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Was it worth it?

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:55:43 GMT

clipped by: invisableman

Clip Source: invisableman.stumbleupon.com

Origins of Life?

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 18:30:02 GMT

clipped by: anthonyo
clipper's remarks: The origin of life to me has always been a struggle between ocean floor vents, and building blocks coming from outside our planet.

Clip Source: www.sciencenews.org

Hydrocarbons in the fluids spewing from a set of hydrothermal vents on the seafloor of the central Atlantic were produced by inorganic chemical reactions within the ocean crust, scientists suggest. The finding holds possibly profound implications for the origins of life.

Most hydrothermal vents spew a highly acidic, mineral-rich broth at temperatures as high as 400°C. The sulfide minerals that precipitate when those hot fluids mix with near-freezing seawater form dark, crumbly chimneys that typically reach heights of only 20 meters or so before they collapse. At the Lost City site, however, vent fluids are alkaline, have temperatures between 28°C and 90°C, and are rich in dissolved carbonates, Proskurowski notes. Because carbonate minerals are much stronger than sulfides, the lofty white chimneys that form in the Lost City can grow at least 60 m tall.

"If what they've found is right, it has significant implications for the origin of life,"

Tags: space, life, earth, ocean, origin, mystic, science

How Plastic We've Become

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:41:27 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: Our bodies carry residues of kitchen plastics

Clip Source: www.sciencenews.org

In the 1967 film classic The Graduate, a businessman corners Benjamin Braddock at a cocktail party and gives him a bit of career advice. "Just one word…plastics."

Although Benjamin didn't heed that recommendation, plenty of other young graduates did. Today, the planet is awash in products spawned by the plastics industry. Residues of plastics have become ubiquitous in the environment—and in our bodies.

A federal government study now reports that bisphenol A (BPA)—the building block of one of the most widely used plastics—laces the bodies of the vast majority of U.S. residents young and old.

Manufacturers link BPA molecules into long chains, called polymers, to make polycarbonate plastics. All of those clear, brittle plastics used in baby bottles, food ware, and small kitchen appliances (like food-processor bowls) are made from polycarbonates. BPA-based resins also line the interiors of most food, beer, and soft-drink cans.

Tags: plastic

Non Religious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:34:56 GMT

clipped by: thisnamecantbetaken
clipper's remarks: ''Toeing the party line for the church is not my job; telling the truth is my job. I don't fear saying that certain Republican policies are painful for God to endure.''

Clip Source: www.happynews.com

Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality

Donald Miller still loves God and Jesus. Don't misunderstand him.

His problem is with Christianity, at least how it's often practiced.

For him, the word conjured up conservative politics, suburban consumerism and an ''insensitivity to people who aren't like us.''

Supporters say Donald Miller's authentic, graceful approach to God has finally given a voice to their brand of Christianity.

Christians longing to connect to God without ties to the religious right

Christians tired of the ''life is perfect'' mantra

the conservative religious network was many people's baseline for Christianity.

''These people are absurd. I've been a Christian all my life and I don't even know Christians this weird,''

''Unchristian.''

was this underlying hostility for homosexuals and Democrats and, well, hippie types.

your Christian faith doesn't have to look exactly like everybody's else's

God isn't a Republican.

Tags: taking, back, christianity, from, the, weirdos

A Chemical That Converts Thoughts Into Light

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 11:23:46 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

The cartoon convention of a bright light appearing above your head when you have an idea might not be fiction for long. Researchers at Kinki University, who we would have thought would have been too busy developing new kinds of latex and electrical devices, have recently performed experiments in watching thoughts happen - life on TV.

AMC flourophore (3099-v Peptide Institute, Japan) is a compound that lights up in the presence of certain enzyme activities that take place in the brain. Or to put it simply, thought = light. Imagine the benefits - then put on shades to protect people around you from the brightness of your imagining

The combination of miniature camera and CHEMICAL THAT CONVERTS THOUGHTS INTO LIGHT mean the scientists can observe blue light whenever memories are formed in the section of brain being observed.

Tags: thoughts, light

Slow Sex

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 17:30:46 GMT

clipped by: debbyski
clipper's remarks: Sex is the ultimate trust with another human being isn't it? We trust that they desire us and we want intimacy in a relationship. While it certainly is easy to reach our to your partners genitals to get something going, it's impersonal and it's not touching what is the best in yourself. While on the surface it seems that sex is a biological drive like a need for food, I feel this kind of thinking tends to limit our perspectives and actually interferes with our relationships.

Clip Source: mdn.mainichi.jp

During the orgasm stage, both the male and female pubococcygeal muscle and pelvic floor muscle system contract rhythmically, blood pressure rises, breathing becomes quicker and the pulse increases to reach anywhere from 110 to 180 beats per minute. This feeling is often said to be like running a 100-meter sprint.

But I don't think all the focus should be on the slightly difficult problem of orgasms, instead, in my humble opinion at least, everything is all right as long as it feels good. Sex is not about the genitals, it's all about the mind, so if you're worrying about things like pregnancy or contracting a sexually transmitted disease, the orgasm is often a trifling matter.

Well, for those couples who are interested in having an orgasm, here is "Dr. Kitamura's Seven Steps To Make a Woman Come."

Tags: you, cant, fake, intimacy

Death sentence for downloading report from Internet

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 16:09:27 GMT

clipped by: hayesstw

Clip Source: www.independent.co.uk

A young man, a student of journalism, is sentenced to death by an Islamic court for downloading a report from the internet. The sentence is then upheld by the country's rulers. This is Afghanistan – not in Taliban times but six years after "liberation" and under the democratic rule of the West's ally Hamid Karzai.

Mr Kambaksh, 23, distributed the tract to fellow students and teachers at Balkh University with the aim, he said, of provoking a debate on the matter. But a complaint was made against him and he was arrested, tried by religious judges without – say his friends and family – being allowed legal representation and sentenced to death.

The Independent is launching a campaign today to secure justice for Mr Kambaksh. The UN, human rights groups, journalists' organisations and Western diplomats have urged Mr Karzai's government to intervene and free him. But the Afghan Senate passed a motion yesterday confirming the death sentence.

Tags: human rights, afghanistan, us politics

Marquis de Condorcet, Enlightenment proto-transhumanist

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:00:08 GMT

clipped by: wildcat

Clip Source: ieet.org

Marquis de Condorcet (1744-1794) was a hugely influential Enlightenment era thinker who contributed significantly to the rise of secular humanism and helped plant the seeds of transhumanism. He is said to have best represented the ideals of the Enlightenment.

To this end, Condorcet advocated for a liberal economy, free and equal public education and constitutionalism. He also advocated for the primacy of reason as way to liberate humanity from the church, authoritarianism and nature.

Condorcet speculated about utopian possibilities and wrote a piece on the perfectability of society. He gave no concrete definition of a “perfect” human existence, but he believed that the progression of the human race would inevitably continue throughout the course of its existence. His thoughts prompted Thomas Malthus to write his famous paper on unsustainable population growth.

Tags: condorcet, utopia, liberal economy, secular humanism

Are You Washed In The Blood?

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:32:10 GMT

clipped by: debbyski
clipper's remarks: "A campaign had emerged to promote the idea that the Bible was entirely without error, even in matters of history and science. Some feared that more liberal theological positions were being taught in the convention's seminaries.
n August, he visited the White House. In "Our Endangered Values," Carter recalls Smith saying, at the close of their meeting, "We are praying, Mr. President, that you will abandon secular humanism as your religion."

HMMMMM . . . where have I heard that before? I thinky maybe here on CM, yes I do. I think I have had that charge leveled on me that I MUST be a secular humanist. God FORBID that I promote peace, I MUST be a pacifist -(even though Jesus was the ultimate pacifist). God FORBID I must be a voice against violence, homophobia, patriarchy, sexism, and racism. I MUST be secular. God wouldn't want those values; the only values God wants are crotch based.

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

He spoke about Christ's insistence that people love their enemies.

"It is one of the most difficult things for human beings to do," Carter said. "But Jesus said this because he meant it."

"It really grieved me to see my own depository of religious faith . . . being ripped apart," Carter said. "It was very deeply troubling. And I have felt, maybe unjustifiably, a personal obligation to try to do something about it."

Carter remembers that culture as being tolerant of divergent viewpoints. But when he left the White House in 1981, a conservative faction within the convention had begun to take over, and liberals like him felt spurned

.His latest attempt at a rapprochement resulted in an ambitious meeting of Baptists of all stripes this week in Atlanta.

But the Southern Baptist Convention leadership refused to attend. In May, President Frank Page, whom Carter personally invited, denounced the meeting's "smoke-screen left-wing liberal agenda."

Tags: you, get, it, jimmy

The little bastard

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 09:23:46 GMT

clipped by: Aribeth
clipper's remarks: >> And at what should have been the end of the story of the tragic death of a Hollywood legend, the story gets really weird and an urban legend was born.

You see, despite his earlier misgivings that the car gave off a "weird feeling of impending doom", George Barris decided to sell pieces of the car off. Even after it fell and broke a mechanic's leg while they were unloading it after George purchased it.

George sold the engine and drive train to two doctors, Dr. Troy McHenry and Dr. William Eschrid. They each used the parts in their own racing cars and planned to race in the upcoming car race at the Pomona Fair Grounds in CA. And in a race marked with doom, each of them crashed. Dr. Eschrid lost control of his car and almost lost his life when his car overturned. Dr. McHenry did lose his live when he lost control and had a bad crash. Was it just coincidence or were even the parts from the Spyder somehow tainted? <<

Clip Source: members.aol.com

Clip Source: www.bellaonline.com

James Dean loved that car.

But was that Porsche Spyder, nicknamed "The Little Bastard", cursed? Was it a real-life "Christine"?

The story goes that despite multiple warnings from friends about the car, James was determined to race it. So on September 30, 1955, he set out on the road for the races in Salinas, CA. His mechanic, Rolf Wuetherich, was with him in the car, and two friends were in another car behind

A car driven by a young student, Donald Turnupseed, attempted to make a left-hand turn in front of James Dean's car and what resulted was a head-on collision. Rolf Wuetherich was thrown from the car and survived with a broken leg, fractured jaw, and some internal injuries. Donald Turnupseed walked away with minor cuts and bruises. But James, who was trapped in the Spyder, died from a broken neck and other injuries within minutes of the crash.

So the world cried and James was buried and George Barris, aka the "King of Kustomizing" bought the remains of the Porsche Spyder for $2500.

Tags: legend

SURFERS versus SURFERS

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 23:34:39 GMT

clipped by: syncopath

Clip Source: english.whatatop.com

Playful Communication Skills

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:43:18 GMT

clipped by: wurdzgurl

Clip Source: www.helpguide.org

Humor and playfulness are shared pleasures that create a sense of intimacy and connection, two of the healthiest qualities a relationship can have

Why is it important that play be a shared experience in relationships? Play is something we can do alone or as a spectator, but in relationships, play is always a shared experience. The simple fact that we are participating in a playful experience with another person makes it all the more enjoyable. We play together in relationships to:

Be spontaneous

Let go of defensiveness

Release inhibitions

Calm and energize ourselves

Allow honest expression of emotions

The Melting Point

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 18:58:51 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

We come in sight of the first glacier and it is strange and magnificent, a frozen river of jagged peaks. Water pours off the sides. Glaciers worldwide have been receding for more than a century, but the melting has accelerated catastrophically in the last few decades.

Our cruiser cannot get too close for fear of a chunk of ice breaking off and sinking it — in revenge?

Gazing at the glacier, I feel as if I am in the presence of a dying beast. But it isn’t the glacier that is dying.

How can we expect anyone to care about melting glaciers in the abstract, in news articles and scientific papers, when even in the face of their stupendous presence we remain careless? Along the path grow exquisite, miniature Alpine flowers in every imaginable color, so tiny you could easily miss them. Among the delicate blossoms are bits of foil, trash, cigarette butts, broken glass and plastic water bottle caps. We can’t seem to help ourselves.