Saturday, February 4, 2012
End of the World
"God summons President Barrack Obama, Chinese Leader Hu Jintao and French President Nicolas Sarkozy to a meeting.
He then tells them that he has decided to end the world in 3 days and orders them to tell their people.
President Obama has a television speech to America and says, "I have good news and bad news."
"The good news is that there is a God. The bad news is that he will destroy the world in 3 days."
Leader Hu has a television speech to the Chinese people. He tells them, "I have bad news and worse news."
"The bad news is that there is a God. The worse news is that the world is going to end in 3 days and you're all going to hell."
President Sarkozy goes on television and tells the French people, "I have good news and better news. "
"The good news is that there is a God and he spoke to me! The better news is that the European economic crisis will be over in 3 days!!!"
He then tells them that he has decided to end the world in 3 days and orders them to tell their people.
President Obama has a television speech to America and says, "I have good news and bad news."
"The good news is that there is a God. The bad news is that he will destroy the world in 3 days."
Leader Hu has a television speech to the Chinese people. He tells them, "I have bad news and worse news."
"The bad news is that there is a God. The worse news is that the world is going to end in 3 days and you're all going to hell."
President Sarkozy goes on television and tells the French people, "I have good news and better news. "
"The good news is that there is a God and he spoke to me! The better news is that the European economic crisis will be over in 3 days!!!"
Rotating rings create phantom spiral
Gaze into these hypnotic rings and you'll be convinced that you're staring at a spiral. But if you carefully follow their outline, it becomes clear that they're actually concentric circles.
New Scientist
Friday, February 3, 2012
Pyromaniac Artist
A pyromaniac artist who specialises in capturing explosions in their full glory has unveiled a stunning series of fiery images.
Geoffrey H. Short, a 49-year-old New Zealander has called his work 'Objects Of Terrible Beauty' and is fascinated with what fire can represent.
Who's that at the door?
Chris Sparrow, 47, was about to go to bed when the high-powered black motor ploughed into his home in Essex at about 10.20pm.
Shell-shocked Chris was in his living room while his wife Karen, 47, was in bed when he heard a bombshell crash.
Fan's Snow White tattoo
Annfaye Kao, 27, from Taichung, Taiwan, had the intricate art work inked across her whole back in a marathon three month tattoo session that she said was 'very painful'.
The big freeze
'Do show a little compassion for the elderly, Bernard. Not everyone can afford their heating bills.'
Mac
Mac
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Is this the worst Valentine's Day card ever?
The cut price, recession-beating love token from Asda even features the supermarket's "Smart Price" logo on the cover in a heart.
Cheekily, the message inside reads "My love for you is priceless!"
On the front are the words "Be My Valentine" and the card even features Asda's famous green colours.
The cheap card is available in the supermarket's 300 stores and for 7p they will even throw in a red envelope.
The cards have soared in popularity on the money saving internet forums, www.hotukdeals.com, hiting a staggering 2,262 degrees on the website's 'temperature gauge'.
One user wrote: "Excellent, now buy myself as many as I like - never get any! Best start practicing writing left-handed!"
Another wrote: "Looking to break up with your partner but not sure how? Give them a 7p card from Asda!"
And another said: "Thanks for making me laugh so much. Think it should come with a warning on the packet - GUARANTEED TO GET YOU A QUICKIE DIVORCE.
Atheist
"An atheist was walking through the bush when a lion jumped into his path.
The man turned to flee, but tripped over a root and went sprawling.
In seconds the cat was standing over him.
“O God!” cried the atheist.
At that instance the lion froze, the surrounding bush went quiet and a voice boomed from heaven, “You deny my existence for all these years and credit creation to a cosmic accident.“
“Now, in your time of need, you cry out for help. Am I now to count you as a believer?“
“It would indeed be hypocritical to change my beliefs at this point,” said the man.
Maybe you could make the lion a Christian, this would resolve our dilemma.”
“Very well,” said God.
With that everything returned to normal and the lion unfroze, dropped to its knees, bowed its head and prayed, “Lord, for the food that I am about to receive, I am truly grateful. Amen.”"
The man turned to flee, but tripped over a root and went sprawling.
In seconds the cat was standing over him.
“O God!” cried the atheist.
At that instance the lion froze, the surrounding bush went quiet and a voice boomed from heaven, “You deny my existence for all these years and credit creation to a cosmic accident.“
“Now, in your time of need, you cry out for help. Am I now to count you as a believer?“
“It would indeed be hypocritical to change my beliefs at this point,” said the man.
Maybe you could make the lion a Christian, this would resolve our dilemma.”
“Very well,” said God.
With that everything returned to normal and the lion unfroze, dropped to its knees, bowed its head and prayed, “Lord, for the food that I am about to receive, I am truly grateful. Amen.”"
Then make it up. Pretend to want something awfully, then cry off for her sake. Flatters them. She must have been thinking of someone else all the time.
"Most American bookstores stock a plurality of titles on sex differences. One popular series explains (figuratively) that men are from Mars, women from Venus, and that understanding these differences can demystify and provide behavioral guidelines on a date, in the bedroom, while raising children and, after things fall apart, when starting over following a breakup. Among other things, such popular books reflect and reinforce popular stereotypes that women are more emotional than men, particularly regarding sadness. Scientific evidence, in contrast, makes quite clear that the sexes are more similar than different in emotional experience, suggesting that stereotypes generally overstate emotional sex differences."
via the new shelton wet/dry /continue reading
via the new shelton wet/dry /continue reading
Pussy Riot take revolt to the Kremlin
"Anonymous band with provocative anti-Putin lyrics – who have become a symbol of Russian youth's discontent – are preparing for their next surprise performance."
via The Guardian /read more
via The Guardian /read more
Note to Christo: Don’t Start Hanging the Fabric Yet
"The $50 million project by the artist Christo, who hopes to drape nearly six miles of the Arkansas River in southern Colorado with suspended bank-to-bank fabric, received approval from federal land managers late last year.
But on Wednesday, a new battlefield emerged in law and local politics: in Denver, opponents filed a federal lawsuit aiming to block construction, which Christo had hoped to begin this summer. The suit argues that land managers violated federal law in approving the plan and gauging its environmental impacts."
via NYTimes.com / continue reading
via NYTimes.com / continue reading
Egypt Mourns Soccer Riot Victims, and Many Blame Military for Melee
"Egypt began three days of national mourning on Thursday after at least 73 people were killed in a brawl between rival groups of soccer fans after a match in the city of Port Said, the bloodiest outbreak of lawlessness since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak one year ago.The riot on Wednesday night refocused attention on the failure of the transitional government to re-establish a sense of order and stability in the streets and threatened to provoke a new crisis for Egypt’s halting political transition. The deadliest soccer riot anywhere in more than 15 years, the melee also illuminated the potential for savagery among the organized groups of die-hard fans known here as ultras who have added a volatile element to the street protests since Mr. Mubarak’s exit.
The newly elected Parliament held a special session on Thursday and Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri said a raft of officials, including the Egyptian football association’s director and the Port Said governor and security chief had either resigned or been fired, news reports said.
Leading members of the Parliament accused the military-led government of deliberately allowing the violence to escalate to justify its expansive police powers and undermine the revolution. Lawmakers demanded high-level resignations and threatened a vote of no confidence in the military-appointed cabinet.
“The reason for this tragedy is the deliberate neglect and absence of the military and the police,” said Essam el Erian, a senior lawmaker from the Muslim Brotherhood’s political arm, which leads the chamber."
via NYTimes.com / continue reading
via NYTimes.com / continue reading
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
The Mayan Apocalypse And The Meaning Of Life
"Two days ago I listened to a lecture on the Mayan "prediction" of the apocalypse, which millions believe will take place on 21 December 2012. The lecturer was one of the world's foremost experts in archaeoastronomy, Prof. Anthony Aveni, from Colgate University.
According to Aveni, the scant Mayan documentation that can be interpreted as saying anything about the end of the world should be seen not as predicting an apocalyptic end but a rebirth, which always happens at the end of a calendric cycle. Although to most people it will either be a blow up or a bliss out, the reality is much tamer than that.
However, while Aveni was explaining why a planetary alignment won't do anything to us — "did you know that Venus contributes only 1/500th of an inch to earthly tides?"— ditto with solar flares or an alignment with the galactic center, common phenomena without much to fear, he also asked why do people of all ages, past and present, have such a fixation with ideas of the end, and why this is particularly acute in America.
Here we circle back to Haque's question of what makes a life meaningful, and we see that fears of the end are often related to fears of having lived a meaningless life."
By Marcelo Gleiser/ NPR /continue reading
By Marcelo Gleiser/ NPR /continue reading
This Is How Our Sun Will Look When It Dies-Yes, the Eye of Sauron
"In a few billion years, our dear Sun will look like this, a beautiful glowing eye of spent starstuff trash in the shape of Sauron's Eye. And no ring is going to save us from this one."
via Gizmodo/continue reading
via Gizmodo/continue reading
'I'm sensitive to criticism' Jeff Goldblum.
"What's the worst thing anyone ever said about you?"
"Oh boy, I'm sensitive to criticism. A Jurassic Park review said I looked like a giant gnome.
I try to have a sense of humour about it; I guess I've got prominent ears, and that's why he said it."
Portrait of the artist: Jeff Goldblum, actor | Culture | The Guardian / more
Mind-reading program translates brain activity into words
Electrodes implanted in the brain of a patient with epilepsy. The brain activity of volunteers was recorded while they listened to words. Image: Ned Sahin
"Scientists have picked up fragments of people's thoughts by decoding the brain activity caused by words that they hear. The remarkable feat has given researchers fresh insight into how the brain processes language, and raises the tantalising prospect of devices that can return speech to the speechless. Though in its infancy, the work paves the way for brain implants that could monitor a person's thoughts and speak words and sentences as they imagine them. Such devices could transform the lives of thousands of people who lose the ability to speak as a result of a stroke or other medical conditions. Experiments on 15 patients in the US showed that a computer could decipher their brain activity and play back words they heard, though at times the words were difficult to recognise. "This is exciting in terms of the basic science of how the brain decodes what we hear," said Robert Knight, a senior member of the team and director of the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley."
via The Guardian / continue reading
"Scientists have picked up fragments of people's thoughts by decoding the brain activity caused by words that they hear. The remarkable feat has given researchers fresh insight into how the brain processes language, and raises the tantalising prospect of devices that can return speech to the speechless. Though in its infancy, the work paves the way for brain implants that could monitor a person's thoughts and speak words and sentences as they imagine them. Such devices could transform the lives of thousands of people who lose the ability to speak as a result of a stroke or other medical conditions. Experiments on 15 patients in the US showed that a computer could decipher their brain activity and play back words they heard, though at times the words were difficult to recognise. "This is exciting in terms of the basic science of how the brain decodes what we hear," said Robert Knight, a senior member of the team and director of the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley."
via The Guardian / continue reading
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