What is the purpose of the brushes at the side of an escalator?

No, they are not there to clean your shoes but instead, they are there for a safety reason. This long continuous brush called "Deflector brush" or "Skirt Brush" is made of stiff bristles that runs up the sides of the escalator just above the step level. It is designed to deflect objects like garments, shoes and other things away from the gap between the steps and the side wall. They also work as an indicator to tell passengers that they are close to the step's edge.

How T-Shirt Begins?

T-shirts started off as underwear. During the First World War, European soldiers wore them underneath their uniforms to keep warm. American troops copied the idea and started calling them 'T-shirts' because of their T shape.

In the 1950s, movie stars like James Dean shocked the world by wearing their T-shirts as proper clothes on telly. It caught on fast and by the 1960s T-shirts had taken over. Sports teams, clubs and rock bands were all using colours and logos on their 'tees' to get noticed.

During the 20th century, the T-shirt went from military-issue wear to an iconic fashion statement, according to the "The T-Shirt Book," a 2002 history of the garment by Charlotte Brunel.

Brunel writes that the shirt went through several mid-century phases, as a symbol of heroism worn by World War II fighters, the rebel uniform of movie icons like Marlon Brando, the socially conscious garb of the 1960s peace movement, and the in-your-face costume of the punk rock scene.

The T-shirt was also a democratizing force in the military because it was worn by all ranks, a philosophy extended to the civilian world when veterans "by the likes of Elvis Presley, John F. Kennedy as well as the working man" kept wearing the shirts after completing their service, Brunel said.

"In a word, the T-shirt is to clothing what the blank sheet of paper is to writing -- a surface for imagination and free expression to run wild," Brunel writes.

People are still using T-shirts to make statements. Madonna recently big-upped Britney Spears and Kylie Minogue by wearing their names on her chest.

The latest craze in T-shirts is 'customisation' - decorating them yourself. Trendy fashion designer JJ sparked it off by buying old clothes from charity shops and revamping them for the catwalk. Now, everyone is doing it.

Source: http://www.t-shirtteasers.com/history-of-the-t-shirt.htm

How much is winning a World Cup actually worth?

When the World Cup kicks off in South Africa this summer, FIFA will have set aside some £250 million for prize money. A huge amount you will agree, especially when you consider that the prize money on offer in 2006 was only £140 million.

The 2010 World Cup winners will receive £18million for becoming champions, the losing finalists will take home a miserable £14 million.

Third and fourth, will take home £12 million and £11 million respectively. Losing Quarter-Finalists will be awarded £8.5 million each while teams exiting in the second round will receive £5.5 million each, leaving teams who were knocked out in the first round to leave with their tale between their legs carrying £5 million each.

In addition to that, each of the 32 teams on show will receive £600,000 each for expenses incurred during preparation for the month long tournament. This money will go some way to keeping the competing teams happy, and knowing that club sides from all over the world will be represented, FIFA has also set aside £25 million for them, too.

The way their payments are structured is that from 15 days before the tournament commences until one day after the player exits the cup, clubs will receive £980 for every day a player is there. Meaning that the minimum that any team will receive for one single player is £25,480.

This was in exchange for clubs not suing an international team should a player become injured.

Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/worldcup/story/030810-how-much-is-a-world-cup-worth

Why called Siamese Twins?

The origin and the historical roots of the term "Siamese twins" can be attributed to Chang and Eng Bunker, the famous conjoined twins from Siam (now Thailand) who earned their living in the U.S. as a circus attraction in the Barnum and Baily Circus. They were born on May 11, 1811 in Siam (now Thailand) joined at the lower chest by a narrow band of flesh, which connected their livers. The twins were discovered in Siam by British merchant Robert Hunter and exhibited as a curiosity during a world tour. As they traveled the world, they became known as "the Siamese twins."

Upon termination of their contract with their discoverer, they settled in the United States, where they married two sisters and had nearly two dozen children. They were successful businessman and farmers in Wilkes County, North Carolina, where they lived until 1874. They were 63 years old when they died.

Why fish fear their own reflections?

As they swim gently around their tank or bowl, fish tend to enjoy a stress-free existence. But they face one great potential peril, scientists have found. Apparently, if they catch sight of their reflection gawping back at them, they try to fight it.

They are then terrified when their lookalike fights back in exactly the same way. Scientists say the discovery shows how similar their brains are to ours. Biologist Dr Julie Desjardins, who led the study, said: 'I think this indicates there is more going on cognitively than people have long assumed in fish.' Male African cichlids, a territorial species, were either shown their reflection or another fish behind a pane of glass. In both cases the fish tried to fight.

All showed high levels of testosterone and other aggression-inducing hormones in their blood. The fishes' brains were also examined but only those that had fought with their reflection showed high activity in the amygdala, the brain region tied to fear and fear conditioning in all vertebrates - including humans.

Dr Desjardins, of Stanford University, California, said the fear was due to the unfamiliarity of the encounter, adding: 'The fish was not seeing the expected response from its opponent. 'The fact we saw evidence of a really high level of activity in the amygdala is pretty exciting and surprising.'

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1280218/Are-looking-Why-fish-scared-reflection.html

World's most expensive hair dresser

Everyone likes to spend big bucks on their hair, but we are talking really big bucks here. I mean like the world's most expensive hairdresser's charges. Stuart Phillips' packages are for those with a fat, let's just say morbidly obese wallet. He offers three VIP packages which are more than just a haircut. The Gold Package starts for $16,300 and features limo ride from the airport to the salon, champagne lunch upon arrival at the salon, hair consultation, head and scalp massage, cut and blow dry from Stuart Phillips himself, instruction to maintain your styling and suggestions for different ways to wear it, a selection of L’Oreal products to take home and limo ride back to the airport after your appointment.

The next in line is the £20,000 ($32,000) Diamond Package which is a two day/night adventure that includes chauffeur driven limo from your home to the airport, first class flight to the UK, limo will pick you up at the airport and take you to one of Britain’s finest hotels, champagne lunch, Stuart Phillips will escort you to the salon, extensive hair consultation, head and scalp massage, haircut, instructions to maintain style and suggestions for different ways of wearing it, selection of L’Oreal products, limo ride back to the hotel, day two to spend as you wish, limo ride back to the airport on the final day, limo ride from airport to your home and a portion of the proceeds go to two different charities.

The third Platinum Package is so expensive that you have contact Stuart Phillips Salon to get a quote. By the way, this package has anything you want including Stuart Phillips coming to you.

Source: http://www.luxurylaunches.com/other_stuff/stuart_phillips_is_the_most_expensive_hair_dresser_in_the_world.php

Boy saved from certain death by his ears

A boy in China was saved from the certain death of an eight-storey fall when his head got stuck in the bars of a window after he fell through. Ming Ming, aged six, was only prevented from plunging straight through the grate to his death by his ears. Instead, he was left dangling high above the street, to the terror of passers-by below. His screams, audible at street level, alerted them to his life-threatening predicament.


Emergency services raced to save him, worried the weight of his body might pull him through the bars or cause him to suffocate. They used a hydraulic pressure expander to force the bars apart and pulled Ming Ming back into his family's flat. A large crowd gathered on the street below as they carried out the rescue.

He is believed to have wandered to the window while looking for his grandfather, who had left him sleeping to run an errand. Fire service spokesman Wang Shen said its was a miraculous escape. He said: 'He could have fallen to the ground - or have been suffocated - at any minute.'

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1273158/Boys-ears-save-certain-death-storey-fall.html