Clipmarks | mickfinn's Comments

Super-Green City of the Future?

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:06:59 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Can San Francisco's Treasure Island live up to plans to make it the "Super-Green City of the Future"?
The island is set to become a model for eco-livinga model of urban sustainability, is an entirely man-made 400-acre property in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. Originally built in 1939 from sea bottom, quarried rock, and loam, it is currently home to an abandoned naval base and a small number of low- and middle income residents.

Among some of the plans include LEED-certified residential towers to increase urban density, a pedestrian-friendly downtown center, bike lanes, open green space to promote biodiversity, city-sponsored composting/recycling, "living machine" wastewater treatment, an urban farm, and solar/wind/tidal renewable energy generation.

The new Treasure Island proposal is a testament to what our world is capable of when the political will exists to make sustainability a reality.

Tags: green, super city, san fransisco

A Cloud Filling A Mountain Valley - MUST SEE! MUST SEE!

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 15:28:31 GMT

clipped by: BartendingBear
clipper's remarks: This is EXCEPTIONALLY cool.

Clip Source: img2.moonbuggy.org

Tags: weather, topography, mountain, cloud, climate, altitiude

Pulitzer Prize Photo of Horror

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 20:38:28 GMT

clipped by: Cielerella
clipper's remarks: Kevin Carter took this photo of a starving baby stalked by a vulture, then walked away. 3 months later he committed suicide, as well he should have for being such a HORRIBLE HUMAN BEING.

Clip Source: farm1.static.flickr.com

Tags: photography, death, horror, human rights, hunger

Images of Hell

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 08:41:01 GMT

clipped by: abailart

Clip Source: sbcghostrecon.wordpress.com

Clip Source: blogs.guardian.co.uk

Clip Source: www.remember.org

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

Clip Source: www.conservapedia.com

Clip Source: padraigcaughey.blog.co.uk

Clip Source: www.reclaimingthemind.org

Clip Source: www.victoryvoice.net

Clip Source: www.ignatiusong.com

Clip Source: www.stairwaytohell.com

Clip Source: www.hellcitytattoofest.com

Clip Source: rocksnsucks.wordpress.com

Clip Source: commons.wikimedia.org

Clip Source: www.artcyclopedia.com

Clip Source: www.keshertalk.com

Clip Source: www.freenewmexican.com

Clip Source: biblia.com

Clip Source: www.azuna.5u.com

Clip Source: andreik2.com

Clip Source: alfin2100.blogspot.com

Clip Source: www.duniho.com

Clip Source: tzvee.blogspot.com

Pope says hell and damnation are real and eternal
By Richard Owen in Rome

March 28, 2007 12:00am

HELL is a place where sinners really do burn in an everlasting fire, and not just a religious symbol designed to galvanise the faithful, Pope Benedict XVI has said.

Addressing a parish gathering in a northern suburb of Rome, the Pope said that in the modern world many people, including some believers, had forgotten that if they failed to "admit blame and promise to sin no more", they risked "eternal damnation - the inferno".

Hell "really exists and is eternal, even if nobody talks about it much any more".

Tags: hell

Will Muslim Martyrs Get 72 Raisins Instead of Virgins

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:29:33 GMT

clipped by: vk2yoc
clipper's remarks: Was the Koran misinterpreted?

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

According to an Islam tradition, Muslim martyrs will go to paradise and marry 72 black-eyed virgins. But some Koran scholars point to a less sexy paradise. While beautifully written, Islamic texts are often obscure. The Arabic language was born as a written language with the Koran, and growing evidence suggests that many of the words were Syriac or Aramaic.

Specifically, the Koran says martyrs going to heaven will get “hur,” and the word was taken by early commentators to mean “virgins,” hence those 72 concubines. But in Aramaic, hur actually meant “white” and was commonly used to specifically mean “white grapes.”

The exact number of virgins (or raisins) is not specified in Koran, but the number 72 comes from a quotation of Muhammad recorded in one of the lesser-known Hadith. ("Hadith" is an Arabic word meaning traditions.) After Muhammad's death, several collections of his deeds and sayings were collected to form the Hadith,

Commonly overused words

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:47:33 GMT

clipped by: Aribeth
clipper's remarks: "When you write, use the most precise word for your meaning, not the word that comes to mind first. Consult this thesaurus to find alternatives for some commonly overused words. Consult a full-length thesaurus to find alternatives to words that do not appear here. Keep in mind that the choices offered in a thesaurus do not all mean exactly the same thing. Review all the options, and choose the one that best expresses your meaning."

Clip Source: www.phschool.com

about approximately, nearly, almost, approaching, close to

absolutely unconditionally, perfectly, completely, ideally, purely

amazing overwhelming, astonishing, startling, unexpected, stunning, dazzling, remarkable

awesome impressive, stupendous, fabulous, astonishing, outstanding

better preferable, superior, worthier

certain unquestionable, incontrovertible, unmistakable, indubitable, assured, confident

easy effortless, natural, comfortable, undemanding, pleasant, relaxed

far distant, remote

funny comical, ludicrous, amusing, droll, entertaining, bizarre, unusual, uncommon

get obtain, receive, acquire, procure, achieve

go proceed, progress, advance, move

good satisfactory, serviceable, functional, competent, virtuous, striking

great tremendous, superior, remarkable, eminent, proficient, expert

hurt injure, harm, damage, wound, impair

important significant, substantial, weighty, meaningful, critical, vital, notable

keep retain, control, possess

main primary, foremost, dominant

Famous Lost cities and cultures

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 11:14:39 GMT

clipped by: vickybaranwal

Clip Source: www.shunya.net

Troy, Turkey

Clip Source: www.shunya.net

Ephesus, Turkey

Clip Source: www.shunya.net

Memphis, Egypt

Pyramids of Giza

Great Pyramid of Khufu

Pyramids and Sphinx

The Sphinx

Pyramid of Khafre

Inside the Great Pyramid

Great Gallery

Tunnel to the tomb

Funerary Temple

Memphis

Ramses II at Memphis

Step pyramid of Zoser

Clip Source: www.shunya.net

Thebes and Luxor, Egypt

Luxor Temple

Main entrance

Avenue of the Sphinxes

Carvings

Great Festival Hall

Side view

Tomb of Merenptah

Temple of Hatshepsut

Tomb chamber

Ancient worker's village

Temple of Hatshepsut

Keeping watch

Clip Source: www.shunya.net

Syracusa

Ancient Amman

Tags: famous, world, lost, cities, culture

To all Clippers

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 23:28:43 GMT

clipped by: mickfinn
clipper's remarks: If I knew where you all were, I'd send a postcard with a Joan Armatrading lyric.

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

Hello

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

Clippers

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

I Am

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

Off

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

on My

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

Holiday

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

But

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

Douglas MacArthur

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

Said,

Clip Source: en.wikipedia.org

I shall return

Tags: frippery

Jewish Racist Slurs against Obama

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 08:43:13 GMT

clipped by: abailart

Clip Source: www.haaretz.com

While Obama was taking advantage of Martin Luther King Day to speak out against anti-Semitism among blacks, Jewish spokesmen were using racist language against him, solely because his father was Muslim. Since it is hard to find so much as a single anti-Jewish statement in Obama's political record, or even support for anti-Israel policies, his defamers base their arguments on the fact that his positions on the Middle East conflict are "leftist" - solely because he rejects the right's positions, which are more acceptable to some Jewish-American leaders.

Racist attacks against a black American candidate could cause Israel and American Jews a great deal of damage

Great damage has already been caused because Obama announced that an ugly campaign was being waged against him in the Jewish community. That alone ought to be enough at least to make Israel's leaders say something about Jews who preach against anti-Semitism while employing similar tactics against other minorities.

Tags: obama, us-jewish lobby

Veteran rocker chops up rare red squirrels

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:24:29 GMT

clipped by: michellezm
clipper's remarks: Heartless monster

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Veteran rocker Mark E Smith is facing investigation by the RSPCA after he boasted of killing rare squirrels.

The gruff singer, who fronts post-punks The Fall - famed as John Peel's favourite band, claimed he would happily "set about an endangered red squirrel with a set of professional hedge-clippers".

In an interview with Uncut music mag, the 51-year-old Manc said: "Squirrels mean nothing to me. I killed a couple last weekend actually. They were eating my garden fence.

"My sisters are animal lovers and they'd been leaving food out for these squirrels. They've got rats in the bloody house now. Serves 'em right."

The maverick frontman went on to boast he "wouldn't have a problem" with running over seagulls for fun.

The RSPCA says its investigators were "appalled" by the remarks and are now preparing a prosecution.

Copy Editing America

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:06:56 GMT

clipped by: bignosemousie
clipper's remarks: I applaud this man. I think he hits the nail on the head when he said that mistakes breed mistakes.

I realize that a language is an evolving entity, but it still irks me when a word gets added to the dictionary (thus legitimizing it) because it becomes overused incorrectly.

Clip Source: abcnews.go.com

Some of the littlest things are big to Jeff Deck, who is traveling the country in search of mistakes.

This 28-year-old Dartmouth graduate is crossing America searching for and correcting typographical errors in public places.

"The apostrophe shows up when it's not wanted and is never there when you need it," he said as he walked along Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, finding plenty of typos wherever he looked.

"I've always been aware of typos wherever I go," he said dryly. "I figured that it was a national problem."

It's all documented on his Web site for The Typo Eradication Assistance League (Teal).

Clip Source: abcnews.go.com

He said it is partly a failure of education but also that people have stopped caring about spelling.

And, he said, mistakes breed mistakes. When someone sees "strawberry's" in print, they think it's correct.

"We try not to be jerks about it," he said.

It's just really about going after the errors themselves."

Tags: language, ediitng, mistakes, spelling, grammar, punctuation

OZ: Queen to lose her HEAD!

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 14:05:25 GMT

clipped by: righthand
clipper's remarks: 'Sour Puss' is going to lose her headship of Australia. No more all expenses paid trips to down under. She'll have to make do with a cheap trip to dear old Ireland this year. She'll be more than welcome. She'll probably prefer that there will be no bowing and scraping that she has been used to. Change. All is change. A terrible beauty ...

Up the Republic! Down with empire.

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Queen Elizabeth II: Kevin Rudd said he was 'once a republican, always a republican'.

T

Australian PM confirms aim to remove Queen as head of state

Australia's prime minister today confirmed his commitment to removing the Queen as head of state and making his country a republic, but said it was not a major priority

Speaking ahead of meeting Queen Elizabeth II during an official visit to Britain, Kevin Rudd said he was "once a republican, always a republican" but was in no rush to call a referendum

Rudd said: "We have other fish to fry right now in terms of priorities back home.

"But once a republican, always a republican."

is due to have an audience with the Queen at Windsor Castle later today. He said that the two countries had a "first-class" working relationship and believed the nations could be a "force for good" in the world.

70% of Australians wanted to elect their own head of state

visit will be the first time the republican leader has met the Queen since he took office in November

Tags: uk

Princess Diana unlawfully killed

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 19:46:35 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: news.bbc.co.uk

Princess Diana was unlawfully killed due to the "gross negligence" of driver Henri Paul and the paparazzi, an inquest jury has found.

The jury reached the same verdict for her companion Dodi Al Fayed.

The jury also specified that Mr Paul's drink-driving and a lack of seatbelts contributed to their deaths.

Mr Al Fayed's father Mohamed refused to accept the verdict. Former Met Police chief Lord Stevens said he hoped it would bring "closure".

The jury returned joint verdicts of unlawful killing through grossly negligent driving - or gross negligence manslaughter

The inquest into the 1997 Paris crash that killed the couple and Mr Paul lasted six months.

The total cost to British taxpayers of investigating Princess Diana's death is expected to top £10 million.

Tags: princess diana, united kingdom, dodi al fayed

The £60,000 beach hut made out of driftwood

Tue, 08 Apr 2008 09:12:51 GMT

clipped by: michellezm

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

A floating "beach hut" set in remote marshland has been put on the market at a guide price of £60,000.

The Ark, in Burnham Overy Staithe, near King's Lynn, Norfolk, measures just 16ft 5in (5m) by about 6ft (1.8m) and is owned by Dutch artist Lucas Kuys.

Built on a raft using reclaimed timber, driftwood and the roof of a grocery van, the cabin has space for two people to sleep and a small table and chairs.

It has stood on the mud flats for more than 50 years.

"Some people who see it say 'that's a lot of money for a beach hut'.

"Others say it's incredibly good value and 'where else would you find something like that?'. You wouldn't get permission to build it now.

"It's such an important natural area for bird migration and it would be very inspiring for a writer or artist, as it has been for the present owner."

Max Sowerby, of Norfolk-based Sowerby's estate agents, said: "We're getting strong interest already - generally from people who have second homes in the area.

Tags: homes, houses, architecture