The Name Cuckoo Is Onomatopoeic, Which Means That It Is Taken From The Birds Call

When the cuckoo chick hatches it pushes the hosts' chicks out of the nest and is fed by its trusting foster parents until it fledges. As soon as the chick fledges it begins an amazing journey to Africa which can be over 4000 miles long and take weeks to accomplish. They will stay in Africa for two thirds of their year before flying to us.

At every stage of its complex life cycle there are hurdles. Here in the UK some of the host species are in decline, some important food sources such as caterpillar moths are also in steep decline and there is the constant threat of habitat loss. Outside of the UK weather pattern changes may be affecting their migration and food shortages in their wintering grounds.

Each species of Old World cuckoo has its own unique pattern of parasitism, and different species choose different host species for their eggs. The cuckoo is referred to in the Bible, by Aristotle and Pliny, in mythology, and in English poetry. Its nesting habits have given us the word cuckold, and its simple but musical song, which gives it its name, was used by Beethoven in his Pastoral Symphony and is also imitated in the cuckoo clock.

The American cuckoos look like attenuated pigeons; they are not parasitic and build flimsy nests of twigs. Typical are the black-billed and yellow-billed (Coccyzus americanus) cuckoos, known for their low, chuckling call notes. They frequent and breed at the edges of deciduous woodlands, either species tending the young of the other. These birds are valued as destroyers of harmful insects–particularly the tent caterpillar, which few other birds will eat. There are also western and southern species.

Most gregarious of the cuckoos are the anis of the American tropics. The groove-billed ani, from 12 to 14 in. (30—35 cm) long, has black plumage with a faint purple gloss. Anis nest colonially, several females together laying as many as 25 eggs in the same nest, and they may breed at any time of the year.

Geographic Variation Presently considered monotypic; however, there have been 2 subspecies described: americanus in eastern North America andoccidentalis in the Southwest. The differentiation of these taxa is weak and limited in the contact zone.

Similar Species The yellow-billed cuckoo most closely resembles the black-billed cuckoo, but it is distinguished by the yellow orbital ring, rufous primaries, more prominently white-tipped tail, and the yellow lower mandible. Some calls, however, are quite similar.

Voice Call: a rapid staccato kuk-kuk-kuk that usually slows and descends into a kakakowlp-kowlp ending; sounds hollow and wooden.

Status and Distribution Common in eastern North America, becoming increasingly rare and local in much of the West. Breeding: open woodlands with dense undergrowth, riparian corridors, and parks. Southwestern populations increasingly limited to riparian corridors.

Frog Populations Have Been Rapidly Disappearing Worldwide

Frog populations have been rapidly disappearing worldwide, and nearly one-third of the world’s amphibian species are endangered and on the verge of extinction. Approximately 200 amphibian species have disappeared since 1979 – many from seemingly pristine wilderness areas, such as national parks. Amphibians are currently going extinct several thousand times faster than they should be naturally, which is why this is one of the world’s most serious and overlooked environmental crisis.

Amphibians are important for maintaining balance in the ecosystem, which allows humans to derive many direct benefits from frogs. For instance, adult frogs eat large quantities of insects, including disease vectors transmitting fatal illnesses to humans (e.g. mosquitoes/malaria). They also eat agricultural pests that would destroy crops if their populations were not kept under control. Frogs act as natural pesticides, reducing dependence on potentially harmful chemical pesticides. India and Bangladesh banned exportation of frogs for food in the late 1970s when they realized mosquito populations were increasing as frog populations declined.

Frogs, their tadpoles and eggs also serve as an important food source to a diverse array of predators, including dragonflies, fish, snakes, birds, beetles, centipedes and even monkeys. Thus, the disappearance of frog populations disturbs an intricate food web and results in negative impacts that can cascade through the ecosystem.

So it should come as no surprise that frogs have developed some interesting adaptations to cope with their lifelong need for water. For example, gastric brooding frogs, which are now extinct, swallowed their eggs. They stopped eating and digesting food while their young developed in their stomachs instead of in water. The baby frogs then exited through their parent's mouth. Strawberry poison dart frogs, which live in Central America and Puerto Rico, lay their eggs on land, and males keep them moist with urine. Once the eggs hatch, the mother carries each tadpole on her back to its own tiny pool of water that has collected between the stem and leaves of a plant. While the tadpoles grow, their mother feeds them her own eggs.

A popular distinction is often made between frogs and toads on the basis of their appearance, but this has no taxonomic basis. (Members of the anuran family Bufonidae are called true toads, but many species from other families are also called toads.) In addition to their ecological importance, frogs have many cultural roles, such as in literature, symbolism and religion, and they are also valued as food and as pets.

Muticore is an ambiguous term for software developers and one they don’t really use; software developers think in terms of threads/processes and concurrency, not how many cores or processors are available on the target. Concurrency is not a new topic either as Mark Smotherman captured in a history of multithreading, it has been a subject in computer science since its early beginnings in the 1950s.

What has changed is the rapidly increasing use of multicore technologies for embedded devices. One of the prominent software challenges that moving to multicore execution exposes is latent deadlocking bugs as true parallel execution comes into play, instead of a single core’s task scheduling/context switching techniques.

Life Begins A Gain In Spring So Does Your Makeup

Every spring we see a deluge of purple makeup hit counters, and every year women avoid those pretty shadows, liners, and lip colors like the plague. What gives? Plum, lilac, violet, and aubergine are all shades that are supremely flattering on a wide variety of skin tones, and yet you shun them.
　　
To hell with that ladies — your fear of purple ends today. Here, you’ll find three drop-dead gorgeous new ways to wear purple this season, plus creative tips from makeup artist Marie Barokas on how to rock this bold hue without looking like Barney's distant cousin.
　　
Photographed by Shawn Brackbill, Makeup and manicures by Marie Barokas, Hair by Bella Guillen at John Barrett, Model Yamilca Ortiz at New York Model Management.
　　
Makeup artists played with a mix of old and new for spring. Backstage inspiration boards featured rouge lip colors that seemed pulled from a vanity table drawer from long ago, futuristic glittery eye accents, timeless natural tones and indelible smoky shadows and liners done in fresh ways. The overall message: pair vintage with modern to make a statement that’s unique and all your own this season.
　　
Spring comes and brings happiness, new fresh life with itself. In winter season, everything becomes dry but in spring exciting life is being added to the dried life. It’s the same with skin. In winter, it becomes dry, rough & lifeless and when spring arrives it becomes youthful. Every woman wants to stop using boring colors used during winters and use colors which are bright and shiny.
　　
Here are some basic makeup tips regarding makeup in spring season:
　　
- As the skin becomes dry in winter, first and the foremost thing to be done is to apply moisturizer regularly during spring to make it smooth. Remove all the dead skin cells of winters by doing exfoliation.
　　
- Foundation should be applied to minimal use. It should not be applied in a heavy manner. After foundation, concealer can be applied to hide the flaws.

How to Choose Color for Your Hair
　　
Coloring the hair can change your look. You can look beautiful and gorgeous by dying or highlighting your hair. But there are few points which should be kept in mind while choosing to color your hair. Firstly you should decide whether you want temporary color which remains for 2-4 weeks or semi-permanent color which remain.
　　
Getting Ready for Dance Party
　　
Dance parties, cocktail parties, girl night out or any other occasion, if it is a girl or a woman every female considers them important. She would dress up so that she looks more stylish and beautiful. Importance to accessories, shoes and makeup is also being given as they too add stars to the beauty. Makeup [...] - 4 weeks ago
　　
How to Wear Pink Lipstick
　　
Bold colors are very-in these days. Whether you use bold colors in your makeup or in clothes, most of the women prefer bold colors. Among bold colors for makeup, pink, red, green and blue have become hot favorite for many makeup artists. Many celebrities, models are wearing these colors in their makeup and they do [...] - 5 weeks ago
　　
Different Hairstyles for Teenage Girls
　　
Hairstyles matter a lot in making one look more beautiful and attractive. There are lots of hairstyles which can be experimented to look stylish. These days celebrities too are changing their look by just changing their hairstyle. For getting a new and refreshed look one can change the hairstyle and look different from usual.

How To Deal With Split Ends
　　
Hair should be maintained a lot if you want to look beautiful. Frizzy and damaged hair would make you appear unattractive as they are very hard to be styled and as also damaged hair looks unappealing look wise too. If you have split ends along with damaged hair or just have split ends then they [...] -4 months ago

Emotions Are Simply More Vulnerable To Weather Changes

Some people's emotions are simply more vulnerable to weather changes than others. Someone prone to a low mood on dark, cold days will likely experience a depressive winter when there's a prolonged string of like-weathered days. This propensity is the basis of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
　　
The first and most well known way in which weather affects mood is in what is known as 'seasonal affective disorder' – abbreviated rather appropriately to 'SAD'. This condition can also be known as 'winter depression', 'winter blues' or 'seasonal depression' and basically it describes a condition in which the individual finds their mood so tied to the changing of the seasons that they in fact exhibit symptoms close to depression every winter. This condition is recognized in the 'DSM-IV' – the 'Diagnostics and Statistical Manual' used by psychologists where it is described as a 'specifier of major depression'.
　　
There are countless different ways in which the weather affects mood then and this includes direct effects on mood and hormones, as well as more subtle second order impacts. Make sure that you stay warm and dry and that you make up for lower energy in your diet. But at the same time there's always the option of flying south for the winter – and if you're really struggling with the weather then why not consider booking your Holiday in winter this year?
　　
Although most people in the country wouldn’t agree, we in Southern California have been having extreme weather conditions for us: rain and mudslides. You could almost say we’re so used to mild conditions that we become afraid of what others would call “real” weather—weather wimps. Being afraid, ashamed of, or embarrassed by your feelings is like being afraid of the weather, because emotions (tears, panic attacks, angry outbursts, withdrawal, depression, elation, lust, romantic excitement, euphoria) are the weather conditions of the inner self. View results for: Symptoms Treatment Medications Ani Kalayjian, Ed.D., R.N., professor of psychology at Fordham University in New York, advises that we "can and should take proactive steps to strengthen the [brain's] system" against weather-driven mood changes.
　　
"We encourage people to take charge of their feelings," says Dr. Kalayjian. Her self-help recommendations for SAD sufferers are applicable to anyone who wants to put a little sunshine in his or her step.
　　
"Do things that make you feel good, like listening to uplifting music or reading a good novel. Look at pictures from a vacation—and if you can, take a vacation to a warm place." All of the tried-and-true methods of mood improvement and stress management apply as well, including getting regular exercise, moderating alcohol intake and meditating.
　　
"Feelings are transient; we can change them, transform them into positive," concludes Dr. Kalayjian. You may not be able to will the sun to break through overcast skies, but you can empower yourself to break through an emotional cloud.
　　
Scientific research from numerous studies indicates there is a strong link between weather and human emotions. John Grohol of the website Psych Central points out that this conclusion is not universally supported by researchers, although the overwhelming body of evidence establishes a link between the two phenomena. Findings indicate that different weather patterns can act as either mood elevators or depressants to the human psyche.
　　
Temperature and Humidity
　　
John Grohol of Psych Central reports that temperature and humidity both play an important role in mood. He points to a 1984 study by E. Howarth and M.S. Hoffman measuring temperature, humidity, sunlight and mood. Their 11-day study of 24 college students found that higher temperatures lowered skepticism and anxiety. On the other hand, higher humidity dampened concentration and induced sleepiness. Grohol supports the latter findings with another study from 1982 by J.L. Sanders and M.S. Brizzolara. They concluded that higher humidity lowered mood traits such as vigor and affection.
　　
Seasonal Affective Disorder
　　
The rotating seasons bring predictable changes--notably, the winter months contain less sunlight and warmth. In some people, this causes annual mood shifts that are now known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of SAD usually begin in the fall and persist throughout winter, and include moodiness, depression and lack of energy.
　　
Sunshine
　　
Your smile lights up your face the way the sun lights our day. Smiles, too can come from behind clouds or after emotional storms. The smile signals that all is well, pressure is equalized and the coast is clear to be out and open and have some fun.
　　
Rain
　　
Like rain, tears can be stormy or just a light sprinkle, and feel angry, cold, dreary and sad, or even come through the sunshine. Rain often follows a change of weather pressure, and tears can be the result of release of inner tension. People frequently cry from relief that they've been heard or that they can see a solution where there appeared to be a problem. Those who suffer from a trauma or a loss normally cry a littleafter the first shock of finding out, as the awful pressure of the news is absorbed and the grief sets in.
　　
Rain first carries with it the dust suspended in the air, and then washes everything clean as it continues. Emotional rain, too, can first be painful, and then begin to bring release and clarity. A “good cry” is one that really lets go of the held feelings and continues until relief sets in.
　　
Rainbows
　　
When you allow the tears to flow until your natural smile returns, you will feel hopeful again—hope is the rainbow of our internal climate. Like a rainbow, hope doesn't exist until there has been a disappointment, and the disappointment has been accepted completely enough to let the sun shine once more. That smile, coming thorough sadness, brings with it a renewed feeling of hope.
　　
Storms
　　
Sometimes reluctance to express unhappiness or discomfort builds pressure that eventually releases in a rush, like a storm. Violent storms shake things up, just as strong anger does. Anger that is allowed to get out of control is as destructive as a hurricane, but anger that is expressed in healthy ways can "clear the air" just as a storm does. The aftermath of a healthy, not too violent storm allows us to appreciate the pleasures of calmness.
　　
Cloudiness and Fog
　　
Emotionally, things are not always very clear. It’s normal to feel foggy and unsure, or depressed and dark from time to time. If you can remember it's just your emotional climate, and explore it to discover the cause, the fog will lift, the clouds will part, it may rain or storm a little, but the sun will eventually come out again. Normal depression that is not allowed to take its natural course, not opened up to let the fresh air in, can turn into emotional smog, or internal pollution.

Autumn Is Connected With The Harvesting Of Crops

Autumn is at war with the rain. The Autumn-win dispels the clouds in the sky. The sunny weather of Autumn wipes off the footprints of the rainy season. The muddy paths are dried up. Bogs and swamps are no more seen. The marshy-land gets dried and ditches are dried too. Gutters are dried up. Water in ponds and rivers is no more muddy. The mud in the water goes down unto the beds and the water looks clear and blue. It is transparent.

Autumn,season of the year between summer and winter during which temperatures gradually decrease. It is often called fall in the United States because leaves fall from the trees at that time. Autumn is usually defined in the Northern Hemisphere as the period between the autumnal equinox (day and night equal in length), September 22 or 23, and the winter solstice (year’s shortest day), December 21 or 22; and in the Southern Hemisphere as the period between March 20 or 21 and June 21 or 22. The autumn temperature transition between summer heat and winter cold occurs only in middle and high latitudes; in equatorial regions, temperatures generally vary little during the year. In the polar regions autumn is very short. For physical causes of the seasons, see season.
　　
The concept of autumn in European languages is connected with the harvesting of crops; in many cultures autumn, like the other seasons, has been marked by rites and festivals revolving around the season’s importance in food production. Animals gather food in autumn in preparation for the coming winter, and those with fur often grow thicker coats. Many birds migrate toward the Equator to escape the falling temperatures. A common autumn phenomenon in the central and eastern United States and in Europe is Indian summer, a period of unseasonably warm weather that sometimes occurs in late October or November.
　　
A Vee of geese honking their goodbyes to the land. Birds flocking, numbering in the hundreds...then no longer seen. Wasps and bees drunkenly flitting from fallen fruit to fermented fallen fruit. Squirrels gathering their cache, scurrying from here to there to here. Crows, cardinals, jays and assorted little brown birds, lonely calls wondering where everyone went.
　　
Snakes and frogs looking for a hole for slumber. Bears and foxes seeking dens. The groundhog burrowing a little deeper and not leaving a wake-up call for February 2nd. Rabbits and owls and weasels changing colour, adding white to their wardrobe. And after Labour Day!
　　
Salmon running, struggling every precious inch upstream to breed. Lake fish diving deeper to the stable bottom waters. Caterpillars feasting on the last of the summer bounty before drifting into a transforming beauty sleep. Flies clustering in barns and attics, seeking the last warm spot away from the winds of winter.
　　
Jack Frost. Hallowe'en. The Great Pumpkin. Thanksgiving. Pilgrim fathers and Native rescuers. Homecoming and reunion. Indian Summer. Two, maybe three Indian Corn. Blackberry canes. Fall Back. The State Fair. The Ex. Oktoberfest. Cornucopia overflowing. Pickling, canning, drying...and nibbling as you work.
　　
First days of school. New long crayons by the box. Unsharpened pencils. Book bags and new binders, packages of paper and pens. New friends and old ones back again. New books, new horizons. Remembering your seat and schedule. Finding that classroom.
　　
Autumn brings lots of changes. The trees begin to change colors, bringing a beautiful array of different colored foliage, which eventually drops off into our yards. It also brings cooler temperatures, and, as it progresses, we begin to put up our summer clothes, short sleeves, etc., and bring out our warm sweaters. I am one to wear sweats during the winter in the house because they are so warm and cozy! And, it's time to bring in the wood and start the fire in the fireplace. Now, that is cozy!
　　
When the leaves begin to change on the trees, the people begin to want to go for drives, or trips to the mountains, especially to Gatlinburg, TN. The highways are covered with a beautiful array of gorgeous colored trees. There are many places like this in the South during the fall months. The forests look like they are ablaze - a gorgeous site to behold!
　　
The end of Autumn and colder temperatures in North America cause the birds to migrate South. It also brings about the freezing of the ponds and lakes and streams in much of the country.
　　
From the World Book Millenium 2000:
　　
Rookie call-ups. Playing out the string. Roger and Mickey, Mark and Sammy. The World Series, the Fall Classic. Why not the Cubs? Larsen's Perfect Game. Home runs: Mazeroski and Carter. Don't forget Fisk and Dent, Mr October and Yogi.
　　
The kick-off. First and ten. The Big Game. Let's Go Blue. Touchdown! The Victors. A marching band echoing the school fight song from a jammed stadium. The Quarterback Club. The last round of 18. The Turkey Trot. Running through crispy fallen leaves.

But most of all, Autumn means colored leaves: a spectrum of shades between the green shades of summer and the dull browns of winter. Crimson, fiery red, maroon, ruddy orange, pure orange, yellow orange, soft yellows and bright yellows. Red maples, yellow birch, scarlet sycamores, aspen golds. Mottled leaves of several colours in transition. Each deciduous tree, each bush, strutting its own autumn wardrobe. Naked willows dancing in the wind. In their midst, the smug conifers stand. "Evergreen," they say to us, "ever green."
　　
Ahhh, those bright autumn spells that bring out the most vivid of hues. Days so delightful you can almost taste the colour. And those cold, crisp nights when the air has its own special vintage to entice us back outdoors one last time. A bouquet matched in no other season — aged in Northern realms and blended just right.
　　
This is how I see and have seen Autumn over my half century of life. I hope such joy and beauty, such stability and changeability, surprises and rouutines, continue through my next fifty. I love a good season, watching it turn, engendering days of joy and days of melancholy. Sorry, must go. Adventure lurks outside my door.

Sunscreen Should Be Applied 20 Minutes Before You Go Out Into The Sun

Our planet's ozone layer filters out the most harmful rays, which are called UVC. That's great. Unfortunately, we still have to go up against UVB and UVA rays. These guys target the outer and more deeper layers of skin, respectively. They cause things from sunburn to death, depending on the severity. Ultraviolet rays can even burn you on cloudy days and even at night.
　　
The best thing you can do to avoid getting deadly levels of UVR is to completely avoid sunlight altogether. Most people don't find this to be too much fun, especially during the summer months, and choose instead to coat their skin with sunscreen and protective clothes.
　　
A look we all love a perfect body in the summer, but the truth is that we care so much in the our skin care, Especially of our face. The first thing you do is use a blocker That will protect you from sun rays, which cause skin diseases. Remember to apply at least 20 minutes before sun exposure.
　　
We recommend using a sun block depending on skin type you have, it may be:

Skin fatty: You must use a sunscreen gel.
　　
Dry skin: You should use a sunscreen cream.
　　
Normal skin: You can use either above or a spray.
　　
Summer might still be a few months off now, but we can only assume that with the the long and wet winter we're having, that there is surely a blazing summer ahead. While we're all looking forward to sunnier skies, beach trips, fresh summer fruits and daylight savings, it is worth giving some thought to the challenges summer brings for those of us that will continue working through the hot days. Heat waves can be a particularly tough time for everyone working outside as well as the office workers and commuters. So here are some tips on the best workwear to choose to stay cool and collected in the summer months.
　　
Also make sure that you double the amount of water that you consume. A considerable amount of water content in your body is dehydrated due to the heat in summer. Drinking water will replace all that water content lost due to the heat. As far as possible, try and stay indoors especially during the day when the sun is at its peak. Direct exposure to the sun can harm your skin and hair more than you can imagine. If you must step out, make sure that you are wearing a hat or at least carrying an umbrella. You can also tie a scarf around your head to prevent the heat of the sun from touching you. Use huge oversized sunglasses to protect your face from the harmful rays of the sun. Also make sure that you wear a good sunscreen at all costs. Just don't step out of the house without wearing a sunscreen even if it is for a few minutes.
　　
Summer after all is not so bad at all. Just a few things to watch out for, and you can make summer your best friend. May you have a great summer!
　　
Sunscreen should be applied 20 minutes before you go out into the sun to allow the skin time to absorb it. After a half an hour outside, it should be applied again for maximum protection. Most sunscreens only last about two hours, so make sure to apply it regularly, especially if swimming or sweating heavily. Even "waterproof" brands lose their potency after an hour in the water.
　　
Sand and water can reflect up to 90% of the sun's rays, so give your skin extra protection when at the beach. A stronger SPF is also recommended for higher altitudes, since the air is thinner and sun exposure more intense.
　　
Don't forget to apply sunscreen to sensitive areas like the tops of your feet, backs of your ears and neck, and areas of the scalp and hairline if your hair is thin or thinning.

Bathing is very necessary at least twice each day during summer, protect skin in summer with benefit from the coolness of water soothing the sweat glands, you will also be able to wash the grime off during summer. Make sure you do not take a bath immediately after you came indoors from being under sun for long. Your skin will benefit if you wait for sometime before entering the shower, taking a bath immediately after coming from direct sun tends to dry skin, rather than do it any good, a 10 minute wait would be beneficial.