I have enabled the 'share automatically' option to Google plus when I post something new in my blog. Immediately after clicking the 'Publish' button once I finalize the post another window will open to share it with Google plus. Here I noticed a problem with my post picture some days ago. Instead of the picture that I have posted on my blog post my profile picture was getting displayed in Google plus! The same problem happened when I posted the video upload link in a blog post. Noticed this problem with some other bloggers too.
The reason for this was the image pixels. To reduce the image size load bloggers were using small sized images in blog posts. If the original images were large it were reduced both in size and pixels and posted to ease upload, reduce page loading time and for quick layout settings. I was also doing the same, resizing the pictures, reducing both the size and pixels using photoshop or pic monkey to limit the storage size. Blogger gives us free Google drive storage space of 15 GB, as you all know. Google plus photos of size bigger than 2048 x 2048 pixels occupy storage space as well as Gmail attachments. Click on Accounts under Google profile, check data tools, manage storage plan and have a look at how much storage we utilize.
Recently Google made changes to enable users to upload high-resolution images to Google plus in tune with other social media. So if we would like to see our post image to appear in Google plus window our images should be of high pixels. What is the minimum pixel size required is still not clear though. The image with high resolution will be displayed in Google plus post if we share it automatically.
Now I am using 1000 pixels images and my post images appear in Google plus, no problem. The image size in kb or MB doesn't seem relevant. So use high pixels for your blog pictures and you will see your post pictures clearly in Google plus instead of your profile picture or the picture having better resolution than your post picture in all the posts! When using high-resolution images you will see serrated lower edges signifying a larger picture in Google plus posts.
If you do not want to show pictures then just hover your mouse over the right-hand side of the post that you see on Google plus post. The drop down menu shows many options like edit the post, delete the post etc. Click edit the post and there is an option to remove the picture. If we remove the picture only the post text will be displayed on Google plus and no images.
Likewise when you post text only and no pictures in the blog post, your profile picture may get displayed automatically if you have enabled post to Google plus automatically. Edit the post and remove the picture to display only the text in Google plus. Better not to enable share to Google plus automatically; do it manually after publishing a post to design what and how to share.
Always make it a point to check the Google plus page after publishing the blog post, and edit it if necessary.
Liked this post? Well..., I have one more interesting blog, click here to check the latest updates there too 😊
Monday, 5 May 2014
Sunday, 4 May 2014
Beautiful Global village, Dubai...amazing pavilions of the participating countries
A very welcoming entrance!
Beautiful Austrian pavilion!
An amazing perfume shop in Global village, exotic Arabic perfumes in attractive bottles!
Tagine (Tagin, Tajin, Tajine) a traditional cooking vessel, conical and dome-shaped, popular in countries like Tunisia, Morocco, and other north African countries. Other beautiful ceramic items are also seen. A paradise for shoppers! Awesome Dubai!
Many South American countries also participating!
Morocco Pavilion! The Moroccan pavilion is where I tasted the Moroccan tea! Already blogged about this exotic drink 😊
There was a demonstration of Shaolin martial arts on the stage just behind the palm tree. Wow, it was thrilling!
Cookies, yummy!
Magnificent pavilions!
Fireworks, dazzling!
Fireworks illuminating the desert sky!
Candy store from the Netherlands!
Far Eastern countries 😊
The Indian pavilion was huge! Seen stalls from almost all states showcasing their unique products! It was a wonderful experience visiting our country's Pavilion!
Malaysia and South Korea. Interesting😊
Spain was also spacious. Beautiful!
Tunisia - so many interesting things to see!
These are only a fraction of the huge event. The pictures were shot in 2013. I heard this year it was huge!
http://globalvillage.ae
Liked this post? Well..., I have one more interesting blog, click here to check the latest updates there too😊
Saturday, 3 May 2014
African dancers at the Dubai Global village, amazing video!
Published this video on YouTube!
Awesome video of dancers from Africa performing on the world cultural stage in Dubai Global village.
Those who have visited the Global village, Dubai might have seen beautiful cultural performances from different countries at the arena over there. This video was recorded in 2013. Thrilled to see their performance!
Liked this post? Well..., I have one more interesting blog, click here to check the latest updates there too 😊
Thursday, 1 May 2014
The amazing health benefits of drinking water
Today's post is about the amazing health benefits of drinking plain, pure water!
As you all are aware water constitutes about 55 - 78 % of the body weight depending upon the body constitution of different individuals. This simple fact illustrates how much human body values water every day.
Are you providing enough water to your body every day?
An adequate intake (AI) of water for males is about three liters (3 L) (roughly 13 cups), a day. The AI for females is 2.2 liters (about nine cups), a day, according to the Institute of Medicine.
This is the total intake of fluids in all forms including beverages. This recommendation is for adults. For children, the quantity is different.
We lose water from our body mostly through urine, sweat, bowel movements and breath. This normal loss should be replenished by adequate intake of fluids for the smooth functioning of the body. Dehydration makes our body tired and weak succumbing ourselves to diseases. It is this vital water that helps in flushing the toxins out of the body. Water helps in the smooth functioning of all systems in the body. Water carries all the important nutrients to the cells in the body. So any decrease in the water level in our body can have serious health consequences. But the negative effects of dehydration develop slowly. Also, it is difficult to prove that water deficiency is the direct cause of health problems. It is reported that humans have a great tolerance to dehydration and thirst is felt in a vague manner as a result of which we tend to postpone/drink less/inadequately resulting in health problems. Proponents of 'water therapy' claim that chronic dehydration is the root cause of all health problems. Passing dark colored, concentrated urine denotes a dehydrated state.
Now ask this question again:
Are you providing enough water to your body every day?
'Usha paana chikitsa', ('Usha' means in the morning, 'paana' = drink and 'chikitsa' is treatment) is mentioned in Ayurveda, the science of life, the traditional system of medicine in India. Water therapy was popular in ancient India.
Water therapy involves drinking water first thing in the morning after getting up even before brushing teeth. It is advised to drink 1.5 liters of water. If it is difficult to drink the whole at a stretch, drink 4 or 5 glasses and wait for some time and drink again the rest. After one hour have breakfast.
As you know after intake of a large quantity of water like this, people urinate more often and can expect good bowel movements.
Initially, it may be difficult to do this but with practice this becomes easy. People with hypertension, gas problems, kidney ailments, and heart disease have to be careful if planning to do this. Always seek your doctor's opinion before doing water therapy.
Avoid alcohol intake, take enough fruits and vegetables, do mild exercises and provide an adequate intake of fluids rest of the day as recommended.
Proponents of water therapy claim that this is effective in curing constipation, normalizing high blood pressure, controlling diabetes, arthritis, prevention of kidney stones, acidity and dyspepsia, aids weight loss etc. etc. It is difficult to prove scientifically all these claims, but there are a lot of people who will vouch for the miraculous cure they have had. Many report better health and general well being!
Whatever, always supply the adequate, recommended intake daily. Take more fruits and vegetables. Fruits like watermelon, tomatoes, oranges etc. have high water content.
Pure drinking water has become a rarity now-a-days. Water quality standards and the chemical components that are used in the manufacturing of plastic bottles are always topics of controversy. Leaching of these chemicals into the water that it contains is a great concern. And this makes us look for labels like 'BPA' free 😊. The testing standards differ in different countries.
So are we sure we are drinking quality water? Is it pure?
Please read the disclaimer attached to this blog.
Liked this post ? Well..., I have one more interesting blog, click here to check the latest updates there too 😊
Evening tea with khakhra
This was today's evening tea😊
Thought I will share it with all my blogger friends😊The crispy Chappathy (wheat roti) like bread on the plate is 'Khakhra'. I bought this the other day when I shopped at the mall nearby. Not familiar in South India, so I thought let me give a try when I saw this new item displayed on the shelf along with 'pappadoms'.
Khakhra is actually a Gujarati dish. It is made with wheat flour. The dough is prepared with water, a little salt, oil and masala, a handful it is then taken, which is spread just like chappati but pressed again in low heat using wooden press until it gets flattened into pappad like thickness. This is its difference from chappati; Chappathies are thicker than Khakhras. Khakhras are crispy, thin and very tasty.
Beautifully packed! Could see khakhra inside looking golden brown.
We bought 'Punjabi masala khakhra'. It was a little spicy. Yummy!
http://www.jabsons.com
The dip that you see on the picture was tomato puree with red chilly and a little salt. We prepare it at home with chopped tomatoes warming in a pan with a little salt and red chilly powder; the mixture then blended well in a blender. No oil needed. (Name of the dish? Is it passata? Is it simple tomato puree? Salsa? Tomato sauce? I don't know, really!) Ok, let it be chilly tomato dip 😊
We buy Pomegranate whenever they are available in shops. Love it😊
Green tea is my favorite drink😊. Please check this post, I have written a poem about Green tea http://magicalpresent.blogspot.in/2013/07/green-tea.html
This is about Moroccan tea😊. Wow, a must enjoy tea! Awesome drink!
http://magnificentdewdrops.blogspot.in/2013/03/i-enjoyed-moroccan-tea-while-visiting.html
Liked this post? Well..., I have one more interesting blog, click here to check the latest updates there too😊
Sunday, 27 April 2014
Art and food, a brilliant combination - Kashi art cafe, fort kochi
Welcome to the Kashi art cafe at Fort Kochi in Kerala where you will experience a perfect, unique combination of delicious, lip-smacking food and amazing art in all forms by the talented artists from here and abroad in a zen-like ambiance of natural greenery!
Yes, all those are real! A plantain that you will see commonly in Kerala grows peacefully here. Hope it will bear fruit soon!
A perfect place to unwind, have a good conversation about art, read a book peacefully, study the art exhibited, enjoy the art at the gallery, meet, chat and get to know the artists and art lovers locally and internationally, update that travel journal unleashing your creativity in the perfect setting with those historic sites in the vicinity!
This place will not burn your pocket; the portions are generous.
What more you want for today 😊?
Oh, well, here is the link to this amazing destination http://www.kashiartgallery.com
Liked this post? Well..., I have one more interesting blog, click here to check the latest updates there too 😊
Monday, 21 April 2014
The world in my pocket by James Hadley Chase - a review
'The world in my pocket' is a mystery thriller written by James Hadley Chase. I became a fan of this brilliant writer when I was a teenager and his books were a craze among us in India too. I have a good number of his books in my library.
James Hadley Chase is a pseudonym he used among others like James L. Docherty, R. Raymond, Raymond Marshall, and Ambrose Grant. René Lodge Brabazon Raymond (1906 - 1985) was an English writer who penned numerous thrillers, almost all of them became best sellers.
This book has a gripping plot about a group of men and a woman who try to steal an armored truck containing a huge amount of money. The group became tempted to execute this risky theft because of the enormous sum involved and they will become rich if everything goes well according to the plan, well..if everything goes well! Things went wrong, like in most of his books, with twists and turn to reach a very peculiar ending.
Catchy titles, crisp writing style, thoroughly researched plot were some of the reasons his books became super sellers.
His books are still popular here.
Hats off to this great writer! May his soul rest in peace!
Liked this post? Well..., I have one more interesting blog, click here to check the latest updates there too 😊
Sunday, 20 April 2014
Global village, Dubai
The Global village in Dubai is an awesome attraction for tourists and residents alike. Started in 1997 at the Dubai creek modestly it has emerged as a destination of great global importance attracting millions to Dubai in December until April every year during the time of Dubai shopping festival.
From 2005, it had found a permanent location on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Exit 37.
The abra ( traditional boat ) ride along the canal traversing the village was fantastic!
These pictures were shot in 2013 during the shopping festival season.
The Sunset was awesome!
Pavilions of many countries like Germany, Turkey, China, Kingdom of Thailand, India and all middle eastern countries are present. Visit here and you will see the unique attractions of those countries.
http://globalvillage.ae
Liked this post? Well..., I have one more interesting blog, click here to check the latest updates there too 😊
Friday, 18 April 2014
Lulu mall, Kochi, a world of happiness - an update
I have already blogged about this beautiful mall. It is only walking distance from where I live. This huge mall has changed the entire infrastructure of this metro city.
Check old posts:
Liked this post? Well..., I have one more interesting blog, click here to check the latest updates there too 😊
Thursday, 17 April 2014
Costa coffee outlet in Kochi, Kerala
Enjoyed Costa coffee during one of the weekends recently.
I liked their hot chocolate. Cool drink!
The panini was yummy 😊
Costa opened their outlet in Lulu mall in January 2014. So it is within walking distance from my home 😊http://lulumall.in
https://www.facebook.com/CostaCoffeeIndia
Liked this post? Well..., I have one more interesting blog, click here to check the latest updates there too 😊