films including Ethir Neechal, Apoorva Raagangal, Varumayin Niram Sivappu, Ek Duje Ke Liye etc,. He also directed many TV serials and released many serials through his own production MIN BIMBANGAL. He was honoured with the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award, in 1987, and is a recipient of the ANR National Award and Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in cinema. K. Balachander is revered as one of the best directors India has ever produced. His ideas were original and his subjects were complex ideas expressed via art.

Whole South Indian Cinema is in shock on hearing about the demise of the great director who was an inspiration to many aspiring directors.

OnePlus One to retail for INR 21,999 in India

Chineese smart phone: OnePlus

OnePlus has launched the OnePlus One in the Indian market today in collaboration with Amazon India, who has exclusive rights to sell the device in the country. The 64 GB Sandstone Black variant is priced at Rs. 21,999 ($355), and customers interested in purchasing the device can request an Indian-specific invite from OnePlus' official forums. Both Amazon and OnePlus will be offering invites via their social media channels starting today.

Speaking at the launch event, Vikas Agarwal, General Manager OnePlus India, revealed that OnePlus will have a physical presence in the country — the first outside the company's headquarters — along with an after-sales service center network that will cater to customers in the country.

Here (in India), we will establish the first OnePlus presence outside of headquarters and build a fully localized team to best serve and reach the Indian community. We have set up comprehensive and nationwide post-sale service. With an extensive network of 25 walk-in service centres, we'll have teams across the country ready to serve you in any way you need.

Amazon will also offer accessories for the device, including the flip cover, Bamboo StyleSwap cover and Silver Bullet earphones. Other accessories like the JBL E1+ earphones will be made available shortly. There wasn't any mention of whether the 16 GB version would also be available in the country.

In terms of hardware, the OnePlus One comes with a 5.5-inch full-HD display, 2.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 SoC, 3 GB RAM, 64 GB internal memory, 13 MP camera at the back, 5 MP shooter at the front, 4G LTE connectivity, Wi-Fi ac and a 3,100 mAh battery.

As far as the software is concerned, the OnePlus One in India will run CyanogenMod 11S update 44Sout of the box. Further updates will not be available from Cyanogen due to its exclusive partnership with Micromax in India. OnePlus has mentioned that it will be offering a custom build running Android 5.0 Lollipop to users in the country later this month.

Considering the aggressive pricing, how many of you will be looking to pick up the handset in India?

Source: Amazon India, OnePlus forums

World AIDS day 2014 : 

What is HIV? 

 HIV? 

HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is the virus that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS. Unlike some other viruses, the human body cannot get rid of HIV. That means that once you have HIV, you have it for life.

No safe and effective cure currently exists, but scientists are working hard to find one, and remain hopeful. Meanwhile, with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. Treatment for HIV is often called antiretroviral therapy or ART. It can dramatically prolong the lives of many people infected with HIV and lower their chance of infecting others. Before the introduction of ART in the mid-1990s, people with HIV could progress to AIDS in just a few years. Today, someone diagnosed with HIV and treated before the disease is far advanced can have a nearly normal life expectancy.

HIV affects specific cells of the immune system, called CD4 cells, or T cells. Over time, HIV can destroy so many of these cells that the body can’t fight off infections and disease. When this happens, HIV infection leads to AIDS.