Clipmarks | Live Clips

Choosing randomly?

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:45:55 GMT

clipped by: balthazarus
clipper's remarks: The entertainment options on offer to us are almost unlimited. Trying to make an informed choice between all possible alternatives would take too long: they're all good, so why not pick one at random?

But is this a warning sign of terminal decadence? The idea that so many pleasures are available to us that we're unable to choose has a hint of the last days of Rome about it."

I think that in a way it is a sign of this age of information and higher availabilities. It calls for higher levels of clarity and processing. otherwise we'll be lost in translation...

Clip Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Why we love doing the iPod shuffle

Whether listening to music on our iPods, surfing the net, shopping or travelling, there's something seductive about randomness

Random is the new order. It started with iTunes. I can't remember the last time I listened to an album straight through, let alone composed a personal mix tape with every song designed to lead on to the next. Instead, I rely on iTunes' shuffle function to choose the play order for me, relishing the freshness of the new juxtapositions.

I'm not alone. Some iPod shuffle users are so keen to ensure that they're experiencing a random selection of music they have engaged in earnest debates online about how truly random the shuffle really is. It turns out that true randomness is harder to come by than you might think.

growing popularity of organic box schemes

Lonely Planet Guide to Experimental Travel includes such suggestions as "Chance Travel" in which travellers choose their destination by rolling a pair of dice

Tags: internet, random

Typewriter Art

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:38:03 GMT

clipped by: thedoorway
clipper's remarks: This is an amazing story of a man born with spastic cerebral palsy. Though disabled in many ways, he taught himself to create detailed pictures using one finger on a typewriter that resembled pencil or charcoal drawings. Another tribute to the indomitable human spirit.

Clip Source: www.fourwinds10.com

Paul Smith, the man with extraordinary talent was born in Philadelphia on September 21, 1921 with severe cerebral palsy.

Not only had Paul beaten the odds of a life with spastic cerebral palsy, a disability that impeded his speech & mobility but also taught himself to become a master artist as well as a terrific chess player even after being devoid of a formal education as a child.

'When typing, Paul used his left hand to steady his right one. Since he couldn't press two keys at the same time, he almost always locked the shift key down and made his pictures using the symbols at the top of the number keys. In other words, his pictures were based on these characters .... @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ .

As his mastery of the typewriter grew, he developed techniques to create shadings, colors, and textures that made his work resemble pencil or charcoal drawings.'

This great man passed away on June 25, 2007

Typewriter Art

Can you believe that this art was created using a typewriter?

Tags: typewriter art, art, pictures, typewriter, paul smith, creativity, cerebral palsy

HOLY SHIT JT!!!

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:43:11 GMT

clipped by: debbyski
clipper's remarks: So it probably comes as no secret that jt3600 is my favorite new clipper and we need more people like him to bring us laughter in the world! Having said that, I'm praying that he will make it ok through all of this . . .

Clip Source: www.bloomberg.com

Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Tropical Storm Fay slammed into Florida's Cape Romano with 60 mile-per-hour winds after killing dozens in Haiti and the Dominican Republic during its passage over the Caribbean.

``It's been raining hard for an hour now and the wind is picking up,'' Cindy Stewart, a receptionist at the Bellasera Hotel in Naples, about 20 miles north-northwest of Cape Romano, said in a telephone interview at 5:45 a.m. local time. ``It's not too bad yet.''

It's the second hit for Florida in two days after Fay yesterday swept across the Keys, a chain of islands off the peninsula's southern tip. The storm's forecast track will take it inland, across the state's sugar-cane fields and orange groves. Fay was moving north-northeast at 9 mph as it passed over Cape Romano, located about 55 miles south of Fort Myers.

Tags: to, the nicest, and, funniest, guy, ive, known, luv, u, jt

Window To The Soul

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:48:33 GMT

clipped by: debbyski
clipper's remarks: I think photography can be one of the ways of capturing the essence of oneself . . . of how one is feeling at any given moment and the true beauty comes forth

Clip Source: mindmanifesting.blogspot.com

"There may be a great fire in our soul, yet no one ever comes to warm himself at it, and the passers-by see only a wisp of smoke." - Vincent van Gogh

Rick Warren, Obama, And McCain

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:28:22 GMT

clipped by: debbyski
clipper's remarks: déjà vu

Clip Source: www.boston.com

If anyone had any doubt about the influence of Rick Warren, last night provided a remarkable demonstration of his pull -- Barack Obama and John McCain both agreed to submit, one after the other, to televised questions from the evangelical pastor at his church in Orange County, California.

Warren asked the candidates about marriage, abortion, stem-cell research, and what Christianity means to them

But there is also some critical comment now emerging about Warren's role in the campaign.

"Some of the questions Pastor Warren posed crossed the line and promoted the fiction that the American people are electing a pastor-in-chief, rather than a commander-in-chief. Questions like 'What does it mean to trust in Christ?' create a religious test for public office and should have no place in the political discourse for a secular office.

And both the candidates deserve criticism for engaging in a competition to be 'holier than thou.

The War On Terrorism In Sweden

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:36:43 GMT

clipped by: debbyski

Clip Source: www.lewrockwell.com

On June 18 a new law was passed in Sweden granting the national defense’s civilian agency National Defence Radio Establishment (FRA) the right to collect and analyze all communication data that in some way passes the borders of the Kingdom of Sweden.

The official lie offered as excuse for this horrid, uncivilized law is, like in all other countries, the threat of terrorism. It is unlikely anyone actually believes Sweden, an insignificant socialist country in the far north in moral, financial, and political decline, is on the terrorists’ list of future targets, yet the sense of a common external threat of a faceless enemy seems to be as effective in Sweden as elsewhere.

Most of these Orwellian laws are part of a new "anti-terrorism" initiative in the European Union, where a new union-level situation center in Brussels, called SitCen, is proposed in order to coordinate the EU countries’ national security police, intelligence and surveillance efforts

Pelosi confronted at book signing

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:40:58 GMT

clipped by: papananook
clipper's remarks: Madam Speaker was so flustered by our efforts that she barely made a cogent remark for her whole "Know Your Power" talk. Our peaceful action had impact. The truth is a powerful tool. But if only our actions weren't necessary. If only, as Jodie Evans suggested, Madam Speaker would do her job!
Saddest of all is the contrast of who Pelosi once was to who she his now. For a woman who was once at the cutting edge of social progressivism, Nancy Pelosi has lost her way. She has strayed from her former social consciousness into the malaise of power. A sorry state for a woman who 32 years ago was a pivotal player in the 1976 Presidential campaign of radically progressive California Governor, Jerry Brown.

Clip Source: www.opednews.com

Last Monday evening, in the plush environs of Los Angeles' American Jewish University, a dedicated group of pro-peace, Pro-Constitution patriots "booked" Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. No, I don't mean "booked" as in charged her with a crime and jailed her. In this scenario, "booked" is more akin to "punked" - in which case we surprised Madam Pelosi by revising her new book, then forced her to read our revisions. Tuh-Dah!!

It happened like this: Madam Speaker of the House Pelosi, second in line to the Presidency, appeared at a book signing for her ironically titled new tome, "Know Your Power." Since Madam Pelosi has not used her power as Speaker to hold impeachment hearings against George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, as prescribed by Article 1 Section 2 of the Constitution, we pro-Constitution patriots held her to task. We took her new book and scrawled our personalized imperatives and questions within it.

Potential Alzheimer's, Parkinson's Cure Found In Century-old Drug

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 22:19:16 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: Also impressed is one of Dr. Atamna's co-authors, Bruce Ames, PhD, a senior scientist at Children's and world-renowned expert in nutrition and aging. "What we potentially have is a wonder drug." said Dr. Ames. "To find that such a common and inexpensive drug can be used to increase and prolong the quality of life by treating such serious diseases is truly exciting."

Dr. Atamna's research is the first to show that low concentrations of the drug have the ability to slow cellular aging in cultured cells in the laboratory and in live mice. He believes methylene blue has the potential to become another commonplace low-cost treatment like aspirin, prescribed as a blood thinner for people with heart disorders.

Clip Source: www.sciencedaily.com

A new study conducted by researchers at Children's Hospital & Research Center Oakland shows that a century-old drug, methylene blue, may be able to slow or even cure Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.

Used at a very low concentration – about the equivalent of a few raindrops in four Olympic-sized swimming pools of water – the drug slows cellular aging and enhances mitochondrial function, potentially allowing those with the diseases to live longer, healthier lives.

Dr. Atamna's research found that methylene blue can prevent or slow the decline of mitochondrial function, specifically an important enzyme called complex IV. Because mitochondria are the principal suppliers of energy to all animal and human cells, their healthy function is critical.

"The results are very encouraging," said Dr. Atamna. "We'd eventually like to try to prevent the physical and cognitive decline associated with aging, with a focus on people with Alzheimer's disease.

Tags: medicine, aging, alzheimer

Ron Suskind vs. Bush Admin on Iraq-9/11 Fakery

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:06:13 GMT

clipped by: blueridge
clipper's remarks: Suskind's book has provided documentation of evidence and inside witnesses within the CIA and British Intelligence sources that a fake letter was ordered "from the White House" pretending to be from Saddam's Intelligence Chief to Saddam (whom the U.S. relocated and paid $5 million to) which was laden with lies and a claim of ties between Mohammad Atta (supposed 9/11 ringleader), Al Qaeda, and Iraq--back-dated prior to 9/11--which provided deliberately false claims to connect Iraq to 9/11. The White House has denied (see previous clipmark) but award-winning journalist Suskind summarizes his sources and defends his allegations on Democracy Now (see first podcast "listen" link).

The second podcast, Aug. 14, includes House Judiciary Chair John Conyers who has already started an investigation under way which will lead to some kind of action. Conyer's stated the the Senate Intelligence Committee, headed by Jay Rockefeller, has the power to review classified documents to verify this.

Clip Source: www.democracynow.org

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Watch Listen

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Watch Listen

Tags: bush, 9/11, cia, iraq, al qaeda, mohammad atta, cheney, neoconservatives, war

Women spend 3,276 hours getting ready

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:38:22 GMT

clipped by: hitchhiker08
clipper's remarks: At the risk of losing some more lady friends...

Clip Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Women spend 3,276 hours getting ready

Women spend 136 days of their lives getting ready for a night out - enough time for an astronaut to fly to the moon and back 22 times.

The time women spend putting on make up and getting dressed works out at 3,276 hours over their lifetimes while men only devote 1,092 hours to looking their best.

A survey of 1,000 women also showed that 67 per cent thought that the time spent getting ready was actually a chore.

Only a third of women said they enjoyed preening themselves.

They spend about half an hour washing and styling their hair followed by 20 minutes applying make-up and 15 minutes applying nail varnish.

And there is evidence of a north south divide. Two thirds of northern women spend an average of 146 minutes getting ready compared with southerners who take 117 minutes to pamper themselves.

The figures come as no surprise considering the pressure that today's women are under just to make themselves look good.

Tags: makeup, glamor, glamour, women, fashion, grooming, salon

Beauty of Iran

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:46:45 GMT

clipped by: Kelika
clipper's remarks: From the site: "Richly-textured land, rarely seen in the West

Outside of politics, this is a fascinating, enchanting world, rarely shown in all its color. Since our first part we received many requests to continue with the series, and in fact, we'll continue to highlight the natural beauty of Near and Middle East countries, such as Armenia, Lebanon and Israel. In our humble opinion, people should learn to appreciate natural beauty and historic customs, without reaching for a "telescopic finder" of a rifle."

Clip Source: www.darkroastedblend.com

"Armenian Church Maryam-e Moghadas (The Holy Mary)", photo by Peter Kerber

"Woods of Mazanderan", photo by Zohreh Ghaemi

"Oroumieh Lake", photo by Hamid Sedghinejad

"Saayeh khosh formations in Southern Iran", photo by Sizif

"A mansion in Uramanat" Photo: paveh2005

"Sobatan Village - Ardebil", photo by Ali Vakilirad

"A Stream in the Golestan Province", photo by Avahid

"In Alam Kooh Mountains", photo by MountainZone

"Emam Mosque - Isfahan", photo by Sergej Marsnjak

Akhavan Residence

Persian Miniature by Bagher Aghamiri

Tags: photos, iran

How to Call in Sick When You Just Need a Day Off

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:31:28 GMT

clipped by: dakotayii
clipper's remarks: Sound good , I will call in sick tomorrow

Clip Source: www.wikihow.com

Complain about fake symptoms. A day before your day-off, make hints about your flu by casually reporting about your untrue flu-like symptoms throughout the whole day to your colleagues.

Call your boss early the next morning. Do not delay because it will cause displeasure to your boss. And also you will want to avoid you boss from labeling you as a bad employee by not informing him or her early.

Make the call a short one. Just say that you are not coming in as you are calling in sick that day. Excellent choices are severe headache or stomach ailment, as they are common. Don't get too detailed

Be prepared for a Q&A session. Is your boss nosy? Anxious about the sickness (if you work in food service, for example)? Try to imagine what kinds of questions your boss might have. Food poisoning? Contagious?

Try to have answers for these questions prepared ahead of time; otherwise you'll be fumbling and might lose your story

Get off the phone as quickly as possible; stories are told by liars

Tags: health

World’s Most Spectacular Skylines

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:04:50 GMT

clipped by: hitchhiker08
clipper's remarks: 'Spectacular' is right - each city/location has its own mesmerizing charm!

Clip Source: matadornights.com

The World’s Most Spectacular Skylines

Something about the outline of a city against its clear, crisp sky stops us in our tracks and commands our attention.

Below are staggeringly beautiful images where city meets sky all across the globe.

Miami, Florida, USA

Bangkok, Thailand

Vancouver, British Columbia

Republic Plaza, Singapore

Sydney, Australia

Shanghai, China

London, England

South Perth, Australia

Cologne, Germany

Graz, Austria

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Hong Kong

Detroit, Michigan

Berlin, Germany

Venice, Italy

New York, New York, USA

Warsaw, Poland

San Francisco, California, USA

Tags: skyline, horizon, architecture, photography, landscape, buildings

The Hollow Lives of the Happy

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 07:45:37 GMT

clipped by: abailart
clipper's remarks: <<<Who wouldn't question this apparently hollow form of American happiness? Aren't all of us late at night, when we're honest with ourselves, opposed to shallow happiness? Most likely we are, but isn't it possible that many of us fall into superficiality without knowing it? Aren't some of us so smitten with the American dream that we have become brainwashed into believing that our sole purpose on this earth is to be happy? Doesn't this unwitting affection for happiness over sadness lead us to a one-sided life, to bliss without discomfort, bright noon with no night?

My sense is that most of us have been duped by the American craze for happiness. We might think that we're leading a truly honest existence, when we're really just behaving as predictably and artificially as robots, falling easily into well-worn "happy" behaviors, into the conventions of contentment.>>>

Clip Source: chronicle.com

Why are most Americans so utterly willing to have an essential part of their hearts sliced away and discarded like so much waste?

Surely all this happiness can't be for real. How can so many people be happy in the midst of all the problems that beset our globe — not only the collective and apocalyptic ills but also those particular irritations that bedevil our everyday existences, those money issues and marital spats, those stifling vocations and lonely dawns?

Doctors offer a wide array of drugs that might eradicate depression forever. It seems truly an age of almost perfect contentment, a brave new world of persistent good fortune, joy without trouble, felicity with no penalty.

Don't we fear that this rabid focus on exuberance leads to half-lives, to bland existences, to wastelands of mechanistic behavior?

This brand of supposed joy, moreover, seems to foster an ignorance of life's enduring and vital polarity between agony and ecstasy, dejection and ebullience.

Tags: happiness, melancholy, depression

Life's but a walking shadow

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 04:21:46 GMT

clipped by: Sheroug

Clip Source: www.alionline.net

To-morrow, and to-morrow, and to-morrow,
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day
To the last syllable of recorded time,
And all our yesterdays have lighted fools
The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!
Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more: it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

--William Shakespeare, Macbeth (Act 5, Scene 5)