Clipmarks | arifsali's clips

NASA's HiRise camera reveals breathtaking sand-dunes on Mars

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:13:33 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

The wonder of Mars in its seasonal glory

These images of sand dunes in Proctor Crater were taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter

Clip Source: www.independent.co.uk

This stereo image suggests a process of rock formation called 'rhythmic bedding' in sedimentary rock within the Becquerel crater. A three-dimensional analysis on pairs of images confirmed the regularity of the repetition in the thickness of the beds. The image covers an area about half a mile wide

Clip Source: www.independent.co.uk

These dark, fern-like features on the floor of the Antoniadi Crater tell the story of an ancient wet environment on Mars where life may have existed.

One hypothesis is that these represent a network of channels that now stand in inverted relief. The channels may have become filled in with materials more resistant to erosion

Clip Source: www.independent.co.uk

This false-colour image shows gully channels in a crater in the southern highlands of Mars. The gullies emanate from cliffs near the crater's rim.

Tags: mars, nasa, pictures

Majority of Americans Approve Complete Ban on Torture

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:43:40 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: Makes sense.

Clip Source: www.worldpublicopinion.org

Six in 10 Americans approve of having an international convention saying that "governments should never use physical torture" as a means of trying to get information, while 39 percent say such a ban is too restrictive, according to a new WorldPublicOpinion.org/Knowledge Networks poll.

A majority also opposes nearly all methods for coercing detainees to give information, even when it might be critical to stopping a terrorist attack against the US. Respondents were presented a scenario in which a detainee is being held who is likely to have "information about a possible terrorist attack on the US that may prove critical to stopping the attack." They were then presented a series of methods for coercing the respondent to reveal the information.

Tags: human-rights, torture, united states

Michael Jackson and Sufi Poetry

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 18:38:50 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: Amazing personal account by Deepak Chopra.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/deepak-chopra/a-tribute-to-my-friend-mi_b_221268.html

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

When we first met, around 1988, I was struck by the combination of charisma and woundedness that surrounded Michael. He would be swarmed by crowds at an airport, perform an exhausting show for three hours, and then sit backstage afterward, as we did one night in Bucharest, drinking bottled water, glancing over some Sufi poetry as I walked into the room, and wanting to meditate.

That person, whom I considered (at the risk of ridicule) very pure, still survived -- he was reading the poems of Rabindranath Tagore when we talked the last time, two weeks ago. Michael exemplified the paradox of many famous performers, being essentially shy, an introvert who would come to my house and spend most of the evening sitting by himself in a corner with his small children. I never saw less than a loving father when they were together (and wonder now, as anyone close to him would, what will happen to them in the aftermath).

Tags: michael jackson, music, sufi, united states

Is it just me or the world needs Twitter alternate?

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 23:02:17 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: How could such a huge phenomenon sustain complete downtime?

I don't get it.

Clip Source: twitter.com

The server at twitter.com is taking too long to respond.

Tags: technology, twitter

One of the Deepest and Largest Step Wells in India: Chand Baori, Jaipur, India

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:51:32 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: The first picture is representative but there are more at the source I'm not clipping.

Clip Source: i48998.posterous.com

Built back in the 10th century, the incredible well of Chand Baori , India was a practical solution to the water problem in the area. The arid climate forced the locals to dig deep for a dependable water source, one that would last throughout an entire year. Chand Baori well is 30 meters deep, it has 13 floors and 3,500 steps.

Tags: india, architecture

Pixar sent DVD of movie 'Up' so a dying girl could watch it

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 16:33:37 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: Amazing gesture! And remember, we're talking about corporation here.

Clip Source: www.ocregister.com

Company sent DVD so Huntington Beach girl, 10, could watch it.

Colby Curtin said she did not want to die until she saw the new Disney-Pixar movie Up.

HUNTINGTON BEACH – Colby Curtin, a 10-year-old with a rare form of cancer, was staying alive for one thing – a movie.

From the minute Colby saw the previews to the Disney-Pixar movie Up, she was desperate to see it. Colby had been diagnosed with vascular cancer about three years ago, said her mother, Lisa Curtin, and at the beginning of this month it became apparent that she would die soon and was too ill to be moved to a theater to see the film.

After a family friend made frantic calls to Pixar to help grant Colby her dying wish, Pixar came to the rescue.

Tags: children, entertainment, health, movies, pixar

Oxford: Swine flu origins revealed

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 21:19:05 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.ox.ac.uk

A new analysis of the current swine-origin H1N1 influenza A virus suggests that transmission to humans occurred several months before recognition of the existing outbreak.

The work, published online in Nature today, highlights the need for systematic surveillance of influenza in swine

'Using computational methods, developed over the last ten years at Oxford, we were able to reconstruct the origins and timescale of this new pandemic,'

'Our results show that this strain has been circulating among pigs, possibly among multiple continents, for many years prior to its transmission to humans.'

The team conclude that 'despite widespread influenza surveillance in humans, the lack of systematic swine surveillance allowed for the undetected persistence and evolution of this potentially pandemic strain for many years.'

Tags: health, swine flu

Islam recaptures Spain with art

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:03:33 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: There are more details here
link

Clip Source: www.onculture.eu

Stunning exhibition from Aga Khan Museum Collection in Madrid

Fourteen centuries of a breathtaking history that extends from the Iberian Peninsula to the Far East unfold in Madrid these days, thanks to the stunning exhibition hosted at the CaixaForum Madrid, at the Paseo del Prado. This amazing exhibition that was inaugurated June 4 by the King and Queen of Spain, is jointly organized by the "la Caixa" Social and Cultural Outreach Projects in cooperation with the Aga Khan Trust for Culture –the cultural arm of the Aga Khan Development Network.

Currently, AKTC is in the process of building a museum in Toronto (

Canada

) to provide a permanent home for its collections. Meanwhile, the works are being shown in various cities around the world

Tags: art, islam, spain

People of the world can live together in peace

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:22:18 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.whitehouse.gov

The Holy Koran tells us: "O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another."

The Talmud tells us: "The whole of the Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace."

The Holy Bible tells us: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." (Applause.)

The people of the world can live together in peace. We know that is God's vision. Now that must be our work here on Earth.

And may God's peace be upon you

Tags: cairo, muslims, obama, united states

Addressing the issue of women's rights

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 04:25:11 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: I do not believe that women must make the same choices as men in order to be equal, and I respect those women who choose to live their lives in traditional roles. But it should be their choice. And that is why the United States will partner with any Muslim-majority country to support expanded literacy for girls, and to help young women pursue employment through micro-financing that helps people live their dreams.

Clip Source: www.whitehouse.gov

the sixth issue that I want to address is women's rights.

I reject the view of some in the West that a woman who chooses to cover her hair is somehow less equal, but I do believe that a woman who is denied an education is denied equality.

And it is no coincidence that countries where women are well educated are far more likely to be prosperous.

Now, let me be clear: Issues of women's equality are by no means simply an issue for Islam. In Turkey, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, we've seen Muslim-majority countries elect a woman to lead. Meanwhile, the struggle for women's equality continues in many aspects of American life, and in countries around the world.

I am convinced that our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons.

Our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity -- men and women -- to reach their full potential.

Tags: cairo, muslims, obama, united states, women

The End of Cubicle Dwelling?

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:57:44 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: Written by Dawn Foster.

Clip Source: webworkerdaily.com

Many of us have left the world of cubicles behind as our jobs increasingly move into the online realm, where physical presence becomes just an occasional part of our work lives rather than a daily grind of commuting in traffic and cubicle dwelling for 40 hours a week. I see more and more people joining the remote web worker ranks every day, and I’m not the only one seeing this trend. According to Seth Godin in a recent TIME article, “The Last Days of Cubicle Life“:

While these the focus on knowledge workers and aren’t new, the rapid increase in the number of remote workers is. According to WorldatWork, “the number of employee telecommuters in the U.S. increased 39 percent, from 12.4 million in 2006 to 17.2 million in 2008.” Businesses are actively seeking to embrace remote working as it lowers overheads

Anecdotally, I seem to see more and more people working remotely from home offices and coffee shops.

Tags: united states, work

Misconceptions of Islam in the West

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:14:13 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: By Akbar Ahmed
Islamic Studies professor, American University

Clip Source: newsweek.washingtonpost.com

In 2006, I traveled to the Middle East, South Asia, and Far East Asia and met with people from the full range of Muslim society. We let Muslims speak for themselves and learned something interesting: when we asked what the greatest threat to the Muslim world is, the most popular answer in each country was the same, misconceptions of Islam in the West. Many Muslims were worried that there was a clash of civilizations and that Americans, in their hostility toward Islam, which they said they witnessed in Western media reports, were leading the charge. The arguments mirrored those I heard in the United States in the years after the 9/11 attacks.

President Obama's speech this morning was a strong statement to Muslims around the world that America is not engaging in a irrevocable clash of civilizations and that we should be building bridges of friendship, respect, and understanding rather than tearing them down. This is a strong step toward bridging the gap between the US and the Muslim world

Tags: cairo, islam, muslims, obama, united states

Pakistan's mystics targeted by Taliban

Sat, 23 May 2009 18:27:29 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: "If you want to understand the inclusiveness and tolerance of Islam, you have to visit the shrines of Sufis," Qureshi said. "I believe that if you want to counter terrorism in long term, the strongest weapon is not the Kalashnikov, it is education, it is a changing of hearts and minds."

Clip Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

'And to think they do this in the name of Islam,' one says

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - Worshippers still flock to the grave of Rahman Baba, a Muslim mystic revered by millions in Pakistan and Afghanistan. But they now pray at a mound of rubble and twisted steel — all that remains of his tomb since militants bombed it.

As in other countries where Islam replaced earlier religions, the faith widely practiced in Pakistan is different to that in its birthplace, the Arabian peninsula. While still devout and socially conservative, most Pakistanis follow or are influenced by Islam's mystical path of Sufism and incorporate local trappings such as visiting the shrines of saints, devotional songs and dancing. Some estimates say up to 75 percent of the country belongs to this group.

However, the extremists take their cue instead from Islam as practiced in the deserts of 7th century Arabia and are opposed to Sufism

Tags: islam, pakistan, sufism

Delhi's storytellers will treat New York to the tales of Amir Hamza

Sun, 24 May 2009 00:17:36 GMT

clipped by: arifsali
clipper's remarks: More on Hamzanama or Adventures of Amir Hamza.

Clip Source: www.indianexpress.com

Delhi’s dastangos and Naseeruddin Shah will treat New Yorkers to the tales of Amir Hamza

In New York, the city where two collapsing towers inextricably linked Islam with terrorism, a unique initiative is under way to celebrate another facet of the religion — art and culture. Performers — from US to Iran, from Pakistan to France — will come together for “Muslim Voices: Arts and Ideas”, a 10-day festival that begins on June 5 and is organised by the Asia Society, Brooklyn Academy of Music and the New York University Center for Dialogues. India will be represented through an old art form — dastangoi or dramatic storytelling, which dates to medieval Iran and once brightened up balmy evenings on the steps of Jama Masjid. Delhi-based dastangos (storytellers) Danish Hussain and Mahmoud Farooqui, who have been keeping the art alive, will be joined by actor Naseeruddin Shah in New York.

Naseeruddin Shah at the festival “Muslim Voices”

Tags: culture, history, islam

the Guardian’s collection of the 20 best Hubble images

Sat, 30 May 2009 05:24:18 GMT

clipped by: arifsali

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Hubble has given us a keyhole glimpse of the heart of the Milky Way. Most of our view of the galaxy is obscured by dust, but Hubble has peered into the Sagittarius Star Cloud, a narrow, dust-free region, providing this image of some of the oldest inhabitants of our galaxy

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Tags: astronomy, hubble