Tuesday, February 27, 2007

spear

A spear is an ancient weapon used for hunting and war, consisting of a shaft, generally of wood, with a sharpened head. The head may be just the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be of one more material fastened to the shaft. The most common design is of a metal spearhead, shaped somewhat like a dagger.
Spears were arguably one of the most general personal weapons from the late Bronze Age until the advent of firearms. They may be seen as the ancestor of such weapons as the lance, the halberd, the naginata and the pike. One of the initial weapons fashioned by human beings and their ancestors, it is still used for hunting and fishing, and its influences can still be seen in contemporary military arsenals as the rifle mounted bayonet.
Spears can be used as both melee and ballistic weapons. Spears used mainly for thrusting tend to have heavier and sturdier designs than those intended exclusively for throwing. Two of the most well-known throwing spears are the javelin thrown by the ancient Greeks and the pilum used by the Romans.

Thursday, February 22, 2007

Sandwich

Sandwich is a food item it consisting of two pieces of bread between which are laid one or more layers of meat, vegetable, cheese or other fillings, together with optional or usually provided condiments, sauces, and other accompaniments. The bread is used as is, lightly buttered, or enclosed in a flavoured oil to enhance flavour and texture.
Sandwiches are usually carried to work or school in lunchboxes or brown paper bags to be eaten as the midday meal, taken on picnics, hiking trips, or other outings. They are also served in many restaurants as entrées, and are sometimes eaten at home, either as a quick meal or as part of a larger meal. As part of a full meal sandwiches are generally accompanied with such side dishes as a serving of soup, a salad, or potato chips or french fries and a pickle or coleslaw.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Elephant- Legs and feet

An elephant's legs are big straight pillars, as they must be to support its bulkiness. The elephant needs not as much of muscular power to stand because of its straight legs. For this reason an elephant can stand for very lengthy periods of time without tiring. In fact, African elephants rarely lie down unless they are sick or injured. However, Indian elephants lie down in general.
The feet of an elephant are almost round. African elephants contain three nails on each hind foot, and four on each front foot. Indian elephants contain four nails on each hind foot and five on each front foot. Beneath the bones of the foot is a rough, gelatine-like material that acts as a cushion or shock absorber. Under the elephant's weight the foot swells, but it gets slighter when the weight is removed. An elephant can go down deep into mud, but can pull its legs out readily because its feet become smaller when they are lifted.An elephant is a good swimmer and climber, but it can trot, run, jump, nor gallop. It has only one step, a sort of gliding shuffle, which it can step up to the speed of a human runner. There are few animals that can pass through farther in a day than the elephant.

Sunday, February 11, 2007

Creation of Money

Although types of money are easily known and distinguished, the actual nature of money and the manner in which it is created is less easily understood. The fact that commodities such as gold, silver, furs or tobacco leaves have value does not make any of them money. It becomes money only when it is generally accepted as a symbol representing a certain value of goods and services and readily accepted in exchange for other goods and services of commensurate perceived value. Trust in its accuracy and universal acceptance and confidence in the availability of goods and services for redemption are essential criteria. The creation of money is also a subject of considerable confusion and superstition. The creation of commodity money was made possible by the discovery or production of more of the particular commodity, such as gold or barley. As commerce expanded, trade became the primary means for making of new money. Traders supplied goods to their buyers on credit through bills of exchange which the buyer endorsed and promised to pay within a given period of time. Bills endorsed by credit-worthy buyers or their guarantors then become a form of currency that could be used by the note holder to make additional purchases. At a later date banks became the principle source of new money. Banks take in deposits and issue loans to borrowers either by paying out some of the currency receipted on deposit or simply by creating a new deposit in the borrowers account without receiving currency to back it up. By this means banks create many times more money than the amount they receive or hold on deposit. Central banks in turn further multiply the amount of currency and require deposits by printing additional currency and using it to purchase government bonds or by lending it to commercial banks by creating fresh deposits at the central bank for the bank just as the bank does for its own borrowers.

Monday, February 05, 2007

Public transport

Public transport, public transportation, public travel or mass transit comprises all transport systems in which the passengers do not tour in their own vehicles. While it is generally taken to include rail and bus services, wider definitions would comprise scheduled airline services, ship, taxicab services etc. – any system that transports members of the universal public. A further restriction that is sometimes practical is that it must take place in shared vehicles that would bar taxis that are not shared-ride taxis.