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Cloud formations: just wow!!!

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:22:20 GMT

clipped by: mugofcoffee

Punch Hole Clouds & Other Rarely Seen Cloud Formations

"Crop Circles in the Sky", with cute little tails sticking out of them

Another strange hole in the cloud, reported from Mobile, Alabama USA, Dec. 2003 (and covered by BBC News):

Photo taken in Melbourne, Australia in 2003:

...that make our sky worthy to look at from time to time (those who only look at the computer monitor, take note). Here is an extremely strong thunderstorm cloud that brewed over northwest Calgary:

Another supercell cloud in Alberta skies, this time over Edmonton:

Another cloud "wave", similar to the one over South Dakota Badlands (see here):

Roll clouds... get into a small plane and start "surfing" them! -

A Famous Person Died

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 04:37:18 GMT

clipped by: BartendingBear
clipper's remarks: Great commentary on celebrity death.

Clip Source: saintjimmy.com

True facts #1

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 05:53:52 GMT

clipped by: mugofcoffee
clipper's remarks: © 2009 compiled from many sources by Howard Daughters
quite interesting...still more on the site..

Clip Source: funny2.com

Antarctica is the only continent without reptiles or snakes.

Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

The world's youngest parents were 8 and 9 and lived in China in 1910.

Mark Twain didn't graduate from elementary school.

They have square watermelons in Japan - they stack better.

Peanuts are one of the ingredients in dynamite.

A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.

The State of Florida is bigger than England.

Ants stretch when they wake up in the morning.

It's against the law to have a pet dog in Iceland.

Thomas Edison, light bulb inventor, was afraid of the dark.

More people use blue toothbrushes than red ones.

In the White House, there are 13,092 knives, forks and spoons.

Owls are the only birds who can see the color blue.

The elephant is the only mammal that can't jump.

The most common name in the world is Mohammed.

Q is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear in the name of any of the United States.

Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

Caturday: Obey Our Cat Overlords Edition

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:27:58 GMT

clipped by: ratilfar

Clip Source: icanhascheezburger.com

Tags: cats, kitten, pics, caturday, humor, internet, meme, lol, lolcats

Colorful Ocean Photography

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 04:21:27 GMT

clipped by: chestnut501

Clip Source: amolife.com

Tags: photography, ocean, coral, fish, tropical, plants, pictures, photos, images, photographs

Modern Bike Concepts

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 16:22:54 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: incrediblethings.com

Tags: bike

Stephen Hawking: "Humans Have Entered a New Stage of Evolution"

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 04:43:10 GMT

clipped by: chestnut501
clipper's remarks: We have entered a new phase of evolution. "At first, evolution proceeded by natural selection, from random mutations. This Darwinian phase, lasted about three and a half billion years, and produced us, beings who developed language, to exchange information."

But what distinguishes us from our cave man ancestors is the knowledge that we have accumulated over the last ten thousand years, and particularly, Hawking points out, over the last three hundred.

Clip Source: www.dailygalaxy.com

In the last ten thousand years the human species has been in what Hawking calls, "an external transmission phase," where the internal record of information, handed down to succeeding generations in DNA, has not changed significantly. "But the external record, in books, and other long lasting forms of storage," Hawking says, "has grown enormously.

we are now entering a new phase, of what Hawking calls "self designed evolution," in which we will be able to change and improve our DNA. "At first," he continues "these changes will be confined to the repair of genetic defects, like cystic fibrosis, and muscular dystrophy.

I am sure that during the next century, people will discover how to modify both intelligence, and instincts like aggression."

If the human race manages to redesign itself, to reduce or eliminate the risk of self-destruction, we will probably reach out to the stars and colonize other planets.

Of Body and Mind, and Deep Meditation

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:26:42 GMT

clipped by: wildcat
clipper's remarks: "

Physiological tests also revealed significant changes. Compared with the relaxation group, IBMT subjects had lower heart rates and skin conductance responses, increased belly breathing amplitude and decreased chest respiration rates, all of which, researchers wrote, "reflected less effort exerted by participants and more relaxation of body and calm state of mind."

Finally, researchers noted, IBMT subjects had more high-frequency heart-rate variability than their relaxation counterparts, indicating "successful inhibition of sympathetic tone and activation of parasympathetic tone [in the autonomic nervous system]." Sympathetic tone becomes more active when stressed."

Clip Source: www.newswise.com

Newswise — Chinese researchers have unlocked the mechanism of an emerging mind-body technique that produces measurable changes in attention and stress reduction in just five days of practice.

The practice -- integrative body-mind training (IBMT) -- was adapted from traditional Chinese medicine in the 1990s in China, where it is practiced by thousands of people. It is now being taught to undergraduates involved in research on the method at the University of Oregon.

"The previous paper indicated that IBMT subjects showed a reduced response to stress.” Tang said. "Why after five days did it work so fast?" The new findings, he said, point to how IBMT alters blood flow and electrical activity in the brain, breathing quality and even skin conductance, allowing for "a state of ah, much like in the morning opening your eyes, looking outside the grass and sunshine, you feel relaxed, calm and refresh without any stress, this is the meditation state."

Tags: brain, china, ibmt, meditation, neuroscience, oregon, relaxation, stress

Michael Jackson to be buried without his brain

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:31:45 GMT

clipped by: clip-on-tie
clipper's remarks: Also, his family want his coffin to be be encased in concrete to prevent fans from robbing his grave.

Clip Source: www.mirror.co.uk

Michael Jackson will be buried this week– without his brain. As his family tries to finalise details for the King of Pop’s funeral on Tuesday they have been told it will be held back for tests.

They faced the grim choice of waiting up to three weeks for Jackson’s brain to be returned to them or go ahead and bury him without it – which they have decided to do.

Los Angeles Coroner’s spokesman Craig Harvey confirmed that neuropathology tests will be carried out to see if it holds any clues to the exact cause of his death.

But the examination cannot begin until at least two weeks after the death when the brain has hardened sufficiently to slice it open.

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

But, according to US media reports quoting a friend of the family, the Jacksons want the coffin entombed in concrete immediately after the funeral – which is expected to be held in secret before Tuesday's public memorial service – because of fears that a crazed fan could try to dig it up.

Tags: the magic and the madness

The Art of Manliness: Carry a Pocket knife

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:19:13 GMT

clipped by: Spiritualmonkey

Clip Source: artofmanliness.com

It used to be that a pocket knife was an essential item that a man carried with him. You had your wallet, your keys, and your trusty pocket knife.

Men have been carrying pocket knives for centuries. But with increased security at the airport and other buildings, knives have been disappearing from men’s pockets. Yet these minor obstacles are not sufficient reason to give up carrying a knife completely. The carrying of a pocket knife is a man tradition that should be continued.

Why a Man Should Carry a Pocket Knife

1. Opening a box.

2. Cutting rope, tags, and string.

3. Cutting an apple.

4. Opening a letter

5. Weapon.

6. Camping

7. You never know when you’re going to have to MacGyver your way out of a crisis. Be prepared.

Jack knife. A jack knife has a simple hinge at one end, and may have more than one blade.

Pen knife. A pen knife is hinged at both ends of the handle, and usually has two or three blades at each end

Multi-purpose knife.

Lock blade knife.

Where to Get a Pocket Knife

Tags: knives, pocket-knife, manliness, art-of-manliness, tools

Pizza Hut drops 'Pizza' from its name

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 15:33:12 GMT

clipped by: clip-on-tie
clipper's remarks: Good luck with that. "The Hut" just sounds ridiculous.

Clip Source: blogs.moneycentral.msn.com

Blame recession cuts. Pizza Hut is slicing the "pizza" from its store name on its boxes and some store signs. The fast food chain will now brand some stores as "The Hut."

The new "Hut" stores will be more than simply places to place a delivery order, according to MediaWeek. They will include televisions that broadcast programs such as "Wheel of Fortune" and "Entertainment Tonight."

This isn't the first time for Pizza Hut parent Yum Brands to change the branding of one of its iconic restaurant chains, which include Taco Bell. In 1991, the company rebranded Kentucky Fried Chicken as KFC. Recently, to highlight the company's healthier grilled chicken offerings, the company has referred to the KFC brand as KGC.

In other news related to YUM, two California residents are reportedly suing the KFC chain for failing to give them a free grilled chicken sandwich.

Tags: yum brands

The Amazing Work of Patrick Gunderson

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 02:18:18 GMT

clipped by: perellicippo

Clip Source: abduzeedo.com

The Amazing Work of Patrick Gunderson

Patrick Gunderson is a designer, programmer and artist living and working in Los Angeles. He creates complex projects involving a combination of aesthetic and technical elements, using both sides of the brain (as per Patrick's words). He specializes in digital interactive mediums, but his traditional analog work reflects the sentiment of his digital work, taking apparent chaos and adding a sense of order. Through his education in fine arts, to his experience scripting animation and logic, he is now a Senior Designer for NFL.com and has also some great pieces that we are very glad to show here for your.

Find more about Patrick Gunderson and his work online at:
Personal Website
Flickr Page

Self Portrait

did a scandal sink the U.S.S. Palin?

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:36:22 GMT

clipped by: doodleicious
clipper's remarks: D'OH

Clip Source: www.thedailybeast.com

CNN and other major news outlets have reported that Sarah Palin has abruptly resigned as governor of Alaska. The suddenness of her announcement raises the question about whether Palin resigned to avert a major scandal. One logical place to start looking is the affair that has Alaska political circles buzzing: an alleged scandal centered around a building contractor, Spenard Building Supplies, with close ties to Palin and her husband, Todd.

Many political observers in Alaska are fixated on rumors that federal investigators have been seizing paperwork from SBS in recent months, searching for evidence that Palin and her husband Todd steered lucrative contracts to the well-connected company in exchange for gifts like the construction of their home on pristine Lake Lucille in 2002. The home was built just two months before Palin began campaigning for governor, a job which would have provided her enhanced power to grant building contracts in the wide-open state.

Tags: palin, shennanigans

The Sun puts on some fireworks for the 4th of July

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 17:32:14 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: wattsupwiththat.com

The most active sunspot of the year so far is emerging in the sun’s southern hemisphere: movie. Sunspot 1024 has at least a dozen individual dark cores and it is crackling with B-class solar flares. This morning, amateur astronomer David Tyler caught one of the flares in action from his backyard solar observatory in England:

The magnetic polarity of sunspot 1024 identifies it as a member of new Solar Cycle 24. Its rapid emergence on July 3rd and 4th continues the recent (few-month) trend of intensifying new-cycle activity. This sunspot is the best offering yet from the young solar cycle.

Tags: sun

Happy 4th of July Y'all!!

Sat, 04 Jul 2009 19:53:26 GMT

clipped by: Antara
clipper's remarks:

Clip Source: gatesofvienna.blogspot.com

Happy 4th of July, Y'all!

[Video]

Great material they have to work with, don’t you think?

Hat tip: The Humble Libertarian

Tags: usa