HAPPY ANNIVERSARY SESAME STREET

Came across the Google front page today and I was absolutely surprised to see Cookie Monster making his appearance on front of the Google webpage.

Well, for my own curiosity, it happens that today (November 4 actually) is the 40th anniversary for the ever favourite children television production.

For 40 years, Sesame Street has helped to educate many children across the globe regarding English and cognitive behavioural learning.

I have been growing up watching that show too.

While we are still a week away from its actual birthday in which 10 November 1969 marked the first episode to be aired, the fond we have with the cute muppets and doodles in Sesame Street is every enchanting.

Well, do you heart elmo, big bird, oscar, cookie monster, bert and ernie?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SESAME STREETS NUMBER 40....

COME LET'S VOTE FOR SIPADAN

Sipadan Island is a tropical oceanic island located on the south-east of the Malaysian state of Sabah, offshore of the town of Tawau. Located in the Celebes Sea (Laut Sulawesi) and right at the heart of the Indo-Pacific basin, the centre of one of the richest marine habitats in the world. More than 3,000 species of fish and hundreds of coral species have been classified in this ecosystem.

Sipadan Island is actually a mushroom shaped atoll rising six hundred metres from the deep sea floor, with the island rises above the corals that covered above the millenia old extinct volcano cone on the seabed. Although Sipadan is recognized as one of the five best spots for diving, the designation of Marine Park status for the island since 2005 means diving activity will become scarce and a rare seen phenomenon and accommodation was dislodged from the island ever since.


However, this in line with the establishment of the need to protect the oceanic life and natural ecosystem that consists of the schools of green and hawksbill turtles nesting and mating, schools of barracuda and big-eye trevally in tornado-like formations, pelagic species such as manta rays, eagle rays, scalloped hammerhead sharks and whale sharks.

Realizing the natural wonder awesomeness in this tiny rain-forest island, recently Sipadan Island was named as one of the official nominees into the selection of the New 7 wonders of Nature.

The New 7 Wonders of Nature will be an online competition that features an international worldwide voting to select for top 7 nature's iconic landmarks around the globe. Sipadan Island is one of 261 qualified contender to eyeing for the Top 77. Therefore, anyone can vote as long as you have registered your e-mail with them.

This is the official website for the Malaysian Sipadan entry into the The New 7 Wonders of Nature at www.votesipadan.com.


And this is how the selection for The New 7 wonders of Nature will be done. So far, sipadan Island ranks #5 and may stand a good chance to enter the Top 77 nominees. I hope we can reach the Final 21 as well.

This is how you can help our own Sipadan Island to gain more international recognition into The New 7 Wonders of Nature. Follow these simple steps and you will make our country proud.

ONE. Login to http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/. You will see the below notice been posted on it. Read on.

TWO. Optionally, you can search for Sipadan Island through the list of nominees given. Or you can just go to the URL link of http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/nominees/asia/c/SipadanIsland/. Click "Vote now for Sipadan Island".

THREE. You will be linked into the voting page.

FOUR. Part one of the voting - please register your e-mail and fill in the necessary particular. Remember you need a valid e-mail OK!!

FIVE. Fill in the seven nominees of your choice. The most important - Sipadan Island (Malaysia) should be placed at #1 of the voting list. The rest fill of the 6 nominees on your top 7 can be choose from anything of your choice on the list. (However, I would suggest that you do not place any of the 6 nominees comes from any of those Island category. I forgot to tell you that Sipadan Island is under Island category and there are 7 categories)

SIX. Submit your vote.

SEVEN. Go to your e-mail inbox and check for an e-mail notification by New7Wonders.

EIGHT. Click on the link given in the e-mail to validate your vote. remember to validate because if you don't, your vote is not considered.

So what are you waiting for. Vote for Sipadan Island. Vote for our proud island to enter the list of international recognition. Sipadan is truly a natural wonder island for the world. Remember, you have till 7 July 2009 for voting, but please do so soon.

Green Tea World!! supports Sipadan Island. So how about you?
Thanks for your supports!!

"This mushroom-shaped island is known amongst divers around the world for its unique seascape and exceptional beauty. A rich variety of marine life shimmers through the translucent waters surrounding this oceanic island." - http://www.wordtravels.com/

The very famous late French underwater explorer and filmmaker, Jacques-Yves Cousteau once remarked about Sipadan Island “I have seen other places like Sipadan… 45 years ago. Now we have found again an untouched piece of art.”

LET US SAVE THEM BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE

I was searching the term "Endangered animal" on Google this afternoon before I stumbled upon the list of the Top 10 Most Endangered Animal which i found that not many realized it all. Thanks to World Widelife Fund (WWF), the list has been around for us to realize the why conservation of these flora and fauna species become so important. World's Earth Day will be a fortnight time, but I do not wish to talk about merely just switching off the light for an hour. There is so many things we can do as a human on that March 28, are not you agree?

Well, GREEN TEA presenting the Top 10 Most Endangered Species in the World:

10) Mako Shark

Mako shark can be divided into the longfin (Isurus paucus) or shortfin (Isurus oxyrinchus). Both are currently placed under the conservation term of Vulnerable. Usually it grows up to 2.5m long and over 70kg in weight. Although no attacks have been attributed to the shark, its large size and teeth make it potentially dangerous. The fish is constantly sought for their fin and meat.

9) Green-Cheeked Parrot

An endangered classified Amazon parrot (Amazona viridigenalis), is native to northeastern Mexico. Currently its wild population staggering at around 1,500 only. The main threats to its survival comes from illegal export of trapped birds and destruction of their habitats. This parrot feeds on seeds, fruits, flowers and nectars.

8) Big Leaf Mahogany

A species of plant (Swietenia macrophylla) found enormously in Latin America and Caribbeans. It is currently placed in the category Vulnerable due to constant demand for red-wood products. Mahogany produces a good quality wood and the species naturally grows individually rather than in groups.

7) Hawksbill Turtle

The one metre sea turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata) is experiencing a critical endangered status which has been tagged on them for years. They are found in many parts of the world, especially on the tropical reefs. They become endangered due to their slow reproduction rate and constant demand for their shells.

6) Alligator Snapping Turtle

This is one of the world's largest freshwater turtle (Macrochelys temminckii). Althought they are opportunistic carnivors often at young age, they become omnivores once they mature. The turtle becomes vulnerable due to its hunting for their rare meat and habitat loss.

5) Goldenseal

Also known as Orange-root (Hydrastis canadensis) is a perennial herb native to in southeastern Canada and northeastern of USA. The herbal properties it possessed include bitter, hepatic, alterative, anticatarrhal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, laxative, emmenagogue and oxytocic; therefore is often used as multi-purpose remedy. The species becomes endangered due to overharvesting.

4) Beluga Sturgeon

An European sturgeon (Huso huso) is native in Caspian and Black Sea, althought also found in Adriatic Sea. It is currently classified as endangered, can grow until 6m in length and live until 118 years in wild. The number become greatly reduced due to overfishing and poaching.

3) Tiger

Virtually all kinds of tiger is in virtual endangered. The tigers in Siberia has been extinct and their relatives in South-East Asia (Panthera tigris) may face the same dark future. Reaching up to 4m and 300kg, this is the largest of the four "big cats" in the genus - others been lion, jaguar and leopard. Tigers are hunt for their parts of body in traditional medicine in Asia and ultimately a Malaysian's symbol and proud. Can they survive?

2) Giant Panda

Native in China, the panda bear (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) numbered only less than 2000 in the wild. Due to habitat loss and poaching, the species of black-eyed bear has been put int he endangered status for quite long. The Chinese are proud to have inserted them as their national proud. But can they survive extinction?

1) Black Rhino

Been critical endangered, rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) numbered only 3600 in the wild. Been native in eastern and central areas of Africa, it stands at 1.7m at shoulder and 3.6m on feet, weighting up to 1300kg. It is still hunted for various parts of their body.

Now you know who lives in danger in the wildlife. Come, let us remember them during this Earth Day as well, because they are part of the World. Let us save them before it's too late!! Act now towards the conservation. You can do your part by contacting your local WWF agency if you wish to contribute to our nature!!

ANIMAL PLANET WEEK

So, did anyone did the Animal Planet Poll on my blog? If you missed it, it was on this post. Animal Planet Week Poll was a post dedicated to encourage my readers at Green Tea World!! to go and look for some of the interesting facts about animals. Unfortunately the Nuffnang poll only permits 5 questions. As promised I will review the answers for all of the questions featured.

QUESTION NUMBER 1

"Can An Elephant Jump?"

No. I don't think an elephant can jump. Please do imagine if they really can jump!! Earth-shaking statement. anyway, elephants are thought to have a good memory.
Answer: NO

QUESTION NUMBER 2

"Cats Are Thought To Have A Sense In Predicting What?"

Cats have a good habit of licking their furs, it's actually a clue for the answer. The cats, according to one documentary on psychic animal on Animal Planet, are thought to have a sense over lightning and thunderstorm. You see, prior to thunderstorm, the environment is full of electrical charges, the positive and negative ions are constantly created. Cats fur are considered as the positive ions accumulating center and therefore, you will notice that the cats will keep licking their furs. It actually reduces the electrical charges on their fur which may affects their mood.
Therefore, they are thought to predict thunderstorms. Look at their behaviour next time in which they get a bit upset when thunderstorms come.

QUESTION NUMBER 3

"What Is The Strongest Animal In The World?"

No surprise, bison can carry up to 2 tonnes of stuffs on their shoulder - that's estimation. An elephant can carry lodges even more. Cheetahs are good runner or rather sprinter and they don't last long so they can't enter a marathon. Flea can jump so far that it can be like a human jumping over 1km. The strongest of all with relatives to size is definitely a beetle bug species known as rhinoceros beetle, which can carry an object up to 850 times of its own weight. So who is the strongest? Bettle bug!!

QUESTION NUMBER 4

"Pigeons Migrate To Other Places When Ever The Season Changes, How?"

The pigeons travel across the globe because of changing season. In winter, it is impossible to find food because of scarce resources. Therefore like any other birds, they migrate to places warmer and full of food. Pigeons do not possess any ability in making force field. So, force field is wrong. Storm field, they will sure avoid them. Temperature difference, not really a good indicator. Food sense, they can smell from afar but it does not work that way. The mystery behind is that their ability for magnetoception, to detect location and altitude and direction because of magnetic field on the earth. Remember when we always said that earth is a giant magnet with poles as the end of the magnet.

QUESTION NUMBER 5

"Cattle And Livestock Can Contribute To Global Warming"

Once, they are people whom came out with this statement, if we all stop eating cattle and livestocks (cow, lamb and so on) we can reduce the emmision of global warming gases by 10%. And did you watch Black sheep, a mocking horror movie from New Zealand about genetically modified sheeps that bite people? Remember how they died in the end? They fart out methane. so , it is true!!

So, I hope you did enjoyed the polls..
See you!!!

ANIMAL PLANET WEEK

So did you guys notice about the new survey around. Yes, it's on the right sidebar where you can see the usual Nuffnang advertisement and poll.

The theme for this time is Animal Planet. No prizes will be given I'm sorry but merely a test of your knowledge and having some fun here at Green Tea world!! So far I have a few voters who already have cast their votes I think. Here is the round-up of the questions once again.


QUESTION NUMBER 1

"Can An Elephant Jump?"

You know how people say elephants are clumsy or how they have this super-good memory. But can anyone guess whether they can jump. Can they really jump?
Choice of answers: YES, NO, I DON'T KNOW


QUESTION NUMBER 2

"Cats Are Thought To Have A Sense In Predicting What?"

Cats are nevertheless are proven to have an ability of sensing some stuff - not an usual cat sense. It has something to do with weather change and its habit of licking the fur.
Choice of answers: HURRICANE, THUNDER STORM, RAIN, EARTHQUAKE and VOLCANO


QUESTION NUMBER 3

"What Is The Strongest Animal In The World?"

Been the strongest animal is all about strength, size and capabilities. So here is your choice of answers: ELEPHANT, BETTLE BUG, BISON, CHEETAH, FLEA


QUESTION NUMBER 4

"Pigeons Migrate To Other Places When Ever The Season Changes, How?"

Pigeons and other aviation animals travel across the North and South each time winter or summer comes. This is to ensure that they will never get too cold during the winter, in which they will travel to place which is warmer. But something is behind the mystery on how they can sense the coming winter and where to go?
Choice of answers: FORCE FIELD, MAGNETIC FIELD, STORM FIELD, TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES, FOOD SENSE


QUESTION NUMBER 5

"Cattle And Livestock Can Contribute To Global Warming"

Very direct question. YES or NO

There you go with the five questions. Trivia voting poll will run until 4 March 2009. Answers will be revealed on 6 March 2009.Have fun!!

P/S: You can write your answers on the comment box. But it would be great if you place your answer by voting on the poll. The author would know want to know your answers, so preferably keep the answers to yourself.