Clipmarks | Charolastra's Pops

US Dominance Is Over

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:48:54 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks: Mired in their rancorous culture wars and squabbling among themselves, they seem oblivious to the fact that American global leadership is fast ebbing away. A new world is coming into being...

Clip Song

Clip Source: www.informationclearinghouse.info

America's time as a superpower is coming to an end. The financial crisis was just the last straw. Whatever good faith was left after the invasion of Iraq, the shrugging off of international treaties and the shameless disregard for human rights, is now gone.

The anger at the US seems to be surfacing everywhere at once. It was particularly noticable at the recent opening of the UN General Assembly.

patience have worn thin,

No one likes

Bush's "unipolar" model of global governance whereby all the world's crucial decisions--on everything from global warming to nuclear proliferation--are made by Washington.

America's sudden downturn presents opportunities for a change

That's what everyone wants; change.

That doesn't mean that the world hates America. It just means that everyone wants a breather

The US is about to join the family of nations and learn how to get along with its neighbors whether it wants to or not. There's simply no other choice

cooperate or become isolated

It's "get along or get out";

Tags: we are the world

Do We Live In A Giant Cosmic Bubble?

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 17:07:52 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks: Huh? Hmm. Wait a minute, lemme think.

Clip Source: www.usatoday.com

Do we live in a giant cosmic bubble?

If the notion of dark energy sounds improbable, get ready for an even more outlandish suggestion.

Earth may be trapped in an abnormal bubble of space-time that is particularly void of matter. Scientists say this condition could account for the apparent acceleration of the universe's expansion, for which dark energy currently is the leading explanation.

If we were in an unusually sparse area of the universe, then things could look farther away than they really are and there would be no need to rely on dark energy as an explanation

"If we lived in a very large under-density, then the space-time itself wouldn't be accelerating,"

"It would just be that the observations, if interpreted in the usual way, would look like they were."

the space-time around us would be different than it is outside, because matter warps space-time.

"This idea that we live in a void would really be a statement that we live in a special place,"

Some Weird Houses We Haven't Seen

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:51:53 GMT

clipped by: BartendingBear
clipper's remarks: I really like the piano & violin design.

Clip Source: www.chooseurfun.com

I'll Be Just Fine, Says Planet

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 10:34:44 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken

Clip Source: www.thedailymash.co.uk

I'LL BE JUST FINE, SAYS PLANET

THE planet Earth has dismissed claims it is in danger from global warming, stressing the worst that could happen is the extinction of the human race.

The Earth spoke out after a series of books, television programmes and environmental campaigns urged people to do everything in their power to 'Save the Planet'.

Earth, 4,000,000,000, said last night: "I'll be absolutely fine, seriously.

The planet, based 93 million miles from the Sun, said it was 'sick and tired' of being drawn into arguments about human behaviour.

Look, I'm just a planet doing its thing, alright? If you want to live on me, that's your business

Earth added: "Okay, so there may come a time when

I am no longer able to support pandas, polar bears, and humans, but you know what?

Let me assure you,

Life goes on.

The planet said environmental campaigners should change their slogan from 'Save the Planet' to something more relevant such as 'Save Your Sorry Arse'.

Another terrorists; Should we fight their ??

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 05:34:44 GMT

clipped by: Yassin_M

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Blast outside Basque region court

A bomb has exploded outside a court in Spain's north-eastern Basque region, after a warning from ETA, the armed separatist group, Spanish media report.

The small blast went off at 0115 (0015 BST) in the town of Tolosa and no injuries were reported.

The attacks come at a time of increased turbulence in Basque politics after Spanish courts banned two Basque parties over their links to Eta.

Spanish public television station TVE said a man claiming to represent ETA called the Basque traffic department to warn of an imminent blast about half an hour before the explosion.

The group resumed its campaign of violence in December 2006, following the failure of secret dialogue with Spain's Socialist government.

Woman refused morning after pill

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 08:16:34 GMT

clipped by: valann 47

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

A woman was refused the morning-after pill because it was against the pharmacist's religious beliefs.

Ruth Johnson, 30, was refused the emergency contraception by a locum pharmacist at a Tesco supermarket.

She asked an assistant at the chemist counter for the pill Levonelle, but was told it had to be dispensed by the locum himself.

The pharmacist was of Asian origin, so I asked him if it was because of his religion and he replied "yes".'

Ms Johnson, who thought the supermarket service would be more discreet than a local chemist, said she feared for any teenage girls who might be turned away from seeking the morning-after pill.

She added: 'I appreciate we live in a multicultural society, but what gives him the right to impose his beliefs onto me?'

A spokesman for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) said: 'The Code of Ethics and Standards does not require a pharmacist to provide a service that is contrary to their religious or moral beliefs.'

Tags: pill, pharmacist, asian, morning after pill

Nationalism vs. Patriotism

Sat, 04 Oct 2008 08:40:57 GMT

clipped by: darkduskx
clipper's remarks: In the light of what has been said we understand how utilitarianism, the doctrine which defines morality not in terms of what is good but of what is advantageous, threatens the freedom of individuals and nations and obstructs the building of a true culture of freedom. Utilitarianism often has devastating political consequences, because it inspires an aggressive nationalism on the basis of which the subjugation, for example, of a smaller or weaker nation is claimed to be a good thing solely because it corresponds to the national interest. No less grave are the results of economic utilitarianism, which drives more powerful countries to manipulate and exploit weaker ones.

Clip Source: www.vatican.va

we need to clarify the essential difference between an unhealthy form of nationalism, which teaches contempt for other nations or cultures, and patriotism, which is a proper love of one's country. True patriotism never seeks to advance the well-being of one's own nation at the expense of others. For in the end this would harm one's own nation as well: doing wrong damages both aggressor and victim. Nationalism, particularly in its most radical forms, is thus the antithesis of true patriotism, and today we must ensure that extreme nationalism does not continue to give rise to new forms of the aberrations of totalitarianism. This is a commitment which also holds true, obviously, in cases where religion itself is made the basis of nationalism, as unfortunately happens in certain manifestations of so-called "fundamentalism".

Proof that intelligent lifeform exists outside Earth

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:37:36 GMT

clipped by: thefoxalmighty

Clip Source: www.campusrox.com

Tags: cartoon, funny

Most Banned Author: Judy Blume

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 01:02:09 GMT

clipped by: benza
clipper's remarks: Growing Children and Grown Adults should read Judy Plume to open their minds.
Read her and enjoy knowing what it is to enjoy the greatest of gifts to mankind: Sex

Clip Source: www.bbc.co.uk

On the Word, Bidisha speaks to one of the most banned authors ever in America, Judy Blume.

Loved by generations of teenage girls, she's now turning her hand to books for much younger children.

Learning From Mistakes Only Works After Age 12, Study Suggests

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:14:07 GMT

clipped by: Kelika
clipper's remarks: "There is also an area of the brain that responds strongly to positive feedback: the basal ganglia, just outside the cerebral cortex. The activity of this area of the brain does not change. It remains active in all age groups: in adults, but also in children, both eight-year-olds and twelve-year-olds."

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

In children aged 8 to 9, the areas of the brain involved in cognitive control show strong activation following positive feedback. This is no longer the case with 12-year-olds. (Credit: Image courtesy of Leiden University)

ScienceDaily (Sep. 27, 2008) — Eight-year-old children have a radically different learning strategy from twelve-year-olds and adults. Eight-year-olds learn primarily from positive feedback ('Well done!'), whereas negative feedback ('Got it wrong this time') scarcely causes any alarm bells to ring. Twelve-year-olds are better able to process negative feedback, and use it to learn from their mistakes. Adults do the same, but more efficiently.

In children of eight and nine, these areas of the brain react strongly to positive feedback and scarcely respond at all to negative feedback

in children of 12 and 13,

Their 'control centres' in the brain are more strongly activated by negative feedback and much less by positive feedback.

Tags: brain

Macro Photos

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:31:03 GMT

clipped by: Kelika

Clip Source: www.wired.com

The macro photo contest was our fiercest competition yet, with almost every entry making our eyes boggle. After two weeks of steady battle, these 10 photos have emerged victorious. Alan M won the contest with his photo "Eye of a Tokay Gecko" at left. Mr. M will be receiving a subscription to Wired magazine and a digital picture frame for his desk.

Clip Source: www.wired.com

"Close-up of a wet leaf ... taken with a Canon Powershot A610 :)"

Clip Source: www.wired.com

"A close-up of the water emerging from a fountain pipe, which formed this 'head.'"

Clip Source: www.wired.com

"Nikon d50, 50mm f/1.8 with extension tubes. Subject is a representative of the Mantodea group."

Clip Source: www.wired.com

"One evening I looked down at the icecubes floating in my coke and noticed the wonderful 3-dimensional structure inside. More pics on my flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/philippeholthuizen"

Clip Source: www.wired.com

"HDR photograph of a tea-light candle wick just before it burns out."

Clip Source: www.wired.com

"An extreme macro photograph of my eye. Photographed with a Canon MP-65e lens and a 1DMkIII camera."

Tags: photography

Delisting endangers wolves

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 18:01:43 GMT

clipped by: Kelika
clipper's remarks: Shame on us.

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

After railing for more than a decade against the federal government for reintroducing gray wolves to the region, after finally winning the battle to get the animals taken off the endangered species list, what went so wrong that Washington stepped in last week to protect the wolves all over again?

Through the early summer, an average of a wolf a day was being killed across the region. In all, at least 130 animals died since the delisting, or nearly 10% of the wolf population in the northern Rockies. Then, on July 21, a federal judge stopped the hunt. Last week, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service capitulated and began the process to relist wolves.

"People overreacted," said cattle rancher John Robinette of Dubois, Wyo. "I don't think the policy was intended as: 'Go out and see how many wolves you can kill.' "

"People went out all over the state shooting and bragging about it and putting pictures in the paper," Robinette said.

Tags: environment, animals, wolves

Incredibly Intricate and Beautiful Body Art

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:59:54 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.operagallery.com

Clip Source: paintalicious.org

Clip Source: www.operagallery.com

How Civil Disobedience Brought Down Thatcher

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:43:37 GMT

clipped by: abailart
clipper's remarks: Mass illegal actions and protest by the British people against the community charge (poll tax) led to the downfall of Thatcher.

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

There were mass protests, called by the All-Britain Anti-Poll Tax Federation to which the vast majority of local Anti Poll Tax Unions (APTUs) were affiliated. In Scotland the APTUs called for mass non-payment and these calls rapidly gathered widespread support which spread to England and Wales, even though non-payment meant that people could be prosecuted. In some areas, 30% of former ratepayers defaulted.

A Labour MP, Terry Fields, was jailed for 60 days for refusing to pay his poll tax.

This unrest was instrumental in toppling Margaret Thatcher in 1990.

Tags: poll tax protests

Why good dads make moms jealous

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:29:45 GMT

clipped by: wiccantexan

Clip Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

"Now stay in bed and go to sleep," my husband, Bill, said as he hugged our 3-year-old son, Davey, good night. "If you don't, I'm gonna talk in my troll voice all day tomorrow." I smiled with pity at this poor, deluded man. Several times a night, Davey had been getting up to look at books. I had spent fruitless hours reasoning with him. No way could Bill's threat make a difference, especially since Davey found his troll-under-the-bridge act more funny than scary.

But that night, Davey didn't get up once. In the morning he ran around crowing that he'd won and the troll couldn't come. Bill, unlike me, must have known that Davey needed to turn staying in bed into a game. Of course I was grateful.

I was also just the tiniest bit jealous. Why hadn't I been the one with the great insight? Why couldn't I talk like a troll?

Jealousy and envy and ego, oh my!

Who's the boss?

If we're not careful, jealousy and insecurity can turn moms into control freaks.

Rethinking the rivalry

Tags: family, parenting, children, mother, father