Scott Kelly's life, height return to normal after near year in space

Astronaut Scott Kelly, who grew about 2 inches during his nearly one year stay on the International Space Station, is back to his normal height, his identical twin brother, Mark, said Thursday.

Scott Kelly, whose spine elongated while he spent 340 days in space, took less than two days to shrink.

Mark Kelly, a former astronaut, told CNN's "Erin Burnett OutFront" by email that the two went back-to-back an hour after his brother returned to the United States early Thursday.

Scott grew 1½ inches before returning to normal, he said.

Scott Kelly landed in Kazakhstan on Wednesday morning, and arrived in Houston to hugs and American treats a day later.

There he was welcomed by his twin, second lady Jill Biden and various NASA officials.

Biden brought the astronaut some beer and apple pie.

"Nothing's more American than that," she said. "... That's what he said he wanted."

'It's great to be back'

Scott Kelly, 52, attributed the success of his year in space to his NASA colleagues, family and friends.

"It's great to be back in Texas, on U.S. soil ... on planet Earth," he said.

"This is not my achievement. It's NASA's achievement and it's our country's achievement. ... There's no greater privilege than serving your country however and wherever you might do it."

In a phone call, President Barack Obama applauded him for his record-breaking yearlong mission.

In a statement, the White House said, "Kelly's year in space would provide critical data to researchers trying to understand how to keep astronauts healthy during long space voyages and fulfill the President's vision of putting American astronauts on Mars in the 2030s."

Pool plunge

Though he's no longer an astronaut, Mark Kelly volunteered to take part in NASA's "Twins Study"with his brother. NASA wants to see how the identical twins measure up after a year in two very different environments: Scott in space and Mark on Earth.

Scott Kelly returned to Earth after 340 days, the longest any U.S. astronaut has been in space.

Since then, he's been getting reacquainted with his planet. After garnering a million Twitter followers during his stint in space, the astronaut has started tweeting about life back on the ground -- including a long-awaited plunge into a swimming pool while still wearing his NASA jumpsuit.

And after nearly a year sharing pictures of breathtaking views and high-tech equipment, Kelly did something Wednesday that showed he's just like the rest of us.

important uses of banana peels you never know

Important uses of banana peels you never know

Brighten up houseplants

Do you have dusty or dingy leaves on your houseplants? Do not bother to mist them with water that just spreads the dirt around. Rather, wipe down each leaf with the inside part of a banana peel.

Polish shoes

A great alternative to shoe polish is a banana peel. You should rub your shoe with the inside of the peel. After that, buff the shoes with a soft cloth. Bananas are full of potassium, and also the shoe polish contains potassium. Your shoes will last longer, because the natural oils of banana soak into the leather.

Acne

You can rub the banana peel over a certain area every night before sleeping, in order to reduce irritation and inflammation, as well as prevent outbreaks.

Whiten teeth

The potassium in banana peel is thought to help whiten the teeth. You should choose a banana that seems just ripe, because that is when the levels of potassium are optimal.

Rub the inside of the peel alongside your teeth until they get completely coated in the banana paste.

You should apply for about 2 minutes, and then leave the paste to stay for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, brush your teeth with toothpaste in order to remove the residue.

Warts

Banana peel can also eliminate warts. Apply a piece of a banana peel on the wart and protect it with a bandage, or you can just rub the inner side of the peel on the pretentious area.

Bug Bites

You should rub a banana peel on bug bites in order to reduce itching and calm your skin.

Psoriasis

In just a couple of days the banana peel can also cure psoriasis. Scrub some banana peel on the affected area twice a day. It also has the abilities to relieve itchiness, moisturize the skin, and cure psoriasis in just a few days.

Rashes and itches

You can utilize banana peel for relieving rashes and itches. Just rub a banana peel over the painful area 2 times a day until is completely gone.

Headache

Because of the high potassium content it can help you heal the root cause of your pain. Take the banana peel and hold it through the forehead and the back of the neck.

Helps with hemorrhoids

The peel of this amazing fruit is amazingly effective in case of hemorrhoids. All you have to do is to scrub the peel on the affected area for about five minutes, 4 to 5 times per day.

Benefits of Reducing the quantity of meat in your diet.

Switching to a meat-free diet can have a tremendous impact on the world around you. What this means is that the 30% of Earth’s land mass that is used to raise animals for food would go back to nature for growing vegetables and other varieties that are naturally grown from soil. Essentially, the ripple effect that this would have if everyone switched to a vegetable based diet, then our world would be significantly healthier.

Lose Weight 

Obesity is a pretty dire issue in the world of America today. However, obesity has been found to be a much lower statistic among vegetarians. A study that was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics was able to show that caloric intake in comparison between vegetarians and meat eaters was actually similar, however, meat-eaters had the lowest intake of fiber, magnesium, beta carotene, and plant proteins. Essentially, meat induces the highest intake of hear disease-linked fatty acids.

Reduced Inflammation

By switching to less potent foods that aren’t meat, you can greatly reduce the inflammation that goes on in your body. Our body’s respond to animal fat by our arteries becoming paralyzed as well as hindering their ability to open, with the addition of your lungs becoming inflamed as well. All of these can cause long term effects if continued inflammation occurs, such as autoimmune diseases, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

important uses of silica

Don’t Throw These Bags! When You See What Can They Do, You’ll Keep Them Like A Gold!

1# Keep your workout gear dry 

Good thing about silica is that you can put it into you training bag along with your workout gear and it will prevent bacteria proliferation.

Also, will keep your bag dry and clean and destroy that bad smell, all by silica gel bags. 

2# Prolong the shelf life of your make-up 

If you want to prevent occurrence of moisture in your powder make up, put on of these bags in your make up case. 

3# Put them in your wardrobe 

Also, you can put them in your closet to protect your close form moisture and bad smell that goes with it. 

4# Restore your water-damaged phone 

Restoring your water-damaged phone is probably one of the most amazing uses of silicon dioxide.

If this happens to you, put your phone among 4-5 silica gel bags and they will take all of the moisture from your phone and make it dry.

Iraq's Mosul Dam faces 'risk of catastrophic failure,' U.S. says

Iraq's Mosul Dam is facing a "serious and unprecedented risk of catastrophic failure with little warning," the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad warned on Sunday.

At the same time, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi played down the threat of a potential breach at the country's largest dam.

ISIS militants seized the dam in August 2014. U.S. airstrikes helped Kurdish and Iraqi forces take control of it back that same month.

"A catastrophic breach of Iraq's Mosul Dam would result in severe loss of life, mass population displacement, and destruction of the majority of the infrastructure within the path of the projected floodwave," the U.S. government said in a fact sheet.

It stressed it had "no specific information that indicates when a breach might occur," but said it was providing recommendations now "out of an abundance of caution."

The 3.2-kilometer-long Mosul Dam holds back as much as 12.5 million cubic meters of water, according to Engineering News-Record, a construction industry website.

A wall of water tens of feet tall

If the structure were to give way, it would unleash a wall of water tens of feet tall that would race down the Tigris River toward Mosul and its inhabitants. It would also bring flooding to major cities farther downstream, including Baghdad.

According to the United States, approximately 500,000 to 1.47 million people live along the Tigris in areas at highest risk and would probably not survive the impact of the projected flood wave unless they evacuated.

"Proper preparation could save many lives," the embassy said.

Painting an alternative picture, Abadi discussed the "unlikely" scenario of the dam bursting in a statement from his office.

A rehabilitation operation, funded by the World Bank and to be done by a "premium international engineering company," is set to begin shortly, the Prime Minister said, stressing that regular and ongoing maintenance is already underway.

In the event of the dam bursting, however, Abadi advised that people living near the Tigris River move to higher ground, at least 3.7 miles (6 kilometers) away from the river.

The statement also sought to assure Iraqis that the government would issue emergency alarms in the event of a breach and would provide for any displaced people.

Oscar shines on 'Spotlight'

"Spotlight" is basking in the golden glow of Oscar.

"Mad Max: Fury Road" may have won more honors at the 88th Academy Awards, leading all films with six. "The Revenant" won some major prizes, including the first Oscar for actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

But when the last award of the evening was read, it was the little film about Boston Globe investigative reporters digging into a sex abuse scandal involving Catholic priests that was left standing.

"This film gave a voice to survivors," producer Michael Sugar said. "And this film amplifies that voice, which we hope will become a choir that will resonate all the way to the Vatican."

It was one of just two awards "Spotlight" took home. The film also won for Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer's original screenplay.

But until that moment, it looked like "Revenant," about a vengeful trapper in the 1820s, was going to go all the way.

Alejandro González Iñárritu notched his second straight Oscar in the directing category; he's the first person to pull off that feat since Joseph L. Mankiewicz in 1949-50. The film's Emmanuel Lubezki also kept a streak going, winning his third straight Oscar for cinematography.

But the big story was DiCaprio, who finally won an Oscar with his fifth acting nomination.

After taking some time to thank Iñárritu, co-star Tom Hardy and director Martin Scorsese, among others, DiCaprio put in a plug for environmentalism.

"Climate change is real. It is happening right now; we needed to go to the tip of South America to find snow. ... It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species," he said. "We need to support leaders around the world who speak for indigenous people, for humanity, the voices who have been drowned out by the politics of greed. Do not take this planet for granted. ... I do not take this night for granted. Thank you."

Home remedies to perfectly grow your hair

Home Remedies to perfectly grow your hair

it is very important to take proper care of the hair for effective growth, here are tips to perfectly grow your hair to your desird length. Your general health, well-being, and genetic factors affect your rate of hair growth.

You can encourage hair growth by maintaining healthy hair through a good diet and proper hair care. Certain herbs can help make your hair grow faster, too.

1. Eat a healthy diet

Eating a diet rich in protein and vital vitamins and minerals is an essential prerequisite to healthy hair growth. Opt for foods high in vitamins A, B, C, and E, iron, zinc, copper, magnesium, and selenium. Vitamin B-complex, in particular, is extremely important for making your hair grow faster.

So, include a variety of foods like milk, cheese, yogurt, chicken, eggs, whole grains, salmon, spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, cabbage, parsley, grapefruit, avocado, brown bread, oats, and alfalfa in your diet to nourish your hair and scalp. Plus, drink fresh fruit and vegetable juices, such as orange, grapefruit, carrot, beet, and lettuce juice.

Fish, flax seeds, walnuts, beans, winter squash, olive oil, and other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids are also good for hair growth as about 3% of a hair shaft is made up of omega-3 fatty acids.

Avoid nutritional deficiencies because they tend to affect your hair adversely. For example, vitamin E and zinc deficiencies lead to hair thinning and loss.

2. Use castor oil

Being rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, especially omega-9 fatty acids, castor oil promotes hair growth naturally.

• As this oil is quite viscous, mix the castor oil with an equal amount of coconut, olive, or almond oil. Massage your scalp with it and leave it on for 30 to 45 minutes. Then shampoo your hair.
• You can also add essential oils, especially rosemary, peppermint, eucalyptus, lavender, or thyme oil, to the castor oil and then put it in your hair.

3. Massage your scalp

Massaging promotes blood flow to the scalp, which in turn stimulates the hair follicles. In addition, deep condition your hair once a week with a hot oil treatment or deep conditioning hair mask.

1. Apply the oil (preferably warm) or conditioner to your hair.
2. Gently rub your fingers on your scalp in a circular motion for three to five minutes.
3. Rinse the oil or conditioner out of your hair.

4. Flip your hair upside down

This is one of the most popular tricks to promote faster hair growth. Just flip your hair upside down by flipping your head over for two to four minutes daily. It is believed to work by improving circulation.

5. Stay stress-free

Stress is one of the most important factors that contribute to hair loss. It is believed that stress can disrupt the normal hair cycle and trigger hairs to enter the telogen or fall-out phase. Thus, when striving for faster hair growth, minimize the stress in your life.

To manage stress, you can use meditation, breathing exercises, or other relaxation techniques. Plus, be sure to get your beauty sleep as the growth hormone is released during sleep.

6. Whip up an egg mask

Eggs are highly beneficial for faster hair growth because they are packed with protein and also contain iron, sulfur, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium. You can use an egg hair mask at least once a month.

• Whisk an egg. Mix in four tablespoons of grapeseed oil and a few drops of lavender oil. Apply it on your hair and scalp and leave it on for half an hour. Finally, rinse it out and shampoo your hair as usual.
• Apply a mixture of two egg yolks and two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil on your scalp. Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes. Wash it out with cold water and then shampoo your hair.
• Alternatively, whisk an egg and add one cup of milk, two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, and the juice from half a lemon to it. Apply it on your scalp and leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes before washing it out and shampooing your hair.

7. Infuse your hair with herbs

Herbs like rosemary, catnip, nettle, burdock, horsetail, and sage promote faster hair growth. Rosemary, in particular, is excellent for hair growth because it stimulates the hair follicles. It also adds luster to your locks.
Furthermore, the polyphenols and anti-inflammatory properties of green tea are also linked to hair growth. Plus, most herbs stimulate hair growth by improving circulation.

• Prepare an herbal infusion by steeping any of these herbs in hot water for 10 to 20 minutes. Use it as a final rinse after shampooing and conditioning your hair. In addition to encouraging hair growth, it will strengthen your hair and make it soft and manageable.
• You can also mix herbal infusions or essential oils in your shampoo.
• Drink herbal teas.

8. Take vitamin and herbal supplements

In addition to eating a proper diet, you can take supplements like folic acid, biotin, kelp, fish oil, flaxseed oil, evening primrose oil, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, saw palmetto, and others to augment hair growth.

Folic acid and biotin are B-complex vitamins (vitamin B9 and B7 respectively) that aid faster growth of hair. Before taking any supplements, though, make sure you consult your doctor.

9. Nourish your hair with aloe vera

Aloe vera encourages hair growth and prevents hair loss. It also reduces dandruff and helps restore your hair’s natural sheen.

• Apply fresh aloe vera gel mixed with a little lemon juice and leave it on for about 20 minutes. Shampoo your hair. Do this once every week or two.
• You can also combine aloe vera gel with equal amounts of coconut milk and wheat germ oil and then apply it on your hair.
• Drink aloe vera juice on a regular basis.

10. Address medical problems

Your efforts to boost hair growth will not reap good results if you have underlying problems like a thyroid disorder, hormonal imbalance, chronic illness, or a severe infection.

Certain medications like birth control pills, beta-blockers, anabolic steroids, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and others may also contribute to problems such as hair thinning and hair loss.

Seborrheic dermatitis and scalp infections cause issues like itchy scalp and mild hair loss. So, identify any underlying issues contributing to hair problems and address them as soon as possible so they don’t hamper your hair growth efforts.

In addition to these tips, try some home remedies such as Indian gooseberry or amla oil, fenugreek paste, a mayonnaise hair pack, and other healthy hair ideas.

Maintain healthy hair by following a good hair care routine and using hair products that are suitable for your hair type. Plus, protect your tresses from sun damage and avoid the use of heat styling products.

16 Ways to be a Better Kisser

1. Good kissers keep it #treal.

The #1 must-have for even a semi-deec kiss: You actually want to. If you're kissing someone only because it feels like what you "should" be doing ~in the moment~ or because you feel weird pressure, then STEP AWAY FROM THE FACE.

2. Good kissers stay fresh.

Would you want to be thisclose to someone's face space only to find that their mouth smells like the dumpster behind Olive Garden? Kay. If you're anticipating a trip to MakeoutTown, avoid the stank-inducing foods like garlic, onions, processed Cheetos-like cheese, etc. It's basic manners.

3. Good kissers Keep Calm and Carry Balm. No one can hate when your gloss game is strong, but actually mashing that onto a human's face is gross and cruel and no. Bae is probs trying to kiss your actual lips, not your Melon Mango Primer, so stick to that good ol' neutral lip balm.

4. Good kissers talk it out.

Listen, #aintnobodygottime for bleh makeouts. Expert kissers skip to the good parts by taking control and mentioning the things you do like ("So, that tongue move you just did. Yasss."), and show them alternatives to the things you don't. ("Hey, instead of that ... toothy … situation you did with my lip, how about you just graze it gently, like this?")

5. Good kissers channel the right emojis.

Here's a list of emojis not to be when kissing:

🐟: Open-mouthed and gasping for dear life.

🐶: How did your tongue get in my nostril?

🐤: Stop pecking at my face ARE MY LIPS SEEDS.

If you're channeling ANY emoji, it should be Pink Shirt Massaging Her Head: Relax your lips. Relax your life. You're a hot, awesome human, and this person is lucky (and probably also just as nervous) to be kissing You. Collect your chills and relax. 💆

6. Good kissers move ~like you're my miiiirrror~

1. I'm not mad at envisioning J.Timbs when kissing anyone, and
2. Bomb-dot-com kisses are a mirror dance — meaning, mimic: Slow down, take note of the things bae does, and gently do it back. Bust out moves you'd want them to do to you. Remember that the show's not all about you: You're both in control of this dance.

7. Good kissers know: Less is EVERYTHING.

Thinking too hard about going for some ~sexy trick~ you learned is how makeout seshes end up feeling like dental cleaning. Pro kissers know to start off small and slow, and to only #turnup if you feel like it's right. Oh, you'll know.

8. Good kissers ARE ANTI-HICKEY.

Question: Who thought it'd be sexy to literally be a mouth vacuum? Oh, no one? GREAT — then we're officially retiring The Hickey. Be nice to Bae's neck: Small kisses down from the jaw or gentle lip-brushes FTW.

9. Good kissers know that lips-only are for basics.

💋Under the jawbone.

💋Soft spot behind the earlobe.

💋The UGH-so-cute little dip in the collarbone.

💋Tip of the nose.

💋Inside the wrist.

💋Forehead. 💋Shoulder. 💋CLOSED EYELID. #THEPOSSIBILITIES.

Give the both of you a second to mouth-breathe again and freakin' explore!

10. Good kissers take the long route.

Consider this a Google Maps for your meggouts:

1. Start at the lips, kissing (NO TONGUE) gently down towards the chin, then all along the jawbone, towards the ear. From here, give their earlobe a little nip, or whisper softly … "So when are we getting Chipotle?" (Optional.)
2. Sneak up on bae from behind and kiss from the top of their shoulder, along the curve towards their ear. (And again, The Optional Whisper: "I want to eat an entire pizza with you.")
3. Gently kiss down the forehead, starting at the hairline, along the slope of the nose, ending at the lips. Congrats: You're now so goddamn cute.

11. Good kissers can make PDA not-obnoxious.

Bae will def appreciate the sneak-attack smooch:

💥Facing each other on the bus? BOOM, tip-of-the-nose.

💥Approaching them while they're sitting? BOOM, forehead.

💥Strolling along, holding hands? BOOM, knuckle-peck.

💥Are you vertically challenged and only come up to their shoulder? BOOM, shoulder smooch.

💥Lounging con Netflix? BOOM, inside-of-the-wrist lip-graze. (Careful. Tickles.)

12. Good kisser can keep their tongue in check.

First Rule of Tongue: USE SPARINGLY. Start off by just finding their tongue with the tip of yours — almost like a gentle tongue fist-bump — then pull back. Try grazing past the tip of their tongue — then pull back. Circle the tip of their tongue — then pull back. (Drool and breath and blegh happens when you don't pull back.)

When you're feeling up for it, you can try running your tongue just along the inside of their upper lip, or pull a quick lick under their top lip in a sort of come-here/teeny-ice-cream-cone maneuver.

13. Good kissers don't nibble. Anything. EVER.

I'm sorry — the thought of someone "nibbling" on my lip the way I legitimately nibble on straws and pen caps and beef jerky GIVES ME THE ABSOLUTE FEAR. Why do we still tell each other to nibble?! Good teeth action starts with taking bae's bottom lip between your front teeth, giving a gentle tug, and letting go.

14. Good kissers play with the pre-game.

Before kissing, lean in and swipe your lips past theirs, slowly and lightly, then pull back. Take a one-two pause to bask in Bae's "OMG WTF I NEED YOUR FACE" reaction before going in for the kill. And for those feeling sass-tastic: If you've taken a break and are getting ready to lean back in, build up some anticipation by pulling back a half-inch and smiling, like "Not yet, sucker — Deal With It." Proceed with makeout as scheduled. #sorryneversorry

15. "But what do I do with my hands?!" you ask.

👋Both on either side of their head — with plans to slide back into their hair.

👋One on their lower back, and one behind the neck (can also venture into Hair Land).

👋Both hands lightly resting on their chest.

👋Both hands on hips, which can sneak around their lower back to squeeze.

👋One hand taking a selfie. (JK – just making sure you're still paying attention.) (But we'd be super impressed if you could pull it off, JS.)

👋One or both hands pulling on the neck of their shirt a little bit, towards you.

👋A few fingers up and down their spine, down the nape of their neck, or hovering around their cheeks and jaw.

16. Good kissers can manage bad kissers like a pro.

Pause an aggressive kisser by leaning back, putting a hand gently on their collarbone, and approaching v e r y s l o w l y — almost like saying, "Chill. Take it down 4 notches.Like this." Reroute an overly acrobatic kisser by pulling back, just enough so you can whisper, and say, "I like kissing you like this." Proceed with what you'd want done to you.