Ramadan 2010

Muslim men and women across the world are currently observing Ramadan, a month long celebration of self-purification and restraint. During Ramadan, the Muslim community fast, abstaining from food, drink, smoking and sex between sunrise and sunset. Muslims break their fast after sunset with an evening meal called Iftar, where a date is the first thing eaten followed by a traditional meal. During this time, Muslims are also encouraged to read the entire Quran, to give freely to those in need, and strengthen their ties to God through prayer. The goal of the fast is to teach humility, patience and sacrifice, and to ask forgiveness, practice self-restraint, and pray for guidance in the future. This year, Ramadan will continue until Thursday, September 9th.

اللهم إني أسالك إيمانا دائما وأسألك قلبا خاشعا وأسألك علما نافعا وأسألك يقينا صادقا وأسألك دينا قيما وأسألك العافية من كل بلية        

A day is longer than a year on Venus.

It takes 225 Earth days or 7 1/5 months for Venus to make a complete orbit around the sun (that's 1 Venus year). However, it takes 243 Earth days for Venus to spin around its own axis (1 Venus day).

Therefore: 1 Venus year=225 Earth days and 1 Venus day=243 Earth days

It is possible to cry tears of blood.

In 1984, a 15 year old girl in India was found crying blood while studying for exams.

Though it is often infused with supernatural or religious meanings, crying tears of blood is physically possible! This is a condition known as haemolacria, in which tears can either be partially or almost completely composed of blood.

It may appear as a symptom of several types of ailments including jaundice, vascular tumors, and severe cases of anemia. However, it is most often a result of injury or some kind of infection within the tear duct.

Black History Month - My Birh month BTW :P

Black History Month is a remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. Since 1976, it is celebrated annually in the United States of America and Canada in February and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the month of October. In the U.S., Black History Month is also referred to as African-American History Month.

 History

The remembrance has its roots in 1926 by United States historian Carter G. Woodson as "Negro History Week". Woodson chose the second week of February because it marked the birthdays of two Americans who greatly influenced the lives and social condition of African Americans: former President Abraham Lincoln and abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass. Woodson also founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

Purpose
When the tradition of Black History Month began, many in mainstream academia had barely begun to explore the history of black people. At that point, most representation of people of African descendant in history books only referenced the low social position they held as slaves, with infrequent exceptions such as that of George Washington Carver. W.E.B. DuBois' 1935 work Black Reconstruction was an early work in history that pointed to black contributions.

Controversy

Black History Month sparks an annual debate about the continued usefulness of a month dedicated to the history of one race. Some critics contend that Black History Month undermines the contention that African American history is simply American history. Critical op-ed pieces have appeared in the Cincinnati Enquirer and USA Today. In October 2009, black British online magazine Catch a Vibe asked its readers if Black History Month was still relevant.